Stormy Vows - Iris Johansen [46]
“Perhaps in the end she was a little crazy,” Brenna said, her eyes clouded with pain. “Crazy with fear and rejection and loneliness. Crazy to protect the one human being that was to be hers alone. I thought it was insane, too, but now I wonder if she somehow knew that Randy would need to be protected from you.”
Chadeaux jumped to his feet, his fists clenched. “You won't get away with this,” he snapped. “I need that kid, and I'll find a way of getting him. You're just making it a little more difficult. I'll hire detectives who will punch a million holes in your story. They'll turn up a dozen witnesses who will swear you're not Randy's mother.”
Brenna felt a chill at the threat, but she couldn't let him know he'd frightened her. “It will take a long time to do that,” she said coolly. “Do you really have that much time? I believe you mentioned something about gambling debts?”
There was a speculative look in the shallow gray eyes as he looked her over critically. “We might come to an agreement,” he said slowly. “You want the kid. I need the money. Grandmother wants me settled with a wife and family. What do you say we make everybody happy? Why don't we fly to Vegas and get married?”
Brenna could feel the blood drain from her face in shock. “You must be mad,” she whispered. “I can't stand the sight of you.”
“I'm not overly fond of you, either,” Paul said caustically. “You're too independent. I was going to make the offer to Janine, when I found her. She was much more my type.”
Suddenly Brenna couldn't stand any more. She felt sick at the sight of him.
“Get out!” she said harshly. “I don't ever want to see you again.”
“Well, that's too bad,” he said nastily. “Because you're going to see a hell of a lot of me in the next few months. In court and out, little sister!”
“If you don't leave, I'll call security to force you to go,” Brenna said tensely.
“Oh, I'm leaving,” Chadeaux said, as he bent to crush out his cigarette in the crystal ashtray on the table. “But don't think I won't be back.” He strolled casually over to the door, and turned to look at her as he opened it.
There was such a malevolent viciousness in his expression that she caught her breath in fear. “Good-bye, little sister! See you soon.”
As the door closed she flew over to it and locked it hurriedly, as if to lock out the threat that had been evident in Chadeaux's last statement. He meant it. Chadeaux would stop at nothing to get Randy, now that he saw an advantage in it. There was no way she could let the little boy fall into those carelessly cruel hands, she thought frantically. She walked into the living room, pacing agitatedly back and forth, trying to see some solution to the problem. She hadn't a doubt that given time, Chadeaux could produce the witnesses he needed to press his claim. Janine's ploy had been flimsy at best. How could Brenna stop him if he actually took her to court? His arguments had merit. The Chadeaux family had great wealth and power. How could she possibly fight them if it came to a custody battle? She froze, as an even worse thought came to her. What if Chadeaux got an injunction giving him temporary custody of Randy pending the outcome of the trial?
She whirled, and ran into the bedroom. She took two suitcases out of the closet and threw them on the bed before picking up the telephone extension and dialing reception. “Paula, this is Brenna Sloan. I've got to leave at once for Los Angeles. An emergency. Will you contact Doris and have her pack for Randy, and have him ready to leave in twenty minutes? And I'll need Johnny to drive me to Portland to get a flight.” Paula Drummond answered with her usual bright efficiency, expressing polite concern before she hung up.
Brenna started to fill the open suitcase, tossing in the clothes with no regard to neatness or order. She was well aware it was panic that spurred her to this rash decision, but what else could she do? Her only chance of keeping Randy from Chadeaux was to disappear with