Armoured Attraction

“But I know she’s telling the truth,” Vanessa said. She had no doubt about it at all.

Liam nodded. “I believe her, too, but it’s about what we can prove when it comes down to a court of law.”

“I just can’t stand the thought of more girls trapped and scared.” Karine had told them that the youngest of the girls was only eight years old. Fortunately she was being “kept” for someone special—some sick buyer, no doubt—so she hadn’t been assaulted. The older girls hadn’t been so lucky.

Liam reached over and grasped her hand. “I know. I feel the same. But it’s important that we keep whoever is behind this in the dark as long as possible. That is our best chance at saving those girls. By convincing law enforcement that you don’t really know anything about Karine and that you certainly don’t know where she is now.”

Vanessa nodded. He was right.

“Okay, then I need to call my office, let them know I won’t be coming in. If I just don’t show up, everyone there will be worried.”

Vanessa stood and called her supervisor at Bridgespan. It wasn’t a long conversation. Vanessa told her she was sick but that she would hopefully be in tomorrow. Her boss understood and told her to take care of herself.

“That seemed pretty painless,” Liam said after she finished. He was sitting back in his chair, long legs stretched out in front of him, arms crossed over his chest.

He looked relaxed, lazy even, in that way Liam could pull off so well. But Vanessa had no delusions. He intended to have answers from her about the changes in her lifestyle.

She didn’t want to fight with him. Didn’t want to go back to eight years ago in some epic battle of “who was right and who was wrong when we were young and stupid.” But she could at least give him the basics.

“You want answers.”

“I would just like to know what is going on. I find I do better in any tactical situation when I know all the information.”

Was that what she was? What they were? A tactical situation?

“There’s not a whole lot to the story. I grew up. Decided I couldn’t live on my parents’ money forever.”

“And became a social worker. Like with a degree and everything?”

She could tell he tried very hard to keep any trace of incredulity out of his voice, and almost succeeded.

It stung a little. But it was the most common sentiment among people who had known her then and knew her now. Why would Liam be different?

Vanessa ten years ago would never have been a social worker. An interior decorator? Maybe. Buyer for some fashion line or upscale boutique? Perhaps. Professional country club attendee and beach bunny? Absolutely.

Helping other people for barely over minimum wage? No.

But she wasn’t that person anymore. Thank God, she wasn’t that person anymore. Although the change had come at a high price.

“After you left...after...” She trailed off. She didn’t want to talk about that. About him leaving or what had happened afterward. “I decided to go to college. I didn’t want to just sit around here anymore. I really enjoyed my basic psychology and sociology classes, and so followed that route. Ended up with a degree in social services.” In less than three years, she might add.

“Wow.” He shook his head. “I just never would’ve figured—”

“That I would ever be anything but a selfish, spoiled brat who didn’t have it in her to care about another person?”

Silence fell between them. That was the quote, almost word for word, that he’d told his friends about her when he left. After he’d asked her to come away with him and get married and she’d said yes but then hadn’t.

For reasons he didn’t understand. And, once she’d found out what he’d really thought about her, for reasons she’d had no plans to ever tell him.

“You made a promise and then broke it.” Liam rubbed a hand over his face. “I was angry. Hurt. Plus, it was the truth.” He sat straighter in his chair. “How did you find out I said that?”

“I went looking for you. Your friends were happy to relay the message.” They’d never liked her. Had always thought she was a snob.

“When did you come looking for me?”

“Maybe a week after you left?”

“Why then?”

Because it was the first time she had been able to. But again, not telling him that. “I wanted to see if there was any chance you were still around.”

That mocking smile, so fake and handsome—the one that had always gotten under her skin—covered his face now. “Why? Didn’t think I’d actually leave? Even though you didn’t even have enough guts to explain to me yourself that you were no longer interested in marrying me? I had to find out by knocking on your door and your father telling me?” He stood from the table and walked over to the sink, farther from her. “Nope. I left and never looked back.”

This was the fight she’d been trying to avoid. It was a situation too many years past, water having long since washed under the bridge. Pride and stubbornness and tragedy conspiring together to keep them apart.

Vanessa turned and walked over to the window. This place was so bittersweet for her. Every time Liam’s grandmother had gone off to the grocery store or her bridge club or, heaven forbid, a weekend trip up to Norfolk to see her cousin, Vanessa and Liam immediately jumped into his big bed. They’d never been able to get enough of each other. She was surprised they hadn’t burned down the whole house with the passion between them.

Yeah, she’d been selfish and spoiled, but she’d loved Liam Goetz with every fiber of her being. Hearing that he’d said how selfish and undesirable she was—combined with everything else she’d gone through at that time—had cut her to the quick. Him walking away and never looking back? That had just proved to her that he hadn’t loved her in the same way she had loved him.

It had caused her to do something she hadn’t done in the entirety of her selfish, spoiled life.

Give up.

She should’ve fought for him. For them. But hadn’t had the strength at the time.

So after she’d healed, she’d gone to college, waiting tables to pay for classes. She hadn’t wanted a dime of her parents’ money. She’d gotten a degree in helping other people. It didn’t take much of a psychologist to figure out that Liam’s words had influenced her career choice.

She’d survived. Found an inner strength she hadn’t known existed. Left selfish and spoiled behind her.

Liam had walked away and never looked back.

“I hope you’ve been happy, Liam,” she whispered from the window. “I never wished you ill.”

She wasn’t sure the same was true in what he wished for her.

Chapter Seven (#ulink_c04296ee-294c-545b-96df-bf3d2ce4b5aa)

She’d come after him?

A week later. But still... If he had known she had come looking for him, would it have made a difference? It was too late to ever know the answer to that now. Nearly a decade stood between them.