even when I was a child.”
She stared into his black eyes without flinching. That wasn’t entirely true. When he had first been born, she had marveled at what a beautiful child he was. His parents had doted on him.
But they had given him too much leniency. His cruelty went unchecked. At first, they were the cruelties all children engage in. But soon, they became more. His brother and sisters suffered under his hands. His parents were good people, but they were unable to remove the streak of unkindness in him, no matter how much they loved him.
Fuld tilted his head to the side. “You’ve never been afraid of me, have you?”
“No.”
He sighed. “Well, that’s a problem. Because you see, I need some of that knowledge in your head. And I don’t suppose you’d be willing to help me—out of the goodness of your heart?”
Victoria said nothing.
He sighed again. “I didn’t think so. Well, no matter. I still have a little time to convince you. There is one other piece of the puzzle I need before you are of use to me.”
Victoria stiffened. No, he hadn’t found him. He couldn’t have.
Jorgen smiled. “You’re wondering if I’ve found him, aren’t you?”
She struggled to keep her face expressionless.
Jorgen laughed with genuine joy. “Do you realize that I know every expression on your face? I know you better than anyone else on the planet. After all, you are my mother.”
Victoria lashed out. “I am not your mother.”
He stood and brushed his hands on his pants. “You are my mother as surely as if you had birthed me from your own loins. You created me. You are responsible for who I am.”
“ You are responsible for the man you have become. Not me.”
“Ah—that same old tune. I’m afraid we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one.” He walked over to her and raised an eyebrow. “But admit it, you are happy to see me. After all, we are the only people we can truly be ourselves with, aren’t we?”
Victoria looked away, not wanting him to see the truth in her eyes.
He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “It is actually good to see you, Mother.”
Victoria cringed but held her tongue. It’s good to see you too. The thought appeared unbidden in her mind. But she couldn’t argue the truth of it.
Jorgen turned and walked out of the room, locking the door behind him. Victoria sagged against the wall. She glanced out the window again, thinking of Henry and Laney and imagining them in a battle with Jorgen.
A battle they couldn’t possibly win.
Please don’t come looking for me .
CHAPTER 18
Baltimore, Maryland
L aney was going over the books from Sebastian Flourent’s home in the Red Canyon. She closed the journal in front of her and looked around Dom’s office. It was modern, with all the technological touches. Almost makes you forget that you’re locked in a bomb shelter a hundred feet beneath the surface.
They had decided to keep the books down here as a security precaution. There was simply no safer place on the estate. She’d been slowly making her way through them since yesterday.
It had been a full day since Victoria had gone missing, and they still had nothing. They knew that there were fourteen men who had infiltrated Victoria’s home, but they had no IDs, no affiliations. Based on some of their tattoos, Jake thought some of them might be international mercenaries. But so far, Interpol hadn’t had any luck identifying them.
“Hi, Laney.”
Laney looked up; Max stood uncertainly in the doorway. She opened her arms, and he grinned and ran across the room.
Laney closed her arms around him. “This is what I needed.” She pulled Max up into her lap, keeping her arms around him. “So tell me, what have you been up to?”
“I was practicing my writing with Mom. I can do all my letters now.” He grinned broadly.
Laney squeezed him tight. “I’m so proud of you.”
Max glanced at the journals on the desk. “Are you reading those
She stared into his black eyes without flinching. That wasn’t entirely true. When he had first been born, she had marveled at what a beautiful child he was. His parents had doted on him.
But they had given him too much leniency. His cruelty went unchecked. At first, they were the cruelties all children engage in. But soon, they became more. His brother and sisters suffered under his hands. His parents were good people, but they were unable to remove the streak of unkindness in him, no matter how much they loved him.
Fuld tilted his head to the side. “You’ve never been afraid of me, have you?”
“No.”
He sighed. “Well, that’s a problem. Because you see, I need some of that knowledge in your head. And I don’t suppose you’d be willing to help me—out of the goodness of your heart?”
Victoria said nothing.
He sighed again. “I didn’t think so. Well, no matter. I still have a little time to convince you. There is one other piece of the puzzle I need before you are of use to me.”
Victoria stiffened. No, he hadn’t found him. He couldn’t have.
Jorgen smiled. “You’re wondering if I’ve found him, aren’t you?”
She struggled to keep her face expressionless.
Jorgen laughed with genuine joy. “Do you realize that I know every expression on your face? I know you better than anyone else on the planet. After all, you are my mother.”
Victoria lashed out. “I am not your mother.”
He stood and brushed his hands on his pants. “You are my mother as surely as if you had birthed me from your own loins. You created me. You are responsible for who I am.”
“ You are responsible for the man you have become. Not me.”
“Ah—that same old tune. I’m afraid we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one.” He walked over to her and raised an eyebrow. “But admit it, you are happy to see me. After all, we are the only people we can truly be ourselves with, aren’t we?”
Victoria looked away, not wanting him to see the truth in her eyes.
He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “It is actually good to see you, Mother.”
Victoria cringed but held her tongue. It’s good to see you too. The thought appeared unbidden in her mind. But she couldn’t argue the truth of it.
Jorgen turned and walked out of the room, locking the door behind him. Victoria sagged against the wall. She glanced out the window again, thinking of Henry and Laney and imagining them in a battle with Jorgen.
A battle they couldn’t possibly win.
Please don’t come looking for me .
CHAPTER 18
Baltimore, Maryland
L aney was going over the books from Sebastian Flourent’s home in the Red Canyon. She closed the journal in front of her and looked around Dom’s office. It was modern, with all the technological touches. Almost makes you forget that you’re locked in a bomb shelter a hundred feet beneath the surface.
They had decided to keep the books down here as a security precaution. There was simply no safer place on the estate. She’d been slowly making her way through them since yesterday.
It had been a full day since Victoria had gone missing, and they still had nothing. They knew that there were fourteen men who had infiltrated Victoria’s home, but they had no IDs, no affiliations. Based on some of their tattoos, Jake thought some of them might be international mercenaries. But so far, Interpol hadn’t had any luck identifying them.
“Hi, Laney.”
Laney looked up; Max stood uncertainly in the doorway. She opened her arms, and he grinned and ran across the room.
Laney closed her arms around him. “This is what I needed.” She pulled Max up into her lap, keeping her arms around him. “So tell me, what have you been up to?”
“I was practicing my writing with Mom. I can do all my letters now.” He grinned broadly.
Laney squeezed him tight. “I’m so proud of you.”
Max glanced at the journals on the desk. “Are you reading those
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