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“Claire.” His eyes sparkled as he walked over and bent over to kiss her.

She leaned back and avoided the kiss. Anger flashed in his eyes for a quick second until he smirked.

There was an empty seating area, and he motioned for her to sit next to him on a couch, but she sat down in one of the chairs.

Keith frowned but didn’t say anything. He looked her over from head to toe.

A predatory look that made Claire flinch. He smiled.

“God, you look good. I’ve missed you so much,” he said. He tried reaching for her hands, but she pulled away.

“Keith, I want you to stop following me. I’m never coming back to you.”

He cocked his head. A tear slipped down his cheek. “Claire, please give us another chance. You’ll find I’ve changed since you’ve left. I’m so sorry I caused you pain. I’m begging you. Please come home.”

Keith looked so apologetic and contrite. Claire knew he probably felt that way right now, but he hadn’t changed. He did this to her every time he abused her.

“Sweetheart, I’ve changed. Well, trying to change. I’ll go to anger management classes; we’ll get couples therapy. Anything for you. Please come home.”

“Keith, read my lips. I am never coming back to you.”

Keith narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. Took a moment to reply. “Are you saying you want a divorce?”

“Yes.”

Silence. Claire suspected he was weighing his possibilities, although he did look crestfallen. “Claire, oh, Claire. I need you. Please come home.”

She shook her head. “I want a divorce.”

“You’ve found someone new. Haven’t you? Couldn’t wait to get rid of me.” Anger dripped from his voice.

“No, and you know that’s not it.”

They stared at each other for a minute. Claire was sure Keith would never give in.

Her heart plummeted. Could he, would he say yes? She sent a short prayer upward.

He took a deep breath, let it out. Silence again. He sighed. “I suppose if I can’t convince you to come home, send me the papers and I’ll sign them.”

Claire was dumbfounded. It couldn’t be that easy. What was the catch?

“You mean that? ”

He nodded. “Yes, I do. I only want you to be happy. Send them to my office in New York.”

She stood to leave. Keith got up, blew her a kiss and walked toward the elevators.

Now what? That was too easy. Claire didn’t believe him for a minute, but she would contact that divorce lawyer Sam knew. Maybe it would work out. If not, she didn’t have anything to lose. She would disappear.

The immediate problem was the mystery man. He promised he would bring her back to Joe’s, but where was he? She didn’t have her purse to take a cab. Not that she had enough money to pay for one. Still… She started over to the front desk to call Joe when the mystery man stepped up to the counter.

“Ready?”

God, yes, she was ready. She needed to get out of here. She needed to see Joe. She needed a shower to wash the slime away. She needed a lawyer. She needed a lot of things.

Joe stopped at the store for the food Claire wanted for dinner and arrived home anxious to see her. He parked in the driveway and started walking up the path.

“Mr. Joe. Mr. Joe.” Mikey came running out of his house, yelling and flailing his arms.

“Mikey, whoa. Slow down, partner. What’s going on?”

Mikey stopped short in front of him, gasping. “Miss Claire.”

“Miss Claire?” He stooped down. “Miss Claire, what?”

“Some man tooked her.” Tears started running down Mikey’s face.

“Mikey, you’re confusing me. Who tooked—took her?”

“Some man in a big black car. ”

Oh, God. Had Keith followed them here? His heart stopped. Here, he and Sam were going on and on about protecting her, and they hadn’t again. Where was she? Was she okay?

He stood up. “Mikey, slow down. Tell me what happened.”

“Miss Claire came out and got our ball that slipped into the road. Then she played with us. Then she was going to leave, and the big, black car came fast. The man told her to get in. She didn’t want to.

But I heard him say that he would shoot us.

Then he said to tell us she was okay. She told us to go home. She got in the car, and they left.”

“How long ago?”

Mikey raised his shoulders and grimaced. “I dunno, a while ago.”

A while ago? What the hell was a while ago? Joe wanted to shake more information from Mikey, but he guessed there wasn’t any more. Why didn’t Mikey tell his parents, though? He would figure that out later. For now, he had to concentrate on Claire.

Joe thanked him and sent him home. He pulled out his phone and dialed Sam, who picked up after one ring. “Tired of the company already?” she joked.

He ignored the remark. “Claire’s gone.”

“Gone?” Silence. “Where did she go?”

“Sam, how the hell do I know?” he growled and took a deep breath, letting it out. “Sorry. I don’t know anything. I just got home.”

“I’ll be right over. Look at your security tapes and see if you can spot what happened.”

Security tapes. He mentally hit himself on the head. He raced into the house, sat at his computer and pulled up the camera feed. Mikey and his friend were playing ball. He saw Claire run out of the house, retrieve the ball from the street and then play with the boys .

He watched as a black car came racing down the road and stopped.

He couldn’t see the man’s face. Claire looked more angry than scared as she looked at the boys.

She motioned for them to go and stood there for a minute before finally opening the door and getting in.

Hat and sunglasses covered most of the guy’s face.

Couldn’t see a license plate number. God damn! He punched the table—what a disaster.

The doorbell rang. Sam. He let her in.

“What did you find out?” she asked.

“Some guy took off with her. Doesn’t look like he grabbed her, but the little boy next door said the man threatened them, then told her to tell them she was okay.”

She exhaled loudly. “What a clusterfuck. Did you recognize the car or the guy?”

“Nope. Black car. Couldn’t get a license number. Nothing.”

“Okay, let’s call in the troops, then the police. Phil is on it and will call me when he has something.”

He heard the front door opening, and Joe was on his feet immediately. Claire stood in the doorway. Pale, shaken but alive.

He gawked at her. “Claire. Honey, are you okay? Hurt?”

She gave him a small smile. “Yeah, I’m okay,” she whispered. “I wasn’t hurt, just scared.”

“What the hell happened?” asked Joe. He marched over and hugged her tight.

He held her until she pulled away.

“Let me grab a glass of water—maybe wine would be better—and then we’ll talk.” She walked into the kitchen and came back with a glass of wine and sat down. “Okay, then,” she huffed. “I’ve been on a nightmarish adventure.”

She settled into the chair, slipped off her shoes and tucked her legs under her.

“I know what Mikey told me and what the tapes showed. What happened? Where did you go?” asked Joe, hoping he kept the panic out of his voice.

She told them about the mysterious man, the meeting with Keith, how he wanted to meet in his room but she wouldn’t, and that he claimed that he would sign divorce papers.

Joe got angrier and angrier. What was wrong with that man? What part of leaving Claire alone didn’t he understand? By the time Claire finished with her story, Joe had made up his mind.

Sam had been staring at a message on her phone from Phil and relayed it to Joe and Claire.

Phil found out where Keith was staying. They already knew that from Claire, but he had nothing on the mysterious man.

Phil thought Keith had flown down in a private plane, which is why they didn’t know he was back.

“Okay, then. Nothing more I can do tonight, so I’m taking off,” Sam said.

Claire yawned and stood up. “Well, I’m going to bed.

There isn’t anything else that I can tell you.

Except that this whole experience had tired me beyond exhaustion.

I just want to go to sleep and, hopefully, forget everything that’s happened.

” She said goodnight and walked down the hall to her bedroom.

Joe started to walk Sam to the door. No. He stopped. This wasn’t over. That bastard was not getting away with this. He asked Sam to stay at the house for a while. Told her that he had something to do.

“I hope it’s nothing stupid.” She cocked her brow and stared at him.

“Nope. Just have to go out for a little while,” he said, clenching his teeth.

Sam squinted her eyes for a minute, stared at him, turned around and sat in a chair .

Joe took out his truck keys and drove into the hotel district.

He got to the Art Deco hotel, gave the valet his keys and strode in.

He didn’t look left or right. He walked past all the art and people milling around.

Took the elevator up to the top floor. Knocked on Room 2801.

When Keith asked who it was, Joe said room service.

The door opened, and Joe placed his foot in the doorway to prevent Keith from closing it. He stepped in, closed the door.

“What the hell?” objected Keith. “Who are you?” He stared at Joe for a minute. “Oh yeah.” He nodded to himself. “The loser bodyguard.”

Joe stared at him.

“Yeah, I know about you. Poor homeless boy. Thief, troublemaker, the kid no one wanted.” Keith looked him up and down.

“Why Claire would want a loser like you, someone who will never amount to anything other than being a goon when she could have, has, someone like me who is rich and successful is beyond my comprehension.”

Keith looked so smug.

Joe continued to stare at him.

“So, how does it feel to be a loser?” Keith smirked.

Joe pulled back and punched him in the gut. Keith was knocked backward. His arms wind milled until a chair stopped his flight, and he bent over, holding his stomach.

“You bastard,” Keith hissed as he stood, his face contorted into hatred.

Joe stared at Keith. His perfectly coiffed hair was now a mess, his shirt was rumpled and half off. He didn’t look so pretty anymore.

“You asked me how it feels to be a loser. From my standpoint, damn good. Stay away from Claire, or the next time I won’t be so nice.”

Joe turned and walked out the door.