Page 9 of Just One More Moment
“Caleb!” She stared at him in surprise. “I didn’t expect you to come by today. Why aren’t you at work?”
Her brother was a partner at a high-end real estate firm uptown.
“We need to talk,” he said, his mood far more somber than when he normally visited Raven. “It’s urgent.”
Raven’s creamy skin paled.
Remy’s protective instincts rose, but as much as he wanted to stick around to see what would get her so upset, he knew it wasn’t his place to intrude and he rose from his seat.
“Hey, Caleb.” He extended his hand and her brother shook it.
Caleb nodded at him. “Remy.”
He stepped aside. “Take my chair. I need to check things in the back, anyway.”
“Appreciate it,” the other man said in a curt tone.
Though Remy walked away, he’d be keeping his eye on Raven.
***
Raven’s brother tookthe seat Remy had abandoned and sat down beside her, placing a white paper bag with familiar writing down on the counter. “Look what I brought you,” he said, in an obviously forced, cheerful tone.
Despite the unease settling in her stomach, she grabbed for the bakery bag, opened it, and inhaled powdered sugar goodness. “Mmm. At least let me take a few bites of a donut before you wreck me.”
She had no doubt something was wrong or he wouldn’t have taken the long trip upstate to pick up her favorite bakery treat, nor would he be here in the middle of the day.
Caleb worked hard so he could be home for his five-year-old son, Owen, in the evenings and when they came to visit, it was usually for dinner.
“Dig in.” Caleb remained silent as she pulled out her treat and took a much-needed taste. “Yum. Amelia hasn’t lost her touch.”
Caleb smiled. “She said to tell you hi and she misses you.”
“I miss her too.” But Raven wouldn’t visit her old friend’s bakery in Chappaqua and risk running into her mother in town. That was a confrontation Raven avoided at all costs.
She placed the donut back into the bag to eat later, wiped her face with a napkin she grabbed from the counter, and faced her brother. “Okay, I’m ready. Talk to me.”
He put his hand on hers and squeezed tight. “I need you to stay calm, okay?”
Her heart skipped a beat. “You’re scaring me. Just get it over with. It’s abouthim, isn’t it?”
Caleb nodded. “Lance’s getting out of prison early. In about two weeks.”
“What?” She blinked, stunned, and leaned on the counter for support. Early release was impossible. The bastard ought to serve every day of his too short sentence.
“Breathe,” her brother demanded, moving his hand to her back and rubbing for comfort.
She pulled in much-needed air. “How? He wasn’t due out for another year!” And Raven thought she’d have that time to prepare and decide what to do before he was paroled.
“Overcrowding and good behavior, apparently.” Caleb shook his head in disbelief. “Good behavior.” He snorted, a scowl marring his handsome face.
Caleb was so good, so kind. The complete opposite of his fraternal, not identical, twin brother who lacked morals and a conscience. They did not look alike.
If it weren’t for Caleb and the way he’d protected her, Raven might have gone mad while growing up within her adoptive family. Her birth father had run out on her mother before she’d been born and when Raven was five, her only parent was killed, hit by a car as she crossed the street on her way to work. Raven had vague memories of a soft voice and light brown hair. That was all.
Cassandra and Reginald Kane adopted her soon after, a lucky thing for a five-year-old in foster care, where babies were usually the first choice. She was brought home to meet her new brothers and she’d latched onto Caleb who she’d adored on sight. But from early on, she knew Lance was different. Colder. Meaner. And the older she got, the more she realized something was missing behind his brown eyes. He had no soul.
She sniffed and pulled back her shoulders, determined not to let the bastard defeat her.