Page 38 of Silos and Sabotage

Dr. Jones listened to their spirited exchange with a benign smile. He didn’t seem to be in any hurry to jump in and add his therapist’s wisdom to the mix.

“Why wasn’t I safe?” Ella was too starved for answers to dwell on Dr. Jones’ lack of input to their session.

Her mother blew her nose. “Because whoever killed your father wanted you dead, as well.”

“How do you know that?” Vagaries weren’t good enough for Ella. She wanted specifics.

Her mother waved her hands in agitation. “Because it’s the only thing that makes sense! I’ve spent thousands of dollars on private investigators. Enough to know that Mick Lawton lived a saintly life. The only secret he had was the one about his birth.”

And mine.Ella couldn’t believe her mother was overlooking the elephant in the room. Then again, she’d been in on that particular secret.

“He always said he never knew who his father was, but I think he did,” her mother continued, fisting her hands in her lap. “His father was a very wealthy, very powerful man. He still is.”

Ella’s heart pounded with anticipation. “You mean he’s alive?”

“Yes.” Her mother seemed to recoil. “But the less you know about him, the better. I’m not withholding information to be cruel. I’m doing it to keep you safe.”

Whatever.Ella nibbled her lower lip, trying to swallow her frustration. “Why didn’t Dad fight back against his killer?” Surely, her mother wouldn’t withhold that kind of information.

“He couldn’t, because his assailant stunned him with a taser.”

Ella drew a sobbing breath, both sad and grateful to finally have that piece of the puzzle handed to her. “That makes more sense than my hazy memories, because Dad was so strong.” Physically and mentally. “A soldier like him would’ve never crumbled in the heat of the moment.”

“No, but he was a little distracted that day,” her mother sighed.

Ella narrowed her gaze on her face. “By you,” she said slowly. “You were there, weren’t you?”

“I was.” More tears dripped down her mother’s face.

“Only hours after you gave me your kidney.” Ella huffed out a disbelieving breath. “Why weren’t you still in bed?”

“I should have been,” her mother admitted. “But you were in a different room, and I had to see for myself that you were okay.” She grabbed a clean tissue to dab at her eyes. “We disobeyed doctor’s orders, and Mick snuck me down the hallway in a wheelchair. It was total chaos trying to roll my IV line beside the wheelchair. I wasn’t much help,” she confessed, “still groggy from the anesthesia and as limp as a spaghetti noodle.”

Ella hung on her every word, as more missing pieces of her memories were filled in.

“After the attack on your father, it was utter pandemonium in your patient wing for a while.” Her mother shuddered as she recounted what had happened that fateful night. “The police posted a guard by your door, but I ordered extra security on top of that.” Her hands were in constant motion while she talked. “I’d taken a very last-minute leave of absence from work, claiming an illness. It wasn’t too hard to pull off since I co-own a private practice. My dad didn’t question it too much, either, since I jet down to the beach pretty often for holiday weekends and such.” She drew a tremulous breath. “At least I did while you were living down there. I don’t have much reason to now.”

Glancing at the wall clock, Ella was dismayed to note how quickly time had flown. Her second appointment was nearly at its end. “I’d like to squeeze in one last question, if I may.”

“Sure, hon.” Her mother leaned her way eagerly. “Anything.”

Anything other than the stuff you don’t want to talk about.Ella swallowed the bitter retort that sprang to her lips and plunged onward. “Who have you been protecting me from?”

“I don’t know.” A vulnerable light crept into her mother’s eyes, one that assured Ella better than words that she was telling the truth.

“You have got to be kidding me.” Despite all the forward steps she’d taken today, her mother’s latest revelation felt like an equal number of backward steps.

“I wish I was.” Her mother shook her head sadly. “For this reason, I implore you not to go anywhere without a bodyguard. I’ll get on my knees right now and beg, if that’s what it takes.”

Ella almost chuckled at the mental image, but there was no way she was letting the woman who’d given her a kidney demean herself like that. “Actually, I’m using my inheritance to pay for round-the-clock protection from Lonestar Security.” Technically, Gage was handling the evenings and weekends while off duty, but that was their business. Nobody else’s.

“I’m glad to hear it, hon. You can’t do any better than those Lonestar guys. I know, because I have my own running tab with them.” Her smile was wry.

“Because you’re afraid?” Ella inquired softly.

Her mother shrugged. “I’m a Radcliffe. I’ve never been free to walk down the street without looking over my shoulder.”

The anger that Ella had been clinging to for the past week suddenly felt like a balloon that had sprung a leak.I forgive you.Even though she didn’t say the words aloud, they were accompanied by the most liberating feeling.

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