Page 31 of Deny Me
But painkillers meant no driving for her. Not to mention the whole “someone might be trying to kidnap you” thing.
King’s sure grip on the wheel directed them out the gate and onto the narrow road leading toward the highway. Charlotte shifted slightly in her seat, let her gaze go a bit unfocused to try and distract from their direction, the knowledge that they had to pass the spot where she’d almost died. Maybe after a few hundred times it wouldn’t bother her anymore—and maybe once she had the wheel again, she’d take the twenty-five-minute-longer loop to avoid ever rounding that bend in the road again.
Whether King noticed her discomfort or not, he handed her a lifeline by asking the question, “Tell us about Creating Families. How did it start?”
She’d talked to Elliot about this, but maybe King’s teammate hadn’t included the details in her notes? And then there were the things she hadn’t shared with Elliot. Things King never needed to know about.
“I had a roommate in college who got pregnant,” she finally said. It was a simple story with a simple ending, but the impact on her life had been profound. “Her boyfriend dumped her and her parents tried to force her to get an abortion, but she felt like that was the wrong choice for her. She decided to adopt, and watching her walk through that process…” Charlotte shook her head. “Young women have their entire lives derailed by pregnancy. Then they go through the extreme physical changes, the pain of giving their babies up or trying to care for them on their own, while rebuilding their lives without resources or options. I wanted to change that.
“I had a business degree,” she continued. “And what was I going to do with it? Make more money that I didn’t need? Why not leverage my privilege to help others?”
King murmured an agreement, and she realized her explanation had come close to his own reasons for leaving his family behind. He’d needed to serve, and he’d sacrificed everything, including her, to do so. She hadn’t made nearly the same sacrifices, but when she looked at her life, she was proud of what she’d accomplished. Not a pile of unnecessary wealth or useless flattery, but lives she’d enriched in the best ways she knew how.
The men peppered her with questions about the way CF functioned, and before she knew it, they were pulling up to the discreet offices in Marietta that housed the organization. King was trained to read people, situations, settings. What did he read about her from looking at her work? From seeing the discreet sign with its line drawing of a baby cradled in a flower? The comfortable couches in the warm reception area—no hard chairs or clinical atmosphere. They’d worked hard to make this place relaxed and encouraging. Could he tell how personal this all was for her?
Her right-hand woman smiled sweetly behind the wide oak desk at the back of the reception room.
“Vicky—”
“Charlotte!” Her friend was around the desk and grabbing Charlotte to her chest before Charlotte could blink. “We’ve been so worried about you!”
“Can’t. Breathe.” Charlotte made her words breathier than they actually were, grinning.
Vicky backed off, laughing. “Sorry! I’m just so glad you’re okay.”
Her team had been told about the accident and its relation to their work. “I’m fine.” Well, maybe not fine. More like confused, overwhelmed, and still achy, but she could manage. That was all that mattered. She returned Vicky’s hug before gesturing to the two men accompanying her. “This is King Moncrief and Saint Solorio. They’re…”
King offered his hand. “Ms. Alexander’s bodyguards.”
Vicky’s raised brow said she’d let both men guard her body anytime despite the slight roundness of her pregnant belly that clearly said she was taken. Charlotte suppressed an amused grin. “Would you mind taking them on a tour of the office?” She could use a break from constantly watching every word and move around her ex-fiancé, not to mention thinking about that kiss at the most inopportune times.
“Of course I can.” Vicky grinned Saint’s way.
“I’ll let Saint accompany you,” King said. “You’ll understand if I stay with Ms. Alexander.”
Charlotte barely held back a groan. Maybe King could go on the tour and Saint could come with her? But one glance at King’s face told her that was a no-go. Might as well pick her battles.
“Right.” She smiled in Vicky’s direction. “Have fun.” And without waiting she led the way to her office.
The room designated as hers was the same size as all the other offices at CF. She’d painted it a soothing cool blue—nothing like King’s eyes, likeat all. She resisted glancing at him to assure herself she was right and instead strode straight toward a filing cabinet in the corner. “What do I need to look for first?”
When King didn’t answer, she dared a glance over her shoulder. He was staring, but not at her—at her office. Seeing that calculating look made her squirm. He was seeing too much. “King?”
His gaze narrowed on her, and she had little doubt he not only saw her reaction but understood what was making her uncomfortable. “Hmm?”
“What do I need to look for first?”
A vee formed between his brows as he considered that, then strode to the opposite side of her desk. He wasn’t going to hover over her shoulder, but she noticed he didn’t take one of the seats waiting there. Sitting had never been King’s style. “Let’s start with adoptions that didn’t go through. Women who backed out for whatever reason. We can send the names to the office to run birth and adoption records, see what we come up with.”
They could, but how long would that take? “OrIcould just call,” she offered. “You know we keep in touch with our mothers and our families for several years after their adoptions are finalized.” Creating Families did have adoptions that fell through. Even then, given the unique nature of their organization, they did keep in close contact, but there were a few…
Riffling through the files, she came to one belonging to a woman who’d canceled her adoption about six months ago.
“Then you already know which ones kept their babies and which went on to adopt through another avenue?”
Did she? “I guess they could hide it, but there have been a couple who chose private adoptions, often with family members.”
“Let’s see what we can find,” King finally said. “If we can at least eliminate mothers who did indeed keep their children, that narrows the list. We can then see if there are any connections between them that might give us a lead.”
