Page 2 of Saving Salem
Rafe shook his head and headed for the door. Pausing, he glanced over his shoulder at Jack. “Don’t let your past keep you from grabbing hold of your future, Jack. Life isn’t guaranteed. Most of the time we let our chances slip away, thinking we’ve got all the time in the world, when that’s as far from the truth as the sun is from the moon. Think about if youreallywant to see Salem, and if the answer’s yes, talk to Momma. Like I said, she’ll set you straight on whether or not Salem would be open to seeing you.” Jack shrugged, telling himself Rafe couldn’t understand his reluctance. “At least think about it.”
“I will.”
“See you later. And don’t try to get out of dinner. Not unless you want Momma showing up on your hotel room doorstep.”
Jack chuckled as Rafe walked out the door, before looking down at the papers spread across the table, not really seeing them. Instead, his mind pictured a beautiful redhead with hair cascading over her shoulders in a fiery curtain, laughter and joy reflected in her brown eyes even after the hell she’d lived through. He swallowed back a sigh, allowing the picture to fade. He couldn’t afford to think about Salem. No, she was better off without him.
Gathering his notes, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed his boss. Might as well get some work done before facing the Boudreau matriarch. He only hoped he could fool her into thinking he didn’t care about Salem. Guess he’d better brush up on his lying skills before dinnertime.
“I don’t knowwhat to do. They want to take Chloe.” Salem could barely get the words out over the tears she choked back.
“Nobody’s going to touch your child, honey.” Ms. Patti’s voice held an ocean of calm and serenity, exactly what Salem needed to hear. The minute she’d opened the envelope with the legal papers stating Tarik’s family was suing for custody of Chloe, her first instinct had been to call Ms. Patti. Well, second thought anyway. The first had been to grab Chloe and run as fast and as far as she could, even if it meant leaving the country. Once she’d calmed down, she’d thought about talking to Ms. Patti. The woman had become a surrogate mother to her during the time she’s spent hiding out on the Boudreau property a year ago, when Tarik had been stalking her. Given the fact he’d threatened to kill Ms. Patti’s niece, Gabi, it was a wonder any of the Boudreaus wanted anything to do with her. Yet they’d not only helped her, but they’d also accepted her as a part of their family, their clan as they called themselves.
“You don’t understand. Tarik’s family has more money than some small nations, and they’ll use it to take my daughter away from me. Legally, they can hire the best attorneys because they can afford to. I work for minimum wage part-time at a coffee shop and part-time for a private investigator. Max pays me decently to help around his PI office, but not enough to hire a shark who can take on the Amir family. Because that’s what I’ll need to fight them—a legal shark.”
“First, stop. Take a deep breath.” Ms. Patti’s voice held a command Salem couldn’t refuse. Drawing in a ragged breath, she closed her eyes and pictured the petite blonde woman who’d come to mean the world to her. She loved her biological mother, she truly did, but there was something about Ms. Patti that made her feel cherished. Like she mattered, on a purely emotional level. “Good. Now take another one.”
Salem glanced over at the playpen only a few feet away, watching as Chloe pushed her bottom in the air and rocked back and forth. She knew her baby was close to getting to the walking stage. Chloe had mastered crawling easily, and her happy giggles made every moment with her daughter a joy. It didn’t matter who her father had been, Chloe was nothing like him, and Salem swore she’d do everything within her power to keep her from becoming like the monster who had sired her.
“I thought I was finally free of him. Tarik’s dead. Why is his family coming after Chloe now? They haven’t shown a single bit of interest in her before.”
“That’s a good question, sweetheart. And we’ll get the answers, I promise. I want you to email copies of the papers to Chance. I’ll let him know they’re coming, and he’ll take a look. While he’s not a specialist in child custody cases, he’s a mighty fine lawyer, and the district attorney for Shiloh Springs. If he can’t help you, I’m betting he will know somebody who can.”
“Chance. Why didn’t I think of getting in touch with him?”
“Maybe because you’re too upset to be thinking straight right now? Have you talked to Gabi?”
“No. She’s got enough on her plate right now, with just having her baby, and Dylan is up to his neck working a case for Samuel Carpenter. I don’t think Gabi needs the added stress right now.”
“Piffle.” Ms. Patti’s voice held more than a touch of humor. “Gabi’s your best friend. She’s Chloe’s godmother. She’s going to be highly upset if you don’t confide in her. Remember, she’s the one who helped you through that whole ordeal last year. If it hadn’t been for Gabi, we’d never have met.”
Ms. Patti was right.As usual. Gabi Boudreau had been a huge part of her life for the past several years, and they were as close as sisters. Gabi had fought with her, tried to keep her from hooking up with Tarik. If only she’d listened to her bestie’s advice, she wouldn’t have dealt with all the pain and suffering she’d gone through at his hands. Wouldn’t have endured the beatings, which left her battered and scarred. Then again, if she hadn’t gone to live with Tarik, thinking she loved him, she wouldn’t have her precious baby girl. Chloe made everything worthwhile.
“I’ll think about calling her, Ms. Patti. I promise.
“Okay, Salem, here’s what I want you to do. Number one, call Max Lamoreaux and let him know you’re going to be taking some time off. Do the same with the coffee shop where you work. Number two, call Gator. Tell him what’s going on, especially all the details you know about Tarik’s family. Ask him to keep an eye peeled around the city for anybody who might come sniffing around, asking questions about you or Chloe. Number three, pack a bag, get in your car and head here. Drive straight through. If you don’t run into any huge construction zones, you should make it here sometime tonight.”
The weight that’d been pressing down on Salem’s chest lifted at her words. Somehow, she’d known Ms. Patti would tell her exactly what to do. Would offer her a safe landing space, a place where she could breathe, leave the panic behind, and figure out a plan of how to proceed. She wasn’t about to simply hand her daughter over to the Amir family. They were no better than Tarik, had stood silently by while he’d taken advantage of her naivete and abused her, mentally, psychologically, and physically.
Her hand rose to her face, her fingers running softly against the scar he’d given her. That moment had been the last straw, and as the blood had dripped down her chin, she’d sworn to find a way to escape him. “I don’t know how I can thank you.”
“You can thank me by doing what I said. You get yourself and that precious baby here in one piece. We’ll do the rest. Nobody is going to take Chloe.”
Salem drew in a deep breath, her hands still shaking. The papers lay in front of her on the table, the stark black letters mocking her, making her feel small and insignificant. The same way Tarik had made her feel for months.
“Honey, you still there?” Ms. Patti’s voice broke her from her morose thoughts.
“I’m here. I just realized how blessed I am to have you and your family as part of my life.”
“We feel the same. Now, you go and make those calls, and get packing. You need to hit the road because you’ve got a long drive ahead of you. Oh, and don’t forget to email those papers to Chance. I’ll give him a head’s up, so he can be expecting them. It’ll give him an opportunity to look them over before you get here.”
“I’ll do that right away. Thank you again. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’re a smart woman, Salem. You’ve got friends and family who are there for you. All you’ve got to do is call them. People like Gator. Ranger. Even Samuel Carpenter.”
Salem gave a half-hearted laugh. “I suspect you’re right. It’s simply hard for me to ask for help. I’ve always stood on my own two feet, didn’t want or need anything from anybody. Until I ran to Gabi last year. I feel like I’ve been in limbo for so long, I don’t know up from down sometimes.”
“You’ve come a long way to getting your life back, Salem. Don’t allow Tarik’s family to derail the progress you’ve made or let them take away the joy you’ve found with Chloe. Now, go on, get to packing. I expect you to get here around dinnertime. Got it?”
