Page 23 of Keeping Her Secrets

“Yes, but why did you pinpoint him?”

“Hanley hates that my approval ratings are better than his. I fell into this job, and he’d been groomed for it his entire life. He isn’t my biggest fan.” Her brow furrowed, and her hands clasped tightly, giving away her feelings. “But to target Leonie is low, even for him.” She looked straight at Mustique then. “Do you know why he’s being blackmailed and by whom, and why my daughter is a target?”

“Yes, ma’am, but it’s best you don’t know. This has the potential to go nuclear if it gets out and we’re trying to stop that happening.”

“Why isn’t the FBI taking the lead on this?”

She was direct, and Mustique found herself liking the woman even more. “At this point we want to keep it to as few people as possible.”

Kate Craven tilted her head to Ash. “Would you be able to check my security along the perimeter? My men have upgraded it, but a second set of eyes would be nice for my peace of mind.”

Ash nodded and stood. “Of course, ma’am.”

Mustique went to stand, but Kate placed a hand on her arm. “Can I have a moment with you, please?”

She glanced at Ash who’d stopped and was looking at her in question. She had no desire to speak with Kate Craven, but then she couldn’t very well say no either. “It’s fine. I’ll come to find you in a moment.”

She smiled to try and ease the worried look on his face, and her heart clenched as her feelings for this man became apparent. When the door closed behind him, she faced Kate. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

The woman opposite seemed to drop the façade, and what Mustique saw was a seriously worried mother. “I knew this day would come. In the pit of my stomach, I always knew this would happen, but I wasn’t prepared for it.”

“Don’t worry, Senator Craven. I won’t let anything happen to your daughter. You have my word.”

“I don’t mean that, although that terrifies me too. No, I mean Leonie being your child.”

Mustique felt the room spin as she listened to the words being said. “How did you…”

“She’s the spitting image of you. How could anyone not see it?” Mustique felt her stomach tighten painfully.

“I never intended you to know,” Mustique answered. Kate Craven clenched her fist at her side and tipped her chin up.

“What do you want from me? Money? Power? I’ll give you whatever you want, but I can’t lose her. She’s my baby. I’ve loved her since the day she was handed to me.”

Mustique felt tears sting her eyes, and she blinked them back. “I don’t want anything. I keep tabs on her to make sure she’s okay and safe, and that’s how I found out about this plot, but I won’t take her from you. I know how it feels to have your child ripped from you, and I would never do it to you or her.” She saw Senator Craven relax as if she’d had a gun to her head and then it was removed. “Does she know she’s adopted?”

“Yes, I never lied to her about that, but she doesn’t know the circumstances surrounding it.”

“Do you?” she asked, wanting to know if the woman was willingly complicit in what had happened to Mustique all those years ago.

“I never knew the details until after Jim, my husband, died. I found some press clipping and letters when I was going through his things. I’m afraid I burned them. It was wrong, but I couldn’t lose her, too.”

“I understand.”

“What happens now?” Kate asked, and she seemed frightened.

Mustique stood, and her legs felt wobbly from the wealth of emotion building inside her. “Now I find out who wants to kidnap Leonie and stop them, and you to carry on being the best mom you can be to your daughter.”

Kate rose too and surprised her by taking her hand. “Thank you. She has been the single greatest gift of my life, and I know what it cost you, so thank you.”

Mustique couldn’t answer, to say, “you’re welcome,” was a lie, but she appreciated the sentiment. “We’ll be in touch as soon as we have anything. In the meantime, only use your usual security detail and both of you should stay close to home.” Mustique handed her a piece of paper with her cell number on it, and Craven took it.

“That’s not going to go down well.” Kate rolled her eyes and smiled. “Leonie likes to push the boundaries, but she’s a good kid.”

“I was the same,” Mustique added before she reached for the door handle. “I’ll be in touch. Is it okay if I go and find Asher?”

“Yes, of course.”

But Kate followed her from the room, obviously not utterly secure with her daughter’s birth mother walking around the house unsupervised. Mustique found Ash out by the pool, talking to Leonie, and her heart almost jumped out of her throat at the sight of him with her child. He had her laughing and flirting as only a teenage girl can.