“You son of a bitch!” Alexander managed to clamber to his knees while John held tight to Zach.

Charity Hamilton stood at the door, dainty mouth open, and watched her husband struggle to stand.

“I will press charges,” he growled.

“And I’ll have her counter them,” Zach threatened.

Alexander smiled as he wiped the blood from his lip. “She won’t. She’s afraid of me, and now she’ll be afraid of you.” He pulled his wife’s arm until she followed him. “I thought she was dead, Mr. Benson. Now that I know she’s not, I intend to find out where my bastard child is.” He started down the hall, and when Zach lunged toward him, John held tight to his arms. Hamilton turned back. “Oh, and Mr. Benson, I’m sure you can assume that our agreements and business arrangements are over.”

“I wouldn’t want to do business with you,” he said as Alexander stepped into the elevator.

John released his grip after the doors had closed.

Zach bent over and rested his hands on his knees, his pulse pounding in his head like a jackhammer. He forced himself back upright.

“Regan,” he shouted as he ran for the stairs with John following him.

He charged up to their floor and pushed open the door to the suite, but she wasn’t there. Her suitcases hadn’t been touched. She’d simply fled.

He ran back down to the lobby while John called her cell phone.

Zach searched the lobby, but there was no sign of her. John arrived a few seconds later, reporting that she hadn’t answered her phone. Asking around finally produced someone who said she took a cab to the airport.

Zach plowed through the lobby doors and took the next cab to the airport in hopes of finding her.

Regan shivered in the California heat in the backseat of the cab that rushed her away from the hotel. Never had she considered that her new path would cross with Alexander’s, but now it had. For the second time, the man had ruined everything she’d ever worked for or wanted.

She’d taken the first cab across town and then changed cabs. This one took her to John Wayne Airport; she was certain Zach would look for her at LAX.

Two hours later, she was flying toward Alabama. She’d rent a car and drive to Nashville.

She needed the time away. She knew Zach and John would be looking for her, but she feared now that Alexander Hamilton would be looking for her as well.

Regan sat back in her seat. Her secrets were out. Zach would know she was unworthy of his love now. She’d borne the child of Alexander Hamilton under horrible circumstances. She’d convinced Curtis to lie to him and tell him she’d died, rather than risk another beating like the one that had almost killed her. Alexander had believed him and moved on. She’d been stupid to believe she was safe.

She wiped madly at the streams of tears that rolled down

her cheeks. In one year, she’d lost everything only to regain a bit of her dignity and pride back. How was it possible that in a moment’s time she’d lost it all again? There was no way Zach would look at her the same way now.

She closed her eyes tight and held back her tears. She very quickly realized she’d done what Mary Ellen had warned her not to do. She couldn’t care less about her employment status at the moment, but not only had she lost Zach, she’d lost him the contract on his biggest build ever.

As the flight landed in Alabama, Regan took a deep breath. It was time to start over. Again. Arianna would be in New York for a while. She could move up there and hide in the anonymity of Manhattan.

Chapter fourteen

Zach paced outside Regan’s house. She should have beaten him back to Nashville by several hours. Where could she be?

Fear had cost him any rest on the airplane. What if Alexander Hamilton found her? John had stayed in the hotel, in their room, in case she returned there. Zach had to protect her from the madman who… he didn’t even want to think about what that man had done to her.

It was edging toward seven, and the sky blazed orange. Finally, Carlos and his children pulled up in front of the house.

Zach watched Carlos’s eyes scan him. She’d talked to her brother, that much he could tell. The man’s dark eyes burned with fury, and he couldn’t blame him for wanting to come at him. But he could see Carlos holding his calm.

“You three go in the house. I’ll be up in a little bit,” he ordered his children as he walked toward Zach. They each said hello. Zach knew from the kids’ laughter as they jostled each other on their way into the house that Carlos had kept Regan’s troubles from them.

“Please tell me you’ve talked to her,” Zach pleaded, grabbing Carlos’s shoulder as soon as the children walked through the door.

Zach dropped his hand, sensing Carlos’s tension. Then the stare that followed, not quite trusting him, as Regan’s brother tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I’ve talked to her.”

“Is she all right?” His voice wasn’t steady. He saw no point in trying to keep calm.

“That depends on your thought of all right,” Carlos said evenly and then let out a breath. “I’m going inside to get us a couple of beers. I don’t want my kids to hear us. Have a seat on the step.” Carlos walked into the house, and Zach climbed the steps heavily and took a seat.

Carlos returned with two beers. He handed one to Zach and sat next to him with the other. They sat in silence for a moment, sipping the beers and waiting for the other to talk.

“She’s scared,” Carlos finally said, looking out over the street where children played. “He tried to kill her. He tried to kill them both to wash his hands of them.” He dangled the beer bottle by its neck. “Worst part is, he loved her and she loved him.” Carlos shook his head. “He was too caught up in the money and social aspects of his life. He honestly did love her, but in the end I truly think he lost his mind.”

Zach was sure of that. He’d seen the man’s eyes. He’d heard his voice. No well-mannered man treated his wife the way that Alexander Hamilton had treated his.

“What did he do?” he asked, though he wasn’t sure he could handle hearing the specifics of Hamilton’s attack on Regan. But he needed to know. He loved her.

Carlos turned his head and gave Zach a long, thoughtful look. “He beat her almost to death.”

Nausea clenched his stomach as awful images played out in his mind. He made himself listen to the rest of what Carlos was saying.