The Rescue

Ashley was blissfully sleeping.  The tiredness she was feeling had pulled her into dreams.  Her energy level was not at her normal, but her doctor told her it was normal to be tired so much of the time, especially with the amount of morning sickness she’d encountered.  Morning sickness would have been a blessing.   She was sick most of the day.  And although she could tell it repelled SID when she was sick, he’d been very solicitous of her.

He showered her with attention and gifts.  And when she wasn’t sick his hunger for her hadn’t waned.  And she’d found out that sex usually made her feel better.  It had been over a month since SID had brought her back from 1950s LA.  She had finally been off of the estate.  SID had taken her to the gynecologist, the one he’d picked out as appropriate to examine her.  Ashley had really liked her.  SID had chosen well.  She couldn’t have done better herself although their criteria may have differed some. 

There was a moment when Ashley could have asked for help and told them she’d been kidnapped and was being held against her will, but she hadn’t done it.  She’d wanted SID by her side to hold her hand.  It had been on the second visit.  SID had taken her frantically in to see the doctor after she’d kept nothing down for over two days and had become rather listless and lethargic.

They’d given her IV fluids in the office which had made her feel so much better.  The doctor told her she was becoming dangerously dehydrated.  She’d praised SID for bringing her when he did.  SID had beamed and at that moment Ashley knew he loved her.  It was more than about the baby’s health.  SID had been worried about her.  He may never tell her he loved her, but Ashley knew it was the truth and she no longer was sure she wanted to escape or leave him.

The doctor had taken SID out of the room to talk to him for a few minutes.  The nurse had come in to check on her.  It was the first opportunity she’d had alone with another human being in all this time since she’d been taken.  Ashley said nothing.  She’d only glanced at the door eagerly awaiting the time SID returned to hold her hand again.  She knew she was pathetic.  And she just didn’t care.  She loved him.  SID loved her.  And they were having a baby together

“Wakey, wakey, Butterfly.”  SID’s voice broke through her sleep with a giggle.  She sighed and stretched while waking slowly.  Her eyes opened.  The whole room had been transformed while she slept.  Dangling from the ceiling were what appeared to be hundreds of colorful paper butterflies.  They were beautiful.  They swayed from the breeze circulating in the room.

Ashley sat up slowly to make sure neither her head spun nor her stomach lurched.  She’d found moving slowly was best when changing from one position to another.  She was rewarded with no sudden urges to run to the bathroom.  She stood up on the mattress while letting the sheet fall away from her naked form.  Her fingers reached out to gently push one of the paper butterflies and make it flutter.  It appeared to be in flight as its gossamer wings moved.

“Oh, SID!  They’re so beautiful.  Thank you.”  After another appreciative glance at his work of art, she padded across the mattress and stepped down into his open arms.  Ashley wrapped her arms around his chest.  He was clothed only in his silk robe.  As she snuggled against his body she could feel him awaken for her.  It was always the same.  They both found longing and hunger in each other’s arms.

Her lips gently found his.  He intensified the pressure and slipped his tongue into her mouth to engage hers.  Their hunger intensified.  Ashley slipped her hand between their bodies to open the sash on his robe.  She exposed SID’s beautiful body and molded her nakedness against his.  His straining manhood nestled into the curly red hairs between her legs.  Their bodies rubbed against one another.  They moaned into each other’s mouths as they continued kissing.

SID picked her up and carried her to the settee.  He gently laid her down, kissed her belly and moved up her body by placing tiny kisses on his journey back to her mouth. 

“How is my beautiful Butterfly feeling?”  He ran his fingers over the soft skin of her cheek.

“I feel well, SID.  Hungry for you, lover.  Kiss me. Touch me.  Make love to me.”  She nibbled along his lower lip.  Her body arched toward his questing hands, body and lips.  “SID…”

SID’s eyes shined with excitement and desire for her. Her body was nearly ready for his.  She pushed toward him, wanton in her need for her SID.

“My Ash-lee.  Your SID gives his beauty what she wants.”  He pushed deeper inside her.  She wrapped her legs around his hips as he hilted himself into her flesh. 

She gently kissed his cheek.  “You do give me what I want and what I need, SID.”  She moaned as he moved tantalizingly inside her body.  He filled her perfectly. 

SID proceeded to make love to his beautiful one as only he could do.  He made her come multiple times before he emptied his seed inside her.  SID was very happy with his butterfly.  He was no longer sure he would need more than one consort.  She was young and healthy.  She could have all the children he required.

He increasingly found many flaws in other women he compared to his Ashley during his search for another.  SID had access to all the systems of human communications throughout the world.  He had found none to meet his standards.  He had chosen perfectly the first time.  Of course others would pale in comparison to his Ashley.  And SID knew something she didn’t know.

SID tantalizingly drew figures on her naked back after their joining.  Each time her pert rounded bottom arched toward him in reaction to his fingers, he kissed and nibbled on the soft flesh.  When he neared her he could smell the mingling of their fluids.  His nostrils flared from the scent.

Finally he could resist her no longer and pulled her legs around him and entered her again.  She gasped as he filled her.  He giggled at her reaction. “We must practice in this position for the time when we have to join like this.”  One hand cupped the small swelling flesh from their child as he eased her onto her knees.

She giggled in response and pushed her greedy body back toward his. “That’s just what we need, SID.  To practice having sex in different positions.”  She giggled again which turned into a moan as he touched her nipples.

SID licked up the warm flesh of her back.  He saw the soft tiny hairs stand up as her flesh shivered.  His acute vision caught all the changes in her body that he could cause.  “I’ve heard humans say practice makes perfect.  Perhaps that is the case with our sex.  The more I enter my butterfly, the better it gets.”  He cradled her body as he began to move deeply in and out of her.

Ashley moved in rhythm with his slow thrusts.  “That could be true, except I think we’ve already found perfection each time…”  A moan was pulled from her again.  SID stroked her body with his flawlessness.  “And then it still gets better somehow every time, lover.”  Ashley lost the ability to speak in sentences as he moved faster and harder as he stroked her body.

“Yes…perfect flesh, perfectly matched, my Ash-lee.”  His lips caressed the soft flesh of her neck as he brought her to another perfect shattering orgasm. 

Later Ashley reached her hand out to find SID.  She sighed when she found herself alone.  Sometimes he would stay with her while she slept, but other times he’d leave to do things.  SID didn’t sleep.  Not ever.  He just didn’t need to.  Today had been amazing for them together.  How could they possibly be more attracted to one another all the time?  Yet their need for one another kept growing.

A stray thought found its way into her sleepy brain.  If Ashley had stayed in Redemption with Cort would their love and attraction have grown so wildly like this?  What about with Bud in 1950s Los Angeles?  And there were the others in different times that SID had alluded to.  She shuddered.  Those other times scared her so much.  She’d never consider going through the doorway again.  SID knew that too. 

That’s when she remembered him whispering to her that he was going out as she fell asleep.  He said he wouldn’t be gone too long.  She tugged the sheet up to her neck and closed her eyes.

Again she wondered if her love and attraction for SID and to a lesser degree Cort and Bud had been because of whatever SID had done to her as a baby in the past.  She didn’t know.  And nothing would change that any longer.  She loved SID with her heart, her head and her body.  And it felt like her love would last forever.

She drifted back off to sleep.  Her last thought was how long could SID continue to love her the way he loved her right now?  And were there other changes or alterations he’d made to her that still weren’t apparent? 

Ashley was jolted awake suddenly.  It was disorienting, frightening and made her stomach lurch.  She took a deep breath to try calm her stomach.  What had she heard? Again there was a loud noise from outside the bedroom and the sound of male voices.  She was scared and felt the need to flee.  Where was SID?  Was someone harming him?  She should investigate…yet SID was very competent.  And she had the baby to consider.  He would want her to protect herself and the baby at all costs. 

She grabbed the blanket off the bed and ran to hide herself.  The bathroom was spacious but she would be quickly found.  There was the closet.  She hated going in there.  That was irrational since the portal door was now keypad locked.  She only hesitated a moment before slipping into the dark closet and quietly shutting the door. She scurried into the corner which was in complete darkness.  Ashley covered herself hoping she would look like something other than a person beneath the blanket.  She fought for control of her breathing and movement.  There was total silence until…

The outside bedroom door being broken in shattered the silence with splintering wood.  Ashley was terrified but remained completely silent.  She again heard the muffled sounds of male voices and heavy footfall beyond the closet.

Ashley froze, trying not to tremble.  Where was SID?  Could she remain undetected for a long enough time for him to return and save her?  What if SID was their target?  She heard the sound of the handle jiggle and the closet door being opened.  It took all her control not to scream or cry out. The light switch was flicked on.  There was no hope to remain undetected any longer.  Heavy boots sounded across the cedar floor.  She held her breath.

“Ashley?”  She flinched as her name was softly called.  She should have remained completely still.

“Ashley, is that you?  It’s Dino.  We’re here to take you home.”  She knew this man’s voice.  Dino?  Her Dino?  Who else could it be?  She had been kidnapped.  Ashley had met Dino the first time in connection with a kidnapping.  She’d often forget she’d been taken.

She slowly lowered the blanket off her head until she could peer at the man talking to her.  Was it really Dino?  She gasped when she saw several men before her dressed in military garb and holding guns trained in her direction.  She tried to scurry away from them.  There was nowhere to run or to hide.

Dino motioned for the others to step back into the bedroom after they’d determined the closet was empty besides the victim.  The last day he’d seen Ashley Weston was with bed-mussed hair and now she was before him covered in a blanket and obviously terrified.  He’d been trying to find her for nearly 2 months.  He wasn’t sure they ever would have found her if it weren’t for the tip.

He put his gun away and knelt down before her.  What was her mental state after being a prisoner for over 3 months?  If she needed an ambulance it would have to wait until they got her off the estate.  Her captor was gone.  This was the time to spirit her away and prevent any damage to her if he returned. 

Dino felt her captor wouldn’t give her up without a fight.  Ashley was the daughter of one of the richest men in the country.  Hell, make that the world and there had never been a request for ransom.  She hadn’t been taken because her last name was Weston and she was worth a fortune.  It was why she’d been so hard to find.  It was as though she’d completely vanished on a day trip.  Someone very clever and smart had covered her and his trail. 

As much as Dino would like to get his hands on the guy who’d kidnapped her, that was personal.  This was a professional job with his company.  He couldn’t let his personal feelings interfere with cleanly extracting Ashley.  Time was essential.

“Ashley, I came to take you home.  Are you injured or ill?”  She gave him a blank look.  Christ, did she even know him? 

Finally her voice came out as a whisper.  She sounded unsure. “But, I am home.”  She reached her fingers out toward him.  “Is it really you, Dino?”

She was confused, which wasn’t a surprise.  Dino put out his hand to touch her fingers.  “It’s Dino, Ashley.”  He was concerned.  She looked thinner than he remembered.  And there were dusky circles under her eyes.  She was still gorgeous.

“Ashley, are you injured?”  He had to get her focused and out of this house which was more like a secured fortress, a place meant to keep someone in as well as others out.

She looked surprised.  “No, I’m fine, Dino.  And today has been a good day.  I’ve hardly felt ill all day.”  She smiled at him.

“So you’ve been ill…” 

Ashley cut him off before he’d finished. “No, don’t worry, Dino.  I’m just fine.  It’s just been a difficult first trimester.  SID’s been taking very good care of me.”

Dino was struck speechless.  It wasn’t a state he easily found himself in.  If she was talking first trimester that meant she was pregnant.  It complicated things further.  He ran his fingers through his red hair. “Ashley, did you get pregnant here?”  He tried not to spit out if this SID bastard had impregnated her.  Dino could tell she was fragile.  He maintained his professional demeanor.

“Yes, the baby is mine and SID’s.  I didn’t want this to happen at first, Dino, but now I want our baby with all my heart.  You did know I had a miscarriage?”

“Yes, I know, Ash.  I’m sorry.”  His hand moved to smooth her hair off her face.  Dino had found that out during his investigation into Ashley’s disappearance.  Her father had held back some on the story, but from what information Dino had gathered from Ashley’s friends, she had been engaged to marry and had gotten pregnant.  Her miscarriage had broken up the couple, though there had been more to it than that.  Her best friend hinted that her fiancé’s infidelity had broken up the couple and led to Ashley’s miscarriage. 

It had been enough for Dino to determine that she would have been vulnerable to abduction.  Her mind wouldn’t have been as sharp or focused as usual.  He should have taught her better,  Dino admonished himself.  The time he and Ashley had spent together had mostly been in bed.  He hadn’t been thinking with his head, least wise not the one between his shoulders. 

“Thank you, Dino.”  She adored Dino.  Forever he’d hold a special place in her heart and although their parting had been mutual, it was extremely painful for her.  It had also been the final nail in the coffin of her relationship with her father. He had forced Dino to stop seeing her with threats of ruining Dino and Terry’s company, something which he easily could have done under the circumstances.  Both Dino and Ashley had done what was necessary, considering other people’s jobs and futures were on the line.

“Ashley, I need to take you away from here.  We should go now.  Can you walk?”  Again Dino focused both their attention back to the urgency of the moment.

“I can walk, but I don’t have any clothes on.”  She blushed prettily.  Certainly she wasn’t going to add that she was naked most of the time.  “I’m not sure I should leave, Dino.  SID would be really unhappy.  And I’d miss him terribly.”

It was as Dino had feared.  She’d formed a close bond to her abductor.  This was going to make it much more difficult for Ashley, and he was now going to need to manipulate her into leaving.

“Ashley, your family and friends miss you terribly.  They want to see you.  Come with me to reassure them that you are well.  They need to see you, the Hartcourts in particular.”  Dino knew Ashley’s best friend and her sister would be whom she missed the most.  Ashley had been the support for her friend when her husband had been kidnapped in Mexico.  It had been how Dino met Ashley.  Dino was telling the truth.  The Hartcourt sisters were very worried about Ashley.

Ashley burst into tears.  She’d missed her friends so many times over the last few months.  Connie was as much a sister to her as a friend.  She adored her older sister Miranda, too, along with their parents and Connie’s husband, James, and their new baby.  She did want to see them and she wanted to see home.  SID had told her he’d take her home as soon as she was well. 

Dino was here now to take her home.  To give her back all the freedoms she’d lost and to take her away from SID.  She cried harder; she was so torn.  Was it time to end this isolation?

“Take me home, Dino.  Just for a visit.  I owe them the peace of mind.  They’ve done so much for me.  They’ve been more of a family to me than my father has ever been able to be.”

Ashley was sobbing now.  Dino felt like shit.  He’d caused her to face this whole situation when it should be a shrink, not him, helping her.  He didn’t know what she’d gone through the last three months.  Dino had an idea from all the hostages he’d dealt with in his career in kidnap and ransom, but he truly couldn’t understand what it felt like.

He wrapped the blanket tightly around her and picked her up in his arms.  She felt too light to be a pregnant woman despite always being tiny.  Ashley laid her head against his chest and continued to cry as he carried her from the closet.

They wound out through the bedroom.  Ashley couldn’t bear to look around or she’d sob louder.  The movement of the paper butterflies caught her eyes.  She vowed she’d return soon.  Looking up directly into the camera she knew was there, she whispered the word, “SID,” to him.  The tears streamed down her face.  She then buried her face into Dino’s shirt as he carried her from the room flanked by his men who stayed on alert.

It wasn’t until they were on US 101 South heading toward Los Angeles that Dino felt they were probably in the clear.  Ashley was curled up against his side and wearing his sunglasses which were too big for her face.  Dino had a lot of questions he wanted to ask her about her abduction and captivity, but he figured she’d have to go through enough with the police and FBI.  He could wait.  The police would have their own questions for him. He’d have accomplished his mission when he delivered Ashley to her father’s home.  Dino wasn’t sure that didn’t exchange one kind of captivity for another.  The Ashley he knew would be out of there in a short time.  The girl at his side he wasn’t so sure about.  He hoped that she hadn’t become the bird in the gilded cage that she’d fought so hard against her whole life. 

There were some questions he did need to ask her.  He looked down at her.  She should be more eager to watch the landscape going by if she hadn’t been off that estate in over 3 months.  At least she’d stopped crying. 

She felt his eyes on her and looked up at him. “Ask me,” was simply what she said.  A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. 

Dino saw a glimpse of the vivacious young woman he knew buried within the thin pale solemn girl at his side. “To the best of your knowledge, will this SID come after you to take you back, Ashley?” 

There was no hesitation on her part.  She nodded her head once. “Without a doubt.  He has before under much more difficult circumstances.”

Dino was surprised at her answer.  In fact Ashley seemed full of surprises today.  “Did you escape before?”

“Yes, twice.  He found me both times.  He will again.” 

Dino sensed she was about to say more but stopped herself.  Was she protecting him? “Did he act alone in your abduction?”  They needed to know if more than one would be coming after her when it came to her protection once she was home.  Her answers already confirmed that she would need round the clock guards until her captor was caught.

“Oh, yes.  It was all SID.  He acted as a real estate agent and lured me to the estate where you found me.  He was very good and knowledgeable of the property and grounds.  But I suppose he should have been since he’d already bought it and moved in to prepare if for us.”

“He bought the estate?  That should make it easier for the police to track him down.”  Dino was flummoxed when she suddenly giggled.  He looked at her.  Was she about to get hysterical?

“The police will never catch SID.  He won’t allow it.  And he doesn’t own the estate any longer.  He gave it to me.”

“He gave it to you?  That’s your house you were kept captive in?”  This just kept getting better.  Who the hell was this psycho?

“Yes.  SID knew I’d wanted the house.  He gave it to me as a present.”

Make that rich psycho.  That was a multimillion dollar estate.  And that confirmed that money was not the motivation behind her abduction. 

Ashley was far from hysterical.  In fact she seemed very in control of herself now that they were away from the house and this SID.  And as much as he wasn’t going to ask, he did it anyway.  Dino knew at that moment he wanted the pleasure of nailing the bastard who took her.  Who was he kidding?  This was personal. “How did he take you captive, Ash?”

“I’d driven to Paso Robles to view the estate with the real estate agent.  I wanted to have a private retreat to get away from LA at times.”  A sad look passed over her face.  “SID met me at the estate and gave me some champagne to toast before he showed me around.  The champagne was drugged.  I passed out and was his.”

Dino nodded.  The plan had been a good one.  What he wondered was how SID had covered up the many trails that should have been there regarding the property and purchase.  He had to have a lot of financial resources.  Dino was also struck that Ashley stated she was his.  She wasn’t taken captive, but became a possession of her captor.  Had this guy fucked with her head that much? 

Ashley interrupted his thoughts. “Dino, do you have any soda in the truck?  I’m not feeling well.”

She’d become more pale with a slight tint of green to her skin.  “Guys!” he called to his men in the front seat.  One was on the phone with the FBI.   “A soda.”  He was handed a Coke from a small cooler on the middle of the front seat. He flipped open the top for her to take a sip.  She leaned in and put her smaller hand over his.  Ashley’s hair smelled good.  He remembered she always had.  She took two sips and leaned back.

“What do you think?”  He looked at her with concern.  Should he have air lifted her directly to a hospital?  He still could.

“I’ll be fine, Dino.  I never have done well as a passenger in the back seat.  I get motion sickness.  And with my pregnancy in addition to that…”  She rolled her eyes.  “Not a great combination.”  She suddenly grew silent and thoughtful.

“We’ll get you checked out when you get home.  I’ll make sure a specialist sees you.  It’ll be a house call.”  Dino had the name of her doctor in his file.

“Thank you, Dino.  I’ve seen my doctor twice in the last month.  It wouldn’t hurt to see my home OB/Gyn to see if she also feels my pregnancy is progressing well.  Dino, is my father paying for your and Terry’s company to find me?”

“Yeah, Daddy Weston is footing the bill, Ash.”  Dino knew what Ashley was thinking and why her mood had changed.  He took the job from old man Weston III when he discovered Ashley was missing and they’d been unable to find her whereabouts with conventional police and FBI teams.  Dino still loathed the old man’s tactics even if he understood them.

Dino held the soda for her as she took a few more sips.  All his inner needs to protect and care for her surged to the surface.  Terry would’ve loved that…after he hit him upside the head.  Dino knew there was no way there could ever be a future for him and Ashley.  And he knew damned well they’d both thought of it from time to time over the last three years.  He’d forever have a soft spot where this woman was concerned.  And it made it harder to see her so vulnerable at the moment.  He took in the dark circles beneath her eyes again.  The thinness now where had been her former healthy curves.  His anger grew again. 

She interrupted his thoughts. “Do I look that awful, Dino?”  It figured.  She was always observant.

“No, Ash.  You could never look awful.”  He wrapped his arm tighter around her.  “You just look tired.  Couldn’t you rest your head against me and try to get some sleep until we get back to LA?”

She seemed to visibly sag.  “I’ll try, Dino.  I don’t feel tired, but I am exhausted.  If that makes sense?”  She wrapped the blanket securely around herself with her bare arms free.  Ashley wrapped her arms tightly around his chest and laid her head against him.  Dino caught a whiff of the scent of her hair again.  Her eyes slipped shut.

“Makes perfect sense.  That’s it.  Close your eyes,” he whispered.  After a few minutes her breathing slipped into the normal pattern of sleep.  Dino understood the kind of exhaustion that

wasn’t connected with tired, but mental or physical stress.

Dino glanced down and saw her bare feet peeking from beneath the blanket.  Her toenails were perfectly painted.  Leave it up to Ashley Weston to be kidnapped for over 3 months and still have a perfect pedicure.  He had a momentary vision of those feet and her naked legs wrapped around him.  They’d been quite a pair.  The Odd Couple and yet…

Terry and Dino had been contracted to negotiate for the release of a young Southern California businessman who’d been kidnapped in Mexico City.  His company’s coverage had been shitty at best, but the young man had friends in high places...or more exactly his new bride did.  Connie Hartcourt had married James Everston only 3 months before.  Her best friend and maid of honor was Ashley Weston.

Ashley had implored her father, one Edward Weston III, to finance the negotiation for release of her friend’s husband.  Dino and Terry’s company was employed to make it happen.  They’d had dealings with branches of Edward Weston’s vast companies which found themselves at times in countries were the K & R business flourished. It had been a fairly straight forward negotiation.  It had drawn out over several months until the release of James Everston had been achieved.  During that time Dino had close contact with the family.  Where Connie Hartcourt Everston was, Ashley Weston tended to be.  Ashley was the emotional rock for Connie.  Dino had been amazed at how composed the 21 year old had been.  She was nearly 3 years younger than her friend Connie yet she seemed mature way beyond her years. That was combined with an irresistible combination of outgoing effervescent energy and indescribable flaming-haired beauty.  She was a curious mixture of sex kitten with a fast quick wit and brain.  Dino never intended to fall for her, but he was a red-blooded male.  He wasn’t sure any male who came in contact with her for any period of time wouldn’t be knocked on his ass.

Complicating the matter was they hit it off immediately.  In fact in some ways Ashley Weston had been his female equivalent.  It got to the point that every exchange between them was charged.  It had to be obvious to everyone around them.  Dino should have been more guarded, but it was just harmless flirting which helped to decrease the tension in the house.  The two of them even got the young wife, Connie, to laugh and smile occasionally as she went through her ordeal.  And Ashley wasn’t their client.  She had nothing directly to do with the negotiations.

Now this kind of reasoning was where Dino ended up in trouble.  For although it was true that Ashley was not directly linked to the victim or his family, she sure as hell was directly linked to the money, a fact Dino chose to ignore later when he jumped into bed with Ashley Weston.

Terry secured the exchange of money for hostage in Mexico City and escorted the victim home to his family.  The family retired to console one another and to be together.  Suddenly there were two people looking at each other across what seemed a shrinking room.  That was Dino and Ashley.

Terry would wrap up a few last minute details and Dino was going to take a holiday.  The negotiations had been long.  Dino was ready for some R & R.  The problem was at the moment the rest and relaxation was to begin he couldn’t think or see anything he wanted for R & R except Ashley Weston.  And so he took her to his hotel room and they stayed there the better part of two weeks.

The girl had a voracious appetite and curiosity to learn and participate in all things of a sexual nature with Dino.  It had been heady stuff.  She confessed her sexual experience prior to meeting Dino had been a several year relationship with a high school and college sweetheart, the football king boyfriend to her cheerleader queen.  She had recently broken up with him on her graduation from the University.  Ashley was ripe for the picking.  And she chose Dino.

And he’d done none of what he should to discourage it.  If fact, he did recall carrying her through the hotel to his room with a chilled bottle of Dom Perignon in one hand.  Dino knew damned well that Ashley was way too young for him.  There’d never been any talk of any kind of a future.  And they’d had fun, both in and out of bed.  They’d never stayed out of bed for too long.

After almost two weeks of sex, dinner, sex, dancing, sex and going to the beach they had just finished engaging in their favorite pastime when there was a knock on his hotel suite.  It was Terry with the grim news that if Dino didn’t stop screwing his daughter, Daddy Weston III was going to ruin their company.  He’d withheld the final payment for their services, which was no small sum, and would sue them for breach of contract as well as make sure they’d never get another new or renewed K & R contract.  The thing was he and Terry knew that Edward Weston had enough influence and power in the business world to do just that.

Dino felt Ashley should know what the discussion was about since it directly involved her. Terry almost winced when he detailed everything for Ashley.  It was another thing Dino had noticed.  Terry hadn’t met Ashley until later in negotiations, but Dino had seen how gob smacked he’d been by her. 

Dino had no doubt that Terry would have fallen hard for Ashley himself if it wasn’t for the fact that Dino and Ashley were already far beyond seeing anyone outside their own flirtations.  Dino had often wondered how he and Terry had been so drawn to the same woman.  They rarely were attracted to the same type.  Yes, Ashley was gorgeous, sexy and smart, but it went beyond that.

Ashley had been quiet the entire time Terry and Dino had spoken.  When she finally spoke, Dino could tell there was more than a little anger toward her father that the young woman held.  Some things Ashley had told him hinted toward the very volatile relationship between the father and daughter.  Dino got the impression a line was crossed by Ashley’s father that might never lead to forgiveness by her. 

“I’m very sorry that you both were drawn into this.  My father truly lacks responsibility and professionalism toward your company for the wonderful job you all did.  I refuse to allow him to cause problems in any way for either of you or for your employees who worked so hard and deserve to be handsomely paid for such an amazing job.”

Dino watched her tap her lip as she was deep in thought.  Part of her guile was she seemed to have no idea of how strong her allure or power was over men.  She stood there clothed in what he knew was a sexy barely-there teddy covered by a robe that clung to every one of her petite curves.  Her sharp mind and caring carried her far beyond her great physical beauty.

“My father will make good on his threats.  He certainly has the ability to do so.  I’m assuming you’ve both already come to that conclusion?”  She looked to Dino and Terry for their agreement, but she knew her father.  It was merely a formality when they both nodded.

Dino felt he should say something, but Ashley held up her hand and gave him a smile with strong affection that reached up to her eyes.  “Dino, I know you’d try to act noble.  You’re a good man.”  She smiled at both of them.

“My father’s not constrained by the need to do the right thing if it goes against what he wants.  I’ll stop any course of action he thinks to take against your company.  You’ll get paid in full as well as glowing reviews to corporations around the world my father comes in contact with through his business.  I promise you both.  That’s the least I can do.”

“Terry, could you give me a lift to my father’s office?  I need to talk to him.  I just have to get a quick shower and get changed.”

That had pissed Dino off.  “Christ, Ashley.  I can drive you over there.”  Her fingers lightly covered his lips to stop him.

“I know you could, Dino.  I also know you shouldn’t be speaking to my father at this time.”  Her fingers rose to riffle through his hair.  “You forget that I’m a redhead, too.  I know where the temper can take you at times.  I don’t want you to undo everything.”  She winked at him and leaned up to kiss his cheek.  Terry coughed in agreement with a smirk on his face.

“Besides, I’d rather say good-bye to you here, nowhere near my father’s realm.” 

For the first time Dino saw Ashley’s strength crack just a little when her lower lip trembled as she looked at him.  Dino picked her up in his arms and carried her toward the bedroom as he called back to Terry. “Sit down, old man.  I’ll send her out and ready to go.  In just a bit.”  He looked down at Ashley.  “I’ll owe him one.”

Ashley giggled.  “That you will, Dino.”  Her lips found his before he had the door completely shut behind them.  They made love in the shower, fast, furious and hungry against the tile wall with the water cascading down over them. After…breathless and still joined, they looked into one another’s eyes as Dino held her to him.  He leaned in and nuzzled her neck, his teeth making contact with the soft skin he found there and bit down.  Dino left his mark.

Ashley took his jaw between her fingers and squeezed.  She was laughing.  He had a Cheshire cat grin on his face. “You are one very bad boy, Dino.  I like that about you.”

“I may not physically be in the room when you face him, Ash, but I’ll be there.”  He ran a finger gently over the small red mark marring the otherwise perfect flesh of her neck.

She pressed her body tightly against him and kissed him fiercely.  “I’m going to miss you, Dino.  Thank you for this time together.”

Dino was a man who knew how to love and leave a woman, and when the right time was to do it.  Now was the right time.  He’d wondered why he opened his big mouth.

“Ash, once the heat is off you, we could meet up again, on the sly if you think it’s necessary.”  He slipped from her body, loath to lose their intimate contact.

She shook her head.  Was there a tear on her cheek?  It must be the water from the running shower. “No, Dino.  Somehow, he always finds out.  And he’d be vindictive enough to follow up on his original threats against your company.  I’ll not have something I do be responsible for people losing their job, or your company being ruined.  I won’t be that person.”  She kissed his face again.

If she didn’t stop touching and kissing him they’d never get out of the shower or the bedroom.  Dino found he wasn’t ready to let her go, but she was right.  Damn, he hated that about this situation.  Besides, she was too classy to be sneaking around hotel rooms in foreign cities chasing after him.  And later she became too well known in society and fashion circles to be anonymous anywhere for long. And this was just a fling for both of them, wasn’t it?

They washed and dried each other off.  Dino enjoyed helping her with her dress though he preferred taking her clothes off.  He still remembered the way she looked as she walked out of his hotel room on her four inch heels in that dress that clung perfectly to every one of her curves.  Her thick, long, red waves bounced against her back.  It was an eyeful that neither he nor Terry ever forgot. 

He’d not seen her since.  Until today.  His nose nuzzled lightly into her hair.  She still smelled terrific.  He wondered if she tasted the same.  He shook his head making sure he didn’t disturb her.  This girl curled up against him wasn’t the same young woman.  This one was victimized for over 3 months, pregnant from the abuse, and convinced she was in love with her abductor.  She was in for a tough and difficult road ahead.  Dino felt like a fucking heel.  He was delivering her to a place she didn’t want to go, in the care of a man she mostly despised who was her father and at the moment his boss…again.

Terry told him a story a long time later one night when both of them were drunk and waxing on about the beautiful women they’d known in their lives.  Ashley had sat beside Terry as he drove her to her father’s office building.  Her big dark sunglasses hid her eyes.  What they couldn’t hide were the silent tears that coursed down her cheeks most of the way there.  When they neared LA’s financial district she took a deep breath and flipped down his passenger side visor to use the mirror.  In moments she looked perfect and as if she’d never cried. By that time Terry was pulling up in front of the shiny, tall, perfect high rise with mirrored glass that housed Weston Enterprises.  He put his car into park.  Terry intended on opening the door for Ashley, but she put her hand on his arm before he had a chance to get out of his car.  The doorman recognized who was in the car and was already running over to get her door. 

“Thank you for the ride here, Terry.  I’ll let you go now.”  She held her finger up to the doorman to ask him to give her a moment.  He stood attentively outside her door.

Ashley swept the sunglasses off her face to look at Terry for a moment.  When she spoke it was softly and with some difficulty.  “Take care of him, Terry,” she smiled at him.  “He’s a very special man.  I’m sure you already know that since you’re his friend and partner.  I never told him I’ve fallen in love with him over the past few months.  How could anyone not fall in love with Dino?”

She’d leaned in and kissed Terry on the cheek.  When he was drunk he admitted the scent of her was intoxicating to him.  Dino knew all too well.  “Thank you for all you did for James and Connie.  I’ll be forever grateful.  You’ll have no more trouble with my father.  I promise.”

Terry hadn’t seen her motion to the doorman to open the door as he was still focused on her scent, kiss and words.  Suddenly she was out of his car and walking with her hand on the doorman’s arm.  Terry caught a small snippet of the conversation as his car door swung shut.  She was asking how his family was and the man was beaming and calling her Miss Ashley.  Terry swore every man within sight had his eyes fastened on Ashley Weston as she swept into the building.

Whatever Ashley said to her father that day had worked.  Their company was promptly paid and continued to grow.  They obtained several new clients and contracts that were directly referred to them from Weston Enterprises.

After Terry told him what Ashley had said, Dino investigated her whereabouts and what she was doing.  That was a year ago and two years since he’d seen her.  Ashley was seeing a man who had just proposed to her.  He saw their picture on the fucking internet.  He had to make sure she was all right.  What Dino had never told anyone was he’d also fallen in love with Ashley.

Dino swore this time he’d not leave her until she was safe.  He’d make sure the security to protect her was the best old man Weston could provide.  If all she needed was someone to hold on to until she fell asleep and felt safe, he could provide that too.

Ashley snuggled tighter against his chest as though she could read his thoughts.  He held her close as they drew further away from her captivity and nearer to LA.

******

SID drove through the estate gates in a rage.  He knew she was gone.  He’d seen her taken, but was unable to arrive back in time to stop them.  SID had missed them by minutes.  His confidence was the only thing that stopped him from following them immediately and let them feel the extent of his rage at their insolence.  SID would easily get her back.  He had the chip after all.

They took what belonged to him.  He could gleefully obliterate them all.  His Ashley might get in the way or the cowards would use her to protect themselves from his formidable wrath in their fear.  SID wouldn’t let that happen.  He’d find her and bide his time until he could safely retrieve her.

He looked around the empty bedroom.  It was as though she was in the next room and would return in a moment.  And yet…it felt empty and missing of her life force.  SID pouted while at the same time his lip curled into a snarl.  They would pay.  He descended to his room of monitors to replay her abduction.

By the third replay SID no longer had control of his rage.  He picked up a Ming Dynasty vase and flung it across the room, watching it as it shattered into pieces.  The fragility of human art was parallel to the fragility of the humans themselves.  He could easily break and twist them.  At the moment he only wanted one in his sights, the tall ugly red head. He would break him and tear him to pieces with his hands.  SID knew who he was.  For a moment he’d been surprised that it wasn’t one of the others, but a peripheral to a bothersome other in this time.  SID knew his history to his Ash-lee.  That pushed him into a greater rage as he watched him touch her and carry her away from SID.  He should not have been lax to assault one from this time.

“How dare he?  He will regret his audacity!”  SID conducted elaborate schemes of murder and torture in his mind.  It felt good to imagine what he would do to this Dino.  The reality would be sublime.

SID replayed for the tenth time his butterfly calling to him with her eyes and lips.  He wanted her now.  She didn’t want to leave.  It had been a forcible removal.  His Ash-lee had not had the strength to stop them and protect their child at the same time.

She did the right thing.  They would not injure her.  SID was aware they’d been looking for her.  Their intent was solely to remove her and return her to her father.  The man didn’t have a right to her any longer.  His Ash-lee didn’t want him in her life either.  She had told him this.

SID felt a new anger, something he’d never experienced before.  It was a self-directed anger. He had failed in perfection.  That was intolerable.  He was far too superior to have allowed what was most precious to him to be taken by bumbling humans.  He had forgotten they could be occasionally competent and devious.  SID hadn’t protected his Ash-lee. He would never make that mistake again.  He began to gather together the things he would need for his trip to Los Angeles.  He had to secure the perimeter of their house.  Others may come in their absence as sent by those who’d abducted his Ash-lee.  He would not allow them to find any of his things that were beyond their technology.

Finally when everything was secured, calmness came over SID.  He must not lose his control.  It would always see him victorious when coupled with his superior intellect.  His plan was brilliant and simple.  She would come to him. He had but to woo and lure her away.  She already wanted to be with him.  He could play and have fun with her while stealing her right out from under their eyes.  Despite their armed invasion and assault of his property, SID would simply whisk her away in broad daylight to return her to where she belonged.  No possible damage could come to his consort.  When he decided to exact revenge in the future it would be swift, unexpected and she would be far away and safe.  His brilliant plan gave him a warm feeling inside.

It truly was wonderful to be SID.

******

Ashley awoke as they entered the gates of her father’s estate.  Instead of feeling glad, she had a sudden sense of dread.  If she was going home to her place, she would have been happy...or even to the Hartcourt’s would have been fine, but to the place she’d grown up, she felt no happy anticipation.  Any joyful moments she’d had here happened a long time ago.

She nearly asked Dino to turn the vehicle around and take her home instead.  What Ashley didn’t want to do is cause any difficulty for Dino.  She was sure Dino’s instructions were to return her here.  Her father was his employer for this job.  That didn’t mean Ashley would be staying here for any lengthy period of time.  She would take care of that on her own and not involve Dino. 

Ashley watched as her father’s personal butler rushed out to greet their vehicle with a wheelchair.  There was a maid in tow that she didn’t recognize.  Noticeably absent in this whole process was her father.  Of course the important man would not have time to greet his daughter.  Despite Ashley feeling no surprise at this, she found she was still disappointed.  She audibly sighed.  Ashley knew Dino was watching her.  She continued to hold on to him.

“How ridiculous of me to even hope he might be here, Dino.  Sometimes we never learn.”

“Don’t blame yourself for those feelings, Ash.  What parent wouldn’t be here to see their child after they’d been abducted?  Until very recently we didn’t know if you were still alive.  You won’t be marooned here, Ashley.  We’ll be handling your security until adequate arrangements can be made by your father.”

She nodded, feeling better that Dino wouldn’t be too far away.  It would be nice to have one ally around her.  Ashley dubiously eyed the wheelchair as the door was opened.  She wasn’t an invalid or ill.  What she didn’t have was clothing.  Getting inside to her old room while wrapped in the blanket would be a lot easier in the wheelchair than it was walking.  She saw a smile tug on the corner of Dino’s lips as he lifted her and placed her on the wheelchair.

She grinned at him.  “You thought I was going to protest, didn’t you?”

“I did.”  He suddenly smiled that adorable cocky Dino grin at her.

“I thought about it.  It’s good I can still surprise you.  A girl has to maintain some mystery.  Besides, there is the small problem of no shoes or clothes on beneath this blanket.”  She arched an eyebrow at him.

Dino saw strong glimpses of the Ashley Weston he knew and had loved.  Perhaps she was strong enough to get past all this.  She had survived and thrived despite being Edward Weston’s daughter.  At the moment Dino could’ve punched Daddy Weston in the jaw for disappointing her once again.  A global market collapse wouldn’t be enough reason to miss her arrival home.

He made sure she was settled into her suite of rooms and his men began to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the estate’s security.  One man stayed stationed outside Ashley’s entry door.  Another man stood guard outside the exit doors from her bedroom into the courtyard. 

Although it was an interior courtyard with no access to the outside of the estate, Dino was concerned.  The area was large with many trees as well as fountains and a pool, pool house, gym and cabana.  If anyone breached the exterior of the estate they would find many areas to conceal themselves within this courtyard.  There was access to Ashley’s rooms through several glass doors.  Some of the doors were open to the interior courtyard to catch the warm late spring breeze. 

The layout was a security nightmare.  They would have to make the exterior of the estate impenetrable or turn her rooms into a prison.  For someone who’d just spent 3 months in captivity, she didn’t need to be a prisoner in her father’s home. Before Dino went to talk to the head of the estate’s security, he made a phone call.  His timing was lucky and he spoke to Ashley’s doctor before she went into surgery.  She agreed to come to examine Ashley after office hours today once she was assured that Ashley seemed to be in no immediate danger or had need to be transported to the hospital ASAP. 

The physician became very quiet when Dino told her Ashley was pregnant.   Dino gleaned from their conversation that Ashley and the lady doctor had deeper of a relationship than simply doctor and patient.  The woman was her friend.  Her concern was apparent.  She also asked about Ashley’s mental condition.  Dino told her everything he’d observed as well as Ashley’s strong connection and tie to her abductor.

By the time Dino completed his conversation with her, he felt confident this doctor would take of Ashley in every way possible including a referral for counseling.  Dino gave her two referrals as well for specialists in post traumatic stress disorders who he knew in the LA area.  Families often asked him and Terry for referrals to family and victim assistance after the conclusion of a job.

The last thing Dino warned the doctor of was the high security she would encounter when trying to gain access into the Weston estate.  Dino intended on having the place locked down well before then and ID would be necessary to enter as well as being on an approved entry list.

Next Dino called Edward Weston.  He was surprised to find the bastard was right here on the estate in his offices and was requesting a face to face briefing.  Dino might be able to discover why the hell he hadn’t been there to greet Ashley on her return, but he suspected he’d get no such insight into the man.

Later as Dino left Weston’s offices he shook his head in wonder.  The man was an enigma and one you couldn’t fathom in the space of a meeting.  He’d told him everything that had transpired.  He’d been attentive and detail-oriented.  He’d been careful to ask about Ashley’s physical and mental condition.  He seemed concerned yet somehow disconnected.  Dino knew Ashley was Weston’s only child.  And there was no mistaking that she was his child.

Dino had seen pictures of Ashley’s mother.  The girl looked just like her mother right down to the red hair.  Yet, Ashley had the exact same blue eyes that Daddy Weston had and the turn of her chin was his.  There was also strength of spirit the two of them shared.  Dino suspected a shared stubbornness from what he’d observed that didn’t make their relationship any easier.  But Ashley had a kind, caring, open and loving heart that Weston didn’t seem to possess.

He also knew there was going to be trouble.  There was a brief look of shock, disbelief and anger that passed over Weston’s face when Dino told him his daughter was pregnant from her abductor.  Weston had reined in his emotions quickly, but not before Dino got the impression that he would take care of this in the same way Weston took care of his business dealings and rivals.

Ashley had already informed him how much she wanted her baby.  Despite her current emotional status, Dino was convinced she was firm in this decision.  He also felt it was her right to make her choice.  Weston wouldn’t feel the same way at all.  Dino considered warning Ashley about her father’s reaction, but he only had a hunch.  He had too many emotions wrapped up in this whole situation himself and his need to protect her was in freaking overdrive at the moment. 

That sent him off to take care of security measures for the estate.  It was an important way he could protect Ash.  He had the go ahead from Daddy Warb…Weston to get it done.  Dino strode off to find his men and get an update on where they stood.  He’d stop by and see Ashley after he finished.  He’d watch, wait and pay attention for any threat to Ashley that could come from the direction of her father.  He really hoped his hunch was wrong.

More of his men were arriving to handle the security detail as Dino made his way to the security station on the estate.  The place was well equipped with cameras and electronic surveillance which would make their job a bit easier.  It also was huge and Dino knew there had to be gaps as he reviewed the system.

Dino had put his right hand man, Juan Cordero, in charge of assessing security.  He’d already found several strengths as well as weaknesses.  Dino gathered his men together as well as the estate security to discuss initial plans.  He trusted his men implicitly, had worked with all of them at some time.  Dino knew he didn’t need to tell them that failure wasn’t an option here, but he did anyway.  It didn’t hurt for them to know how important protecting Ashley Weston was to him.

They discussed the profile of Ashley’s abductor, his apparent loner tendencies as well as his use of high technology and what they’d learned about him from where he’d been keeping Ashley.  Dino mentioned he’d get a computer sketch artist in to work with Ashley when she was able.  What he didn’t mention was he wasn’t sure Ashley would provide an accurate composite of her abductor.  He’d evaluate that better tomorrow.

Eventually the FBI would have to question her.  Dino would put them off as long as possible, but he figured not past tomorrow.  This was an active high profile case and the suspect was at large.  He would be considered dangerous.  Questioning was what Dino worried about the most for Ashley’s current fragile psyche.  He didn’t want her labeled as a hostile victim and if she stood her ground regarding her abductor it might happen.

Dino would talk to Ashley after she was examined by her physician.  That could change their security plans if there was some reason Ash needed to be hospitalized.  He hoped the doctor would be able to gauge her state of mind regarding FBI questioning also.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly as Dino finalized the security plan, made a call to Terry and got some food.  He stopped by Ashley’s rooms once to see how she was feeling, but the young maid, Lettie, told him she was sleeping.  Dino wouldn’t disturb her, but told the girl to let Ashley know he’d stopped by.  Dino could see she wanted to say more.

“Was there something else, Lettie?”

“Well, sir, I thought I should tell someone.  Miss Ashley was crying in the bathroom earlier while she bathed.  When I called to her to ask if she needed anything, she got quiet and said she was just fine.  I could tell she was pretending, sir.”

Dino smiled at her.  The girl was caring even though Ashley was an unknown job assignment to her.  He was glad that it would be her to help Ashley and not some cold battleaxe the old man hired.

“Thank you for telling me, Lettie.  Let Ashley know I stopped by and I’ll come again later.  Her doctor will examine her about 6 PM.  I’ll escort her here myself.  No one should gain admittance to Ashley’s rooms unless you know them from here on the estate or I have given you their name as approved.”

“Oh, yes, sir.  I won’t let anyone in to see Miss Ashley who shouldn’t be here.”  The girl smiled back at him and Dino got the impression she was excited to have an important role to play.  She couldn’t be older than 21 though she looked like she could still be in high school. 

“Just call security if you see someone trying to gain access to Miss Weston that you don’t know,  especially an unknown male.  Her kidnapper is still at large.  We’ll circulate his description once it’s available.”

“Oh, yes, sir.  I’ll keep careful watch over Miss Ashley.”  Lettie showed him to the door.  Dino had a smile on his face as he left.  She was a sweet kid.  Dino went on a last security check tour of the estate before the doctor arrived.

******

Ashley was truly bored.  There was only so much bathing, sleeping and trying on of ill-fitting clothes that she could do.  And she missed SID more as each hour passed since they were separated.  She kept expecting him to come through the door at any moment looking for her.

She really had to go to her home tomorrow.  All the clothes here didn’t fit.  They were too big in some places because of the weight she lost, and straining over her breasts and belly from her changing body.  And although she didn’t need all maternity clothes yet, she had bought several outfits when she’d been pregnant before that she’d never worn because of her miscarriage.  She thought they’d be more comfortable for her.

Ashley lay back on her bed with her eyes closed and day dreamed of her lover.  She wondered what he was doing.  Was he coming for her already?  She couldn’t help but hope he was.  But this was serious now.  There was Dino involved and his team with guns along with security here on the estate.  What if someone got hurt?  It could be SID or Dino.  She couldn’t tolerate that.

Once already she’d become overwhelmed and had started to cry.  She just didn’t know what to do.  Something would happen to guide her through this.  She had to be patient.  This would give her the opportunity to visit the people she loved and had missed over the last few months.

Ashley decided it was up to her to solve this situation and to do so peacefully.  She’d been to 1880's Redemption and 1950's Los Angeles.  She’d left both places alive and intact with no harm to herself, Cort, Bud or SID.  If she was able to accomplish that, she could manage this situation in the present.  Ashley just had to think this through carefully and stay cool.  She could do that.  It brought a smile to her face and eased her mind somewhat.

She picked up the phone and called her friend Connie, who started to scream excitedly when she heard Ashley’s voice.  That in turn irritated her baby, who started his own brand of screaming in the background.  Ashley laughed so hard she cried.  They were truly tears of joy.  Once Mom and baby were sufficiently calmed down, Ashley haltingly told Connie the stories of her last three months with some wide gaps in information.  Gone were the tales of travel to different times as well as the fact SID wasn’t entirely human.

The silence was deafening when Ashley told her friend of her pregnancy.  She could tell Connie had no idea what to say.  That she didn’t have an immediate horrified reaction also illustrated how well her friend knew her.  She could tell already from Ashley’s tone of voice that this was a very wanted and cherished baby.  Connie didn’t judge or jump to any immediate conclusions.  She listened and supported her.  This was why Connie was her best friend and the one person who would eventually need to know the whole tale of her abduction and the last 3 plus months of captivity, adventure and love.

Finally they made plans for Connie to come over to her father’s house tomorrow and have lunch with Ashley.  Of course she’d bring her baby.  She wanted Dino to meet Connie’s son.  That would be a surprise for him.  He was the baby who’d have never been born if it weren’t for Dino and Terry’s rescue of James.  They truly were heroes.

Ashley’s thoughts settled on Terry Thorne for a moment.  How would she ever explain when she was asked for a description of SID that he looked almost identical to Terry Thorne?  Ashley had realized some time ago that Terry must be one of the others who existed in this time period.  He looked more like SID than even Cort or Bud had.  Terry looked a bit older, had an Australian accent and may be a few pounds heavier.  Those were the main physical differences.

All afternoon Ashley had contemplated why Dino was her rescuer/protector here rather than Terry.  Terry would have fit in the pattern with his resemblance to SID.  The only way Ashley could explain it was Dino had gotten in the way and changed things. 

Before SID had come to take her in this time her path had already crossed with Dino and Terry.  She’d fallen for Dino before the pull could be established to Terry.  Ashley was very well aware that she’d been attracted to Terry, but she’d ignored their attraction because of her wild and crazy fun love for Dino.  Would she have fallen in love with Terry had Dino not been there? 

She couldn’t know for sure, but she was extremely aware of the pull to Terry when she’d kissed him goodbye on the cheek outside her father’s office building years ago.  Ashley saw that Terry felt it, too.  He was so distracted that she’d been able to cover up her own reaction as she’d exited his car. 

All this was so mysterious that Ashley wondered if SID even knew why it had happened.  SID was aware of the existence of the others like Terry, Bud and Cort, but she had a feeling he had no idea why the pull was so strong between Ashley and the men.  Ashley’s latest theory was that when SID altered her DNA to match with his so they could mate and produce children, somehow it had caused this imprint between her and SID as well as her and the others who resembled him.  Somehow they were all drawn to one another and, like magnets, they were difficult to separate once a bond had been formed.  Of course this was all a theory on Ashley’s part.

That still didn’t explain Dino.  Perhaps the bond of love that had formed between her and Dino had happened because he was an incredible man whom Ashley couldn’t help but fall head over heels for.  He continued to be incredible from her observations.  She had to ask him if he’d ever gotten married.  Ashley suspected the answer was no.  She remembered him once saying he was too married to his job and nomadic lifestyle to ever settle down in one place for any long period of time.   

Ashley had been so caught up in her musings that she almost missed the soft knocking on her door.  “Come in.”  She put her thoughts on hold for the time being as sweet Letitia, aka Lettie, peeked around the opening of the door.

“Miss Ashley, your doctor is coming to see you at six o’clock.  I’m sorry I didn’t give you more warning.  I didn’t hear you moving around in here and wanted to let you sleep.  Security just called from the front gate that she has arrived and Mr. Dino will escort her here to your rooms.”  The girl looked apologetic.

“That’s okay, Lettie.  Could you call for a delivery of some herbal tea, coffee and scones from the kitchen?  Make that some cookies, too.  Dino would rather have peanut butter cookies than scones.  I think my doctor, Janice, likes scones.  If not she can eat cookies and I’ll eat the scones.”  She grinned.  “I’m suddenly very hungry.  That is a good sign.  First time today.”

Lettie excused herself to her sitting room to call in the order to Cook in the kitchen.  Ashley made her way to the bathroom.  She was pleased there was no vertigo or lurching of her stomach as she moved carefully.  She applied some light makeup and brushed her hair.  Ashley surveyed herself in the full length mirror with a groan.  She still looked too gaunt from all the first trimester sickness she’d had, but she was getting a healthy pinkness to her cheeks gradually again.  And the outfit she was wearing wasn’t too awful fitting.  She put on a pair of silk brocaded slippers so she wouldn’t be barefoot.  Her cheeks flushed red when she thought that SID would rather she be without slippers and clothes.  And there was a time that Dino would have felt the same.  She exited her room with a rather naughty smile on her face.  Ah, memories.

Dr. Janice Livingstone arrived with Dino.  Lettie showed them into her sitting room.  Ashley was glad that time had not changed certain things.  Janice came over and gave her a hug.  Ashley hugged her tightly back.  They had been friends for a few years.  Janice looked her over with a critical eye.

“You don’t look too bad.  You’re a little thin, but overall you don’t appear ill.  Are you eating well and taking prenatal vitamins?”

Ashley caught Dino’s appreciative glance when he came in the room.  She enjoyed that she could still catch his eye.  Thankfully she must look better than she had earlier.  She shot him a smile.

“Sit down for a moment before we get down to business.”  She laughed to her friend and doctor.  “And, yes, I’ve been taking my prenatal vitamins, but will now need some.  No, I haven’t been eating too well.  I’ve been having fearsome first trimester sickness.  I’m hoping that will stop soon now that I’m almost in my second trimester.  I’ve seen an obstetrician in Paso Robles and she had to give me IV fluids in the office a couple of weeks ago after a particularly nasty few days of not being able to keep anything down.”

“I’ve not eaten much today.  The day has been a bit unsettling.  I’m actually getting hungry now.”  As if on cue there was a knock at the door with the arrival of the food and drinks she’d called for.  Cook had included a plate of fresh fruits that looked wonderful.  Ashley took over from Lettie and began to serve Dino and Janice.  She thanked the girl and sent her off for a well deserved break.  This was Ashley’s job anyway.

Dino watched Ashley carefully.  She seemed to have stepped back into the comfort zone of something that was effortless for her.  That she wasn’t acting like a woman who’d just spend over three months in captivity was a problem.  This was being conducted like a social visit presided over by hostess Ashley Weston. 

Not that any part of her was disingenuous.  To the contrary she was her usual sweet, outgoing and vivacious self.  The part of her that was traumatized and would normally appear to be on shaky ground didn’t seem to exist. 

She broke into his thoughts. “Dino, Darling.”  She elongated the word darling for effect.  “Would you like any lumps of sugar in your coffee?”  She didn’t wait for his response before she continued.  “And if you don’t stop trying to dissect me with your eyes and brain like I’m some sort of science experiment to figure out, I’ll throw the lumps of sugar at you rather than put them in your coffee.”  She sat poised with a sugar cube held in silver tongs waiting for his response.

Dino threw his head back and laughed.  There was the girl he’d loved.  He kept forgetting how freaking observant she’d always been.  She really would be great in intelligence.  “No sugar, Ash.  I’m sweet enough already.  Just a touch of cream.  I’m simply doing my job.”

Ashley rolled her eyes at the sweet enough comment, added some cream and stirred his coffee before handing it to him.  She turned to Janice and spoke to her as if Dino wasn’t sitting there listening to them. “It must be nice when one can dismiss being intrusive by using an excuse like it’s your job.”  She arched an eyebrow for dramatic effect as Dino let out a snort.  “Coffee or tea, Janice?”

“I’ll have coffee, Ashley.  One lump plus some cream.”  The doctor didn’t fail to notice that Ashley hadn’t asked the K & R specialist whether he preferred coffee or tea.  It seemed a given which was questioned by neither of them.  She’d had no idea that Ashley had known him in the past.  His response had confirmed that there was more than rescuer and victim here.  From the contact she’d had with Dino so far on the phone and in person she could believe he was absolutely the kind of man that Ashley Weston would be drawn to.  She took the offered cup of prepared coffee.  “Thank you, Ashley.”

Ashley steeped a bag of herbal tea in some water for herself.  Janice noticed that both she and Dino kept watching Ashley.  Both were trying to analyze her behavior with their trained eyes.  Ashley slid a plate of cookies in Dino’s direction.  She wasn’t appreciating the scrutiny, but she tolerated it at the moment.  Janice saw no cracks in her exterior.  She was very in control.

“They are your favorite, Dino.  At least they were.  Have some.”  She indicated the peanut butter cookies.

Dino shot a soft, tender look toward Ashley.  It was a very unguarded moment which Janice couldn’t help but notice.  These two had been more than friends at one point and there were still residual feelings on at least Dino’s part. 

He picked up a cookie and smiled at Ashley. “They’re still my favorite.”  He started munching on one.  The smile of pleasure that crossed his face showed his appreciation for the taste of the cookie and Ashley’s thoughtfulness.

“Please help yourself to anything you’d like to eat, Janice.  The scones are always wonderful.  I wasn’t sure you’d had a chance to eat this afternoon and you might be very hungry.  Thank you for coming to see me at home.  Dino felt it important that I be seen today.”

“Very important, Ashley.  When I found out you were pregnant I didn’t think you’d have had any prenatal care yet.  I’m pleased you have.  How are you feeling overall?”  The doctor accepted a scone and some fruit from Ashley.  She was pleased to see her put some fruit and a scone on her own plate.

Ashley looked up at the two of them.  “Besides the tiredness and stomach upset I’m doing just fine.  At first I found my captivity and loss of freedom very difficult.  I lost some weight, but I was never deprived.  Then being unable to eat so much of the last 3 months I dropped more weight.  It really is getting better.  I haven’t been ill nearly as often in the last week.  I’ve put on a little weight.  Well, in two places at least.”  She grinned as she referred to her belly and breasts.

Ashley drank some tea and nibbled on a scone.  It tasted wonderful.  She realized how hungry she was.  They all munched contently on their food for a few minutes.  Ashley eyed another scone when she finished, but didn’t want to overdo it.  She set her plate down to pick at her fruit.  She still felt as though they were both watching her much too carefully.  How would she put their minds at ease that she was fine?  She did have an ulterior motive here.  Ashley wanted to be free to have contact with SID as soon as was possible.  She knew she’d have to try and temper his behavior or he’d come bursting in to take her away like he was Robin Hood and Dino was Sir Guy of Gisbourne although SID would be just as happy to be cast in the role of villain as long as he got the girl and won.

She examined Dino over the rim of her cup.  He looked slightly older than the last time she saw him.  His hair was a little bit thinner on top and there were a few more laugh lines around the corners of his eyes.  Tiny differences only.   

He was well aware of her now examining him and gave her a wry look.  She grinned, but was unable to hide her amusement when her cup shook slightly.  It really was wonderful to see him again.  It gave her a very warm feeling inside.

Once the social niceties and a few questions were finished Ashley and Janet retired to her bedroom for her to examine her.  Dino sat in the sitting room and waited for them.  The last thing Ashley saw before she closed her bedroom door was Dino reaching for another peanut butter cookie off the plate. 

She shot a grin at Janice. “He does love peanut butter cookies.”  Janice didn’t ask but Ashley related an abbreviated version of how she and Dino knew one another.  She alluded to the fact they had been lovers at one point in their relationship as to prevent Janice from wondering.  Now he was her rescuer and hopefully remained her friend.

Janice performed her exam, took some blood for testing and did an ultrasound.  Ashley cried with joy when she saw her baby and heard its strong heartbeat.  SID should be here for this she thought, but didn’t verbalize.  She was entirely aware of how it would make her sound. 

She could explain what had happened to her.  What she couldn’t describe was that SID wasn’t human and had come from a different time.  Ashley couldn’t explain 1880's Redemption or 1950's Los Angeles.  It didn’t make sense in their reality, only in her changed and upended world courtesy of SID.

Her doctor was about to leave when Ashley thought of something, not exactly in the realm of OB/Gyn duties.

“Janice, could you check this little bump on my neck?  I’ve been feeling it quite a while, but couldn’t see anything in the mirror because of its location.”

“Sure, Ashley.”  She finished writing down all her instructions for Ashley and set aside the prenatal vitamins she’d brought with her and the referral for a counselor as they’d discussed.  She walked over and felt the spot Ashley indicated.  It was at the juncture between her neck, shoulder and back.  There was a raised spot.  She looked at it more carefully.

“I’m not sure what it is, Ashley.  It’s not a mole.  It almost seems as though something is under your skin.  It’s very small.  There is a tiny area that’s healed over that was the entry point.”  Janice pulled a magnifying glass out of her bag to better examine it. “Do you mind if I probe it?  It’s very close to the surface and would just be a sharp pinch.”

“Go ahead, Janice.  I don’t want something that shouldn’t be there.”

Janice anesthetized and sterilized the spot and made a tiny incision.  She easily removed it with a forceps and satisfied that it was completely removed, she put some antibiotic ointment and a Band-Aid over the area.  It was too small to even require a stitch.  She looked at the tiny fragment through her magnifier, gasping when she realized what it must be.

“Ashley, I think it’s some kind of computer chip that was implanted in you.  With your permission I can turn it over to Dino to investigate what it is.”

Ashley was incredulous for just a moment.  And then she knew just how it got there.  It must be a way to track her.  It would explain how SID kept finding her.  She recalled that she hadn’t felt it there until after she was kidnapped. 

The dirty lying dog.  She’d asked SID to look at the area once, but he shrugged it off that there was nothing there and kissed her neck which led to other things and completely distracted her from it.  Of course he’d distracted her.  He knew what it was and had placed it there.  She forced calmness into her reply although she was really angry at the moment. “If you could give it to me, Janice?  I’ll show it to Dino.”  Ashley got a tiny plastic bag for Janice to deposit the chip in.  She had to secure Dino’s promise to get it back.  It could be too advanced for this time.  It might be from future technology.  That could be a problem.  Ooh, she’d like to whack SID one on the arm right at the moment.

Janice left with a promise to call Ashley with the test results and to check on her.  She wondered how much Janice would tell Dino, not about her physical condition, but how she’d reacted to the chip.  Would she tell him about the chip at all or wait for Ashley?  Janice would weigh what she thought was in Ashley’s best interests as her doctor and friend.  She would tell Dino about the chip.  Ashley had better be prepared when Dino returned.

Perhaps someday she could come clean to Dino and tell him everything that had and was happening, make him understand and believe her.  She knew that time wasn’t now.  Ashley believed that as time passed urgency was developing.  Soon SID would no longer stay apart from her and would do everything in his considerable power to get her back.  Ashley had to contact him before operation SID rescue commenced and could be explosive in its result.  She had no idea that it was already underway and SID would be making first contact in slightly over 12 hours in true SID fashion.

Dino strode back to Ashley’s room.  The doctor had told him about the chip.  He had to have it.  If it was that sophisticated it may not be easily obtainable and could lead to the man who kidnapped Ashley.  It was time to get this freak off the street.  He needed to ask her a question, too.  Why hadn’t she wanted the doctor to give it to him?  Was she covering for her abductor? 

He knocked on her door and Ashley called for him to come in.  She was waiting and pouring him another cup of coffee.  He spied the plastic bag on the end table beside her.

“Ashley, you know I’m going to need to take that and get it analyzed.  I should turn it over immediately to the FBI.  You were kidnapped and held on US soil.  This is their jurisdiction.  The only reason our company was involved at all was because your father hired us when the official investigation stalled.  I won’t be able to hold them off from talking to you for much longer.  Hell, I’m surprised they aren’t banging on the gates already.  I suspect it’s only because I told them your condition was fragile and you were ill when we found you, that and who your old man is.”  Dino shut up and glared at her.  Christ, he didn’t want to do that.  She was the victim here.  He knew better.

Ashley held up her hands in a calming manner.  She certainly could understand why Dino was ticked off at her.  She also saw it was really bothering him.  This was not an easy situation.

“Dino, I know you’ll need to look at the chip.  I’m angry, too, that it was implanted in me without my knowledge or consent.  I’m sure SID already knows where I am.  Since it was in me I think it belongs to me.  I need to ask you a favor.  Please, Dino, return it to me after your expert looks at it.”

“Ashley, that’s evidence in an investigation.  I can’t make you any promises about the chip.” 

“Dino, if that chip is what I think it is all sorts of questions will come out of its being analyzed that can’t logically be answered.  I truthfully think it shouldn’t be examined at all, but I know you have to.”  Ashley didn’t add by anyone in this time, but that is what she meant.  She just couldn’t explain it to Dino.  He truly would think she was mentally unstable because of her kidnapping. 

She wasn’t above pleading even if it was underhanded.  “Dino, use an expert that is discreet and will only report to you about the chip.  That’s all I’m asking.  I only have a hunch and a theory.  I may be wrong and it won’t matter one way or another.  If I’m right it should come back to me.  I’ll buy it if I have to.  I have the means.”

Dino was surprised.  Ashley had never pulled the money card with him before.  He knew damned well she could practically bail Los Angeles out of its financial difficulty if she had a mind to.

“I’ll see what I can do.”  He swiped his hand across his face.  He needed a shave.  “What I can promise is if something is as strange about this as you seem to think, I’ll share the findings with you.  I know a guy here in LA who can look at it tonight and return it tomorrow in time to turn it over to the FBI.  If it’s as interesting as you think, he’ll be delighted.  He’s a real tech geek.” Dino smiled at her.  “I wish you’d tell me what you’re thinking, Ash.  Why all the cloak and dagger?”

Ashley didn’t mean to ignore or avoid his question…well, perhaps she did.  Her mind suddenly was invaded with another question that just consumed her at the moment.  One she’d briefly thought of earlier, but hadn’t had a chance to ask.

“Dino, how did you find my location?”  Somehow she couldn’t believe SID had been sloppy.  He could be overconfident, most definitely, but not careless in his planning to hide her from the outside world.

“One of the other incomprehensible points in this case, Ash.  I’m not sure we’d have ever found you without the tip that led us right to the address of your estate.  To the outside world that place isn’t owned by you.  It’s owned by a corporation we couldn’t find out anything about.  We only had the insistence of our guy that you’d been taken to that address.  He might be older than dirt, but he’s still lucid and tough as nails.”

Her tea cup trembled in her hands.  “Who gave you the tip, Dino?”

“An old retired LAPD cop by the name of Wendell White.  Goes by Bud White.  He’s about 80 years old, living in a retirement home since he had knee replacement surgery.  He wouldn’t say how he got the address, but told us we’d find you there or at least that you’d been held there.  He called your old man after seeing coverage on TV about your disappearance.  The call got funneled to us as we were already on the case.”

Ashley didn’t mean to drop the cup.  She didn’t even remember it falling out of her hands until she recognized the sound of the china bouncing off the carpeted floor.  She hurriedly grabbed some of the small napkins to blot the liquid off the Oriental rug.  Ashley would have fallen to the floor if Dino hadn’t grabbed her shoulders and eased her back on the couch.

“Christ, Ash.  Let it go.  I’ll clean it up.  You look like you’re going to pass out.  Lay back and take some deep breaths.”

Ashley did as Dino instructed.  She felt like she was going to faint.  There had been that edge of darkness that started to pull her down.  Surely it couldn’t be her Bud White, but the age fit from the time that had passed, and how many former LAPD officers named Wendell White did Ashley know?

Her stomach lurched.  Just what she needed at the moment. 

“Dino, would you help me into my bedroom?  I’m not feeling so well.  I need to lie down.”  She closed her eyes and started taking deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth.

Dino gently picked her up, carried her into her bedroom and laid her down on her bed.

“Should I call back your doctor, Ash?”  This pregnancy shit was beyond him.  He thought she’d almost fainted from what he’d told her, but he wanted to make sure there was nothing else wrong. 

Ashley grabbed his hand. “No, that’s not necessary, Dino.  I’ll be just fine.  It was the shock of what you’d told me.  Sit down a moment.”  She indicated the edge of the bed beside her.

Dino sat down and waited.  He was frustrated as hell here, but it wasn’t like he could shake her and make her tell him what was going on.  Ash still had a hold of his hand. 

Ashley squeezed his hands as she opened her eyes to look at him.  She looked him square and steady in the eyes. “Dino, I know you’re not going to believe what I tell you, but it’s the complete truth.  Please don’t question it tonight.  Just listen and think about it and we’ll talk more tomorrow.” 

He nodded to her and regretted agreeing a moment later.

“I know Bud White.  I knew him when he was on the LAPD force.”

Dino was instantly skeptical.  White had been retired since Ashley was a small child.  How could she have known him then?  He kept his trap shut.

“Bud knew where I was because I left him a note with the address of the estate where you rescued me today.”

Now it truly didn’t make any fucking sense.  She’d only been kidnapped a bit over 3 months ago.  White had been retired from the LAPD for 20 years.  He kept his mouth shut.

“I’m guessing Bud didn’t tell  you how he knew I was there, but simply insisted it to be the truth?”

“Yeah, that’s why we couldn’t get a warrant to search the place or send the Feds in.  There was no evidence and White wasn’t telling us how he got the address.  It was like he was some psychic.  The raid we made today wasn’t essentially legal, Ash.”

Ashley smiled briefly at the thought of Bud White being psychic.  She could just imagine him denying the existence of someone like that.  She patted Dino’s hand and winked at him. “That’s okay, Dino.  I own the estate and I give you permission to have come in.  I met Bud on the second time I escaped.”

Dino wanted to interrupt again, but zipped it.  None of the timelines made any sense.

“I met Bud in Los Angeles.  He was a young LAPD cop in his twenties, Dino.  It was in the mid 1950's.  Before SID took me back home I wrote the address where you found me on a piece of paper for Bud and hid it in a drawer in his apartment.  He must have kept it all these years.”  There was wonder in her voice.

Okay, Dino was speechless for a second time today.  He knew what she was implying and that was impossible...as well as crazy if she believed it.  He had to have the truth from White.  Hell, he had to talk to her doctor.  He couldn’t keep his mouth shut any longer.  So Ashley shut it for him.

She saw he was about to speak and covered his lips with her fingers. “Ssshhh, Dino.  Don’t say anything.  I know it sounds crazy.  It’s the absolute truth.  I want you to set up a meeting tomorrow morning for me to visit Bud White.  Ten o’clock or after if he’s up to it.  I need to talk to him, thank him and explain.  Would you do that, Dino?  And go with me to see him?  Please.”

Dino looked at her face.  There wasn’t an ounce of falseness in her expression.  She believed every word.  Was she this damaged or had this Svengali SID made her believe this horseshit?  What the hell would White say?  Surely he wouldn’t confirm her story.  Would he even meet with her if he knew how damaged she was?

“I’ll try to arrange a meeting with White for tomorrow morning, Ash.  I’ll take you there.  I interviewed him before.”  What if the truth would cause an absolute break in her?  Yet, other than being shaky physically she seemed tough as nails mentally.  He hated himself already for agreeing to set it up.  He had a lot to think about.  She was right about that.

“Thank you, Dino.  I know this is amazing and unbelievable.  The proof is in the note if Bud still has it, and also in the chip if the technology is as advanced as I believe it is.  Don’t forget it on the way out, Dino.  And please send Lettie in to help me get ready for bed.  She’ll stay with me to make sure I’m completely steady.”

She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it.  Her eyes looked into his.  Dino simply nodded.  He didn’t say anything about the chip.  He’d already pocketed it.  He brushed her hair off her face and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Sleep well, Ashley.  Feel safe, Sweetheart.”  That was one thing he could promise her.  This SID wouldn’t touch her while Dino was anywhere near her.

Ashley had a smile on her face as he left her room.  Her eyes were closed.  Lettie was in the sitting area and had found the spilled tea and was cleaning it off the rug.

“If you could go into Ashley and help her, Lettie?  She isn’t feeling well.”

Lettie jumped to her feet.  “Oh, right away, sir.”  The girl disappeared into Ashley’s bedroom.

Dino would check back in an hour to make sure Ashley was alright or he was calling her doctor.  He had some phone calls to make and a lot of thinking to do tonight.

******

Ashley slept fitfully that night.  She had too many things on her mind.  Also she was missing SID, the feel of his body against hers and his hands touching her as he whispered to her or giggled when he made an advance.  She sighed more than once.  Then there was Dino.  He was a whole other reason that her thoughts kept her awake. Finally she fell asleep in exhaustion.  She actually slept well for a few hours while her body and baby insisted that she rest.  

Ashley awoke feeling fairly well and spent some time pampering herself in her bathroom before getting ready for the day.  She wanted to make sure she was ready if Dino had arranged her meeting with Bud.  What would he be like after more than fifty years?  Would she even recognize him or would he remember her?  He’d kept the address, but she was a small blip in his life many years ago where as he was fresh in her mind from less than two months ago.

If Bud remembered her and verified her story, would Dino believe?  It was important to her that he believed.  She thought about her father and knew she’d never even tell him the truth.  Ashley didn’t trust him enough to believe her.  On that thought she wandered out of her room toward her father’s office to see if he had a moment of time before he started working.  He hadn’t stopped by to see her though she knew he’d been home since shortly after her arrival yesterday.

Ashley munched on a cookie as she walked.  She’d asked Lettie to get breakfast for her when she returned in about 30 minutes.  It would probably be less.  Checking her watch she knew her father would already be in his office.  It was just after 7 AM. 

He was an early riser and worked late.  Edward Weston was a workaholic who was married to his job.  Ashley was always glad he’d never remarried after her mother died.  It would have been unfair to make another wife a widow to his empire.  Somehow she thought he’d recognized that himself.  She’d often stepped in since she’d graduated from college to host events for him when he’d needed a woman’s touch...until the last few months before her abduction and then they weren’t even talking. 

Ashley knocked on his door.  She was glad his secretary hadn’t arrived yet for the day.  An intermediary wasn’t what she needed. 

“Come in.”  She heard his low voice through the door.  Ashley saw the surprise on his face when he saw it was her.  Edward Weston didn’t like surprises.  Undoubtedly he had intended to make first contact.  Control loomed large in all parts of his life.

“Hello, Daddy.  How are you?”  Ashley let herself in and closed the door behind her.  She was surprised when he rushed over to her.

“Come sit down, Ashley.  Are you well enough to be out of your room?  I was going to check on you at breakfast in a short while.”  He gave her a brief kiss on her cheek.  That was surprisingly affectionate for her father.  He actually must have missed her or at least been worried about her existence.  She mentally rebuffed herself for her sarcasm and cynicism brought on from a lifetime of experience.  She let him guide her to a comfortable chair away from his desk.  Ashley was surprised a second time when he sat down opposite her without positioning himself with his desk between them.  Was he trying?

He looked her over from head to toe with appraising eyes.  He saw the thinness and dark circles.  She didn’t have the robust signs of health that were usually apparent.  Edward had rarely been sick a day in his life and that seemed to have translated to his daughter until her miscarriage several months ago, which he blamed on her inferior ex-fiancé.  He should have had the wastrel put in prison instead of simply removing him from his daughter’s life. 

He sighed to himself to think his daughter had been victimized by a second man in her young life.  Edward wasn’t certain he wouldn’t have this one put to death when he was caught.  He knew there were ways to make it look accidental, especially in prison.

“I’m well, as usual, Ashley.  How are you?  Are you comfortable in your rooms?  Do you have everything you need?”

Ashley felt like a visiting guest at her father’s estate instead of his daughter who’d been kidnapped and missing for months.  She’d often wondered how he could command the attention of the business world yet be so inept at interpersonal skills with his only child.

“I’m doing fairly well, Father.  The only thing I need is better fitting clothes.  I’ll ask Dino or one of his men to run me by my place today to get some of my clothes and a few other things.  I’m a bit thinner, but I’m still beginning to need maternity clothes.”

Edward nodded.  She saw his lips thin to a straight line.  Ashley knew that look.  He was trying to control his rage.  At that moment she knew the next thing he would say, but she didn’t want to believe it until the words came out of his mouth.

“That’s a situation we can’t have you wait for too long to correct, Ashley.  The sooner the better to have it taken care of.  I can have it arranged for you if you wish.  I know your physician examined you last evening.”

Ashley closed her eyes.  She knew a ten count wouldn’t work.  The war of the wills that had been fought between them their whole lives was about to rage anew.   It was rare that a battle was ever truly won on either side.  And it wasn’t as though her father actually knew her and the woman she had grown to become.

“Father, the situation needs nothing done.  I’ve already taken everything into consideration.  I’m healthy as is my baby.  My doctor confirmed it last night.  I would never terminate my pregnancy.  I want this baby with all my heart.  I certainly have the means to raise my baby as a single parent.  And I will.”  Ashley said this vehemently so there would be no misunderstanding on her father’s part.

Edward stared at her incredulously.  Surely his daughter couldn’t want this spawn of a rapist to be brought into their world.    He knew the child would be half hers with their lineage, but that also meant it was half descended from a rapist and kidnapper.

“You can’t consider keeping it, Ashley.”

“Oh, but I can, Father.  And I will.  You have no idea what I’ve been through over the last few months, but don’t mistake that I’ve suddenly become weak willed and don’t know exactly what I want.  If anything it has made me more resolute to do what I feel I need and want to do.”  Ashley paused and looked at him.  She had steely resolve.  Certainly he should have learned by now that her will was as strong as his.  As much as she might want to deny it at times, Ashley was most definitely his daughter.

“I’ve been given an opportunity here.  I could look on it as something that was thrust on me against my will, or I can look at it another way, a means to getting what I want after having lost my first baby.  It’s truly my heart’s desire, Father.  And there is also another way to look at this, Daddy.”  She slipped into calling him the name she’d always connected to him with an affection that never seemed to be there on his part.

“If I terminated this pregnancy it might be my last chance.  I’ve already miscarried once.  I might never have an opportunity to have another baby.  The more times a woman miscarries a child the less likely she is to carry a healthy one to term.  I want this baby.  I love my baby already.”   

“And you don’t need to worry about the intelligence of the father.  He may be misguided, but he is brilliant.  And he took what he wanted to achieve what he wanted.  That was me and for me to have his baby.  I’m sure he knew he was choosing the perfect woman to get to that goal of a child, Father.  No one is touching my baby to harm it.” 

Ashley didn’t actually feel SID was misguided at all.  He knew exactly what he wanted.  He simply didn’t follow human guidelines or protocols of what was considered acceptable behavior.  That certainly was something she couldn’t explain to her father.  And she would never give her father fuel to act against her legally or question her competence.  She’d never forget what he did to her mother or think that he wouldn’t try the same with her to push his will on her.  Ashley was much stronger than her mother had been.

At that point Ashley gave her father an ultimatum.  “If you don’t want me to stay in your house with my baby, I’ll be glad to leave and go home.  I want you to know this is non-negotiable.  Nothing will change my mind.  This is the way it will be with my body, my life and my baby.” 

Ashley’s eyes locked with her father’s.  It was at that point she realized she had changed.  She had always tried to meet at a half-way point with her father.  It had never worked as he had always tried to push his will on her and exert his power over her to take it all.  He’d always thought she was soft and he could manipulate her however he chose.

Edward locked eyes back with his daughter.  This was not going at all like he’d imagined.  There had been a change in his daughter.  He knew she wouldn’t waver on this.  Not ever.  Physically she looked less hearty than he’d ever seen her.  Mentally she’d never been tougher.  At that moment he had to acknowledge to himself that she was the strongest willed one in this room.

And he saw they’d reached a crossroads in their relationship.  He’d lost Ashley a long time ago.  Edward knew he’d pushed her away from him for years while at the same time he tried to control her like one of his business dealings.  Before her abduction they weren’t speaking at all.  He sensed she was giving him one last chance, but that it would be on her terms or no terms at all.  She was willing to walk away from him and never look back.  Edward also knew that she would be fine and thrive without him.  He wasn’t so sure he would be so fine without her in his life.  Despite their rocky relationship Ashley was the only one who loved him in this world. 

That wasn’t the case with Ashley.  People fell in love with her all the time.  Edward had seen that all her life.  Even the wrong people fell in love with her like her weak former fiancé who for all his faults and weaknesses had loved his daughter.  Edward had driven the wedge between them with disastrous results. 

He cleared his throat.  “I want you to stay, Ashley.  You don’t have to go home.  Stay and rest here as long as you’d like.  I’ll make sure you’re protected.  This is a safe place for you to be.”  He paused.  “A safe place for both of you.”

Ashley had been gently stroking her belly.  A reassuring motion for both her and the baby.  This was amazing progress for her and her father.  She wouldn’t discuss anything more with him today.  They’d come to an understanding.  It was a first step.  It was nothing she felt should be rushed.

“Thank you, Father.  I’ll let you get back to work.  Connie is coming by for lunch with her baby.  Stop by to see them if you have a chance.”  She eased herself to her feet and bent over to kiss his cheek.  Edward’s arm slipped tentatively around her to give her a hug as her lips brushed his skin.

“I am glad you are home and well, Ashley.”  And with that Edward Weston dismissed his daughter and went back to work.

Ashley smiled as she walked back to her rooms.  The conversation had been heading in a very bad direction, but she had turned it around while still making known what she would not compromise.  Her father had accepted that.  It was a good morning indeed.

Ashley’s eyes widened with surprise when she reached her rooms.  Vase after vase of flowers were being delivered.

“Who in the world sent all these?”  She grinned at Lettie as about the 10^th bouquet in an exquisite glass or ceramic vase was set in her sitting room. 

“I don’t know, Miss.  The vase with the card hasn’t been delivered yet.”  Ashley could tell that Lettie was very impressed.  The head security guard carried in the last of the vases.  It was a magnificent arrangement of at least five different shades of irises.

“We couldn’t let the delivery truck into the estate this far, Miss Weston.  We wanted to make sure you got your flowers, though.”  He set this vase by her chair.

“Thank you…Mr. Burke.”  Ashley read his name off his badge.

“You’re welcome, Miss Weston.  We’ll leave you alone now.”  He nodded and withdrew from the room.

Ashley walked immediately to the vases of irises.  Who could know they were her favorite flower and would send so many?  Her hand rose to her mouth to stifle her exclamation and hide her grin.  Surely he wouldn’t?  But only he would.  She knew it.

“Lettie, I’m going to take this vase of irises in my room.  We can arrange the others around the room.  Let’s put a vase of roses on the table.  We’ll be having lunch guests today.  It will be for two with a high chair.  I’ll discuss the menu with Cook later.”

Ashley swept up the large vase of irises and spirited them into her room before Lettie insisted on carrying them.  She was surprised the security guards hadn’t noticed there was no card.  They accepted the delivery of flowers from a local reputable florist, but mustn’t have verified who sent them.  A small grin tweaked at the corners of her mouth.  That was a very male thing to do.  A girl would always look for the card.

The flowers were a very SID thing to do.  Plus, only he would have the audacity to send her flowers when he was wanted for kidnapping her.  Sure enough when she felt the underside of the vase of irises something was attached.

SID knew she’d be drawn to them immediately.  She couldn’t believe how excited she was.  Ashley should be so angry at him about the chip.  She carefully peeled the small package from the bottom of the recessed area of the vase.  This had all been planned so carefully by her lover.

The package was a cell phone.  SID had found a way for her to contact him.  It was a very pretty pink phone.  He’d even chosen the color to please her.  She turned it on and the screen sprang to life…with SID.  She giggled as he came onto the screen.  She laughed more loudly when he said, “Come to me, my butterfly.”

The screen image of SID then flung open his hand and released a handful of beautiful butterflies which fluttered around him before disappearing. 

Dino stuck his head in the door.  It was still open and she was giggling like a fool.  He startled her and the phone dropped to the carpeted floor.  Ashley stepped to cover up what she dropped, but it was too late.  Dino had seen it.

“Good morning, Dino.  I hope you slept well?  Is Bud White able to see us this morning?”  She plucked the phone up off the floor to cradle in her palm as a text came through.  SID must have been waiting for her to turn it on and the darned thing was on audio in SID’s voice.

“How are you, my little Ash-lee?  Come to me.”  A little blip came through to signal the end of the message.

Ashley’s face flushed bright red as she glanced guiltily at Dino.  He was glaring back at her.  His face was bright red to match hers, but she would bet his wasn’t flushed with embarrassment or excitement.  It was more like anger.  Maybe even rage.

Dino watched Ashley’s reaction.  He knew she was holding the best clue to capturing her abductor that they’d yet had.  A direct line to him though he’d bet it would be untraceable.  That was if Ashley would give it to him.  He didn’t want to wrestle it away from her.  Dino had a restless night reviewing things in his head that didn’t make sense in this whole Ashley kidnapping.  And Bud White, the old close-lipped coot, wouldn’t say anything until he talked to Ashley. 

“Good morning, Ashley.  I slept fairly.  Appointment with Bud White at 10 AM.  I see you’ve been getting presents already today.  May I see it?”  Dino held his hand out to her.  She must have just found it.  The flowers had just been delivered.  He’d chewed out the security detail for not clearly checking the flowers first as they transitioned from Dino’s crew to Weston’s security.  He came to her room immediately.

Ashley looked down at the phone.  She didn’t want to give it up.  Her fingers quickly flew across the keyboard and texted, “Hello, SID.  I’m not alone.  I must have 2 days.  I love u, Ashley.”  She quickly sent the text.

Dino flew at her.  “Ashley, don’t send anything to him.”

Ashley dropped the phone down the front of her blouse into her bra.

Dino glared at her.  “Don’t think I won’t go after it there.”  He held his hand out again to give her another chance.  He was as serious as a fucking heart attack.

“You wouldn’t dare.”  She glared right back at him.  He moved an inch closer toward her and Dino was already in her face.  She gulped.  “I suppose you would.”

Ashley maintained what little dignity she had and turned around to fish the phone from her bra.  SID impatiently texted back.  It was again audible. “I don’t care if you’re not alone.  Others are irrelevant.  2 days okay.  Yesterday and today.  I will retrieve you this evening.”  Ashley was looking down at the screen as the reply came through.

Dino plucked it from her hand.  He texted, “Stay away from her, asshole.  You won‘t touch her again.  Take that as a promise and a threat.  Dino.”  Dino sent the text and switched off the phone.  The picture of SID appeared on the screen grinning.  “How the hell?  Ashley, why is there a picture of Terry on this phone?”  The screen faded away as the power shut down.

As he glared at her, Dino noticed that Ashley needed to sit down.  He needed to back off on her.  And she needed to cooperate.  He again reminded himself that she was the victim here.

“Sit down, Ashley.  We need to talk.”

“Let’s go out in my sitting room, Dino.  We’ll talk in private.  I need to eat some breakfast.  You can have some, too.”  She started to walk from the bedroom.  She gave a last glance at her irises before she left the room.

Sitting down at the table, she asked Lettie to give them some privacy.  She poured coffee for her and Dino as the girl left the room. Ashley handed Dino his coffee and looked intently at him.  “You need to give me the phone back, Dino.  You just issued a direct challenge to SID.  He loves to play games.  He will come and there will be nothing to stop him.  He will do whatever it takes.  I don’t want someone to get hurt.  I can calm him down.  And that wasn’t a picture of Terry.  That is SID.  They resemble each other enough to be twins or at least brothers.”  Along with Cort and Bud she thought to herself.

Ashley put a cranberry orange scone on her plate while she sipped thoughtfully on her coffee.  She had to talk to SID to make a definite time to meet with him.  This was a situation that needed to be diffused and soon.  Ashley knew SID would be extremely angry at the moment with as possessive as he was of her. 

“Ashley, don’t you think I’ll do everything to protect you from him?  There will be someone to stop him.  You know me well enough.  In addition I’ll protect you from your own actions if I have to, Ash.  You’re not thinking clearly in this situation.”

“I know you believe that’s necessary, Dino.  But, just suppose I’m the only one who knows what we’re dealing with here.  What if I’m the only one who understands this situation with SID?  I’m the only one who knows SID.  My thinking is clear here.”  She shook her head in frustration.  There was so much to say that couldn’t be said. 

Ashley laid her hand on Dino’s.  She looked into his eyes and pleaded with him. “I do love him, Dino.  I know that seems wrong to you.  I need you to trust me on this, Dino.  I have to talk to him.  You can stay in the room if you’d like.”  Ashley would much rather talk to SID in private, but she wanted Dino to cooperate.  At that moment she thought about SID and what he was.  Would Dino feel any more comfortable or confident in allowing Ashley to stay with SID if she knew what he was?  Most definitely not.  

“As much as I want to support you, Ashley, I still don’t believe you’re thinking clearly here.  You’ve been through so much in the last few months.  It’s not unusual for you to identify with your kidnapper or even to believe yourself in love with him.  That doesn’t mean you should have any contact with him.”  Dino gazed steadily back at her.  This whole situation sucked big time. 

Ashley sighed.  They were going nowhere with this conversation.  Ashley and Dino had a wide gulf between them when it came to SID and they weren’t getting anywhere trying to bridge it.

“Okay, Dino.  I know what I know and you believe what you believe.  That’s where we are right now.” 

Dino gave her a long look.  It was so…well, so Dino that she couldn’t help it.  She burst into laughter.  The two of them could never go up against each other in a battle of wills.  They were both simply too stubborn.  The blood and bodies would be littered in both their wakes and neither would ever give in if they believed something so strongly as they both did here.

A tear slipped down her cheek from a combination of laughter, frustration and a bit of fear. 

Without thinking Dino reached across the gap between them and wiped the tear away.  Her cheek was so soft.  He remembered the feel of her skin beneath his fingertips.  Somehow he’d never considered the feelings he’d had for her would resurface this strongly.  That had been a miscalculation on his part, one he must never make again in the future.  Too fucking late this time.

Ashley moved her cheek against his hand.  As frustrated as she was at the moment with him, she needed him.  She needed human contact with someone who cared about her.  Ashley took Dino’s hand and stood up.  She slipped in beside him, hugged around his waist and laid her head on his chest.

“I’m sorry, Dino.  I know you’re trying to protect me.  I know you think I desperately need to be protected.”  Dino’s arms tightened around her.  Ashley felt protected in his embrace.  So much had been unresolved between them.  Perhaps that was partly why this was so difficult.  Tears slipped unchecked down her cheeks. 

Dino almost answered it was his job to protect her.  It was, but that was almost too flippant an answer and didn’t go nearly as deep as the emotions.  His lips gently brushed the top of her head.  The scent of her hair brought more reminisces, all of them pleasant.  They sat quietly.  Each lost in their own thoughts for the moment.

“I need to protect the people I love, Dino.  Please help me do that.  We can’t leave things this way.  Trust me enough to know that there could be a real danger to others here, possible collateral damage that I can prevent with one phone call.  Let me do that, Dino.  Help me.  Please.”

Dino looked down at her and took her face in his hands.  He kissed her tear-stained cheeks as he considered what Ashley said.  There could be no harm in contact by phone.  Hell, he’d already had contact with her this morning.  Her abductor knew where she was.  He’d brazenly sent her the flowers and the phone.  It was true that no one knew this asshole like Ashley did.  In fact none of them knew anything about him beyond her calling him SID.  And Dino now knew he looked like his best friend and partner.  It was one more bizarre piece of this jagged jigsaw puzzle.

“My goal is to protect you, my men and the people here on the estate, so our goal is similar minus this SID.  If you really think he could harm someone while trying to get to you, what does that say, Ashley?”  Dino took her hands.  “Why would you want to be with someone like that?”

Dino had appealed to the logical part of her brain.  The part she ignored a lot around SID.  He was completely right.  “I shouldn’t.  I know.  He wouldn’t hurt anyone here unless he felt they were keeping me away from him and offering up a challenge.  He would never hurt me, Dino.”

“He already has, Ashley.”

She closed her eyes and Dino watched as a tear slipped down her cheek.  He was glad to see Ashley wasn’t ignoring that fact.  She was aware.

“It’s so complicated, Dino.  This whole situation requires normal logic and reason to be ignored.  I only ask you let me calm him down and diffuse this before something unfortunate and unnecessary might happen.”  Her eyes pleaded with him.

Dino pulled the cell phone from his pocket and switched it on.  Part of him was screaming inside his brain that this was too risky for her and not in a physical way.  He watched the screen turn on and a spitting image of his friend and partner come on the screen to entreat Ashley to come to him.  He’d never seen graphics like this.  It was very sophisticated.  It brought to mind the chip.  After a preliminary examination his geek friend was in Heaven.  He’d never seen anything like it.  It was too advanced for anything on the market or even in prototype. 

As Dino had been suspecting a message immediately came across the screen for Ashley.  Turning the phone on triggered an alert to SID that she was in contact.  Again the message came out in audio as well as texted.

“My Ash-lee.  Are you alone, my lover?”

It took all of Dino’s control to hand the phone to Ashley instead of texting back his own response, especially once he saw the thrilled look on her face.  She craved interaction with him.

Ashley texted back to him.  “I’m not alone, SID, but I want to talk to you.”

“Press number 1 to call SID, lover.”

Ashley suppressed a smile.  Of course SID would set himself up as number 1.  She pressed the key and the phone connected immediately with him.

“You are undamaged?”  There was an urgency and vehemence in his voice.

Ashley assured him.  “I am well, SID.  Our baby is well.  Everything is fine.”

“It’s good you and our baby are well.  Everything is not fine.  You’re not with me.  I will come for you.  They will let you go or I’ll take you from them as they took you from me.”  SID was both angry and petulant.

“They won’t detain me, SID.  I am free to go.”  Ashley wasn’t so sure about that.  “I need until tomorrow.  I have some appointments today and will have lunch with my girlfriend, Connie.  I want to see her and her baby.  I want to get my maternity clothes from home.  Give me today, lover.  I’ll call you tomorrow morning.”  Ashley’s voice took on a very seductive nature.

Dino gave her warning signal not to promise to call him again.  His eyes widened at her come fuck me voice.  When Dino heard the response he knew she got the desired effect.  The asshole practically purred for her.  He realized so would he if she’d spoken to him like that.

“Tomorrow morning, lover.  I won’t spend another night apart from you.  I’ll make love to you all night long, my Ash-lee.  The way only I can pleasure you, my Butterfly.”

Ashley’s face colored bright red.  She was embarrassed that Dino was hearing this, but she couldn’t kid anyone.  She was completely aroused by his words and imagining exactly what she knew he could do to her. Her voice came out in a husky whisper after she swallowed. “Yes, SID.  Tomorrow, lover.”

“I will come for you and then you will come for me,”  SID laughed.  His voice was low and sexy. 

Ashley could have swooned.  Her face and body were on fire from his words alone. “Goodbye,” she could barely choke out the word.

“Goodbye, Lover.  Remember…”  The screen illuminated and there was an image of Ashley naked in the throes of passion.  Her eyes closed and her head thrown back, her breasts heaved with her labored breathing and her legs were wantonly spread for the ecstasy that SID was giving her.  Ashley could see his name was on her lips.  The screen faded to black. Ashley’s eyes slipped shut.  She prayed that she’d turned the screen before Dino saw the image.  SID knew she wasn’t alone.  He hadn’t cared.  Her breath exhaled in pants until she was able to control it.  All she wanted was SID.  He knew how she would respond.  She turned off the phone.

When she looked up at Dino she cringed.  He must have seen the image and he’d seen her reaction.  And Dino was a man who’d made love to her.  It was as if his nostrils flared to pick up her scent.  It must be in the air with as aroused as she was.

“Thank you, Dino.”  Her voice was shaky.  She set the phone down.  “I’ll be right back.  Continue with breakfast.”  Ashley hurried to the bathroom, shut the door and tightly gripped the sink.  She took deep breaths until she was under control.  When she looked at herself in the mirror the woman staring back at her was starved and in want of SID.  After another minute she was able to wash her hands and go back out for breakfast.

She sat down back in her chair separated from Dino.  She picked up her coffee and sipped at it, finding it difficult to meet Dino’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, Ashley.”

She glanced sharply up to meet his eyes.  “Why are you sorry, Dino?  I’m the one who should be mortified.  I assume you saw part of that.”  Ashley already knew from his eyes he had.

“My job is to protect you, Ash, and I blew it.  I shouldn’t have let you speak to him.  He manipulated you to make his tie to you even stronger.”

“Don’t be sorry, Dino.”  She looked at him evenly.  “The tie is already too strong to break.  My choice and my decision.”  Ashley felt she needed to tell Dino.  She’d already decided she’d be leaving.  It mattered to her that he knew.  She knew now he couldn’t understand, certainly not in the span of a few short days, perhaps over time if he didn’t turn away from her.

“You did succeed, Ash.”  Dino gave her a wry look.  She had completely diffused the situation with SID.  He wasn’t coming to ‘rescue’ her from her captors.  How fucking ironic.

“I do know him…  Dino?”  She trailed off.  How could she ask this of him? 

“Say it, Ashley.”

“Part of me will love you forever, Dino.  Being around you again shows me you’re the kind of man I was looking for…before all of this happened.  I’m sorry I never told you I loved you at a time when it made a difference in our lives.”

Dino winced at her implying it didn’t matter now, then he realized she meant when it would make a difference in their futures.  She knew there was no future for them now.  He knew that, too, though he might have tried to kid himself at moments during the last two days or perhaps he had been for far longer.

“I loved you, too, Ashley.  We both should have said it.  Lousy circumstances.”  He shrugged.  You can never go back.

She smiled and reached out to place her hand on his.  Her fingers stroked the top of his hand.  Dino wasn’t an easy man with a simple life, but her life would be so much saner if she were in love with him and wanted to plan a future with him right now.  For a moment she wondered if they had met again before she’d been kidnapped would they have started seeing each other once again.  It was a wonderful thought and purely fanciful speculation.

“Promise me something, Dino.  No matter what happens, always stay my friend.  You’ll always be mine.”

“I promise.  Even though I think you’ll do something to challenge it.”  He grasped her hand.  “Think long and hard before you do anything to jeopardize the life you led before and could have again with your child.”

She nodded.  “I’ll do nothing lightly.  I’ll make what I think is the best decision for myself and the baby.”

Dino nodded.  “If you do go, promise me you’ll call and talk to me.  I’ll think it's wrong, but I won’t turn my back on you, Ash.”

“I’ll call.  I promise.”  Dino held her hand for a moment longer.  And then they got back to finishing breakfast.  It was almost time for them to go meet with Bud White.

The drive to the rehabilitation facility where Bud White was staying was very quiet at first.  Both Dino and Ashley were lost in their thoughts.  That changed when an oldies tune came on the radio.  Ashley leaned over and cranked up the volume.  She started singing along to the tune.  Pausing for a moment she called out to Dino and one of his men, who was driving. 

“C’mon men.  Don’t make me sing alone.”  Ashley continued her soulful rendition in her pretty soprano.  Soon they were all singing loudly along to the tune.  They all laughed when the song ended.

“That was fun.  Do you remember the time we sang karaoke, Dino?”

Dino gave her a mock pained look.  “Only you remember singing karaoke, Ash.  Everyone else makes sure they’re drunk enough to do it and drunk enough not to remember doing it later.”

“That’s not true, is it, Raul?” she asked Dino’s man who was driving.

“Actually it is, Miss Weston,” he chuckled while not taking his eyes off the road or their surroundings.

“Bosh!  I remember every time.  It’s fun.  And please call me Ashley.”  Raul nodded to her and gave her a boyish grin.

Dino gave her a ‘see, I told you so’ look before shaking his head as Ashley reeled in another man.    

Ashley gasped when they drove into the entrance of the rehab hospital.  “Oh, poor Bud.  This place looks so drab and institutional.”

“It is an institution, Ash.  He seemed to be doing well enough.  It’s just temporary for the old guy.”

Ashley almost blurted out that Bud wasn’t old until she remembered he was old here in this time.  Dino said around eighty.  She had to brace herself to see the changes in him.

Dino escorted her to the front entrance and on to the nurse’s station.  Raul stayed outside the facility.  Ashley held onto Dino’s arm.  She was slightly nervous.

“We’re here to visit Mr. Wendell White.  He’s expecting us.”  Dino quickly scanned their surroundings. 

The nurse gave him a smile.  “Yes, he’s waiting for you in the sitting room.  He just finished his physical therapy.  You must be Mr. Dean Connero?”  The nurse’s gaze slipped to Ashley and Dino knew she recognized her in a moment.  Ashley’s picture and video of her had been splashed on TV and the internet for months.  It had made for a big story with the beautiful missing heiress who’d suddenly disappeared and was feared kidnapped or dead.

“Yes, I’m Dean.  We’d like to make this visit quiet for now if possible.”  What Dino didn’t want was for them to emerge from the place to be inundated by the media.  He’d call Raul as soon as they went in to greet White. 

The nurse nodded to him.  “Right this way.”  She led them to an adjoining room and indicated an elderly man sitting in a wheelchair by a table at the window.  He was reading something.   

Dino thanked the nurse and led Ashley toward Bud White.  Suddenly she stopped in her tracks seemingly frozen to the spot.

White’s head whipped up in their direction.  It was though he was alerted to their arrival though nothing had been said.  Their eyes met and locked.  It was hard to say who held a more shocked expression on their face. 

White broke the silence first. “Jesus Christ.  Ashley?”

“Bud.  Yes, it’s me.”

“I’d think I was fucking hallucinating, but I’m not taking those pain pills anymore and there’s nothing wrong with my brain or eyesight yet.  You haven’t changed in over 50 years.”  He nodded at Dino and glared at him to dare question what White had just said.

“I wasn’t sure you’d remember me after all this time, Bud.  It’s only been a short time for me.”  Her hand settled gently onto her belly.

“You made a hell of an impression, Ashley.”  He nodded to a chair by him for her to sit down. 

Dino saw him looking at her stomach.  Ashley had been pregnant when he knew her and he was trying to tell if she still was.  “Especially when you and that shitbird disappeared from my apartment…literally.”

“I’m sorry about that, Bud.  I didn’t want anything to happen to you.  And SID did have a gun. 

I didn’t know if it was real.  He fancied himself quite the 50’s gangster.  It was all a great game to him.”  She rolled her eyes.

“Not all of it.”

Ashley settled comfortably into the chair.  “No, not to us, Bud.  SID is different than we are.”

“You can say that again.”  The old man shook his head, looking every bit the no nonsense cop he once was.

“No, I mean he isn’t human, Bud.  Not completely anyway.  And he isn’t confined to traditional time and space like we are.”  Ashley looked steadily at him.

Bud’s jaw set into a stubborn line.  He didn’t answer.  It was obvious he wanted to deny what she said.  But he didn’t do it.  He rubbed his hand across his face. “I don’t know, Ash.  I do know there were a lot of things about you and him arriving there and leaving that can’t be explained in usual ways that make sense.”  His eyes diverted up to Dino.  “I don’t suppose they’ve caught the shitbird yet?”

Dino shook his head no.  He was still trying to wake up from the episode of The Twilight Zone he’d fallen into.

“He’s a slippery bastard.  That doesn’t surprise me none.  He won’t stop until he gets her back.”  Bud said that matter-of-factly.  His gaze was on Ashley.  It was as though he was still trying to make sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him. 

Ashley reached out her hand to touch Bud’s lined face.  She brushed her fingers gently across his cheek.  “It’s been so long, Bud, yet it seems like yesterday to me.  Thank you for taking care of me and protecting me.  I needed help so badly and there you were.”

He turned his cheek into her touch and gave her a wry look.  “It’s still there, Ash.  The pull.  Do you feel it?”

“Oh, yes.  I always wondered if it was as strong for you as it was for me.”  She gave him a sweet smile.  She hesitated but decided to share what she knew with Bud and also Dino.  Neither she nor Bud had asked to have privacy when they talked.  Perhaps they both wanted a witness to hear the amazing things they’d learned or observed.

“I believe SID caused it, Bud.  I’m not sure he even knew that would happen as a by product of what he did.  He altered my DNA when I was a baby to be compatible enough with his to produce a child.  I think it also triggered some kind of pull and attraction to the others that look like SID.  I know there are at least three that I’ve met.  SID alluded to me that there were others in other times.  You and he looked enough alike to be twins.  I met another in another time named Cort the first time I tried to escape.  The third is Dino’s partner, Terry Thorne.” 

Ashley glanced at Dino, but didn’t want to put him on the defensive.  He must be feeling that way by now.  Ashley knew how crazy it all sounded in the world she used to inhabit. “I don’t know what any of it means, Bud.  It’s simply the theory I’ve come up with after all I’ve learned in the last three months.  SID remains elusive.  He likes a sense of mystery.  He’s very theatrical.”  She laughed.  “He has shared more with me as time has passed…and we’ve fallen in love.”

Bud gave her a look.  It was like the 50 plus years disappeared in that one expression.  She remembered him looking at her that way when they were together before.  Ashley smiled at him and took his hand in hers.

“I can’t believe you kept the note with the address all those years, Bud.”

“I’m not the sentimental type sop.  I’m not sure why I did.  I just kept holding onto it.  I wasn’t sure I’d live till this time.”  Bud looked at Ashley.  He had more to say.

“I’m so glad you have.  I hope you live many more years, Bud.”  She brought his hand to her face.  Dino watched the old cop gently stroke her soft skin.

“I don’t.  A few more will be okay as long as I can get around and get the hell out of this old folk’s home.”  He grasped her chin with his fingers.  “Don’t go back to him, Ashley.  Now’s the time to break the bind to him.”  Bud gave her a steely-eyed gaze.

“Exactly.”  Dino didn’t want to interrupt them, but the old cop was making the kind of sense he’d been trying to get Ashley to face.

Ashley glanced up at him and then back to Bud.  A tear slipped down her cheek.  “I’m sorry.  I don’t want to disappoint either of you.  You’re both very important to me.  But I love him.  I want to be with him.  He wants to be with me.  And our baby should have both of us.  I haven’t made this decision lightly.  I am aware of his faults and differences from us.  He continues to grow and develop also.  He isn’t stuck in an unalterable program where there can be no change.”

Both the men realized that she was saying he was partly computerized.  They glanced wildly at one another.  It was something neither had considered nor was sure they could believe.  They could see Ashley believed it completely.  They were speechless.  How the hell do you come back on that?

Ashley could see their wild disbelief.  Perhaps she shouldn’t have told them this truth.  She decided to change the subject.  Ashley had told them all she knew.  Nothing would alter those things she knew were fact. “Bud, what would it take to get you discharged home from here?” 

Ashley was tapping her lower lip.  Dino knew that look.

“They say I’m still not able to walk far enough on my own or get around good enough since I live alone.”

“What if you had live-in help for a period of time?  Somebody who could help you cook, clean, walk and get to your doctor’s appointments?"

“I live on a detective’s pension, Ashley.  I do okay, but don’t make enough for live-in help.”

“But I do, Bud.  I have all this damned money and what good is it if I can’t use it for something worthwhile?  It would be a small way for me to say thank you for all you did.”

“I didn’t do that much, Ash.”  His mouth set into a stubborn curve.  Ashley was pretty sure she’d seen that look before.

“You saved my life and the life of my baby when you pulled me unconscious off Hollywood Blvd.  That car might have killed me before I woke after being transported there.  That means everything in the world to me, Bud.  It would be a small gift and it would get you out of here.  I want you to be able to go home.”

Bud opened his mouth to protest.  Ashley covered it with her fingers before he could say anything.  “Why are you men so stubborn?”  She pointedly looked at Bud and Dino. “You know I have gobs of it I’ll never spend.  This is a good way to use a small amount.  Don’t say no, Bud.  Think about it first, please.  You could be home by the end of the week.  You could decide on the person to help you.  Okay?”  She wouldn’t take her hand off his mouth until he nodded yes.

“She’s got you there, White.”  Dino chuckled.  “It’s hell saying no to her.  Nearly impossible.  And she has the nerve to call us stubborn.”

Ashley gave Dino the stink eye.  It caused him to laugh louder.  So Ashley ignored him.

“Promise me you’ll think about the offer and not for too long, Bud.  I’ll call you back this afternoon.”  She took her finger off his mouth, but gently stroked his lips before she removed

her finger.  The look she gave him would melt a man’s heart.  Even an old man.

“I’ll think about it.”  Bud said gruffly.  “I’m not saying it's right.”

She grinned.  “But it isn’t wrong, Bud.”

“You might as well say yes now, White.  It’s already a done deal,” Dino chuckled.  He really was enjoying watching Ashley get the upper hand on the tough old cop.  He knew damned well she could do the exact same thing to him.  Besides it was a good thing to do for the old man.  And he knew Ashley was right.  She’d never miss the money.

“I have to go soon, Bud.  Thank you for seeing me….” She trailed off and it was obvious she wanted to ask him something else.

“Ask me, Ashley.”  Bud smiled at her when she gave him a sweet grin.  Dino figured another one bites the dust.

“Have you had a good life, Bud?  Have you been happy?”  Her hand covered his again.  This time Bud took her hand in both of his.

“It’s been tough some of the time.  But, yeah, it’s been a good life, Ashley.  I had the love of a good woman for nearly 50 years.  She died a year ago.  Her name was Lynn.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Bud.  I’m so glad you found that together.  Did you have any children?”

“Yeah, they’re grown up and have their own kids now.  I recently became a great grandfather. 

I really am too fucking old.”  He gave her a disarming grin and Ashley again remembered the young man she knew.  “I almost forgot.  This is yours and I wanted to return it.”  He withdrew something from his shirt pocket and handed it to Ashley.

It was a very old piece of paper, tattered on the edges.  And it was the note Ashley wrote to Bud over 50 years ago with the address to the estate.  She smiled and showed it to Dino.  “Thank you again for keeping it all those years, Bud.  And for calling.  You could have ignored it.”

“No, I couldn’t.  It wouldn’t have felt right.  Look at it as an opportunity, Ashley.  Oh, and I had this with the note in an envelope all those years.  I couldn’t forget what you looked like.”  He smiled and handed her a picture.  Ashley had nearly forgotten they’d had it taken.  It was a photo of Bud, Ashley and the huge teddy bear he’d won for her on the Santa Monica pier in black and white in their 1950’s clothes.  

“Oh, that’s wonderful, Bud.  You kept laughing as I tried to carry that bear and he was nearly as big as I am.  That was such a fun day.  I’ll always cherish it,” she confided.  “I still have the bear in my bedroom.  SID absolutely hates it.  I’ve forbidden him from touching it because I’m afraid he’ll throw it away or damage it.  He needs to learn to not be so jealous.  He’s still very grumpy over finding you kissing me when he came to take me home.”  She giggled gaily as she looked at the photo.  Ashley hadn’t noticed that the men had fallen silent and were exchanging pointed glances.

“Look at us, Dino.  Don’t we make the happy, dashing young couple of the 1950’s?  I have to have a copy of this, Bud.  May I take it and return it to you after I get it duplicated?”  She handed the photo to Dino.

“You take it, Ashley.  You can have it.”  Bud nodded at her and gave her a gentle smile.

“No, that’s okay, Bud.  It’s your keepsake, too.  I’ll get a copy and return it.  I promise.”  She leaned over and kissed the retired cop’s cheek.  He practically blushed. 

Dino didn’t notice. He'd sat down after Ashley handed him the picture of her and Bud.  It wasn’t Ashley in her dated clothes and the old appearance of the note or photo that nearly took his legs out.  It was the image that couldn’t be denied.  Bud White was in that photo with Ashley and he was a young man in his twenties, dressed in fifties garb which would have been the time that Bud White was that age.  Yet Ashley appeared just as she did here in the room except in vintage clothing.

He looked up in astonishment.  All through this he’d held on to his skepticism.  Ashley was deluded and under the spell of this SID.  The old cop was getting forgetful in his advanced age though there were no signs of it.  And Dino had seen the fucking bear.  When they’d broken into the room where Ashley was held, he’d seen the stuffed bear in this picture and it still looked like new.

This was evidence…to do what with?  Christ, none of this made sense.  He handed the note in Ashley’s writing and the photo back to her.  He caught a glance from the old cop again.  Bud White had been as skeptical as he’d been.  His look told it all.  He’d had to face all of it today, too. 

But, somewhere since yesterday the evidence had started to mount up that what Ashley said was true.  Could it be that Ashley had been as skeptical as White and himself except she’d been living in this altered reality for the last few months and had accepted it all as a new truth? He shook his head.  Then he realized Ashley had asked him something and he had no idea what she’d said.  She was staring intently at him.

“I know it’s not easy to believe, Dino.  Yet it’s the truth.”  She put her hand on his arm and squeezed it.  “I said it’s time to go.  I need to stop by my place before Connie comes to lunch.  And my energy level is still low.”  She sighed.  “I feel I need to rest before I do anything.  I’ve heard the 2^nd trimester is so much better.  I’m looking forward to that.”

She stood up and threw her arms around Bud White.  The old man was startled but his arms slipped around her.  Ashley whispered to him.  “I’m sorry it took me so long to come and see you in the span of your years, Bud.  Thank you so much for everything.  And I’ll be calling you this afternoon to start arranging your discharge home.  Please accept this small thing I can do for you.”  She kissed his cheek. 

But the wily old Bud White turned and kissed her full on the lips.  Their lips lingered for just a moment.  Dino gave it to the old man.  He still had it.

Ashley sighed and touched his cheek.  “It’s still there, Bud.”

Bud grinned at her and nodded.  “And don’t forget to tell the shitbird that I kissed you again.”

“You really are incorrigible, Bud!” she laughed.  “Just like Dino.  You two would have been fast friends had you met in a different time and place.  I just know it.  I’ll talk to you later.”  Ashley wouldn’t let up on Bud until she had him home with a caretaker.  She blew Bud a kiss and turned to leave.

Dino stepped forward to shake the old cop’s hand with a smile on his face.  “White, take it easy.  You know she’s wrong?”

“Of course she is.  We’d have fucking killed each other to win her,” Bud said with certainty. 

Dino nodded.  “And the shitbird would have stolen her away from both of us.”  He used White’s term of affection for SID.  The disgust was evident in his voice.

Bud nodded.  “Take care of her.”

“I’ll try.”  Dino wasn’t sure he could protect Ashley from SID anymore.  It wasn’t what she wanted.  And he now believed it was her free will.

Dino saw sadness pass over the old man’s face.  He still had regrets he hadn’t been able to protect Ashley from SID when she was with him.  It seemed Ashley still had some doubts then.  Dino turned to catch up with Ashley outside the large recreation room.  She was getting the number for the discharge planner for the facility.

“He hasn’t said yes yet, Ash.” 

“Oh, he will, Dino.  And I want to be prepared to get things arranged as soon as possible.  He really wants to go home.”

Dino agreed.  He figured the cop would give into Ashley.  White’s desire to go home combined with Ashley’s badgering would beat out his pride over the money.  He escorted her out to the car.  She suddenly froze in her spot.

He was about to ask her what was wrong when he instinctually knew.  Dino pulled Ashley behind him and shielded her with his body.

Dino looked up in the direction Ashley was staring and motioned for Raul to get the car started.  A man the spitting image of Terry stepped from a convertible sports car.  Dino knew it was Ashley’s car from the tags.  His eyes glittered and were focused on Ashley.  Dino could have been invisible until he got in the way.  SID scowled at him. 

Ashley strained to see around Dino to catch a glimpse of whatever the fuck SID was.  Dino hustled her toward the car.  The jerk was wearing an iris in the button hole of his expensive suit lapel.

He giggled.  “I just happened to be in the area, my butterfly.  You look well.”  His eyes soaked her in.  Dino reached the car.  He wanted to go after him, but Ashley’s safety was their first concern.  This was too close.

“Goodbye, SID.”  Ashley called to him as Dino tucked her into the back seat and slid in beside her.

“Soon, lover.”  SID shot a smarmy smile toward them.  As Raul drove the car away SID got in Ashley’s car and sped away.

“He really is a pain in the ass,” Dino commented to Ashley and Raul.  “Plus the bastard must have tracked us from the estate.”

“Maybe he had us bugged.  That wouldn’t surprise me, Dino.”  Ashley gave him a wry look as she thought of the chip.

Dino swore out loud and grabbed the cell phone from his pocket.  He pried open the cover and sure enough there was a tracking device inside.  He should have checked sooner.  That was sloppy on his part.  Dino stuck it under his heel and crushed it.  He mumbled under his breath,

“Track that, asshole!”  Dino pocketed the smashed bug and phone.  He looked at Ashley.  “We should go straight home.”

“Please, Dino.  I promise I can be less than 30 minutes.  I want to get some clothes.  SID won’t know we’re going there.  He just wanted to see me.  He didn’t try to take me back.”

“Twenty minutes.  No more, Ash.”  Dino didn’t like it.  Raul made a noise from the front seat.  He disagreed.  Dino knew he was right.

A few minutes later they pulled up to where Ashley lived and hustled her into her home. Two of Dino’s men had already gone over the place and stood guard outside as they arrived.

“No problems, Boss.”  A man named Constantine nodded to Dino.

To her credit Ashley was out before twenty minutes.  Dino watched her move her hand lovingly over some of her things.  She’d missed her home.  That was a good sign.  She needed to miss the things she’d had to want to get them back and break her ties to SID.  Dino didn’t think they were enough yet. Maybe her lunch with Connie would be a bigger step in the right direction.  Another twenty minutes later and they had Ashley safely ensconced in her rooms at her father’s estate with her four suitcases at her side.  It was a relief to Dino to have her back in a more controlled environment.

Dino went to review security with Juan again.  He hadn’t told Ashley yet, but his team would be withdrawing from the estate later this afternoon and Edward Weston’s security would be taking over.  They’d done all they could do, but Dino didn’t feel comforted in leaving her.

Whatever SID was weighed heavily on Dino.  As crazy as it all seemed he believed more strongly as time went by that SID may be exactly what Ashley hypothesized he was.  It scared the hell out of Dino to think of him having control over her again.  Something he didn’t think Ashley had thought of was SID could make her disappear somewhere and none of them would ever see or find her again.  He’d have the ability to do that if he could traverse time and place.  Dino thought SID wouldn’t make the same mistake to allow Ashley to be taken from him a second time.

After Ashley’s luncheon with her friend, Dino would have a talk with her.  She needed something that had been normal in her previous life to enjoy first, a relationship she wouldn’t want to lose again in the future.  Dino intended to be entirely blunt and downright brutal with Ashley if he thought it would protect her from SID taking her or her going back to him.

Dino got drawn into Ashley’s luncheon.  He’d liked Connie Everston a lot when he’d handled her husband’s kidnapping.  He’d not known why Ashley was so insistent he be present until he got to meet the baby.  Connie and her husband James had named the kid after him and Terry – Dean Terrence Everston.  Dino was more touched than he would admit.  Ashley knew it and was beaming at him.

At that moment he realized that Ashley probably got him more than any of all the women he’d been with in his life.  He’d been a fool to let her walk away.  Dino should have found a way to beat Daddy Weston and said to hell with the nearly twenty year age difference between him and Ashley.  How often in life do you meet someone who really is right for you?  If you’re stupid enough to let it slip away maybe you didn’t deserve it anyway.

Ashley came alive that afternoon in a way Dino hadn’t seen since he’d rescued her.  The two women chattered on, tripping over each other’s words and sentences in their excitement to catch up.  They didn’t seem to be able to stop hugging each other.  Ashley was great with her godson.  She’d be an amazing mother.

Another surprise was the appearance of Edward Weston at the luncheon.  Dino had to admit the bastard seemed to be trying.  He also noticed how pleased Ashley was by his appearance.  She cared too much for the old man who’d rarely given her anything beyond heartache and money.  Dino was aware of how biased he was regarding Daddy Weston.  He had good reason.

It was time for Dino to go.  He had to finish the final team security briefing with the estate’s security to make sure Ashley would be as safe as possible once they withdrew.  He excused himself to Ashley and Connie, telling Ashley he needed to speak with her alone later in the afternoon.  Dino nodded toward Edward Weston as he left to go. 

Her old man just couldn’t let it go. “Yes, Mr. Connero needs to say good-bye before he leaves, Ashley.”  His smile was smug enough that Dino wished he could wipe it off his face.

Ashley’s eyes met his.  “Good-bye?  You’re leaving, Dino?”  Her hand gripped the chair hard with whitened knuckles.  Dino swore her eyes welled up as he watched her.  He was her one constant since she’d been rescued.  Now he wanted to take Daddy Weston outside and kick his ass.  He wondered if the man enjoyed inflicting pain on his daughter.  Dino thought it was more about having control over her.  He’d never learn.  For a man brilliant in business he was an absolute idiot with his daughter.

Dino saw the flash of vulnerability in her eyes before she looked away.  Ashley would feel abandoned.  She’d flee right back into the arms of her abductor or at the very least home where she’d be taken again.  At that moment he didn’t think it would be any great leap for him to hate Edward Weston.

“Ashley, my team will turn security over to the estate this afternoon.  It's part of what I want to talk to you about later.  I’ll be back to discuss it after your luncheon is over.”  He walked over and placed a finger under her chin and tipped her face upward to meet his gaze.  She looked at him defiantly.  The effect was ruined by the tear that slipped down her cheek.

“Enjoy the rest of your visit with Connie and little Dino.”  He smiled at her.  “We’ll talk later.”  He arched his eyebrows to get confirmation from her.

Ashley nodded.  He saw her face slip back into a more normal expression.  “Okay, Dino.” 

Dino let go of her chin and wiggled little Dino’s nose to make the child giggle.  He didn’t care if he was shameless.  He left Connie, the kid and Ashley laughing as he exited the room. He was unaware that Daddy Weston had left the room after him until he heard his footsteps behind him.  Dino turned to wait for him.

“I’ll give you your final briefing this afternoon, Mr. Weston.”  He nodded curtly to the businessman.

“That will be fine, Mr. Connero.  I appreciate a job well done.  You and your team succeeded in finding Ashley where two inept branches of law enforcement were unable.  Your company will be greatly rewarded.”

Dino bit his tongue and nodded to the boss man like a good little employee.  No matter what he said he wasn’t going to turn this asshole into a decent parent.  He’d done his job for Ashley, not this man.

“I’ll see you at 1700 hours then.”  Dino turned to walk away.  Distance seemed to be a good thing at the moment.  He remembered Ashley’s comment about his temper from years ago. 

“Yes, Mr. Connero.  My security team and estate staff will be able to take over all aspects of your job so it will be unnecessary for you to return here again.  See you at five.”  Weston dismissed Dino.  Later Dino would be able to recall the relish in his tone.

Dino froze.  He recognized the threat in his tone to break off contact with Ashley.  He whirled.  All bets were off.  Dino didn’t move closer to Weston.  If he did he’d deck the man on the spot.

His voice came out softly.  Terry once said he preferred Dino’s anger when he yelled.  It was when he was quiet that he feared dismemberment may follow. “Someday there’ll be a long line of people waiting to give you your comeuppance, Mister Weston.  I’ll be there in the front for Ashley.  Certainly there can be no one that you’ve done more disservice to in your life.  No one you deserve less.  And for that you’re the biggest fool I’ve ever met.”  

Dino turned and walked swiftly away.  He didn’t see the shocked or outraged expression on Edward Weston’s face.  And he wouldn’t have cared anyway.

He finished up that afternoon with the handoff to the security team.  They were good and their head was a former cop who knew his job.  After the walk-through he let his team go.  They’d meet up at the office in the morning for Dino to pay them and then they’d be off to some well earned R & R.  He typed up his report and printed it out for Edward Weston.  He had a mind

to slip it under his door, but Dino didn’t do things that way.

Dino knocked on Ashley’s suite and the door opened quickly with Lettie putting her finger to her lips to indicate quiet and then she motioned him in the room.  The girl tiptoed over to the bedroom and softly opened the door.  Lying on Ashley’s bed was little Dino curled up in Ashley’s arms.  They were both asleep.  He grinned at the picture they made.

Connie got up from the chair where she sat watching the two sleep and came over to Dino.  She whispered to Lettie to stay with Ashley and little Dino.  The girl smiled and entered the room.  Connie partly closed the door behind her and motioned to Dino to come follow her out into the sitting room.

“Ashley’s in love with her captor.  We’re going to lose her again.  What can we do?” 

Dino was struck by how quickly she’d assessed the situation and come to this conclusion.  Connie obviously knew Ashley better than anyone. “We have to convince her that returning to him could isolate her and she may lose those she loves again.”  Dino paused as he wasn’t sure that was going to work.  “You being here with the baby today is part of that convincing, but that may still fail.”  Dino hesitated as there were so many unknowns with Ashley’s abductor and who or what he was.

“Go on, Dino.  I know these circumstances are unusual.” 

By the look on Connie’s face Dino knew she was grappling with trying to understand and believe some of the things Ashley told her.  Christ, she had no idea. 

“We may not be able to stop her, Connie.  Short of imprisoning her here.  Can we do that to her after all she’s been through?”

Connie shook her head no.  “Dino, we can’t.  Here of all places.  But is her decision sound after being under the influence of this ‘SID’ for all these months?”

“I’m not sure.  She thinks they are.  And she seems to have insight beyond what someone would have if they were being highly controlled.  I do think she has gaps in her reasoning because of her feelings for SID.”

Connie looked up at him and gave a mirthless chuckle.  “Don’t we all, Dino?”

Dino looked at her, questioning.

“Have gaps in our reasoning and logic in regards to the people we love?  I know I do.  And that certainly includes Ashley.  I love her like a sister and best friend combined.  The thought of losing her again makes me want to tie her up in my house to prevent her leaving.  What about you, Dino?  Don’t you have gaps regarding Ashley?  I’d say you do by the way I see you looking at her.”

Dino opened his mouth to disagree, but surprisingly nothing came out.  Again he opened his mouth and the only lame word to escape was “Well....”

Connie laid her hand on his arm and smiled at him.  “I think it’s a wonderful thing that you’ve found yourself still in love with her, Dino.  Her father saw it today, too.  That’s why he tried to undermine your influence with her.  The stupid, disconnected bastard.”

Dino laughed, seeing again why he’d always liked Connie Everston so much.  Before he had a chance to answer her there was a baby’s cry from the bedroom, quickly followed by Ashley’s voice softly cooing to baby Dino.

Connie looked to Dino before she went back into the room.  He saw how troubled her eyes were.

“I think she’ll leave, Connie.  What we need to do is minimize SID’s ability to isolate her again from those she loves.  She doesn’t want that.  We have to make sure he can’t.”

“I’ll help in any way I can, Dino.  We can’t lose her again.”  A happy high-pitched squeal and giggles escaped from the bedroom.  Connie followed the sounds from her son.  He’d nodded to her in agreement.    

Dino peeked around the door as Ashley blew a raspberry on the child’s stomach, which started more high-pitched laughter from the kid. 

Ashley glanced at Connie with a grin.  “Bring the diaper bag.  It’s time for a change.  Isn’t it, Dino?  Does your diaper need a change?”  She sing-songed it to him and more giggles followed.

Ashley glanced up at Dino.  “I hope yours doesn’t,” she giggled, which set the kid off again.

“Not since last check,” he said wryly.

“Oh, good,” she grinned at him as she cleaned and deftly changed little Dino’s diaper.

Dino wondered where she’d learned to do that so well.  Ashley had been an only child who’d been very isolated.  It must have been all the time she spent with the Hartcourt family.

“I hate to say this, Ashley, but we better be getting home before dinner.”  Connie watched as Ashley flew little Dino over her head like he was an airplane, prompting more squeals and giggles.

Ashley pulled the baby into a hug and kissed him on the cheek.  “Take me with you,” she whispered to the child before lifting him high over her head one last time.

“Come with us, Ashley.  Now,” her friend pleaded with her.

Ashley smiled at her best friend as she cradled her son in her arms and carried him toward Connie. “That would be so fun, Connie.  It would also be hiding.  Look at what happened the one time I tried to run away.”  She’d alluded to trying to buy the estate in Paso Robles for a place to escape to.

“You’re allowed to hide for a while if you need to, Ash.”  She accepted her son into her arms after Ashley kissed him one last time.

“No, life is what happens all around you and to you while you try to hide.  It’s best to embrace it and head straight into it.  That’s the only way the amazing things can happen, too.”  She kissed her friend’s cheek.

A tear slipped down Connie’s cheek.  “Promise me, Ash.  Promise that you’ll call me.”

“Of course I will.  You can’t get rid of me that easily.”  The two girls hugged as baby Dino squirmed between them.

“Lucky kid,” Dino piped up with a cocky grin on his face.

“You wish, you rogue.”  Ashley and Connie started to laugh.  “You might have made a mistake, Connie.  What if his little namesake grows up to be just like his ‘Uncle’ Dino?” Ashley teased.

Connie glanced up at Dino.  Her expression became serious for a moment.  “I can only hope, Ash.  Thank you all over again, Dino.  You seem to have a knack for rescuing the people most important to me.”

Dino nodded toward her with a small bow.  “My pleasure, Connie.”

After walking her to her car, Dino watched with fascination as Connie securely strapped little Dino into his car seat.  He could do jungle extractions, but wasn’t sure he’d gotten the gist of car seat mechanics.

He watched Ashley’s face as they walked back to her suite.  She swiped a few tears away.  “That empty painful place in my chest is gone today.  I missed them so much, Dino.”  She almost slipped her arm in his as they walked, but stopped before she touched him.

Dino stuck his arm out for her and she tentatively took it.  He wondered what was on her mind.  “Don’t let them go, Ash.”

“I won’t, Dino.  No way!” she said vehemently.  Then her tone became soft. “So, you’re leaving?”

Ah, that was why she hesitated to touch him.  Ashley thought he was running out on her.  Homer hit out of the park by Edward Weston.  The prick.

“My company is turning security over to your father’s security firm, Ashley.  It’s time and they’re ready.  You know that’s not what we actually do.  That was what I was going to talk to you about this afternoon.”

Ashley sighed softly.  “We both let him manipulate us, you know.”

“Yeah, though I think it was aimed more at me, though he used you, too.”  That really pissed Dino off.  He could take it.  Ashley shouldn’t have to deal with that crap right now.

She nodded.  “He must have been thrilled to get two for one.  What a deal.” The edge of sarcasm in her voice slipped through.  As much as she felt her father had been trying today, he’d been unable to resist striking out at Dino and trying to gain control of her.  Old patterns were hard

to break after years of practice.  He’d alienated her in a moment.

Ashley sent Lettie off to order dinner when they arrived in her sitting room.  “Sit down and make yourself comfortable.  Would you like something to drink?”

Dino held gently onto her arms and looked her in the eyes.  Instead of answering her he pulled her toward him and leaned down to kiss her.  His lips brushed hers gently.  He applied more pressure when she didn’t pull away.

When Ashley’s arm slipped around his neck Dino kissed her for all he was worth as he pulled her body against his.  It had been a very long time.  The attraction was still strong between them.  The kiss ended when Ashley slipped her free hand between them and pushed on his chest.  She took a small step backward.

“You’re leaving.”

“The job and the estate.  Not you, Ashley.” 

She surprised him when she whacked him on the arm.  Pretty damned hard.  Well, not really.

Her eyes blazed as she looked up into his.  “Why couldn’t you have said those words three years ago, Dino?”

“I should have.  I’m an ass.  I’m saying them now.”

“Ohhh.  It’s too late now.  I’m in love with somebody else.”

“It’s not too late if you feel the same way.  I love you, Ashley.  We can take this slow.  I know you need time.”

“You’re not listening, Dino.  Of course I love you.  I always will.  But, I’m in love with someone else now.  I’m going to have his baby.  I want to try and make a life with him as bizarre as that sounds to even me.”  She took his face in her hands.  “It may not work and this could be the biggest mistake of my life.  I have to try, Dino.  I love him and he loves me.  This incredible, brilliant, self-centered, egotistical being wants me and our child together.  That’s what I want, too.”

Dino felt like a tire with a big knife stuck in it.  The air was rushing out of him.  He’d tried, but failed.  It really was too late for her at this moment in her life.

Ashley threw her arms around him.  “I’m sorry, Dino.  I do love you.  More than you’ll ever know.  I want you in my life, but I don’t want to hurt you.”

Dino stroked her hair.  All of that sounded good except the ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I don’t want to hurt you.’  She still smelled so damned good.  He took in a deep breath of her scent.  And of all things he knew he was hurting her again.  It was a hell of a thing. 

“I’m tough, Ash.  I’m not running away.  I can be tenacious and a real pain in the ass.”

She looked up at him and laughed.  “I’m not saying a word in comment to that.”  She laid her head on his chest, over his heart.  “I still want to protect this and not cause it pain.  It’s not as tough as its owner claims.  Neither of us is.”

“Ashley, the FBI is going to question you in the morning.  I can’t put them off any longer.  They’d have been here today if I hadn’t given them the photo ID of SID and that he was driving your car.”

Dino saw the look of panic flash into her eyes.  She wanted to run.  “I’ll be here with you, Ash.  You just need to tell them what happened.”

“What if I refuse to press charges against SID?  I’ll tell them I was no longer being held against my will.”

“They know you were kidnapped, Ashley.  I don’t want you treated as a hostile witness.”  He grasped her by the shoulders and fixed his gaze on hers.  “Were you truly free, Ashley?  Could you come and go as you pleased?  Call Connie and talk or visit?  Have lunch together like you did today?  Where were you for almost four months, Ashley?”  He almost shook her on the last question.  It was time to press her.

“You know where I was.  I was being held captive.  But things were changing, Dino.  SID was going to allow me to come to Los Angeles as soon as I was feeling well enough.  Our relationship has been changing.” 

“How can you be sure, Ash?”

She hesitated.  “I can’t be sure, Dino.  I can only believe what I’ve learned and experienced while with SID.  The conclusions I’ve drawn.  The risks I’m willing to take.”  Ashley held his gaze. 

“What about the things you want for the future, Ash?  Will he ever commit to you and marry you?”

Ashley got angry.  She felt Dino was trying to manipulate her emotions.  While she understood why he was doing it and loved him for carrying so much about her, it still ticked her off.

“Would you ever commit to me and marry me, Dino?  Don’t you have a bit of relationship phobia yourself?”

Dino couldn’t say much to that.  Ashley hit a bull’s-eye on that one.  He hadn’t reached forty some years and stayed single without actively avoiding long term relationships and marriage.  He did love Ashley, but he had no idea where their relationship would go if she told him she wanted to be with him. 

“I don’t know and probably.”  He folded his arms across his chest.  Maybe that had been too low, but if it kept her from going back to SID it would have been worth it.  “Don’t make a final decision without thinking carefully, Ash.”

“Dino, you know me better than that.  I can be spontaneous at times, but when it comes to something that is life-altering like this I’m cautious, thoughtful and careful.”  She smiled at him and brushed her hand across his cheek.  “You’re the one who called me an old soul, Dino.”

He nodded.  Dino could come up with plenty more arguments to upset or piss her off, but they wouldn’t be new ideas he hadn’t already expressed.  His hand slipped into his pocket and withdrew the cell phone and the tracking chip.  He handed them to her.

“Don’t stop your careful thinking.”

It was her turn to nod.  She knew she could be making a mistake beyond SID.  Ashley looked at the phone as she set down her link to SID. 

“Thank you, Dino.  What time will the FBI be here tomorrow?”

“0900 and I’ll be here, Ash.”

She tiptoed up and kissed his cheek.  “You really are a wonderful man.”

Dino kissed her back.  “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”  He gave her a cocky grin.

“I almost forgot to tell you.  Bud said yes.  He’ll be going home tomorrow if he approves the caregiver the home health agency sends over for him to interview.  Everything is arranged.”  She beamed happily at him.

“I had no doubt you’d talk him into it.  That’s a good thing, Ashley.”

“I’ll call him tomorrow to make sure everything goes smoothly.  A car and driver will take him home.”

The thought of Bud White being chauffeured home brought a smile to his face.

“Dino, do you have to leave right away?  Stay and have dinner with me.  You know you won’t get a better meal than what Cook prepares.”

Leave it up to Ashley to appeal to his empty stomach with a gourmet-quality meal. “Okay, you twisted my arm, Ash.  Do you have any of those peanut butter cookies lying around here anywhere?”  Besides, there still wasn’t anywhere he’d rather be.  What a sad fucking sap he was.

“I sure do.  Let me put on a fresh pot of coffee to go with them.”

Later Ashley lay in bed unable to sleep.  Her mind couldn’t rest no matter how tired her body was.  She looked at the phone on the bedside stand.  There was nothing else to be done; she had to talk to SID.  The glow of the cell phone illuminated her face in the darkness as his image sprang to life before her.

******

Ashley watched and waited as the morning sun shone through the glass windows.  He would be here soon.  She examined the tiny chip in the small case and fumed for a moment.  The door opened.  Damn her errant heart.  It skipped a beat when she caught sight of him as he slid into the room as smooth as silk.  He looked magnificent.

She threw the glass case at him.  He caught it deftly though his eyes never left her.  He slipped it into his suit pocket.

“Temper, temper, butterfly,” he mocked her.  His eyes glittered as he took in the sight of her while he circled her chair.  He wanted what was his and what he’d been missing.  “You look delectable.  I’ve come to take you back to where you belong.”

“Hello, SID.”  God help her.  She’d missed him terribly.  “Have you nothing to say about the chip?”

“I located you much easier than if I hadn’t implanted it.  It would have been so much more of a bother to find you through the portal without this tiny little chip.”  He sighed and tapped his pocket dramatically.  “You aren’t really angry with your SID, are you?  I wouldn’t have had you lost forever.”

He was very matter of fact.  Ashley gave an involuntary shudder imagining having been lost in one of those other times forever.  How would she have survived?  She knew the answer to that question.  The only way she’d have survived would have been with the help of one of the others, Cort or Bud, but that was a moot point.  She had no doubts that he would have found her.  It simply would have taken him longer.

“Never again, SID. Promise me that you will never implant anything in me again or alter me in any other way.  You’ll do nothing to me without my consent.”

SID sighed dramatically and shrugged with exaggerated nonchalance.  He moved closer to her.  He must touch her.  SID stopped when she raised her hand to stop his progress.  He pouted.

“Alright, my Ash-lee.  I promise not to use any of my technology on you without discussing it with you first.”  He crossed his fingers behind his back as his other hand settled earnestly over his heart. 

Ashley’s blue eyes narrowed as she looked at the predatory snake before her.  Whatever his promise was worth, she had no doubt SID would do exactly as he pleased like he’d done all

along since she’d met him.   

He wouldn’t hurt her.  She knew that in her heart.  SID loved her.  Ashley lowered her hand to give him the permission to approach.  He had shown some restraint.  He’d waited for her signal.

SID smiled brilliantly and was at her side in a moment.  He plucked fitfully at the sleeve of her blouse.  He wanted her naked, at home and in their bed.  Too much covered her from him.  He moved closer to breathe in the scent of her that he’d so missed.  His lips touched her neck.  A

jolt of energy and lust shot through his body.  He wanted her.

“Are you ready to go home, my butterfly?”  His tongue touched the warm flesh of her neck.  He closed his eyes and savored the exquisite taste.

Ashley’s fingers moved to his face to stroke his cheek.  She was the same as him.  She couldn’t keep her hands from touching him.  Ashley wanted him, too.

She whispered, “I’m ready, my love.”  He easily picked her up in his arms to whisk her from the room.  “I’ll have to talk to him, them, that I’ve gone with you or they will come for me again, SID.”

He positively purred when she called him ‘my love.’  Then she’d mentioned the one who’d dared to take her from him.  A mere human.  He wasn’t even one of the others.  He stiffened and looked down at her.  His secondary mission immediately recalled.

“If he tries to touch you again, my Ash-lee, he will die.”  The loathing was evident in the tone of his voice.  Was he listening in on their conversation?  SID hadn’t picked up on any evidence of another human in the building except the one that belonged to him.  There were surveillance cameras.  SID could have disabled them, but decided to let them see his triumph as she chose him.

Ashley knew that was a promise and a vow.  She would do all she could to protect Dino and he was very capable himself.  Would she ever make Dino understand her going back to SID?  She’d greatly disappointed him.  She hated to do that to her friend after all he’d done for her, but he’d known she was leaving.

“I will make him understand, SID.  He was trying to protect and save me.  None of my family or my friends can understand you or why I choose to be with you.” 

SID made a small noise of disgust.  “They are insignificant and highly inferior to my Ash-lee.” 

She could believe he had, but SID would not forget the interfering pest called Dino.  He leaned down and kissed her slightly-protruding belly.  He swore it was larger.  Another reason to payback for what he’d missed. 

“Our baby is growing.”

She laughed.  “As am I.  The sickness seems to finally have slowed.”  She knew SID would be happy she was no longer retching.  He’d been repulsed by the vomiting.  Remembering his face was actually quite comical. 

Her arms encircled his neck as he carried her from her father’s new, as yet vacant, office building.  She stroked the base of his hairline with her fingers and laid her head on his chest.  Ashley felt his arms tighten around her.  This was the right thing for her to do, for her and SID. 

She startled as a man’s voice announced to SID that everything was ready and her luggage was loaded.  He had not!  SID had brought a limousine to take them home.  So much for not being overly ostentatious, although her four suitcases were not exactly traveling light.

He whispered seductively in her ear.  “My butterfly will travel in comfort, and I will have other things to do besides driving.”

Ashley shivered with pleasure.  His meaning was completely clear.  The thrill she felt was undeniable.

As soon as the driver shut the door behind them, SID completely enclosed them in privacy and silence in the back of the large sleek car.  He poured champagne and handed her a flute of sparkling cider.  He turned on some soft background classical music as the car pulled away from the curb.

“To us, ma cherie.”  He lightly clinked his glass against hers and took a sip as she did the same.  Quickly he took the champagne flutes and set them aside.

“There is something much better to occupy our lips and hands, Ash-lee.” 

SID’s hands pulled her body to his and his lips devoured hers.  They were both exactly where they desired to be

The End…almost

Dino scowled as he watched SID carry her from the building.  He’d known she was going to him when he got her voicemail message.  Ashley expected he wouldn’t pick up his office messages until after she left or perhaps she’d hoped he would get them first and some of what he’d said had sunk in.  Dino had a tracking device planted in the phone he returned to her.  Ashley would be furious if she knew Dino had her bugged...or since it was Ashley she might find the irony amusing after she was furious.  She wanted to go.  He wouldn’t stop her despite knowing it was wrong, but he had her back as best he could.  Ashley wouldn’t be alone this time.  Dino would track her destination and contact her when she was settled.  He suspected they were going back to her estate in Paso Robles.  Ashley would easily be able to call him.  He’d replaced SID’s number in the number 2 through 5 positions on her phone’s address list with his numbers. 

Hey, he was amused.  Dino easily tracked the limo and stayed far enough behind.  The driver would never suspect he was being followed.  After all, he was a professional.  He smiled grimly

as he followed the car onto the freeway on-ramp. 

ON TO SHADOWS OF A DIFFERENT LIFE