would you know that?”
Justine couldn’t believe she’d said that. “I don’t. I’m just tired. Let’s see if there is anything on the radio.”
She reached for the dial, but Nigel stopped her with his hand on hers. “I don’t think so. Explain what you said.”
“I didn’t mean anything about it. Just that I’d heard that some boards can be cutthroat, and since the company is called Baron Industries and you’re not a Baron…”
Nigel relaxed his grip on her hand and she put the other one back on the wheel. God, she couldn’t believe she said something so stupid. She knew better than to ever comment on anything that the Barons did.
“Well, I don’t think our board is like that. A few of the old-timers don’t really like having me as the CEO, but they do like the way I’ve been leading the company, and Derrick—the only other Baron who works on the day-to-day team—isn’t really interested in running things.”
Derrick. He was Franklin’s son. He’d never lived with her and her family. But he’d come to see his dad twice. Once before Franklin had started molesting her, and once afterward, and she’d never really known him.
“Why? Isn’t he any good at business?”
“He’s okay. But his uncle is always putting him down and saying he’s not living up to the Baron name.”
Justine didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. Living up to the Baron name meant being an uncaring asshole, as far as she was concerned.
“So what do you think about Derrick?”
“I wish he was more decisive, but otherwise he’s fine.”
“Will he get the list quickly?”
“I think so,” Nigel said.
She checked their GPS unit with the map on it, and glanced over at the unit that Nigel was holding. “Are they still moving?”
“No. They stopped.”
Justine put on her turn signal and eased the car off the road. She glanced at Nigel’s unit so she could check out the address. Piper’s signal was still a good four hours ahead of them. But she had the feeling they could make it up if they drove straight through the night.
It took at least a day and a half to get to Cusco. “It’s moving again.”
“I can see that,” Justine said. “We’ll just keep going.”
“I can drive,” Nigel said.
“I can’t just ride. I’ll make you crazy. I need to do something or I’ll go nuts.”
She eased back out onto the highway and started driving again. “We should probably plan on stopping for the night.”
“I’m not going to be able to sleep while Piper’s in danger,” Nigel said.
Justine knew he’d change his mind once he saw the way the highway wound through the mountains. And there were no streetlights like in the States. Despite the fact that they’d made advances in travel in the last few years, the road was still not what they were used to driving on.
“It’ll be safer for us if we stop. We’ll be more than halfway to Cusco, and I think that’s where they are heading.”
Justine wasn’t going to argue anymore. Nigel wasn’t in charge of this operation. “We don’t want to be too exhausted when we get to Piper.”
He reached over and gripped her right hand hard. “I can’t stop while my daughter is still moving. I can’t.”
“Okay,” she said. “We’ll keep moving.”
There was something in his voice that told her he was serious, and that kind of passion and determination couldn’t be stopped. She knew it. She would do her best to keep them both safe as they drove through the night.
“I’m sorry, Justine. I know logically it makes sense to stop, but I just can’t do it.”
“I wish all parents were like you,” she said.
“I think a lot of them are.”
“Yes, but not all,” Justine said.
“Was your dad like me?”
“Yeah, he was. Man, if anyone had hurt my sister or I while he was alive, he would have gone after them with both barrels blazing.”
Nigel let go of her hand, caressing her with his finger before he drew away. “I can understand
Justine couldn’t believe she’d said that. “I don’t. I’m just tired. Let’s see if there is anything on the radio.”
She reached for the dial, but Nigel stopped her with his hand on hers. “I don’t think so. Explain what you said.”
“I didn’t mean anything about it. Just that I’d heard that some boards can be cutthroat, and since the company is called Baron Industries and you’re not a Baron…”
Nigel relaxed his grip on her hand and she put the other one back on the wheel. God, she couldn’t believe she said something so stupid. She knew better than to ever comment on anything that the Barons did.
“Well, I don’t think our board is like that. A few of the old-timers don’t really like having me as the CEO, but they do like the way I’ve been leading the company, and Derrick—the only other Baron who works on the day-to-day team—isn’t really interested in running things.”
Derrick. He was Franklin’s son. He’d never lived with her and her family. But he’d come to see his dad twice. Once before Franklin had started molesting her, and once afterward, and she’d never really known him.
“Why? Isn’t he any good at business?”
“He’s okay. But his uncle is always putting him down and saying he’s not living up to the Baron name.”
Justine didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. Living up to the Baron name meant being an uncaring asshole, as far as she was concerned.
“So what do you think about Derrick?”
“I wish he was more decisive, but otherwise he’s fine.”
“Will he get the list quickly?”
“I think so,” Nigel said.
She checked their GPS unit with the map on it, and glanced over at the unit that Nigel was holding. “Are they still moving?”
“No. They stopped.”
Justine put on her turn signal and eased the car off the road. She glanced at Nigel’s unit so she could check out the address. Piper’s signal was still a good four hours ahead of them. But she had the feeling they could make it up if they drove straight through the night.
It took at least a day and a half to get to Cusco. “It’s moving again.”
“I can see that,” Justine said. “We’ll just keep going.”
“I can drive,” Nigel said.
“I can’t just ride. I’ll make you crazy. I need to do something or I’ll go nuts.”
She eased back out onto the highway and started driving again. “We should probably plan on stopping for the night.”
“I’m not going to be able to sleep while Piper’s in danger,” Nigel said.
Justine knew he’d change his mind once he saw the way the highway wound through the mountains. And there were no streetlights like in the States. Despite the fact that they’d made advances in travel in the last few years, the road was still not what they were used to driving on.
“It’ll be safer for us if we stop. We’ll be more than halfway to Cusco, and I think that’s where they are heading.”
Justine wasn’t going to argue anymore. Nigel wasn’t in charge of this operation. “We don’t want to be too exhausted when we get to Piper.”
He reached over and gripped her right hand hard. “I can’t stop while my daughter is still moving. I can’t.”
“Okay,” she said. “We’ll keep moving.”
There was something in his voice that told her he was serious, and that kind of passion and determination couldn’t be stopped. She knew it. She would do her best to keep them both safe as they drove through the night.
“I’m sorry, Justine. I know logically it makes sense to stop, but I just can’t do it.”
“I wish all parents were like you,” she said.
“I think a lot of them are.”
“Yes, but not all,” Justine said.
“Was your dad like me?”
“Yeah, he was. Man, if anyone had hurt my sister or I while he was alive, he would have gone after them with both barrels blazing.”
Nigel let go of her hand, caressing her with his finger before he drew away. “I can understand
Similar Books
