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  “I do that now,” Sonia said, encouraged. “When do we get started?”

  Leigh sighed, not certain that Sonia really understood the seriousness of her situation. With such a chaotic, unstable life, she was not a good candidate for success. But Leigh wasn’t going to give up on her or the baby.

  “Dr. Chase.” The silhouette of Hope Clinic’s receptionist, Joanne West, could be seen outside the curtains to the room. “Call on line two for you. They said it’s urgent.”

  “I’ll be there in a second.” Leigh stood up. “Sonia, take some time to read this brochure. When I come back, we’ll talk about the new regimen you’ll have to follow.”

  “Cool.” Sonia was already placing her iPod earphones in her ears as she leaned back and started reading.

  Leigh picked up the first phone she could find and pressed line two. “This is Dr. Chase.”

  “Dr. Leigh Chase?” the male voice asked.

  “Yes, who is this?”

  “Dr. Chase, I’m a big fan of yours, but more importantly, so is my client.”

  “Who am I speaking to?” Leigh asked impatiently.

  “My name is James Monroe.”

  Leigh could tell from his pause that she was supposed to know him. At least in his mind she was. She didn’t respond.

  “I get it,” he said, laughing. “You’re too busy saving lives to know about Hollywood. I’m an agent with CCM. I have many A-list clients, one of which is Lyndon Prior.”

  Even though she didn’t care about Hollywood, Leigh knew who Lyndon Prior was; everyone did. He was one of the hottest young actors in Hollywood. His last two movies, one an action-adventure, the other a romantic comedy, both busted the box office. He was considered the only really versatile actor of his generation. He was twenty-seven, blond with blue eyes, handsome, and six feet tall: a moviemaker’s dream.

  “I’m very busy,” Leigh said. “What can I do for you, Mr. Monroe?”

  “Leigh, I want to—”

  “It’s Dr. Chase.”

  “I’m sorry.” He laughed nervously. “Dr. Chase, I want to give you the chance to meet Lyndon Prior.”

  “I’m not really interested in meeting him,” Leigh said. “Now if you’ll excuse me . . .”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Why would I want to?” she asked.

  “This could be a great opportunity for you, Doctor.”

  “Unless he’s going to roll up his sleeves and help me tend to my patients, I sincerely doubt that.”

  “That’s exactly what he wants to do,” James answered, his tone finally turning serious. “Lyndon read an article about the incredible things your clinic is doing.”

  “The L.A. Times article,” Leigh said. It was supposed to be great publicity for the clinic and she agreed to the interview hoping it would get more donations. “Tell him I said thanks and—”

  “You can tell him yourself. He wants to study you.”

  “You’re not making any sense.” Leigh nodded to one of the nurses’ aides waving her over. “I have to . . .”

  “He’s just got a new role playing a clinic doctor, doing exactly what you do. He needs to study someone and he picked you after reading that article.”

  Leigh could tell from his tone James thought she should be eternally grateful to be selected. “No, thanks.”

  “No, thanks?”

  “You heard me,” Leigh answered. “What I do down here is serious stuff. I don’t have time to accommodate spoiled actors who think spending a day with a pair of gloves makes them a medical expert. Tell him to rent a DVD.”

  Leigh hung up before she could get a response and started for the nurse.

  “Leigh, come here.” Dr. Alicia Spender was waving her over.

  Alicia was one of her founding partners. The other, Richard Powell, was now dead. Leigh had fallen in love with Richard, and he’d made a huge mistake by falling in love with her. She hadn’t the heart to warn him that getting involved with the Chase family almost always spelled disaster. That disaster was a man named Leo Bridges, whom her mother was desperately trying to set Leigh up with at the same time she was dating Richard. Leo turned out to be a complete psycho who believed he was in love with Leigh despite no encouragement on her part. His jealousy got so out of control, he shot and killed Richard before turning the gun on himself right in front of Leigh. It was later found out that he had a carefully hidden history of psychotic behavior.

  It was more than a year ago and she still had nightmares.

  “What’s wrong?” Leigh asked, noting the worried expression on Alicia’s face.

  “We need some money,” Alicia said, showing her a bill from the equipment manufacturer.

  Leigh nodded. “We need more of a lot of things. One of my patients is pregnant. I’ve already committed my trust fund limit.”

  Until she turned thirty, Leigh was only allowed to withdraw two hundred thousand dollars a year from her trust fund, an amount raised from one hundred thousand after she turned twenty-five. It was her parents’ way of making sure their children didn’t blow away their future and become lazy. Leigh had given all that she could. Even though she was again at Chase Mansion and living off her parents, she couldn’t beg for everything.

  “I’m petitioning for more state funding,” Leigh said. “I know we’ll hear from them soon.”

  “I don’t like the rules that come along with state funding,” Alicia said. “We need private funding. Can you talk to your mother again?”

  “The Chase Foundation sponsors more than seventy-five charities and causes, Alicia.” Leigh didn’t want to ask for more money. Since opening less than two years ago, her mother had put together four social events just for the Hope Clinic, more than any other organization the foundation sponsored. “They can’t show me any more favoritism.”

  “Yes, they can. You’re their daughter. That’s what favoritism is all about.”

  “I’ll think of something,” Leigh said. “I always do.”

  2

  “Baby!” Michael was admiring himself in the bathroom mirror. Everything was perfect as usual. Everything except. . . “Kimberly!”

  “Stop yelling,” Kimberly said as she appeared in the doorway. “I’m right here.”

  “I need another . . .” Michael stopped the second he noticed what she was wearing.

  Kimberly was impossible not to notice. She was tall, thin but curvy, and ridiculously beautiful. She was the kind of woman that both men and women couldn’t stop staring at. That wasn’t the problem right now. Right now she was supposed to be in the same pair of shorts and T-shirt she had on when Michael stepped into the shower. Now she had on a lavender cocktail dress and as hot as she looked, Michael wasn’t getting a good feeling.

  “What’s this?”

  “I’m coming with you.” She walked over to him with two Stefano Ricci ties in hand. “You want the purple or the blue?”

  “Kimberly.”

  “I say be conservative and go with the blue,” she offered. “It’s how Carter would dress.”

  He took the tie, offering her the one he had taken off. “You can’t come.”

  “I can come,” she said, feeling the bite of pain from his actually saying that. “And I am. I’m your wife and I’m a Chase.”

  “Tonight is for Carter.” Michael felt a little angry that she would challenge him this way. He thought they had an understanding. “You’ll be a distraction.”

  “I’m always a distraction,” she answered. “I’m gorgeous. You used to like to show that off.”

  “I still do,” Michael said. “Just not at the mansion.”

  “There will be enough nonfamily there to keep me busy.” Kimberly had made up her mind earlier that day. She couldn’t take the isolation anymore. She wanted back in. “I have a right to be there.”

  “You have a right?” He turned away from her, putting his tie on. “Don’t get me started.”

  Maybe he was wrong, but Michael didn’t care. Although he still loved her, Kimbe
rly’s reckless choices had put him in a horrible position and he was doing what he had to do. He couldn’t let her mess things up again.

  “You need me there,” she insisted. “And I’ve been punished enough.”

  “I’m not punishing you,” he said, although it was a lie. He couldn’t leave her because he loved her too much, but deep down inside, a part of him still wanted her to pay for the position she had put him in.

  “Oh, please.” Kimberly let out a bitter laugh. “You punish me by shutting down, turning your back to me. You control everything I do. You don’t want me going anywhere or doing anything. I’m completely isolated, Michael. It’s driving me crazy. If you love me at all, you’ll stop—”

  “Are you questioning whether or not I love you?” Michael couldn’t believe the nerve of her. “You almost single-handedly destroyed my parents’ marriage, my mother’s life, and my position at Chase Beauty. I should have left you.”

  “Don’t say that,” Kimberly pleaded. “You know how hurtful that is.”

  Michael couldn’t ignore the pain in his heart at the look on her face. God, he still loved her so much. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean that.”

  She rushed into his open arms, tears already streaming down her face. When she felt him embrace her, she went limp against his strength. He was so strong; smelled so good. She loved him more than made any sense. “I just want to be your wife again.”

  “You are my wife,” Michael said. “I love you, baby.”

  “Then why do you keep leaving me behind?” she asked. “I want to come tonight and I want you to want me there.”

  “Mommy’s coming?”

  They both turned to see Evan standing in the doorway to the bathroom. The second he saw his mother’s tears, he became upset. “What’s wrong, Mommy?”

  Kimberly turned away, wiping her eyes. Her boys had seen her cry too many times these past six months.

  “Nothing’s wrong,” Michael said. “It’s good crying, little man. Where’s your brother?”

  “He’s watching TV.” Evan didn’t seem satisfied; he never was. “Mommy, are you coming with us to Uncle Carter’s party?”

  Kimberly looked at Michael, who nodded to his son.

  “Yes,” Michael said. “Mommy’s coming with us.”

  “Yeah!” Evan made a fist in the air as Kimberly turned around with a big smile. “I’m so happy. Mommy never comes anymore.”

  “Go watch TV with Daniel,” Michael ordered. “Mommy and Daddy will be down in a little bit.”

  Kimberly walked to the door and closed it, turning back to her husband. “Thank you, Michael.”

  Michael went to her, trying to field his own emotions. No matter what apprehension he felt about her coming, he knew he was happy she would be there. “It won’t be nice.”

  “I know.” She closed her eyes as his hand gently came to her cheek. “I’ll behave.”

  “It’s not you I’m worried about.” His father would give him hell and he supposed his mother and youngest sister, Haley, just for the hell of it, would try to murder her.

  “Don’t worry about anything,” Kimberly said. “I just want to be there for you.”

  “This night isn’t about me.”

  “That’s why I need to be there.” Kimberly opened her eyes, looking into his dark, mysterious orbs. “I know you’re feeling conflicted. It’s okay. With me, you don’t have to pretend. You don’t have to feel what everyone else thinks you should.”

  She was right and that was why he needed her. Even his worst thoughts she held to her heart. When his father told him that he’d be spending a month in South Africa with their mom, Michael wasn’t surprised that he was being put in charge. He was, however, more than surprised when he was told that Carter would help him. Not just because Carter didn’t work at Chase Beauty, but because Carter wasn’t supposed to be speaking to their father after Steven fired Avery from her job as head of the beauty salon chain, Chase Expressions.

  Janet’s “incident” changed everything. The family came together and Carter swallowed his animosity toward Steven for their mother’s sake. Steven had warned Michael that Carter would eventually come to Chase Beauty and used it as a threat to keep Michael in line. This was why Michael felt threatened by his brother and best friend getting a taste. Maybe he would want more, and at a time when Michael was no one’s favorite considering what Kimberly had done, Carter’s presence at Chase Beauty could be nothing but a threat.

  The month went by quickly and when Steven returned, much to his dismay, Carter went away without a fight. He was too preoccupied with finding Avery and had his own company to run. He seemed almost grateful to be done with the tour of duty and go back to having Chase Beauty as a client and nothing more. Michael watched with growing anxiety as the father who was pushing away from him went to great lengths to keep Carter involved. Steven knew Carter loved power just as much as any man who’d had a taste of it, and the decision to have him join the board of directors was just enough to lure him back in.

  “I love Carter,” Michael said flatly.

  “I know you do,” Kimberly said. “But, baby, it’s okay not to be so happy for yourself. It won’t make a difference. Chase Beauty is yours. Steven is yours.”

  The touch of her lips on his made him hungry and he grabbed her by the waist. Kissing her hard and deep, Michael felt himself light on fire. After all this time, she still had this effect on him. No matter how he felt about her, even when he hated her, he always wanted her.

  Kimberly let out a gasp as Michael pushed her against the wall and began rubbing his hands furiously up and down her body. She moved her hips against him, pulling at his shirt. She loved the sweet insanity that his hands on her could bring.

  “Baby,” he grunted as he ripped the dress down the middle and grabbed her bare breast. Her skin was soft as silk and her nipples were already hard. He had to have her now.

  As they slid to the floor, the need she felt for him wasn’t explainable. Neither was the satisfaction in knowing his need was the same.

  “You really want to do this?” Charlie Jackson, View Park’s forty-seven-year-old chief of police, asked his son, Sean.

  “Yes, sir, I do.” Twenty-six-year-old police detective Sean Jackson walked side by side with his father across the street in Baldwin Hills.

  They hadn’t done this in a while, hanging out and talking in peace, but things were better between them than they had been in a long time. They had always been a close family, but bad choices, particularly Sean’s involvement with Haley Chase, had caused some rifts in the past year. Of late, things were getting back to normal.

  “So, what do you think?” Sean asked as soon as they were back on the sidewalk.

  Over dinner, Sean had shared his latest decision. He was going back to college. Although he’d graduated first in his class at the police academy and was the youngest officer to make detective in Los Angeles County history, Sean wanted a future in the district attorney’s office and that meant he needed a law degree. First, he had to finish his bachelor’s degree, which he had started off and on part-time over the past four years.

  “What do you mean what do I think?” Charlie couldn’t remember being so proud. He needed good news, not having had much of it in a while. “I think it’s great. I just . . . It’s going to take a long time.”

  “I’m going to work through college,” Sean said. “I only have about a year and a half to get my bachelor’s if UCLA will accept all the credits I’ve earned so far. Then I’m going to go to law school full-time, so I can get out in three years.”

  “You’re going to make Homicide soon.” Charlie said.

  “We don’t know that.” Homicide was every detective’s dream. Sean would love to get Homicide while finishing school, but he didn’t think it was possible. “Besides, if that happens, I’ll deal with it. Do you think Mom will be happy?”

  Charlie made a loud sigh. “Not much makes her happy these days, but I think this is definitely going to do tha
t.”

  “I know she misses Avery, but—” Sean stopped as his father grabbed his arm. Turning to him, he could see that Charlie was alarmed. He followed his gaze and saw what was happening.

  About a hundred yards away, two teenaged boys were hovering on the driver’s side of a sterling silver Mercedes coupe.

  “Stay here,” Charlie said as he reached for his concealed weapon.

  “Yeah, right.” With his hand on his own gun, Sean followed his father as they scurried to the left behind a blue minivan.

  “You go around.” Charlie gestured to the next aisle of cars in the expansive parking lot. “I’ll take them head-on.”

  “I will,” Sean protested.

  “Boy, don’t get into this with me.” Charlie pointed. “Now go.”

  Sean reluctantly did what he was told. It had been a long time since his father had been on the streets, so he wasn’t settled about this at all. Going around the next aisle, he could come up behind the boys and crowd them in.

  “Oh my God!”

  As he turned behind a large SUV, he ran into a petite, curly-haired woman carrying a small baby who set eyes on the large gun in his hand.

  “I’m a cop,” Sean said, reaching for the badge on the necklace underneath his shirt. “Just go now.”

  “What’s going on?” It wasn’t so much a question as it was a demand. Her tone held a hint of assumed authority as if he was obligated to answer to her.

  “Just go!” Sean started for the next car.

  The popping sound seemed to vibrate around the parking lot and Sean felt his adrenaline kick into supercharge. He rushed around the SUV, knowing he was completely exposing himself. When he saw the two boys running off, he acted on instinct.

  He yelled for them to freeze while he raised his gun and planted himself in the middle of the aisle. “Stop now!”

  One of the boys, dressed in a Lakers jersey and jeans, turned and shot indiscriminately. Sean fired his gun low as he lunged for the protection of the nearest vehicle. Another shot rang out just as he raised his head.