It was getting worse and worse. Christian was starting to realize what a stupid ass he had been—how he had treated Raina, leaving her without any explanation. There was no excuse for the way he had acted. He was starting to see how she would have experienced his actions and it was gutting him.
She must believe he didn’t care about her. But nothing could be further from the truth. She had occupied his thoughts daily—hourly—since he had left her.
He had reached the inescapable conclusion that he loved her. He loved her desperately.
Christian’s head pounded with anger. But first before he dealt with his uncle he had to make things right with Raina. He just had to.
“Where can I find Raina?”
“I don’t know. She just took off. But I have the car, she can’t have left without me.”
“I have to find her, Kelly, I have to explain,” Christian said urgently.
Briefly, Christian outlined for Kelly why he had gone undercover—why he had needed his disguise and deception.
Kelly listened sympathetically.
“Do you think she can forgive me?” Christian recognized how much he had hurt Raina—what she must have gone through when he’d abandoned her and misjudged her so.
“I think—I think she loves you …” Kelly began, hesitantly.
Christian noted that she didn’t really answer his question.
The two of them went to Kelly’s car and waited for Raina to cool down and return.
They waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The sun was starting to set when they both realized that Raina was not coming back.
Kelly turned to him. “She’ll have gone home, somehow. She wouldn’t leave those kids overnight.”
Christian recognized the truth in that statement and nodded. “I have to go to her. I don’t want to waste another second. I’ve wasted too many already.”
Kelly nodded. “Get in, I’ll drive us.”
Christian shook his head. “Not fast enough.” He pulled out his cell phone. “My plane is here; I’ll have them waiting for us.”
“I can’t leave the car—” Kelly said, slightly disappointed. It would have been exciting to ride in a billionaire’s airplane. “But you go—,” She waved him off. “Go find her.”
Christian turned to hurry off, but Kelly stopped him.
“Wait! She moved houses, here’s her new address,” she said and fished a card from her bag and handed it to him.
He slipped it into his pocket without looking and sprinted off. As he ran he used his cell phone to call the pilot of his private plane. Next he called his driver, Jim to come to the front of the auditorium. When he stepped out, his limo was already waiting and jumped in.
“Let’s go to the airfield,” He handed Jim the card Kelly gave him. “Tell the pilot that’s where we’re going. Step on it, Jim. Get me there in less than an hour and I’ll double your annual bonus.” Christian said and braced himself for the ride.
“Yes, sir!” Jim grinned, excited to put his expert driving skills to the test.
What seemed like mere moments later, Christian was stepping out of his car to the waiting private jet. He got in and signaled to the pilot that he was ready.
As the plane took off, his thoughts returned to Raina.
How could he have been so blinded by his uncle’s treachery? He had known from the start that Roger had a shady past, but Christian believed in second chances and he had offered his uncle one. He had so wanted to believe in his uncle, for the sake of being the only family Christian had left.