Shoving to his feet, he went to the door to the garage and held it open for Caroline. She hurried to follow him, hugging her sweater around her while he helped her into the vehicle. She kept up a steady stream of words as they drove to the Los Altos Hills police station, telling him about the house her father had taken her to in Vancouver for the last five months, and the doctor she’d worked with for her amnesia.
But it was a one-sided conversation. Damon listened with half an ear, still not sure if he could trust what she was telling him, all the while wondering if he should assemble a private team of mercenaries to hunt down whoever had taken her and his unborn child.
For now, he settled for escorting her into the local police station so she could give her statement formally and they could begin legally searching for whoever had abducted her.
They spoke to a detective together and then filled out more paperwork separately. The police assured him they would interrogate her father for providing false information about his contact with Caroline. Damon sincerely hoped that was a felony crime worthy of prison time, but didn’t mention as much to his wife. He needed to get a grip on his emotions and figure out his next move.
First, he’d see his son. Bring everyone back to the Los Altos Hills house. Hire security. After that? He would take his family to New York and solicit aid from multibillionaire Malcolm McNeill before the Transparent board meeting. As for Caroline, he couldn’t afford to alienate her no matter how much her deception had cost him. More than ever, he needed to get her wedding ring back on her finger so they could raise their child together. If that meant using the attraction between them to his advantage, he would not hesitate. Lucas’s future was too important.
He sat with her through her interview with two different officers, one from the Los Altos Hills Police Department and another from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department. She kept her composure well, even when she described her kidnappers leaving her alone for weeks while she’d been ill and suffering from dehydration and morning sickness.
The police said they would assign more drive-bys to keep an eye on the property, but Damon had his doubts about the sheriff’s department keeping his wife and child safe.
Now, while they waited for an official copy of her statement before leaving the station, Damon reached for her hand and squeezed it. He refused to let her betrayal destroy their marriage.
“I’m eager to meet Lucas after this,” Damon said quietly as a uniformed officer wheeled a bicycle past them, a skinny teen trailing behind and muttering curses. “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you both feel safe with me.”
The suburban police station had been quiet for most of the morning, but as it neared noon, activity picked up. A young couple came in hand-in-hand to report a stolen car. A confused older woman was released into the custody of a middle-aged man who offered his arm to her for support while they walked out to his car. As Damon watched the two of them leave together, one supporting the other, it occurred to him how at one point he’d found that kind of loving relationship. But it had been a lie.
Unaware of his thoughts, Caroline leaned forward in the molded plastic chair beside him. “The house has better security now than it did a year ago, judging by that massive electronic gate out front, so I’m sure we’ll be safe with you. We can pick up Victoria and Lucas as soon as I turn this in.” She flipped over the manila folder she was holding. “I miss my baby so much, I don’t want to wait another minute.”
“Our baby,” Damon corrected in a tight voice. “Of course you want to see him. And I want to meet him.” Just the thought of that moment hit him in the chest, making each breath hurt as though glass shards were being raked through his insides. “But since your father will look for you here first, I would like to move you and Lucas somewhere safer.” He stopped himself as the detective reappeared to take their paperwork. Damon rose to his feet, never relinquishing Caroline’s hand.
He would at least play the role of loving husband. He needed her to acknowledge him as Lucas’s father and work with him to create a stable environment to raise their child.
After receiving assurances that the department would do “everything possible” to find Caroline’s kidnappers, Damon drew her out of the police station and into the noonday sun. Her long shawl swirled around her knees, her high-heeled leather boots clacking on the asphalt as they walked toward the Land Rover.
“Where did you have in mind?” she asked as he helped her into the SUV.
“For starters, I’d like us to take a trip to New York City.” He had to restrain himself from buckling her in with his own two hands. What he’d really prefer was an armored car and a few Secret Service guards, but he settled for watching her fasten the seat belt before he closed the door.