Wildest Hearts

Oliver.” She opened the door and went out into the corridor. “By the way, I'm not going downstairs to Bolt's this time. I'm going to my brother's apartment.”

    “Thank you for telling me,” he said between his teeth.

    “I'm informing you so that you won't wake Bolt up trying to find out where I am. He deserves his rest. He's had a very long day.” Annie started to slam the door. She paused briefly. “By the way, thank you for saving my life tonight.”

    Twenty minutes later Annie drove into the underground garage beneath Daniel's apartment building. She waited in the car just inside the entrance while the security gate closed behind her.

    A familiar black Mercedes cruised slowly past. Annie wasn't surprised. She had been aware of the car's headlights in her rearview mirror ever since she had left Oliver's building.

    What startled her was that it wasn't Bolt at the wheel. When the Mercedes moved beneath a streetlamp, she saw Oliver watching her from the driver's seat.

    He drove off silently when he saw that she was safe behind the iron gates.

    Annie sighed as she parked her car in one of the visitor slots. The man loved her. Why was it so hard for him to break down that last barrier and admit it, she wondered desolately.

    A few minutes later Annie stepped off the elevator on her brother's floor. She leaned on his doorbell. It was a long time before Daniel appeared. He finally answered the door garbed in a pair of jeans that he had obviously stepped into in a hurry. Irritation turned to concern in his eyes as he took in the sight of her tear-splotched face.

    “Annie, what's wrong? What the devil are you doing here at this hour?”

    “I've left Oliver.”

    Joanna appeared behind Daniel, belting a white terry-cloth robe around herself. “Annie? Are you okay?”

    “No,” Annie said baldly. “I'm not okay.” She burst into tears.

21

    For the first time ever in his dealings with Sybil, Oliver felt a degree of sympathy for her that he had never expected to feel. She sat across from him in his study while he quietly told her the truth about Jonathan Grace. It was one of the most difficult things he had ever done. But she took the blow with what he had to admit was true Rain pride.

    “I fell for it,” Sybil said wearily. “I think that's the hardest part to accept. I believed every word Jonathan or John or whatever his name is said. How could I have been so stupid as to trust him?”

    Oliver looked down at his folded hands and then raised his eyes to Sybil's. “If it makes you feel any better, I got taken in by Walker Gresham five years ago. Nearly got myself and Daniel Lyncroft killed. The Gresham brothers were expert con artists.”

    Sybil's smile was bitter. “Hard to believe anyone could get away with conning you. What about all those extensive files you kept on people?”

    “They didn't do me much good, did they? I didn't know Walker Gresham was using my company as a cover for gunrunning until Lyncroft discovered it. And I didn't know Gresham had a brother in prison who might one day come looking for revenge.”

    “I guess even criminals have family ties.”

    “Apparently.” Oliver sat silently for a while. “I'm sorry about this, Sybil.”

    “Do you know something? I believe you. You really are sorry.”

    “The whole damn situation was my fault. I should have researched Walker Gresham better five years ago. I should have taken more precautions.”

    “You know what your problem is, Oliver?”

    “Annie tells me it has to do with interpersonal communication.”

    “I mean in addition to your communication problems,” Sybil said meaningfully.

    Oliver's brows rose. “I've got other problems?”

    “Yes, indeed. One of your other problems is that you always take full responsibility for everything.” Sybil got to her feet, adjusting her purse over her shoulder. “For the record, you're not responsible for the fact that Jonathan, or rather John Gresham, came looking for revenge. Don't blame yourself. Could have happened to anyone.”

    “I'll keep that in mind.”

    “You do that.” Sybil started for the door of the study. “In the meantime, I hear you've got another serious problem on your hands. And you do have full responsibility for this one.”

    Oliver eyed her cautiously. “What problem is that?”

    “Annie's walked out.”

    “News travels fast in this family,” Oliver said grimly.

    “Especially bad news.” Sybil smiled wryly. “And I've got to