Terms 0f Surrender (Dynasties: The Danforths Book 11) Read online

  One glance at the picture and David knew.

  Tanya was Victoria Danforth.

  Her resemblance to the girl in the photo was uncanny. “She’s been having a lot of disturbing dreams lately. As a matter of fact, she was just examined by a specialist a few days ago in Atlanta, a friend of mine. Tanya and I suspected that her memory was returning. The shock of seeing you must have broken the final barrier of her amnesia.”

  Imogene paled. “I had a dream about Victoria, too. She was in a field on our horse farm, and every time I tried to reach her, she disappeared.”

  Shaking his head, David’s gaze locked with Imogene’s. He could see the resemblance between the two women. “I’ve always known her as Tanya. Calling her Victoria is going to sound odd for a while.”

  A kind, understanding smile spread on her lips. “Then why don’t you call her Tori. That’s what we called—” she stopped, realizing what she’d said, then corrected herself, “It’s what we call her.”

  “Tori,” he repeated, testing the sound of her name as he said it. For some unexplainable reason, it felt right.

  Taking a breath, Imogene informed him, “I think you should know that I’ve already called my parents. They were overjoyed, to say the least. And tremendously relieved. We all are.”

  “That’s understandable.” He glanced out the window to the street that ran alongside the hospital.

  “I promised them I wouldn’t let Victoria out of my sight. They’re on their way here now to see her. They should arrive within the next couple of hours.”

  David wasn’t surprised. Tori’s parents would need to see her. And the Danforths were prominent people. Once the news leaked out that their missing daughter had been found, the hospital, along with this town, would erupt in chaos. The news media was going to feed on this story until the public was sick of hearing of it.

  Damn, he’d been such a fool. He should have been more honest with himself and with Tori about his feelings for her. He should have told her how much he loved her.

  Now he was afraid that he would never get the chance.

  Eleven

  A commotion near the entrance of the hospital caught David’s attention. Several men and women were gathered there, their voices raised, all trying to speak at once. He surveyed the boisterous crowd, then glanced out the window to the parking lot. Various media trucks were parked outside the hospital with their antennas raised, several from the national networks. Then he understood. The crowd of people rushing the reception desk were reporters eager for a story.

  The news that the heiress, Victoria Danforth, had been found was out. Someone must have leaked the information to the press.

  Great. This was just what Tanya needed. She hadn’t had the time to come to grips with recovering her memory. The last thing she needed was a reporter trying to sneak into her room to take her picture.

  Only she wasn’t Tanya Winters, he reminded himself for the hundredth time since he’d arrived at the hospital. She was Victoria, and the paparazzi was ready and waiting to pounce on the smallest tidbit of information they could find out about her.

  David’s gaze went to the double doors separating him from Victoria. They’d been waiting over two hours, and it was killing him. He needed to know that she was all right.

  The doors to the treatment area opened, and he rushed toward the doctor with whom he’d spoken earlier about Tori. Imogene and Raf were right on his heels as the older man in the white coat met them in the middle of the room.

  “How is she?” David asked, his throat forming a knot as he waited for an update on her condition.

  “She’s doing okay.” He glanced at the people congregated across the room and frowned. “Is that the news media?” he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he motioned for David, Imogene and Raf to follow him. “Under the circumstances, I think this will be more private,” he said, leading them toward another room.

  The crowd of people at the entrance noticed them and rushed in their direction. Two big doors closed behind them as they went into the treatment area, muting the voices of the paparazzi. The doctor led David, Imogene and Raf to a small, empty examination room.

  “First, I want to assure you that Ms. Danforth is doing fine. I’ve checked her over thoroughly, and we’ve done several tests. After talking with her extensively, I believe her amnesia is completely gone.” He shook his head. “Sometimes a head injury is like that. A person can have no recollection of their past, then with a snap, everything comes back.”

  “So she’s all right?” Imogene asked, a tremble in her voice.

  “She’s anxious and feels quite overwhelmed. That’s to be expected. From what you’ve told me, she’s had a lot to endure today, as well as for the past five years. But, yes, she’s doing well. Other than a slight headache, she has no complaints. She’s handling the return of her memory with a lot of poise.” He smiled. “It isn’t hard to imagine that she came from a polished background.”

  “Will she have any relapses?”

  “I don’t believe so. It’ll take a few days for her mind to comprehend everything and settle down. I’ll give her a prescription for her headaches, but she may need only over-the-counter medication to treat them.”

  “Can I see her now?” David asked, and it sounded more like a demand.

  “We want to see her, as well, doctor,” Imogene added.

  “Ms. Danforth wishes to see all of you, but I don’t want her upset. She’s composed herself, but it won’t take very much to agitate her.”

  They followed the doctor across the hall, and as they started to go inside Victoria’s room, the doctor stopped them. “I don’t expect Ms. Danforth to have any further complications, but for the next few days, you should try to keep her from becoming too upset or anxious. She’ll be free to leave once I sign her discharge papers. I would like for you to make sure that she has a follow-up visit with a specialist in a few days. Most importantly, she’ll need to take it easy for a while.”

  David and Imogene nodded, and the doctor left them at the door to Victoria’s room. Without waiting another moment, Imogene rushed inside, followed by Raf and then David. He wished he could have had a few minutes alone with Victoria. He wanted to talk to her, needed to talk to her, to tell her he loved her.

  Circumstances, though, were not conducive to what he needed. Victoria had to come first. She was going to need time to adjust to the changes in her life—first and foremost, seeing her sister and learning about her family.

  David hoped he wasn’t going to lose her.

  As he entered, his gaze settled immediately on Victoria. From her expression, he could tell that she was distressed, though she was struggling to hide it. Imogene hurried to her side, and David forced himself to stand back and give them privacy.

  “Oh, Tori!” Tears brimmed in Imogene’s eyes. “Sweetheart, are you okay?”

  Victoria nodded. She was sitting up in the bed, dressed in a pale green hospital gown, a sheet pulled up to her waist. Her head felt as if an explosion had gone off inside it. Still struggling to get her bearings, she met her sister’s gaze as Imogene stroked her arm. “Yes. I have a headache, but the doctor said that isn’t unusual.”

  A headache, however bad, was the least of her concerns. For the first time in five years, she felt like somebody. Though she had lived as Tanya Winters, she’d never felt comfortable with the past that she’d assumed with the name.

  She wasn’t Tanya Winters, the girl from the streets. Everything that had happened to her was so clear now. It was as if it had happened so long ago, but then again, it felt like yesterday.

  She wanted desperately to see her family, especially her mother and father. Oh, how she missed them. How were they? Had they been distraught when she disappeared? Had they blamed themselves? She needed to know that her parents were all right.

  “We were so worried about you,” Imogene was saying.

  “I guess the shock of seeing you brought my memory back, sis,” Victoria told her older siste
r. “How did you ever recognize me in that crowd?”

  “I don’t know. But earlier today I told Raf that we had to get back to the Thanksgiving celebration. I can’t explain it, but there was an urgency that was steering me there.” She glanced briefly at Raf, then met her sister’s gaze. “Then I saw you. I was so scared. You wouldn’t believe me when I told you that you were my sister.”

  Victoria chuckled, finding humor in the moment now that the tense situation had passed. “It was rather shocking. I keep hearing you saying my name over and over in my head.” She squeezed her sister’s hand. “Oh, Genie, I’m so glad you were persistent.”

  Tugging her sister closer, she reached up and ran her hand over Imogene’s chic, short blond hair. “Goodness, let me look at you. I can’t believe I’ve missed five years of your life. You’re gorgeous.”

  Imogene hugged her sister fiercely, obviously making an effort not to cry. “Tori, honey, it’s so good to have you back.” She lost the battle with her tears and they spilled onto her cheeks. Dabbing at them, she sniffed, then blushed.

  Squeezing her sister’s hand, Victoria managed a smile. “I can’t tell you how great it is to actually recognize you. It’s even better knowing who I am.” She cried too, then, but they were tears of sheer joy.

  Stepping back a little, Imogene held her hand out to Raf. He came over and stood beside her. “This is my husband, Raf Shakir. We were recently married, and we live on a horse farm near Cotton Creek.”

  “Raf, it’s so nice to meet you,” Victoria said to the dynamic, dark-haired man beside Imogene as she brushed her tears away with her fingertips.

  “Believe me, it is my pleasure,” Raf assured her. “Genie has spoken of you often. You look very much like her. It is easy to believe that you are a Danforth. You are quite lovely.”

  Victoria smiled again, his sincerity and kindness assuring her that she would like Raf Shakir. And he loved her sister. She could see it in his eyes when he looked at Imogene.

  “So that’s why you were at the celebration?” Victoria asked, curious as to how her sister ended up at the town celebration. “Because you live nearby?” She frowned, her thoughts still a little confused. It was disconcerting to learn that her sister had lived so close to her, yet their paths had never crossed.

  “Earlier today, we had attended Marc and Dana’s wedding.” Stopping herself when she realized that Victoria wasn’t following, she briefly explained that their cousin, Marcus Danforth, had gotten married earlier in the day. Afterward, she and Raf had left before Thanksgiving dinner and the ensuing wedding festivities so they could return for the holiday celebration at Cotton Creek.

  “This was our first year living in Cotton Creek together. Raf has lived here for some time,” she explained. “We had promised some friends that we would meet them at the celebration.” She gave a soft laugh as she looked at her husband. “They’re probably wondering what happened to us.”

  Victoria’s eyes filled with tears again, and she sniffed. Her emotions were difficult to control. “Marc is married? God, Genie, this feels weird,” she confessed. “I feel like I know you but I don’t know you.”

  “Take it easy, honey,” Imogene said. “Give it some time. The doctor told us that it would take a while before you feel oriented to your previous life. You have a lot of catching up to do.”

  A movement across the room caught Victoria’s attention, and her gaze went to David, who had taken up residence against a wall. Apparently he’d chosen to stay in the background as she talked with Imogene.

  What was he thinking? For years he’d thought, as she had, that she was a street kid, a misfit. But she wasn’t. She was a Danforth. She had a home. A loving family. She was rich, for goodness sake!

  “Have you met David?” she asked Imogene and Raf. Victoria held out her hand and he came to her side.

  David took her hand and leaned close to her face. “Hey, you gave me a scare,” he whispered.

  “I’m sorry.” Victoria didn’t know what else to say. How did David feel about her now that he knew her real identity? She scoffed silently at herself. Who was she trying to fool? Why would who she was change how he felt about her? While their relationship had become intimate, he hadn’t confessed his feelings went any deeper than lust. Her gaze swept over him again. His expression gave her little clue as to his thoughts.

  “We talked while we were waiting for the doctor to examine you,” Imogene replied. “David told us that you’d lived with his father until just a while ago. I know you lost him recently. I’m very sorry, honey,” she said quietly, stroking her sister’s arm.

  At the thought of Edward, Victoria began crying again. She swallowed hard, forcing the tears back down. “David’s father, Edward, was wonderful to me.” Despite how David and his father had gotten along, she couldn’t discount her own feelings for Edward. “He offered me a job and a place to live, gave me a future to look forward to.” She didn’t mention David’s difficult relationship with his father. “He was a wonderful man who gave me the security I needed when I had nothing.”

  “That was very kind of him. I wish he were here for us to thank.” She looked at David. “Please know how grateful our family is.”

  David nodded, but said nothing.

  Sniffling, Victoria asked, “How is everyone? How are Mom and Dad? Are they okay?” Five years. She’d lost five years of her life. How did someone make up for that? But it didn’t really matter, did it? She was back where she belonged now.

  Or was she? She felt oddly misplaced. Though she had a life to return to, it would feel strange leaving the one she’d become accustomed to.

  “They’re on the way here,” Imogene replied, breaking into her thoughts.

  “I can’t wait to see them. Do they know that I’m all right?”

  Imogene brushed her hand across Victoria’s cheek. “They do, honey, and so does the entire family by now, I’m quite sure.”

  “Tell me about them,” she implored, wanting to hear everything she’d missed.

  Imogene did her best, filling Victoria in on everything that had been happening with her siblings and cousins, about Jake, her oldest brother, and his wife Larissa. “They have a three-year-old son.” At Victoria’s surprised expression, she added, “It’s a long story, but he went to college with her and never knew she’d had his baby. But they’re happily married now. They can’t wait until we bring you home.”

  “What about Toby?” she asked, wondering about her other brother.

  Her sister shook her head. “That’s a long story, too. He’s married. His wife’s name is Heather and they also have a son.”

  “Oh, my gosh. I’ve missed so much,” Victoria exclaimed with despair.

  Imogene lightly touched her sister’s hand. “Tori, I want you to know that we’ve never stopped searching for you. Mom and Dad, all of us, wouldn’t give up hope that we’d find you one day.” She started to cry again, this time more earnestly. “What happened, well, it was my fault, and I’m so sorry.”

  Crying along with her sister, Victoria grabbed tissues from the bedside table, gave her sister some, then dabbed at her own eyes. “Your fault? How?”

  “I should have been there with you. Jake only gave you the tickets to that concert because he thought I was going with you. If I had, this would never have happened.” She broke down, and Raf drew her to him, let her cry on his shoulder. When she garnered her strength, she looked at her sister. “Please forgive me.”

  “There’s nothing to forgive, Genie. This wasn’t your fault at all. It was mine. I was the one who invited Tanya.” The memory was now so vivid in her mind, as if it were only yesterday. “I hadn’t known her for very long, but she’d seemed as if she needed a friend.”

  Imogene gave a half laugh. “You always had such a big heart.” She looked at David. “She always wanted to take care of everyone. If any of us were sick, Tori made it her job to be at our beck and call, nursing us back to health.”

  “Well, this time it caught up with me
. After the concert, Tanya and I headed to the car. I didn’t know it, but she had planned to run away afterwards with her boyfriend. He was waiting for her outside the concert hall. She wanted me to give them a ride to a bus station. Though I felt uneasy about it, I told her I would.” She endured her sister’s tolerant expression. “I didn’t know that they’d planned to steal my car.”

  “Oh, my God!” Imogene gasped.

  “As we were riding, Tanya’s boyfriend asked me to stop at a convenience store. I didn’t want to, but he was acting a little weird, like he was on drugs or something, so I did. When we went to get back into the car, he took my keys and forced me to get into the back seat. That’s when I realized that I was in real trouble. He took a route off the highway. After several turns, I lost track of where we were. Eventually, I decided I wasn’t going to just sit there and let them get away with it, so I started arguing with him and hitting him from the back seat.”

  “He got really angry and stopped the car and told me get out. When I refused, he dragged me out of it.” She blinked, then frowned as the memory of that awful night came back with clarity. “I stumbled and fell, and that’s the last thing I remember.”

  David picked up her story from there. “The doctors who examined her said she had a concussion. They weren’t sure how it happened.” He looked at Tanya. “It must have been when you fell.”

  She nodded. “I guess they just left me there.” Frowning, she asked, “But couldn’t you have found all that out from Tanya?” Surely by now they would have questioned the girl.

  Imogene shook her head. “No, honey. We’ve had an investigator searching for you, but neither he nor the police could even find your car. It was like you dropped off the face of the earth. The only information he could turn up was that Tanya Winters had gone into a group home. He was told that she had amnesia.” Her eyes widened. “That must have been you!” she realized. “He tried to find her after that, to check out the story and see if she remembered anything, but the courts had lost her paperwork. Oh, my,” she said, turning to Raf, “he was on the right trail all along, we just didn’t know they thought you were Tanya.”