The Winter Wedding

by A. C. Arthur

  He moved in an attempt to settle in the bed. Cheyna felt his arm going around her waist and in the next moment he was pulling her back away from the edge of the bed.

  “Come over here with me,” he told her, his voice low and deep.

  She did not resist. The warmth of him cocooned her and Cheyna melted into the tight embrace. He kissed her ear and then her shoulder and wrapped both his arms around her, holding her even closer to him.

  “You’re safe here, Cheyna. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  Cheyna closed her eyes to his words. She saw flashbacks of her past and fast forwarded to the present. Tears stung her eyes as she recalled how hard it had all been to deal with alone, but she had never thought there was another way. Now, this man was offering to protect her. He was telling her that no matter what she had done or had been done to her, she was safe with him. A part of Cheyna knew she was being a fool for trusting this moment, but another part wanted to so desperately that she could hardly breathe.

  “Working for ZV Events was my dream job. I started an internship in my senior year of college and they hired me full time as soon as I graduated. I worked there for six years. The last twenty months at the company were a living hell thanks to Liam Edison,” she began.

  “Liam wanted to sleep with me. He worked in the office next to mine and we often competed for clients. We both wanted to make partner and to impress Zeke with every event we managed. He started coming into my office unannounced and uninvited.”

  Logan rubbed his fingers along her arms as he listened.

  “He touched me inappropriately, talked about doing repulsive things to me and dared me to tell anyone. I needed my job. I didn’t have anything else. And I’d had nothing before. Despite the check and other assistance the foster parents received from the state to take care of me, there were plenty of nights I went to bed hungry. Or I had to wear clothes they’d picked up at consignment shops without a care to my size or any semblance of style. I wasn’t going to live like that again.”

  One tear broke free. It fell onto the pillow in the dark room but pressed Cheyna to go on.

  “After the first year of trying to deal with Liam on my own I finally decided to report him to human resources. The company had hosted numerous sessions on a healthy work environment and sexual harassment. There were supposedly counselors on hand to discreetly handle any complaints. The morning after I signed my typed complaint Zeke called me into his office to tell me if I didn’t keep my mouth shut I’d never work in this city again.”

  Logan’s grip tightened around her and for a second Cheyna wondered what was going through his mind. But she’d already opened the bottle she’d kept this story buried in, there was no putting the top back on it now.

  “When I stood stunned in Zeke’s office he got up out of his chair and came around to stand in front of me. He grabbed my ass and said, “How do you think a man’s supposed to act when you prance around the office dressed like you’re ready to fuck?” I’d been wearing dress pants and a long sleeved blouse.”

  Cheyna stopped. Her bottom lip quivered and she willed it to stop. She wasn’t going to break down over this again. Not here and not after all this time. Zeke nor Liam deserved that from her.

  “The next ten months were a toss-up between fighting Liam off and staying the hell away from Zeke whenever I could. But when Liam showed up at my apartment one night, that was the last straw. He’d pushed his way inside and demanded that I perform oral sex on him. He said he was tired of playing games with me and tired of waiting for me to act like I had some sense. I was tired of that too. So I called the police. Two days later I had a restraining order against Liam. I hired a lawyer and planned to sue ZV Events, Zeke Volker and Liam for harassment. My lawyer said I could have won at least a million dollars from the lawsuit. Instead, I opted for a settlement agreement with a clause that would award me three times the amount I was already being paid if Zeke, Liam, or any of their employees ever spoke a derogatory word about me or my work, and five hundred thousand dollars. It was enough to start my business, buy me a new car and start the lease on my new apartment. I walked away.”

  “You should have buried them in the process.”

  Logan’s words were spoken with so much heat and anger that Cheyna almost pulled away from him. She remained still and remembered a time when that same type of anger had roiled through her.

  “I wanted my life. I wanted the chance to prove to myself and to the world that I could do it on my own. Taking them down publicly would have let everyone know I was a victim. I couldn’t do that. And I didn’t kill Liam. I couldn’t do that either. If I could have I would have done it the night he barged into my apartment and pulled his dick out.” Her voice cracked on those last words.

  “Shhhh. It’s alright. You don’t have to talk about it anymore. And like I told you before, you don’t have to be afraid.”

  Logan pulled her closer against him, if that were possible. He nuzzled his face into her neck and spoke directly into her ear so that the sound of his voice was all that she could hear and all that she could focus on.

  “That part of your life is over and whoever is trying to bring it up again will get the message that it’s not happening. I want you to rest now. Close your eyes and let all of this go.”

  Those were words. They were easily said. Cheyna knew that. She also knew that those words made her feel damn good. Just as the feel of this man’s arms wrapped around her and the sound of his voice made her feel good. She was going to take all of this and hold onto it, even if only for tonight. Because she needed it. She needed it more than she’d ever needed anything else in this world.

  “I’m going to sleep now,” she said, moreso to herself than to Logan. “I’m going to sleep and I’ll deal with the rest in the morning.”

  He kissed her cheek and then her neck.

  “That’s right, baby. We’ll deal with the rest in the morning.”

  In the morning, Cheyna bought coffee and muffins for her and Logan as they were on their way to her car. Other than the beer, wine and leftover pizza, his refrigerator had been pretty bare.

  “My mom taught all her sons how to cook, but for me it never really stuck. I mean, I’m not going to starve, but I’m probably always going to choose buying something pre-cooked instead of standing over the stove myself,” Logan had said after they’d both showered and were on their way out the door.

  “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s the only meal I ever managed to always find something. A handful of dry cereal, peanuts, or on really good days, a pop tart.” Cheyna had shrugged. “The habit stuck. I always eat breakfast.”

  “I hate that it was tough for you,” he’d said and pushed a few bushy strands of hair back behind her ear.

  “It wasn’t your fault,” she’d told him and walked out the door before him.

  It wasn’t her fault either that her hair looked a fright. She hadn’t been prepared for a sleep-over and so had not brought any hair products to deal with her temperamental hair.

  By the time they stepped into the elevator together he’d stood in front of her, touching a finger to her chin and lifted it until she was staring at him.

  “I still don’t like that you had to suffer. And it’s okay for me to say that without you feeling any type of way. It wasn’t your fault either.”

  Cheyna had nodded her agreement because he was right. She’d long ago reconciled with the fact that her parents had not wanted her and the state had not adequately provided for her care. She’d been dealt a tough hand, but she’d played it to the best of her ability.

  Almost twenty minutes later—traffic had been horrific—Logan pulled up alongside where she’d parked her car last night. Of course there was a ticket on her windshield and she frowned as she snatched it up and tucked it inside her bag. Cheyna unlocked her driver’s side door and slid into the cold vehicle. She put her key in the ignition and started it, then she looked out the window and waved at Logan until he pulled
off.

  He’d wanted to follow her home, but had finally agreed that she would call him once she arrived at her apartment and then when she got into the office. It seemed like a lot, but it also seemed nice that he cared. Cheyna wanted the nice for a change.

  She waited a few minutes for the car to warm up and reached over to the passenger seat where she’d tossed her bag to retrieve her phone. She wanted to check her email to see if Boyd had sent the final pictures she’d selected yesterday. The copy was already written for the newspaper article announcing the wedding, all she needed was the picture to send with it. She pulled her phone out and was sliding back into her seat when something in the back of the car caught her eye.

  Cheyna turned her head and felt the blood drain slowly from her face. She did not move, could not blink or even scream. It was sitting there on the backseat as if it were ready to be taken on a ride or lifted and put to her nose for a sniff. One long stemmed red rose in perfect bloom.

  The other one had died. She’d thrown it away just yesterday.

  And now there was a new one.

  Someone had put it in her car. The same someone who had put the rose in that arrangement in her office.

  Cheyna immediately got out of the car. She slammed the front door and opened the back one. Reaching inside she grabbed the thornless rose and tossed it out into the street. She climbed back into her car and drove off, hands shaking on the steering wheel.

  Chapter 9

  Greenwich, Connecticut

  “We’ll be heading to L.A. after Christmas and I’m thinking we won’t return until sometime in late February.” Bailey was seated at her desk. Her long legs were crossed at the ankle on top of the desk with her hands folded in her lap.

  Across the room sitting in an office chair that looked as if it were made for a much smaller man than him, was her husband, Navy SEAL and part-time partner, Devlin Bonner.

  Sam’s office was in another room, but he’d come out about ten minutes ago when Bailey and Devlin came in. Bree, his younger twin sister and the other part of the three-people office that was the east coast branch of D&D Investigations was working from home today.

  “You’re taking a leave of absence?”

  Sam was the owner and senior investigator but he didn’t fool himself into believing that he could tell Bailey Donovan Bonner anything. Her brothers and cousins had made that mistake so many times that if Sam hadn’t learned that lesson by now he should be considered an idiot.

  “Yes. Trent’s going to need someone to run the west coast office while he’s out on paternity leave.” Bailey told him.

  Dev shook his head. “He’d blow a gasket if he heard you referring to it in those words.”

  Bailey grinned. “But he’s not here is he?”

  Sam leaned against the door frame, his arms folded across his chest. “Trent Donovan on paternity leave. It’s got a certain ring to it.”

  “Right! That’s why I keep saying it,” Bailey continued.

  “No. You keep saying it because you’re on the other side of the country,” Sam added.

  “Look, I wouldn’t give up the chance to see Trent with Trevor and the first set of Donovan triplets for all the gold in the world. Well, actually my Aunt Margot and Uncle Klevon have a set of triplets, but they’re grown so these will be three new babies to spoil.”

  Excitement was clear in Bailey’s voice and by the smile on her face. Sam wondered how long it would be before Bailey and Dev announced the arrival of their own bundle of joy. As the father of two, Sam could attest to there being nothing like the feeling of bringing new life into the world.

  “Well, we’ve had a little experience here with Bree and Renny’s three little renegades.” Dev reminded them.

  Sam had to laugh at that. His nieces and nephew were definitely renegades, doing their own thing at only three years old and thanks to their doting grandparents, getting away with most of it.

  “Linc’s throwing them a casino-themed baby shower in Vegas on November tenth,” Bailey said. “That’s just next week so we’re not going to fly out to attend, especially since we’ll be there in a few more weeks.”

  Sam and Karena had received an invitation to the baby shower, but because of Monica’s wedding and all the things Karena had to take care of in preparation for her sister’s month-long vacation, they weren’t going to make it. But Karena had already bought and had their gift ready to be shipped in time to arrive at the shower.

  “Trent does not like surprises.” Dev spoke on good authority since he’d known Trent for years and had trained side-by-side with him while they’d been in the Navy.

  Sam agreed with that statement but knew that Tia would be thrilled by the celebration of her impending babies. That couple had been through so much in the last few years that this blessing was being shared by their entire family.

  “He’ll get over it. Besides, with Linc contemplating moving Jade and his twins to London by June, any opportunity for all of the family to get together would be welcomed,” Bailey told them.

  “I didn’t know he was still seriously considering that. Ms. Beverly and Mr. Henry still trying to work through their reconciliation, I thought their part of the family would want to stick close together,” Sam stated.

  Bailey spoke up. “Noelle told me that Jade told her that Ms. Beverly is thinking about going overseas with them.”

  It took Sam and Dev a minute to absorb what Bailey said, but when they did they both looked at her in shock. Unfortunately, the questions Sam knew would have to wait because at that moment Logan Williams walked into the office.

  “Good morning,” Logan spoke to everyone in the room.

  Sam pushed away from the doorway where he stood and walked over to meet Logan. He extended his hand to him. “You’re a long way from home, Logan.”

  It was at least an hour’s drive from Manhattan to where the D&D offices were located in Greenwich.

  “I didn’t want to do this over the phone,” Logan stated and looked back at Bailey and Devlin.

  Sam made the introductions and assured Logan that it was okay to speak freely in front of his staff.

  After exchanging more pleasantries, Logan jumped right in. “The guy from last night was Zeke Volker. Cheyna used to work for him. The dead man he was referring to was Liam Edison. I have a friend at the NYPD. He’s in the narcotics division, but he did a little digging for me and found out Edison was discovered murdered two weeks ago in his Manhattan apartment.”

  “Zeke Volker of ZV Events?” Bailey asked.

  “You know him?” Sam asked her.

  Bailey had taken her legs down from the desk and now sat giving her full attention to everything Logan was saying.

  “I attended a party he directed in New York a few months ago. It was part of the Hutchinson case we were working on.”

  Sam remembered that case. Todd Hutchinson’s wife thought he was cheating on her and he was. Bailey had tailed the guy to a party he’d been invited to but had not bothered to tell his wife about. The end result was pictures of Hutchinson at the party with his mistress and then afterward, in the car with his mistress. Bailey hated cheating spouses’ cases, but it paid the bills when they weren’t chasing murderers and other conspirators that the cops were too inept to find. Logan Williams’ case sounded like it was going to be different.

  “I looked at the security footage last night and was going to have Bailey run it through our facial recognition software this morning since I didn’t know the man’s face. But now that you have names, what do you want to do next?”

  Sam knew what he would do but he didn’t know Logan well and he wasn’t totally sure he understood the guy’s involvement with Cheyna Dansfield. All of these were important factors to any case Sam decided to take on.

  “I want to find out who killed Edison so Volker will get off Cheyna’s back about it,” Logan immediately stated. “Whatever the price I’ll pay it.”

  “Are you and Cheyna Dansfield sleeping together?” Dev asked. “
Did she also sleep with Zeke Volker?”

  Logan was of medium build, not too tall and not overly muscular, but he moved fast. He was across the room and standing directly in front of Dev, looking down on where the SEAL still sat unmoving in the chair.

  “She never slept with Volker. The bastard harassed her while she worked for him, but she never slept with him.”

  There was no mistaking the rage in Logan’s voice or the amusement on Dev’s face.

  “So you are sleeping with her,” Dev said.

  Bailey had stood by then, knowing her husband and his tactics very well. She touched Logan’s shoulder and waited until he turned to face her.

  “We need to know everything you know about Cheyna, Volker and the dead guy. Don’t leave anything out,” she told him.

  Sam loved his job. Even moreso, he loved the people who worked with him because they all thought alike. They worked in seamless sync with each other, asking the important questions, pushing the appropriate buttons and getting the job done. Sam wasn’t sure how this particular assignment had fallen into his lap and he hadn’t really worked out a price to charge for it. What he knew for certain was that Cheyna was connected to his sister-in-law’s wedding. That made her connected to Sam. If something was dark and shady in Cheyna’s past it could easily spill over into Monica and Alex’s life or at the very least their wedding. That made every part of this of the utmost concern to him.

  For that reason, Sam, Bailey and Dev spent the next hour and a half talking to Logan and making notes of what needed to be done next.

  New York

  By the time Cheyna had changed her clothes finished her coffee and muffin and headed back out to work, Logan had sent her six text messages. She’d returned each message and wondered if this was what it felt like when teenagers were just getting to know each other. She had never had boyfriends while growing up. Only the girls with the fresh new clothes, stylish hair and bubbling personalities had been chased by the most popular boys. Cheyna kept her nose in the books, her naturally curly hair pulled back into a ponytail and her address to herself. Now, she figured she was way too old for this to be a part of some dating ritual. Still, she couldn’t help but feel giddy each time he replied to a message she sent. He mostly wanted to make sure she was okay and that she was having no more run-ins with Zeke or thoughts about last night’s incident. She could answer part of that positively.