"Oh, Nigel." Now he was killing me.
"When none of that worked, I turned to my genealogy research. But mine no longer interested me. So I turned to yours—"
"Nigel—"
"Let me finish." He took a deep breath. "You never cared about your ancestry, I know. You even resented my passion for researching my own family. I know…I see now…how selfish I was about it. How caught up. How I ignored you when I should have been treasuring our little time together. If you're angry about that, I understand now."
"I'm not."
He studied me to see if I was telling the truth. I was. It didn't bother me now. It had then.
He sighed. "Pursuing my passion and your history helped, Blair. It made me feel close to you. Your family history is fascinating. Don't ignore your English family, your Cornish family. Embrace them."
He suddenly looked almost embarrassed. "My research is in your case. It's my gift to you. In the hope that you'll realize England is as large a part of you as the US." He studied me.
I didn't say anything. I couldn't.
"I hope you read it. At your leisure." He cleared his throat. "It's a bigger gift than you might imagine, love. You've always told me it's just you and Beth. But you have family here. I've found them in Cornwall. Nothing is more important than family. Look them up. The information is all in your bag."
I stared at him. What did I say? I didn't want to hurt him.
"No words?" he said.
"I'm speechless."
"Good." He nodded. "You're supposed to be. That's what I wanted." He reached across the table and took both my hands in his.
My hands were ice cold, but his were warm.
He squeezed mine confidently. "I want you back, Blair. With all my heart. I have never stopped loving you."
I looked away.
He dropped one of my hands, gently took my chin, and turned my face until our eyes met. "I will never stop fighting for you." He took a deep breath. "Give England, and me, a chance. Marry me, Blair."
Chapter 3
Blair
I stared at Nigel in complete disbelief. Five months ago, his proposal would have been the most welcome, most wonderful thing in my world. I would have made any compromise necessary to be his wife. Even accepted that mundane position in the London hospital. But things had changed. I had changed.
I had someone to compare Nigel to. I had Austin, my redheaded, cosplaying Scottish warrior. My American man. Austin was my heart now. Being with him was uncomplicated, aside from the publicity, which would eventually pass, and easy. There were no tough decisions. No pitting my devotion to Beth against being with him. Or having to choose him over what was best for my career. With Austin, I could have it all and more.
I looked at Nigel, with his heart shining in his eyes. I bit my lip. Which might have given him the wrong impression. He looked too hopeful. I wasn't hesitant about refusing him. I was hesitant to hurt him. Unfortunately, they were one and the same.
I forced myself to look him in the eye. I didn't have to feign the sympathy and regret in my expression and voice as I pulled my hand from his. "I'm flattered," I said softly.
He tensed, bracing himself for what my hesitance and posture were telling him.
"I'm honored." Why was this so hard? "Not that long ago, marrying you would have made me the happiest woman alive. But now…I'm sorry, Nigel. Things have changed. I can't marry you."
His face fell, and he looked genuinely crestfallen. He nodded. "I should have expected it wouldn't be so easy."
Neither of us moved or spoke. With impeccable timing, my beer arrived.
When I didn't touch it, Nigel grabbed it and took a big swig.
"Is it the show? The fame?" He paused. "I can offer that—"
"Oh, Nigel. Please." I shook my head. "Is that what you think of me? Is that why you're trying to be Reggie?"
I was frustrated now. I hadn't wanted to mention his ploy of trying to grab the spotlight, but there it was. "You have to drop the Reggie thing. It's no use. It doesn't suit you."
He didn't flinch. He set his jaw. "My timing is off."
His timing was off. But not because of the things he thought.
I shook my head. "Nothing you can do will change things. It's Austin. I love him."
Nigel looked sad and defeated. "You fell out of love with me that quickly?" He paused. "Did you ever really love me?"
I nodded, tears in my eyes. "I loved you for years. I loved you beyond reason. You were my first real love." I blinked. "Part of me will always love you and what we had. But we, obviously, aren't meant to be together."
His hands were folded on the table.
I took them in mine and squeezed them. "I'm sorry. You can't imagine how sorry I am. This isn't the way I imagined things."
I couldn't stay another moment in the embarrassment and our mutual misery. I glanced at my watch. "I have to go."
He nodded. I slid out of the booth. He slid out, too.
I hugged him quickly. "Goodbye, Nigel."
I reached for the handle of the suitcase I'd brought with me. He handed me the one he'd brought for me from his flat.
I hurried out, awkwardly pulling two suitcases, tears blurring my vision as I used an app to call a cab. We were so close to the airport that the app indicated one would arrive in a few minutes. I had to get away. I simply couldn't stand on the curb in front of the pub while I waited for my ride. I instructed the driver to meet me across the street.
I looked left, right, left, with tears in my eyes, and stepped out into the street.
"Blair! Blair! Stop!"
I turned over my shoulder to see Nigel waving and running after me. At the same time, I heard the squeal of tires. And realized what I'd done just as I was lifted into the air and thrown. I felt a blinding flash of pain. As I hit the ground, the air slammed out of my lungs and the suitcases went flying. My head hit the pavement.
Austin and Beth flashed before my eyes as my vision became a tunnel and my ears rang. Someone was calling my name through a fog. Running toward me. Bending over me.
My stomach cramped, stealing what little breath I had left. If I'd been standing, the pain would have doubled me over.
Mercifully, I was fading. Fading.
* * *
Austin
My lawyer finally showed up with Lazer. By some miracle, they let both of them in to see me. Such was the power of Lazer, his money, and his connections.
Lazer pulled me into a hug and slapped me on the back. "We're going to get you out of here. Burns is already on it. He's the best." He introduced my new lawyer, Perry Burns.
"Perry?" I shook the lawyer's hand. "Good name for a lawyer."
Perry grinned and rolled his eyes. "I've never heard that one before."
Perry was a high-profile criminal defense attorney in his early forties with experience trying government cases. The best in the city. If Lazer thought I needed him, I was in deep shit. Lazer had plenty of dough, but he didn't throw it away when he didn't have to.
"Nice to meet you," I said, trying to stay upbeat even though I was beat and exhausted. "Wish it were under other circumstances."
"That's what they all say," he said.
We took seats around the rectangular table, looking very much like any team having a meeting over software changes. I sat at the end, the head of the table, like the bigwig. Lazer and Perry sat on either side of me. This was one meeting I'd rather not have to run.
"Have they decided to charge me with anything yet? Besides wild allegations? When can Lazer bail me out?" I winked at Lazer. "Other than grilling the hell out of me, they've been amazingly tight-lipped about details. All I know is that some anonymous douche made a groundless accusation that I've been sabotaging our software security measures."
Perry answered, "They haven't charged you with anything. They're holding you on suspicion of espionage, treason, and cyberterrorism."
"Crap. They're still insisting they're just holding me?" I shook my head and glanced
at my watch, a fancy model with several time zones displayed at once. I had it set for London and Seattle. Blair's meeting with Nigel should be wrapping up by now. I wasn't there to protect her or give her moral support like I'd promised. I was adamant. I wasn't going to break my promise about meeting her in Scotland.
"I'm supposed to be in London on my way to Scotland," I said. "How soon until you can get me out of here and on my way?"
Perry turned to Lazer. "These are serious allegations. With serious consequences. Your friend has an optimistic streak."
Lazer shrugged. "It's typical of entrepreneurs. Otherwise, what's the point? The odds are never in your favor." He glanced at me. "We've been buddies a long time. Austin has complete confidence in me, my taste in lawyers, and my deep pockets."
"All true, buddy," I added. "But you can't bail me out until they charge me. So what's the holdup?"
Somehow the three of us managed to laugh.
"Exactly that. They still have plenty of time before they have to either charge or release you," Perry said. "With your connection to Lazer, they know you'll be able to post any bail they set. Unless they can prove you're dangerous and get bail withheld. That's an uphill battle. Which is why they're stalling and claiming they need time to conduct their investigation. That you're a threat to national security."
I grimaced.
"To be completely honest, if they choose, they can string things out indefinitely. It wouldn't be difficult to come up with a relentless string of suspicions that allow them to hold indefinitely."
Perry was forthright. I appreciated it. I didn't need a lawyer who danced around the issues.
"As it stands, there's not much chance of them handing over your passport and wishing you bon voyage and happy trails anytime soon," Perry said. "Even if Lazer was able to bail you out, at this point, you wouldn't be allowed to leave the country. Not even for a weekend trip to Canada."
"Unless we force their hand," I said. "This is all Randy Dixon's doing. I'm being framed. Randy's jealousy knows no bounds. This time, he's jealous on so many fronts, he's spinning like a top, unsure which victory of mine to stamp out first."
"Randy is smart enough, but not brilliant," Lazer said calmly. "He's vain and arrogant. Confident that Duke Sanders will be around to protect him no matter what. Arrogance is his Achilles heel. He'll screw up and get careless at some point. We need to play off that to flush him out."
I nodded.
Perry looked between us. "What is he jealous about?"
"Once Lazer, the guys, and I sell our dating app, I'll be wealthy. Once the project Randy and I are working is successful, I'll have a stellar name in the industry that will be almost untouchable. Once I do the promo teasers for Jamie in Scotland, I'll be a cosplaying legend. And get the girl.
"Randy's little life looks pretty miserable in comparison. He's working under a deadline now to ruin me before it's too late. Everything is coming together for me." I took a breath. "Throwing suspicion on me and ruining my good name is Randy's MO. He's done it before. Lazer can tell you."
Lazer nodded. "He's a class-one dickhead."
"Last time he attacked me was years ago. His attack was successful. He nearly ruined me. Which makes him cocky. I don't think he realizes how much I've changed.
"Back then, I was young. I didn't know whom I was dealing with. There are only two ways to vanquish envy and jealousy—separate yourself from it, if you can, or vanquish it completely. Destroy your enemy, every single fiber.
"At the time, I didn't fight back. I chose to separate myself from it, thinking it was possible to get far enough away and let it slide into the past. Unfortunately, Randy chose to follow me. This time I sure as hell will fight back until Randy is completely neutered."
Lazer nodded. "You're learning."
"You have to get me out of here." I looked from Lazer to Perry. "Cut them any kind of deal. I can help them catch the real culprit. But I need access to my code and equipment. I've set traps in the code. If someone has tampered with it, they will have left a fingerprint. I can find it."
Lazer grinned and flashed me a look of admiration. "You're learning all about power."
"Yeah," I said. "From the best."
He laughed.
Perry frowned. "Besides a power trip, what does this Dixon dick get out of all of this? Is he your garden-variety psycho?"
"If he fixes the problem created by my alleged treason, he'll be a hero," I said. "He's hoping to steal the glory, gain the reputation, and get the promotion. He wants to be CTO."
I told them what I could about the project, which wasn't much—most of what I worked on was classified.
"I have contacts I think can help," Lazer said. "If we approach this properly."
I nodded. "The sale of the app? Will this derail it? How close are we to closing?"
"On the brink. Any day now," Lazer said. "I'll do my best to push it through before words gets out about any of this."
"It would solve at least some of my, our, problems," I said. "The sooner I can quit and get off this project, the better." I shook my head. "All anyone has to do is look at my background and record to see I'm innocent. I'm this close to becoming wealthy. Why would I risk that?"
Our time was up. Lazer and Perry stood, promising to get on it and get me out. Perry warned me not to say anything to the authorities unless he was present.
Lazer slapped me on the back. "You look like shit, buddy. Get some rest. Is there anything I can get you?"
"Permission to make a phone call," I said. "Blair will be worried."
He nodded.
Minutes after he left, a guard showed up with a phone for me to borrow. "Ten minutes. No longer." He moved to the corner to give me "privacy."
At this point, I no longer cared. I called Blair. Her phone rang and rang. I glanced at my watch. Why wasn't she picking up? How long was her meeting with Nigel going?
Jealousy and insecurity reared their ugly heads. Come on, Southron. Answer.
It went to voicemail.
I hung up and tried again, hoping she hadn't turned her ringer off. Hoping to be annoying enough she'd ignore Nigel and pick up. It went to voicemail again. I had no choice but to leave a message.
"It's me. I've been detained. I can't talk here. Don't call me back. I won't be able to answer. Call Lazer; he'll fill you in.
"Don't worry. This is just a temporary setback. I'll meet you in Scotland. I promise. I love you." My voice broke. "I love you, Dr. Edwards. Take care."
Where is she?
I handed the phone back to the guard.
Chapter 4
Blair
Sirens. I heard sirens. I lay on my back on the pavement, looking up at Nigel as if through a fog. With the light haloing him, he looked almost angelic.
"Blair. Blair." As he kneeled beside me, his voice broke.
I had never seen such a look of complete anguish and worry on his face before. Or heard it in his voice. It should have scared me more than it did. It might have if I'd been thinking clearly.
"Blair? Can you hear me, love?" His voice was gentle.
I was cold and going into shock. I tried to answer, but the signals didn't make it from my brain to my mouth. All I could do was look up at the sky with my eyes wide open. Look up at the crowd forming around us without focusing on them. Stunned people. People with phones out. People taking pictures.
American. She looked the wrong way. Didn't see it coming. Just stepped off the curb. Happens too often.
Someone's phone was ringing. Ringing and ringing.
Answer the phone. Answer your damn phone, I thought.
I began shaking uncontrollably. Not just from the cold of shock. Another cramp. There was a rush of warm blood between my legs. My period couldn't be starting now. But it had, because, of course, it always had such impeccable timing. And I was on a trip. But it was way off schedule. And I was on the pill, so it should have been regular.
The shock. It had to be from the shock.
The emer
gency room doctor in me kicked in doing triage. Tremors. The tremors of someone with a head injury. Intracranial pressure—the brain could swell quickly. And fatally. We needed to control it. Oxygen. IV. Anti-seizure medications. Meds to control the swelling. CT scan.
"Where the bloody hell is the ambulance?” Nigel looked down the street and took my hand, holding it tightly with both of his. Patting it. "Hang on, Blair. I'm here. It's going to be all right. You're going to be fine. Help is coming. Hear them? Help is coming. I won't leave your side. I promise, love. I promise."
I promise. Where had I heard those words before? I promise.
My mind wasn't working properly. Neither was my body. The cold was seeping in deeper. Nigel threw his jacket over me. All around us, the crowd of onlookers was murmuring.
I recognize him. He looks like Reggie. Yes, Reggie on Jamie. And that's Elinor. The actress—what's her name? Samantha Roberts?
No, no. That's not her. She's not as pretty as Samantha. Very close, though.
I heard the Reggie actor has a cousin who looks very like him.
Someone murmured something about Avebury and a prediction. I couldn't catch the words.
That's definitely not her. Not Samantha Roberts. Just a lookalike.
Yes! The lookalike. The American lookalike. And her English Reggie. Where's her Jamie? Her American Jamie?
Get a picture.
My American Jamie! My American Jamie.
"Austin. Austin." I was screaming, but the words on my lips were barely a breath. Hardly audible.
Nigel leaned in to hear them. I wasn't sure he did. But he frowned.
"Get away from her!" Nigel lashed out at them and shooed them away. "For God's sake, give her some room and leave us alone."
I couldn't remember Nigel being so angry. The prickles of unconsciousness attacking washed over me.
Hang on, I told myself. Hang on.
But I couldn't stop shaking. Austin.
There was a commotion. People making way. The clatter of bags. Urgent commands. Paramedics arrived. I'd been one myself in college. I hoped these were good ones.
Simply Blair: A Jet City Novel Page 3