by Emelia Blair
“It was family stuff, Philip. Let it go.”
The sound of a buzzer cut him off and Philip glowered at me before going to let, what I assumed was the police, in.
I heard the murmur of conversation before the footsteps towards the kitchen.
Philip entered, followed by two men, one of whom I recognized.
He recognized me too from the look in his eyes, and the blood drained from my face, when he sneered at me, “Well, well. If it isn’t Charlotte. Still causing trouble, I see.”
“Hello, John,” I hated that my voice sounded weak even to my ears.
“You two know each other?” Philip glanced between, his brow knitted.
I swallowed, “John’s an old acquaintance.”
“You could say that, sugar. Last time I saw you, you were in a hospital bed with tubes stuck to every inch of you. I always wondered where you disappeared to.”
From the corner of my eyes, I saw Philip jolt at his description.
He stepped forward, and my body stiffened, “So, you landed on your feet.”
His menacing tone didn’t escape me, nor Philip, who stepped in front of me, his arms crossed over his chest, “This isn’t a reunion, Detective. Although I do have questions about how you know my wife.”
“Your wife?” The disbelief in John’s voice didn’t strike me. However, the next part of his statement did, “Your wife was involved in a murder investigation ten years ago, Mr. McCoy.”
And just like that, I felt my fate being sealed.
9
Philip
Murder investigation? Charlotte?
I forced my questions to wait.
“And your point is-?” I asked, coldly. “You think you can come into my home and then try to intimidate my wife?”
The newly made detective looked startled at my tone, and his partner looked horrified, “I’m sure the detective is mistaken. He wasn’t trying to-“
“Shut up, Clarence,” John growled at him, and then he snapped his gaze to me, “Your wife’s stepfather went missing ten years ago. She didn’t report him, and then when someone did, she evaded our questions.”
I heard the small outraged cry from behind me, and I stepped aside to let Charlotte have her say. It seemed my wife was quite the spitfire when provoked.
“I was in a goddamn hospital bed! I couldn’t evade you even with a spoon!”
Her face was scrunched in anger, and the man she was raising her voice at, gave her a vicious look, “You escaped from the hospital and then disappeared.”
Charlotte glanced at me and then shut her mouth. I could see that she was trying to figure out a way to say something that would still keep her past in the dark.
She didn’t have a chance in hell of doing that.
She had told me that ten years ago, I hadn’t been her reason for leaving. So, this other story that was coming out, had forced her to go into hiding.
I was going to find out what happened, one way or another.
I stepped next to her and looked at the detective who was starting to show his anger, “If you have questions for my wife, I’ll have my lawyer arrange for it. Meanwhile, you have another job to do here.”
John grit his teeth, “I need to take her in for questioning. Her case is still open.”
When Charlotte stiffened, I put my hand on her shoulder, “Sure. Get a warrant for that. But then you can also explain to the Chief-of-Police why you took in his godson’s wife in for questioning over a matter that is ten years old.”
The man bristled.
His partner, an older man that I recognized, sensing that situation was getting out of control, took over, “Mrs. McCoy, why don’t you begin by telling us what happened in your bakery?”
“Detective Clarence, if you can’t keep your partner under control, I’ll just ask your lieutenant to handle this investigation. I was under the impression that your department housed competent individuals.”
Whatever this man’s deal was with Charlotte, it was far more than a case bungled up. I got a dangerous vibe from him and my instincts screamed at me to get Charlotte away from this man.
The other detective glared at John, “I think I can handle this one alone. Why don’t you go back to the precinct, John?”
The entire matter was sorted out within minutes with John being forced to leave and Clarence handling the interview process. Charlotte looked much more relaxed but as I sat next to her, one hand on her leg, I was startled when she clasped it as the questions proceeded.
A glance at her face told me she wasn’t aware of it and it gave me hope.
“Is there anyone you know who would like to hurt you? Competitors? Gang members of that area?”
Gang members?
“What?” I broke in. “What do you mean by gang members?”
Clarence blinked, “Well, the bakery is located in Dark Silver territory. I thought you knew that. It’s a notorious gang that’s claimed that area.”
Charlotte shook her head, “They don’t bother with me. A few of them come in to make purchases and since they were on good terms with the previous owner, they leave me alone. Besides, attacking me in the middle of the night isn’t their style. They would much rather shoot me in public.”
My blood ran cold at how casually she described all this, and it made me realize that I had taken her words of her being different now, too lightly.
Murder investigations. Escaping the police. Gang members.
Charlotte’s life had changed so much.
Not that it did anything to alter my decision.
No, I was determined to win her over.
The rest of the conversation was wrapped up quickly and I showed Clarence out.
When I returned, Charlotte was watching me warily.
I didn’t say anything, just picked up her empty plate and put it in the dishwasher, before turning around, “Come on. You need to lie down. Agatha will be here in an hour and she’ll chew me out if she finds you out of bed.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened and she followed me obediently, climbing into bed and not even protesting against me tucking her in.
“You’re not going to ask?” The words seemed to be torn out of her, and I hesitated.
“I want to. And I will,” I told her as I sat next to her. “I know you didn’t kill anybody. And I know that that detective scares you. I’m going to make sure he never comes near you again.”
When I stroked her hair away from her face, I couldn’t bear the look of confusion on her face at being cared for, so I leaned down to press my lips against her forehead.
Turning around, I was about to leave, when I felt my shirt tug, and then she said, “When I came back from that party, after seeing you, I went home. Nick was there. With some men.”
I had a bad feeling about this story and I turned around but said nothing. She continued, not meeting my eyes, her right hand fisted on her lap.
“Nick had gambling debts. Lots of them. So, when he couldn’t meet them, he had made a deal with some of the loan sharks that instead of paying them money,” Charlotte’s face looked gray right now, and I wanted to stop her from saying the rest of the words, but I was unable to.
“He sold me to them.”
I was frozen, my mind not working. In my mind, all I could see was one slip of a girl, barely into adulthood, in a room alone with grown men.
She was still talking, “I ran away. But I didn’t know where to go. I had no one. I couldn’t drag Agatha into it, and the situation with you – I couldn’t ask for your help, so I just ran.”
She swallowed.
“I had some money from waitressing, and I slept in shelters for the most part, trying to earn some more money by doing odd jobs, enough that I could leave town. Six months after I managed to get some money together, I hid in a motel for a few more days getting my travel plans together, but Nick found me. He beat me up, worse than usual. His creditors had been angry at him. He was so angry that day.”
Charlotte’s body shook viole
ntly at the memory, and I sat down and gathered her in my arms, letting her finish, my own rage on a tight leash.
“I was bleeding from everywhere,” She said, faintly. “I remember thinking that I it wasn’t possible for the red rug in that room to get bloodier than that. But it did.”
A shuddering breath that made my gut burn.
“He left after two days. I knew he was going to get them, but I couldn’t –. I would rather have killed myself than be whored out.”
Tears choked her voice and I felt like a monster for bringing up a memory that she had clearly spent years burying.
“That’s enough, Charlotte,” I begged her. “You don’t have to tell me.”
She shook her head, “No. No, you don’t know John. He’ll twist up what actually happened, and I can’t bear for you to think that I killed somebody. Because I didn’t – I did something else.”
I let her breathe, trying to grab whatever composure she could.
“There was a phone in the room. I knew that Nick had been stealing from the gang, Dark Silver for years. He knew one of their crew members and he was stealing some of their shipments, a precise amount every month. I don’t know what it was. I just knew about the theft. We used to live in that area for a while and that’s how I found out.”
Her eyes were fixed on her hands, “I called up one of the shops that I knew belonged to one of their top management, or members, whatever. A woman answered and she listened to me. I told her about Nick stealing from them and gave her names and numbers of when and where he picked them up from. Everything I knew, I told her. She asked me who I was, but I couldn’t tell her. She asked me if I was in trouble, and I told her yes. I think I passed out after that.
Nobody came for me. At some point, I managed to get myself to a hospital. I was there for a month. That’s where I met Vera. She’s the original owner of the bakery I run. She was also the woman on the phone. She told me that they had tracked me down after a lot of work. She introduced me to Miguel, the leader of the gang. He told me they owed me a debt and I could call on them for anything.”
She was silent for a while and I could tell she was trying to find the words to continue.
“I never knew what happened to Nick. But while I was still in the hospital, a day after Vera showed up, John showed up. I told him part of the truth, up till where Nick left me in the motel room. But John didn’t believe me. Even when the doctors vouched for me, saying that I wasn’t in any condition to lift a pen, murdering a grown man was far too impossible, John didn’t believe them. He wanted me to come down to the station. And if you don’t believe me, you can ask for Doctor Thomas at Redmond Hospital. He still works there, and so do some of the nurses. They stopped John from forcibly taking me with him. When Vera found out, she whisked me out of there.”
My heart broke for her.
It seemed life had thrown one curveball after another at Charlotte.
Anger and self-loathing were also prominent in my mind. If I hadn’t done what I had, she might have turned to me for help. While I had been busy sulking, she had been trying to survive, alone.
“Was Vera-?”
Charlotte shook her head, “She was related to Miguel in some aspect, but she wasn’t directly involved with the gang. But that’s the reason I felt safe in the neighborhood. Since the bakery belonged to Vera, and the gang promised me a safe haven, nobody messes with the shop or me.”
I was quiet, and then I asked, “Did you think that me knowing any of this would change my feelings for you?”
Charlotte’s cheeks turned red, but she looked away, “Can you see how different our lives are, Philip? I live and interact with the underbelly of Chicago. You’re one of the elites. The feelings that you’re talking about are stemming more from guilt. You don’t want me. You deserve someone who can understand you and your life.”
I felt a flicker of irritation, “So, you’re going to do the same thing I did, huh? Push me away because you don’t think you’re good enough for me?”
Her eyes widened, and I saw her tamp down her indignation, “Not good enough for you? I don’t have that low of an opinion of myself, Philip! I’m just saying that we move in two difference social circles and we don’t have much in common.”
I growled at her, “You know, it seems that you’re using what happened to you as an excuse to push me away while the real reason is that what I did hurt you, and you don’t trust me not to do it again! I will always hold myself responsible for what you went through, Charlotte. Even if that’s not what you intended. But it doesn’t make you ‘different’ from me! And you know it.”
When she opened her mouth to refute me, nothing came out and she just hit my chest with her undamaged wrist.
I hadn’t known I would hit the mark with such ease.
But now that she had unwittingly revealed her reason for avoiding me, I wasn’t going to let this go.
I cupped her face, “You can run all you want from me, Charlotte, but I will tie you down to me, one way or another. You might not need me, but I need you in my life. So, go ahead. Run. I’ll follow you wherever you go. I don’t care how much time it takes to convince you that I love you.”
Her lips trembled, “What?”
My lips curved, “Oh, didn’t I tell you? I love you. Why else would I let such an aggravating woman drive me crazy?
“I’m not aggravating,” She said, automatically, and I chuckled.
“You’re the most exasperating woman I have ever met.”
She scowled at me, “You’re the one who says you’re in love with me. Fall out of it if I’m so exasperating and aggravating.”
I buried my nose in her neck, “I don’t want to.”
She tried to push me away, “Well, I’m not in love with you.”
“I’m working on that,” My voice was muffled.
She stopped shoving me away, but sounded annoyed, “You always were pushy.”
I glanced up at her and then pulled away, “How about this? I’ll sign those papers.”
At her hopeful look, I wagged my finger at her, “On a few conditions. You have to wait three months. Live with me, here. Let me convince you otherwise. And if after three months, you don’t fall in love with me, I’ll back away. I’ll find some other way to be a part of your life.”
When she looked like she was contemplating my offer, I added, “Also, I want you to let me invest in your bakery.”
That threw her off, “What?”
I shrugged, “I can’t help it. I’m a businessman. I see an opportunity, and I want to take it. Your place has potential. I want to have a stake in it as you expand. Which you will eventually, considering you’ve been taking those MBA classes.”
When she gaped at me, I smirked, “Yeah, I got that from Agatha.”
She pursed her lips and I said, “Think about it. This is the only deal you get.”
After a few seconds that felt like someone was gripping my heart, she muttered, “Fine. You get three months.”
She looked so satisfied, as if she was sure she wouldn’t fall prey to my charms. She had no idea how I planned to sweep her off her feet, right into my arms.
“Also,” My expression was serious. “I’m assigning a guard to you. This whole break-in seems to be targeted at you.”
When she started to protest, I silenced her, “No. This is not up for negotiation. You’re also my wife and that means you need your own security. You won’t feel stifled. I promise.”
She clearly didn’t believe me, but right now her safety was my priority.
“One last thing. No matter what happens, you are not to go anywhere with Detective John. I don’t trust him. I didn’t like the way he looked at you.”
That was one thing that she agreed with at least.
10
Charlotte
“So, you’ll be staying here?” Agatha asked, as she chewed on a cookie that I had just baked.
I had been adamant that I use the kitchen if I was staying here.
Three months without baking was too cruel to ask of me.
“That’s the deal,” I told my friend, who looked thoughtful.
The conversation between Philip and I had remained between us. I had asked him to keep the events of back then between us. Talking about it once had drained me in a way that still left me hollow.
“I’m glad,” Agatha murmured.
Hearing the noise from the other room made her roll her eyes, “Makes sense that Philip won’t leave you alone.”
It didn’t surprise me. After coercing the three-month agreement from me, he had seemed visibly shaken by my confession about the events of ten years ago.
He didn’t want me out of his sight for too long.
I didn’t know what to make of his protectiveness. A part of me felt cherished, while another part of me was curled up in a ball, warily too scared to trust him.
At the time, giving in to his offer had seemed like the only solution, but after four days of living with him, I could feel myself actually thawing.
“So, I see you’re sharing a bed,” Agatha threw in, slyly, making me blush.
“He didn’t give me much of a choice,” I said, defensively. “A doctor came to check me out this morning and removed the bandages. He said I can’t sleep on my front, but that’s how I always sleep.”
My face flamed red, “Philip just makes sure that I don’t turn over in my sleep.”
Agatha popped a piece of cookie in her mouth, “Sure. That’s it.”
“I’m not making it up!”
She shrugged, looking gleeful, “I never said you were.”
The sound of footsteps made us look up as Ian walked in, a phone to his ear. His red hair was tied at his nape in a tiny ponytail, and his sharp green eyes looked annoyed.
He sat down at the counter, next to Agatha, listening intently to whoever was on the other line, “So, fire the man. What are you calling me for?”
Agatha broke her cookie in half and popped it in his mouth and he started chewing.
“It’s one fucking contract. Get rid of him and bring in someone more competent.”