Ah, hell. Here he was again wanting to hug and kiss her over and over to stop her tears. But his heart was too fragile for it, because he knew she was crying for another man.
Tristan turned onto Carter’s street and found his friend already waiting for them outside the house.
“They caught them—including your folks, Paige,” Carter said as he led them inside.
“Thank God,” Paige said, sighing with relief. “At least they’re safe.”
“Where were they caught?” Tristan asked.
“Near Redfern station. Someone gave an anonymous tip as to where they were heading. Turns out it was Debbie Shipton. She was also the one who tipped us off about the name Curtis Beam and the Bowral address we shared with the AFP.”
Tristan exhaled a sharp breath.
“I believe the prosecutors are looking into offering Debbie a deal in exchange for further information,” Carter said, glancing at Paige.
“That’s good to know. Can I talk to them?” Paige asked.
“The police will want to follow procedures first. I’m sure they’ll let you know when you can. In the meantime, why don’t you guys have a warm shower and get changed?”
Tristan nodded. “Thanks.”
“Can I please talk to you first, Tristan?” Paige asked.
“Maybe later. You should rest.”
“No.”
He ran a hand on his face. He didn’t have the energy to console her that Curtis was safe.
“I’m so sorry,” Paige said. “I never meant what I said in that text I sent you. I was forced to say them.”
His lips parted as he stared at her in surprise. What was she saying?
“I’ve been lied to and practically kidnapped by my parents, Tristan,” Paige said, suddenly angry. “I’ve been made to believe you’re the criminal, and that police were about to arrest you. I was told that if I didn’t leave you and hide from you, I’d be thrown in jail and give birth there. I couldn’t stomach the thought that I’d have to raise Tanner in jail or have him taken away from me, so I went with them. I’m so angry at my parents, even though I believe they didn’t have a choice but to do what they’ve done, for whatever reason. But please don’t shut me out. I need you right now and,” Paige’s voice cracked. “I missed you so much.”
Tristan’s jaw dropped at Paige’s words. “They told you what?” he asked incredulously.
“I’m sorry I believed them,” Paige said brokenly. “I just never thought my own parents would lie about something like that. And I was scared for Tanner. I’m so, so sorry. Please forgive me.”
Tristan reached for Paige and held her tight as she sobbed her eyes out.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” he murmured, kissing her hair. “My heart broke when you made me believe you only used me. And then I thought you and Curtis were together…”
“Curtis?” Paige asked, lifting her head to look at him. “No. Never. I love you, Tristan.”
That was the last piece he needed to know for his broken heart to start to mend. “I love you too,” he whispered.
Chapter 20
Paige sat down on the chair Tristan had pulled out for her in the dining room of Larry and Debbie’s secret lodgings in the outskirts of Sydney. She was apprehensive about this meeting with her parents, but she was grateful too. She’d been waiting for this day to come.
“Thank you both for coming,” Debbie said, smiling as she poured all of them some tea.
Tristan smiled back. “Thank you for inviting us. I have to say I’m very surprised that we’ve been allowed to visit you here.”
“They obviously believe you’re trustworthy,” Larry said jokingly as he joined them at the table.
“I’m just glad you’re out of jail,” Paige said, resting her hands on her full-term baby bump. “Although three months was still too long to have kept you in prison. They should have put you into witness protection straight away.”
“Well, at least we’re out now,” Debbie said pragmatically. “And I kind of like it here. Your dad and I have always loved gardening, and we now have a much larger veggie patch.”
“Yeah, it’s not so bad,” Larry said. “I’m sorry we couldn’t have done this earlier, but you know how it is with processes and red tape. And we’re really sorry for everything,” he added softly.
“Paige and I have been waiting for this moment,” Tristan said. “Not so much the apology, but the explanation.”
“All I was thinking was to keep Paige safe,” Larry said, looking at Tristan imploringly. “That meant making you look like the bad guy.”
“Can you start from the beginning, Dad?” Paige asked.
Larry took a deep breath. “When we realised that Tristan was a sharper entrepreneur than we’d given him credit for, Debbie and I thought about what else we could do to keep Shipton Enterprise flourishing at the top of our industry. We decided that expanding overseas was the answer. We—I, mainly—were cocky then, believing that the success of the Shipton brand in Australia would easily translate into success overseas. We looked into the Asian market and discovered that a successful brand there was owned by an Australian—Tony Axel. He was looking for a partnership so he could get a foothold in the Australian market, which he hadn’t been successful in cracking. In turn, we could hit the ground running in four Asian countries. To our further surprise, Tony was friends with Curtis Beam. Curtis spoke highly of Tony and that was all I needed. I already trusted Curtis, and when he gave the thumbs-up on Tony’s character, I believed him.”
“We’re not blaming Curtis, though,” Debbie said. “He thought he knew his friend well, but he didn’t.”
Larry nodded. “Tony suggested a plan for us to open several clubs in Asia at the same time. He said that with both our brands already established, our partnership could generate healthy patronage in the locations he’d suggested, especially if we conducted grand openings on consecutive days. Because I was such a cocky bastard, I agreed and convinced Deb it was the best idea I’d heard in a long time. I could see it in my head—the grandeur, glitz and glamour of daily opening parties. Given the right media exposure, I was sure it would attract so much interest that it couldn’t not work. The only issue with that was money. There were the buying of three new locations, the refurbishing of seven of Tony’s existing venues that had been transferred into the partnership, plus the big marketing budget, not to mention celebrity fees. But because the new clubs were located overseas, we found it hard to borrow from Australian banks. Tony then introduced us to Dan Yap—a wealthy private investor willing to lend us money. I had no idea at the time that the guy was a bigwig in a drug cartel operating in several countries. He looked totally legit to me at the time. But then again, I was desperate for quick funds so we could start implementing our grand plan. So, unknowingly, Deb and I borrowed four and a half million dollars from a drug lord.”
Larry glanced at Debbie, his eyes regretful. Debbie didn’t look up from her teacup.
Larry took a sip from his own mug before continuing. “To cut a long story short, everything went pear-shaped from then on. Since Tony was the supposed expert on the Asian market, I let him oversee the buying and refurbishing of the clubs. But what we’d planned on paper in terms of the luxury and quality of the establishments didn’t match the finished products. There was no way we could do any grand, opulent opening parties at those clubs in the state they were in. No self-respecting celebrity would want to set foot in them, let alone endorse them. So I complained to Tony, who accused me of not doing my part. He said that my being too busy with my Australian clubs had forced him to hire a project manager to oversee the works because he was busy with his other business too. This project manager bought the cheapest materials and paid cheap labour to finish our clubs—and pocketed most of the money earmarked for the projects. Then he disappeared. I was livid, but I knew I was partly responsible. I had put all my trust in Tony and had not acted like a cautious businessman.”
Larry shook his head, pausing for a long mom
ent, before continuing.
“When Dan Yap found out about our issues, he pressed me to pay him back in full. He said that he couldn’t accept the overseas clubs anymore as collateral for the loan as they were practically worthless. He wanted his money back and said that if I didn’t have it, then he’d take over the Shipton clubs in Australia instead. Of course I said he could not have the Australian clubs. They were never part of the deal. I sent our lawyer, Preston Pawlish, to remind Dan of what our contract had included. I felt bad that Dan had made a bad investment with me, but that’s the nature of business. Nowhere in the contract did it state he could get his hands on Shipton Enterprise properties in Australia. Besides, I was still willing to pay the four point five million he lent me, but just not in a lump sum because I couldn’t afford it.”
Debbie let out a loud sigh but kept her gaze down.
“That was when Dan Yap showed us who he truly is,” Larry said. “He came to my office one day and threatened me, Debbie and Preston. He was prepared. He knew everything about us—our financials, all the properties we owned, every member of our families. When I laughed at his threats, saying there was absolutely no way he’d get away with it, he laughed even harder. He then called Curtis, Giorgio and Fatima to join us immediately. I was aghast at the way he ordered them to come, but shocked at how quickly they obeyed him. Remember that I’ve known the Beams for a long time. They’re very close to me. And I couldn’t see them consorting with a character such as Dan Yap. But they were all there in my office within twenty minutes, even apologising profusely for being five minutes late. Then Dan ordered Giorgio to tell me what exactly happened to his brother. Do you remember Serge, Paige?”
“Yes. He died from an accidental explosion of a gas cylinder in his farm,” Paige said.
“It wasn’t an accident,” Larry said gravely.
She gasped. “It was Dan’s doing?”
Larry nodded. “The Beams also got conned into borrowing from Dan Yap, and also lost money. It appeared Dan put his people to work with those he lent money to so the money could get siphoned back to him. But he didn’t stop there. Once you were in his web, you couldn’t leave.”
Larry took a moment to compose himself before continuing.
“Serge, who was the lawyer for his brother, got suspicious when Giorgio refused to sue the contractor who built a shonky house for them. Dan learned that Serge was sniffing around and getting closer to outing him, so he got rid of Serge. The Beams couldn’t get justice for Serge, because they were terrified for their own safety. And they’ve been apologising to us ever since they found out that Curtis’s endorsement of Tony Axel was what got me involved with Dan Yap.”
Paige and Tristan shook their heads in disbelief.
“Anyway,” Larry said, “Dan gave me an ultimatum. Pay him back in six months, or you’re dead, Paige.”
“What?” Tristan said, shocked.
Paige gulped, her breath shallowing.
“Dan had boasted he had police and lawyers in his pocket. We were scared that if we told the authorities about his threat and he still somehow managed to evade jail—which he’s been successfully doing all these years—then he’d simply make good of his threat to kill you. That’s when I decided to sell the clubs. I was willing to sell however many I needed just so I could pay Dan back. But Dan ordered me to stop. He still wanted to take over the clubs if I wasn’t able to pay him back in cash. That was why I reneged on our contract, Tristan. And I had to badmouth you because I had to have a reason why I didn’t sell to you. I was afraid to say I changed my mind because the contract had already been signed by you and us, and I was sure you’d try to enforce it. So I kept saying you were too late. What was more, I had to show Dan we’re not at all friendly with you. He hates you for actively cleaning out your establishments of drug pushers.”
Tristan nodded, eyes wide.
“So the only other option I could think of was the trust fund money Paige could have access to. I discussed it with the Beams, because they were as concerned as we were about your safety, Paige. Curtis agreed to help us, as you know. The Beams truly are great friends,” Larry said, welling up.
“But I messed up your plan when I married Tristan, instead,” Paige said.
Larry nodded. “After your wedding became public, your mother and I were panicking. You’ve become Tristan Grant’s wife and we had no idea what Dan would do once he heard the news. We asked Tony to find out, since he could get close to Dan. In exchange, we agreed to work with Tony to find a way to bring Dan down. He was getting sick of being under Dan’s thumb, you see, but didn’t know how to escape his clutches. Anyway, Tony found out that Dan had a new plan—to have Paige kidnapped so he could demand money not only from us, but also from Tristan.”
Paige gasped. She reached for Tristan’s hand, grateful that she was sitting safely next to him.
Tristan squeezed her hand and brought it to his lips.
“We needed to think fast,” Larry said, “so we decided to take the offensive regarding your wedding. We advised Dan we found a way to pay him back his money, plus interest, but didn’t tell him earlier in case it didn’t work. We showed him the trust deed. We also said that Paige decided to use you in particular, Tristan, because you were already head over heels and, therefore, easier to convince that you have to marry her as soon as possible. Dan liked the sound of the trust fund money being handed over to him even though he hated the fact that you had to be involved. But we also knew Dan was likely to still go ahead with the kidnapping after the funds were released by the trustees. You’re too tempting an extortion target for him, Tristan. That was why, as soon as Paige got the five million, we were gonna get her to disappear before Dan got to her. And we did. As soon as the trustees advised us that they had deposited the money to Paige’s account, we put our plan into action.”
Paige welled up. “But why did you have to make up the story that Tristan was the one involved in criminal activities?”
Larry looked down in shame. “Anyone who saw your wedding pictures would have known that you and Tristan are very much in love. We thought it would be impossible to get Tristan to go into hiding too. He’d have called the police, and that would have scared Tony, who has plenty to hide from the authorities. We were scared that Tony might go back to Dan Yap and betray us to save his skin. Dan would have shut us up before the authorities could catch him. So we had to make up a story that would make you leave Tristan fast, for your own safety. We’re sorry we had to do that, but we have no doubts Dan would already have kidnapped you if we had not hidden you first.”
Larry ran a hand on his face. “Things started out well when we hid you at the Beams’ Bowral home. But everything turned chaotic when Tony panicked after learning that Paige had spoken to a stranger. He said he knew Dan’s ways, and he was scared that the woman named Elizabeth was sent by Dan to see what we were up to.”
“And was she sent by Dan?” Paige asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Carter and Gavin said they couldn’t tell for sure,” Tristan supplied.
“Anyway, Tony was convinced that Dan’s men were on their way to off all of us so he was adamant we should move somewhere else immediately. We all agreed. We’d come to a point where we didn’t know what else to do. When Tony got the call that several searches had been done on the Land Rover we were driving, we all thought it was Dan looking for us. What we didn’t know was that Debbie had been tipping the authorities.”
Debbie’s lips curved. “I couldn’t stand the thought of my daughter and grandchild being on the run forever from a drug lord. Because I didn’t trust Tony, I had to pretend you escaped on your own, Paige, in case he did something stupid.”
“I wish I could turn back time,” Larry said tearfully. “There’s so much I would have done differently. Would both of you forgive us?”
Paige inhaled deeply. It was too late to change what had already happened, but was she ready to move on from this?
She placed a hand over he
r heart, and she got her answer. She didn’t agree with what her parents had done, but she accepted that they’d acted out of love for her. “Yes. Thank you,” she croaked.
Tristan stood up and went over to Debbie. He hugged his mother-in-law. “Thank you,” he said.
Debbie sniffed, hugging him back.
Then Tristan turned to Larry.
Larry rose from his seat and extended his hand for a shake.
Tristan took it, but also put his other arm around his father-in-law’s shoulders. “I wish you hadn’t done what you’d done, but thank you.”
Larry responded by patting Tristan’s back.
Paige’s tears flowed down her cheeks as she watched the scene before her. Certain circumstances had brought her heartache, pain and stress, but she also knew they were responsible for some of the most special things in her life that she would never exchange for anything. She was married to Tristan, and they were so much stronger together because of this.
In the end, she was grateful for the here and now, and the love and understanding bathing the moment.
She felt another seizing in her lower back, a little more intense this time. “Ahh!”
“What’s wrong?” Tristan asked sharply.
Paige gaped at him. “Contraction.”
Tristan’s mouth dropped.
“Is it the first time you felt that?” Debbie asked.
“No,” she said guiltily. “I’ve been feeling something for a couple of hours now.”
“Baby!” Tristan said, eyes wide.
“They’re not strong and frequent yet. And I really wanted to see Mum and Dad first.”
Tristan inhaled deeply. “Okay, but I think we better go now. I’ll take you straight to the hospital.”
“Yes,” Debbie said, helping her up from her seat. “You should go now. I’m glad we saw you too, though. I’ll make a request for approval for me and your dad to visit you in hospital.”
“Okay, I—” Paige paused, an internal twisting sensation making her breath hard through her mouth.
The Unexpected Husband (Captured by Love Book 8) Page 17