Alveus (ABC's Inc. Romance #1)

by Lara Earlman

  “Yes,” he finally said in a gruff voice. “What is his name?”

  “Richard Alberton.” Lexi gave Dice the address to her home and the offices of Alberton Technologies.

  “Can you describe your abductors; did they call each other by name?”

  Lexi described Cass and the two men who had inspected her, drugged her, and transported her. Dice took notes and seemed slightly surprised that a woman was in charge. He shook his head, mumbling something about a woman selling another woman.

  “I’ve already spoken with Keith Ingram, but why do you think Mr. Wellesley could give us more information?” It was Lexi’s turn to stare.

  “He purchased me!” she explained. “And after he… well… He sent me back to the same woman when he… finished with me.” Lexi knew her face was bright red. She saw the doubt in the big guy’s face. “His attorney told me that his boss owned me, and Cass said I’d been returned, no longer wanted,” she said in a quiet voice. “He even admitted that I belonged to him. Actually, it’s just occurred to me that he and my uncle could have plotted together – they knew each other, you know. After Dane took what he wanted from me… he vanished and never spoke to me again.” Lexi’s voice came out hollow. “Go, ask him. There’s nothing more I can tell you, please, I’m tired.”

  Dice turned to leave. “Thank you for your help,” he said. He walked to the door and turned back to face her. “I understand how hard it must be to trust anyone after living through an experience such as yours, but if you don’t mind my saying – I know when a man has it bad for a woman, and well, you should give Dane’s side of things a second look.” With that, he stepped out the door.

  »ɞ»ɞ«ɞ«

  “She said what?” Dane stood up, dumbfounded. Did Lexi really believe that he had planned the whole human trafficking scenario? He began pacing restlessly.

  “She’s likely just feeling the effects of PTSD or something,” Greig consoled.

  “I told you she’s not herself,” Stefani agreed.

  “Well, what do you expect,” Gretchen pointed out to her sister condescendingly, “peaches and roses?” She scrutinized Dane. “Are you sure you don’t have anything you need to get off your chest? You’ve been acting guilty ever since our little reunion.”

  “Harsh, much – Gretch?” Stefan admonished. “As you pointed out, this hasn’t exactly been a stroll in the park for any of us – especially Daney-boy.”

  Dane raised an eyebrow at the absurd nick-name, but decided to let it ride. The guy was on his side, after all. Wait, he thought – there are no sides, here. These people are his friends, pretty much the only family he had. In a very short time, their relationship had meshed back into the “put-my-life-on-the-line-for-you” pledge they had in childhood.

  “Why would she think he’d rescue her from Hejd, if he planned for her to be taken in the first place?” Stefan considered, bringing the conversation back to its origin. “It makes no sense.”

  “My point, exactly,” Greig agreed. “You shouldn’t take what she says seriously, right now. She needs time to adjust to what she’s been through.”

  “It must have been horrible!” Stefani’s eyes grew teary.

  “We’ve established that,” Gretchen said. “Greig’s right, she needs some time. Meanwhile, we should support her wish to get on with her life. Maybe it would be good for her to go home and pick up where she left off.”

  “Her parents are gone, now,” Stefani reminded them. “We are all she has left and I for one do not intend to let her push me away!” She glanced at her siblings for their accord and then looked pointedly at Dane. “I don’t think you should either.”

  “It won’t be that easy,” Dane confessed. “Gretchen is right; I am guilty of hurting Pips, but not in the way she thinks and it wasn’t on purpose. I had no idea that Keith bought her from the black market.” He raked his hands through his hair and sat down.

  With his elbows on his knees, he placed his head in his hands, defeated. Feeling a nudge, he looked up and took the drink Gretchen held out for him. She sat down beside him, her hand on his shoulder showing support, Fani at his other side. They waited. He took a sip of the beverage, gaining courage from the alcohol burning his throat.

  “I should have known who she was!” he berated himself. “It had been so long since I’d thought of her – any of you. I buried those memories… I’m sorry. I should have known…”

  “Why don’t you start from the beginning,” Gretchen encouraged. “Why did Keith buy her; did he know who she was?”

  “No, I’m fairly certain he didn’t,” Dane answered, shaking his head. He let out a heavy sigh. “Oma was becoming increasingly ill, and anxious that I find a wife before she died.” He was interrupted by guffawing from Stefan and Greig. Jerking his head up to shoot a glare at the brothers, he wound up laughing with them. God, he’d missed those guys! They succeeded in breaking him out of his funk.

  “Yeah,” he grinned, “turns out she’s a talented actress. Either that, or I’m a bigger fool than I thought!” Dane received a few more snickers from his audience, effectively putting him in his place. “Thanks for that,” he mumbled sarcastically.

  “Okay,” Stefani said, impatiently. “So, we can guess where this is going, but why didn’t Lexi tell you who she was?”

  “I’m not sure, but now I can guess it was because she thought I was the piece of slime that purchased her. Anyway, Keith was aware of Oma’s decree and decided to help me out. Sorry girls, but there was no way I was going to saddle myself with any of the females I knew. He told me he found a high-class call girl willing to sign an agreement to pose as my betrothed – for a price, of course.”

  “So you thought Lexi was a call girl?” Stefani scoffed disbelief. “She’s such an innocent; I don’t think she’s ever even dated!”

  Dane’s face grew hot. “Yes, well I did wonder at times, but I thought she was a good actress. Look, are you all going to tell me that you’ve never had someone of the opposite sex get close to you, just to get to your money? It comes with the territory!” At least Dane had the satisfaction of knowing he was right when he saw the abashed looks on their faces. All except for Dice, who sat quietly observing the others.

  “I’m just curious, how did you expect to pacify Oma without actually marrying the woman you hired to be your fiancé?” Greig asked.

  “Well, Oma gave me the impression that she was at death’s door, so I thought I could get by with a long engagement,” Dane explained.

  “Since we’re opening up, here,” Gretchen said, “what about the rest of Lexi’s accusations? Why did she say you’d gotten what you wanted, if she was sent away before Oma’s demise? And for that matter, why did Keith arrange for her to be taken away?”

  Seriously, Gretchen should have been a prosecutor, Dane thought. He wasn’t comfortable with the idea of giving out the intimate details of his time with Lexi. It wouldn’t be fair to her either. He tried to think of a way of skirting the question.

  “Aly was not behaving according to Keith’s idea of how a paid escort should,” he finally explained. “Besides that, he tried to set her up as the one who poisoned Oma. If she disappeared, then it made her look all the more guilty.”

  “But…”

  “Gretchen, leave it alone,” Greig admonished.

  “Read between the lines,” Stefan advised.

  After they all left, Dane sat in his apartment, a fresh drink in hand as the sun set and the room darkened. Perhaps he had been in denial, but he wasn’t stupid; he knew his heart was crying out to be with Lexi. But that was the last thing she wanted. The no love policy he had trained all his life to perfect was crumbling into dust leaving him exposed and helpless. Dane Wellesley is heartless – everyone knows that. He had successfully rid himself of that vulnerable organ decades ago. How had she managed to find it? Was it her smile, her sigh, her kiss? All he knew for certain was that he was putty, lying useless at the feet of one petite redhead with pale blue eyes.

  “W
hat are you doing sitting in the dark?” The lights came on and Oma stood with her hands on her hips. “I’m fixing you something to eat,” she decided.

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “You will eat it,” she said forcefully. However, she stood where she was, taking in his defeated demeanor.

  “She hates me,” Dane whispered to the room.

  Oma sat down next to him and gently took his hand.

  “Nein, jungen,” she quietly said, “our ein bisschen loves you and she always has. It was obvious that the two of you were born to be together. The first moment you locked eyes on baby Alexiah at the age of five, you gave yourself to her. As you grew up, her mother Alicia and I watched the bond grow stronger between the two of you. Remember the way she always followed you around, how inseparable you were? Her mother and I never questioned that you would someday marry.”

  “I never took you for the kind of person who believed in silly romantic fantasies,” Dane scoffed.

  “You’re wrong about that, Daney. Your grandfather and I lived what you refer to as a silly romantic fantasy.”

  Dane couldn’t refute the obvious love his grandparents had for each other.

  “What happened to you when you were at University, Daney?” Oma asked. “Something caused you to cut the ties from not only Alexiah, but from the Carsten twins, as well. Something happened that changed your heart.”

  “Cara,” he admitted. “She made it a point to visit me regularly, each time with another man on her arm, and each time she would leave me with an empty bank account!”

  “And an empty heart as well, it seems,” his grandmother perceived.

  “She taught me a great deal about love, or how I should avoid it. I will never understand how you and Opa could have raised such a shallow, selfish woman,” he spat out bitterly.

  “I’m not sure what we did wrong either, jungen,” she sadly admitted. “I suppose we spoiled her – we loved your mother so much. Do you still hear from her?”

  Dane shook his head. “I see to it that she receives a generous allowance and she heeds my wishes to keep away from me. If she breaks the rules, she forfeits a payment.” Dane’s voice was cold.

  “And yet Alexiah has broken through your barriers as only that little one could,” his grandmother pointed out. “Do you still think it is just a silly romantic fantasy?” She patted his hand. “It will work out as it was always meant to.”

  »ɞ»ɞ«ɞ«

  “I don’t want him here, Uncle Eddie,” Lexi told the elderly attorney. “Please tell the hospital staff to keep Dane away.”

  “Dane saved your life, Alexiah; and he refused to leave your side the whole time you were unconscious,” Ed Bravanger reported. “The man obviously cares for you, how can you treat him so callously?”

  “It was he who put me back in the hands of those horrible people! Why is it that no one seems to understand this?”

  “Calm down, Alexiah. You’ll hinder your recovery if you keep letting yourself get upset. It was Keith Ingram who did business with the human traffickers, not Dane.”

  “Of course he told you that,” Lexi said, flopping her head back onto the pillow. She wanted desperately to believe that he was innocent too, but facts were facts.

  “Keith Ingram confessed!” Bravanger held up his hand when Lexi started to reply. “Listen up, young lady! You told me when I came into the room that I was the only one you could trust. It’s why you called my office for help – isn’t that right?” Lexi nodded. “Then I will tell you the true facts, including how your young man…”

  “He’s not my…”

  Bravanger held his hand up again, “Ah, Ah…” he silenced her. “Including how your young man moved heaven and hell to get you home safely.” He paused, daring her to interrupt.

  “Now, let me clear up the first misconception,” he continued. “Dane Wellesley never knew anything about the human trafficking until he tore apart Ingram’s office after you disappeared. He found the idiot contract the councilor had you sign and some cryptic notes which made him suspicious. He also found evidence that Ingram was responsible for poisoning Marta. When Keith confessed to purchasing you, Dane had to be forcefully restrained from beating the hell out of his friend.” Lexi started to ask a question, but immediately clapped her mouth shut by another raise of a hand.

  “Dane was told that a call girl was being paid to play the part of his fiancée. According to Mr. Ingram, his high priced call girl wasn’t giving his friend the attention he needed, so he contacted the selling agents to negotiate a return. He admitted to framing you for Marta’s poisoning and your sudden disappearance made you look all the more guilty.” Ed paused to let his words sink in.

  “Any questions?”

  Lexi shook her head, unsure about opening her mouth.

  “Shall I give you the details of how your friends and Dane thought nothing about putting their lives at risk to illegally enter the private property of a wealthy, powerful sheikh in order to obtain your freedom? Not to mention putting their businesses on the line as well as the political relations of three countries!”

  Lexi shook her head again.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The car pulled into the circular drive and eased to a stop before the front entrance of the Alberton estate. Lexi remained in the back seat, absorbing comfort from the only home she had ever known. Edith appeared at the doorway with a welcoming smile, as her husband Harold rushed to aid Lexi out of the car.

  “Welcome home, Miss Lexi,” he said. “We’ve missed you something terrible.” The elderly servant’s words brought tears to her eyes. Still, even as she exited the vehicle, she stood hesitantly at the bottom of the stairs leading to the entranceway. The large house seemed the embodiment of the emptiness Lexi bore when her last living relative betrayed her – Alveus.

  Remembering her manners, she turned to thank Uncle Eddy and Gareth Bravanger for their assistance in bringing her home.

  After the elderly attorney’s lecture in the hospital, Lexi had plenty of time to contemplate her feelings for Dane Wellesley. Twelve-year-old Lexi celebrated and boasted her talent for reading her heartthrob’s benevolence, but the cautious, adult Lexi tenaciously protected her heart – he was a womanizer, prone to use his job as an escape mechanism. The last time she’d seen him was on the day she woke up in the hospital. Lexi was certain that Bravanger had not passed on her desire for Dane to keep away, especially after the lashing he’d put her through. Even so, the abstruse Herr Wellesley never attempted to visit her, and never attempted to explain himself. She was told that he had flown to London to straighten out some company business. Clearly, he was anxious to have her out of his life – her twelve-year-old heart would just have to accept that!

  Thankfully, Uncle Eddy had interceded with Oma on her behalf, explaining how important it was for Lexi to return home. It seemed Richard Alberton had run off, leaving Alberton Technologies in an uncertain state of affairs. It was no surprise to Lexi; her father’s sibling had already proven his inadequacy in business, before he’d arranged to make a change to her future.

  The Carstens returned to the states before Lexi was released from the hospital, leaving a persistent Stefani behind. She became Lexi’s constant companion, and it wasn’t long before their relationship picked up as if it had barely been interrupted. Lexi determined that she would never put their wills to a test; she would surely lose against her tenacious friend. Fani shared their flight to Dulles airport, but detoured to pack up some belongings and to fetch her treasured Chihuahua – that’s right, she was temporarily moving into the Alberton estate! Meanwhile, Lexi had to make it through the front door.

  With promises to keep in daily communication, Lexi watched the Bravangers’ car disappear down the long driveway. Time to face her ghosts. With a sigh, Lexi plastered on a smile and climbed the stairs.

  Edith drew her into a motherly hug and turned to usher Lexi through the door, keeping an arm protectively around her waist. Harold followed empty handed, appeari
ng at a loss; there was no luggage to bring in. It was a surreal homecoming and even more so, Lexi discovered, once she entered the house.

  “I’m afraid your uncle made a few changes,” the housekeeper warned. “He removed most of the more precious valuables from the house, except of course those which were tucked away in your father’s safe – thank God.”

  Lexi paused in the foyer to admire a fresh-cut floral arrangement. The card attached from Lee Carsten brought tears to her eyes.

  “Welcome home Alexiah. I am only a phone call away, love Uncle Lee.”

  The twins’ father had always been more of an uncle to Lexi than Richard Alberton had ever been. Why had she trusted in a man whose own brother had such little faith? Richard had convinced her to expedite her parents’ funeral in private. Looking back, Lexi was sure that her uncle knew his late brother’s attorney would be out of town that week. Her father had been cremated and laid quietly to rest alongside her mother, with little fanfare. Suspicion rose in her gut – why was Richard in such a hurry? He alluded that it was for her sake, although it was obvious now that he was anxious to get his hands on any and everything her parents had left of value. Lexi’s heart reached out to her father for all of the disappointments he had to have endured from his younger brother.

  “Have the police been notified regarding my parents’… my missing property?” she asked, tucking the card in her jean pocket. Admittedly, a shadow of disappointment wafted through her that the flowers had not come from Dane.

  “No, I’m sorry,” Edith said, looking at her husband for support. “We were unsure of the younger Mr. Alberton’s right to the property.” Lexi spotted fear in the older woman’s face.

  “I understand,” she said. “I’ll call them myself once I’ve taken inventory of the missing items. …Mother’s Faberge´ egg collection?” The apologetic look on the elderly couple’s faces told Lexi the answer. “Well then, I guess it was farsighted of my father to have locked the two priceless pieces in the safe after Mother died,” she added in an attempt to sooth them. The objects held more sentimental than monetary value to her, anyway. “You’re sure the vault wasn’t breached?”