by Dani Wyatt
I can’t even meet his eyes. He obviously had his suspicions before, but now he knows he’s caught me out in a lie. Sooner or later, we’re going to have to tell them, and I’d rather do it sooner, but I know Leah’s keen on keep it to ourselves. “Oh, it will wait, man, you concentrate on all this.”
C H A P T E R T W E L V E
LEAH
It’s been a few days since the hospital scare, and May looks so happy standing there with Decker’s arms around her, patting her belly. They’ve emerged from honeymoon hibernation and we’re all here, back at the mansion, and I think from the way she’s looking between me and Allister she’s finally worked out what’s going on.
Her voice rises as she turns to Decker. “Did you know about this?”
“Hey, if someone else can find their happiness, more power to them.”
I can feel the heat in my cheeks, but I guess there’s no denying it anymore. After what happened at the hospital, Decker had already worked it all out anyway, and May doesn’t look upset. Actually, she looks happy, just annoyed that she’s the last to find out.
Decker grins and nods at Allister. “I’ll get her settled, then we can head out.”
“Sounds good, boss.”
They have a lot to go over, what with the fires on top of all the usual things at the clubs. Decker is also getting Allister up to speed with all the extra things that he does, ready for handing over the day-to-day running so that he can retire with May.
With that, Decker and May head indoors together and Allister turns to me. “Sorry, Leah, but there’s no use denying it any longer.”
“It’s fine.” I shrug. “I thought May would be more upset that things are changing so much, so quickly, but I guess when you’re happy there isn’t much that can ruin it.” I try to fight the grin that’s spreading over my face, but it’s a battle I can’t win. “I think I know how she feels.”
“Come here.” He pulls me into a hug. “I wish I could stay longer, but there’s a lot that I need to sort out.”
“Really, it’s fine. I understand.” My phone buzzes and I smile when I see the text from my sister. “Besides, I think May and I have some girl talk to do.”
I figure May will be up in a minute and we will talk for hours, I’m sure, but she’s taking longer than I expected. Allister left forty minutes ago. And that means Decker did, too.
I’ve texted her to see where she is but there’s no reply.
“Leah?” Wilson pokes his head around the door.
“Yes?”
“May just called from a payphone in town. She said she forgot her own phone, her cell phone, she left it back at Decker’s. She said she would be back in a couple hours.”
“Oh.” It doesn’t make sense. Where did she go? And why? “Okay, thank you. That’s not like her.”
“She said not to worry. Everything is fine. Hey, listen.” Wilson steps into the room, his face dark and sullen. “I don’t want to tell you this, but I have to.”
“What is it?”
“It’s Allister.”
“Allister? What about him?”
“Look.” He licks his lips. “I used to drive Victor to that club all the time. I spent plenty of time there. Even got to know some of the staff. I’m still friends with one of the dancers there. No, it’s nothing like that, it’s just a friendship, that’s all. Anyway, the thing is, Allister has a problem, Leah. I mean... well, I think you should see for yourself.”
Wilson hands me his phone. Pictures are displayed on the screen and I flick through a couple, then my stomach turns. Drugs. No, it can’t be true. Anything but that. I can feel the tears starting to sting my eyes.
“I’m sorry, Leah. He’s also got a conviction for it. I didn’t want to tell you, but he’s getting his hooks in you and I know it’s all about the money. It always is with these people.”
“No, this isn’t right. It can’t be. I don’t understand.”
“Keep flipping. There’s a copy of his criminal record, too.”
The photos cut into my heart.
“How did you get these?” I don’t mean for my voice to sound accusatory, but I’m clutching at straws. I want it to be untrue.
“Desiree. One of the dancers. He has her bring them over and store them. Then he sells them. The ones he doesn’t take himself at least.”
The pictures of his office are clear. An open cabinet behind a shelf of books shows bottles and bottles of pills. Close-ups of the labels have multiple women’s names and they are all narcotics. I don’t know much about drugs, but I know enough.
There is a ripping inside my chest. It’s not a tightness or anything else I can describe but a tearing open of something, like my heart is literally rending in two. I’ve known so many kinds of pain in my young life, but this one is new. Take all of them that came before and light them on fire, tip a poison arrow in the mix and shoot it into my chest. You still wouldn’t match how I feel right now.
I’m burning hot and I’m freezing.
“I’m sorry.” He stuffs his hands in his pockets. “I only want to protect you. Everyone wants something from you and now it’s even worse. At least in his own way Simon protected you. A layer of defense between you and the vultures.”
“This can’t be true. It can’t. I know Allister. I know he wouldn’t do this.”
“I know you feel that way, but how long have you known him? And even May with Decker? I know he signed that pre-nup, but think about it, Leah.” His voice thickens with sadness. “They work together. They came after both of you together. Decker got May, made her feel safe, signed the pre-nup to prove he is a good guy. And now, what a coincidence, here comes his best friend, also such a good guy and he’s after you?” I hate the accusation in his voice.
“I’m so stupid.” I shake my head, the mirror above the dresser across the room reflecting back the naïve idiot that allowed herself to be a pawn yet again. No, not ‘allowed.’ I didn’t just allow it, I invited it with open arms.
And open legs.
I tug instinctively at the hem of my dress, trying to stretch it down over myself, not wanting to see my own flesh. My stomach twists and I’m a moment away from looking for a bucket. My vision is swimming.
“I don’t mean to be cruel, but do you think he would be with you if it weren’t for the money? Do you think you two are an equal match? You know what I’m saying, don’t you? I’m so sorry, but I just want you to see it before it’s too late. It might hurt a little bit now, but imagine how much it will hurt later if they get what they want. You and May are both under their thumbs and May’s pregnant. A baby is going to make things easier for Decker to get what he really wants. You can’t believe this isn’t all part of some other plan. I’ve been at that club. More times than I can count. I’ve seen Allister. He walks around there like he’s king of the castle with all those women.”
“No, you’re wrong. He said he was never involved with any. Never involved.”
“Do you really believe that in your heart, Leah?”
I shake my head as my fingertips tingle and twitch. My toes are ice cold.
I look over at the clipped together sheets of paper that make up the story I wrote for Allister. We were going to read it together tonight when he got back. He said he had a surprise for me as well. But now, all I want to do is pretend none of this ever happened. “He’s coming back here in a few hours. What do I do?”
“I’ll help you, Leah. Just like I always have. I’ve never wanted anything from you. I just want you to be safe and happy——”
“Stop! Just give me a second.”
His voice is rising in pitch. “I know that I couldn’t help you when Simon was here, but now I can and I want to. If you do what I say, I think we can stop this now before it goes too far——”
“No, I can’t, I have to think!” My eyes burn. My head is spinning. The things I feel for Allister can’t all be wrong. I’m so confused. But Wilson is right, he’s never asked for anything from us. He’s always been the
re when I needed him. “Just, I need some time. Please, this is so much to take in.”
“Come with me. We can go to the lake house for the night.”
“But what about May? She won’t go, she won’t understand.”
“Let’s take care of you first. You should break it off with him right away. Don’t worry, I’m going to take care of everything.”
“I can’t right now. Just——”
Right on cue, my phone goes off.
Hey, precious. Just checking in. You know I’m always thinking about you. I’ll be at the club for a few more hours. Let me know how it’s going there at the house. You feeling okay about being back? You know it’s up to you where we stay. You’re where I want to be, the place doesn’t matter.”
“Is that him?”
I don’t answer but Wilson grabs my phone from my hand and reads the text.
“He’s trying to control you. Telling you everything you want to hear. Don’t you think he should have told you about his criminal past? And the women he’s been with at the club? It’s a sex playground over there.”
My ears are ringing. That word is like nails on a blackboard to me right now. I don’t want to hear anyone say it, not Allister, not Wilson. Nobody. No way would I ever know if Allister was being honest about being a virgin. How could I? All I have is his word for it. How could I have been such an idiot?
“Let’s go. I think we should go to the lake house and then try to figure out what to do. For you and May.”
Panic rises from some deep place and overtakes me until I feel the pressure even in my eardrums. What if Wilson is right? May is already married to Decker, a baby on the way. This is crazy. But... what if he’s right? But that means that May needs me more than ever.
“No. I don’t want to leave. I won’t leave May. I can’t. She’s my world.” My voice shakes. “And I don’t believe you about Allister. I just don’t.”
Wilson shakes his head. There are tears in his eyes as he looks at me, but there’s something else as well. Something I don’t want to see. “Leah, you have to come with me. I wanted you to go willingly. I really tried.”
C H A P T E R T H I R T E E N
ALLISTER
“Fucking hell.”
“What?” Decker looks up from the papers he’s been signing.
His office is freezing, cold air blasting from the air con unit. The white walls reflect the fluorescent lights until the headache that’s been building is practically blinding me.
“I’ve called and texted Leah four times. Do you feel this way about May? If I don’t hear back from her I can’t fucking think straight.”
He grins and nods, then goes back to the papers. “Yes. We have an agreement. It might sound like I’m a possessive asshole, but she knows her phone is to be on her at all times. And I need to hear back from her within twenty minutes or I’m coming to look for her ass. Hard limit for me. I have to know where she is and if she’s okay.”
“Exactly. Sometimes I feel like I’m losing my mind, man. She’s got my nuts in her hand twenty-four seven, and I can’t fucking breathe half the time when I think about her.”
Decker leans back in his chair, that knowing grin still on his face.
“You guys official then?” He raises his eyebrows. We both know what he means without having to say the exact words.
I just nod.
“Glad you waited?”
“More than glad.” I stuff my phone into my pants pocket and rub the ridge of my nose until pain shoots down into my eye sockets.
Decker is the only other guy I know besides me that waited for the right one. It’s not standard guy code to hold out for your one and only, but damn if it wasn’t fucking worth it.
“Dude, just go find her. You’re no good to me like this and I fucking understand. I’ve got this paperwork under control. Everything’s good here. I’m grateful to you for taking care of things for me. Just go.”
With a quick nod of my head I’m out his office door, jogging down to my own office to grab my stuff. But as I’m about to go in, Desiree comes around the corner. She’s been with us for going on five years and we just made her assistant manager here at Monarch IV. We’ve developed our own friendship over the years, too, and she’s become more like a sister to me, to tell the truth. It’s been good, and it helps that men aren’t her ‘cup o’ tea,’ so to speak, so it kept the gossip to a minimum. The staff all know I don’t poach here, never have, but still, I like to keep the whispers to a minimum because one thing’s for sure, no matter what kind of great staff we have, they do fucking like to gossip.
“Hey.” She eyes me and a grin pulls at the corner of her mouth. “Glad you’re back, baldy. Although, not so bald these days, what’s up with that?” As quickly as it appeared, the smile fades. “Those fires... wow, right?”
“Yep.” I punch in my key code to the door lock on my office.
“You okay?”
“Yes. Just have to get somewhere.” Inside my office I grab my suit jacket and my briefcase. Then I turn as I slip my arms into the sleeves of my leather coat. “How’s my mom?”
Desiree and I have been texting over the last couple weeks while I’ve been caught up in this fire business. My mom is a constant drain on me emotionally, and thankfully, she and Desiree have formed their own friendship. I used to try to call Mom almost every day, but I’ve not seen her face to face as much as usual and as much of a pain in my ass as Mom is, she’s still my mom and I will always take care of her.
“She’s the same. I was over there yesterday. Did a hunt and gather mission. Put everything I found where I normally do at your place. It wasn’t so bad. Three prescriptions from a new doctor she found.”
“Jesus. I love her, you know, but... she’s killin’ me.”
“Yeah, she said she’s still mad at you.”
“That’s fine. She can stay mad while I keep her safe. I’ve got another rehab willing to take her, but if she won’t go, I can’t force her.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” She crosses her arms over her black Monarch t-shirt. “Hey, at least it’s not as bad as that last haul she had. That was epic. That’s why I sent you the pictures of it all once I stored it in the cabinet. Didn’t want you to fall over from shock when you saw it all.”
“It’s fine. Thanks for all you do for her. She lets you do things she won’t let me do. It means so much to me, really.”
“It’s cool. Remember where I was at when you hired me? I understand where she’s at. It’s a beast to kick a habit like that. So I owe you. And she knows I understand the struggle.”
“Still, I appreciate it. Okay, I gotta go. See if you can convince her to let me and Leah come for dinner next week. I want to introduce them. I haven’t told her all about Mom yet, so it gives me some time to explain the unique dynamics of our relationship,” I rumble with a half-hearted chuckle as I corral her out the office door and shut it behind us. “Oh, and thanks for keeping the whole Leah thing under your hat. We’re going public but I appreciate your discretion.” I let it slip about Leah in one of our phone calls last week but I swore her to silence and she’s a vault.
If people knew just how much she does for me and Mom, the rumor mill would be smoking. I’m sure the assumption would be that she and I were having more than just a professional relationship and that would set the whole balance of the club right on its ear.
“I’ll do it.” She smiles and punches me in the arm. “I’m happy you’re happy. Oh and one thing.” Her eyebrows tighten in the center. “I saw that black Bentley twice this week. You know, the one that douche Victor was always in? Same driver, too. Drove by your house when I was there dropping off your mom’s new scripts. Then I saw it again outside Decker’s place when I was there getting him to sign some documents. What the fuck do you think that’s all about? I thought that asshole was in jail and it’s creepy he’s over around Deck’s place and your place. That’s freaky, dude. That driver always gave me the shivers.”
I’m at a
dead run when I get to the parking lot. The phone is to my ear and I’m calling Leah again, but it’s straight to voicemail. My heart’s in my throat, because I feel something isn’t right. If she’s hurt I don’t know what I’ll do. And if someone’s hurt her, I know exactly what I’ll do.
C H A P T E R F O U R T E E N
LEAH
“Please, I did it for you.” Wilson sounds like he actually expects me to say that it’s okay, that somehow I understand, but I don’t. I don’t understand at all.
“You did it for me?” My eyes are bleary with tears. “How can this be for me?”
“He was going to hurt you if I didn’t help him.”
“Shut the fuck up, you imbecile.” Victor grunts the words like it’s beneath him to be talking to the household staff. “Just do what I said. She’s not a fighter, get her ankles and let’s go.”
“Wilson, look at me.” My voice shakes. “You don’t have to do this. Whatever he’s said to you isn’t true.”
“He’s said he’ll hurt you if you don’t go, and that is true. He will have someone hurt you, Leah. I can’t let anyone hurt you. I can’t.”
“Jesus, you are pathetic. Get her and let’s go.” Victor looks down at me with dead eyes. “Everyone is going to be fine. Trust me, I have a deal you won’t want to refuse, Leah. Tell her where May is.”
I can’t breathe when Wilson’s face goes white.
“What do you mean? I know where May is. She forgot her phone. Right?”
Wilson shakes his head. “She’s waiting in the car for you. Listen, we do some business with Victor and then you two get to carry on. Believe me, this is the best way. You just have to do as you’re told and everything will be fine.”
“Shut up. Look, Leah, you fuck up, first it will be your precious May that gets hurt, then it will be you. You understand that, right? Good. Okay, gag her and let’s go.”
“I’m sorry.” Wilson wraps the knotted cloth around my mouth as the tears burn my eyes. “Just do what he says. Sign the papers, do what he asks with the accounts and it’s all done.”