The Wedding Bargain

by Yvonne Lindsay

  Anyone else might have thought her concern about her work a selfish one, but Raif knew Shanal. She was, at heart, a geek. A lovable, intense, scarily clever geek. Her work meant so much to her, and she took justifiable pride in her professional accomplishments. Without her job she would feel as though she had no definition in life. It was as much a part of her as those perfectly arched eyebrows or the delectable texture and taste of her skin. And she had a fair share of her father’s pride, as well. He knew, without question, that if Burton destroyed her reputation—which he was more than capable of doing—he might as well just grind her into the ground along with it.

  It was up to Raif to make sure that didn’t happen.

  “I don’t want you to worry about that. It’s not going to be your problem. Just leave it with me.”

  “Raif, that’s a lot of trust you’re asking me to give. It’s already Wednesday. We get married on Saturday afternoon.”

  “No, it won’t get that far.”

  “But how on earth can you prevent it?”

  “I just need you to trust me, Shanal. Can you continue to act as if you’re going along with his plans?”

  “Of course I can. I’ve managed to get this far.”

  He pressed a kiss to her lips. “That’s my girl,” he said approvingly. “I will fix this. I promise. Your parents will be okay and your job will be safe.”

  “But how—?”

  “Trust me. Everything will be okay.”

  A knock at the door prevented Shanal from asking any more questions. As they acknowledged Ethan’s presence and his summons to join the rest of the guests at the table for dinner, Raif quietly vowed that there was no way he would ever allow Burton to have any more power over Shanal or her family. Or anyone else, if he had any say in the matter.

  * * *

  By Thursday afternoon Raif was climbing the walls with frustration. The private-investigation company he’d retained to look into Burton’s affairs had come highly recommended, but given the tiny window of time they had to work in, would they be able to dig up enough dirt on Rogers soon enough to make a difference?

  Shanal had emailed a scanned copy of her parents’ original loan agreement. The sum was staggering, but not impossible to meet out of his private resources. Raif was already in talks with his bank and financial planners to liquidate the necessary funds to ensure that sum Rogers had paid through a company facade, together with the appropriate market rate of interest, would be available to be settled, and the mortgage, also registered in that company’s name, discharged. But the information he needed to nail Burton’s ass to the wall, and ensure it stayed there—information necessary to keep Shanal from losing her job and her professional reputation—still eluded him.

  He thought back through what he knew of the man. Always competitive at school, Burton had never excelled purely for the pleasure of it—no, he’d excelled because he felt he had to be the best, the fastest, the brightest. If another student’s marks beat his in one exam, it hadn’t been long before that student began to slide back in his work, or—even more sinisterly—was found with a copy of an exam paper, or alcohol, or even worse things, in his locker.

  It wasn’t that Rogers wasn’t a clever man—he most definitely was, which made him all the more powerful an adversary. But there was a clinical air about him. As if he was detached from the world he lived in, choosing to lord it above everyone, and carefully selecting the things and people he wanted in his realm. And he’d chosen Shanal.

  It was easy to see why. Intelligent, good at her work and incredibly beautiful into the bargain, she would have appeared to him like a prized exotic flower to be collected by an avid botanist. Raif had no doubt that Burton had bided his time before approaching Shanal. That was part of his modus operandi. He liked to stalk for a while, to savor his victory before pouncing.

  It was how Burton had seduced Laurel away from Raif, striking when she was at a low moment. A month before the canyoneering trip, they’d argued, after Raif had once again avoided discussing the future of their relationship. The weekend they’d broken up, he’d used that dreadful adage, the one that usually struck fear into the heart of any person in a long-term relationship—he had told her that he “just needed a bit of space.” So she’d given it to him.

  Raif had loved Laurel, but not in the way he now knew he loved Shanal—and maybe, deep down, she’d sensed that, too. Maybe she’d known, on some level, that his dedication to her hadn’t been as deep as hers for him. He’d certainly enjoyed their relationship, had even believed they were on the same page when it came to their time together—and, yes, maybe in time his feelings would have deepened and they would have married. But it hadn’t happened fast enough for Laurel, and she had begun to ask for more from their relationship. Things including a commitment he hadn’t been prepared, at that stage, to give to her or to anyone.

  Either way, Raif still blamed himself for her death that awful day. He should have known she’d continue with the expedition without him. And if he’d been there for her as he should have been, Raif knew she wouldn’t have died. He might have a reputation as a bit of a daredevil, but he never underestimated danger and always double-checked—no, triple-checked—everything when it came to equipment and environment in the pursuit of adventure sports.

  Remembering Laurel made Raif wonder again if there should have been more to the reports that had been submitted to the coroner after her death. Was it possible that some vital information had been withheld? There were only two survivors from that day. One was Burton, the other was the guide. Raif picked up his phone and punched in the number for the investigator who had been assigned to him. After a brief conversation, directing the man to explore deeper into the circumstances of Laurel’s death, and to talk directly with the guide who’d been with them that day, he hung up his phone.

  Could the guide be the key? The man had sworn he’d checked the ropes and carabiner that had connected them. He had no reason to lie about that, or did he?

  It was Friday evening when Raif got a call from the private investigator. He’d tracked down the guide, who’d said he would speak only to Raif. The investigator gave him the details of where to meet the man.

  Raif fired a quick text message off to Shanal: Trust me!

  It took him a while to find the address the investigator had given him, but Raif was persistent, eventually spotting the overgrown driveway on the hill road. He parked his car and walked toward the house. The front door opened as he approached. He recognized the guide immediately; Raif and Laurel had used him several times before her fatal expedition.

  “Noah, good to see you,” Raif said, stepping forward and offering his hand.

  “Good to see you, too,” the other man replied.

  But he didn’t meet his eyes as they shook hands ,and Raif had to admit to some shock at Noah’s appearance. Was he sick? Always lean, the guy was almost skeletal in appearance now. And even though Noah was a good five years younger than Raif, right now he looked at least ten or fifteen years older.

  Raif followed him inside and sat down in the living room. There was a layer of dust on every surface, and although the room held quality furnishings, an air of neglect hung over everything.

  “Can I get you anything?” Noah offered, looking out from a face that was more gray than tan.

  “No, I’m good, mate. You know why I’m here. Let’s cut to the chase, huh? I don’t have a lot of time.”

  Noah huffed a breath. “Yeah, time. I seem to have all too much of it.”

  “You’re not guiding anymore?”

  “I did a few trips after that day, but to be honest, since then...” His voice petered out and he shook his head.

  Noah reached for a packet of cigarettes on the table. His hand shook as he tapped one out and raised it to his lips to light it. He drew deeply on the cigarette, taking his time to blow out th
e smoke before talking again. It was a habit Raif had never seen the man indulge in before. He’d always thought Noah was like him, testing himself against nature and the elements. Taking his highs from the thrill of living, not through stimulants like tobacco.

  “He paid me.”

  Raif sat up a little straighter. “Burton?”

  “Yeah.” Noah took another long drag on his cigarette. “I’m so sorry, mate... I accepted the money. I said I wouldn’t tell what really happened that day. He was so forceful. I could see her—lying there, at the bottom of the water hole, and he was arguing with me, physically holding me back from getting down to her. He told me he’d send me over the edge, too. He was actually holding me right there on the lip, with my back to the falls, telling me how much money he’d pay me if I just kept my mouth shut. In the end I said yes so he’d let me go...so I could attempt to retrieve Laurel...but I was too late. Once I realized she was gone, I guess I figured it didn’t matter what I said, one way or another. The truth wasn’t going to bring her back.”

  Conflicting emotions swelled and ebbed inside Raif. Noah had lied to save his own life, that much was clear. As much as it went against Raif’s sense of honor, he could accept that, under the circumstances, Noah had felt as though he had no other choice.

  “You said Burton held you back from checking on her. Did you think she might have still been alive at that point?”

  “I couldn’t be certain. She hit her head pretty hard on the way down, but there was still a chance. If I could have just gotten her out of the pool, I could have at least tried to save her. We were all trained for that kind of rescue. You know the saying. Train for the worst, expect the best. I lived by that, mate. And he wouldn’t even let me try.”

  Raif considered Noah’s words. “Tell me how she fell. You checked the equipment, right?”

  Noah nodded. “I did. In fact she had been laughing at me, teasing me a bit for being so cautious—you know what she was like. Kind of flirty and fun, even when she was about to drop off a cliff face. I guess Burton didn’t like that too much. He took her aside before she went over. I couldn’t hear exactly what he was saying, but he didn’t sound pleased. I did hear her reply, though. She told him to stop acting like a jealous child and to lighten up. I could see that made him mad.

  “She’d already set her own anchors, Raif, three of them. He said he’d check them and her rope, and then she went over.”

  “It was the rope that came undone, wasn’t it?”

  “The knot slipped, yeah.”

  “Did you see him touch it?” A sick feeling gripped Raif’s gut. “Or loosen it?”

  Noah stubbed out his cigarette, lit another. “Yeah. I didn’t realize it at the time or I’d have done something. You have to believe me on that.”

  Raif barely heard him, though. He couldn’t quite come to terms with the shocking truth. Burton had knowingly tampered with Laurel’s equipment. His actions had directly led to her death—a death he had further ensured by making certain Noah was unable to rescue or revive her. The ramifications were huge.

  Raif rubbed his eyes and leaned back in the chair. He’d always known Burton was driven, dangerous even, but this was an entirely new level, even for him.

  “He told me he’d just wanted to teach her a lesson. Give her a fright, you know. He didn’t expect the knot to fail completely.”

  Raif had to swallow down his anger and frustration. A beautiful life lost, and for what? One man’s ego? It was beyond comprehension.

  “Are you willing to swear to this, Noah?”

  The younger man nodded. “Look at me, man. I can’t live with myself any longer. Yes, he gave me money and I spent it, but since that day I haven’t slept a full night or been able to work. Every time I tried to guide a group I’d have a panic attack and relive that day all over again. I’m done with that. I lied to the police and I’ll take the rap for what I did, but he has to be held to justice, too. For Laurel’s sake.”

  “Oh, he will be, I promise you that. And I’ll get you help, Noah.”

  “Nah, man, I’m done. I made my choices that day—they were wrong, but I made them. I need to take responsibility for that and then maybe I can learn to live with it, and myself.”

  Raif made a mental note to ensure that Noah received the psychological and legal help he’d need. Sure, he’d done wrong, but he needed support now that he was trying to do the right thing. “Noah, you were a victim, too.”

  “I may have been, but I didn’t pay the ultimate price like Laurel did. You have to stop him, Raif. The guy’s dangerous.”

  “I will, rest assured. Are you prepared to come with me to the police station to make a statement?”

  Noah looked around him, then back at Raif. “Money’s not all it’s cracked up to be, is it? Not if you can’t live with yourself.”

  Raif stood up and looked down at the shell of the man who’d once been a vibrant, fit and happy person. “That’s true, but you’re doing the right thing, Noah. And I meant what I said about helping you.”

  Noah stood, too, and shook his head. “I don’t deserve it, but thank you.”

  It was a simple matter to head to the nearest police station and for Noah to make his statement. Raif was mindful of how late it was getting, but this situation wasn’t something that could be rushed.

  By the time Noah was finished, he was exhausted, but Raif could see how a weight had lifted from the man’s shoulders. Maybe there’d be hope for him yet, Raif thought, as they shook hands and parted ways.

  Fifteen

  “Are you sure you want to do this, meri pyaari beti?”

  “It will be okay,” Shanal replied, as her mother finished dressing her once again in the much-loathed bridal gown. Shanal frowned in distaste at the reflection in the full-length mirror in her parents’ bedroom. The dress was a symbol of everything Burton was. Show and glamor with very little substance.

  She felt sick with nerves, which was not much of a change from the nausea that usually assailed her upon waking each morning. What would she do if Raif didn’t show up in time to call a halt to the wedding? He’d asked her to trust him, and she did, but that didn’t stop fear from creeping up from the shadows in her mind.

  Burton had exposed a side of himself that she’d never thought possible. If anyone had told her back when they first got engaged that he could be cruel and manipulative like that she would not have believed it. Now, of course, was a different story. She couldn’t believe she’d been so oblivious to his true nature. Granted, she’d never been all that attracted to him—certainly not in the way that Raif set her blood pumping and her heart skittering.

  To think she’d even initially felt guilty about using Burton to solve her problems. It was enough to make her doubt her own judgment. If she’d made a mistake like that, was she making an even worse one by trusting Raif to make her problems go away? Surely she should be capable of doing that herself?

  She looked up in the mirror and studied her reflection again, and that of her mother as she fussed and tweaked with the fall of the new veil until it was just so. Shanal reminded herself she was a capable woman. She’d gained a doctorate in her field. She’d written respected papers. She ran the lab at Burton International without fault or flaw. She wasn’t weak or incapable—she was just in over her head. And in those circumstances, it showed how intelligent she was that she was willing to let someone else lend a hand. Despite all the things she could do on her own, she needed help now.

  Her mother’s eyes met hers in the mirror, a question behind them. What if Raif doesn’t show?

  “It will be all right, you’ll see,” Shanal said, injecting as much enthusiasm into her voice as she could. “Everything will be all right.”

  Her parents had chosen not to come to the church this time. Her mother had argued that it had been hard enough last time to get he
r father out of the house and to the cathedral, where he’d felt the eyes of everyone around them as he’d accompanied Shanal in his wheelchair. Shanal had agreed. Besides, it wasn’t as if this wedding was going to go ahead. At least she fervently hoped not. Her hand strayed to her belly, where Raif’s child nestled safe and secure inside her.

  She had to do this. She had to go through the motions for her child and for Raif. He’d promised he’d find a solution to her problems and she had to believe he would. He was, she thought with a private smile, a Masters, after all. They were not the type of people to ever quit. Knowing that gave her the inner strength she needed, and she straightened her posture and squared her shoulders.

  The car Burton had arranged to collect her and to take her to the church would be here any minute now. After one final check in the mirror, she turned away. Her father was in his chair in the sitting room, staring out the window. She bent before him and took his limp hands in hers. Hands that had supported her as a baby and held hers as she’d balanced on walls and jumped waves at the beach. Hands that had saved so many lives over so many years. Hands that had taken one.

  “It will be all right, Dad. I don’t want you to worry anymore. It’s all going to work itself out.” She leaned forward and kissed him, gently squeezing his hands in reassurance before repeating, “Like I just told Mum, everything is going to be okay.”

  The words continued to echo like a mantra, over and over in her mind, as the car took her to the cathedral from where, only seven weeks ago, she’d fled. From where Raif had rescued her. Would he get here in time to do it again? She had to believe he would. She just had to, because the alternative was not worth considering.

  As the driver opened her door and offered her a hand to help her alight, she caught a glimpse of the crystal encrusted satin pumps she wore. Perhaps running shoes would have been a better choice, she thought cynically. But then, she had no more need to run. Not with Raif at her back.

  She ascended the stairs to the cathedral and was greeted by the priest, who took a few minutes with her.