I turned around and threw my arms around him.
“Are you serious?”
“Yep. Just up the road. Want to know the best part?”
“Of course!” I was looking at only him now, my heart light and jubilant.
“It’s only half a mile away from Mary and Henry’s place.” Mary squealed as I stood there, gaping at both her and Alec. “And there’s a guesthouse.”
“You’re kidding!” I yelled, jumping up and down. “You work fast!”
I jumped up onto Alec and he caught me, lifting me up so that he was carrying me. I bent my head down and kissed him tenderly before sliding down reluctantly.
“Get a room,” Katie joked, coming up to us. “I’m happy you’re staying,” she said genuinely, hugging me before leaving, presumably to go get Theo.
Mary was just standing there, both hands up at her mouth.
“Christmas came early,” she said quietly, lowering her hands to reveal the world’s biggest grin. “We’re going to be neighbors!” she yelped, before barreling over to me and engulfing me in a tight hug.
“Can we go see it?” I begged, jumping up and down with Mary. Alec and Henry looked on, amused.
“I’ll take Mary, Katie, and Theo in my car,” Henry suggested. “You two can meet us there.”
He dragged Mary away from me and out the door. Just before she disappeared around the corner, she turned to me.
“Tell me everything!” she whispered, blowing me a kiss before she was out of sight.
“I can’t believe you,” I said, swatting Alec’s firm chest. “In thirty minutes you found a house? You’re incredible…” I leaned in and kissed him. “You’re going to mess up my makeup,” I mumbled through my lips.
“You don’t need it anyways,” he answered, plopping me down on the bed. He went to go close the door, and I raised my eyebrows.
“Alec Baxter, don’t you dare mess up my hair and makeup,” I warned as he started to undress.
“I thought you liked it rough?” he answered, tossing his shirt at me. I gaped at him, my heart already beating out of control. I clutched his shirt as I watched him fully undress. “Besides, you don’t even have to take your clothes off,” he added, coming around behind me on the bed. I gasped as his hand slipped up my dress. He slowly peeled my undies and tights down, tracing his fingers along my inner thigh as he went and simultaneously lifting my dress up. He bent down and nibbled my ear, and I felt myself fall back into him as he stroked me all over my sex.
“Bend over,” he whispered, his hand on my lower back.
“Yes, sir,” I said, obliging.
Would I ever get enough of him?
PART FOUR
I heard them before I saw them. Shouting overpowered the music and the ambient noise, and I glanced over at the door of the bar with annoyance, thinking it was some kind of bar brawl or drunken argument. I was sitting in Alec’s lap as I watched them stride over to us. My heart stopped.
“Alec Baxter?” one of the policemen yelled at my boyfriend. I tensed.
No, no, no.
“Who’s asking?” he slurred, his third beer making him bold.
Please, I pleaded with him silently. Please, just cooperate.
“Sir, we have reason to believe that you were an active participant in marriage fraud. Does Natasha Veselovsky ring a bell?”
“Ah, my sweet ex-wife,” Alec cooed. Fuck. I didn’t think he realized how serious this was. “Except, she’s my ex-wife, gentlemen.”
“We received a tip-off last week and we’ve been investigating this for some time. You need to come with us now.”
“What?” I jumped down off of his lap. Now I was the one yelling. “You can’t take him! He didn’t do anything wrong!”
“Miss, we’ll take it from here,” the other officer piped up.
A crowd had begun to build around our booth, and I looked at Mary and Helen imploringly. Help me. George stepped in.
“I’m willing to go before a judge and testify on this man’s behalf,” George said, standing up straighter.
“Me as well,” Henry stood and made his way over.
“Me too,” Katie said, standing, and Theo stood as well, silently volunteering. It looked like more people knew about Natasha than I thought.
“We just need a statement. He hasn’t been charged yet,” the first officer explained, taking handcuffs out of his pocket. Alec put his hands behind his back voluntarily. At least he was cooperating. I was glad that officers in the U.K. did not carry guns.
“Alec,” I whimpered, trying to make sense of the situation.
“Find Natasha,” he instructed, giving me a pleading look as the officers led him out back to their patrol car.
***
Two hours earlier
“It’s a wee bit small,” he continued, moving around the kitchen and dusting off the stone countertops. “We might have to move if we… if we want a bigger place,” he said, looking down at his shoes.
“Oh, Alec, it’s perfect,” I cooed, enveloping myself in his arms. And it was—perfect.
He’d taken me down the road to see the house before we headed to the party. I fell in love with it the minute we pulled up. Scattered among the hills were small residences with room for farm animals. Alec would be bringing Nigel, his horse, and he’d thrown out the idea of raising chickens and goats. I loved it. I’d always wanted a farm.
We had no immediate neighbors, though Mary and Henry were just down the path. The small cottage was one story, and it contained three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a small kitchen and dining room, and a living room with a stone chimney. The best part was, one of the bedrooms had built-in shelves, and I knew Alec would want to turn it into a library. There was a guesthouse just next door, separate enough for privacy, and yet a stone’s throw away for when we had visitors. It was a small studio with a separate bathroom—perfect for Amara and Sam.
The landscaping was phenomenal. Rose bushes (now dead) and trees lined the house, and whomever lived here before had set up a garden in the back, complete with stepping stones and garden gnomes. There was a small fence out front, and a hand-painted mailbox that dotted the road. It was love at first sight. It felt like home even before we’d signed the papers.
We decided to rent for now and luckily the owners were open to that idea. Trying to buy a house in a different country without holding the proper visa seemed like a nightmare, and though Alec offered to buy it and put it in his name, I wanted to do it together. If we still loved it in a couple of years, we could buy it then.
It was dark now, and we drove away from the house in silence, each reflecting on different aspects. I was excited to start up a garden and possibly raise some animals. I knew Alec was excited to start the DIY aspect. He already talked of installing a proper farmer’s sink and wood flooring where there was now carpet. He wanted to build a stable for Nigel. I was giddy at the prospect of moving in with Alec.
“You’re quiet,” he said, placing his hand on my thigh. We were in his old pickup truck, the one I loved so much.
“Just happy,” I answered. “I’m thinking about all of the goat cheese I’m going to make. And how I’ll get to go collect eggs from our chickens, and grow lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries…”
“So, thinking about the food, are you? Is that what excites you the most?” he teased.
“I’m really excited about the library. What do you want to do with the spare room?”
“It can be your office for when you start your own freelance PR firm,” he shrugged, as if he’d already thought about this.
“And I’ll need a car,” I said, smiling wider now. “Unless you want to ride Nigel to work every day. I’d be happy to drive this truck.”
“Charlotte…” Alec sighed as he pulled off of the road. “Anything you want, you can have. You know that, don’t you? I’ve saved a lot of money, and we can make a comfortable life here—”
“Shhh…” I pressed my fingers to his lips as he parked in front of
the pub. “I know. I just want you.”
We looked at each other in the darkness, and I thought back to the night he had driven me to the very first party I ever went to at the pub.
“Do you remember that night?” he asked, as if reading my mind.
“Of course.” I leaned into him as he put his arm around me.
“I’m glad it happened the way it did. You know, they just put that house up for rent yesterday. If you’d’ve stayed, we wouldn’t have found it.”
“Alec, haven’t you learned your lesson by now?”
He squeezed me, holding me tight.
“What lesson?” He looked down at me, and his eyes penetrated mine, sending a lovely, slow burning sensation down into my stomach.
“Everything happens for a reason. It’s destiny.”
***
“Who knows where Natasha lives?” I asked hysterically.
People were murmuring to each other now, casting glances at the pub door and through the window, as if Alec might somehow break free of the handcuffs and come waltzing back in. I’d begged to go with them in the patrol car, but the officers wouldn’t let me. Henry had started giving out free shots to calm everyone down. I threw one back. I needed answers.
“Honey, calm down,” Mary said, stroking my arm. “They’re just questioning him.”
“I know, but why?”
Henry was carrying a platter of shots, and I took another one, hoping for some liquid courage.
“Don’t worry, Charlotte. I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding.”
“But what if it’s not? What if… what if he goes to jail?”
“I doubt he will. Natasha will explain everything to them. She’s very convincing,” Mary added, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. She could save him, but I couldn’t. I knew I was being childish.
“I have Natasha’s number,” Helen explained, looking sheepish. “Alec listed her as his emergency contact.”
“What?” I asked, incredulous. His emergency contact?
“Let’s meet back at the Parc,” she suggested. “Charlotte, why don’t you ride with George and I?”
I hesitated, but I knew the solution would be to find Natasha. I had to put aside my pride and go save Alec, however I could.
“OK.” I looked at Mary and Henry. “I’ll keep you updated.”
We exchanged cell phone numbers quickly. Oddly enough, I’d never called Mary’s cell phone; only her home phone. It was like technology wasn’t even needed here. Except when your boyfriend is hauled off by the police for marriage fraud.
I grabbed my purse and coat and followed Helen and George out of the pub, waving to Katie and Theo as I left.
“It’ll be all right, sweetheart,” Helen said as we got into George’s car.
“I know. It’s just… it’s scary.”
I hadn’t let myself think of the possibility that Alec might get in a lot of trouble for marrying Natasha. He might even go to jail. I didn’t know what the laws were like in the U.K., but I assumed they were just as strict as the U.S.
“He’ll be fine in there,” George added as we headed to the Parc at full speed. I appreciated that they were on my side. They wanted to help him just as much as I did.
I stayed silent for most of the ten-minute ride, thinking about what I was going to say to Natasha, and what we were going to do. Obviously, we’d need to get to the police station, to Alec, but then what?
As we pulled in, Helen and I jumped out and ran through the front doors. George kept the car idling. We were headed to the station after this—if we could get a hold of Natasha.
“It’s in here somewhere,” Helen said, rifling through an old binder. “Ah—Natasha Veselovsky. Here it is.”
“I can’t believe he used her as his emergency contact. Why not his mother, or brother?”
“I don’t know, but at least we have it,” she said, handing me the sheet of paper. I recognized Alec’s handwriting from his letters. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed, praying for a miracle.
“Hello?”
“Natasha?”
“Yes, who is this?” she asked. Her accent was thicker than I remembered.
“It’s Charlotte. Charlotte Bloom. Alec’s girlfriend.”
“Oh. Hello. How can I help you?”
“Alec’s been brought in for questioning. The police came to the pub and took him away. They said he was being questioned for marriage fraud,” I explained.
“Oh dear,” she mumbled, and I heard her moving around. “Where did they take him?”
“To the station in Swansea. He said to…” I trailed off. I didn’t want to admit that Alec needed her. “He said to find you. Can you meet us there in thirty minutes?”
“Sure. Yes. No problem. I am just putting some clothes on now,” she said, her velvety accent husky and sexy as hell.
“Great.”
We exchanged cell phone numbers and I hung up, giving Helen a thumbs up.
“Did you want to change or anything? Freshen up? We might be there a while.”
“No. I just want to get to him.”
She eyed me surreptitiously but didn’t say anything. She grabbed my hand and led me out, and I looked up as the frozen flakes began to fall on my face.
It had started to snow.
***
I knew I should’ve listened to Helen and changed when I saw Natasha looking comfortable and practical in skinny jeans, sneakers, a pea coat and a baseball cap which, infuriatingly, looked really great on her. She looked like Gisele Bündchen. Life could be so unfair.
“Charlotte,” she said, not really greeting me but kissing me on each cheek nonetheless. “You look… festive,” she said hesitantly.
“Yeah, we were at the Christmas party,” I explained. I pulled my coat tighter but nothing could disguise the stripper heels. Nothing stands out more than stripper heels in a police station.
The station was just like any American police station—fluorescent lighting, 80s furniture and accents, and a large oak desk. We both walked up to it.
“Hello, I’m here to see my husband,” Natasha chirped, giving the police officer a wide, toothy grin.
“Ex-husband,” I added, smiling smugly.
“Actually, the paperwork hasn’t been filed yet, so we’re technically still married,” she retorted, before returning her attention to the officer at the desk.
I swallowed. I didn’t know that. Alec had made it seem like it was already taken care of.
“And you are?” The officer behind the desk looked at me now, exasperated.
“His girlfriend,” I stated proudly. The officer sighed.
“Look, Mr. Baxter is in questioning right now. I’ll show you both through when he’s finished.”
“Thank you,” Natasha purred, eyeing the officer warmly.
I rolled my eyes.
“Looking for a new man to trap?” I hissed, as we made our way back to the bench where Helen and George sat.
“Charlotte, you silly girl. You know nothing.”
“Excuse me?”
“What Alec and I have… it’s… complicated.”
“You have nothing,” I jeered, turning away from her. I didn’t want to hear anything else.
Soon, an older officer walked around the desk to us.
“If you’ll follow me,” he said, gesturing to the back. He was speaking to both of us. I stood and looked at Helen and George.
“Go home. I’ll call Mary when I’m done,” I said. They both looked so tired.
“Are you sure?” Helen asked, standing to hug me.
“Yes,” I whispered, clutching her.
George gave me a quick hug, and then they left. It was just Alec, Natasha, and me… how comfortable.
“Miss? Are you coming?”
“Yes, sorry,” I said, catching up to them. I saw a few people eye me, and I held my head up and kept walking behind Natasha, who even without heels was still inches taller than me. Bitch.
We walked down a long
hallway and the officer gestured for us to enter the room—an interrogation room. Great. I walked behind Natasha as she entered, and I heard voices.
“…my wife, Natasha,” Alec said, standing. He bent down and kissed her… on the lips. I clutched the doorframe as he grabbed her and pulled her in. I felt my throat constrict and I almost threw up all over the white linoleum floor. I felt as though my heart was shattering. I clutched my chest as I swayed, wishing Helen and George had stayed after all. What the hell was going on?
“And this is?” The officer at the interrogation table pointed to me.
Alec pulled away from Natasha and took her hand. He didn’t even look at me as he uttered the words that broke my heart into a million pieces.
“This is my friend, Charlotte Bloom,” he said. He looked down. Fucking coward.
“Alec,” I whispered, hoping this was some kind of sick joke.
“I think it would be best if you left,” he said, looking up at me. His gaze was cold and unfriendly. He waved to the door. “I’ll call you.”
My mouth hung open in a silent “O”. This could not be real. There was no way.
“Alec,” I said. “Please.”
“Charlotte, just leave. Now,” he said edgily, shaking his head in exasperation.
The officer at the table cleared his throat, and the officer who’d escorted us turned to take me away, reaching for my arm.
“Goodbye, Alec,” I whispered, a sob escaping my lips. I heard Natasha say something to Alec, and when the officer had me outside the door of the interrogation room, she ran after me.
“Charlotte, wait,” she said, coming up behind me and turning me around. We were too far away now to be within earshot of Alec. The officer who’d escorted me out stood there irritably, his arms crossed, waiting for us to finish. “I owe you an explanation. We owe you an explanation,” she said.
The Redemption (Charlotte Bloom Book 2) Page 15