Nox spoke over his shoulder to Isaac, “I thought I told you to stay with her.”
“Clayton has her and the car. I missed the shooting in the park. I wasn’t missing this one.”
“Her?” Alton asked.
Nox’s glare was still on Alton and Brantley. “Charli is the rightful heir here. She’s not sneaking out the back. We’ll leave through the front gate.”
“Yes, sir,” Isaac said. “I thought you might say that. Clayton can be here in minutes.”
Alton stood taller. “You’re delusional. How do you think Alexandria will feel when she learns you just lied and will be responsible for her mother’s continued illness?”
“Allow my car to enter—now,” Nox demanded.
When Alton failed to respond, Nox said one word. “Infidelity.”
INFIDELITY. THE WORD hung suspended in the dense air.
Charli’s golden eyes widened in question as she gripped my hand tighter.
“I’ve never been a client of that damn company,” Fitzgerald said.
Was that true? Hadn’t Deloris said that his secretary was an employee? Now didn’t seem like the time to question. Instead, I said, “Maybe not, but…” I tilted my head toward Spencer’s mother. “…her son is.”
I turned to the old driver. “Place the damn gun on the ground and call the gate. I have a car waiting.” I turned back to Fitzgerald. “If anything happens to Alexandria or to anyone who she cares about, that information will be front-page news. I’m sure it will add nicely to whatever the reason was he was taken away from here in handcuffs.”
His face reddened. “How the hell do you even know about the company… unless you’re involved too?” Charli’s stepfather turned toward her. “I warned you. He’s a criminal, just like his father.”
“He’s not.”
An unusual sense of pride washed over me. The emotion was both unexpected and surprisingly welcomed. I squeezed her hand. “Princess, I’d break any law for you. Remember, I’m Batman, and when it comes to comparisons…” I shrugged at my own realization. “…I’ll take that one as a compliment.”
Holding tightly to Charli’s hand as she leaned against me, we all stood and stared in silence waiting for the other to blink. Fuck that. I was leaving with Charli, and I didn’t care whose body I left on the cobblestone driveway in my wake. Of course, I wasn’t the one holding the gun; it was Isaac. The barrel hadn’t strayed from its target of Fitzgerald’s driver. Finally, Charli’s stepfather whispered to the driver who begrudgingly popped the safety into place, slid his gun back into his holster under his jacket, and spoke into his shoulder.
No one said another word as a big SUV pulled up the driveway. The headlights skirted the scene before it stopped beside the limousine.
“Don’t come after me. I’ll send for my things,” Charli said, her neck and shoulders straight.
“We’ll see about that,” Fitzgerald said as he crouched down and picked up the diamond ring that Charli had thrown at him.
Her breasts lifted and fell as she took a deep breath. “Sell it and pay for this ridiculous party. I don’t care.” She turned toward the house and back to Fitzgerald. “Goodbye.” With that she let go of my hand and walked toward the rear door of the SUV.
“Alexandria, you’ll regret this…”
I didn’t listen as his words mixed with the rustle of dead leaves, their sound lost to the Georgia breeze. My mind was too full of her—of my Charli. She was a fucking dynamo, oozing with poise and strength. I may have stormed the castle, but she was the force. All she’d needed was support to stand up to her own devil.
The magnitude of her exit overwhelmed me. Yes, there was the codicil to her grandfather’s will, but she didn’t know about its existence. In her mind she was walking away from all of this. Forever.
As Clayton stood next to the still-closed door, I reached again for Charli’s hand. “Princess, are you sure?”
Turning her face up toward mine, her golden eyes sparkled. “Of what, Nox? That I love you more than I despise this place? Because the answer is yes, and that’s a tall order, because I despise this place with every bone in my body.”
I nodded to Clayton. It was as he opened the door that her composure disappeared. Her eyes widened and the sparkle turned to moisture. Her hand in mine began to tremble.
“Shhh,” I whispered as I helped her into the backseat. Against the far door was Chelsea.
Charli looked up at me, and then her gaze moved behind me. I turned in time to see Patrick obscured by shadows, standing where we’d been. Charli lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers in a small wave.
Once inside, she scooted all the way across and wrapped Chelsea in a hug.
“It’s over…”
I tried not to eavesdrop as their voices soothed and reassured one another.
Theirs were the only words spoken as Clayton drove us down the long lane back to the main road. With each inch, foot, and yard, I scanned the perimeter, searching the shadows of every tree and the veil of dangling moss. Both Isaac and Clayton were armed. Isaac passed a small revolver to me.
“Safety’s on, boss. Just in case.”
I nodded as I flipped the safety and held the gun on my lap.
“Nox?” Charli asked, her attention now back on me.
“Princess, I don’t trust your stepfather. We’re not leaving here without you.”
She reached for Chelsea’s hand and exhaled, leaning back into the seat and against my shoulder. As she did, the scent of perfume filled my senses and her hair tickled my cheek.
When the large iron gate moved to the side, we all took a deep breath. The open country roads blurred as Clayton sped toward the airport.
It was then that Charli inclined her face toward mine. “Thank you.”
“Princess, if you ever get in another car with that man, your ass is mine.”
Despite all that had just happened, my Charli was stunning. Having her near me, her hand enclosed in mine, was greater than the high from cold-cocking the guards or even hitting her stepfather. Obviously, I’d only meant to daze him. If I’d wanted him laid out on the ground like his top-notch security, he would have been. I needed him alert to understand that Charli left his clutches of her own free will.
As I held onto her hand, I longed for more. I had barely noticed as we stood outside the mansion, but now with her thigh against mine, her presence electrified each and every nerve. She was a vision. Even under extreme duress, she exuded class and culture. Her dress was elegant but the ivory lace covered up her sexy body. In my imagination, I was ripping off the buttons that lined her side. One by one they fell to the floor until the lace joined the remnants. I’d threatened her ass, but as she stared up at me, all I longed to do was hold her and make her world right.
What had she endured over the last ten days? I needed to know, but that would wait until we were alone.
I leaned close to her slender neck. The choker she wore was made up of diamonds. No doubt it was worth more money than her Infidelity contract, yet I didn’t care.
“Take off that necklace. Chelsea has yours.”
Her golden eyes peered my way before her fingers untwined from mine and reached for the clasp. The thick band of stones glittered as she dropped it to her lap. Without speaking, Chelsea pulled Charli’s necklace from her pocket and placed it in Charli’s hand.
As soon as it was secure, Charli looked up at me again with the cutest, shiest grin I’d ever seen. I wanted to take her in my arms and hold her forever, but first, we had some rules to discuss.
Narrowing my gaze, I found my most direct tone. “Rule number one, entering one of that asshole’s cars, ever again, is forbidden.”
Charli nodded.
“Rule number two, if that necklace ever comes off your neck for any other reason than swimming, you won’t be sitting for a week. Is that clear?”
The intelligent response would have been ‘Yes, Nox.’ A wise person would have sensed my need for control in this out-of-co
ntrol scenario and bowed to my demand. My Charli wasn’t that person. There was no fear or intimidation in her beautiful eyes. On the contrary, there was the spark that my life had missed since the moment she’d been gone. There was a playfulness that knew how to push me, not to anger, but to devotion. Her lips quirked upward.
Alexandria Collins was my drug and I would never again let her go.
Momentarily, her lips brushed mine. With our faces only millimeters apart, she looked me in the eye. “Mr. Demetri, I’ve missed you and your stupid rules.”
The kiss had been shorter than either of us wanted. That too would wait until I had her alone. Her ass, her lips, her entire body were mine for reclaiming.
I tried to concentrate on the subject at hand. “Charli, I understand why you gave the necklace—”
She shook her head. “I don’t think you can.”
“What?”
She reached for Chelsea’s hand and turned back my way. “I have a lot to tell you. Chelsea has things to say too—either to you, Deloris, the assholes at Infidelity who allowed a monster like Bryce to purchase an agreement, or to the police. That’s up to her. They’re her stories to tell, but Nox, you don’t understand. There’s no way you could.”
My pulse increased as I tried to decipher her meaning. Why would she say I didn’t understand? “You wanted to be sure she made it out. She’s your friend.” I didn’t mean to speak about Chelsea as if she wasn’t there, but I needed Charli to know that I did get it.
Nevertheless, Charli was my only blue dot.
Charli shook her head. “You just punched my stepfather.”
“So?”
“So… you don’t know what it’s like to be terrified of someone. You’re always in control. That’s not a bad thing. It’s who you are.”
Terrified. The word burned like acid in my already-twisted gut.
The SUV was turning. By the lights on the streets, I knew we were back in downtown Savannah. “You’re wrong,” I corrected.
She didn’t speak.
“I fucking know what it’s like to be terrified. That’s how I felt watching him manhandle you into his car again. I didn’t see it the first time, but seeing it earlier tonight, I was petrified.”
“And you handled it, because that’s who you are. Nox, I love you for that. Imagine not being able to handle it. Not because you don’t want to. Not because you’re not smart enough or brave enough or even mentally strong enough, but because you’re physically outmatched. Imagine knowing that if you’re caught leaving the manor, the consequences will be more dire than anything you’ve ever known or experienced, and you’ve already lived in hell.”
My gaze darted between Charli and Chelsea. Though they were both sitting tall, the ambient light shining through the windows showed Chelsea’s cheeks glistening with visible tears. I may be a monster, but her silent crying didn’t bother me as much as Charli’s words.
They were those of an advocate. She’d make one hell of an attorney one day.
My teeth clenched as the realization struck: Charli wasn’t only talking about Chelsea. She was talking about herself as well.
She’d been terrified too.
“What about you? The necklace was for your protection—”
“I was safer than Chelsea. That’s all I’ll say right now. She needed the reassurance that you would be there for her.” Charli intertwined our fingers. “I knew you would be for me. I needed to know you would be for her.”
I fucking needed to know what that animal did, not only to Chelsea, but also to my Charli. Jail was too good for him.
Before I could ask, Chelsea spoke. “Alex, where was he? I thought he’d be there. Was he in the limousine?”
Charli turned her way. “Oh, you don’t know.”
Chelsea sucked in a breath. “Know what?”
“The police. They arrested him.”
Chelsea’s eyes widened with panic. “What? Why? I-I didn’t…”
“I don’t know,” Charli replied. “They never said what the charge was.”
My phone buzzed with an incoming call.
“Yes,” I answered after reading Deloris’s name.
“I’m sending you all a link.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m at the airport where Clayton is bringing you. The plane is ready. Watch the news clip and call me back.”
I hung up the phone as Clayton handed his phone to Charli and we all opened the link.
I pushed the small triangle. We all did.
It was a local news broadcast.
BREAKING NEWS read the crawl at the bottom of the screen. The video behind the words was an aerial view of Montague Manor. The place was fucking huge. Even on the small screen the guests were visible on the back patio. Those on the lawn were obscured by fog. The blue lights of the police cars flashed as the camera from one of the drones zoomed in on the top of Spencer’s head as he was led away from the front door.
BODY FOUND. CARMICHAEL HEIR ARRESTED.
Chelsea and Charli gasped. “Body?” they both questioned.
“Fuck!” I whispered.
I turned up the volume.
“…received a tip from a concerned employee. The Savannah medical examiner is examining the body. No identification has been made; however, unnamed sources within the police department have confirmed that the arrest could be in connection with the disappearance earlier this year of Melissa Summers, Edward Spencer’s one-time girlfriend.”
I turned from the screen to Charli. One of her hands held Clayton’s phone, while the other held tightly to her best friend.
“Nox, call Deloris back. When did they find it? Where did they find it?”
“I was there,” Chelsea said. “I was at Carmichael Hall.”
I then remembered the telephone call Deloris had recorded and spoke to Charli. “He wanted you there today—this morning, didn’t he?” I asked.
Charli’s gaze narrowed. “How do you know that?”
“It doesn’t matter. But he did, right?”
She nodded. “He did, but I stayed with my mother.” Her back straightened. “Where is she?” Then she sucked in a deep breath and turned back to Chelsea. “Oh God, he said he’d make you…” Her voice trailed away.
Chelsea shook her head. “But he didn’t. I was all over Savannah doing things for the party. Things Jane asked me to do. Then I went back to Montague.”
I swiped my phone. Deloris answered on the first ring, and I put it on speaker.
“You’re on speaker. Tell us what you know.”
“Nox, my mother?” Charli whispered.
Deloris’s voice filled the SUV. “There are members of the Savannah-Chatham police here. They want to question Miss Moore and Mrs. Spencer.”
“What?” Charli said. “Bryce’s mother isn’t with us.”
“You,” Deloris said. “They’re waiting.”
I hung up the call as the name Mrs. Spencer rang in my ears.
“Sir?” Clayton asked. “We can drive to another airport?”
“How do they know Chelsea is with us?” Charli asked.
I reached for Charli’s hand. “I don’t know. Maybe it was an assumption.”
“Different airport?” he asked again.
I shook my head. “No. You heard what we said. We have nothing to hide.”
I didn’t want to mention my concern, but I needed to. “What if the body has been there for a while? What if it didn’t happen recently? Chelsea, how long have you been there, a couple of months?”
Chelsea’s head moved back and forth. “I have, but the police have been there multiple times. Wouldn’t they have found it before now? Is it her?”
“My mom?” Charli said again.
“She’s safe, ma’am,” Clayton said.
“Thank God.”
“Mr. Demetri took her back to New York. It’s been a few hours now.”
“Alton must not know.” And then she looked up at me. Her brow furrowed. “Mr. Demetri? Your dad has my m
om?”
I nodded. “We have a lot to discuss.”
Clayton pulled the SUV through the open gate at the airport. The fog from near the manor was gone. We’d driven out of it many miles ago. But as we neared the hangar, an uneasy sense of déjà vu came over me. The blue flashing lights of two police cars illuminated the tarmac. Speaking to the officers was Deloris.
Just before the SUV came to a stop, my phone vibrated. I wasn’t the only one to get the text. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I handed it to Charli.
“Look at this, princess. I’ll go speak to the officers first.”
“No, Deloris said they want to question us.” Her rebuttal ended with a gasp.
At the same time, Isaac spoke, “Sir, it’s a group text from your father.”
“Nox,” Charli said, looking up from my phone, “it’s my mom.”
TWO HOURS. I looked down at my watch. The flight plan called for two hours and eight minutes from wheels up to wheels down. It had only been thirty-five minutes and already Eva was leaning over Adelaide and fidgeting with her IV. Though the physician in her refused to tell me her thoughts, her expression and concentration did little to hide her concerns.
A blood pressure cuff was secured around Adelaide’s arm and Eva had her stethoscope in her ears, but I wondered how the doctor could possibly hear anything over the roar of the engines.
I contemplated the bar the copilot had offered. A few fingers of whiskey would ease the sharp edge of my anxiety. My pulse raced as the doctor took Adelaide’s.
Instead of a drink, I leaned toward Adelaide and rested my hand on the blanket covering her legs. It was the connection that I sought, the one I’d missed. Just touching her calmed my nerves. My thoughts volleyed between elation that we’d rescued her and terror at her condition. At first I’d attributed her movement to the plane, but the longer my hand rested, the more apparent the trembling became.
“She’s shaking,” I said when Eva removed the earpieces.
One by one, Eva lifted Adelaide’s eyelids and shone a light into her eyes. I took a deep breath remembering her eyes, bright and blue like the New York sky. Though it had been a lifetime ago, I recalled the way they stared into mine as we’d made love and the way they’d sparkled as we talked and laughed.
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