Perfect.
A quick wave to the paparazzi who were milling around the entrance to the store. She’d called in every favor she knew to get coverage of the Grand Opening. She was surprised some of the media had come to town days before the store opened for business. Probably to get a good look at the pregnant former child star, who was big as a house. Didn’t matter. As long as they were here to let the world know about her shop, then she could tolerate them.
She gathered the supplies and put them behind the counter. Her cell rang, and she swiped to answer it. “Hello, Scarlett.”
“Hey, girl. Luanne, Hailey, and I want to have a small party for you and Hank after the wedding. I know you guys are only going to do something with the Justice of the Peace, but we want to honor our friends. Please say yes?”
Scarlett’s pleading tone made her laugh. “Far be it for me to deny you a chance to throw a party, but you just had a baby. You don’t need to be working on a party for me.”
“The others will do the work, and I’ll supervise. We’ll keep it small, just close friends and family. We want to celebrate your new family.”
She rubbed little circles on her belly. “Thank you, Scarlett.” The words crowded out the tears that seemed to be close to the surface these days. “For everything.”
“Oh, no. Don’t cry or I’ll follow suit. Crying and leaking milk seem to be all I do lately. Anytime Gavin hears me upset in the other room he says, ‘Do you need a tissue or a breast pad?’ I swear, I’m a hot mess, but I’ve never been happier.”
“You’re really selling this post-pregnancy thing.”
Scarlett laughed. “Sorry.”
“How’s baby Molly?”
“Perfect in every way.” Molly cooed on the other end of the line, and Charlie’s heart melted.
Hard to believe in just a few weeks her baby would be here. Even harder to believe was how far away her old life was from this beautiful existence she’d created here in Zachsville. She had people she loved, people she knew had her back. Nobody had your back in Hollywood unless they were driving a knife into it.
“How are you?” Scarlett asked.
A firming lotion was turned sideways on its display. She straightened it. “I was just thinking that I can’t imagine my life being better than it is right now.”
“I’m so happy for you. Not that you’ve done anything the easy way. Getting married, opening a business, and having a baby all within a month of each other.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, if it weren’t for Hailey and my grandfather I don’t know what I’d do.”
“Who’s going to work for you while you’re on maternity leave?”
“My soon to be sister-in-law, Roxanne, is going to manage the store for me. She’s awesome and has experience in retail, which is perfect.” A knock on the door made her jump. Hank stood on the other side of the glass looking better than a body had a right to. “Scarlett, I need to go. Hank’s here.” She couldn’t help the smile in her voice.
“Okay, we’ll talk more about the party later. Bye.”
She disconnected and practically skipped to the door, which in her condition was a tricky business. She looked more like a wounded elephant than a graceful gazelle. Thankfully, she knew Hank didn’t care. He loved her and believed in her, just like she loved and believed in him. With a flip of the lock the man of her dreams had her in his arms and was kissing her silly.
“Hey.” His warm breath fanned across her cheek.
“Hey.” She swung the door closed, and they moved farther into the store. “What are you doing here? I didn’t think I’d see you until this evening.” She smoothed her hands over his shoulders. “Not that I’m complaining. How was your meeting?”
“It was…”
“Are you alright?” He was pale again, and she didn’t miss the tremble in his hands as he looped a stray hair behind her ear.
Her phone dinged with an incoming text. She glanced at her phone. “Crap. Raul and Thomas just pulled into the alley.” When she glanced back at him, all the color had drained from his face. “Babe, you look awful. Do you want some water?”
He waved her off. “No.” He took both of her hands in his. “You know how much I love you and Pod, right?”
“Yes.” The pounding of her pulse put her on edge. Something was wrong. “What is it, Hank? You’re scaring me.”
The back door swung open, and Raul and Thomas walked through, both carrying crates for her delivery. Hank released her hands. She immediately missed his closeness.
“Hello, Miss Charlie—Oh, Sheriff, we didn’t expect you to be here.” Thomas cut a nervous look at Raul.
“It’s fine, guys. You can set those in the back room, and I’ll be with you in just a second.” She turned to Hank, who’d moved farther away from her. He had the strangest look on his face. “What’s wrong?”
Before he could answer, both the back door and the front doors flew open and men and women dressed in black with DEA caps on and guns drawn stormed into the store. “Hands in the air,” The woman shouted. The room erupted into chaos as yelling and cussing came from everyone. Everyone but Hank, who also pulled his gun and aimed it at Raul and Thomas.
“You too, Ms. Klein! Hands in the air.” A woman, with gun drawn and a vest with DEA printed on the front, rushed her.
Her arms went above her head. “What’s going on?” She glanced over to see Raul and Thomas on the ground with their hands cuffed behind their back. Both were staring at her. “What’s happening? Raul, Thomas, I don’t understand.”
The female agent holstered her firearm. She could do that because another agent now had his gun pointed right at her. The female agent took one of Charlie’s wrists. “Charlotte Klein, you’re under arrest.”
“Hank?” It was all that would come out of her mouth. But the man of her dreams did nothing while both of her hands were secured behind her back. Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned to see Raul and Thomas being led away by two of the officers. “Why am I being arrested? Hank, do something.” She was surprised all the glass around her didn’t break with the shrillness of her voice.
“Drug trafficking, Ms. Klein,” the male officer said, and began reciting the Miranda rights.
But all she could hear was Hank’s whispered, “I’m so sorry.”
And that was when she lost her ever-lovin’ shit.
For a second Hank could only stare in disbelief as Charlie kicked out and caught Murphy in the shin, stomped her toe, then brought her head back and clocked the agent in the face.
“Ow, shit!” Murphy tightened her hold on his pregnant fiancée.
“Let go of me!” Charlie’s scream pierced his eardrum, and the tears streaming down her face stabbed him square in the heart.
“Charlie, stop struggling.” Wrong thing to say—he knew it as soon as he saw murder flash into her blue eyes. She didn’t stop fighting, only redirected her fury to him.
“You knew about this.”
It wasn’t a question, and he wasn’t going to lie to her. “Yes. But if you let—”
“Shut up!” It seemed the two words robbed her of all her strength. It looked like she might crumple to the ground. Big, torturous tears rolled down her face. Each one peeled away a piece of his soul. “I don’t want to hear one more word from your lying mouth. I trusted you, and you betrayed me.”
“Charlie.” He stepped toward her.
“Go to hell.” She glanced at Murphy. “Get me out of here.”
The paparazzi flashed photo after photo of her being led from the front door to the unmarked car parked at the curb. This would be front page news. Child star arrested for drug trafficking. Yeah, that’s a story that had legs. She’d be ruined.
Sheridan approached, glanced out at the circus on the street, then looked back at Hank. “She’ll get over this once she understands why you did what you did.”
Hank didn’t give two shits about the man’s assessment of the situation. “We done here?”
> Sheridan stepped out of his way. “Yeah, we’re done. Thanks for your help.”
Without a backward glance, Hank strode out of the building and didn’t stop until he was at his vehicle. He checked his phone and saw fifteen messages from Charlie’s friends and family. They used to be his friends and family too, but as soon as they found out what he’d done, they’d tell him to go to hell just like Charlie had. But it was too late.
He was already there.
Chapter 58
The ride to Houston was a blur of misery for Hank. Guilt tried to tag along, but he knew he’d done the right thing. He just wasn’t sure he could pay the price for doing the right thing.
She hated him. He didn’t blame her. She’d trusted him, and this was how he’d repaid her. She’d never speak to him again.
Think, Odom. Logic this out.
His lungs tried to hyperventilate as he attempted to see his way through this situation. He hadn’t intended to deceive her. It was for her own good and protection. Yeah, that would fly, since the mission she’d been on since she climbed out of that bathroom window at the courthouse was to find her way and learn to stand on her own two feet.
He was screwed.
Still, he had to make sure she was alright, that the baby was okay. He whipped his truck into a parking spot for law enforcement officers and jumped out. Each of his steps ate up two stairs at a time. Thank God for his badge. He bypassed security and made his way to the place Charlie was being held.
The room was utilitarian and sparse, with only a few desks and chairs. Agent Murphy sat at one of the desks with an ice pack on her forehead. It looked like Charlie’s aim had been true.
“Where is she?”
Murphy pointed down a hallway.
Getting to her was all that mattered. Not the injured agent, or an explanation.
“Sheriff.” Murphy held up a key. “You’ll need this.”
“She’s in a cell? What the hell, Murphy?”
The woman shrugged. “She wouldn’t cooperate and calm down.”
“She’s eight months pregnant. I’m pretty sure you could take her, Murphy. You didn’t have to throw her in a cell.”
She lowered the ice pack and glared at him. “Exactly, Sheriff. She’s in there for her protection. I didn’t want to hurt her. Contrary to what you believe about Agent Sheridan and myself, we have Ms. Klein’s best interests at heart too.”
Even though she didn’t say it, the statement this was your idea polluted the air between them. But he didn’t have to explain himself to this woman. He headed down the hallway to the woman he did owe an explanation.
The heavy metal door to the room that housed a cell had a small window in it. He nearly lost the nerve when he saw Charlie curled on the bunk in the cell, crying with her arms around her belly.
The outer door was locked too. He turned the key and moved into the room with the cell. She was singing a lullaby to Pod. The sweetly sung words obliterated his heart. “Charlie?”
She didn’t look at him. She didn’t stop singing.
He slid the key into the cell lock, but his hands shook so badly that it scraped around the hole. That seemed to get her attention. Faster than a woman in her condition should be able to move, she was at the cell door. He tried again with the key. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll get you out.”
Her slender fingers wrapped around the bars and yanked the door closed just as he opened it. “No!”
“What? Agent Murphy only put you in here until you calmed down. Let me get you out of this cell. I’ll explain everything.” He tried to pull the door open, but she held on. Of course, he could’ve opened it, but he might hurt her.
“No.” Her mouth barely moved. The word came from someplace he’d never seen in her. Deep, protective, and absolutely resolute.
His hands went into the air. “Okay, fine. We’ll talk like this.”
“I don’t want to talk to you, Hank.”
“Tough. You’re going to hear my side of the story.” He told her everything. A day late and a dollar short, but he didn’t hold anything back. “You’re not going to be charged with anything. They had to arrest you too, to protect you.”
Her uninterested expression didn’t deter him. But he did start talking faster, knowing he was losing her. “I’m sorry. I’m so damn sorry.”
“How long?” Her tone was as dead as her eyes.
“What?”
“How long have you known about Thomas and Raul?”
This was the question he was hoping she wouldn’t ask him, but he wouldn’t lie to her. “Since before you decided to do business with them both.”
“And you didn’t tell me before I got involved with them.” Again, not a question. Just a cold, hard accusation. It hit him like an executioner’s decree.
His hands went around hers holding the bar. She slipped hers away. “Charlie, I wanted to, but the DEA has jurisdiction. They ordered me not to.”
“And you always do the right thing.” She cocked her head. “Except when you don’t.”
“That’s not fair. I was doing my job, but I was still looking out for you.”
“You mean using me.”
“No.”
One blonde brow inched up her forehead. The jagged edge of her silence flayed his skin. He couldn’t take it anymore. He had to hold her in his arms, make her understand. He slid the key in the lock again.
She yanked it closed with all her might. “Leave.” The fierceness of her actions was in direct contrast to her monotone words. “The door is locked, and there’s not a key in the world that will open it.”
“You don’t mean that. What about Pod?”
“We don’t need you.” Her chin tilted up, and her spine went straight as a board—clear communication that she did mean it. The tears were gone. Pale tracks and red, swollen eyes were the only evidence they’d been there at all. The woman that stood before him now wasn’t weak, or heartbroken. She was a warrior hell-bent on protecting herself and her unborn child from any enemy.
From him.
“Leave.” She didn’t blink. She didn’t hesitate. Her flat stare was the blade that severed their tie.
He nodded. What else was there to say? The heavy metal door clanged shut behind him, and the click of the automatic lock sliding into place rang down the hallway.
How appropriate.
Chapter 59
The safe house they moved Charlie to was an uninteresting suburban ranch on the outskirts of Houston. The modest furnishings were clean and comfortable, so she guessed it could be worse. She could hardly contain her excitement when it was announced that Agent Murphy was the agent assigned to stay with her. The only satisfaction she had was that Murphy didn’t seem any more thrilled about the assignment than Charlie did.
She’d been informed that she’d be their guest until the DEA determined it was safe to leave. They’d allowed her to call Pops and let him know she was alright. But it was all so cloak and dagger that it kind of freaked her out. She hadn’t been allowed to call him on the house phone or his cell. Evidently, the authorities were worried about his phones being tapped, so he’d been brought to the sheriff’s office so they could talk.
Not surprisingly, he was furious with Hank and upset about this whole horrible mess. She missed Pops and Honey. She missed Hank too, but she was sure she’d get over that particular affliction. He was bad for her.
Guilt squeezed her chest. She knew she was being irrational and not even looking at this from anyone’s point of view other than her own, but she couldn’t help it. He’d lied to her, and used her to get what he wanted, just like her mother and Ron, and everyone else in Hollywood.
“I’m going to make some coffee. Do you want some?” The agent moved to the kitchen after she’d walked through the house to make sure everything was as it should be.
“No. How long am I in your custody?”
“I’ve already told you that you’re not in custody, Ms. Klein. Whether you choose to believe it or not, this is for
your protection.” She filled the well in the pot with water. “If Raul Perez and Thomas Chang believe that you were arrested and are being investigated right along with them, then the chance that they will think you were involved in their arrest goes away.” Murphy scooped coffee into the filter then replaced the lid to the can.
Charlie crossed her arms on top of her belly. “And remind me again why I’m involved in this at all?”
Agent Murphy gave her an exasperated cop stare.
Charlie snapped her fingers. “Oh, that’s right. It’s because neither the DEA nor the Zachsville Sheriff’s department saw fit to warn me away from these two men before I ever started to do business with them. And why was that again?” She tapped her chin with a finger. “I remember now. You needed a mole. Only you forgot to tell me I was the mole. You just used my—Hank Odom to pump me for information.”
The law enforcement officer didn’t respond, only reached into the cabinet for a coffee cup.
“Thanks for clearing that up for me.”
Murphy leaned against the counter, and her fist went to her hip. “Are you always this bratty?”
That shocked a snort from Charlie. “Oh, sister, I haven’t even started. I have an advanced degree in brattiness. I was a child star. We’re our own brand of bratty.” The well, duh expression on the woman’s face only reinforced that fact that Charlie had zero desire to share a space with her. “I’m going to take a shower.” She made her way back to her room.
As soon as the door was closed, her swagger slid away. The tears she’d been crying most of the day leaked from her eyes again. It was all gone. Everything she’d worked for…gone. No way the store would be ready to open, all her work would be for nothing. She’d set up promotions, called in favors from the media. From her years in the spotlight, she knew how to create a buzz, and that was what she’d done for her little store.
Her heart, which she’d forced to keep beating for Pod’s sake, gave a sluggish thump. Why she’d thought she could do any of this on her own, she had no idea. Everything Ron and Marci thought of her was true. She wasn’t good for much besides being pretty.
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