Deceiving The Groom

by Shadow, Lisa

  “Faster, I’ll keep up.”

  The resentment he’d been holding onto for Claire snapped, and his stride widened. He sprinted, flashlight tracing the path. The light hit an opening in the trees. The road, they were almost there. He glanced behind him and halted.

  “Claire?”

  He moved the flashlight in the direction they’d come. Emptiness and silence stretched. Shit. His breathless pants increased. He should have known she’d do something like this. He’d hurled his bitter accusations, now she’d be trying to prove herself. Not to mention how protective she’d always been when it came to Lexi. How had he doubted she’d protect her?

  His breath slowed. God, how could he doubt she’d protect him?

  Claire stepped quietly towards the murmuring voices. Her heart beat like she’d swallowed a bat, but she inched closer. She could do this and give Liam time to get away. They wouldn’t hurt her—Geoff needed her.

  She took slow breaths. Two dark shapes stood in front of the tent.

  “It’s no use, they’re long gone,” she called out.

  The shapes spun and light hit her in the face. Claire lifted her hand to shield her eyes against the flashlights.

  “Who the fuck are you?” one of the voices called.

  “I’m Geoff’s cousin.”

  The light flicked from her face and she blinked.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Same thing as you, looking for Liam.” She swallowed and stepped towards the figures. “We’re going back to plan one, divorce is less messy.”

  The men came into focus. Her gaze flickered over their black attire. There was no mistaking it—these guys were thugs. Her ears whooshed with the sound of pulsing blood. The slightly shorter heaver man turned to his taller companion.

  “What the hell is she talking about?”

  The other man looked at her and slid his hand into his jacket. “There’s only ever been one plan, sweetheart, and that the one we came here to do.”

  Claire’s throat closed around a hard lump. “No.”

  “Dave, I don’t think the little cousin is up to speed.” The thug withdrew his hand from his jacket and pointed a small black pistol at her chest. “In fact, I don’t think little cousin is in on things at all.”

  “Careful, Geoff needs me for this to work.” Her head spun but she forced the words through bloodless lips.

  “And what a shame that is.” The familiar voice crawled over her like a bucket of spiders.

  Claire turned and forced herself to step to her cousin’s side. “Geoff, thank God you’re here. Call off the thugs.”

  Geoff stood like a statue in the dark, complete with icy indifference. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to reconcile with Liam, but he got angry and left.”

  “You never were that good of a liar, Claire. I knew you’d never be able to pull it off.”

  Her head pounded. Geoff was her cousin. He needed her. She just had to tell herself that, she just had to remind him of that.

  “Geoff, this isn’t the way to get what you want. You can’t come back from this.” She put her hand on his shoulder and hoped this time she could prove him wrong and lie to protect Liam. “We’ll go back to the original plan. I’ll cancel the annulment. It’s not too late.”

  Geoff leaned closer and his breath whispered against her nose. “It’s too late for plan one, Claire. Plan one stopped being enough a long time ago.”

  Her heart pounded in slow hollow thuds. “Why? Why go down such a terrible road when you have other options? You could go to your—”

  Geoff shoved her back. “My mother? My kind, generous mother? You’ve seen her kindness.”

  “But you’re her son, she’s always been devoted to you.”

  “Until I became another embarrassment. You know how she handles embarrassments.” Geoff shifted his weight from one leg to the other then back again. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I was in trouble. When it landed on her door she cut me off—the trust fund, everything—it’s all gone.” Geoff rolled his head. “I need the money. It’s my life or his now.”

  She closed the distance again and took his hands. “She mustn’t realize how serious it is, if she knew your life was at risk, she’d reconsider. You know her, she’s trying to teach you a lesson.”

  “No.” Geoff tugged his hands free and put them on his head, panting. “I don’t have time for this. You’re either with me or you’re the enemy.” Geoff glanced beside them. “Chris.”

  The thug with the pistol stepped closer leveling it at her chest. Her lungs expanded and her hands flew to her abdomen. Her baby. She willed herself to breathe—just take more air. He was bluffing. He couldn’t do this without her. She just had to buy Liam more time. It wouldn’t be long before the detective Clarke got her message.

  “I’m not your enemy, Geoff. I’ll help you.”

  Geoff grasped the top of her arm. “Yes, Claire, you will.”

  She nodded and straightened, refusing to look like a victim or become one.

  “Where are they?”

  She glanced around, her head spinning. “They took the path down by the lake. It winds back up to the car park.”

  “Come on.” Geoff tugged her arm and they started down the slope.

  She glanced over the edge of the path down to the river where darkness swarmed. All she needed was a distraction and she could make a dash up the rocks back to the campsite—hopefully before they noticed.

  Geoff’s hand remained on her elbow like a shackle. “Are you sure this is the right way?”

  “Of course.”

  “It better be.”

  A distant whirling sounded in the air. “What is that?”

  “How would I know?” she answered.

  Geoff squeezed her elbow. “Faster.”

  They increased their pace down the slope. The siren’s blaring grew louder. Geoff stiffened, still gripping her elbow as they walked. She glanced ahead at the thugs controlling the flashlight light illuminating the way down, then jerked her elbow free and stuck her foot in front of Geoff’s shoe. He tipped forward, and tumbled into the two burley men in front of him with a high pitched shriek. The fell in a heap, sliding down the slope.

  She didn’t wait to see them recover, just turned and ran back towards the camp grounds.

  Liam saw the white van blocking his car the moment he sprinted into the car park from the main road. Crap. He’d planned on putting Lexi in the car and hiding it before going back for Claire. But now Lexi would be trapped in the car, and if they found her…

  His energy fled and he dropped his head back to draw more breath. The whooshing in his ears increased. Except it grew louder. His head snapped back up and Lexi shifted against him.

  Sirens.

  He jogged back to the road. Headlights blazed towards them and he stepped onto the embankment waving his arm. A car topped with flashing police lights screeched to a stop beside them. The window rolled down and Liam peered inside.

  “Detective Clarke.” Relief flooded him.

  “Are you okay, Liam?”

  He leaned in closer. “Fine, but Claire is down there, and I think she’s about to get into trouble.”

  “Get in.”

  Liam opened the back door and slid inside. He shut the door and Detective Clarke sped into the car park followed by another police vehicle. Liam relayed the details of the night, and Detective Clarke barked instructions down his radio receiver. The car pulled up and Detective Clarke twisted to them. “You both wait here.”

  “Like hell, Claire’s out there,”

  “And Lexi is here,” detective Clarke said, nodding his head at Lexi, who sat up rubbing her eyes.

  “Then have one of your officers stay with her, I’m going.”

  Detective Clarke observed him a moment, then glanced at Lexi. “I’m not going to be able to reason with you am I?”

  “No.”

  “Fine. I’m only agreeing because I need you to lead the way. Lexi can stay
in the car with Officer Jenkins. But you will do as I say, alright?”

  “Agreed.”

  They left the car and Detective Clarke spoke to a young female cop, who went inside with Lexi. Liam led the officers towards the main path to the camping grounds.

  A scream lanced the air.

  Liam broke into a run, oblivious to the detective shouting behind him. The shadowy prism of the tent came into view. Movement flickered behind it. He pointed his flashlight and a sprinting silhouette came hurtling towards him, followed by three pursuers.

  All three flashlights behind him zoned in. The three figures behind the first paused, then turned and fled in the opposite direction.

  “Stop!” Detective Clarke yelled.

  The figures retreated and the officers went after them. The light blazed around Claire, illuminating her gold hair like a halo. Liam ran to her, and she held out her arms, closing the gap. He clasped her hand and she curled her fingers around his. She rested her head against his chest but didn’t embrace him. His fingers itched to bury in her hair.

  “Claire, are you hurt?” Detective Clarke asked.

  She lifted her head and stepped back briskly, drawing her coat tighter around her middle. “I’m fine. Just get them.”

  “Oh, we will,” Detective Clarke said, and lowered his flashlight. The phone at his waist buzzed and he answered it. He glanced up at Liam and Claire and grinned before holstering it again. “What did I tell you? Got ‘em.”

  Claire watched her cousin and his accomplices get loaded into the back of the patrol car in cuffs. Detective Clarke came to stand beside her.

  “I guess you were right.”

  She sighed and glanced over her shoulder to where Liam crouched at the car door talking to Lexi. “I’m just glad no one is hurt.”

  “So am I,” he said.

  “Are you going to arrest me now too?”

  Detective Clarke cleared his throat. “The way I see it, you’re the hero who helped us catch a violent and devious criminal. In fact, I think it’s safe to say we can add blackmail to the list of charges against him.”

  Claire blinked. She hadn’t expected his support, but the relief stripped away the last of her tension, leaving her a raw bleeding bundle of shattered nerves. Tears burned at the back of her eyes. Her chest ached. Liam stood and glanced in her direction. “So I’m free to leave?”

  “Yes, I’ll just need you to come by again tomorrow to make another statement.”

  Liam shut the door and started towards her. Her heart leaped. If he spoke to her now—if he spoke to her she’d come apart. She nodded at the detective and turned for her car, fishing in her pocket for the keys and breaking into a jog.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Liam set the papers down on his study desk. He’d tried to track Claire down three times since the national park. Each time she’d managed to avoid him. He’d read the annulment papers for the final time. No more changes could be made, no more excuses given for delay. Tomorrow he would go to the courthouse and sign them. Void the marriage he never knew he had to the only woman he actually wanted be his wife.

  He leaned over and picked up the photo of him and Lexi. His thumb stroked over the shallow dimple on her cheek in the photo. Seeing this picture had a way of grounding him. His heart gave a little quiver. At least Claire was one step away from getting her sister. Simon had told him they were making great progress.

  Things were almost about to be made right. Almost. What did it matter what she’d almost done, compared to what she’d actually achieved? Saved him twice. Twice. He’d always lived by the hard law. Taken revenge on people who crossed him. Dealt the hardest blows before anyone could strike at him. He didn’t like that man anymore. He and Claire could be better together—they were better together.

  The thundering of little paws roared into his study, pouncing on him in a whirlwind of brown fluff. The photo frame crashed to the ground, smashing with a splintering pang. He scrambled for the puppy, clutching the wiggling Fuzzy to his chest.

  “Lexi,” he called.

  Footsteps patted towards the study. He stepped over the glass and wood.

  “What happened?”

  He held out Fuzzy and Lexi scooped him up, eyes as innocent as the puppy’s.

  “I told you the dog is not allowed upstairs.”

  Lexi twisted her lips to the side. “I just—”

  “No just, play with him downstairs where there’s no carpet to pee on.”

  Lexi sighed and rested her cheek on the twitching fur. “Fine.” She turned and walked sullenly out the door.

  He surveyed the mess. Glass and wood debris littered the carpet. He took the waste paper basket from under his desk and began collecting the bigger pieces.

  He brushed off the glass resting on the photo, then pulled the image free and placed it safely on his desk, and went back to the smashed frame. Something shiny poked out from under the backing. Liam frowned and slid a disc from the pile.

  Where had this come from? The hairs on his scalp itched. He abandoned the mess and wiped the disc with a tissue then placed it in his computer. A folder popped up and he leaned closer to the screen. He clicked open the first file in the folder and slid numbly into his seat. He leaned his jaw in his hand as the contents of the folder pieced together a nasty puzzle.

  His skin tingled and his heart thumped like he was a dying man as the audio files spilled their secrets. He sat still for a long time after they were all finished. How could he have been so ignorant? He’d known all along there was more to it than vengeance, but he’d refused to listen to her, refused to hear her out.

  Every file, every email, every voice recording added another layer of manipulation over a girl who wanted nothing more than to save her sister, and where that failed blackmail took over. Liam rubbed his palms over his eyes. There was nothing in the world he wouldn’t do to protect Lexi, and what he had done at times had come close to theft.

  It was gone—that last tiny thread of reasoning keeping him from admitting the truth. He loved Claire. He loved her. Never stopped. Despite what she’d done. Just as he knew she really did love him in spite of what he’d done to her family.

  Liam rose slowly as if in a trance. He picked up the annulment papers and stared at them. Tomorrow everything would change.

  Claire’s hands rested on the courthouse table, her fingers thrumming twice as fast as the clock that ticked repetitively on the wall. What was taking so long? All she had to do was sign at the sticky tabs and it would be done. Over.

  Her breath shook. If her OBYN could take her blood pressure right now she’d probably hit a record for an unexploded human. The door opened and Kirstin, the attorney she had hired herself, with her very own money, stepped inside.

  “Kirsten, please tell me what’s going on.”

  Kirsten raised her hands in a strained helpless gesture. “Um, well it seems your husband won’t sign any papers until he sees you.”

  The pressure building behind her eyes intensified. “Please, Kirstin. Take care of it. The one thing I asked for was not to see him.”

  Kirstin frowned but nodded and went back to the door. It exploded inwards. Kirstin jumped, clutching at the front of her crisp white blouse.

  “Mr. Channing. My client does not which to sp—”

  Liam walked towards Claire as if Kirstin didn’t even exist, as if no one else existed. The world slowed. It was like watching him move though a thick film of water. She saw him, saw his shirt rippling around the muscles she remembered stroking, kissing, biting, saw his legs flex and bend in long strides, saw him fall to his knees, saw his lips move, but her heart beat out of time, her ears rushed with sound. She was underwater. Drowning.

  His lips moved again. “Claire?”

  His voice penetrated her haze and she breathed. “Liam?”

  He’d knelt beside her chair. Why was he kneeling? Why did he look at her with wide anguished and joyous eyes?

  The room spun and her stomach, so easily upset these da
ys, churned. This was too much, her cup was full. If he found out about the baby there’d be no annulment and he’d hate her even more. “Please, Liam. Don’t do this. Just let me go. Please just let me go.”

  Claire saw her words hit him, saw his eyes dim.

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Don’t make this any harder.”

  Liam took her hand and tugged it to him, curling his fingers around hers. “Claire, I know everything. I know why you did it.”

  The door clicked as Kirstin slipped outside. Claire looked at the table and rubbed her neck with her free hand. “Please, Liam.”

  “I know how Geoff used Penny to threaten and coerce you. I know the promise he made and broke. I know how you tried to stop it. I know everything.”

  He reached out and turned her chin, forcing her to look at him again. “Claire, I don’t blame you.”

  Her teeth bit together and her eyes blurred. “Well you should blame me. Because no matter what he said and did I went along with it. I went through with it.”

  “No you didn’t. In the end you didn’t and I know you wouldn’t have.” He stroked her cheek. “You couldn’t because you love me.”

  She turned her face and leaned into his hand. He bent closer and his breath tickled her nose.

  “Tell me you love me, Claire.”

  Her chest quivered. “I love you, Liam.” She sniffed and straightened pulling away and retreating into the depths of her chair. “Is that what you wanted to hear? Is this your revenge?”

  “The only revenge I wanted was on the annulment papers I just shredded.”

  Claire’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that I’ve been a stubborn idiot for too long. What I did to your family, what I’ve done to others, was wrong. And I didn’t know any better until you showed me. I want you to know, even if you can never forgive me, I don’t blame you. I’m grateful to you. You’ve made my life better, and you have made me better.”

  She placed her palm on his cheek. “Liam…”

  “I don’t want an annulment, Claire. I want you. If you don’t want me you can divorce me, because I won’t give you an annulment.”