Triumph (The Bellator Saga Book 6)

by Cecilia London

  “That was Crunch and Jonesie,” Gig said. “I didn’t meet up with them until later.”

  “Well.” Christine gave Crunch and Jones hugs. “Thank you very much,” she said softly. She turned to Gig and gave him a hug too. “And thank you for doing whatever it is you’ve been doing, Mr. Gigowski.”

  “I’m the eye candy,” he said, and Christine laughed.

  “See?” Jones said. “She’s warming up already.”

  “You can smack him if you want,” Caroline said. “He’s not armed. I’ll defend you.”

  Jones mimicked a boxing stance. “You love my personality. And my style.”

  “Indeed we do,” Jack said smoothly. “Would you like to meet our children? This is Sophie and Marguerite.”

  The girls stood up to greet them, and to Caroline’s surprise, they hugged the men as well.

  “Thank you for taking care of my mom,” Sophie said softly.

  Marguerite pointed at Jones. “Did my mother really prosecute you?”

  Jones threw his arm around Caroline. “Yeah, but she helped me get a pardon after. So we’re good.”

  “What’s the game plan?” Gig asked. “I mean, after Gerard pulls a Miss Clairol.”

  Jack turned to the girls. “Can you give us a few minutes?”

  Marguerite didn’t look too pleased about that at all. Caroline patted her shoulder. “We’ll explain later.”

  “But-”

  “Go,” Caroline said firmly.

  “Fine,” Marguerite grumbled. “Let’s go, Soph. I know how to listen through the walls.”

  They’d know everything soon enough. But they didn’t need to know it now. “Don’t you dare.” Caroline turned to Christine after they’d left. “Can you really hear through the walls?”

  “She’s bluffing.”

  “It doesn’t matter much,” Jack said. “We’re going through the game plan for tomorrow, which they’ll eventually know anyway.”

  “I want to be able to speak freely,” Caroline said. “The guys need to know the entire plan. The girls don’t need to worry about Murdock. They’ve had enough thrown at them as it is.”

  “Murdock?” Jones lowered his voice. “Is that fucker here?”

  “He’s somewhere,” Caroline said. “Chrissy’s going to trick him into coming for a visit.”

  Christine took a seat on the couch next to Caroline. “What exactly am I supposed to do?”

  “Don’t you have meetings or something?”

  “He’s never been to any of them.”

  Of course. He’d want to hide. Not call attention to himself. Every time he met with Christine and the others was another opportunity for them to catch him in a lie. “Entice him into attending,” Caroline said. “Does he know you talked to the press?”

  “He and I don’t chat, Punky. At all.”

  Christine still looked a little ill. Caroline patted her arm. “I know. Go ahead and mislead him a little. Say that you’re thinking about going public. That you want everyone on board. Play on his vanity. You know he’d jump at the chance to gain some undeserved glory.”

  Jack clenched his fist. “I don’t want you alone with him. Is that understood?”

  “I’m not sure you should be alone with him, either,” Caroline said.

  “Give me five minutes and we won’t have to worry about transport to The Hague.”

  “I’m all right with that,” Jones said.

  Caroline lifted her hands. “We are going to do this professionally. We will let justice run its course. If he resists arrest, the Mounties will act accordingly.”

  Crunch laughed. “The unexpected voice of reason.”

  She held up her hands. “Stop. You know I’d exact my own form of revenge if given the chance. But we can’t give in to those impulses. We have to rise above the fray, no matter how hard it is.”

  Christine retrieved her phone from her purse. “Fine. I’ll give him a call. I’ll find some way to get him here. Then…we’ll take the first step in righting the wrongs.”

  *****

  “He bought it,” she said. “Tomorrow morning, ten o’clock. Meeting with all the major players. I told him media would be present.”

  That couldn’t have been an easy phone call. Caroline had offered to be in the room with her, but Christine insisted she had to make it herself. “Should we invite anyone else to sell the scam?”

  “Depends,” Christine said. “Do you want an audience?”

  Jack shook his head. “We can always meet with some of the others later. Let’s keep it as low key as possible.”

  Christine clasped her hands together. “With that taken care of, I suggest we enjoy the rest of our day. I believe Caroline has an appointment at Sophie’s makeshift salon.”

  Distractions were welcome. Caroline had done her best to follow Natalie’s advice during her time away from California. To think about the various issues swirling around in her mind would doom her to despair. So she chose to focus on the positive. Those tiny bits of light were enough to break through whatever darkness would come.

  Marguerite begged to help but Sophie was adamant, rightly observing that she got her turn with cookie baking. Caroline would have to make sure to pay equal attention to both of them. Sophie helped mix the dye and apply it to her hair, and they both prayed it would take. Crunch warned there was a chance she’d end up with an unsightly shade of orange instead of auburn. A final rinse, a hasty cleanup, and only one towel as casualty. Caroline avoided checking on her status the entire time, knowing nothing mattered until the dye set.

  “Do I look like a carrot?” she asked.

  Sophie got a fresh towel. “It’s perfect. Wow.”

  She glanced in the mirror. Not quite the same but damn close. Jones had chosen well. She looked almost…normal.

  Her daughter leaned in for a hug. “It’s okay, mom.”

  Caroline wiped her eyes. “Pretty silly to get emotional over hair.”

  “How long did you keep it blond?”

  “Maybe eighteen months? I’m not good with time anymore.”

  “You can barely tell. It’s incredible. I swear.”

  Caroline dried her hair with the towel. “I didn’t expect it. Feels weird.”

  “Nah.” Sophie grabbed a brush. “Feels awesome. Let me fix this up and we’ll give everyone in the living room a big surprise.”

  “Are you done yet?” Marguerite called. “We’re almost out of cookies.”

  They’d found a way to entertain themselves while Caroline and Sophie were occupied. “Didn’t know this was going to be a beauty pageant,” Caroline said.

  Sophie threw the towel over her head. “Come on. Have fun with it.”

  “Fine. I’ll indulge you.” Caroline decided to make it a shade dramatic, sweeping her way through the bathroom door.

  “Well?” Jack asked.

  Sophie crossed her arms. “Do you like clown hair? I’m just asking.”

  “It’s not exactly the same,” Caroline said.

  “Is it orange?” Jack shot Crunch a look. “What do we do if it’s orange?”

  Crunch held up his hands. “Hell if I know. I was talking out of my ass.”

  “Fooled you.” Sophie yanked the towel off Caroline’s head. “Check it out.”

  “Excuse us a minute,” Jack said, grabbing Caroline and pushing her into the bathroom. He shut the door behind them. His lips were on hers instantly, kissing her hard enough that she lost her train of thought.

  “What was that for?” she whispered.

  “You just – that’s incredible, sweetheart. You look incredible.”

  “You’re really obsessed with my hair, aren’t you? It’s unhealthy.”

  Jack leaned in to kiss her again. “No, it’s not.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “This is fucking amazing.”

  Caroline giggled as he bit her neck and peppered her with kisses, until she heard a knock at the door.

  “You two better not be having sex in my bathroom,” Christine said lou
dly.

  Her husband was trying to run his hand up her shirt. It was forever distracting. “We’re fine, Chrissy. It’ll just be a minute.”

  Jack kissed her, smiling against her lips. “We could do it. Just to piss her off.”

  “Show a little respect. And self-control.”

  “Five minutes. I’ll make it count.”

  “Perhaps I should cut off a lock of hair for you to cuddle at night?”

  He opened a drawer in the vanity. “Are there scissors in here?”

  “Not funny.” She kissed him lightly. “Do you really like it?”

  He twirled a damp curl around his finger. “Obviously.” Jack lowered his voice. “We may have to reenact that dream you had on the way to The Hague. I want to do sordid, sleazy things to you right now.”

  “You have to wait until we get back to the base, I think.”

  He squeezed her ass. “Gives me time to plan.”

  Didn’t that sound delicious. “We’d better get out of here before Chrissy breaks the door down.”

  “Fine.” He pulled her into the living room. “Your bathroom remains undefiled, Christine. Much to my dismay, I might add.”

  Christine appeared less than pleased at his disclosure. “Well?”

  Caroline laughed again as Jack nuzzled her hair. “He, um, really likes the color.”

  An unmistakable eye roll. But a hint of amusement. “I can tell.”

  Jack wrapped both hands around Caroline’s waist, turning to Christine. “Are we allowed to use your bedroom?”

  Christine glowered. “You are not.”

  Caroline frowned at Jack. “Really, darling. Our children are present.”

  “If I say I forgot, does that sound even remotely plausible?”

  “No,” Christine said tartly.

  “What about the kitchen?” His eyes darted back and forth. “Huh, no door. Does anyone care? We can go under the table.”

  Christine pointed a finger at him, perching precariously between frustrated anger and theatrical delight. “McIntyre, you are testing my patience. Severely.”

  Marguerite and Sophie were both trying frantically not to make eye contact with any of them. Crunch, Gig, and Jones pretended to be engaged in a rousing game of poker. Caroline hung the towel around her neck. “See what you did, Jack? You stunned the entire room into awkward silence.”

  Marguerite started laughing. “Like we haven’t seen the two of you making out before.”

  “I sure as hell don’t want to see it,” Christine snapped.

  Caroline extricated herself from her husband’s embrace to give her best friend a hug. “He’s just having a little fun at your expense.”

  “Don’t think I didn’t notice.” She gave Caroline a critical look. “It does look pretty good.”

  “Oh, fantastic,” Caroline said, smiling at her. “I was seeking your approval.”

  Christine cuffed her on the arm. “Be nice to me. You can be as snarky as you want tomorrow morning.”

  She had every intention to follow through on that, if given the opportunity. “Until then, let’s keep everything as uncomplicated as possible.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Murdock. Conference room. In under an hour. Caroline hadn’t eaten, too agitated to focus. She’d been raiding Christine’s closet to find something suitably appropriate for the occasion. She figured Chrissy would be able to outfit her in something stridently bitchy and well cut.

  “I can’t believe this suit fits me,” she said.

  Christine had selected a muted green pantsuit for herself. Very springlike. “I don’t understand why you couldn’t wear one of your own.”

  “I only have a couple. I get bored.” Caroline spun around. “This is so much nicer than any of mine. And the skirt hits my knee at just the right spot.”

  “You don’t get to keep it.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you’re going to get to a proper weight so it doesn’t fit anymore.”

  Christine was doing her damndest to distract them both from what was about to take place. “You think I’m too skinny?” Caroline asked.

  “Yes,” she said, tucking in her blouse. “You need to gain at least fifteen pounds. How much do you weigh?”

  Caroline had never been close personal friends with the scale. “I don’t know.”

  “Of course you know. Don’t bullshit me.”

  She could throw a number out there. Maybe that would pass muster. “One fifteen?”

  Christine shook her head.

  Well, shit. “It’s within the proper range for my height.”

  “No, it’s not. It’s not even at the low end. Especially with your bone structure.”

  Goddammit. What a time for her to play doctor. “Are you saying I’m big boned?” Caroline asked.

  “Sort of. At least a medium frame.”

  “Isn’t that skinny person code for fat?”

  “No,” Christine said calmly. “It’s code for you need to gain weight.”

  Kudos to Christine for holding her temper, but Caroline was going to push it a little anyway. “Is that your professional opinion?”

  That drew a familiar exasperated sigh. “Caroline, you know you’re underweight.”

  “I don’t really need you calling attention to it. And the suit fits you just fine.”

  “I’m three inches shorter than you and could probably stand to gain a few pounds myself. How much did you weigh before?”

  She smoothed out her skirt. “I’m not telling you that.”

  “You don’t eat very much.”

  “Are you a nutritionist, too?”

  “You don’t get to keep the suit.”

  “You don’t get to change the subject.” Caroline slipped the jacket off and slung it over her elbow. No sense in finishing off the outfit until they were ready to head downstairs. “I’m keeping this. I’ll sneak it into my luggage when you’re not looking.”

  “Try it and I’m stealing all your shoes. Including those wretched black boots you wear with your jeans.”

  “My combat boots? Those are my babies.”

  “They’re unattractive, Caroline.”

  It was fun trying to aggravate Christine. It was easy, and she appeared to be taking it in stride. “I may wear them this morning. For effect.”

  “I’m walking away now. You’re making my blood pressure rise.”

  “You said it was too low anyway. Maybe that will help. We don’t want you passing out in front of Jeffrey.”

  “There is very little chance of that happening,” Christine said. “I’d like to keep it manageable until we get down there. My temper is bound to flare.”

  As was hers. “We may need to have Mounties assigned to prevent us all from engaging in violence.”

  Christine spritzed some perfume, dabbing her wrists. “I’m going out into the living room. Please do not join me until you’re ready to be a lady.”

  A totally empty threat. “Pfft. You’ll be back.”

  She turned to face Caroline as she backed out of the room. “Probably.”

  “You’d better have a plate of cookies,” Caroline called.

  Christine shouted at her from the kitchen. “And you’d better eat them all.”

  *****

  The girls were to stay upstairs. Christine had arranged to meet Murdock in one of the conference rooms on the first floor. Bourgeois and Mouton would be there, along with Jones, Crunch, Gig, and several other members of law enforcement. It had taken some smooth talking, some legalese, and a bit of verbal judo from Jack to get the Mounties to agree to let them all stay in the room. Yes, there were risks. Yes, it was against protocol. But Caroline would be damned if she would waste the opportunity to confront her torturer. She might never get another chance.

  “Here’s the plan,” Mouton said. “Senator Sullivan comes with us to the front hall to wait for Mr. Murdock. The two of you stay with the other officers. He’ll be taken into custody as soon as he enters the room.” She paused. “W
e’re doing you a courtesy here. We should just arrest him when he walks in the door.”

  Christine must have had cachet with them, as well as the Prime Minister. They certainly didn’t owe Caroline and Jack anything. “Thank you,” Caroline said softly.

  Mouton turned to Jack. “Sir, will you be able to control yourself?”

  He scowled. “I know you’re kidding, but shouldn’t you be asking my wife the same thing?”

  “You’re the most likely to do damage,” Bourgeois pointed out.

  Jones laughed. “Man, you never saw Commander Gerard fight. She’s relentless.”

  “It’ll be fine,” Christine said. “Caroline knows how to restrain herself.”

  Sure. Totally. Completely. Anytime. She wasn’t about to make any promises. “Of course I can. We can all hold our tempers. Right?”

  Jack squeezed her hand. “Of course.”

  Mouton checked her watch. “Theo, let’s head up front with the senator. Behave while we’re gone.”

  Gig shook his head when they left. “I don’t know about this.”

  “About them or us?” Caroline asked.

  He checked his gun. Their bodyguards and the Mounties were carrying rifles. They didn’t think Caroline and Jack should be armed. For shame.

  “You,” he said. “I’m all for victims’ rights but are you sure you want to do this?”

  Her heart was beating too fast and she could feel the anxiety coming on but hell if she was going to walk away now. “I gotta say my piece.”

  “I have a few choice words for him as well,” Jack said.

  “Yes, sir.” Gig straightened. “That’s what I’m afraid of. I don’t want to have to intervene.”

  “You won’t,” Jack said smoothly. “It’ll all go down fast. Stay on your game and we’ll be fine.”

  Crunch peered through the open door. “They’re coming. Take your positions.”

  Jones, Crunch, and Gig situated themselves behind Caroline and Jack. Two Mounties waited on either side of the door. Another three were positioned a few feet away, their guns already drawn.

  “I’ve never been searched before. What’s going on?”

  Murdock. That voice. Sickly sadistic with an air of entitlement. The bile rose. Caroline balled her fists. Payback was going to be a bitch.