by Claire Adams
Mason straightened his tie. “It’s good to know the crowd has dispersed.” He brushed his hair back from his face and picked a piece of lint off his slacks. “So, what was it you needed to tell me?”
I glanced at Luna, who nodded. I figured I may as well blurt it out. “Oh, yeah, I’ve been meaning to tell you. We’re married.”
I’d have given my fortune for the look of horror that fell upon his face. And then his rant began.
Chapter Thirteen
Luna
The day had dragged on in slow motion while we sat in the interview room. First, they separated the two of us, and then had us sit through the same routine together. It comforted me having Gabriel in the same room, and strangely enough Mason, too, though he’d given us a brutal tongue lashing that lasted until we walked up the steps of the department.
It seemed there was a slight oversight that neither Gabe nor I had thought of: husbands and wives don’t have to testify against each other. More importantly, most anything a spouse would say, including being an alibi, would be looked at as partiality and dismissed by any jury.
The good news was whether I remembered anything or not, it didn’t matter.
The bad news was Gabriel didn’t look very honest, having to tell them about the marriage. Even though he explained why he didn’t think it was important, the detectives knew better. Gabriel was a man of power and intelligence, and they’d been hard on him about it. Vegas, Baby! Wedding Chapel hadn’t produced any security footage, and the best they had on that trip was our entering the building. So much for wedding pictures.
We’d barely made it back to the room when Mason decided to go off on another tangent. “How dare you keep that from me, Gabe. We’re not only attorney/client, but we’ve been friends for twenty years. This is something you tell a friend.”
“Please, I haven’t even told my father.” I shrugged. I’d have to do that soon, I realized; now that the police knew, they’d have no reason not to leak it to the press.
Mason’s hazel eyes pierced me with a cold glare. “I’d get on that before he learns about it on CNN. You two are completely irresponsible. Next thing you’ll tell me is that she’s pregnant. I swear, I feel like I’m raising a pair of teenagers.”
Gabriel held up a hand to silence Mason. “You’ve done an awful lot of talking, but now it’s my turn.
“I didn’t tell you because when I had planned to, I was dragged away from my room and interrogated by the police. Once I figured out that they didn’t know about the marriage, I decided it was best not to bring it to their attention. As far as they knew, Luna was nothing more to me than an assistant. Knowing there was someone out there killing the women in my past made me wonder if they’d target Luna.
“And so we’re on the same page, we’ve not even consummated the marriage, and furthermore, to my great disappointment, we haven’t shared more than a kiss.” His words got my attention, and I smiled that he all but admitted he wanted to sleep with me.
“Well, that’s good news. At least when we do have this thing annulled, the two of you can go on with your lives like nothing ever happened and we’ll have no issues with the process.”
I sat on the couch and slipped off my heels. “How much longer do you think we’ll have to go on with this? When can we go home?”
“The marriage will have to stay intact until he gets the all-clear, and if you’re smart, you’ll keep it at least a month after. You don’t want it to look suspicious.”
Gabriel walked to the bar and poured himself a drink. “Don’t worry, I’m not letting her out of it that soon.”
I glared across the expanse of the room. “I’m right here, and you’ll let me out of it as soon as possible, right?” He’d spoken like it was his decision alone. “I do have some say.”
Mason lifted a shoulder in a carefree manner and joined Gabriel at the bar. He glanced over his shoulder and met my eyes. “You’ll need to be in agreement, of course.”
“But you’d grant me one anytime I asked, wouldn’t you, Gabriel?” He kept his back to me a moment longer than I felt comfortable with, and suddenly, I knew my answer. He was in control and had no intention of giving me the annulment until he was good and ready. His phone rang and he took the thing out of his pocket, and after a glance, put it away.
Mason raised a brow and Gabe mumbled. “That’s my sister-in-law again.”
“Our sister-in-law,” I said with a stiff tone. He turned and faced me with a bleak expression; his eyes were full of apologies and regret. He wanted a wife – I’d give him one.
Mason’s phone rang and as he stepped away, he apologized. “I’ve got to take this.”
As soon as he was out of earshot, I crossed the room and stood next to Gabriel. “You told me this was only until you’re cleared.”
“Is it so bad being married to me?” He threw back his shot and poured another. His gray eyes were shadowed, and there was no laughter or softness in them.
“It’s not that, Gabriel. You know it’s not.”
“I promised you I’d make it worth your while and I intend on sticking to my word. Once we dissolve this thing, you can go your own way.” I couldn’t believe his attitude. I placed my hand on his arm and tugged him back to face me.
“I don’t want your money. I’ve told you that. I’m not some whore you can pay off, and in case you forgot, you promised me my job would be intact.” My gut twisted in anguish. How could he do this?
“Fine, whatever you want. I know this is miserable for you.” After a moment and another drink, he crossed the room and sat in a chair in the corner by the window.
I joined him and glanced out the large picture window beside us. “It’s not miserable; it scares me that I’ve been so out of control. I got married on a whim, and now I’m not sure what to do. The last thing I want is for us to fight.”
He pulled me down across his lap. “We’re not fighting.” We sat that way for a moment, watching out the window until we settled in closer together, our heads resting together as the city below was alive with activity and the sun lowered in the distance.
As a soft kiss brushed my forehead. “What are you doing?”
His response was quiet and calm. I much preferred this Gabriel to the one from minutes before. “Being your husband, I guess. I mean, I’m not sure, because I’ve never been one before, but this is the kind of thing that a husband does, isn’t it?”
“Husbands do lots of things… What did you mean when you said that you were disappointed we’d only kissed?” I glanced over and met his eyes.
“I wanted you so bad when we got back that night. I wanted so much more for us that night, but then you faded fast. I couldn’t take advantage of you.” His voice was still calm and sincere, and I felt myself being lulled by his smooth tone.
“Thanks again for not taking advantage of me. At least I can tell my father that despite a crazy, whirlwind marriage, I’m still his virgin daughter. It should at least lend him a bit of comfort knowing you didn’t defile me in my unconsciousness.” I laughed, but when I looked from the window back down to meet his eyes, his mouth had gone slack and he was looking at me as if I were an oddity. “What?”
His eyes narrowed. “You’re honestly still a virgin?”
My cheeks reddened, and I suddenly felt like a schoolgirl. “Yes, I thought I mentioned it.”
He chuckled. “No, that I’d remember.” He pulled me in closer and kissed my forehead as Mason entered the room. “Speaking of your old man, shouldn’t you go talk with your father?” The words slapped me into perspective, and I scrambled to my feet. Mason regarded us with a hard glare before going to the bar for a refill.
“I’ll be a little bit.” Before I could take two steps away, Gabriel captured my hand.
“I’m sorry you have to do this, but I wanted to thank you.” His expression was hard again. “Good luck with your dad.”
“Thanks.” I wasted no more time dialing my dad, considering it had been two weeks already. My heart
pounded in anticipation as I listened to the phone ring.
“Please tell me that you’re home.”
“I’m sorry, Dad, but no. Not yet. I still don’t know how long I’ll be, but I did get to go back to the station today and they are following other leads. It looks like there were several men involved with the women, so I guess that’s good news.”
“I suppose that depends on who you are.” He had a point. I could only imagine what the victim’s families were going through.
I chewed my nail nervously and took a deep breath to give me courage. “Look, Dad. I called for a reason. I have something to tell you, and I’m afraid you’re not going to like it.”
He whistled. “Should I sit down for this or drive to the hospital now so when I fall out the staff can scoop me onto a gurney and take me straightaway to the morgue?”
“Probably the latter, but before I tell you, I want you to know it’s not as terrible as it sounds. At least, I’ve got it worked out.” I closed my eyes, thankful that I couldn’t see him. It would be terrible to have to tell him face-to-face.
“Spill it and let me decide.” His tone was harsh and as I heard him take a deep breath, I decided to blurt it out.
“Gabriel and I got married the night of the murders.” There was a long pause as I waited for his reaction. Not even a breath sounded through the phone, and I worried that I’d dropped the call. Now wasn’t the time for that kind of bad service issue. “Dad, are you still there?”
“Please tell me that you’re not pregnant, too.” His voice was calm. Much too calm.
“No, sir, actually we haven’t engaged in sex-”
“Well, what the hell kind of man drags a poor girl off to Vegas and manipulates her into that type of thing? He’s obviously got more money than sense.” As my dad continued to rant, Gabriel came into the room and sat beside me.
After a few minutes, my dad said he needed some time and would call me later. I hung up the phone and covered my face. It was horrible, and I felt terrible.
Gabriel stroked my back. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
Surprising enough, I didn’t react like I thought I would. “It’s fine. I’m angry.”
He put his arm around me and rubbed my back. “Angry? What did he say?”
My head shook back and forth as I thought about the whys. “I’m twenty-six, and he treats me like a child. I’m old enough to make a mistake, especially considering I’ve made very few of them in life. I’ve worked so hard to do right by him, and here I am like a silly little girl, calling my daddy and hoping I don’t hurt his feelings or disappoint him.
“What about my feelings? What about what I want?”
Gabriel brought his hand around and placed it on mine. “I agree. Maybe it’s time you tell him how you feel.” He pulled me close, and as I laid my head on his shoulder and breathed in his cologne, I knew I should do the same with him. Before I could muster up the courage, Mason called for him.
Chapter Fourteen
Gabriel
A few days had passed since Luna told her father about the marriage, and since then, her mood had changed drastically. I wasn’t sure if it was our talk, but she’d been a lot more upbeat and had even gotten a bit more daring when it came to flirting.
With Mason on his way, I sat at my coffee table desk and checked emails while she took the chair by the window and stared at her phone. The noises coming from the corner grabbed my attention. “What are you doing?”
“The same thing I normally do on Mondays when the work day is slow.” She met my eyes and gave me a wink.
“Careful. You wouldn’t want your boss to know.” I turned off my phone and eased back. The small room was growing tiresome, and I couldn’t wait to see other walls.
“You’re right, he’s such a blowhard.” The decorative pillow that usually had a home in the chair with her sailed across the room and missed me by inches.
“That’s a vicious rumor. I hear he’s a nice guy – very humble and reasonable.”
“Lies, all lies.” She giggled, with her phone finally silent.
Mason pounded on the door. “Let me in.” His voice was muffled from the other side. Before I could get up, Luna crossed the room, already on it.
He barged in when she swung the door wide. Without any witty hellos, he got right down to business. “I wish I had better news, but I wanted to prepare you for what’s coming. More than that, I’m glad I’m staying in town.”
When his glare met mine, my blood turned cold. There was a shift in the case, and I had a feeling it wasn’t in my favor.
“Tell me.” It was all I could think to say and I felt numbness spread through me. Luna came to sit with me. The warmth of her hand on mine registered, and I gripped it tight.
“There’s trouble back home.” Mason’s lips pressed into a tight line.
I got a sinking feeling in my bones. Sandra hadn’t heard from Harbor and the kid was always getting into trouble with his bad attitude. “Is it Harbor? Sandra? Has something happened to them?”
“No, but you might want to check on them. I got a call from Detective Hatcher. He’s going to call you back down as soon as Detective Warren of the LAPD arrives. It seems there was a third victim.” The world stopped suddenly as all the air was sucked out of the room.
Another victim? I shook my head; this couldn’t be happening. “Who? What’s the name?”
“Tammy Stapleton.”
Luna squeezed my hand as I shrugged. “I don’t know who that is.” I hadn’t dated anyone by that name, and relief hit me as I realized there was no connection. “You had me scared to death. What does this have to do with me?”
Mason’s eyes widened and he leaned back in his seat, as if confused and relieved. Then he sat forward. “Are you certain you don’t know her? Could she have been a one-night stand or maybe someone from long ago?” I searched my memory and came up short.
“No, I’ve never dated a Tammy.”
“Her family came forward in LA after reading about how you’re the focus of this investigation. They claim that you dated Tammy for a few months.” He searched my eyes, pegging me with a hard glare. “You have to be absolutely sure, Gabe.”
Mason had never pulled this aggressive bullshit on me and his sharp tone had my back up. “I’m fucking telling you I don’t know who she is.”
“Gabriel.” Luna stroked my hand, but I pulled it away.
“Someone’s got it in for me, and I’m sitting here like a fool playing fucking house and letting it happen!” I shot to my feet, bumping the coffee table, which sent my cold cup of coffee from hours ago spilling to the floor. Luna’s flinch made me feel like a real asshole.
I went to the bar and poured a drink, and when I turned around, Luna was on her knees sopping up the coffee with a bar towel. “Dammit, just leave it.” I hated to see her on her knees cleaning up my mess. She met my eyes, but shook her head and continued to dab the rug.
“Easy, friend; I believe you.” Mason sat forward and folded his hands. “I don’t know what this family’s problem is, but we’ll get to the bottom of it.
“In the meantime, I need you to think about how you’ll handle this down at the station. They’re coming for you, and they’re gonna come hard.” He stood to his feet and crossed the room to pour himself a shot.
After he downed the liquid, he placed the glass back on the table and met my eyes. “I’m not going to lie to you, friend. There’s a good chance you’ll be arrested this time, and I need you to prepare for the worst.” He poured another.
“Hope for the best,” said Luna from her knees. Mason nodded and downed the next one.
“I’m going to go out for some fresh air, but I’ll be back as soon as I hear more. I’ve asked the detective to call me when they hit the elevator. They won’t give us too much time, but at least you can prepare to meet them at the door.”
He released a long breath and he and Luna exchanged a strained look, as if the two were helpless to help me. And,
they were. Neither could do a thing.
After Mason left, I crossed the room where Luna still dabbed the mess. “Stop it. I’ll call the cleaning service.” I reached down and grabbed her hands, stilling them and bringing them together until I was able to take the bar towel she’d used from her hands.
She jerked away and met my eyes. “I feel helpless. It’s like I need to do something, anything, to help make this all better, but I know I can’t.” She stared down at the spot. “At least cleaning the rug is useful.”
I pulled her into my arms. “You’re the only thing keeping me grounded right now. Without you here, I think I’d lose my fucking mind. So, don’t you ever feel that way with me, okay?” She nodded, and I drew her in close and held her.
It was nice to have someone to hold when everything seemed to be collapsing around me, and it was as if by holding her, I held myself together. The last time I’d felt this way was when my brother Robert died. I hadn’t felt as helpless since, not even at the start of all of this.
A memory of Robert came to mind and the sinking feeling started to grip tighter, threatening to pull me under. The pain and guilt from his loss still haunted me, but I had to be strong.
Her arms trembled around me and I brought my hands up to warm them, rubbing the chills away. “It’s going to be okay. They won’t keep me, Luna. I swear I don’t know that name. I’ve never met that girl, and I think her family is just distraught and trying to place the blame.”
Her head bobbed against my arm as she nodded. “I believe you, and I think you’re right.”
“About this girl’s family?”
“No, that someone is framing you and we’re wasting time when we could be looking into things a lot closer.” The words surprised me, but I loved the sound of them.
I leaned my head down to meet her eyes. “Mason’s had my hands tied, but I’m not going down without a fight.”
“I’ll help you any way I can. We’re in this together.” She spoke with such conviction that I couldn’t help myself; I brought my mouth down to hers.
