“Okay,” he said, settling back against the couch.
Taking a deep breath, she started her story. “I got married when I was way too young. Louis seemed like the perfect man. He was rich and powerful, the kind of man any girl would feel lucky to marry. Things were great at first. I had a beautiful new house, servants to keep it clean, a whole new wardrobe, and some very nice jewelry. Louis was beyond excited when Sean was born, but the announcement that there wouldn’t be any more sent him straight out to look for a replacement.”
Scarlet paused, the old pain surfacing again, but finally got herself under control and continued. “I put up with his cheating, thinking that a boy needed his father. It wasn’t so bad. Louis was never mean to me, only demanding and dismissive like I was an employee rather than his wife. There was always more money than I needed, I had some friends, and enough to keep me occupied. But then everything went crazy, I had the rug pulled right out from under me,” she said, thinking back to the day she’d found out what Louis had really been up to all those years they’d been married.
“As it turned out, the life I had been living was a mirage created by my husband to cover his illegal business dealings. If you can think of a white collar crime, he was into it, including a pyramid scheme that was the source of most of our wealth. He’d been playing a dangerous game of chicken, and the authorities finally caught him, and me in the process.” The thought of those days she’d spent in jail made her shutter.
“Louis had just gone off on a business trip, a long one. He’d told me he’d be gone for three weeks. I was actually happy to have him gone until I found an envelope sitting on the table by the front door. When I opened it, I couldn’t understand what it was he wanted me to do. The message was so cryptic, it made no sense. But a few days later, I understood why he’d instructed me to only speak to his lawyer if anything happened.”
“What happened?” Marc asked, afraid of where this story was going.
“The FBI showed up on my doorstep and arrested me. The worst part was that they took Sean away from me. I had no idea what was going on until Louis’ lawyer showed up and explained that Louis had been taken into custody on his way out of the county and charged with insider trading and operating a Ponzi scheme. I was completely shocked. All this had been going on under my nose, and I’d never noticed,” she said, another shudder racking her body.
Marc pulled her closer and waited for her to continue. “It only got worse, in some desperate attempt to hold on to all our property, he’d signed everything over to me, involving me in just as deep in the crime as he was. I don’t know why he thought it would work, but he’d told his lawyer to tell me to sit tight. I was in shock, but the one thing I knew was that I wasn’t going to be part of his plans any longer. From somewhere deep inside, I managed to find that part of me he’d almost destroyed and sent his lawyer away.”
“Good for you,” Marc said.
“You might not think that when I’m done,” she said, but then continued. “I cooperated fully, even relinquished everything we’d owned to them, including nearly a quarter of a million dollars in jewelry he’d bought me. I walked away from jail with only the clothes on my back and an inheritance from my grandparents that they couldn’t touch. After three months in jail, only getting to see Sean for a few hours a day, I was happy to leave Texas behind and start fresh, but stupid as I was I went to see Louis before I left town.”
“You needed closure,” Marc said, understanding why she’d go see her ex-husband.
“I guess, but it was a mistake I’ll regret for my entire life. Louis pleaded with me, saying that he’d only done it all for me, which I knew wasn’t true. By the end of the conversation, he’d threatened not only my life but Sean’s. It was enough to get his parental rights revoked during the divorce. After that, he swore that when he got out of jail he’s was going to find us and kill me.”
“Do you really think he will?” Marc asked, his anger simmering.
“I don’t know. At the time, I thought he would, but I’m guessing that when he gets out after twenty-five years, he’s not going to be in any shape to find us,” she said, waiting for Marc’s reaction, afraid that he wouldn’t want anything to do with her now.
“I’m going to kill him myself,” Marc said, clenching his fists.
“Not if I don’t first,” Sean said, hobbling into the room.
Scarlet jumped to her feet. “Honey, what are you doing up? It’s the middle of the night,” she said, helping him to the recliner he liked.
“I couldn’t sleep. Why didn’t you tell me all this about my father before?” he asked, clearly mad at her.
“I just didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t know how much you remembered. I thought maybe it was better for you to have no memories than to know what your dad is really like,” she said, sinking down onto the couch next to Marc.
Sean thought about that for a while but speaking. “But I’m glad I know. Now some of the memories I have make sense. I remember when you were in jail, Nana was there, wasn’t she?”
“Yes, she came out and took care of you. I don’t know what I would have done without her,” Scarlet said.
“Do you think that he’ll really come after us?” Sean asked, concern in his voice; for all his bravado, he was still just a kid.
“No, I don’t. I think that by the time he gets out of prison, he’ll be too old to even think about messing with us. Plus, he has to find us,” she said. “Miner’s Ridge isn’t exactly a hot spot on the map.”
Sean sat quietly for a few minutes, processing everything, then said, “Well, if he does show up, he’s going to have to get through me and Marc. Right, Marc?”
“That’s right, we won’t let anything happen to your mom, I promise,” Marc said. He’d been sitting next to Scarlet stiff, the anger radiating off him, but his words seemed to release something inside him and he relaxed.
“Good. Now that we’ve settled that, I’m going back to bed,” Sean said, sounding very mature. “I love you, Mom, and thanks for saving my life, Marc.”
Scarlet started to get up to help him, but Marc made a sound in his throat, then shook his head when she looked at him. Sean got up stiffly and walked carefully out of the room. She wanted to go after him, but Marc went instead, leaving her sitting nervously on the couch. When he returned, he smiled at her, obviously pleased with Sean reaction.
“That’s quite the boy you’ve got there. All he cares about it that you’re safe and happy. I think deep down he knew more than he thought he knew. He’ll still have some hard times when it comes to his father, but he’ll be fine,” Marc said, sitting down next to her. “Now, I want you to tell me the truth. Is he going to come after you?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I wish I could say I don’t think so, but he’s had a lot of time to build this up in his mind, and he was never one to forgive easily. But if he gets out, the FBI agent promised that he would let me know. They’re still watching him. Quite a bit of money went missing when all was said and done. I had no idea where it was, he may have it stashed off shore somewhere,” she said, unable to meet his eyes.
Marc was silent for so long she thought that he was mad. “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t exactly what you signed up for, I’ll understand if it’s too much for you,” she said, holding back her tears.
It seemed like all she’d been doing lately was holding in her emotions. Marc was silent for so long she just about lost the battle. When a sob escaped, he looked at her. “What? Were you just apologizing to me for something you had no control over?” he asked. Then seeing her face, he immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
“I’m sorry. I was just trying to figure out how to keep you safe. I’ve got news for you, I’m not going anywhere. I love you, Scarlet. I have for a long time, and no one is going to come between us, not now and not ever,” he said.
Scarlet looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Oh, Marc, I love you too,” she said, pulling his h
ead down so she could kiss him.
Chapter 13
By the end of the week, they were all tired of being cooped up in the house, Marc’s hands had almost healed; only small scars were evident from the burns. Sean was still sore, but youth had worked its magic and he was ready to get back out in the world, so Scarlet decided a trip to the diner was in order. She’d never been away for this long, but Carry and Clarence with Kevin’s help had kept things together, but they couldn’t go on much longer without her.
The fire was still burning in the mountains and there was no sign of rain in the forecast. They’d broken a record for the longest stretch without rain, a record no one wanted to break. When they stepped out of the house, the smoke from the fire was a grim reminder of the dire situation. So far no one had been killed, but there had been extensive damage to ranches and cabins all over the hills. There was discussion about evacuating the town, but as of that morning, no directives had been issued.
When they walked into the diner, a cheer went up and Hiram was the first one on his feet to greet them. He hugged Sean, shocking the boy into silence, then pounded Marc on the back and said, “I guess you’re some kind of a hero. I knew you had it in you.”
“I don’t know that I’m a hero, but I’m glad to see you, Hiram,” Marc said, embarrassed.
“He picked me up and carried me out of the fire,” Sean said, talking about that night for the first time.
“Yeah, and broke your ribs in the process,” Marc said, dismissively.
“You saved my life,” Sean said, as if that was the end of the discussion.
Just then, Carry came out of the back, looking tired but happy to see them. “Bout time you showed up,” she said, trying not to let them see her tears. “I thought I’d lost you all.”
Before long, Marc and Sean were surrounded by well-wishers, word spreading that they were at the diner. Scarlet happily went back to the kitchen to see how Kevin was holding up. “Hey, stranger,” she said, walking into the kitchen. “I head you’ve got a career running the diner if your music doesn’t work out.”
“I don’t know about that. How do you do this every day?” he asked, coming out from behind the line to give her a hug. “I’m glad to see you. How are the boys?”
“Go see for yourself, I’ll cover back here for you,” Scarlet said, putting on an apron, feeling normal for the first time in days.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” he said, taking off his dirty apron to go out front, something she’d never seen him do before.
Scarlet was happily puttering around the kitchen, putting together a list for a food order, when the sheriff came back into the kitchen. He was a regular at the diner like most of the town, but he never came back into the kitchen, and the look on his face told her that something was wrong.
“What’s happened now?” she asked, not wanting to hear another piece of bad news.
The sheriff motioned for her to sit down with him at the table in the kitchen. “I got an interesting email from the FBI the other day. I didn’t want to bother you at home, but since you’re here, I need some more information,” he said, taking a sip of the coffee he’d brought with him.
Scarlet looked at him confused for a second, then said, “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.”
“You were supposed to get one as well. The agent said he sent you a copy as well,” the sheriff said.
“Oh, John, I haven’t checked my email in almost a week. What did it say?” she asked, knowing what his answer was going to be.
“It said that someone named Louis Carter was going to be released from prison early. It further suggested that I’d need to be on my guard, something about death threats and kidnapping.”
Scarlet sat stunned for a second then said, “But he wasn’t supposed to be out for years.”
“You want to tell me what this is all about?” the sheriff finally asked after she’d sat silent for a few minutes.
Taking a deep breath, Scarlet once again related the events of her marriage and divorce. When she’d finished, it was liberating to find that it didn’t hurt as much this time; telling the story seemed to make it less troubling each time she told it. When she’d finished, the sheriff looked at her long and hard.
“You should have told me this a long time ago, Scarlet,” he said, pulling out his radio to let his deputy that he’d be a few more minutes.
“I know, but I didn’t think Louis was going to be out for a long time. I don’t think he’d go through with his threats. I bet he’ll get out of the country as fast as he can,” she said, hopefully.
“Let’s hope so, but just in case let’s talk about this some more,” the Sheriff said, not willing to be unprepared if Louis Carter did show up in his little town.
Louis was not out of the country. In fact, he’d been sitting in front of the diner congratulating himself on finding Scarlet so quickly. He’d been sitting somewhere on the street for days waiting for her to show up as he knew she would eventually. It hadn’t taken him long to find her once he’d had a location to work with; a quick internet search had led him to the diner and now her.
All he had to do was wait until she left and follow her home. Other than the white guy she seemed to be with, there was nothing stopping him from taking her out and grabbing Sean. They’d be out of town before anyone knew what happened and on their way to Mexico where he had a nice little place all ready for them. All he needed was his son and a little cash to get them over the border and they’d be home free and rid of that backstabbing bitch who had stolen his child.
His thoughts of revenge were cut short, however, when the sheriff pulled up and parked right behind him. He began to panic, knowing that if the sheriff ran his plates they would come up stolen and it would all be over. He’d be back in jail so fast his head would spin. But the sheriff didn’t approach, instead he went into the diner. As soon as the door closed, he started the car and slowly pulled away from the curb, then drove sedately out of town.
No way was he going to hang around with the sheriff a few feet away from him. He’d have to come back tomorrow. He’d been careful, moving the car every few hours, not getting out at all since a black man in this town would stick out like a sore thumb, even with all the commotion caused by the fire. Rethinking his plan, he realized that he’d have to come back at night when it was dark to make his plans happen; daylight was just too dangerous.
After the sheriff left, Kevin came back to the kitchen to make sure everything was okay. Everyone had been on pins and needles waiting for the word that they had to evacuate. When he saw Scarlet and the look on her face, he turned on his heel and got Marc. Marc took one look at Scarlet and sat down with her, concerned by what the sheriff had just told her.
“What’s wrong?” Marc asked taking her hand?
“They let Louis out early. He could be on his way here right now,” she said, goosebumps raising on her arms.
“Shit,” Marc said. “Has anyone seen him here?”
“No, but I can’t help but think that he’s going to show up here. I didn’t think it was a big deal at the time, but we were all on one of those morning news shows. I refused interviews, but our faces were all over the television for days. If he saw that, he knows exactly where we are. What are we going to do, my whole life is here. I can’t just leave.”
“We’re not going to leave. We’re going to get some reinforcements so we’re ready for him when he shows up, and I think you’re right, he will show up here,” Marc said, pulling her to her feet. “It’s time to see who your real friends are.”
Marc led her out to the dining room and sat her down next to Sean, then stood behind her and cleared his throat. At first, everyone looked excited to hear what Marc had to say, thinking it was going to be something good. But then they saw the fear in Scarlet’s eyes and settled down.
“Scarlet needs your help. It’s a long story, but her ex-husband might be on his way here to hurt her and take Sean.”
There was a
mummer of disbelief, but Scarlet launched into an abridged version of what Louis had done, knowing that her friends deserved to know the truth before they volunteered to help. By the time she’d finished, Hiram was on his feet, ready to fight anyone who tried to hurt Scarlet or Sean. Marc calmed him down by asking that he be in charge of making sure that Scarlet and Sean were protected all the time.
“I need to go up the mountain and get my family down here. Michael’s been helping with the fire, but I think this is more important. Until we know for sure where Louis is, Scarlet and Sean are both in danger,” Marc said to the group, then turned to Scarlet and said, “I think you guys should go home. Hiram can go with you and stay until I get back.”
Scarlet was in shock. Her life just seemed to be on a roller coaster, but this was worse than anything she’d faced so far. She’d always known that there was a chance that Louis might come after her, but she’d always thought that Sean would be grown and gone if it happened. A part of her always felt that it was what she deserved; instead of facing the truth about her husband, she’d turned a blind eye to his business dealings, putting on blinders even when she’d known that something was off about the people he associated with.
But she was tired of feeling like a victim, it was time to see this to the end, and with the people she loved by her side, everything would be okay. “I’m fine with that, but are you all sure you want to put yourselves as risk?” she asked, wanting to give anyone who needed a way out.
“I’m going with you, Scarlet. Until this guy is caught or we know he’s not coming this way, I’m going to be your shadow,” Hiram said, placing himself between her and the door like a bodyguard.
Scarlet felt her spirits lift a little at her friend’s comical pose. She knew he was doing it to make her laugh and appreciated it. “What’s your wife going to have to say about that?” she asked, getting up to kiss him on the cheek.
“Oh, she knows who has my heart. A man might look, but home is where the heart is,” Hiram said, blushing to have spoken so freely.
Hold Me Close: BWWM Romance (Brothers From Money Book 6) Page 13
