Watching it sparkle, I say, “I love this ring and all that it symbolizes. I’m never taking it off.”
He smiles down at me, but I can still see the tension in his face.
“I don’t know how I got so lucky to have you in my life. Like this ring, our love is eternal and never-ending.” An unnamed expression crosses over his face as he leans down and gives me a gentle kiss. “What do you want to do with your stuff? We can have it all restored and fixed if you want.”
The thought of having something that the crazy lunatic has touched has my stomach roiling. No, thank you. “Burn it, donate it, I don’t care. All my important mementos are already here or are in storage. Can we go ahead and get those to keep them safe?”
“Of course. I’ll have them delivered tonight.”
I nod and give him a kiss. I lean back in and cuddle with him. The thought of this psycho ruining my parents’ things has me feeling sick. Thank goodness, I had them stored somewhere else.
“Baby, I’m so sorry for everything my past has put you through.”
I sit up and take his head in my hands. “Damien, I love you. Regardless of what we are dealt, I love you. Dealing with this mess is all worth it, if I get you. I just need to wrap my head around what’s going on. This situation, knowing some guy has really been watching me, is scary and daunting. There’s no telling when this person was in and out of my place.” I shudder at the thought that whoever this might be was in there, watching from the shadows while I was sleeping.
Damien tenses at my last statement. “I will find this fucker. He’s never going to get that close to you again.”
I let out a big sigh. I’m ready for a subject change. “Can we talk about something else?”
“Absolutely. Gingersnap should be delivered here the day after tomorrow.”
I smile at the memory of the proposal. Damien gave me back the world I thought I lost forever.
What if this crazy person got to her if she were here?
My thoughts turn morbid. So much for changing the subject. I know Damien’s trying to cheer me up, but it seems this guy is infiltrating every part of my life right now.
“Have you told anyone at all about giving Gingersnap to me?” I ask.
He slowly shakes his head as he thinks about it.
“Then, please have her stabled somewhere safe and away from anything related to us. We’ll bring her home when we get through this mess. I’ll text Sam and let her know not to tell anyone because of all the media attention we are getting about our marriage.”
Damien rubs my back. “She’ll be in the safest place money can buy. Don’t worry about her.”
I nod as another tear goes down my face. The thought of this guy trying to hurt something I love is too much to bear. Damien squeezes me and kisses the top of my head. He knows I need a few moments to try to sort through this mentally.
“I need to tell Sam not to mention Gingersnap to anyone. Will you get my phone from my purse? It should be on the chair across the room.” My voice only slightly cracks.
Immediately, Damien gives me a kiss on my head and goes to get my phone, returning moments later.
Once he hands me my phone, I text Sam.
Me: Hey, this marriage thing is going crazy in the media. Please don’t tell anyone about Damien’s gifts to me. It’ll just fuel the fire, and you know me and attention.
Sam: No prob, babe! But I want deets on the honeymoon.
Me: You got it! This weekend, you and me. xoxo
Sam: xoxo
Laying my phone back on the table, I ask, “Damien, does this change our plans for going to North Carolina this weekend?”
He rubs his hand up and down my arm trying to chase away the chill as he speaks. “No, unless you don’t want to go. I don’t want to stop us from living our life, but I do want you safe.”
I hope we can find that balance. Right now, I just want to hide away forever, which I know isn’t healthy. It’s what I did after my parents died. It’s no way to live.
Finally, I respond. “I want to go. It’ll be nice to hang out with Sam.”
Fatigue starts to creep into my muscles as I come down from all that has happened in the last few hours.
“Sounds good. Why don’t you get some rest?” he says.
With that, I stand and make my way over to our bed where I strip down and get under the covers. Damien follows suit, and I snuggle into his side.
Pretty soon, I am lost as I reenter our bubble where I pretend that everything is all right. It’s the only way I can cope right now.
We’re leaving for North Carolina this afternoon. Sam is taking a later flight since she had a test she couldn’t miss at her college in Waleska, and Damien has a function early in the evening that he can’t miss either. I’m nervous about all of the business associates of Damien’s I’ll be meeting today as his wife. I’m dressed in my dark skinny jeans with an off-the-shoulder light blue sweater and boots. Hopefully, this will be okay now that I’m Damien’s wife. My nerves are a little on edge from being presented as more than a girlfriend.
Nothing new about my apartment has come up. My key has not been found yet either. It turns out the whack job used my code. Apparently, office security is subpar per Bane. The codes are stored in the key box in the main office with everyone’s name listed beside them. Thirty minutes after security had searched my apartment, supposedly I entered the back door.
What’s the point of the personal codes if the manager of my old place makes it easy for anyone to get them?
Over the last couple of days, the media has died down regarding our shotgun wedding. The focus is now trying to get proof of me being pregnant. Speculations on my due date are everywhere. I got a good laugh at one of the pictures they used of me. Sam had texted it to me. Whoever had photoshopped the pooch on my stomach did a fabulous job. Damien just looked at the picture and didn’t say much. Who knows what he’s thinking? Overall though, I try to avoid the news.
I’m in the library, reading the latest mystery novel. A security guard is posted outside the room. Security will remain outside whatever room I’m in, and I’m glad to have some privacy. Otherwise, it would be too stifling to have someone always watching you, even in the comforts of your own home. The water running down the back wall soothes me as I hear the trickling sounds. This room is slowly becoming my little sanctuary as I add my photographs strategically on the walls and tables.
The door comes open, and Damien strides in, wearing a long-sleeved blue button-up shirt with his khaki dress pants. “Hey, baby, are you ready to go? The car will be out front in about twenty minutes.”
Closing my e-reader, I respond. “Yes. Are you caught up on work?”
He sits right down next to me and gives me a kiss. “I’m caught up enough. I was missing my beautiful bride.”
I don’t know how he balances it all. There’s no way he’s remotely caught up. I give him an indulgent smile.
A knock sounds from the other side of the door, and Damien answers, “Come in.”
Bane walks in at a much faster pace than normal. “Sir, Mrs. Wales, I need to speak with you.”
I sit up from my laid-back position on the giant chaise lounge and give Bane my full attention. Damien nods for him to continue.
“I have found the answer to the clue Martin gave Mrs. Wales.” With a file folder, he sits down in front of us. “Cassandra has slept with Ben. I can account for the last time, which was right before the Vegas gala.”
What? Ben? No way. I am absolutely stunned.
Damien’s furrowed eyebrows and set jaw look scathingly furious. In a low, menacing voice, he asks, “Are you absolutely sure?”
Bane slides the photo toward Damien. “Yes, sir. I found footage of them together in a stairwell at the casino. I have found two other instances over the last two years where I can put them together. The file folder contains stills from those videos.”
Ugh, that footage would have been so unpleasant to watch. I do not envy Bane’s job at
all, and in no way do I want to see those photos. Some things cannot be unseen.
Damien opens the folder and thumbs through the pictures briefly before throwing them back on the table. “I guess it’s safe to assume how she got into the event in Vegas.”
Last year, shortly after our relationship had gone public, Cassandra showed up at the gala and tried to split Damien and me up. She’s like a worm that gets underneath the surface and burrows her way to what she wants.
I’m the next one to speak up. “Are you going to fire him? Isn’t he scheduled to fly with us today?”
On game weekends, the planes are always full of promoters and VIP fans. Business trips are the only times Damien lets people tag along with us. I think only two people are flying with us today. Having passengers with us irritates Damien more than me.
We know why that is. I always giggle when he curses as he officially okays the additional passengers.
He sits there and looks at me. I know he’s arranging his thoughts.
After what seems like a few minutes, he responds, “No, I’m not. Without that clue, there’s no way we would have made that connection. Martin suggested not letting anyone know, which means that whoever is doing this is watching me and everyone I’m associated with. So, for now, Ben will stay on as is. The killer would definitely find out if I fire Ben.”
I ask as he continues to watch me. “How are you going to contact Martin to let him know you figured out his clue?”
Damien continues to stare at me, watching my reaction. “I’m going to signal him like we used to in college. It’s the only way that he’d be able to check without making his presence known at any of our old haunts.” He looks at me as he continues on cautiously, “We ran a sports gambling ring back in college, and we would take out ads in certain papers to communicate silently with each other. We had a code to decipher the messages. I’ll work up my message to him on the plane. It’ll be short since I don’t have to communicate much, and then we will wait for his return message on where we are to meet to get the next clue.”
Damien ran a gambling ring? Oh, wow. That’s a side to Damien I know I have never really asked about. It shouldn’t be, but it’s kind of hot, thinking about Damien running some kind of underground betting ring.
I give him one of those looks, like he’s been holding out on me, and he gives me a wink.
Bane grabs the folder off the table. “Mr. Wales, let me know what paper you need to run the message in, and we will get it to them inconspicuously.”
“It’ll be the Cherokee Paper. Martin and I chose it because it was far enough away from us to keep people from putting two and two together, but it was also easily accessible for us to use.”
A small giggle escapes me. Finding some of this funny must be from all the stress. Damien was brilliant even back when he was a little unruly.
“Let me know the section and article that needs to run once you get it done.”
Damien nods, and Bane rises.
“Sir, the car is waiting for us to leave. Do you want me to keep Ben from riding with you in the vehicle?”
Damien is completely in control. It’s amazing. I’d be so pissed if I were him, knowing that my second-in-command betrayed me like that. Cassandra’s a piece of work for going after people in Damien’s life—twice. First, she was with his ex-partner, Martin, and now, we find out she was also with Ben. She’s like the female version of Martin, infiltrating the lives of people who are close to Damien.
Yuck. Gross. Ugh.
“No, let it be as it normally would be. Sometimes, he rides with us, and other times, he doesn’t, depending on security and where we are going. I don’t want anything to seem out of place. I haven’t seen him much since I’ve gotten back, so he’ll need to ride with us.”
“Yes, sir. We’ll be at the car.”
My interest about the gambling ring is definitely piqued, but I’m going to talk to Damien about it later. With all this new information that has just fallen in his lap, it’ll worry him that I’m upset with his past. I go to get up to follow Bane since the car is waiting, but Damien holds me in place.
“Alli, I need to know you are okay with all this. I’ll cancel our plans if this gets to be too much. I don’t know what the fuck is going on with Cassandra and Ben, but it’s apparent that she was using Ben to cause problems for us. We can’t let her do that.” His blue eyes are searching mine.
I meet his gaze straight-on when I reply, “Damien, all that matters is us. She can’t come between us. As long as you love me and remain faithful, you’ll never have to worry about me not being by your side, day in and out, as your loving wife.”
He reaches over and squeezes my hand. “I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
He kisses my hand as we rise, and then we stroll out to the car as united as two people can be. Bane as well as another security guard are waiting for us outside of the SUV limo. I’m put into the vehicle first, and I sit across from Ben. Damien joins me immediately, and his hand possessively goes on my knee, causing me to smile at the contact. Ben watches as I put my hand on top of Damien’s.
I’m sure he wonders why his boss cannot ever keep his hands off of me.
My stomach roils as I think about how Ben has betrayed my husband by letting Cassandra try to ruin our relationship in Vegas. That night was horrible.
For the sake of keeping up with the ploy, I try to act like my normal self around him. Ben used to seem just average to me, but after hearing about his extracurricular activities with Cassandra, he honestly revolts me. I know Cassandra is beautiful, but a person should never give up all his morals for a few lays in the sack.
Ben interrupts my thoughts, “Congratulations to you both on your recent marriage.”
Right now, the only thing I can manage is a polite smile, so I’m glad when Damien takes charge of the conversation.
“Thank you, Ben. We’re incredibly happy. Did you bring those contracts we discussed?”
“Yes, sir. I have them ready for you to review.” He pulls some papers out of his briefcase.
With that, we are back on track, acting as if everything is okay.
Damien and Ben launch into various business discussions as I look out the window. Normally, I listen a little to hear what’s going on, but the sound of Ben’s voice drives me absolutely mad right now. Damien grabs my hand and starts rubbing it soothingly.
My attention snaps back to the conversation when I hear Ben clear his voice.
“Sir, your parents called and wanted tickets to tonight’s team event. They asked for three, and I gave directions to the PR team to add them to the list.”
Ugh, his parents are going to be there. I knew seeing them was going to happen eventually, but I was just hoping for later rather than sooner. This will just make the night a whole lot more interesting. I’m glad I’ve kept my neutral façade in place because the last thing I need is for Ben telling Cassandra about my utter contempt for Meredith and Jon. I’m sure Damien’s parents aren’t horrible at the core, but to do what they’ve done to their son is inexcusable.
“That’s fine, Ben. However, I only want them having two tickets,” Damien responds, adding a little bit of chill to his voice.
Watching Ben closely, I can see a slight tightening in his eyes. Ben’s good. I guess he would have to be in order to keep the façade up. Cassandra must give him sex in return for favors. Maybe I’ll add prostitute, slut, and promiscuous to the dictionary I want to send to her with highlighted words. I’ve already highlighted stalker, liar, infidelity, loyalty, bitch, and irritant from all her escapades prior to us getting married.
“Yes, sir. I’ll have it changed.”
Damien puts his attention back to reviewing the contracts.
Before I know it, we are pulling into the airport. The two security guards disembark first, Ben and Damien then exit, and I follow.
We immediately go into the plane where two college-age kids greet us. It looks like they have already been hitt
ing the alcohol fairly heavily. I can feel Damien tense beside me at the mess we’ve walked into. Drunken fools irritate him to no end.
Geez, they are sitting right in front of our loveseat. This means they are going to be overly obnoxious as they try to impress Damien the entire way.
They eye me curiously as we take our seats. Damien doesn’t introduce me, which is a sign he’s not fond of these guys. Like usual, when flying with people for business, I sit right next to Damien, pull out my e-reader, and lay it on my lap. Damien gives me an indulging smile, which I return. The two guys riding with us have not taken their eyes off me since we boarded the plane, and I can tell that Damien is becoming more agitated by their blatant staring. It’s making me a little uncomfortable, and I just keep my head down, trying to engross myself in my book that is still in my lap.
Damien’s about to say something, but then Bane approaches the men. “Excuse me, but for security purposes I need to ask you to take the seats in front.”
Instantly, I love Mr. Badass—platonically, of course.
They are so plastered that they sway as they move to the front of the plane.
In a low whisper, I ask, “How long have they been on here?”
Damien doesn’t take his eyes off them as he responds to me. “About forty minutes. Fucking morons. They’re hitching a ride as a favor to one of the major sponsors.”
They definitely aren’t like the normal executives we ride with. Generally, the executives or sponsors who ride with us try to pump Damien for information. I’d say they’re three sheets to the wind, spoiled college boys.
From the front, I hear, “Fuck me, she’s hot. I hope that’s his sister.”
When Damien goes to stand up, I’m actually afraid he’s going to deck the college kid who just spoke. I put my hand on his legs as Bane has already approached them.
Whatever he says causes both of them to briefly look back. The original offender says, “Sorry, Mrs. Wales.”
I go with a bland smile and look back down at my e-reader. Peeking up at Damien, I can sense he’s still warring with himself on whether he should teach them a lesson.
Love Me (Trust Series #2) Page 7
