“Baby, you’re safe. He’s gone. I’m going to take you to another room. Close your eyes and don’t look.”
I murmur my consent. I’ll do whatever I need to in order to get out of this room. I do not need any images to haunt me for the rest of my life.
Just as we are about to leave, I hear Bane say, “Sir, Dr. Ferguson has been paged, and he will be brought to the house by helicopter to check on Mrs. Wales.”
“Very good, Bane. Thank you.”
We make our way down the hallway.
Sam starts to scream, “Is she okay? Damien, is Allison hurt? Damn it, Martin, let me go.”
I can just imagine Sam as a wild beast thrashing about, trying to get out of the grips of what I’m sure is a very determined Martin.
I’m amazed at how even Damien’s voice comes out as he responds, “Sam, she’s going to be okay, but I need to check her out. Give me a few minutes, and then you can join us, okay?”
I refuse to open my eyes as I stay buried in Damien’s neck.
Martin’s voice is the next one I hear, and I’m touched at his worry. “Let me know if there’s anything you need. I’ll stay out here with Sam.”
“Thanks, Martin.” Damien never breaks stride as another door opens, a flick of a switch sounds, and I’m put down on a soft surface.
“Baby, I need to look you over. The doctor will be here soon. I’m sorry I had to throw you around like I did.”
I open my eyes and see the worry on his face as he methodically looks me over, examining if he’s reinjured any of my recently healed wounds. I couldn’t care less about being thrown around if it means we are both safe.
It’s over. “Is he really gone?”
Damien stops and looks at me. “Yes, he is. We’re free, baby. You’re safe.”
I start sobbing at the relief and guilt I feel. I’ll never have to worry about this unhinged man again, but it feels terrible to be glad that a life has been taken.
“Shh, baby. It’s okay. He’s never coming for you again.”
I lunge into his embrace and whisper, “Thank you.”
I’m not sure what all went down this evening, but I have a feeling this was all planned out to some extent. Martin knew Ben was close. That’s why Martin came over last minute.
My mind just keeps repeating over and over again.
It’s done.
It’s over.
We’re free.
Nothing else matters right now.
There’s so much commotion at the house as the police arrive followed by Dr. Ferguson. Since Sam has been allowed in the room where I am, she has remained at my side, holding my hand. Martin is sitting across from us. Damien is with the cops, being questioned. I’m glad that they didn’t disclose their plans to me because my answers will be factual and one hundred percent based on the truth to the cops. Everything else is just assumptions.
Dr. Ferguson is in the middle of conducting his medical exam. When he first arrived, he asked everyone to leave the room, but let’s just say, that didn’t go over well with anyone in the peanut gallery. I think he saw the determined looks in their eyes and gave up trying to win this battle.
“Mrs. Wales, I don’t see any reinjury to your recent ones. You have some minor scrapes, which I have treated, and you will have some bruising. Refrain from any intense exercising over the next few days, but you should be fine.”
He’s packing up his bag, and I cannot help but stand and hug him.
It completely takes him aback, but he tentatively gives me a hug.
As I’m hugging him, I whisper, “Thank you for everything. I used that card you gave me.”
I immediately disengage to not further his discomfort.
“You’re most welcome, Mrs. Wales. I’m glad it helped. Take care of yourself.”
Damien is walking in, and he gives the doctor a handshake as he escorts him out of the room. I’m guessing that Damien probably wants to ask about all my injuries more thoroughly. When I sit back down, Sam is right there giving me a hug.
Damien comes back in and looks me over. Sam begrudgingly lets me go. “Alli, how are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. Just ready to leave.”
A young officer comes in the room, carrying a black pistol in an evidence bag. “Mr. Wales, would you mind joining us in the hall?”
Damien steps forward, all businesslike and domineering, not answering the officer as he heads out the door.
With the looks that Damien and Martin have exchanged this morning, silently communicating, there’s no doubt they planned this somehow. That’s why the evening felt so scripted at times. The only reason I picked up on it is because I know my husband so well. It was like forcing their friendship to a level that wasn’t yet natural for them. Their history allowed them to pull it off. It’s the only thing that makes sense because Damien would have never let Sam come if he had known before she got here. He couldn’t inexplicably send her away.
More images start to snap together. I remember Damien rubbing my stomach outside, which probably sent Ben over the edge. He must have lost any reined-in control because he thought I had lied to him. Bane leaving earlier in the evening was staged, so Ben would assume we didn’t think anything was going to happen to us while we were out of town. I thought it was strange when Damien insisted on me being dressed in pajamas for bed. Then, Bane just appeared with his gun drawn when Damien had yelled. It all makes sense. I work on schooling my features to a more passive expression.
It’s all explainable to the cops considering what I recently went through and to why security would be ready to pounce on a moment’s notice.
I squeeze Sam’s hand. “How are you doing?”
“I’m a little freaked out still. I thought someone had shot you. I don’t know how you dealt with that stress all that time.” She squeezes my hand back. “I called my mom and dad to come pick me up. I’m going to go spend the weekend with them.”
“I’m glad. You can stay with us if you want. I’m so sorry you had to deal with this.”
Sam looks tired and stressed as she responds, “I might on my way back home. I may see a friend in Atlanta. I just want a few days at home with Mama. She might try to take you, too, if you don’t watch it.”
I love her parents. They’ve always been so good to me.
Damien comes striding back into the room.
“Next week, if we can, I’d like to go see Dean and Chandra,” I say to Damien.
My heart bursts at seeing the man I love and knowing what he did for me. Even though this place is crawling with people, he looks like the weight of the world has been lifted off of his shoulders.
“Anything you want, baby. We’ll go whenever you’re ready.” He turns to Sam. “I’ve talked to your parents, and if you want, I can have a car take you to meet them, or you can wait for them to get here.”
She thinks over her options.
Martin chimes in, “Sam, why don’t I take you to meet up with them?”
She nods. “That sounds better. I don’t want to be alone.”
It’s obvious that she and Martin are becoming friends. They have a kindred spirit. They both go to stand, and I follow suit.
She leans in for only me to hear as she whispers, “I’m going to go ahead and go. I need to see my Mama. Are you okay?”
“Yes, it’s over. Tell them I love them. I’m here for you, Sam. Anytime you need me, I’m here.”
“I will, and I know.” She pulls back and wipes a tear from her eye. “I promise I’m going to tell you what happened to me someday. I’m just not ready.”
With all the sincerity I can muster, I say, “When you’re ready, I’m here. I love you.”
“Love you, too, bestie.” She turns to Martin. “Get your ass moving, Mills.”
I assume her sass is used to distance herself from whatever vulnerability she’s feeling.
He gets up. “The female species are so demanding.”
Fully embracing this distraction, she retorts, “Only becaus
e we know we’re always right. You’d save yourself a lot of headache if you’d just embrace it.”
“We’ll continue this discussion on our ride because I do have a lot of evidence that says the opposite is true.” Martin smirks at her.
Then, he walks up to Damien. He gives Damien one of those guy things with a half-handshake and half-hug, resulting in some back-slapping machismo. “Let me know if you need anything, Damien. Glad this worked out for all of us.”
“Me, too, man. Me, too.”
When I think about it, it’s weird how we are all leaving a murder scene, but I don’t know what else we can do. It’s hard for me to have any empathy for Ben’s death after all that he’s done to us and to Rebecca.
A wrong of the past was righted today. I didn’t know Rebecca, but her killer deserved to be caught and brought to justice.
Martin and Sam take their leave out of the house. None of our possessions can be taken yet since it’s an official crime scene.
Blowing out a cleansing sigh, Damien pulls me to him. “The police said we could go. Once we know Martin and Sam are on the road, let’s go home.”
“Sounds good.”
I lean in to him, and we make our way down to the car as we see the taillights of Martin’s car from the windows of the front door. It’s still weird, rectifying the different sides of Martin that I’ve seen.
Damien turns me to face him. “Are you okay, baby? I need you to be honest and tell me. I can’t tell with all the commotion, but if we need to go see Dr. Reynolds right now, I will make it happen.”
I look at him and grab his face. “I just want to go home with you and start our lives without all of this lingering on us. We can go tomorrow. I just want to be with you.”
Damien immediately grabs my hand and addresses Bane, who’s waiting by the front door, “I’m taking my wife home.” He extends his hand for Bane to take. “Thank you. When this all settles, you can take the plane wherever you want on an all-expense paid vacation.”
Bane nods. “Thank you, sir. It’s a privilege working with you and Mrs. Wales.”
I can’t help myself as I go and hug Bane. I’m so grateful for the tireless hours he’s spent protecting me and getting us through this ordeal.
“Thank you.” I pull back and see the first real smile from him.
“You’re most welcome, Mrs. Wales.”
Damien, of course, is right there, picking me up to take me to the car.
“You know I can walk, right?” I give him a teasing tone, but I don’t want him to put me down. I love being in his arms.
He lays a kiss on me. “I think I’ve hit my limit for seeing you in other men’s arms for a while.”
I just laugh and kick my feet, relief coursing through my body at the crushing weight that has vanished. It’s midmorning, and I notice I’m still in my pajamas. Damien added a T-shirt at some point in the morning’s chaos.
“Hmm, has Mr. Possessive come back in full force?”
He bites my earlobe, and I giggle.
The worry is slowly dissipating from Damien. It’s amazing how much stress we lived under since this all started.
“He never left, baby.”
At that, I’m put into the limo. Jeremy gives a small smile from the driver’s side. I’m so glad this is over. He closes the door. Damien pulls me onto his lap and begins to kiss me softly and sweetly. He grabs my left hand, and I feel something slide onto it. Looking down, I see my wedding ring, and I clutch my hand to my chest. I know he would have replaced it, but I wanted this one.
He kisses my hand and murmurs, “They were able to recover it from the cabin. Bane pulled some strings to have it released. If you want a different one because it reminds you of what happened, we’ll replace it.”
I continue looking at it. My memory did not do it justice as I look at the sheer brilliance. It’s a symbol of our never-ending love. “He could never taint my love for you. I was heartbroken, thinking it was gone.”
We both sit there, embraced in each other’s arms, as we ride home. I look at my ring, remembering everything that it symbolizes.
“You’ll always be mine, Alli.”
I close my eyes as I let all that has happened sink in. I cannot wait to be home where I know we won’t be leaving the bedroom for at least a few days.
I hope Damien wasn’t listening to the doctor’s orders too carefully.
It’s May. Sam just graduated this last weekend. I know she is ecstatic because it means she’ll be able to fully take on the career she started with Damien’s team. Her job officially begins this fall, but she’ll be moving to North Carolina to get acquainted with the team tomorrow. I think she’s ready for a change of scenery. We’re flying up tomorrow as I want to make sure she’s settled.
Sam’s done a few things for Damien over the past few months, regarding contract signings for a couple of players. She’s a force to be reckoned with when she goes after what she wants. It’s almost comical to witness as I think back to our last dinner at the house.
It’s spring break, and Sam will be traveling to New Mexico to sign a new player tomorrow. We are in the den as Damien hands over a file folder.
I grab a small sandwich from the tray on the coffee table. “So, who’s the mark?” I love calling the people Damien and Sam target marks. It seems so secret agent. I receive a raised eyebrow from Sam.
Damien gives me an endearing smile as he speaks to Sam, ignoring my quip. “Sam, all the teams are gunning for Todd Stewart. We’ve got to have him.”
I put on my best secret agent voice as I say, “So, Sam, your mission, if you so choose to accept it, is to find and tame the Todd Stewart.”
I barely get my sentence out as a pillow comes flying toward my head. I duck into Damien and giggle.
Sam snaps the folder and looks through it. “Consider it done. Todd Stewart is about to move to North Carolina. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
For some reason, I feel bad for the unsuspecting Mr. Stewart.
Since the event with Ben on Tybee Island, Sam still hasn’t told me what happened to her in school, but I sense that she’s getting closer to confiding in me. I hope I can help her deal with whatever she’s been suppressing all these years, like she’s helped me so many times. She’ll come out stronger for it, like she always does.
Like I did.
Damien and I bought a house in both California and North Carolina to use when we travel. Damien acted as if he just snagged him a bunch of Super Bowl titles with how excited he was to buy real estate with me. The homes really can’t be classified as homes with how large they are. It’s ridiculous really, but life is all about compromises. I still feel like I need a you-are-here map in our house in California with all the levels and different rooms.
Our home in Atlanta is in the process of finishing the remodels. The only room left is Damien’s office. He wanted to save that until the end for whatever reason. It feels good to get rid of all the old after everything we dealt with, so we can truly start our lives over in a sense.
My photography keeps me busy when we travel. I’m actually starting to build a name for myself among the athletes, and anytime we travel, the times I allot to work are double-booked. I think back on the night at a sports benefit.
A tall blond man approaches Damien and me as we sip our champagne.
“Mrs. Wales, it’s a pleasure. Your reputation precedes you. I’m Charles Hannigon, a fellow team owner, like your husband.”
I extend my hand as Damien’s hand tightens infinitesimally on my hip. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Hannigon.”
“Charlie, please, Mrs. Wales. I’ve seen your work and would love for you to take some photos for my team as well, if you’re available.”
Damien tenses beside me. I look at his face, and he seems proud of me, which makes me smile. It’s kind of funny that another team owner is asking me to take pictures of their team.
“Thank you for asking, but I shoot exclusively for our team.”
Charlie looks a
t me with his hazel eyes and gives me a smile. “Well, if you ever change your mind, let me know.”
Personal security overall has lightened up immensely. It will never go away, and I’ll always have someone with me if Damien’s not around. I can deal with that if it eases the tension for Damien in the slightest. I’ve gotten used to them and can now even remember that they’re around.
Geez, I’ve had some embarrassing moments with them over the last few months.
Bane, of course, remains head of security and lives in the guest residence adjoined to the house. I once asked him if he had someone special in his life. His response was that attachments don’t work well in his specialty. I’m sure there’s a story there, but I didn’t press. He’s the most closed-off person I have ever met, but he would die for me if he needed to. It’s such a weird combination.
Since the Ben incident, Damien and I are doing really well. We continued to see Dr. Reynolds for a few months, making sure that our communication pathways stayed open and didn’t close up because of stress. We did have some difficult times, dealing with it all and finding a new balance after it was all over. It’s amazing how much time, effort, and worry ran our lives. I didn’t realize all that until after the fact, and then we have had to relearn some of the basics. Of course, we gladly embraced it, but it’s hard to let go and replace that emotion with something of love when we’ve basically been living in fear for most of our relationship. As my mom always said, Allison, trust and love are all you really need in any relationship. If you have that, you can weather any storm.
Martin and Damien continue to build upon their friendship. They are even planning a guys’ weekend trip this summer.
After having just bought our new house in North Carolina, we are in the car, driving to the sports complex for Damien to sign some documents.
His phone rings. “Hey, Martin. Yes, I’m still going to Colorado. No, I’m not backing out. I was thinking that instead of a two-night trip, we could do just an overnight stay.”
Love Me (Trust Series #2) Page 31
