by A. V. Asher
A chubby fist locked onto one of Mercedes’s curls, twisted, and tried to bring it to a drooling mouth. Alec couldn’t help smiling at the little one. He had a soft spot for babies.
“No, no, my love. You don’t want to eat that,” Mercedes giggled, unwinding the baby’s tiny fingers from her hair.
God, her laugh is beautiful. Where was the lassie’s mother? Alec looked around, hoping he’d see a wife or girlfriend somewhere nearby.
David’s voice cut into his thoughts. “Maybe this evening we can meet up and talk about it?”
“What’s this, now?” Alec frowned, cocking his head at Mercedes. Clearly, he’d missed something.
Mercedes smiled. “Oh, David invited us to the fire tonight. We thought maybe we could chat about California while we were there.”
For Christ’s sake, I’m sitting right here, mate.
Alec forced a smile, leaning across the table to scoop up Mercedes’s free hand. “But darling, I . . .” Sparing a glance at David, Alec gave her a meaningful glance. “I had . . . plans for us this evening.” He let the words fall in a way that left no room to doubt their intimacy. His hand moved across hers in long, delicate strokes. Mercedes flushed, letting out a soft exhale.
“Um, we’ll have to see. I guess it’ll depend on the plans Will has tonight,” she said to David. Alec continued his assault on her hand, turning it over to sweep his thumb across the soft skin on the inside of her wrist.
David’s gaze was on their intertwined hands. He gave a tight smile. “Aye, I understand. I’ll try to catch up with you then.” Reaching for his daughter, he said, “Come on, lassie, let’s go find a snack. You two enjoy your breakfast.”
Mercedes’s smile stayed on her face until David turned the corner. She dropped into a scowl. “Was that necessary?”
“Aye, it was.” At her exasperated look, he said, “You and I are here on a ‘romantic holiday,’ and this bloke is hitting on you.”
“No, he’s not,” she scoffed.
Alec’s brow went up, but the waitress arrived with their food, so he let it go. They ate in silence, Mercedes avoiding his eyes. When they got up from the table, she was the one that reached for his hand. There was a coolness to it, like she was performing a duty. In a way, she was.
A pang of regret shot through him. Alec didn’t want it to be this way with her, but he’d lost the ability to talk to her.
With any luck, they could work out a peace between them. One that kept them both safe.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Sunlight danced through the dense leaves, swaying along the path. A breeze running through the chilly shadows cooled Mercedes’s heated skin, a sensation she welcomed. The brisk walk along the river was her first attempt at exercise since leaving the hospital, and she was feeling it. It was a perfect jogging trail, but she was afraid she’d keel over if she pushed too hard. It would take time to get her endurance back.
Shooting a glance at Alec, Mercedes noted he was unaffected by their pace. The chill had added a trace of pink to his nose and cheeks. His breath was coming in even puffs. The way he held himself had shifted since yesterday. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets and, he was unusually quiet.
He was probably pissed at the way she had baited him on the stairs. It had been a jerk move, especially when she’d been the one to tell him not to touch. As wrong as it was, the feel of his arms around her, of their bodies pressing together, had made it worth it.
Back at the manor house, the river flowed steadily through the level farmland. But the further they walked upstream, the more the rapids crashed against the rocks, twisting in and out of the trees.
A small cottage came into view. The trail was interrupted near the top of the house’s driveway and picked up again close to the main road. An ornate iron gate closed the gravel drive to stray cars and hikers enjoying the river trails. The house was adorable. Every detail could have been pulled from a fairytale. The white plaster exterior was accented with black trim and a red door. Flowers danced along the brick sidewalk and skirted the base of the house. The river curved away from their trail, nestling the house against its banks.
Alec had stopped with her, taking in the house. His gaze turned toward the road. A sign for a real estate company was displayed at the entrance. A plastic box held fliers, and he took one out. Mercedes waited for him, where the path continued.
“Are you thinking of moving back to Scotland?”
He scoffed. “Nah. But I’m pretty sure I need a new safehouse. This might be a little too far from the city, though.”
A pang of guilt ran through her. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.”
It was her turn to let out a sharp exhale. “Well, you weren’t the one who brought a lunatic into your life.”
Alec’s eyes were thoughtful. He pointed to a large boulder next to the flowing water. “Do you mind sitting for a moment?”
“Are you tired already?” she teased, although her body ached with the morning’s exertions.
“No, but we need to talk.”
Something in Alec’s tone made her heart bottom out. What now?
Mercedes sat on the rock. Alec perched next to her but seemed to take care not to touch her. Blood pounded in her ears as she waited for him to say what he needed to say.
“David Kennison appears to be infatuated with you.”
Mercedes rolled her eyes. “I doubt that.”
Alec angled his head toward her, eyebrows raised. “He is. Which means he might ask questions about our relationship. We need more background.”
Mercedes lifted her gaze to the rushing rapids. “I think we have plenty of history that’s easy to sell. Your cousin married my sister. We met at the wedding. We carried on a long-distance relationship for three years.” The words were getting harder to say. “I moved here six months ago to be with you. No one needs to know more than that.”
So that was it. She was going to have to pretend. Not only that she was with Alec, which was hard enough, but that they’d shared the life she’d dreamed of for three years. That he’d loved her enough to make it work. The irony of it all scraped her heart raw.
Alec was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. The muscles of his jaw were clenched tight. Clearly, he didn’t like the reminder of what had happened between them.
Why did you walk away?
The question burned in her chest. She deserved to know, but could her soul take the answer?
Swallowing hard, she opened her mouth to ask when Alec’s quiet voice stopped her. “There’s something else I need to tell you. I’m not quite sure how to do it.”
Once again, her stomach sank.
“You know Cress and I did a background check on Jason.” At her nod, he continued, “We found some inconsistencies in the information you gave us. The company he said he worked for as a consultant doesn’t exist. It’s a shell corporation.”
Mercedes’s mouth fell open. “That can’t be. He’s worked there for years. His job is the reason we moved to London.”
“Aye, but it appears to be a front.”
She stared at him. “For what?”
“We don’t know,” Alec admitted. “He may be a part of a drug ring, or perhaps human trafficking. There are a lot of possibilities.”
Mercedes’s gut lurched, and she put her hand over her mouth. Human trafficking? “That can’t be right,” she whispered.
“We’re missing a lot of information, but the markers are all there for a larger organization to be behind him. We just can’t say what they’re doing.”
Dread curled in her stomach. Jason wasn’t a Boy Scout, but she didn’t think his work was illegal. Mercedes had met him for lunch at his office more than once and attended several holiday parties. It appeared so normal, boring even.
“There’s more,” Alec said. “We’re almost certain he’s using an alias.”
“What?” The blood drained from her face. “What do you mean?”
“
The American social security number you gave us is for a dead man. Before we left the safehouse, Cress was digging around to find out more. Not only on him but the two guys that follow him around.” He paused, watching her. “I wasn’t going to say anything until Cress had time to search, but I don’t know how long it’ll be before she can re-establish our communications. I didn’t want to surprise you with it.”
Mercedes sat forward. “Is it possible she got it wrong somehow? Or maybe I messed up when I wrote the number?” Her mind was frantic, struggling to make sense of it.
Alec shook his head, eyebrows creased. “It’s possible we have some things wrong. But the dead man’s name was Jason Marsh. He died five or six years ago.”
“So, who . . .” Mercedes choked. “Who have I been with all these years?”
There was a pause. “I don’t know.”
Mercedes stared at Alec.
Jason isn’t Jason.
He was a complete stranger.
A stranger who’d shared her life. Her secrets. Taken her body.
That thought sent a flood of revulsion through her gut.
A man whose name she didn’t even know had been inside her. For three fucking years.
Mercedes didn’t know how to deal with this information. It was one more violation of her body she’d have to process and learn to live with. Mercedes inhaled the fragrant air deep into her lungs. Anger, terror, defilement . . . the roil of emotions threatened to overwhelm her. Blinking, she cleared the tears that welled in her eyes.
Fuck that.
She would not be broken by this.
Alec’s hand slid over hers. It was tentative, like he was ready to pull back at the first sign he was crossing the line. Mercedes stiffened, unsure of letting him see her turmoil. There was a vulnerability that had been ripped open, one she was desperate to not let anyone else into.
But his quiet strength drew her in.
Alec knew.
She didn’t have to pretend to be okay.
Who else could understand but someone who’d lived it? If his theory was correct, Mariah had used him the same way.
Instead of the shock of jealousy she expected to feel when thinking about that woman, she felt a surge of protectiveness. Alec didn’t deserve that. Neither of them deserved to be manipulated that way.
“Sadie, we will find out who he is. Then we’ll know how to deal with him.” He sounded confident, but his eyes told her he was worried too. His thumb stroked the back of her hand.
Suddenly, the fight they’d had seemed so insignificant. Mariah’s appearance at the safehouse, the way he kissed her, then let her down again. None of it mattered. Hurt feelings were a luxury she couldn’t afford, and the resentment she carried was putting them both at risk. She had to set it right.
“I . . . I’m sorry about this morning.” Mercedes bit her lip. “I shouldn’t have been such an ass.”
Alec let out a short, unexpected laugh. “Aye, well. I rather enjoyed this morning.”
Mercedes’s mouth curled up in a smile. The simple jest cracked through the ice between them.
The two of them fell quiet. Her hand rested in his. Mercedes didn’t want to pull back, afraid to lose the thin connection they had.
When he spoke again, the teasing was gone from his voice. “I know there’s a lot you and I need to say to each other. We have a history we can’t ignore forever.” He looked at their hands. “But for now, I think it’s better if we wait. There are other things we have to put first.”
As much as Mercedes wanted to get it all out in the open, she recognized the wisdom in his words. Their tattered relationship was already hanging by a thread, making their pretense difficult enough. Bringing up past hurts could make it impossible.
She bobbed her head. “We’ve gone this long, I guess. Besides, I know how important it is for people to believe us. Especially now. You won’t have to remind me again.”
Alec dipped his head in acknowledgment. He got up from the rock and helped Mercedes to her feet. Even though no one was around, he kept her hand in his. Mercedes didn’t pull away this time, though his touch sent shivers of fire through her body. She had to get used to the feel of him again.
They were quiet on the walk back to the main house. The news of Jason’s possible double life spun through her brain.
Was anything real?
Was she just a part of his cover, a pawn whose connections concealed his crimes? What if Cressida couldn’t find who he was? Would she have to live with never knowing?
Alec tightened his hold on her hand. “Are you alright?” He was watching her with knitted brows.
“No,” she said honestly. “But I will be.”
The wooded path opened up, and the inn came into view. This was the perfect location for lovers to run away to. Mercedes tried to imagine having a life like the one they were trying to pass off. How could she pretend to have everything when, in fact, she had nothing at all?
Chapter Thirty
The evening fire was quite an attraction for the visitors at the manor. The sun had set behind the trees, cooling the air once again. Alec picked up a blanket from one of the baskets at the edge of the patio and joined Mercedes at their seat. He unfurled the blanket over them both and settled in next to her.
Her lips turned up into a pleasant smile. It was for show. She was reeling from their talk this morning and had grown quiet since they had returned to the inn. Staying true to her word, she no longer pulled away when he touched her. In fact, she seemed to lean into their contact, reaching for him even when they were alone.
Not that he minded. Having Mercedes touch him would always feel amazing.
The Kennison family had gathered, chatting with guests and tuning instruments. The hum of the conversation was mixed with the occasional strums of guitars. Alec wasn’t sure how many children the Kennisons had, but it was quite a brood. David Kennison sat next to a teen boy who shared his dark eyes and black hair. Each held a guitar, and David looked to be coaching the young man.
Alec caught sight of Mercedes’s hands, the weather vane to her feelings. She’d been calm a moment ago, but now her fingers were tapping against the stem of her wineglass on her knee.
He leaned toward her ear. “Are you alright?”
“Mm-hmm,” she returned. She looked at her own hands, and seemed to recognize what she was doing, and clenched them tight together.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s silly.” At his pointed look, she sighed. “That boy’s guitar is seriously out of tune, and he’s about to throw a string trying to fix it.”
Alec followed her gaze to the lad sitting with David. Mercedes’s knee bounced as she watched the kid turn the pegs at the top of the guitar.
“Maybe you should go help him.”
“Would that be okay?”
At his nod, Mercedes jumped up and set the wine on the table, relief clear on her face.
David’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when Mercedes approached, but it was the boy who seemed the most grateful, handing her the guitar without hesitation. She made quick work of the tuning and held it to the boy. He gestured for her to play for him.
Mercedes hesitated, looking at the guitar. She turned her eyes to Alec in question. He knew why.
The moment she played, people would know how talented she was. It could give her away. He nodded, motioning she should go for it. Her smile broadened. The first genuine smile she’d had since they’d arrived.
David Kennison studied Alec, then turned back to Mercedes. She was playing a few chords for the boy, who was bobbing his head along with her. David stepped to them, his face softening as she played.
If this man was some sort of operative, he was doing a shit job. Blatantly gaping at his targets was a sign of a complete amateur. Was there any recognition in David’s eyes? Or was he just an enamored prat who was trying to figure out how committed Mercedes was to her relationship? Either way, Alec couldn’t let it go unchecked.
Mercedes
laughed at something the kid said. David’s eyes never left her.
Yep. An enamored prat was looking to be more likely. It was a sign of how unconvincing he and Mercedes had been when they’d arrived last night. It didn’t help that David had come upon Mercedes when she was upset. That fight was costing too much. They were going to need to do a little damage control.
Mercedes handed the young man his guitar and returned to Alec. He held his arm out to her. She settled in at his side, adjusting the blanket across their laps. A bagpipe rang out, signaling a beginning to the evening’s entertainment.
With Gavin Kennison at the helm, they shared stories and sang ballads of Scottish lore. The darker tales of selkies and kelpies were broken up with the charm and humor of the Kennison clan. Alec smiled, knowing many of the stories from his youth. Gavin sang the songs in a rich voice, sometimes in Gaelic. David and the young man accompanied on the guitar. It didn’t feel like a show being performed but an intimate family gathering they had been welcomed into.
Mercedes was enchanted. Snuggled up against Alec, she laughed and gasped along with the others. When the piper played the bagpipes, she leaned forward a little, trying to see how it worked. It was one of the few things she couldn’t play. Yet.
David’s eyes darted to them occasionally. Alec made a point of gently stroking her hand. When a lull came between songs, he stroked her cheek, turning her face to look at him. She stiffened enough for him to feel, but she didn’t pull away.
Alec leaned toward her. “We have a problem, darling.”
Her eyes widened. “What problem?”
“Your new friend is watching us like a hawk.”
“Who, David? He’s harmless, right?”
Alec’s lips turn up into a wry smile. “Aye, most likely. But I’d rather put a stop to his nosing about.”
Mercedes looked at him expectantly. “Okay, so how do we do that?”
Taking in a deep breath, he brushed the hair from her face. “We need to be better at selling this. I know you’re not big on public affection, and I get that, but we have to step it up. If we don’t, he’ll get brave and I’m not sure what he might do, or say to you to get . . .”
