Bad Boy's Kiss (Firemen in Love Book 2)

by Amy Starling

  He held a suitcase in his hand, too. This he set down, then slowly approached me. His gaze fell to the bump in my belly.

  “I can't believe it,” he murmured. “Can't believe that's my baby in there.”

  The whole church went utterly silent. Dad's face turned that scary shade of purple. Henry's jaw fell. I could see Rachael mouthing the words “I knew it,” to Trey.

  “Your baby?” Dad stormed toward him. “Explain yourself, young man.”

  “What's there to explain? Anna is carrying my baby.”

  The sanctuary erupted into a complete uproar. People were shouting, fighting, and taking pictures. Some of Henry's family members were crying their eyes out. Henry, however, remained composed and came to my side.

  “Anna,” dad growled. “You said it was Max's child.”

  I hung my head. This was not good.

  Rich boldly pushed dad out of the way. He completely ignored Henry and tried to take my hand. Disgusted, I pushed him away.

  “My wife found out about us,” he said, crying. “She kicked me out of the house, and I have nowhere to go. I thought... Maybe I acted too rashly, you know? Maybe we could make a go of it. I heard you were getting married, but if there's still a chance; if you'll forgive me...”

  “Wait. Did you say your wife?”

  Rich sank to his knees and sobbed. I felt no sympathy for him, but he was almost too pathetic to be mad at.

  Henry held up a hand. “Can someone please explain what this fool is doing ruining everything? This is supposed to be the happiest day of our lives, but he's turned it into a complete circus.”

  Mom, too, decided she had to join the fray. “Anna, did you have sex with a married man? How could you?” She clutched the rosary around her neck. “Oh God, please forgive my sinner of a daughter.”

  Insults were hurled back and forth in every direction. Somebody in the crowd threw their Bible at me – luckily, it missed – and called me a whore who direly needed the Lord's saving.

  To my surprise, Rachael actually came to my defense. She left behind a bewildered Trey and stood at my side.

  “Don't be so hard on her! She didn't know he was married.” She glared daggers at Rich. “He's the one who led her on. He got her pregnant and then abandoned her like it was nothing.”

  “You homewrecker!” An elderly woman shouted at me.

  “Should have kept your legs closed,” yelled someone else.

  Rich finally managed to get on his feet. He was still whimpering like a little girl, though. What in the world did I ever find attractive about him?

  One of the church employees came up and put his hand on Rich's shoulder. “Sir, please, I must ask you to leave. You're disturbing the peace, and –”

  Rich threw him off. “I don't care! Anna, don't marry this guy. He doesn't care about you one bit.”

  Henry, usually totally cool and collected from what I'd so far seen of him, charged at Rich and grabbed him by the shirt. He slammed him up against a pew, ignoring the gasps and screams of everyone else.

  “Listen here, you little turd! I was about to marry this wonderful girl, and you have the gall to show up and ruin everything for me! How do you know I don't care for her? I'll treat her far better than you ever did.”

  Dad gaped at Henry like he'd grown an extra head. Obviously, this fine “gentleman” he'd chosen for me could be anything but.

  Outside, police sirens wailed. Had someone actually called the cops?

  “Get off of me,” Rich grunted. “What's your problem, man? I'm just trying to make things right here.”

  Something about the way he said that struck me as... Authentic, maybe? And for a split second, I thought maybe he was telling the truth.

  Henry shoved Rich down with an angry growl. He stomped over to dad.

  “This is a disaster. I'm sorry, Mr. Southwell, but I just can't do this.”

  Dad paled. “Whatever do you mean?”

  “I can't go through with this wedding.” He lowered his voice. “I was all ready to claim her child as my own. Nobody had to know the truth. Now that this idiot has screamed it to the world, everyone will know the baby isn't mine. They'll know my wife got the kid from her tryst with a married man. I refuse to deal with that kind of scandal.”

  Henry went for the microphone. Dad followed him up the aisle, pleading with him to reconsider.

  “Come now, let's not be so hasty. Anna is a good woman, she's just made a few mistakes. Perhaps a bit extra compensation would change your mind?”

  Henry shook his head and shouted into the microphone. “Excuse me, everyone, but I'm afraid this wedding will have to be canceled. I'm truly sorry to all the family and friends who took their time to come all the way out here...”

  His side of the family kept shooting me murderous looks. I hadn't done a thing wrong, but then why did I feel like a slutty harlot whose fault it all was, like I had ruined everything?

  The doors opened again, and in came three police officers. That was, evidently, the cue for guests to get up and hurry out to their cars.

  “What seems to be the problem here? Is anyone injured?”

  Rich howled and curled up in the fetal position on the pew. “He tried to kill me!”

  Henry threw down the microphone. It emitted an ear-piercing squeal as it rolled to the floor. “Why, you piece of...”

  As the cops approached Henry for questioning, I went and sat down by Rich. Okay, maybe I did feel a smidgen bad for him. Look at him, sobbing like he'd just gone through a psychotic break.

  “Rich,” I said quietly. “What are you really doing here?”

  “I – I told you.”

  “No. How did you know I was getting married, and where at? How'd you know I would be at this church? And what possessed you to show up and do this in front of all these people during the wedding?”

  He cried louder. “I had no choice, I swear! I didn't want to ruin your wedding. I already feel bad enough about what a horrible husband I've been, and... This.” He pointed to my baby bump.

  “So then why?”

  “Because he made me. Said if I didn't stop you from marrying this guy, he'd tell my wife everything. Then what would I do? It would destroy me.”

  “He?”

  “The guy who called from the Waco jail. Never gave me his name.”

  Max.

  Oh, my God. Max was responsible for all of this! He'd blackmailed Rich into breaking up the wedding. It was all his fault that I'd been humiliated in front of everyone. His fault, too, that dad looked ready to strangle me.

  Even if he were innocent, this alone made me want to hate him. How could he be so stupid and thoughtless?

  “My wife doesn't really know,” he whispered. “I just said that for dramatic effect. He told me I had to do whatever it takes to stop the wedding. If I failed, it was over for me.”

  And now, it was over for me.

  As the church emptied and the police soon figured out that no one was in physical danger, I sat alone in a pew, trying to make sense of it all. How could my nice, normal life have gotten messed up so badly? Maybe I should have stayed a lawyer in New York.

  Mom was on the phone, wildly trying to cancel as much stuff as she could to save some of dad's money. Given that this was the actual day of the wedding, she had poor luck.

  “What do you mean, you can't refund us? There will be no reception. We have no need of twenty-five hundred dollars worth of catering.” She gasped. “You already made the food? Well, that's certainly not my problem. Let me talk to your manager right this instant, missy!”

  Rachael stood by her side, trying to console her – her, of all people – about losing so much money. She barely seemed to notice me sitting alone. In fact, nobody did. It was as if they thought by associating with me, my “sinful nature” would rub off on them.

  At last, dad approached. He had been furious earlier, but now, his expression was clinical and cold. He did not sit beside me.

  “Do you realize what you've done, Anna
? I have never been so embarrassed in my life.”

  “You're embarrassed?” I had to laugh. “What about me?”

  “Your poor choices are yours to make. That's between you and God – except when it ruins everything for your family.”

  “Nothing got ruined.” I glared. “I didn't want to marry Henry anyway.”

  Maybe I shouldn't have said that. For a moment, I thought he was going to beat me.

  “Before long, everyone will know what happened here today. There are videos of it; they'll probably end up all over the internet. Do you know how that's going to make me look? I'll never win the conservative vote now.”

  I was extremely pissed at Max, but the advice he'd given me socked me in the gut at that very instant.

  Why did I let my family walk all over me? Why did I put up with so much from these people who, while they may have raised me, I barely even liked?

  “I'm very disappointed in you, Anna.”

  “Well, I'm disappointed with you. You care more about becoming the governor and keeping your image nice and shiny than you care about me. You treat me more like a pawn than your daughter. I'm tired of it!”

  He was stunned silent, but not for long. I'd never seen him lose his cool in public before. Now, he snapped.

  “How dare you,” he hissed. “Do you realize what I've done for you? I found you a good man to marry. Paid for this extravagant wedding. And now, just like you've been all your life, you're nothing but ungrateful.”

  “I am grateful, but you know I didn't want this.”

  “When it comes to your family, what you want doesn't matter. You do what is best for them, not yourself.” He rubbed his temples and sighed. “Perhaps it's not too late. I could find another man to fill in for Henry.”

  “No. I'm not marrying anyone. I refuse.”

  He started screaming again. “Then you'd best find yourself another place to live, starting right now! The farm is going up for sale by the end of this month. I expect you to pack up everything and have it moved out before then.”

  I knew that he was serious. He would do as he said. I didn't protest, though. Didn't run after him and tell him he'd won, that I would marry a bum off the street if it'd make him happy.

  Because I knew it wouldn't make him happy. The damage had already been done, and my worst fear was coming true.

  Though surrounded by people, I was completely alone.

  Chapter 24 - Max

  So, Anna didn't marry that Henry asshole. I should have been thrilled, but I just felt sick.

  “It's done,” Rich told me over the phone that night. “The wedding's been canceled. You won't tell my wife any of this, will you?”

  “No. Unlike other people, I'm a man who keeps his word.”

  He sighed with relief. “Thank goodness. Uh, just a word of advice, though? Maybe breaking up a wedding and making a public spectacle of it wasn't the best idea.”

  I told him I didn't need his advice and that I'd better never see nor hear from him again. But then when I tried to call Anna, she didn't answer. Not that time, nor the second, or the third.

  Fear shot through me. Was she okay? What of the baby?

  I called around and finally got hold of Trey. He sounded exhausted, as if the world had been beating him down something fierce.

  “How much longer you in there for?” he asked.

  “They're giving me a trial in a few hours. This Lola girl will be there, of course.”

  “They'll find you innocent, won't they?”

  My stomach twisted in knots. “I wish I could say yes and mean it. Anyway, what's going on with Anna?”

  “She pretty much hates you right now. Rich admitted you coerced him into breaking up the wedding.”

  “That son of a bitch!”

  “Yeah. It was an epic disaster, man. People screaming, calling Anna names like she'd done something awful. Now her family's blaming her for ruining everything. Her dad's kicking her out of her farm.”

  I punched my pillow with such fury, feathers exploded from it. Her dad would actually do that? How could a father be so cruel?

  “Why is she so mad at me? She didn't want to marry that guy. I thought she'd appreciate what I went through. Thought it'd show her I would do anything to win her back.”

  “Unfortunately, she doesn't see it that way. She's probably pissed that she lost her house because of your stunt.”

  “It's not my fault her dad is a maniac psychopath. I just wanted to help.”

  “I know you did, Max. You gonna need a ride when you get out of there?”

  “Yeah, that'd be great. Hey, if you talk to Anna, tell her I'm coming home soon. Tell her I want to see her.”

  “I'll try, but I can't guarantee she'll want to see you.”

  I held her face in my mind as the guard led me to the court room. Soon, I told myself. I would be free and then she'd see I wasn't guilty.

  The trial was a small event with just a few witnesses, the judge, a jury, and the public defender they got to represent me. With the dirty looks I kept getting, it sure felt like I'd done something wrong.

  “This ought to be an open and shut case,” said Lola's lawyer. “We have photographic evidence that this girl was assaulted. Traces of his semen were found on her body.”

  My attorney was so inept, he didn't know how to defend against that one. I could have done a better job representing myself.

  They put Lola on the stand. She refused to look at me. I wanted to grab her and shake her, to ask why? What really happened to me?

  “Tell us now, Miss Martinez, what exactly went on that night at Saint Claire's.”

  She started to cry. “I asked him for a ride home. He drove me back, we all had some fun with my friends. Then later, he asked to sleep with me, but I said no. That's when he... He hit me, your honor!”

  “Bullshit I did!”

  “Mr. McLaren, please. If you refuse to settle down you'll be held in contempt of court.”

  So I was forced to keep my mouth shut while this woman lied her ass off about me. She had her friends testify, too. According to her, we'd all been involved in some wild orgy together after I brought her home.

  No way. I refused to believe it. I'd never put a hand on another woman, not with how much I cared about Anna. Don't care how drunk I was. It wouldn't have happened.

  But there were pictures, and I guess you couldn't argue against them. The jury was clearly on her side by default, too. She was the innocent young lady and I, the loser with a checkered past.

  No wonder Anna didn't want me anymore. What did I have left to offer her?

  There was nothing I could say or do when they handed down that guilty verdict. Hearing that hurt worse than stepping through fire.

  “Max McLaren,” the judge grumbled. “Given this is not your first encounter with our court system, I have no choice but to be harsh with you. I sentence you to three years behind bars.”

  Three years?

  The gavel came down. With it, so too did my hope of ever having Anna's love again.

  Chapter 25 - Max

  Nearly four months had passed since I was sentenced to life in a cage. I kept track of the days on a wall calendar, crossing them off one by one with a red marker.

  Each day brought Anna closer to having her baby. It agonized me that I wouldn't be there to witness it with her.

  And to think, I said I hated kids once. Now I wanted nothing more than to sit by her side, to hold her hand and help her while she gave birth.

  But I wouldn't have that gift.

  She surely hated me now. Since that guilty verdict, I hadn't spoken to her once. It tore me up inside, and even now, the agony of being ignored by her hurt like hell.

  I was able to keep up with her life through updates via Trey. The farm had been sold, as her dad promised, and she moved into a cheap apartment. It must have been awful for her, boxed into a tiny building like that. No land, no vegetables to pick, no filthy chickens.

  I even kinda missed the chickens. Sad,
wasn't it?

  And every time I talked to Trey, I asked if she'd found a man yet.

  “No,” he said, with a sigh. “She says she's done with guys for good. I don't blame her.”

  At least he still believed I was innocent, unlike everybody else. Jayce, too, and the rest of the boys. If I ever got out of here, I promised I'd be a better friend to all of them. I'd been such a selfish ass most of the time, it was hard to believe they kept me around.

  I spent my time working out, reading, learning web design, and pining over Anna. It was a miserable existence.

  Then one day, there was a miracle.

  “Get up, McLaren.” The guard smacked the bars with his stick. “You're in luck. Your case is going to retrial.”

  I almost fell off my cot, I was so stunned. “Huh? Retrial?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Yep. Evidently, the plaintiff lady claims she didn't quite tell the whole truth on that stand.”

  I knew it!

  But I wouldn't get too excited yet. Last time I did that and swore my innocence, I just made a huge fool of myself.

  The trial was held a week after I got the news. Waiting that whole week felt longer than the months before it.

  “So, Miss Martinez. Please explain why we're all here today.”

  She bawled. “I couldn't live with myself anymore. I can't deal with sending an innocent man to jail. It wasn't supposed to go like this.”

  The courtroom exploded into loud whispers and flash photography. They could take my picture all they liked. Soon, the world would know I'd done nothing wrong.

  Anna would know, and really, nothing mattered to me more than that.

  “Please tell us the events of that night – truthfully, this time, if you don't mind.”

  She wiped her tears away. The room quieted. I held my breath. Would her testimony be enough to set me free?

  “I got a call that morning saying I was to work a bachelor party later in the evening. Great, I thought. I needed the extra cash, and they usually tip pretty good.”

  “Who called you? Your boss?”

  “Yeah, he called first. It was an impromptu thing; kind of weird. Parties are typically scheduled in advance, but I wasn't about to complain.” She paused. “Then I got another call from some man; he said he worked with the club and he was real important with the management. Said he had a very special task for me and my girls.”