by Jani Kay
The younger cop spoke. “We’d advise you to get a lawyer as soon as possible. The French police are opening a murder charge against you. Luckily for you, it takes a while for the paperwork to get done; otherwise, we’d have to arrest you now.”
My mouth went dry. “What? You can't be serious? I did not kill the man. He slammed his head against the wall before tumbling down the stairs. You can't blame me for that.”
“That’s not the countess’ version of the story. She is adamant that she saw you literally throw him down the stairs after you smashed his head into the wall. Same outcome, different methods.”
“Merde. I was trying to leave the house—get out. He stormed down on me. Why would she lie?”
“Exactly, Mr. du Bois. Why would she lie?” Weiss repeated, sarcasm lacing his voice. “Especially as she is carrying your child.”
My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. Valerie was really pregnant with the old bastard’s child. She wouldn’t tell the police if it weren’t true. Fuck.
“Look, I’m going to give you some advice. Go back to France as soon as you can. You don’t want to get arrested here,” the younger man said.
“What was the reason you asked me to come here this morning?” They couldn’t have known the duke would die this morning. There had to be another reason.
“You’re a suspect in the attack on the Australian woman. You were in Germany at the time it happened. It's just too much of a coincidence—given your violent nature.”
I lost it. Rage seethed through my body at his ridiculous accusations. “Are you fucking crazy? Why in hell would I want to hurt an innocent woman? I'm guilty of neither crime. I didn’t push my...father and I sure as fuck didn’t lift a finger to that woman. It's insane to suggest I did.” I clenched down hard on my teeth. My heart was pumping at a million miles per hour.
“Really, Mr. du Bois? You appear to be a volatile man. Easily angered—”
“Since when is it a crime to be a passionate man?”
“Interesting choice of words. That’s twice now you’ve used the word ‘crime’.” Weiss’ eyes lit up as if he’d won the jackpot.
The young cop frowned. “Mr. du Bois, a word of advice. Don’t say anything more that could incriminate you. Wait until you have spoken to your lawyer.”
I pursed my lips together and nodded. The young man had a point.
Violent. Attacker. Killer.
Fuck me.
I’m screwed.
Chapter 37 — Rebecca
Kurt arranged for Lily to come to the mansion under his supervision, and Maxwell had already hired a full-time nurse to take care of her. The scent of fresh flowers filled the bedroom that Lily would occupy, and I was plumping up the pillows when I heard the SUV drive up to the front door. Throwing open the large window, I leaned out to wave at Kurt and Lily.
“Hey, bring her up here, Kurt. We’re all ready for the patient.”
Even though she probably could walk, Kurt lifted her out of the SUV and carried her up the stairs to the front door. Chloe was waiting for them and would bring them up to the room. The sounds of laughter as they came up the stairs brought a smile to my face. At last, we’d all be together under one roof. Safe. I let out a long breath as I opened the covers for Kurt to deposit Lily directly into the bed.
Kurt had given clear instructions that she wasn’t to over exert herself and that we had to let her sleep most of the day. He also requested a room with lots of sunshine and bright colors to cheer her up. Since most of the house had a neutral pallet, Chloe and I had hung colorful streamers and a ‘welcome home’ sign across the room. We’d had a competition to see who could blow up the most balloons and then hung them from the chandelier and every other place we could find to tie them too. It looked more like a kid’s party than an adult bedroom, but we had achieved our mission of making it cheerful.
Lily clapped her hands together, taking it all in with a grin splitting her face.
“Cupcake, look, you have a bell. If you need anything, you just ring it.” Chloe demonstrated, putting on her best act to amuse everyone.
“Guys, it's so good to be out of that damn hospital. The place freaked me out. And those German nurses, they’re so strict—” She peered at Kurt from under her lashes, watching for his reaction.
“There’s a reason for that, darling. They had to help you get better. That’s their job.” He leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead. Seeing my friend like this, so sweet and caring with my baby sister, warmed my heart. He was a keeper.
Kurt turned to Chloe and me, his face stern. “Now listen, ladies, ten minutes is all I’m giving you to catch up on all the girly gossip. Then she needs to rest.” He tapped his watch, warning us he was aware of what time it was. “I'm going to talk to the nurse and instruct her, and when I'm done, you have to be out of here, okay?”
“Yep, we got it,” Chloe said. “Now get out of here because you’re stealing our girl time.”
He gave Lily’s hand a soft squeeze and left the room.
“Oh, my God, he’s so protective of you. I think he’s in love with you,” Chloe blurted out the second the door closed behind him.
Lily’s pale skin turned a pretty shade of pink. “Don’t be ridiculous. He’s a very competent doctor, that’s all. And he’s Becca’s friend, so he’s just taking good care of her sister.”
Chloe laughed as she lay down on the huge bed beside Lily and took her hand, stroking over her knuckles where the drips had left ugly bruises. “Ha ha, you keep believing that, little sister. The man can't keep his eyes—or his hands—off you. He’s besotted.”
Lily sucked in a breath and turned to me. “He’s amazing, but I don’t want to tread on anyone’s toes. Becca knew him first.”
“Yeah, but Becca’s in love with her boss. She’s fallen so hard for Maxwell Grant she practically drools when he’s in the same room.”
“Chloe, you’re touched in the head. Since when do I drool?” I gently stroked Lily’s hair. “But you, baby girl, are just as amazing, so I'm not at all surprised that Kurt is love-struck. He’s a great guy and I think he’s a perfect match for you.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I mean the two of you hit it off from day one. You like the same things. I’m just so sorry about what happened to you.” My voice choked.
“It's not your fault, Becca. Please don’t blame yourself. And Chloe, I know you probably gave Becca a hard time about letting me go off on my own, but it was me. I wanted to go. The two of you need to realize I'm a grown woman and stop treating me like your baby sister.”
Chloe and I looked at one another. Damn. Lily had never told us off before. She was right. We had to start treating her like an adult.
“It's just because we love you so much, cupcake. We don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I know that, but you can't wrap me in cotton wool and keep me locked up. Getting hurt is part of real life. It happens to everyone, and it makes us stronger when we can overcome it.”
“God, you’re smart.” I smiled down at her.
She laughed. “Yeah, I have the best teachers. But you’ve got to let go; allow me to make my own mistakes. I guess there will be plenty of those, but the good thing is that I have both of you when I need help.”
My breath hitched. “Promise you’ll come to us when you need us? That you won’t be too proud to ask for help?”
“If there’s one thing I learned through this experience, it's that life is short and fragile. It can be taken from us in an instant. It made me see that I had to stop being so afraid of taking chances...I need to crawl out of my shell and live while I can.”
“And does Doctor Muller have any part in your future?” Chloe asked.
Lily was silent for a moment then a smile twisted the corners of her lips. “Yes, I think he does, but only time will tell for sure.”
Kurt walked back into the room, grinning. He seemed more at ease than when they first arrived. “Did I hear someone mention my name? Are you gi
rls talking about me behind my back?”
“Wouldn’t you love to know?” Chloe laughed.
“We better get going before Doctor Kurt gets angry.” I leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Come, Chloe, we have other things to do.” She followed me out of the room. As we reached the door, I turned and spoke to Kurt. “Please come find me so we can chat when you’re happy that Lily is settled? I’ll be in the library.”
He nodded. “Sure. I’ll find you.” His gaze and full attention turned back to Lily as if nobody else existed in the universe. He leaned forward and gave her the most dazzling smile I’d ever seen on his usually serious face before kissing her gently on her lips.
Love was definitely in the air for those two bookworms. Delighted, I closed the door behind me to give them privacy. Lily deserved to find happiness with the German doctor after everything that had happened to her. She couldn’t have chosen a better man. Not only would Kurt nurse her back to recovery, but he would also protect her and take care of her. Hopefully in every way a good woman was worthy of.
Chapter 38 — Alain
Still reeling from what the police told me, I had to return to France as soon as possible and get my lawyers on board. But before I left Munich, there was something more important I had to do.
No doubt the police would be calling on Rebecca and Chloe to inform them about their suspicions. I had to see Rebecca again and plead my case. I couldn’t bear for her to think I wanted to harm her or that I was in any way involved in the attack on her sister. Hopefully, she’d think it ludicrous too that I was a suspect. She’d support me to clear my name, vouching that I’d never want to hurt her.
Now that the old fucker was dead, it meant I was truly free to marry whomever I wanted. His hold on me was finally over. He couldn’t force me into a loveless marriage. I'd inherit the family title and properties regardless.
After the way I’d hurt her, I couldn’t blame Rebecca for being afraid to give me another chance. In fact, I wasn’t in the least surprised Grant had stepped in to claim her the minute she was available.
He’s her rebound man, that’s all.
She couldn’t possibly fall out of love with me that fast and I didn’t believe she was truthful about falling for Grant either. When she turned me down, it was because the duke was still alive and she wanted to spare me the pain of losing my inheritance.
Her words came back to me. When we were together, I truly believed that I loved you. That love was still there—it had to be.
Maybe my way of thinking was illogical and even bordering on crazy, but if I played my cards right, she’d be on the plane with me and we could start our life together.
I needed Rebecca more than ever. I needed her love and support to help me through the tough times ahead fighting Valerie’s insane claims. I rubbed my temples. The fact she was pregnant added further complication now the duke was dead.
Valerie would fight tooth and nail to not bring a bastard child into the world—her family wouldn’t forgive her for the scandal. Although we were in the twenty-first century, old family traditions and values died hard amongst the elite and royalty who’d been privileged throughout the centuries. They saw it as their birthright.
Some, like the duke, clung to old belief systems because they chose to. Valerie’s family was no different. Promising their newborn daughter to the duke to marry his son had been as natural to them as seeing the sun rise.
Puzzled, I couldn’t work out why Valerie would lie and accuse me of pushing the duke. If she wanted to marry me to prevent her child from being illegitimate, she was going about it the wrong way. Unless she wanted a husband who’d give her a title but spent his life in jail for murder, it didn’t make sense.
Whatever Valerie’s crazy plans, mine were exactly the opposite. Once I cleared my name regarding the death of the duke, I planned to marry Rebecca as I should have months ago. Grant would not stand in my way. Convinced that as soon as I explained that I was free, Rebecca would come to her senses and admit that her feelings for me still existed, I called the driver to take me back to the fortress.
My plan was simple. I had it all worked out in my head.
One: I see her, tell her I’m a free man.
Two: Rebecca admits Grant was just a temporary fling to get over her heartbreak.
Three: Rebecca comes to France with me.
Four: Proving my innocence on both charges is a formality.
Five: I marry Rebecca and we have our own family and live happily on the land I love.
Smiling, I leaned back in the seat as the driver sped down the highway toward the fortress.
“I’m here to see Miss Rebecca Clarke,” I announced as we arrived at the gate. “It's urgent business.”
The security guard didn’t move a muscle on his face. He walked into the guardhouse and picked up a phone. He spoke to someone in German, a deep frown between his brows as he nodded his head. Fuck, it wasn’t looking good.
“Access denied,” he said, his face remaining expressionless.
“You don’t understand. Please let me speak to Rebecca. She will give me access.” I climbed out of the car so we were eye-to-eye when we talked.
“Negative,” he said, widening his stance, his hand on the weapon tucked into a holster on his hip. Fuck, Grant wasn’t playing games.
Contemplating bribery, I gave it one last shot before I offered him money. Everyone had a price. “I need to talk to her. One minute. Please.”
His eyes were cold. “Denied.”
Jesus fucking Christ. I leaned forward, my hands on my knees, feeling sick to the stomach. My fucking world was falling apart by the minute.
“Alain? What are you doing here?”
My head jerked up. Chloe wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, wearing only skimpy shorts and a running top that exposed her bare midriff.
“Chloe.” I grinned. “Hello. I could ask you the same question?”
“Jogging around the prison grounds. Stress relief and staying fit all in one.”
She laughed as she leaned over to catch her breath. I looked down her top at the sexy cleavage greeting me. Was she doing it on purpose? She stood back up and took a long drink from her bottle, allowing droplets of water to splash on her breasts. Jesus, this woman knew how to get a man hard in no time.
“Security won’t let me in,” I said, nodding my head toward the burly man who was pretending not to stare at Chloe. He’d have to be a robot not to like what he saw.
“That’s crazy.” She shook her head.
Maybe Chloe could help me get in. “Chloe, I need to speak to Rebecca. I’ve had some terrible news about my father and I need to tell her. She would want to know.”
She walked up to the gate and addressed the security guy. “Hey, it's okay to let him in. Alain is a friend of mine.”
The guy gave her a sheepish half smile. “I'm sorry. My orders are to not let him in.”
“That’s fucking ridiculous! Who told you that?” she huffed.
“Mr. Grant and Ms. Clarke.”
A pang went through my heart. I expected his answer to be Grant, but Rebecca...that hurt.
“Let me speak to Rebecca,” Chloe said, smiling seductively at the guy. He pulled a two-way radio from the clip on his waistband and pressed a button. He spoke into it and waited a moment before passing it to Chloe.
“Hey, Sis.” Her voice was smooth as honey. “Alain is at the gate,” she purred sweetly. “He has something important to tell you. About his father.”
For a long moment, I could only hear static crackle on the radio.
Rebecca’s voice was clear and assertive. “Okay, but he needs to leave his ID at the gate. And a full body search. I'm not taking chances.” She didn’t sound pleased, but that didn’t stop Chloe from grinning.
“Sure, no problem. Please tell the security guy. Thanks.” She passed the radio back to the guy.
I removed my ID from my wallet and handed it to him. He grimaced as he took it from me, n
ot happy that he had been overruled. Tough shit. At least I was getting inside. He frisked me and checked the trunk of the car, then nodded.
The gates opened and Chloe came outside and jumped into the back seat next to me.
“Tired,” she said as she rested her head against my shoulder. Her hand ran up my thigh, burning through the fabric. My chest tightened, making it difficult to breath.
Chloe made my head spin in a way that caught me completely off guard. Sexuality poured from her.
Erotic. Sensual. Raw.
I sucked air into my lungs, inhaling the scent of her sweat mixed with her minty breath. So fucking primal, she woke something in me that I had to fight every time I was in her presence.
Indescribable.
Uncontrollable.
She made me forget everything but her in that moment.
Merde. Rein it in.
I was here for Rebecca. I wasn’t an animal to give in to carnal urges, regardless of how strong the forces.
Yet I couldn’t deny the chemistry between us. Since I’d met Chloe, I found myself thinking of her often. It surprised the hell out of me when I realized it wasn’t because she looked so similar to Rebecca. It was her personality that captured me, drawing me in and making me want to learn more about her.
The car came to a stop at the imposing front door all too soon. Chloe smiled up at me, her eyes flashing with lust as she rested her hand on my cock. Sweet Jesus. This woman knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go for it.
“Alain,” she whispered on a shaky breath.
She looked up into my eyes, hers blazing with passion. Unapologetic.
It was sexy as fuck. I sucked in a breath and lifted her hand off my dick, but it was too late. I was already hard as a rock.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she said, her lips quivering. “I...I don’t usually touch men I hardly know.” A small smile twisted her lips. “I can't help myself with you.”
Still holding her hand, I stroked over it with my thumb as our eyes locked. “I get it. It's bizarre. I feel as if I've known you my whole life.” Merde. What shit was I babbling? This didn’t make sense.
