Alden frowned at her but turned his eyes back to me. Before he even spoke, he had my defensive walls coming down.
Don’t fall for it again! I screamed inside. Make him explain himself!
He opened his mouth, and even though I’d never considered myself to be religious, I prayed that his explanation was the greatest, most believable thing I’d ever heard.
“That was Laura,” he said. “My ex-wife. Remember the first time I was called out for an emergency? That was because Laura had checked herself into the hospital threatening to kill herself unless she spoke with me. She wanted me to get back together with her.”
“Your ex…” I repeated.
“That’s right,” he replied. “She cheated on me, Belle. I have no love in my heart for her at all. She’s just a terror in my life now—a nightmare I’ve been doing my best to manage, and I can’t even express to you how sorry I am that that nightmare came into your life too.”
Sounds believable… I thought, but knowing I wasn’t in my right mind, I turned back to Sara to get her take. She had her lips twisted up like she was thinking, but she didn’t seem obviously put off by his explanation.
“I can show you the marriage annulment,” Alden continued. “But I don’t have it here. If you come back home with me, I’ll prove it to you.”
“Home?” I asked, shocked by his use of the word.
“That’s right,” he said, taking my hand. My body shook at his touch and I felt myself starting to calm down. My heart was actually beating like a normal human’s again instead of a race horse’s.
“Our home, Belle. It’s where you belong. The police have Laura in custody now and I’ve filed a restraining order against her and started to go into PR defensive mode in case she decides to try to slander my name with lies. I want to put all of this behind me and move on, Belle. And the only way I can do that is with you at my side.”
“Fuuuuuuck!” I groaned miserably as the last of my defenses crumbled beneath his suave, genuine, incredible assault. I looked back at Sara who smiled and nodded.
“As long as we see that marriage annulment!” she said.
I don’t know if it was the wine I’d chugged like a silly sorority girl or the sheer swell of emotions pouring through me like they were being sprayed out of a firehose, but my legs went weak and I tumbled forward into Alden’s arms.
I didn’t even care that he was soaking wet. In fact, there was something romantic about it and as I pressed my head against his chest and felt his strong hand in my hair, I could also feel his heartbeat against my cheek, strong, steady and firm…
…just like him.
“You—you’d better not be lying to me,” I whispered as he held me like a long-lost lover.
“I will never lie to you, Belle,” he replied. And I believed him.
“Good,” I giggled as the greatest feeling of relief and love washed over me like a warm, clear blue wave. “Because I might just have to kill you if you are.”
Evidently Sara could still hear me and chimed in.
“Or I’ll do it! I may be small, Alden, but I’m warning you—I’m a deadly assassin!”
Chapter Fourteen
Alden
The evening air rustled through the trees and swept across my face as I stood in the shadows of a lamppost, huddled beneath the upturned collar of my peacoat, staring across the street at the modest cape.
I felt like a mobster, and to anyone passing by, probably looked calm, cool and collected, but inside I was itching with excitement.
This little operation of mine had taken longer than normal to come to fruition and Wagner and I had had to pull a few extra strings to make it happen. But it would all be worth it because it was for Belle, and I would do anything for her.
I watched as the door open and Wagner emerged, a black fedora low over his head, hiding his eyes in shadow. If I looked like a mafia boss, then he looked like a hitman, but even as he walked over to me, I could see that phase one of our plan had failed.
But I wasn’t upset with that. In fact, I’d been hoping it would fail so we could move on to phase two which was going to be much more satisfying. This technically wasn’t my battle. I personally hadn’t been wronged, but Belle had, and as far as I was concerned, harming Belle was the same as harming me, and justice had to be done.
“She didn’t go for it?” I asked as Wagner reached me.
“I presented her the…humane proposal,” he replied. “But she didn’t go for it. Should we just proceed with the rest?”