The Billionaire's Forgiveness (A Winters Love 3)

him it wasn’t necessary, but he insisted. Oh! He gave me a full-time position too! I can pay off my student loans and finish my Master’s program now!”

“I’m so glad for you. I came by to apologize to you, Hayley.”

“Apologize? For what, Robyn?”

“This whole thing was my fault. It was my error with some of the advertising accounts. Until they took you out and you never came back… I didn’t realize it. I’m so sorry!”

“Oh Robyn. That was a simple error. You didn’t realize I’d be accused of stealing it…”

“No! No, I didn’t realize that, I promise you. I would never want someone else to pay for one of my mistakes. I just wanted to let you know that I’m so sorry for what you were put through.”

She hugged me tight. “I owe my job to you… and my new boyfriend,” she said with a grin.

“You and Gary?”

“Yes! Oh Robyn, I like him so much.”

“That’s great. Have you talked to him? He’s been so worried about you.”

“I just got off the phone with him before you came over.”

“Okay, good. I have to get to work now. I’ll see you there tomorrow?”

“Yes, for sure. Thank you for coming by.”

“Thank you, Hayley for everything.”

I left there feeling a little better. I went ahead and went into work then for the rest of the day. I was ready for life to return to normal. That evening, Aaron came back to my apartment as promised. I made us dinner and this time, we got to eat it. As we ate, he told me all that he’d done to fix my mess. I almost started crying again, but I held the tears at bay. After dinner we watched a movie and I fell asleep in his arms again. I still couldn’t imagine how I got so lucky.

The next few days passed in blissful normalcy. Friday evening, I got the call from Igor. I was with Aaron at his apartment and I put him on speaker phone once again.

“Hello baby!” I could tell by the look on Aaron’s face that he didn’t like that anymore than I did.

“Igor.”

“You have my money yet?”

Aaron nodded and I said, “Yes, I have it.”

“Good girl! You’re getting very good at this.”

“I don’t want to be good at this. This is wrong and I want nothing more to do with any of it.”

“We’ll see baby,” he said. “Meet me at the diner in the morning.”

I hung up and Aaron put his arms around me and hugged me tight. After a few minutes he said, “Where’s this diner at?”

“It’s on Fifty-seventh street. It’s called ‘Mauve’s’.”

Aaron got on his phone then. I heard him ask for the “Chief.” After a few minutes I heard him

say they had their mark and he told him the name of the diner and the street. When he hung up he said, “This will be the last time you have to see him.”

***

“Okay baby, this is it, are you ready?” Aaron and I were sitting a block away from the diner. He arranged for the police to meet us there and the INS. The police needed me to get Igor to say something about the money I gave him before and the money he expects me to give him today. They put a tiny little microphone in the bag I was carrying that was supposed to have the cash in it.

“I’m ready,” I told him. “I want this to be over with once and for all.”

He squeezed my hand and said, “Very soon.” Then he leaned over and kissed me. “I love you.”

Those three words filled me with a strength I had never known before every time he said them.

“I love you too!” I got out of the car and walked the block to the restaurant. When I got close, I could see Igor sitting by the window. The sight of him made me feel nauseated. I was tempted to turn and run in the other direction, but I pushed forward telling myself that I was going to be glad that I did when this was all over with.

I walked over to the table he was at and sat down. I tried not to look around the room. I knew there were undercover police in the restaurant but I didn’t want to be too obvious about it.

“Well hello there, gorgeous wife of mine.”

“I’m not your wife,” I said.

He ran his eyes over me and licked his lips. I felt like I needed a shower. “You don’t know what you’re missing not consummating this union of ours baby. Maybe that’s what I’ll ask for next time.”

“Over my dead body,” I said.

He laughed and said, “Your spunk only turns me on that much more my dear. Do you have my money?”

“This is it, Igor. This is the last time. How much do you think your so-called secret is worth?”

“It’s worth what I say it’s worth!” he said.