Trust Me (43 page)

“Thank you, Dr. Ferguson.”

“Anytime, Miss Scott. Mr. Wales, my office will be in touch.”

Remaining beside me, Damien doesn’t stand as he extends his hand to the doctor. “Perfect. Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

With that, the good doctor takes his leave. Dread starts to creep into my stomach, knowing this reprieve is almost over. Damien looks tense and stressed from all the commotion today. Even after arriving home, his tight expression hasn’t relaxed. I can almost see all the wheels churning behind those beautiful blue eyes.

Bane takes his seat across from me with that infamous notebook.

Feeling Damien’s finger under my chin, he raises my face to meet his. “Alli, before the cops get here, I need you to tell Bane and me everything.”

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath before opening them again. “I needed a taller basket for the table. When I got it, I heard the door close, and I turned around. Martin had locked me in the room with him. He said he had been framed, and he needed to use me to keep you from hurting him. He’d arranged it all through what he called connections. He said he’s known for months who killed Rebecca, but he had to unwillingly remain silent.”

Bane is writing a million miles a minute, so I stop to let him catch up. Even after all the pandemonium this morning, he looks completely unfazed and perfectly put together. “Please continue, Miss Scott.”

After taking a cleansing breath, I say, “He gave me a piece of information for Damien to look into. Once Damien figures it out, Martin said Damien would know how to contact him, like Damien used to when they were in college. Whatever it is, Damien’s going to appreciate it, and I think Martin hopes it’ll sway Damien to want to help him. Martin also said he was behind the flowers.” Glancing over, I think Bane is writing more than I’m actually saying.

Bane stops writing and looks up at me. His eyebrows slightly furrow as he works on piecing all this together. “Did he say why he sent the flowers? What was the piece of information he gave you?”

My head is starting to pound as I think back to this afternoon. “He sent the flowers to spring Damien into action, to heighten security on me. Martin said that Cassandra has slept with more than just him in recent years.”

Damien is the first to ask, “Was there anything else about Cassandra or who she slept with?”

Shaking my head, I say, “No. He just said the killer was way ahead of us, and he’s targeting Martin and me. Martin said verifying this information will make you want to work with him to expose the actual killer.”

Damien blanches at the statement and brings me to him. He’s probably picturing my body on the side of the road, just like the way Rebecca’s body was found.
I know I am.
With that thought, I feel nauseous.

Damien is rubbing his forehead with his free hand. “Bane, I don’t want this to go beyond the three of us on the mere chance that Martin is telling the truth. If there is someone out there, I’m not taking any risks where Alli is concerned.”

“Mr. Wales, I will continue digging. Do you have any idea what Cassandra or her sexual habits have to do with this?”

Damien lets out a long breath. “I have no fucking clue. The few times I have seen her in the last couple of years were impersonal and with my parents. She’s obviously crazy, but I’m not sure how she fits into all of this.”

I don’t know how Bane can keep that impeccable posture and even tone of voice all the time.

“Sir, I think we should consider there might be some truth in this. If he wanted to, he could have escaped with Miss Scott before we even got there. However, we should take the utmost caution in case this is a ruse. Until we know more, I suggest we tell the cops that Martin tried to take Miss Scott and failed. Besides the fact that he has an obvious vendetta against you, leave any and all other conversations out of it.”

After making another note in his notebook, Bane continues, “If the killer thinks all attention is still focused on finding Martin, it might buy us some time. Until we know more, we do not want this person to feel they need to try and take Miss Scott sooner than their planned attempt.”

I can’t hear any more of this right now. His words cause the remaining hold I had on my stomach to drop. Running from the room, I make it to the bathroom just in time as I retch everything in my stomach into the toilet. Tears trickle down my face from the intense motion of puking.

Damien is right there handing me a wet washcloth as I sink to the floor onto my knees. After cleaning my face, I look up and see the worry in his blue eyes.

Rubbing my back, he soothingly says, “Baby, we will figure this out. I’ll keep you safe and away from this sick fuck. We just might need to change a few things, but we will do this together.”

He sits beside me, and I hug him with all my strength.

“I love you,” he says.

I inhale his scent, and it calms me. “Knowing you love me is all I need. I’m yours forever.”

“Oh, baby, I love you more than my own life.”

We sit there, just lost in our embrace.

I love this man, and there will never be anyone else for me.

It’s been four days since the Martin attack. I’m eating breakfast in the kitchen while Damien is talking to Bane in the hallway. I pick up my phone when it begins ringing.

“Hey, Sam.”

“Hey, how are you doing? Any updates on Martin?”

Sam’s been supportive through all the chaos. Same as we’ve told everyone else, she believes that Martin killed Rebecca seven years ago, and he tried to take me at the hotel due to a vendetta against Damien.

“I’m okay. Security has been increased again, so I’m completely safe. Police are still searching for Martin. It’s as if he’s disappeared into thin air.”

I’m sure he won’t be seen or heard from until we figure out his juicy tidbit. The thought of being in his presence again sends my mind to places I just don’t want to go to right now.

“I’m glad Wales has increased security, Allison. Martin must have some serious connections.” She honks the horn. “Sorry, someone was pulling out in front of me. How’s Wales doing with all of this?”

Ugh, I hate hiding things from her.
I have to tread so carefully with how I answer her. I want to tell her everything, but I cant. “He’s doing as well as can be expected. I think he’s still processing.”

Deep down, I hope Martin is telling the truth and that he isn’t the killer. I think Damien feels the same way. Knowing his best friend was pretending to be his friend all those years would be difficult to comprehend. Knowing your friend also killed your sister would be even harder to grasp.

“I hate he’s going through this. Give Wales a hug for me. I’m seeing a friend in Atlanta today, and then I’m going to head down to visit my parents later. Keep me posted. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

After I hang up, I overhear Bane talking to Damien.

“Sir, I am still investigating Cassandra’s past sexual partners. It has to be done discreetly, so no one knows we are following other leads at this time.”

There’s no telling what he’s going to find. Ugh, she makes me sick.

Damien responds, “Thank you, Bane. Keep me posted.”

This morning’s paper is on the kitchen island, and a picture of his parents catches my eye. Picking it up, I see his mother and father standing behind a podium. They appear to be giving a speech, and they are all decked out. Cassandra is standing beside his mom, with her arm wrapped around her.
Bitch.

I read the caption under the picture.

The Wales declare, “It all makes sense now. There was always something strange about Martin Mills.”

I’m lost in the image, wondering how in the world Damien could be related to them. They are just so different. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to see Damien looking at what I’m reading.

“Mother will never refuse a chance for publicity. By the way, I declined when she asked for our answer regarding this weekend.”

“Why?”

Damien’s mom, Meredith, wanted us to visit them this weekend to attend a celebration party.
I really don’t get them.

He starts massaging my shoulders. “I know you said you would go, but I don’t want to deal with them quite yet. We have enough on our plates, and we can go when it’s best for us.” The disgust in his voice is evident.

I lay the newspaper back down on the island. “Sounds good. I’m going to finish editing the photos from this week’s shoot.”

My heart is breaking a little because I resigned from my job. It was a hard decision to come to, but Damien and I would be nervous wrecks if we spent time apart right now, and I need to put us first. Chris has already found a new photographer, which is good.
I will miss him as a mentor.

I’m going to start shooting for the football team, and if needed, I might also do some real estate shots for Wales Enterprises.

After giving me a sweet kiss, Damien says, “Ben is stopping by to pick up some contracts in a few minutes. I’ll come find you in the den when we’re done.”

“Sounds good. See you in a bit.” After giving him a peck on the lips, I make my way to the den.

Since there was no way I could go back to the hotel after the Martin incident, Chris finished the shoot. I agreed to do all the editing in order to make sure we could still meet the deadline. I pull up the last photo to be edited, and I slightly change the lighting.

When I’m done, I see an email from Mack in my inbox.

That email alone makes my heart constrict in a bittersweet way. He has been such an incredibly understanding boss.

Sending the email feels as if one chapter of my life is closing, and another one is opening. It’s harder than I thought. As my mom always said,
The secret to a full life is to have more beginnings than endings.
For a few minutes, I just stare at the computer until I come to grips with what just occurred.

When I look up, I see the man I love watching me from the doorway. “Hey, how long have you been there?”

“Long enough. You’re adorable when you scrunch your eyebrows while you’re working.”

“Ha-ha. Yes, a wrinkly ole face is just so adorable.” I cannot help the snicker that comes out.

He pushes off the door frame and walks toward me. “Are you finished?”