Love Betrayal

Chapter Thirteen

Bella

“Hello, Bella speaking,” I answer the phone, inwardly sighing when it’s the city calling about the Lansdale property.

I was so excited about this property, but it’s soon turning into the bane of my existence, even without the Rosalind issue, and I don’t even know why our old MC president, Julianna’s father, Paulie, was so adamant that we have it, or what he wants to use it for. I hope they didn’t realize the signature was forged.

“I see—no, we don’t have any permits in the works yet,” I say, rolling my eyes.

We end the call and then I get another one straight after, asking how much I’m offering for an Angels property that just went on sale. Before I let the agent go, I ask about a two-acre estate he currently has listed. Romeo told me he wants to turn it into a massive joint clubhouse one day, and I can see why. It has everything: plenty of rooms, bathrooms, basketball court, a pool. And most importantly, it’s secure, with big-ass gates around it on a large property. The clubhouses are nice now, but this would be next-level, and it would bring the two MCs together to live permanently. It’s a big move, but one that might pay off if he plays it right.

“We will pay two million. Cash,” I tell the real estate agent, which is five hundred thousand under the asking price and a million less than what Romeo gave me for a budget.

“We will get back to you,” he says, but let’s be real, they are going to accept the offer, because they know we are good for it and it will be an easy sale. And as if we don’t know that they price houses up so there’s room to negotiate? Come on now.

At the end of the day, the last person I expect to see waiting for me outside my work is none other than Mark.

Furious, I storm over to his car and scowl into the open window. “What the hell are you doing here?” I ask. “Come to tell me about your honeymoon or something? Can’t you stalk your new woman instead?”

“Get in the car, Bella. I need to talk to you about something important,” he says, his usual jovial demeanor missing. Instead, he’s all business, with a very serious glint in his eyes.

I glance around the almost empty lot and hesitate. So he does something that shocks the hell out of me. He pulls out a fucking badge and flashes it at me.

“Bullshit,” I whisper, staring down at it. Mark is an FBI agent? Anger that I’ve never felt before fills my body. “Is this a fucking joke?”

“Get in the car,” he growls, keeping his voice low.

I’d never once thought that Mark would be the kind of guy to hurt me, but I don’t know what to think right now. In the end, though, curiosity wins, and I walk around and get into the car. I have so many questions, and my fingers are trembling with anxiety.

“Please tell me you only became an agent after we broke up,” I say, staring straight ahead. “Tell me!”

“Bella—”

I slam my fists down on the dashboard. “Was it all a lie?”

“Let’s go to some place where we can talk privately.”

We sit in silence as Mark drives, and we end up at River’s lake spot. The place he took me on the first night we met. The irony is not lost on me.

Mark turns the engine off and turns to me. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”

“Oh, you best believe it.”

He holds his hands up in surrender. “I get it. Let me go first. I was assigned to investigate the Angels properties. I’m in white-collar crime at the FBI and the government takes notice when a motorcycle club goes from having about twenty million dollars’ worth of properties to over two hundred and fifty million dollars’ worth in less than ten years.”

Goddamn you, Julianna, for being too goddamn good at your job.

“Originally Julianna was the mark. She was the one I was supposed to get close to. But I met you by accident.” I give him a look, knowing nothing can be an accident when he’s been searching into my family. “Okay, well, I was at the bar you and she used to like to go to and I was sitting waiting for her when you came in and ordered a drink. There was something honest about you. And, well, you know what happened. I bought you a drink and you turned it down and then we sat three seats apart just talking. And that’s when I knew I had a genuine connection with you, so I went to my boss and changed the plan.”

“Lucky me,” I say, the sarcasm dripping from my voice. “We dated for a fucking year, Mark. One year. What did you do? Go through my things when I was asleep? Spy on me?”

He has the decency to look offended. “What? No!”

He played me.

And he was actually more badass in real life than the character I was fucking dating.

“You proposed to me,” I whisper. “Was any of it real? And why are you telling me now?”

“I don’t have time to get into this now, I tried talking to you about it at your house,” he explains, and when I finally turn and look at him I see some pain and regret flash in his eyes. “I’m sorry, okay, but I did have feelings for you.”

“Save me the bullshit. Why?” I ask him, even though I already know the damn answer. He wanted information on the Angels MC. And he used me to get it. And you know what the messed-up part is? I trusted him enough that I did speak openly with him about a few things. Things he can now use against me and the club. Not-so-legal things he knows about that have my signature on them and might implicate me. “You know what, I know why. Just tell me why you’re telling me now and what kind of shit I’m in.”

“Yes, I was building a case for the feds,” he admits, a muscle working in his jaw. “And then you broke up with me, which kind of ruined everything.”

“Oh, I’m sorry!” I snap, my tone sarcastic and salty. “That must have been very inconvenient for you—”

“Bella. Fucking stop,” he says in a voice he never once used with me. I need to wrap my head around the fact that the man I thought I knew is a fake. A facade. I also need to remember that I need to keep my mouth shut.

“You’re not asking the right questions. Don’t you want to know why it went on for a year with nothing?” I don’t say anything. “You were clean. Everything, you and Julianna and the real estate operations. They were clean. It’s why I got to stay with you for a year. The reason I proposed was because our operation was ending. I figured we could be free to be together.”

I refuse to say anything. Did he really think I’d never find out? I’m so proud of past me for turning down that proposal. I knew there was something off, even if it was just that he was boring.

“The operation was closed. I was putting in my final report. Until...”

I hold my breath because I know what he is going to say.

“Lansdale.”

Fuck you, Rosalind. But fuck me for being irresponsible and getting caught up with River instead of focusing on the paperwork.

“I can tell by your face that you know exactly what I’m talking about. A forged signature. That has many legal ramifications for the Angels. Not only federal, but local charges as well. So I’m here to offer you a deal,” he says, studying me.

“What deal?” I whisper-yell. “This is my family you’re talking about, Mark. I can’t believe you did this to me.”

“You could work with us for immunity,” he suggests, shrugging casually like the bastard hasn’t been planning this speech word for word. “All we need to know is who killed Victor Peterson.”

I pause, frowning. “I don’t know in what world you live in, but the Lansdale property and Victor have nothing to do with one another.”

“Yes, but it’s called leverage. Bella, I can put you away for a long time and do a thorough investigation into the Angels’ business dealings. However, I could look away, if you help us.”

“Look, let’s assume I know what you’re saying about the Lansdale property, which I do not. I don’t know what happened to Victor, so I don’t know how to help you,” I say with the confidence Julianna would have, but me? I’m shitting my pants. Why the fuck do I need to know that River killed Victor? Why did Julianna tell me that? I could’ve really been blissfully ignorant.

“Find out. Let me know, and your little forgery stint will fly under the rug,” he says, resting his arm on the steering wheel. I hate that it’s an attractive pose. Where was this guy when we were dating?

Focus, Bella. Mark is lying scum and wants to hurt you and your family.

Pursing my lips, I wonder how the hell I’m going to get out of this one. “So basically, you’re blackmailing me to do your job for you.”

And this is after he tricked me into thinking he loved me and wanted to marry me.

Wow.

“Call it what you want. I’ll give you a week or so and then come speak to you. Hopefully you’ll have the information we need,” he replies without any emotion. With that he starts the car and takes me back to my car.

When we get to the parking lot, I open the door, but then pause and turn back to him. “Did you even get married to someone else, or was that a lie, too?”

He stays quiet, so I get out and slam the door, and get into my own car and drive home.

Shit, what should I do?

I decide my best way of dealing with this is to speak to River and Romeo, so they can come up with a plan with me. I should also include Julianna. I could not tell them and try to deal with this on my own, but I’ve watched enough movies and read enough books to know that just telling them will save me time and a shitload of unnecessary drama.

That’s the best thing to do, right?

Even if it means looking like an idiot.

Just fucking wonderful.