Episode 82
Episode 82
Forgive Me
MADAM ALANA
The ride to the hospital passed in a blur. My mind was switching between worry over Christophe and the bullet wound he’d suffered, and the information Angus had shared during my captivity. When we arrived at the hospital, we were ushered directly into a private room. A host of officers were stationed outside of the room while a pair of detectives followed us and the doctor inside.
“Glad to see you came back, Mr. Toussaint. I was worried when you received that call and left mid-stitch,” a blonde doctor with big doe eyes tutted. She then walked over to a standing metal tray on wheels and dragged it over to the side of the bed. The tray had a myriad of medical supplies on it.
One of the detectives shifted out of the way as she pushed the tray closer in the rather confined space. She then frowned, looking at them pointedly. “Couldn’t your interview wait until my patient is patched up?” she asked.
I stood behind Christophe with one of my hands on his healthy shoulder.
Detective Moreau frowned. “I apologize for the inconvenience, but time is of the essence. We don’t want this criminal to get any farther away than he already has.”
“Fine, just stay there.” She pointed to the opposite wall from where Christophe sat. “Now let’s see how much additional damage you did to yourself, Mr. Toussaint.”
“I’m sorry. I had to get to my wife. Nothing could have stopped me.”
I bent forward and placed a kiss on the back of his neck. “I’m okay, chéri, ” I whispered against his skin.
He inhaled sharply. I knew he had been as stressed as I was, not knowing if the other was safe. Seeing him get shot was something I’ll never forget. All I wanted to do was get him the medical attention he needed and then go home and lie in our bed in the comfort of his embrace. I wanted my body to be pressed from toe to nose to my husband so I could let all of what had occurred today drift away. Emotionally my mind was a vortex of turbulent feelings. Physically, I was drained beyond compare.
The doctor proceeded to cut the soiled bandage off his arm. Christophe hissed in pain, making my heart clench at his discomfort. She tsked as though she was dealing with a petulant child, while the detectives started in on their interview.
“First off, how did all of this start?” Moreau asked.
“Well, I guess we’d have to go back thirty years if we were to start at the very beginning,” I answered. Because ultimately, as Angus said, all of this was my fault.
“We’re ready when you are. Take your time,” the detective said gently, his tone kind but firm.
“When I arrived in the United States, I was an eighteen-year-old South Korean orphan. Angus ran something called The Marriage Auction.”
Detective Moreau frowned. “Like a mail-order bride situation?”
I shook my head and then thought more about it. “Actually, it was kind of like that. We had to pay him a bunch of money to legally bring us to the United States. Once there, we agreed to enter into his auction.”
“For marriage?”
“ Oui . We were flown to Las Vegas from Europe. When we arrived, he made us get cleaned up and dressed for the event. We stood on stage the same night, and he put us up for auction to the highest bidder.”
“This sounds more like sex-trafficking,” Moreau interjected.
I shook my head. “ Non , each candidate agreed to be in the auction. We weren’t forced. You see, we were promised a lot of money. Most of us had very little and no hope for the future. We were all in precarious positions and considered this an opportunity to change our lives. Which was what it was for me. In exchange for Angus getting us into the US and providing this service, he took a commission of our bid, a very large one. We then would receive the remaining amount over the years. But only if we served the full five years.”
“It still sounds questionable.”
“Oh, it definitely was. He could have handled it all better. Most importantly, he should have had safety precautions in place and a system by which to vet the bidders. Other than that, the marriages were entirely legal,” I said with confidence.
“Technically not all were completely legal,” Christophe muttered, surprising me.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He licked his lips and looked down at this lap as though shamed. “ Our marriage was legal because I had my lawyers make sure everything was on the up and up, especially with the French laws. Before you walked down that aisle, I’d had our contract revised.”
“Christophe,” I whispered. “You never told me that.”
He closed his eyes. “There were many other things I kept from you. But you must understand, you were so traumatized by all you had experienced prior to us finding one another and then with Celine’s loss, I didn’t want you to worry. I handled things on your behalf, and then time passed, and none of it mattered anymore.”
“Such as?” I snapped.
He let out a long breath. “Darling, Celine’s marriage to Darren was never legal.”
I gasped at that revelation. I’d been under the impression the entire time that, although Angus was a horrible business owner and operator, at the very least he had been honest with his candidates.
“Is the Celine you’re referring to Celine Holt?” Moreau asked. “The same woman Angus went to jail for ten years over?”
Both of us nodded but it was Christophe who spoke next. “Celine is the reason my wife was kidnapped today. It’s all my fault.”
I stepped back and put my hand over my mouth as I came around the bed so that I could look my husband in the eyes.
“Your fault? Angus said it was my fault he went to jail for his part in Celine’s case. He kidnapped me so that he could seek revenge against me. Planned to put me in the basement of one of his dreary homes and leave me there to rot for ten years.” My voice rose as Christophe’s red rimmed eyes became shimmery, but I continued undaunted, needing to say my piece. “I knew nothing of what Angus spoke. You and I both left The Marriage Auction and Angus’s name out of everything, lest he retaliate.”
“You did protect that information,” Christophe’s voice cracked, clearly pained, not from the stitching the doctor was doing, but from something else.
A part of me knew that whatever my husband was about to say was going to destroy everything I’d believed up until now.
“Christo? What did you do?”
He closed his eyes and pressed his lips together.
“Christo!” I demanded.
“Once Darren had been put away, I contacted the primary detective on the case. I shared all that had occurred from the time you and Celine joined the auction up until her death. Angus deserved to go to jail for putting her in that situation. He knowingly subjected your best friend, the sister of your heart, to an evil man that had nothing but ill intention. Darren had a record a mile long. Domestic violence, attempted rape, and a host of other crimes that he’d used money to escape from.”
“ Chéri …” I gulped as a sob tore through my throat.
“He put sweet Celine in a volatile man’s hands…and for what? Money! What he did was abhorrent, and Celine deserved justice for all of the crimes committed against her. Not just the men that took her life. But the man who’d put her in a violent and illegal marriage contract to begin with.”
“How did you know?” I asked between sniffles.
“Celine had stolen a copy of her contract and sent it to me for safekeeping. I didn’t think much of it at the time. Then, months after she passed and you’d purchased the auction from him, I found it in my office safe and reviewed it. I’d never seen a more disgusting misuse of a person’s trust than what that document consisted of. For a couple months, I sat on it, letting it eat away at my conscience until I couldn’t let it go. I contacted the detective and sent him the contract. Angus was arrested, tried, and sentenced to ten years without you even knowing about it. And you know what? Until today, I never regretted that decision.”
“ Mon amour , why didn’t you tell me?” I wiped my eyes and stared at the man I loved more than life itself, feeling lost and betrayed.
“I didn’t want that man’s filth to touch you ever again. You were grieving the loss of Celine. You had just put everything into taking the auction from him.”
“ Oui, darling, but I’d promised him if he sold me the business, I wouldn’t share everything.”
“And you kept that promise, Alana. I, however, did not make that vow.”
“I…I…don’t know what to say,” I admitted, my mind confounded by the mix of information coming at me from every direction. Sadness. Anger. Fear. Regret. The emotional cascade threatened to take me down as my chest tightened painfully and my heart beat a frantic rhythm, making me lightheaded. I was a fish out of water, unable to react or move forward from all of this.
It was too much.
“Well, I do. I’m sorry, Alana. I’m sorry that you and Emily were endangered for something that I did. If I knew then what I know now, I’d never have made that choice. I’m sorry, mon amor . I’m so sorry,” he croaked as the tears fell.
The doctor handed him a square of gauze that he used to wipe at his wet eyes and cheeks. She finished the stitches and bandaged the front and back of his arm where the bullet had gone straight through. “You’re all set. I’m going to get your discharge papers ready,” she said before exiting the room.
“Now we know why you’re his target,” the detective stated flatly. “And I’m guessing the girl was leverage?”
I nodded and looked away from my husband. “We were together. They basically admitted her capture was to ensure I came willingly. They threatened to hurt her irreparably if I didn’t comply or tried to escape. Emily came up with the idea to use her Apple watch to contact her dad, telling him where we were and to call the authorities.”
“Smart girl.” The detective scribbled something in his notepad. “Do you have any idea where Angus may have gone?”
“ Non . He said something to Dimitri about taking us to location C. Another one of his men said the helicopter was ready, so I imagine he escaped that way. And then there was mention of Dimitri’s wife on her way to Paris.”
“Did you get a name for his wife?”
I shook my head. “It wasn’t mentioned.”
“There’s no marriage on record for Dimitri Volkov though our agency is running background checks on every female coming into Paris today. It’s a needle in a haystack, but we’re hoping for a hit.”
“What I’m hearing, Detective Moreau, is that Angus has gotten away again? He’s still out there and not only wants revenge, he likely wants me dead.”
“Alana…” Christophe reached out and pulled me between his thighs, then wrapped his arms around me, his embrace tight as I trembled, the fear getting the best of me.
“We’re going to do everything we can to protect you and your family, Mrs. Toussaint.”
I couldn’t help the insane chuckle that burst forth. “No one can keep me safe. He’s going to keep coming after me until he gets what he wants.”
“Which is why I’m going to suggest witness protection,” Moreau stated with conviction.
“I need to think about all of this. I need to go home.”
The detective started to object. “We don’t recommend—”
“I’m going home whether you like it or not. Rhodes texted that he’s called for more guards.”
“We’ll send some units to patrol the area for the time being. Please think about witness protection. At least until we have him in custody.”
The doctor came back in holding a clipboard.
“I shall.” I suddenly needed to go home more than anything. “Can we go?” I directed my question to the doctor.
“Sign here and here,” she pointed at her clipboard then handed it to Christophe. He scribbled his name and handed it back to her.
It didn’t take long for Christophe and me to be released into the care of a pair of police officers who took us back to our estate.
There were guards milling about everywhere the eye could see. The tree lines. The gates. Around the perimeter of the house.
I clenched my teeth and waited until Christophe exited the car, offering me his hand. I took it, barely able to stand as exhaustion made every step feel like I was walking in cement shoes. Before we could even take the first step toward our front entrance, the door flew open and a whirlwind of gold and pink came flying down the stairs.
Emily crashed into me, almost knocking me over. Thankfully, Christophe was at my back and kept me from falling.
“Are you okay, Auntie?” Emily’s concerned gaze looked up at me, while her arms were locked around my waist.
I cupped her cheeks. “I’m perfectly fine, ma douce .”
“She wouldn’t rest in bed until you both came back,” Rhodes shared as he walked down the stairs. Maia followed closely behind.
“You guys look beat,” Maia frowned. “Aurelie made crepes and a whole host of other things. I think she’s nervous-cooking because there’s enough to feed an army.”
“Maybe we should offer it to the guards? I’ve counted ten, chéri .” I eyed Rhodes.
“There’s actually sixteen and it’s nonnegotiable. Four will remain inside the house, monitoring the entrances and exits. The rest will patrol the estate. I’m taking no chances until our flight leaves tomorrow evening after our interview with the authorities.”
I’d expected nothing less from the concerned father. Rhodes was a man of action. He didn’t rest on his laurels, waiting for someone else to make the tough decisions for him. I respected that side of his personality.
“I understand. We’ll catch you up on everything before we rest.”
For the next half hour, Aurelie set Emily up in her room, and we went over everything that had occurred with Rhodes and Maia. By the end of it, I was barely able to keep my eyes open.
Together the four of us made our way quietly up the stairs. Rhodes and Maia to check on Emily, and us because our suite was upstairs. When we were about to pass Emily’s room, Aurelie exited.
“Emily’s asking for her dad and Maia,” she said.
“ Merci , Aurelie. We’ve got it from here.” Rhodes smiled weakly.
Our house attendant bypassed us silently and dashed down the stairs.
“You good?” Rhodes asked me.
“Not even close, but I will be.” I gave him a half-hearted weak smile.
He leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “We’ll figure this out.”
“I hope so,” I whispered, tears welling up and stinging the back of my eyes. I pushed it all down and took my husband’s hand.
Rhodes opened the door. “Hey, baby girl, you need us?” I heard him say as we watched them enter Emily’s room.
“Will you both lay down with me? I’m scared ,” Emily said in a small, frightened voice I’d never forget for as long as I lived.
I’m scared.
I’m scared.
I’m scared.
The two words spun violently within my mind as I let go of Christo’s hand, raced down the hall and through my bedroom into the bathroom. There I fell to my knees and vomited. I heaved over and over until there was nothing left but an empty stomach and a shattered heart.
Christophe helped clean me up, and waited patiently as I brushed my teeth and washed my face in a daze. He brought me into the closet where he removed all my clothing. I stood there stark naked and completely numb as he put me in one of my warmer satin pajama sets. I dutifully allowed him to dress me and followed his direction until he too had changed his clothes and put on a t-shirt and satin pants. Then he led me to our bed where he pulled down the covers and I crawled all the way to the middle. As expected, he entered behind me. Once the covers were over us, I turned around and flattened myself to his chest.
For a few long minutes we just lay there breathing, safe within one another’s arms.
“Will you ever forgive me?” His voice was a low, deep rumble that reminded me of a cat purring.
“Your heart was in the proper place. And you did right by Celine,” was all I could offer.
“That’s not an answer, Alana. Do. You. Forgive. Me?”
I let all that had happened roll around in my mind, none of it making any sense after the day I’d had.
“I don’t know.”
His hold tightened. “I’ll earn your forgiveness. Just promise to give me a chance.”
“I want to forgive you, Christo. I do, I really do…but I’m so hurt.”
“That’s fair, and I understand. Just don’t shut me out. Talk to me. Let me earn your trust again.”
I had no doubt that Christo and I would work through this…eventually.
“I need some time,” I whispered and closed my eyes, snuggling closer to the man I loved.
“You have my entire life, Alana. Take as much time as you need.”