37. Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Elsa
S ex with my husband was magnifique .
After he cleaned me up and I managed to nestle against him, half on him, half on the bed, my head on his shoulder, and his arm around me, I asked him to explain what he was so relieved about during dinner.
"I talked to Vincent." He stroked my arm absently. He did that a lot. I don't think he even noticed how he always touched me when I was around: a hand on the arm, a kiss on my forehead, a stroke on my cheek. A girl could get used to this!
"Vincent?" I had suspected he would contact him after he wanted to know if he could trust him.
"I asked him to help me remove Pascal from our lives and convince your father to retire."
I stilled. "What does getting Pascal out of our lives mean?"
He chuckled. "He's not dead. Vincent set him up. Don't ask me more because I don't have details."
"I don't want to know," I assured him. "Set him up for what?"
"Vincent used third parties to lure Pascal into selling weapons illegally and got him caught in Berlin. He's not coming back to France."
"He always wiggles out," I warned him.
"Not this time. Vincent got Interpol involved. This isn't some small shit that he can bribe his way out of."
"And Papa?"
"Pascal was working with your father."
I knew my father wasn't a good man, but I didn't want to see him in prison. But if Papa was dealing illegal weapons, didn't he deserve it? My heart stuttered and I couldn’t help but worry.
"Vincent has proof of your father's involvement, which, if he turns over to Interpol will mean your father will have to share a cell with Pascal. Vincent's used that to convince your father to retire."
"Retire?" I whispered.
"Yes."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that he's going to find a different way to live his life. He has enough money, Elsa. And if he needs more, I'll take care of it."
I shifted, feeling uneasy, and then sat up. Duncan moved to rest against the headboard. "Baby?"
"I get why you wanted Pascal out, but Papa?"
"As long as he's involved with the mob, you're not safe. I can't have you live like that. I can't have our children live like that. I can't live like that."
I stared at him.
"You made my father retire to protect me?"
"You, our baby, us." He watched me intently, and I knew he wasn't sure where I was at.
I flung myself at him; big belly and all. I kissed his face, every inch of skin I could reach.
He laughed. "Well, that wasn't the response I expected."
"Do you know how all my life I've wished he'd give it all up so I didn't have to worry about every person who walked into the bakery being interested in him and wanting to get to him through me?" I felt something loosen inside me.
This was true relief and freedom.
"This means that Vincent Arsenault takes over for your father."
I shrugged. "Don't care. As long as it isn't Papa. Mamman was always frightened. I knew she worried all the time. And, you know, Papa, he dismisses whatever I have to say. He did the same with Mamman. After she was gone, suddenly, Thierry was in my life, and I started to feel a little safe. But not really, because it's not like he can be with all the time."
I had lived in fear my whole life, and I knew it wouldn't change right away. Papa still had enemies, and there was a chance they'd come after me, but I was now with Duncan Archer, and the one thing I knew for certain in my heart was that he was all the protection I needed.
Any doubts I had about him using me again or our child disappeared. "If I just hadn't fucked your brains out, I'd do it again," I said, laughing out loud.
"Hey, I'm game if you are." Duncan looked at me with such love that I was surprised that I had ever doubted him.
"I need some sleep. Well, I first need to go to the bathroom because your daughter just kicked my bladder, and then I need some sleep." I reluctantly extricated myself from Duncan.
I fell asleep that night with a smile on my face, happy to be my father's daughter for the first time ever .
My father, however, wasn't happy, which I found out when he came to see me at the bakery while I was arranging the display case.
"Papa," I greeted, my voice tinged with surprise. " Bonjour . I have some fresh pain au chocolat ."
He nodded. "And a café au lait, s'il vous pla?t ."
I called Lisett out from the kitchen to man the counter and sat down with Papa at a corner table. Duncan had just stepped out into the kitchen to take a phone call, but I knew that there were two men constantly guarding the bakery, allowing my husband to not worry about my safety.
Duncan had promised that he'd pull the security guards once he was confident I was safe. He understood that being guarded all the time, increased my sense of disquiet, even if it did make me safer.
Papa broke a piece of the chocolate croissant and ate it. "You always were an amazing baker, ma chérie ."
" Merci beaucoup , Papa."
He took a sip of coffee and then blew out a breath. "Elsa, I've decided to retire."
I tried to look shocked . "Oh là là, vraiment?" Wow, really?
He looked down at his hands, a rare moment of vulnerability crossing his features. "It was time."
I nodded thoughtfully. Oh, Papa, can't you just admit you're being pushed out? But I knew he never would. He was a strong man, and he would never show himself as so weak that Vincent could blackmail him into losing his empire.
"I understand."
"You know, when you got knocked up with Archer's baby, I thought this would be good for business."
I hated that he had never wished for my happiness. But as Mamman said, " You can't teach someone to love, ma chérie; that is something you're either capable of or not, and your father is not ."
"Was it?"
He shook his head. "He wouldn't help me. But I think he's good for you."
I grinned, putting my hands on my stomach. I'd worn a colorful maxi dress that showed off my cleavage, which I knew would make my husband as horny as my hormones did me.
"You can give me credit for that," he smirked. "Without me, you wouldn't have had sex with that fils de pute ." Son of a whore.
"Ah, Papa, I'll give credit where it's due but you get zero of it for Duncan being the man he is. All credit goes to him ."
My father was facing the door while my back was to it. But I felt Duncan before he put his hand on my shoulder. He'd come back through the kitchen and brought with him the smell of yeasty bread and his cologne. Smells that comforted me.
"Moreau," my husband said.
"Archer," my father finished his coffee. "I just wanted to let my daughter know that I have retired. I felt it was time."
"Of course." His hand squeezed my shoulder gently. "What are your plans?"
"I have a home in Piedmont. I'm thinking of living there for a while, maybe growing some vine," Papa said airily.
"Sounds fantastic." Duncan didn't hide the satisfaction in his voice.
"You're happy I'm leaving France," my father stated.
"Yes," Duncan said without hesitation. "The further away you are from my wife, the better I will feel."
Papa looked at me wanly. "Send me pictures of my grandchild."
"Yes, Papa." I rose and kissed his cheek. "You take care of yourself."
"I always do."
"Exclusively, in fact," Duncan chided. I elbowed him so he'd shut up. Papa knew he lost; there was no reason to make him feel worse.
Papa picked up his half-eaten pain au chocolate and walked out as he bit into it.
"I felt a little bad seeing how sad he looked," I told Duncan as we watched Papa go across the street to a waiting car.
Duncan kissed the side of my head. "He's lucky Vincent hasn't killed him, but if he even tries to dip his toes into any business , he will lose his life."
I sighed. "I know. I don't want him to die, but if he does, it will be because of how he lived his life."
A few customers walked into the bakery then, and I stood quietly with my husband as Lisett took care of them.
I had never imagined a life like this—so perfect. I leaned into Duncan, and he held me.
" Je t'aime , Elsa," he whispered.
"I love you, Duncan," I replied, the words remarkably easy to say.