Chapter 24 Arabelle
Arabelle
As I sit in Florian’s penthouse, a chill runs down my spine as I watch him carefully light the fireplace. The cold from being on top of the roof and the ice pack against my eye has penetrated deep into my bones.
I tug his coat around me, relishing in his intoxicating scent. It has a soothing effect. It’s kind of unnerving how quiet he’s been since everything that’s happened. The absence of his voice only amplifies the tension in the room.
“What now?” I ask.
He momentarily stops what he’s doing, like he’s in deep thought, before picking up where he left off. “We give our statements to the cops. I don’t like to deal with them, but with Adahlia’s body at the base of the building, it’s something we can’t avoid.”
“Did you let her fall?”
He faces me, his eyes locking with mine before he takes a few steps and positions himself directly in front of me. “Do you really want to know the answer to that question? Think really hard before you answer, Beauty.”
Did I really want to know if he let Adahlia fall to her death? Although I know my husband is a dangerous man, would he go as far as killing for me? I’m scared to know the truth, but I think I need to know the truth if I want to know the real man.
I respond by nodding. I need to know how far he’s willing to go to keep me safe since I’m starting to realize how dangerous my life is now. How far will he go to keep our children safe?
He sits next to me and looks into my eyes. The intense emotions swirling in his gaze are almost heart-stopping, but I’m not in the right frame of mind to decipher any of it.
“I told you from the beginning that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. Adahlia dying was the only way to keep you safe. So, when she pleaded for my help, I reached out for her hand. Once she grabbed onto mine, I let her fall to her death.”
I let out a gasp, and he takes hold of my hand.
“I’m a man of my word, Beauty. No one will ever harm you. No matter who it is.”
“She wasn’t working alone,” I mutter.
Although I don’t know what he’ll do once he finds out my father was involved, I don’t want him dead over it, even if he does deserve it.
“I know,” he says, anger clouding his eyes. “My father knew Adahlia was coming after you. And one of the men whom I thought was loyal to me was loyal to him. That’s how she got in.”
“What?”
“Nothing for you to worry about anymore.”
“You killed your father? You killed the man who let her in?” I ask even though I already know the answers.
His father is dead, and the man who let her in will be dead if he isn’t already.
A younger version of Florian appears from the kitchen before he can respond. “What’s going on?” he asks.
“Didrick, this is my wife, Arabelle. Arabelle, this is my brother, Didrick.”
“You’re married?” Didrick asks, looking from his brother to me. “When the hell did that happen?”
“I am. We’ll talk about it later,” Florian says. “Right now, the police are on the way.
“The police?” he asks, concern and fear covering his face. “Does it have to do with Far?”
“No, it doesn’t, but I do need you to stay in your room until they leave.”
“Okay.” He nods. “No problem. Whatever you need me to do. Nice to meet you, Arabelle,” he says before disappearing down the hallway.
When the door to his bedroom clicks, Florian sighs. “He’s had some issues with drugs. He’s just come back from rehab, so he’ll be staying here under my care until he turns eighteen.”
I’ve had a lot of experience dealing with addiction, and he’s so young. I hope Didrick’s recovery is better than my sister’s. Hopefully, he’ll take sobriety more seriously than Raven.
“My father told Adahlia about the infidelity clause in the contract.”
Even though I don’t want him to hurt my father, I can’t keep him from knowing. I don’t want any secrets between us, especially one this serious.
Florian exhales and pinches the bridge of his nose. I can feel the anger radiating off him. I understand why he’s angry. My father deserves to pay for what he’s done. However, I still don’t want my father to die because he made a stupid decision.
“He was trying to save me from you.”
His gaze meets mine, yet his expression remains devoid of any emotion, making it hard for me to read where his head is.
“Don’t kill him, Florian. Please.”
His fingers gently trace my jawline, causing my eyes to flutter. “Still trying to save the bastard, I see.”
“He’s my father, Florian. I don’t want him dead for doing what he thought would help me. He doesn’t know the real you, Florian. Not like I do. He was trying to do what he thought was the right thing for me.”
He lifts my hand to his mouth and presses a kiss on my knuckles. “He doesn’t deserve you, you know?”
I gaze into his eyes and quietly mutter, “I know, but he’s still my dad, even if he is shitty at the job.”
“Okay, my Beauty. He’ll live this time. But you let him know it’s because of your grace and mercy that he has another chance at life because this day could have ended much differently.”
“Thank you.”
“Anything for you, baby. Are you warm enough, or do you want me to turn up the heat?”
“I’m warm enough.” I lean closer to him. “What do we tell the police?”
“The truth.” He shrugs. “We did nothing wrong, Arabelle. There’s no need to lie about what happened. Adahlia kidnapped you, brought you here so that I would come for you, and when I tried to rescue you, she fell over the side of the roof.”
And you let her go.
His phone rings, and he quickly retrieves it from his jacket.
Then there’s a knock on the door. With the phone pressed to his ear, he stands, walks to the door, and opens it.
Two men in suits talk with Florian for a few moments, and then Florian steps aside, allowing them in.
Florian ends his phone call and escorts them into the living area.
“Gentlemen, this is my wife, Arabelle Larsson,” Florian says when he sits beside me, slipping his phone into his blazer before he grabs my hand. “Have a seat.”
With a motion, he directs the two men to sit in the chairs across from us.
“Beauty, they want to ask you some questions,” Florian says.
I nod, pulling his coat closer around my shoulders. “Okay, that’s fine.”
“My name is Detective Roberts, and this is my partner, Detective Reyes. Can you tell me what happened?”
“I came home—”
“From where?” Detective Roberts interrupts.
“From my attorney’s home. Dale Austin.”
Florian tenses as soon as Dale’s name is mentioned, so I squeeze his hand, hoping it will calm him down. I’ve come to know that he’s very possessive when it comes to me, and his anger makes me nervous. He has absolutely nothing to worry about when it comes to Dale.
The investigator jots down notes in a tiny notebook. “And Dale Austin will verify this?” Detective Reyes asks.
“Of course.”
“Can you please continue?”
“I came home…”
“Here?” Detective Reyes interrupts again.
“No,” Florian answers for me instead. “Our home outside the city. This is just one of the many properties that I own.”
Both detectives nod as they continue to scribble on their notepads.
“When I came in, she was sitting in the living room. At first, I didn’t see her because I was looking for Florian, but he wasn’t there.”
“Mr. Larsson, where were you at this time?” Detective Reyes asks.
“I was checking on one of my properties. We had some things get stolen from my construction site.”
“Okay,” Detective Reyes responds, shifting his attention back to me. “Mrs. Larsson, how do you know Ms. Karlsson?”
“I don’t know her,” I respond, causing his brows to furrow in confusion.
“If you don’t know her, what did she want, and how did you both end up here?” Detective Roberts asks, confusion blanketing his face.
“She was upset that my husband and I are married.”
“And how do you know Ms. Karlsson, Mr. Larsson?” the detective asks.
“We fucked,” Florian says so calmly I can’t help but look at him.
“Nothing serious, I assume?”
“Not on my end,” Florian says. “I ended it with her when I got engaged to Arabelle.”
“I see.” Detective Roberts nods. “Mrs. Larsson, what happened next?”
Florian holds my hand tightly, and I respond with a smile. Is it weird that I find comfort in his presence even after he admitted that he killed her to protect me?
“She forced me outside and shot my bodyguard.”
“Why do you need a bodyguard?” Detective Reyes asks.
Despite his lack of familiarity with me, he is certainly aware of who Florian is. There’s no way he doesn’t know. I won’t answer questions they already know the answers to.
“My wife is one of the world’s most well-known ballerinas,” Florian answers. “Of course, she’ll always have protection around her.”
They seem to accept that answer, but I’m sure they will investigate to make sure he’s not lying about who I am.
“And then she brought you here?” Detective Reyes asks, seeming to accept Florian’s response.
“Yes, then she forced me onto the rooftop. Florian came and rescued me.”
“How did Ms. Karlsson end up falling off the building?”
“I lunged at her to get Arabelle away from her because she had a gun pointed at her head,” Florian says.
“And is that how you got the scratches on your hand and wrists, Mr. Larsson?”
Florian’s gaze moves to his hand, and so does mine. I didn’t see them earlier, and I’m not sure if he did, either.
“Those came from me trying to save her,” Florian says. “She was hanging on to the metal pipe fastened to the side of the building. When I tried to pull her up, she couldn’t hold on.”
“So, you’re trying to tell us that you tried to save the woman who had just kidnapped your wife?” Detective Reyes says with his brow arched.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying, Detective,” Florian responds, and both detectives look at each other in disbelief before turning their attention back to Florian.
“Listen, gentlemen, I’ve known Adahlia a very long time.
Since we were kids, actually. We grew up together in Sweden and reconnected once we both came to the States. ”
“And you think your marriage drove her to do this despite your years of friendship? That seems a little excessive, don’t you think?”
“It was excessive, but it doesn’t change the fact that my marriage to Arabelle pushed Adahlia over the edge.
We had a long sexual relationship. When I had events to attend, she was always my date, but I made it clear to her that it would never move beyond friendship.
I think she went a little mad when she found out about my marriage.
However, that doesn’t mean I wanted the woman dead. ”
His words are so convincing, even I would have believed them if I didn’t know the truth.
Florian stands. “My wife has been through enough today. Now, if you have any more questions for my wife or me, please contact my attorney, and he’ll set up an appointment.”
Despite closing their notepads and standing, I can tell from their eyes they still have more questions they want answers to. But there’s nothing more I can tell them. I’ve shared everything I know with them.
Florian hands Detective Reyes a business card, then guides them to the door.
As soon as I hear it shut, I exhale. I close my eyes, wishing it were any other day, but it’s not.
I was held captive at gunpoint, witnessed a person being shot, and narrowly escaped getting shot myself.
Is this how my life will be from now on?
“Beauty.”
My eyes open and meet a pair of steely gray eyes that seem to pierce straight into my soul.
“Let’s get you to bed,” he says. “Then we’ll discuss things more in the morning. Is that fine with you?”
I nod and rise to my feet. It’s been such a long day. All I want to do is curl up in bed and sleep.
His arm encircles my shoulders, bringing me closer to him. “How’s Hugo?” I ask as we walk down the hallway to the bedroom at the very end.
“Touch and go. Alrick and Asva are at the hospital with him.”
The sadness in his voice tightens around my heart. Even though I don’t know any of these men, I know they’re his family.
“Don’t worry, he’ll pull through. He’s strong. There’s no way he’ll give up.”
Instead of responding, he tightens his embrace as we step into the bedroom. This is my new life. It’s dangerous and unpredictable, something I’m not used to. However, I believe the man whose arms I’m in right now will do everything in his power to make sure I’m safe. He proved that tonight.
“Let’s get you cleaned up and into bed.”