Chapter 16
Allister
Leah sits on her hands. We're in the library at her estate. She looks so small on the dark leather sofa as I lean my ass on the edge of the desk facing her.
"So, you went to jail to cover for your mom?"
I just finished telling her about Mom. The addiction, the rehabs, the day I took the fall for her. Now, I'm praying Leah sees the truth in my eyes.
"Yes. I love my mom. She's in pain. She's sick.
I don't hold it against her, but I've accepted who she is.
I took her pills that day. She called the cops, saying I was stealing from her.
When they came, the pills were on me, and, I don't know, I just didn't fight it.
I said they were mine, and they cuffed me, and I pleaded guilty.
I could have fought it, but for some reason, I didn't. I've never taken or done any drugs in my life, Leah. Ever. I never will."
"This is all crazy. So much has happened so fast." Her eyelids are heavy, and she's fighting to keep them open.
"I know it has. Decker was there for all of it, if you ever want to hear it from him. And Desiree's the one who keeps my mom's pills out of her hands. She runs them to my place so they're nowhere near her. Those are the pictures you saw."
"But how did Wilson get them?"
"Fuck if I know. If you're okay with it, let's ask him. I have quite a few questions for Wilson right now."
Leah nods, and I push off from the desk. My hand cups the back of her head as I cross to her and press my lips to her hair, breathing her in. I'm still praying we can put all this behind us and start the life I want with her.
It takes me only a couple of minutes to round up Decker and May. I want them in the room when we hear Wilson's side of this mess. Then I make for the kitchen, where Henrietta is waiting with a knife in her hand.
As soon as she sees me, her eyes narrow, and she points the steel my way.
"You need to take better care of her."
"I'm workin' on it. Trust me."
She grunts and points down the hall, toward the garage door.
"He is sitting down there. Waiting. He made mistakes, but he's not bad, and he's sorry. I already told him how bad he screwed up. You talk to him now. He'll tell you everything. Then those girls need some peace. If you can't give it to them, you need to leave them alone."
"I'm going to give her everything, Henrietta. I promise."
I head down the hall and find Wilson leaning against the wall near the end. He turns when he hears me coming and stands, hands in his pockets. His eyes meet mine, not challenging, just bloodshot and tired.
"Come on. We're all going to talk."
He follows me in silence back to the library. Decker and May are there now, and Leah is right where I left her on the dark leather sofa, her sister at her side.
"I'm sorry." Wilson's voice breaks as he rubs his eyes and stands next to the desk.
I stand a few feet off. Decker has taken a chair at the end of the couch, where the girls hold hands now, their eyes going from Wilson to me to Decker and back.
"I thought I was doing the right thing. Keeping them from hurting you more. Trying to keep you safe."
"But you could have just told us. Gone to the police." May is trying to keep her voice even, but she’s losing the fight.
Wilson rubs his forehead. "I couldn't go to the police.
Victor sent me to both clubs the night of the fires, to pick up envelopes from his associates.
He made sure I was seen at each one." His throat works.
"When I was sixteen, I set fire to my foster parents' house.
It's on my record. Two clubs burn, and there I am at both, with a history of doing exactly that. Who do you think they look at?"
Leah's hand goes white around May's.
"If I didn't do what he said, he was going to hurt you. Both of you." His voice drops. "All I had to do was help him get the papers signed, and he swore he'd leave you alone for good. You are my family. I have no one else."
"What about the pictures? How did you get them inside Allister's house?" Leah's voice is hard. There's a new power behind her words, and it makes me proud as hell.
A beat of silence, and I step forward. That's enough to get him going again.
"I followed Desiree. I knew she and Allister were close, and I was trying to prove it was more than that.
One night at the club I caught her alone out back, on her phone.
I told her mine was dead, and I had to reach Victor, or I'd be in deep shit.
She knew us both, so she handed it over.
That was all the time I needed. I found the pictures and forwarded them to myself before she got suspicious. "
Wilson lets out a breath. I still want to hurt him for what I saw earlier in the back of that Bentley, but I'm not heartless. He was misguided, sure, but in his own twisted way, he was trying to keep the girls safe.
When he keeps going, his face goes red, and the words come out strangled. "And I still think they are after your money."
"Man," Decker chimes in. "You're going to have to get over that. We don't owe you proof. But read the pre-nup I made May sign, and you'll see how far I went to be sure I never touch a dime of her money. Allister will sign the same thing when he and Leah get married."
My eyes are already on Leah when her head snaps up to find me.
"That's right, precious. I'm marrying you. And no, I didn't ask. You're mine, and if you don't feel it, tell me I'm wrong." I step forward, drop to my knees in front of her, and pry her hands loose from May's, whose lips are fighting a smile.
"You're bossy," May chirps, giving Decker an impish grin. "Like someone else I know."
Decker gets to his feet with a grunt. "So you didn't have anything to do with the fires?"
Wilson shakes his head. "No. I don't know anything about the fires, except that Victor set me up to take the blame."
Decker and I look at each other. Victor may not have set them himself, but I'm sure as shit he had someone do it for him. One of the goons on his payroll.
"You can go." I nod at Wilson. "We'll let you know what's next for you after I talk to the ladies. What happens to you is up to them now, not me."
Wilson takes the cue and gets out the door fast.
Then my whole focus swings back to my girl, and to getting a ring on her finger. It fits perfectly, of course, because I'm an obsessive bastard and I triple checked with the jeweler. When it's snug in place, I reach up and cup her cheek. "You ready to be Mrs. Allister Marshall?"
"What if I say no?" Leah gives me a sly little smile.
"Wouldn't make a difference." I look at May, then Decker. "This Saturday work for you guys? You got the number for the Justice of the Peace you used?"
Decker cracks a half smile, and Leah is shaking her head at me.
"Do I get any say in this?"
"Sure, baby. You get to say 'yes.'"