58. All My Fault
ALL MY FAULT
Lorelei
Shit, shit, fuck. This was all my fault. I paced the length of the Copper Cove Sheriff’s Department, my footfalls growing heavier with each turn. How could I have ever thought we’d get away with it? That for just one minute, Axel and I could have our happy ending?
The sheriff wouldn’t even let me see him. I’d been here all night, sitting in that stuffy little waiting room but once the first rays of dawn peered through the barred windows, I’d forced my cramped legs outside for some fresh air.
I tried to focus on the positive, that at least I’d been able to get a hold of Axel’s dad minutes after he’d been thrown into the back of the police car. Mr. Vanderhart and his lawyer had arrived at the police station just a few minutes after we did.
Surely, with all the money and resources Vanderhart Securities had, they would be able to get Axel out.
And what if they couldn’t?
A sinister voice whispered the terrible thought in the far recesses of my mind. Curling my fingers into tight fists, I resolved to do whatever I had to in order to get Axel out. Even if that meant crawling back to Brock…
The door of the red brick building squealed open, jerking my attention to the top of the stairs.
Mr. Vanderhart and their family lawyer rushed down the steps, hushed murmurs hissing between them.
When they reached the sidewalk, Conrad’s worried gaze leapt up to meet mine as if he hadn’t even noticed me until that very moment.
“Oh, Lorelei, I didn’t think you were still here.”
“I couldn’t just leave…” I dragged my hand through my wild hair and swept my thumb beneath my eyes to remove the smudged mascara.
I must have looked like complete crap after spending all night curled on the stiff, plastic chairs of that waiting room.
The hard line of his jaw softened as he bent down and squeezed my shoulders.
“Go home and get some rest. There’s nothing you can do right now, but don’t worry, my lawyer, Barney here, is the best in the business.” He ticked his head at the balding man in a stern, navy suit. “We’ll have Axel out of there before nightfall.”
“But the video…”
The lawyer hissed out a curse, and his beady eyes swiveled to mine, a predatory gaze that sent goosebumps spilling across my arms. “You never saw that video. Do you understand me, Miss Battenberg?”
My head bobbed.
“Before long, no one ever will.” The lawyer pivoted his hard gaze to Axel’s dad, and I blew out a breath of relief to be free of that intense stare. “I’ll be in touch, Conrad. If we both do our parts in this, you should be able to keep your promise to the young lady.”
The man spun on his heel and marched across the street to the parking lot.
“What’s the plan?” I whispered.
He shook his head, those bright blue eyes so much like Axel’s it hurt to meet them. “The fewer people that know the details the better, Lorelei. Just trust me when I say I’m using all the resources I have at my disposal to get Axel out.”
“Maybe I should just go talk to Brock—”
“Absolutely not.” He shook his head, scowling. “Axel has caught me up on that whole situation, and he’s made it clear that he would rather spend the rest of his life stuck in a prison cell than allow you anywhere near that man. I’ve already given him my word that I’d keep you safe.”
Emotion tightened my throat, and I barely managed to swallow. Axel was the one in jail, facing a lifetime in prison, or God forbid, a death sentence, and he was still thinking of me. How did I get so lucky? I definitely did not deserve him.
Conrad pressed his hand to my shoulder. “Now, can I give you a ride home? I’ve already sent one of my private security guards to the Zeta house.
He’s been instructed to remain there until this is over.
Brock won’t get anywhere near you. I also have Barney working on a restraining order so that the bastard will not be able to stand within twenty feet of you without getting arrested. ”
Hot tears filled my eyes. I blinked quickly to keep them from spilling over. How was this man, this whole family so different from mine? My father had sold me off to the highest bidder without any regard for me at all.
“Thank you,” I finally murmured. “That’s so kind and unbelievably generous of you.”
“You’re going to be a Vanderhart, Lorelei, and that’s how we treat family.” The sincerity in his warm gaze had my throat constricting again.
Then that damned guilt reared up. The engagement wasn’t real… I wasn’t actually going to marry Axel or become a Vanderhart. It didn’t feel right to lie after everything he’d done for me.
“Um, about that—”
He lifted his hand. “I understand that everything is a bit unsettled right now, but I also know my son, Lorelei. In case it warrants repeating, Axel is in jail. For you.” He paused, drawing in a breath.
“I’m not trying to make you feel bad. I’m only pointing out that you don’t do that for someone unless it’s quite serious. ”
The realization was startling, slamming into me like a tidal wave.
Which was ridiculous. I should have been able to piece it together myself.
I knew Axel loved me, but Conrad was right, he really loved me.
After the shitty way I’d been treated by men most of my life, I’d refused, been terrified, to see all the signs that were clearly there.
“Now, are you ready to go home?”
I huffed out a breath of defeat. A shower and a quick nap did sound like heaven after the night I’d had. “Okay, but you promise to tell me if anything comes up?”
He lifted a hand, palm up, and his lips curved into a reassuring smile. “I swear it.”
Nodding, I allowed him to lead me across the street to his car.
Thunderous pounding at my door jerked me from a fitful sleep. My weary lids snapped open, and a muffled groan slid out.
Oh, shit, Axel! Had I missed something? I leapt out of bed as angry shouts echoed in the hall just outside my dorm.
It wasn’t Axel, but I definitely recognized some of those voices.
I whipped the door open to find my new security guard attempting to restrain Killian while Gage and Slate watched, eyes glittering in amusement.
“Sorry to bother you, Miss Battenberg,” the guard rasped out as he tried and failed to pin Killian to the wall.
The unhinged guy shouted curses, kicking and punching at the guard.
“It’s okay, Murphy. You can let him go. He’s not going to hurt me.”
“You sure about that?”
Axel’s best friend looked like a snarling beast, fury carved into his expression as he spat out a string of curses.
“Yeah, he’s fine.”
Shaking his head, Murphy released Killian and returned to his spot by the door. “If you change your mind, I’ll be right here.”
“Asshole.” Killian stalked by the burly man in all black.
“Don’t be a dick,” I hissed. “Axel sent him to keep me safe.”
Gage and Slate exchanged a bemused glance as they followed me into my room. Killian trailed a few steps behind, shooting glares at the guard before slamming the door. My room suddenly felt so much smaller with all three of them filling the space.
I sank onto my bed and motioned for the others to fill in the small futon and desk chair. I didn’t think Killian would actually hurt me, but that didn’t mean I needed him on my bed either.
“So what are you guys doing here?” I huffed out.
“Sigma Delta is a shitstorm with news of Axel’s arrest,” Gage answered. “We figured we’d come to you to get the whole story.”
“We already know Vaughn had something to do with landing Ax in jail,” Killian growled. “I just need confirmation so we can bury his ass.”
“What kind of confirmation?” I slid to the edge of the mattress.
“I heard rumors of a video.” Killian’s cold green eyes met mine, chips of icy emerald searing into me. “If Haversham got his hands on it, there’s only one way: Vaughn. And if Vaughn leaked information about one of our brothers, his ass is fucked.”
“It’s true,” I blurted. “It had to be Vaughn. Brock showed me a video from that night on the bluff…”
“Fuck,” Slate gritted out. “That little prick. What the hell was he thinking?”
“Brock and Vaughn’s older brother are best friends. I wouldn’t be surprised if Brock forced your frat brother to do it.”
“And the video is on Haversham’s cell?” Killian asked.
“It was last I saw it.” The asshole had gotten a new phone, and it had magically reappeared. Damned Cloud.
His dark gaze slid to Gage. “Can you hack into his phone?”
A sinister smile tipped up the corners of his lips as he swept his hand through the deep lavender strands of his mohawk. “Of course I can.”
“Good.” Killian rose, sharp eyes locked on mine. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, Lorelei, I know exactly how to get Axel back.”