“So what else is it?” Caleb pressed. “Does it have to do with why you were shot and ended up half-dead in an alleyway?”
“My life is so screwed up,” she whispered. Then she ran a shaky hand over her face.
“Tell us. Now,” Wolfe demanded. His eyes were glistening with anger behind his glasses as he glared down at her.
“I raced upstairs and pulled on my running clothes. I needed to clear my head, figure out what I was going to do. I knew I wasn’t marrying William. That asshole thought he just got me like some prize? Not happening. This black van pulled up next to me. A large man jumped out and grabbed me, throwing me inside before I could even scream. I didn’t even have time to fight back before my hands were tied behind my back and a gag was in my mouth. Then a hood was placed over my face. I’ve never been claustrophobic. But right then, I was so scared. I don’t think I’ve ever been that scared in my life.
“We drove for a while. I don’t know how long, but it felt like forever. I could barely breathe under the hood. I thought I was going to suffocate. Finally, the van stopped and I was hauled out. Someone took off the hood. I was relieved until I realized that was probably a bad sign. I mean, I thought it was some sort of kidnapping for ransom, but if they were gonna let me see their faces . . . I figured I was dead.”
“What happened next?” Wolfe asked in a quiet whisper.
She blanched at the look of pure fury on his face. Sometimes, she forgot what a scary man Wolfe could be. She looked over at Caleb and Aleki. They didn’t look any better.
“We were in this big warehouse. I was surrounded by four guys. They all had guns. I stood there, wondering what the fuck was going on when this man stepped forward. He was dressed in a suit with dark, neat hair. He looked respectable, like he’d just come from the boardroom or dinner. When he spoke, though, a shiver went through me. He was cold. Warned me not to scream. That no one would hear me and it would just annoy him.”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“What did he want?” Caleb asked.
“To warn me not to run. He told me that he knew that would be my first instinct. To leave, but that wouldn’t be wise as there was a lot riding on my marriage.”
“What the fuck?” Aleki asked. “How’d he know about that? Who was this asshole?”
“I’m not sure. I asked him and all he said was that he had a vested interest in my upcoming nuptials.”
“Why would he care whether you married that dick?” Aleki asked.
“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “All he told me was that I would marry William or he’d make my life hell. He told me that he wouldn’t just kill me, he’d torture me slowly by hurting every person I ever loved. So I wasn’t going to run. I wasn’t going to rebel. I was going to be a good little girl and do everything I was told. I agreed. What choice did I have? Marry William or have everyone I loved or cared about harmed? And I could tell he wasn’t making idle threats.”
She took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm her roiling tummy.
“The gag and hood went back on. I was tossed into the van and driven back to where they’d picked me up. They threw me on the pavement and told me they’d be watching. So I did it. I married William. My father’s PR company spun this bullshit story and everyone fell for it. They won by a landslide. I pretended on the outside that everything was fine. And on the inside, I was screaming for help.”
“You didn’t tell your father about this asshole?” Caleb asked.
“I tried. As soon as I got back, I burst into his study to tell him what happened. He told me that all of my decisions had consequences. And it would be best if I made the right decisions if I wanted everyone to remain safe. I had no choice. Life with William, it was, well a bit like Groundhog Day, the same thing. Over and over.”
She sighed. “Outside the house, we were the picture of marital happiness. But inside that house, we were two strangers who barely acknowledged each other. He had mistresses, but he was discreet. I was thankful for them as it meant he didn’t want me. I put deadlocks on my bedroom door because sometimes he’d come home drunk and horny.”
“Did he rape you?” Aleki asked darkly.
She shook her head, unable to look at him. “No. I slept with him. Once. It was a huge mistake I never repeated.”
“Thank God,” Aleki said quietly.
“Did you ever see the dark-haired guy again?” Caleb asked.
“No,” she whispered. “Never. I don’t know who he is. I asked William, but he said he hadn’t met him. I spent most of my time alone. I cut myself off from everyone to keep them all safe, so they couldn’t be used against me.”
“You should have left and damned the consequences!” Aleki snapped.
“And have had your deaths on my conscience as well?” she snapped. “How would that have helped? Anyway, I did try to leave once.”
“What happened?” Caleb asked her gently.
“My father sent men to track me down. And two days later my best friend from college died in a car accident. They said she’d been drinking. But she never drank when she was driving. Ever. It was a message for me. So no, Aleki, leaving wasn’t an option.” Tears dripped down her face.
“Oh, fuck,” Aleki said. “I’m so sorry. I’m just so mad that you were living like that and I had no idea.”
She nodded against his shoulder as he hugged her gently.
“That explains why you want nothing to do with your father,” Wolfe said once Aleki moved back. “But what happened after William’s death? Who shot you? How did you end up in that alleyway?”
This was the tricky part. How much to tell them? Her gaze flicked around. They should know her reasons for staying away from them. But did she want them to know what she’d done?
She let out a breath. “About six weeks ago, William found out he had terminal cancer. I came home to find him sitting at the dining table, drinking scotch. He tried to be at home as little as possible, so it was a shock to find him there. He . . . he told me that he was dying. He had less than a year to live and he wanted to make amends for everything he’d done. To help free me before he died.”
“And you believed him?” Caleb asked.
“Not at first. But he showed me some of the correspondence from the oncologist. He also told me that he’d had a steady girlfriend for the last year. That he wanted to be with her for the last few months of his life. Not me.”
“Fucker,” Aleki muttered.
She shrugged. “I actually appreciated his honesty. It wasn’t like we cared about each other. When he was drunk, he could be a real asshole. Anyway, I asked him why he’d never just left and he told me my father had things on him that could land him in a lot of trouble. And that he was closely watched. He figured that if he created enough trouble for my father, it would give him enough cover to sneak away.”
“He wanted your help, right?” Caleb asked.
“Yeah, he wanted me to gather information about my father. He said he had a friend who was a reporter who would release everything. My father would get what he was owed and William and I would be free.”
“What happened next?” Aleki asked.