Nico gives me a warning look, trying to say I need to diffuse this situation and convince the dad to stay home, so we can do what we gotta do.
“What you need to do is be with your daughter right now, Clyde,” I say. “You as a family must decide how to proceed from here. But I promise you that Gael will be punished. One way or another. I’ll come by in the morning to see if you have decided to report him.”
Nico and I stand up and for a few moments it looks like Clyde will argue. But then he looks at his wife.
“How did we let this happen, Nancy?”
She hiccups, tears welling in her eyes, and doesn’t answer.
“He’s a master manipulator,” I tell them. “Don’t blame yourself. Talk to your daughter, comfort her and make sure she knows the worst is over.”
There is no point reporting Gael, I see that now. No point dragging Kate through that ordeal.
I will deal with Gael. And after tonight, no one will ever have to deal with him ever again.
32
Nico
I drove straight to the motel from the Cole residence, thinking Alice will want to change back into her normal clothes. But we’re just sitting here in car now, the only illumination coming from the many little lights on the dashboard of this car. She’s taken off the wig, and her silver blonde hair is somehow glowing like moonlight despite almost no light anywhere.
She has no idea how perfect she looks. Maybe that’s the appeal for me. She’s a beauty, a total babe, but unlike all other babes out there, she has no idea she’s one of them.
All I want to do is kiss her, and hold her, lead her into the motel room and watch her take her clothes off. Or help her take them off. Then I’d be perfectly happy to just lay in bed with her in my arms.
But there’s a time and place for all that. It’s coming very soon now, but it’s not here yet.
“That went a lot better than I expected,” I say and chuckle. “With the Coles, I mean.”
She turns to me, her face so expressionless it’s a little frightening. “Now we have to deliver on what we promised them.”
I nod. “How do we proceed?”
She takes her phone from her purse and calls Zane. I can hear him perfectly well on the other end of the line, telling her that the priest is at home and looks to be settling in for the night.
“Can’t let him do that,” I say as she ends the call.
“We’ll pack everything up then go meet Zane,” she says, her voice and her face both totally expressionless now.
I want to kiss her very much, make everything better, breathe life into her. But this isn’t the time.
So I settle for wrapping my arm around her shoulders and holding her close as I walk her to her room. I half expected her to push me away, but she leaned against me and wrapped her arm around my waist. Now we’re standing at her door and she’s still not letting me go.
“What do you want with me?” she asks quietly instead of unlocking the door.
That’s easy. “Everything.”
She looks up at me, doubt the only readable expression on her face.
“Why?”
“Because you’re the most beautiful and the most interesting woman I’ve ever met,” I tell her. “Because you’re strong and brave and don’t need anyone to lean on. And yet you let me take care of you regardless.”
She cocks an eyebrow at me, suggesting she thinks I’m full of shit. I should’ve chosen my words better.
“Because I’m a challenge?”
I shake my head. “Because I fell in love with you the first time I saw you, and nothing you or anyone can do will ever change that.”
