“My money has a very long reach, Kellan. You know as well as anybody that this case will disappear before it ever sees the light of day.”
“I can’t believe someone’s tamed the Beast,” he says, chuckling. “It must be a cold day in hell.”
“Not quite yet. But if anyone can, it’s her.”
He nods, clapping me on the back. “If anything comes up, I’ll call you.”
He walks off, and I head toward my car. When I slide into the back seat, I pull out my phone from inside my blazer jacket. The car pulls away from the curb onto the highway toward the airport.
I dial Alrick. I’ve got to get the ball moving on how to get both Arabelle and me out of the shit. There’s no way we will go down for that prick’s death. He deserved everything he got. I wish I could have prolonged his suffering.
“Yes, Beast?”
“Alrick, I need you to get with Nero and head to Chicago. I need some information on Pierre Gaultier to disappear. He’s death needs to be ruled something other than murder.”
“How soon?”
“Immediately. I don’t give a fuck how much you have to spend, or how many bones need to be broken, I want it done, now.”
“On it,” he says, and I end the call.
I sigh and close my eyes. Never have I put myself in such a predicament. I’m usually on top of shit, but with Arabelle being in danger, I didn’t think things through. However, I won’t let this get in the way of what I want. This prick’s death will not be the cause of me not getting the one woman I want.
19
Florian
Wedding Day
The attack on my warehouse is the final push I need to convince Arabelle to marry me as soon as possible, hoping that marriage will provide us with added protection. Well, that’s the excuse I gave her. I can increase the level of security around her, but my priority is to have her by my side sooner rather than later especially with cops sniffing around. My sanity can’t take her being any other place than with me.
After I ate her out one more time, we finally relaxed, and I explained my position on why we needed to get married as soon as possible. Although I could see in her eyes she wanted to protest because she didn’t think we knew enough about each other, she did at least give me the opportunity to explain my stance. However, it took me finally explaining to her the attack on my warehouse, its implications for us as a couple and for my organization, my father’s role in it, and his threats to her before she finally agreed.
Although she’s not too fond of going to the courthouse to get married, she also doesn’t want to have a grand church wedding, which surprises me. What woman doesn’t want the pomp and circumstance of a huge wedding, especially a woman like her? But I don’t question her about that decision. Everyone wants different things. However, I do believe it has something to do with her family. I don’t think she wants them anywhere near her big day. More than likely, she fears they would ruin it somehow, which I can understand because her father is a bastard, and her sisters are not ones who would let her have a moment in the spotlight. Her fame and fortune are the reasons they hate her. However, I promised her some kind of destination wedding with just the two of us at a later date so we can have pictures of our big day. She reluctantly agreed, so today is our wedding day, and I’m excited.
“Are you ready to do this?” Asva asks as we walk up the steep concrete stairs of the courthouse. “You can turn back now if you change your mind.”
I laugh while holding on to a stunning bouquet of red roses that I picked up this morning myself. “No chance I’m changing my mind. She’s the one.”
“The one?” Asva asks with his brow arched.
I nod with a grin on my face. From the moment I saw her dance, I knew she was the one for me. Today, I’ll make it official. I want everyone to know that Arabelle Williamson is mine.
“I know it’s fucking weird coming from me, but yeah, Arabelle Williamson is the one made for me.”
“You know, word has gotten back to Adahlia,” he says, which causes me to stop in my tracks, the joy of the moment draining from me immediately.
I want this day to go by without any surprises, but of course, someone would try to interfere.
“And?”
“And she’s throwing a fucking fit, Florian.”
I respond with a slight shrug. “Not a surprise and also not my problem, Asva. I’ve always been upfront with Addie. She’s always known what my stance is on our relationship. There’s nothing I can do if she doesn’t want to take the hint. We fucked, and I’ve told her that it’s now over.”
“I know that. We all know that. But apparently, she doesn’t,” Asva says. “She’s throwing a fucking tantrum.”
“Still not my problem. She can bitch, cry, whine, and complain all she wants. Arabelle will be my wife, and no one’s going to stop me. She can move on to the next willing cock because mine is done and belongs to only one woman.”
