Back To The Start Box Set: Five Full-Length Novels by Aly Martinez
My mouth dried. “Has…” I cleared my throat when the emotion prevented me from finishing. “Has he ever done this before? The not showing up thing?”
She shook her head. “No. He’s usually here early. Let’s just say Maxine was not excited to be called into work this morning to cover for him. She closed up last night after a full day of back-to-back clients…”
She continued to talk, but my ears were ringing, which left me unable to focus.
Please, God, don’t let this be happening.
“Can you try to call him again? It’s an emergency. I need to talk to him,” I choked out. To make sure he isn’t dead.
She frowned, eyeing me warily, but picked the receiver up and started to dial. “Sure,” she drawled.
Please pick up. Please, just let him pick up.
I never tore my eyes off her as she did her best to avoid my gaze.
After a few seconds, she shook her head and hung up. She offered me a tight smile.
Oh my God.
It was not a coincidence that, only days ago, he’d met Walter Noir and, now, he was missing.
Fear and guilt mingled in the acid that replaced the blood in my veins.
Walt’s words from that morning flashed into my mind. “There are men out there who think they can put their hands on my wife and still wake up breathing.”
Men.
Not man.
Not just Roman.
And not just because I’d felt threatened.
Luke.
Because he’d cared. Walt must have sensed it when he’d stormed into the office.
Oh my God. He’s gone.
“Clare!” I heard yelled.
Then, all at once, the Earth dropped out of orbit, taking me with it.
My knees gave out. The darkness closed in. My life flashed on the backs of my lids. My last thoughts were of Tessa. My only instinct still in tact was to protect her. As I hit the floor with a crash, she landed squarely on top of me, secured in my arms—the only place she was ever safe.
I was vaguely aware of voices clamoring around me and then Brock storming in.
But all I could see was the blood of innocent men pooling around me.
Chapter Nineteen
Roman
After the cops had come and gone, Elisabeth and I had packed a few bags and the dog and headed for a hotel. The sun was starting to rise by the time we arrived. And, though we were both exhausted, adrenaline having burned through whatever rest we’d gotten, sleep wasn’t going to be found.
Before our bags were even on the floor, I was on the phone with Heath’s contact, Leo James. Elisabeth was listening with her mouth hanging wide open as I filled him in on all things Walter and Clare Noir. I wasn’t far into the story when she began to tremble. I wrapped her in my arms, her heart thundering so hard that I could feel it in my chest.
Leo did not delay in telling me that he and a group of his men were catching the first flight down to Atlanta. It made me feel marginally better, but judging by the terror on Elisabeth’s face, she did not share the sentiment.
When I hung up, she was plastered to my front and staring up at me expectantly.
“It’s okay. Just breathe,” I told her.
“She looks like me?” she squeaked.
I smiled and brushed the hair off her neck. “She’s yours, baby. No question about it.” I took her face between my palms. “We have a daughter, Lis.”
“Oh God,” she whispered.
“It’s okay,” I repeated, kissing her forehead. “Now that we know who they are, things should be easier. We’ll have our attorneys petition the courts. See about getting the DNA then ultimately custody—”
She jerked in my arms. “Excuse me?”
“It’s going to be time consuming, but I’ll stop at nothing, Lis.”
“We aren’t taking that baby from her,” she announced, stepping out of my grasp.
This time, I jerked. “Come again?”
“Roman, we aren’t snatching that child away from the only mother she’s ever known. Especially if what Heath told you was true and Clare’s a victim in all of this too.”
“Yeah, baby. She’s a victim, but I saw her. You cannot help someone who doesn’t want to be saved.”
“You probably just scared the shit out of her, Roman! Some man shows up at my house. Grabs me in front of my child. I wouldn’t be real keen to jump in his car, either.”
“Maybe. But I tried. And she screamed for the man who beats the shit out of her. That does not say scared to me. That says fucking lost.”
She flinched. “We can’t just storm in there and strip the child from her arms. As a mother, I would never be able to live with that.”
I released her and made my way over to the pile of shit we’d brought with us. I dug through it until I found what I was looking for then headed back to her.
Lifting Heath’s picture of a battered Clare Noir in her direction, I said, “He does that to her.” I dropped it to the floor then lifted another. “And that.”
Her body turned to stone as she slapped a hand over her mouth.
“And our daughter lives under the same roof with that man, Lis. This whole fucking situation sucks. Hell, the fact that a man like that is sharing the same oxygen we breathe is fucked. But there is nothing I can do about that, either. I know this is hard for you to understand. You’re a good person with a good heart. Your gut instinct is to save the world. And, usually, I’m right there with you. But you need to hear me on this. I have no control over Clare. The only thing I can do in this situation is keep my family safe.” I lifted one final picture in her direction and finished, “That family now consists of you, me, and this little girl.”
Her eyes flashed wide, and just as quickly, the picture of Tessa was snatched from my hand. She stumbled back until she hit the bed. Then she slowly sank down, her eyes glued to the photograph.
I sat beside her and slid an arm around her back. “Let me worry about her. I don’t like the idea of snatching her away from the life she knows, either. But, Lis, that life is dangerous. I gotta tell you I’d be just as hell-bent on getting her out even if I wasn’t sure she was ours. No kid deserves to grow up like that. But the fact is no one can deny that that little girl is yours. So I will fight like hell to get her someplace safe—that place being with us. And when, and only when, we make that happen, we’ll see what we can do about Clare.”
Her tear-filled eyes lifted to mine. She was looking at me, but I knew she was still seeing Tessa’s face.
“Okay?” I prompted.
She nodded and looked back at the picture. Her fingers glided over the curves of the child’s face. “Okay, Roman.”
I breathed a relieved sigh and squeezed her shoulder. “Now, baby, I know you’ve had a lot dumped on you, but we gotta figure out where we’re gonna live for a little while. I’m not taking you back to our house, and my place is shit.”
“My Victorian,” she whispered at the picture.
“Say again?”
“I own an old Victorian house. I flipped it. I’ve been trying to sell it, but it’s currently empty. All the utilities are hooked up. And I’d feel safe there.”
“It furnished?”
She shook her head.
“Right. Okay. I want a bed, couch, TV, some kind of table we can eat at, and whatever the hell else you need to feel comfortable.” I dug my wallet from my back pocket and pulled my credit card out before offering it her way.
She glanced down at the card then up at me. “All of that’s going to be expensive, Roman.”
I grinned. “I think I’m good for it.”
“We really don’t need that much stuff. I’ve got an air mattress and a couple of chairs there already.”
“An air mattress and a couple of chairs?” I repeated incredulously.
She bobbed her head eagerly. “We can make do.”
No fucking way was Elisabeth ever making do again. I’d worked my ass off and even lost her for over two years to e
“Seven point four million dollars,” I announced.
Her mouth fell open, and her eyebrows pinched together. “Holy shit. Is that how much you’re worth?”
I chuckled and waved my credit card at her. “That’s what I made last month. Buy some furniture, Lis.”
She clamped her mouth shut and blinked, but a few seconds later, she took the card.
* * *
After a shower, which had been just as mentally cleansing as it had been physically, I got to work calling our attorneys. Kaplin was still unsure of our next move. However, Whit was hitting the ground running. He had Detective Rorke on the phone before he’d even hung up with me.
During this time, Lis alternated between staring at the picture of Tessa, petting Loretta, and scrolling through furniture on the Internet. She was lost in her thoughts—and her pain.
I never strayed far from her. Not for fear, but rather for comfort. If she needed me, I was mere feet away. I kissed her every chance I got. And, as I paced the room, trying to figure out the best solution for…well, anything, I’d paused to drag my fingertips over her shoulders, reminding her that she wasn’t alone.
She’d glance up at me with a forced smile that broke me every time.
But I was there.
And she was with me.
We’d figure out the rest together.
Around two p.m., Leo James, along with three of his men—Aidan Johnson, Alex Pearson, and Devon Grant—arrived at the hotel. I was a big guy. But fuck, Alex and Devon were giants. And Johnson was just flat-out scary—tattoos running up and down both arms, black gauges in his ears, brute terror in his eyes.
“Leo, nice to meet you,” I greeted, ushering them to the sitting area of the suite. “Gentlemen, this is my wife, Elisabeth Leblanc.”
Her gaze jumped to mine, but she didn’t argue with my use of my last name. I shot her a wink then continued with the introductions. When I finished, she smiled blankly and offered a soft, “Hi.”
I settled beside her on the couch, hooking her legs at the knees and dragging them into my lap so they draped over my thigh.
She inched closer and dropped her head to my shoulder.
“Mrs. Leblanc,” Leo said, settling in a chair across from us. “I hear you guys have been having some trouble recently?”
“I’m not sure trouble is the right word,” she replied.
“Well, I’m here to help you two take care of that.” He grinned warmly, leaning toward her, propping an elbow on his knee, and leveling his dark-brown eyes on hers. He lowered his voice and soothed, “I promise, Elisabeth, I’ve gone toe-to-toe with far bigger men than Walter Noir. I know what I’m doing here, so I need you to trust that me and my men are gonna keep you two safe. That way, you can focus your energy on getting your little girl out. Leave the rest to us. Can you do that?”
Her body relaxed for the first time all day, sinking deeper into my side.
Even if he did absolutely nothing else, this guy was officially worth every fucking penny of the six figures I’d already paid him.
“Yeah, Leo,” she whispered.
He gave her a chin jerk then turned his attention back to me. “I don’t have a ton of time here, Roman. Johnson and I have to head back to Chicago tomorrow. I’m leaving Alex and Devon for you to use at your disposal. Get them a schedule of places you need to go ahead of time, and they’ll handle the logistics of the whens and hows to get you there safely. In the meantime, we need to discuss this house I understand you two will be staying at.”
“The Victorian,” Elisabeth added.
Leo looked back at her, grinned, then all but motherfucking purred, “Yeah, that one, babe.”
Babe?
“James,” I warned. My lips thinned, and I cocked my head to the side while shooting him a dangerous glare.
The corners of his twitched as he leaned back in his chair, holding my gaze while pointedly rotating a gold wedding band around his ring finger with his thumb. “Anyway, the Victorian,” he said. “I’ll need the keys. Johnson and I will be working with a security company to get it wired up before we leave. I want you guys to stay here tonight. You’re gonna need to call down to the front desk. I want my guys in the room next door. If it’s not available, you’re gonna need to change rooms, hotels, or, fuck, cities if need be. But I want my boys in earshot in case anything goes down.”
“I can do that,” I replied.
At the same time, Elisabeth sat forward and gasped, “You think something else is going to go down?”
Every man in the room spoke at the same time. “No.”
I pulled her back into my side and kissed her temple. “Baby, I swear you’re safe.”
She looked up at me, her eyes filled with fear, but when she opened her mouth, a familiar attitude came out. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lock Me In A Closet Then Run Out With A Gun Chasing The Man Who Broke Into Our House In The Middle Of The Night And Put Two Bullets In Our Wall. You’ll have to excuse me. But it’s not me I’m worried about here.”
I scowled at her while I listened to the guys chuckle. “You worried I can’t handle myself?”
Her lips formed a hard line as she adamantly shook her head. “No. I’m scared that you would not hesitate in getting yourself killed if it meant keeping me safe.”
“Not even for a second,” I confirmed curtly.
Her eyes narrowed, and her eyebrows pinched. “Then, clearly, you understand why I’m afraid here.”
I twisted toward her, forcing her back against the couch with my upper body. “Nothing’s going to happen to me, but if it does, you’ll deal. But make no mistake about it, Lis—you will do it with a pulse.”
“Roman!” she objected, shoving at my chest.
“Okay,” Leo interrupted. “Let’s calm down. This is just precautionary stuff at the house. But let’s make a deal here. Elisabeth, your man, Mr. Lock You In A Closet Whatever The Fuck You Called Him, will make sure no one touches you. And Alex and Devon will make sure no one touches your man. Everyone’s covered. Okay?”
After a second, she grumbled a quiet, “Deal.” Glowering at me, she added, “But you should know—you pin me to a damn couch again, Roman, you are going to need men far bigger than those two to keep you safe.”
This received a chorus of deep chuckles—one of them being mine.
I casually righted myself on the couch and gave Leo my attention. “So, what’s next?”
He smiled and shook his head, glancing over at the three guys looming around us. “Get your rooms for the night settled. Assuming all goes well with the security system, I should be able to get you into the house before I leave tomorrow night.”
“Elisabeth needs to go shopping for furniture,” I informed.
Leo arched an eyebrow. “You going with her?”
I replied by stating, “She was looking at floral throw pillows earlier.”
“Technically, they were damask,” she corrected.
Leo glanced from me to her and then back again. “Right. Alex. Devon. Take the lady shopping. Roman, you’re with Johnson and me at the Victorian.”
I grinned.
Johnson laughed.
Alex and Devon mumbled curses.
Elisabeth giggled.
Leo grinned back.
Yeah. Worth. Every. Fucking. Penny.
Chapter Twenty
Clare
True to his word, Walt rushed to my side when he found out that I’d collapsed at the gym.
I’d cracked the back of my head on the floor, splitting it open, but despite the urging of the gym staff, I’d refused to go to the hospital and have it stitched up. I’d taken care of far worse injuries on my own, and going to the hospital meant leaving Tessa with Walt.
No. Fucking. Way.
I assured everyone that I was okay, and then, as Walt and Brock shared angry whispers at the door, I quietly asked the front desk girl to call me immediately if Luke happened to show up.
He wouldn’t. But the only thing I could do
My head was aching as I strapped Tessa into her highchair for dinner.
She was chasing blueberries around her tray with two wooden spoons as I finished up the lasagna I’d insisted on cooking as a way to keep my mind off all things Roman and Luke.
It hadn’t worked. If anything, it had given me entirely too much time to obsess as I mindlessly prepared dinner.
By the time the oven timer went off, my guilt had become poisonous, which was causing my hands to shake and my stomach to knot.
“Hey,” Walt greeted, folding his arms around me from behind.
My body turned solid, and tears flooded my eyes.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” he murmured, placing a kiss at my neck.
It was one of the many times in my life I should have kept my mouth shut. The first being the day Walter Noir had asked me out on our first date. The second being the day he’d slid his ring on my finger. But, just like in those instances, the words flew from my mouth before my mind could intervene.
“Did you kill that man who came to the gate yesterday?”
His head popped up and he squeezed me tightly. “So that’s what’s going on inside your head. You’re worried about that piece of shit?”
I couldn’t tell if he was pissed or concerned, so I stuttered, “I…I just—”
He turned me around and used my chin to force my gaze up to his.
I sucked in a sharp breath when I found his face soft, a comforting grin tipping one side of his mouth.
“Not yet,” he whispered. “But I swear to you he will be taken care of very soon. You’ll never have to deal with him again. No one touches you, remember?”
A shot of adrenaline jumpstarted my system.
Not yet.
Not yet.
Not. Yet.
A sob of relief tore from my throat, my body shaking in his arms.
Roman was still alive.
“Jesus,” he breathed, tucking my face into his neck. “I had no idea you were this scared.” He rubbed his hand up and down my back.
It was one of the only moments of solace I ever got. I hated him and wished he’d die on a daily basis, but I was so starved for comfort that I’d accept whatever I could get—even from him.