Chapter 6

 

Nathan

Bella had retreated quick smart. I had tried to figure out what I had said or done that would cause her to become so freaking shattered, but I couldn’t find anything. I was thankful we had one day of work left and then she was mine. I was going to sit her down and lay it all out for her. She would have no doubts. I would make sure of that.

“Nathan, call on line three,” Julie says as she sticks her head into my room. I had booked out an hour to do notes, I have been way too busy and need to get them down before the break. I had instructed the girls to not disturb me unless it was important, I had given Bella a look that I hoped she interpreted, but who knows. “It’s Taylor.” I offer her a wave of some kind as I pick up the phone.

“I’m hoping you have good news.” I wanted Bella to know I was looking out for her, I wanted her to feel safe with me. If I could get anything on this asshole, I would take it. I found out he still worked with her parents and I had wondered why the hell they weren’t supporting their daughter as she was being harassed by an employee. Getting Bella to see that I would take her seriously, I would listen to her was going to be a huge part of our relationship.

“Sure fucking do brother,” he mumbled to someone else and growled. What the fuck was he doing?

“Taylor?” More mumbles and a little squeal.

“I meant it.”

“Mean what?”

“Oh, not talking to you. I mean it, Emily,” he warns again. Emily?

“Do you have a girlfriend? Because you never said.” His sigh is long and loud, and I hear a door slam.

“I have something that’s for sure. Anyway. We caught him with a known prostitute the other day. He had photos of other women in his possession, it’s pretty bad. I haven’t been able to call because things have been crazy here. Her family is shocked and there is a bit of a media storm seeing as they are such high-profile people up this end of the world. Bella should be safe down there.” Relief washed over me as he said the words and I knew that my battle with Bella was one step closer to be done.

“Thanks, that is really great news,” I sighed.

“I gotta go, I just wanted you to know. We’ll catch up after Christmas, maybe when Mom and Dad get back from their cruise. I know Reece and Callie will be up for it, we haven’t all been together in way too long. I got something I need to do.” He sounds distracted as hell and I know the feeling well. My mind had been on Bella for months now and I had been to chicken to push her, afraid she wouldn’t push back, and I would lose her.

“Sounds good, thanks for everything I really appreciate it.” We said our goodbyes, and I sank back in my chair. A real smile graced my lips for the first time in a while. Finally, I could tell Bella she was safe, that man would never hurt her again.

I would make her trust me, let her know that I was it for her and we would be perfect together.

I just had one last wall to break down but right now, I needed a kiss.

I pushed out of my chair intending to go get one from my one and only.

I was not at all prepared to see the shit storm that had blown into my practice.

 

Bella

I should have known that things were too quiet. My mother hadn’t called in a few days. I hadn’t even had a text. She liked to constantly remind me of how much she was disappointed in me.

Nathan and I hadn’t taken things any further. He seemed content to shower with me. Kiss me until I couldn’t breathe or think, and we were yet to broach the subject of sex or whether or not I embarrassed him. I was too scared to ask but we would have too because otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to move on and see if this thing between us actually meant something.

The main door blew open in a flourish, wind swirling into the room. I was thankful today was the last day before our Christmas break and we had minimal clients and only one family in the waiting room.

The noise that followed the opening of the door was loud. Both Julie and I rose from our seats to see what the hell was going on, and I regretted it instantly.

My mother waltzed in with her oversized glasses wearing a huge expensive coat all while clutching at her heart. What the hell?

“Oh, dear God there you are,” she said in the fake accent usually reserved for when she was trying to impress people at functions. I glanced over at Julie and she looked at me with a clear what the fuck expression on her face, I shrugged because I had not a fucking clue. But in the pit of my belly, I knew this visit was not good, only bad things would come from this.

“What are you doing here?” I asked. But my attention soon turned to the doors as a camera crew came in with their lights blaring and sound booms nearly clubbing me in the head. What the hell was going on?

“Miss Pembroke, what do you have to say about the recent allegations against Mr. Riley Sanford?” I frowned and looked at my mother. Was she pretending to wipe a tear? I swallowed and had to take a deep breath because this was crazy.

“Want me to call someone, police maybe?” Julie had moved next to me, a reassuring hand on my arm and I nodded because I wanted this mess to go away and hearing Riley’s name was not something I really needed now or ever.

A microphone hovered in front of my face and I batted it away.

“Are you going to stick up for your fiancée?” My fiancée? Where the hell did they hear that?

“What?” Heat swamped my face and I swear I swayed on my feet. My hands felt sweaty and my pulse drummed in my ears.

“Tell them it’s not true,” my mother said with a huge smile plastered on her face, like I would do just that. Tell them what wasn’t true?

“Bella?” Oh, thank God he came out of his office. I wanted to turn into him and hide but I was frozen in place.

“Mr. DuPont, do you have anything to say about the charges against Miss Pembroke's fiancée?” Nathan tensed beside me, but he placed a reassuring hand on my lower back.

“Unless there are charges against me, which I know there are not, then I have no idea what you are talking about?” My eyes widened, my mother gasped, and the questions began firing. I stepped into Nathan and this time I did try to hide. He sheltered me before he began to yell that they needed to talk one at a time. He lowered his head and whispered in my ear that the cops were on their way.

“Mr. Riley Sanford...”

Nathan cut them off. “That man is getting what he deserves. He blackmailed Bella and others for months.” I glanced up at his face. The strong features looking hard and not to be messed with while his glare was cutting holes in my mother. “He deals with prostitutes and deserves the full force of the law. His business associates should be ashamed of their actions.” I burrowed in deeper and inhaled his scent. His arms tightened around me and I managed to relax a little. Just enough to feel as though I wasn’t about to have a heart attack.

A few moments later the police arrived, and they began to clear people out, but my mother stayed. She seemed to think being my mother was enough of a reason.

“You can go.”

“Bella, we need to talk. You need to tell them it’s all a lie, that you lied.” Yeah, way to make me feel like shit. Nathan growled next to me, but I squeezed his arm.

“He has naked photos of me and others. How can I lie about that when it is public record? You’re my mother.”

“I’m trying to do what is right for the family, for the business.” Her smile faltered a little and for the first time I realized how frail she looked but I didn’t have any sympathy for her.

“You are meant to protect me, but you let me suffer with a deplorable man. Why? Because it was better for business to have a blackmailer and possible rapist handling your precious clients than to believe your own flesh and blood?”

My mother reeled back and opened her mouth, but I held up my hand.

“I am done. I want nothing to do with this mess you could have stopped months ago.”

“What are you saying? That you're abandoning your family in a time of need.”

“Yes, just like you did.” And I would not allow myself to regret it. My family had brought this upon themselves and I would no longer be tainted with it. I would no longer feel like less because of them.

“Ma-am we are going to ask you once more to leave or we will have to forcefully remove you from the premises.” A young officer stated clearly, her lower lips wobbled for a moment, but she steeled herself and turned, heading out the door.

I sagged against Nathan and Julie sat down with an exaggerated sigh.

“Let’s lock up and go home,” Nathan offered.

“I will drink to that tonight.” Julie began to shut the computers down, and I held onto Nathan. He was my rock, I needed to trust he would look after me.