Chapter Six
Gabriel
As soon as Mason closed the door to leave, I slipped my hand into my pocket and brought out the marriage certificate and rings that had been weighing me down all morning.
I’d cringed throughout the interrogation, especially when it came to explaining that part of the night. I’d kept it vague, but only to protect us both. With any luck, we’d be able to squash the marriage as if it never happened. It wasn’t that big of a deal and people did that sort of thing all the time.
If the police found out, all I’d have to tell them is that I’d already decided to end the marriage. It wasn’t like I’d kept the trip to the chapel a secret, but I hadn’t gone into detail.
With a sigh, I resigned to the fact that I wasn’t going to convince myself that everything would be fine no matter how hard I tried. What the fuck did I do?
I checked outside the peephole to see if Joe had taken up post outside my door, but since I didn’t see him, I assumed he’d finally gone down to secure his own room.
I went to the other side of the room where my phone was plugged into the charging station to call Luna. I’d hated having to wait, but I didn’t want any sort of blow up with my lawyer in the room. I wanted a chance to speak with Luna again before I mentioned the annulment to him. If there was going to be any problems, I’d rather bring it to his attention all at once.
I took a deep breath as the phone rang and she said hello.
“I’ve been worried sick.” Her panicked voice cracked as she belted out her greeting.
It was good to hear her voice. “I’ve been being questioned. I thought you’d be sharing in my experience, but I assume they didn’t question you?” Surely, they’d known she was in the room and after I’d told them about our being together, they would have brought her in.
“I talked to the detective a minute after I got out of the shower and they were searching your room. They told me not to leave the area, and I haven’t left my room. There are reporters all over the place, and one is outside in the hall.” That explained her soft voice.
“I want you to come to where I’m staying. I’ll send my car for you. Bring all of your things because we’ll be here for a while.”
“Look, Gabe. I need you to understand I’m considering giving my statement to the police and hopefully they’ll let me go home. My father’s called and-”
“You can’t go home, Luna. I need you to stay here with me. Despite this misunderstanding, I have a job to do, and so do you.” She wasn’t getting away from me that easy. Taking away everything else from the day, we had to talk about the marriage and what we were going to do about it.
“Gabriel, I’m sorry, but I don’t remember anything from last night. I mean, I see bits and pieces. I remember… I mean, I know we kissed. But I’m afraid that aside from drinking entirely too much and maybe an episode of dancing on the bar and winning at the blackjack, I don’t remember anything else.”
She sounded so frail, and I wanted to take her in my arms and apologize for everything. This couldn’t be easy on her, but dammit, she couldn’t bail on me now. Not when everything in my life was falling apart.
“I’m sorry. But considering what I do remember, we need to talk.” I waited for her to respond and after a long pause, she did.
“Fine, talk, but I want to know what happened last night. Tell me what I did. Especially the part with my mouth.” Her voice broke, and I was worried that tears were spilling all over her perfect cheeks.
“After dinner, we went to the bar and celebrated with some of the other guests from the event. While I talked about investments for G2, you were getting a little wound up with one of the other male guests, including one who encouraged you to do a few shots with him. It wasn’t a tough challenge for him because you were already good and loose.”
I remembered looking over across the table to where she stood with the man, his hands all over her as she giggled and batted her long lashes at him with curiosity.
“I remember that. I’m sure I made a fool of myself.” She sounded ashamed, and I knew I should have been, too, when my cock twitched in my pants.
She’d been so much fun, and as soon as I could tell the guy was getting much too comfortable licking salt off her stomach and chest, I decided to step in. She had liked it, too, throwing her arm around me like we’d been that cozy forever and her slurring voice telling me she’d already had too much.
“Yeah, well, you liked him well enough, and I think he liked you in a different way. I wasn’t sure he’d treat you right, so I stepped in.”
“Thanks. I feel so stupid for drinking too much. I’ve never been drunk in my life.”
“Well, I had a feeling, but I will admit by the time we started gambling, I was pretty lit and feeling things myself. The mouth thing was you tying cherry stems, but if it makes you feel any better, we had a great time.” I remembered my first time drinking and the kick in the pants felt when first sobering up.
“I’m not sure it makes me feel better. Besides, you’re my boss, and like I said, I know we kissed. I don’t understand why I’d do something like that or why you’d let me.”
“I know. I guess I let things get a little carried away, but that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh God, please tell me nothing else happened.” The desperation in her voice was overwhelming and I hated to have to be the bearer of more bad news, but before I could bring up how we’d ran off to the chapel across the street and gotten married on a whim, she continued.
“I don’t remember anything, Gabriel. I wish I did, then I could help you, but I don’t know what happened. I think it is best I tell the police what I do remember and go home.” She was panicked again, her words spilling out so fast she had to take a deep breath to recover.
“It’s okay, but I need you to come here and stay with me. I need your help.” Dammit, I needed her support. Not to mention the woman was my wife, even if she didn’t actually remember that part.
Thinking back to the night before, she’d seemed alert as we stood in front of the Blues Brothers look-alike duo and said our vows. Though her words were a tad slurred, and she needed a steady hand to help slide my ring on, I had no idea she’d forget everything. Especially me trying six times to get our rings from a broken vending machine.
“You don’t understand, Gabriel. I need to know nothing sexual happened.” Ah, this was the reason for her freak out.
“No, we just kissed a few times.” I didn’t know whether to be offended or not when she gasped.
“A few?”
“You weren’t so repulsed last night, I assure you.”
“You weren’t wanted for murder last night. And, you’re not listening to me, I can’t help you, Gabriel. I don’t remember anything, especially after I passed out in your bed.”
Now it made sense. She wasn’t a good alibi, and worse than that, I wasn’t so sure she believed I was innocent. “Luna, I was with you the entire night. Regardless of what you might think, we had a wonderful night.” Almost too damned good, I wanted to say. “I was with you the entire night. I held you until we both fell asleep.”
The silence that followed my voice solidified my belief. She wasn’t sure of my innocence, and she might even be a tad afraid of me. I needed to know what she felt. Her silence was chafing my ass.
“Luna, say something.” As she continued to be silent, I was afraid my commanding tone wasn’t doing me any favors. She thought I was capable of murder and now being harsh wasn’t winning her over. “Please.”
“I don’t think you did it, Gabriel, but I don’t think my testimony is going to help. What are they saying you did?” More doubt steeped in her tone, and my brows dipped in anger.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “They were strangled. They think it’s me because I knew them and because the security cameras were down during the murder.”
“That does seem a bit suspicious.” Her blunt tone raised my back.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“No, sir, that’s not what I meant. I mean it sounds a little too suspicious. Like someone wanted things to point to you.” She was a smart cookie for sure, which is why I hired her; that and her professionalism. Funnily enough, I married her the moment she threw that to the wind.
“My lawyer seems to think that, too, and since I know I didn’t do it, I agree. But why would someone frame me?”
I hoped that with a clear head, I’d be able to concentrate on things, but that would take Luna coming to stay with me. She was so important to my work and keeping things in line for me that I needed her to keep me grounded. If anyone could help me figure it all out, it was her.
“So when are you sending a car?” My heart filled with relief at her question. I needed her. She’d helped me through so much with the recent layoffs. She’d always gone above and beyond for me.
“Give me a second.” I pulled the phone away from my ear and texted Mason. He could swing by to get her and have her back in no time. He was bound to have most of my things already given he wasn’t fucking around. Luckily, he responded quickly telling me he was on his way.
“I’m sending Mason Whatley. He’s on his way. I appreciate your help, Luna. I want you to know your job isn’t in any kind of trouble and it’s here as long as you want it, so don’t worry about that. I’ll stand by you like you’re standing by me.”
Saying those words brought back the night before and the memory of her reddened cheeks and warm smile as she said I do.
I could only hope she wouldn’t be angry when I finally told her, but over the phone seemed like the wrong way to do it.
“I’ll be waiting,” she said. And as the phone went quiet, I knew I owed her so much than even I could ever give.