Page 51 of Alistair

He looked panicked and scared, but never more so than when the men started to move toward him on stage. Slowly, the audience stood and turned, walking out of the auditorium.

“No! Wait! I can explain it all!” he yelled.

“Too late, Milton,” said Garr.

“That’s not my name!”

“It is your name. Milton Steiner, brother to Bernard Steiner, a.k.a. Roper, and Raelynn. You killed them both.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head.

“Yes. But I know why,” said Alistair. A flash appeared on the screen behind them, and a doughy, overweight Milton appeared before them. “You were overweight as a child, adolescent, teen, and young adult. Surgery helped you, but that wasn’t enough. You used diet pills, diuretics, and other drugs.”

“Shut up!”

“You’re a fraud. You’re not naturally healthy. Your hair transplant, nose job, jaw enhancement, and multiple liposuctions will say that to the whole world.”

Stone was falling apart in front of everyone. The cameras were still recording the entire event, and everyone now knew who he really was. He turned, momentarily thinking he could run, but then realized there was nowhere to run. He was surrounded by a wall of muscle and might.

He was caught.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

“In alarming news this morning, the action movie star, Lance Stone, was arrested and charged at his own premiere last night. Charged with conspiracy to commit murder, murder, drug manufacturing with intent to sell, and a number of other charges, he is being held on five million dollars bail at the L.A. County Jail. With the entire thing played out on national television, there is little hope for anything but a guilty plea.”

“I’d say that was a success,” smiled Alistair, looking at his teammates.

“Agreed,” said Luke. “Now, let’s get the two of you married, along with our friendly ghosts. I mean, everyone deserves happiness. Right?”

When Jovan and Mabel Grimes arrived at Belle Fleur, they immediately fell in love with Alistair, his family, and the entire Belle Fleur crew. There was much to fall in love with. Happy to walk his daughter down the aisle, Jovan smiled at Alistair.

“I always knew she’d marry a man with an unusual name,” he grinned.

“Yes, sir,” laughed Alistair. “We have to stick together.”

Garr excused himself early, feeling as though he needed some time to think. But what everyone noticed was Sor and Nelly dancing cheek to cheek all night long.

“I’m glad you came,” he said, smiling down at her.

“Thank you for inviting me. It’s a beautiful wedding, and I really like your friends,” she smiled.

“Everything still okay at the cabin?” he asked. He was truly hoping she would agree to come and live on the property, but something seemed to be holding her back.

“It’s lovely, Sor. Truly, it is.”

“But you won’t live here. Why?” he asked.

“Oh, I-I don’t know. I mean, doesn’t it feel weird to you that our exes were cheating with one another?”

“It was wrong, but it doesn’t make this weird. If you asked Mama Irene, this is how it should always be. You find one another, and that’s it. This is what was supposed to be all along. Not the other.”

“You believe that?”

“I do,” he grinned. He kissed her sweetly, and she let out a long, slow breath, feeling as though she couldn’t catch one to save her life.

“I’m staying here tonight,” she smiled. “In the big house with Claudette and Jake. They offered me a room so I could dance the night away.”

“I’m very glad to hear that,” he grinned. “What do you say we take a boat ride in the bayou tomorrow and maybe get some lunch at The Well?”

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