Page 84 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 3

“Chéri…” I gulped as a sob tore through my throat.

“He put sweet Celine in a volatile man’s hands…and for what? Money! What he did was abhorrent, and Celine deserved justice for all of the crimes committed against her. Not just the men that took her life. But the man who’d put her in a violent and illegal marriage contract to begin with.”

“How did you know?” I asked between sniffles.

“Celine had stolen a copy of her contract and sent it to me for safekeeping. I didn’t think much of it at the time. Then, months after she passed and you’d purchased the auction from him, I found it in my office safe and reviewed it. I’d never seen a more disgusting misuse of a person’s trust than what that document consisted of. For a couple months, I sat on it, letting it eat away at my conscience until I couldn’t let it go. I contacted the detective and sent him the contract. Angus was arrested, tried, and sentenced to ten years without you even knowing about it. And you know what? Until today, I never regretted that decision.”

“Mon amour, why didn’t you tell me?” I wiped my eyes and stared at the man I loved more than life itself, feeling lost and betrayed.

“I didn’t want that man’s filth to touch you ever again. You were grieving the loss of Celine. You had just put everything into taking the auction from him.”

“Oui,darling, but I’d promised him if he sold me the business, I wouldn’t share everything.”

“And you kept that promise, Alana. I, however, did not make that vow.”

“I…I…don’t know what to say,” I admitted, my mind confounded by the mix of information coming at me from every direction. Sadness. Anger. Fear. Regret. The emotional cascade threatened to take me down as my chest tightened painfully and my heart beat a frantic rhythm, making me lightheaded. I was a fish out of water, unable to react or move forward from all of this.

It was too much.

“Well, I do. I’m sorry, Alana. I’m sorry that you and Emily were endangered for something that I did. If I knew then what I know now, I’d never have made that choice. I’m sorry,mon amor. I’m so sorry,” he croaked as the tears fell.

The doctor handed him a square of gauze that he used to wipe at his wet eyes and cheeks. She finished the stitches and bandaged the front and back of his arm where the bullet had gone straight through. “You’re all set. I’m going to get your discharge papers ready,” she said before exiting the room.

“Now we know why you’re his target,” the detective stated flatly. “And I’m guessing the girl was leverage?”

I nodded and looked away from my husband. “We were together. They basically admitted her capture was to ensure I came willingly. They threatened to hurt her irreparably if I didn’t comply or tried to escape. Emily came up with the idea to use her Apple watch to contact her dad, telling him where we were and to call the authorities.”

“Smart girl.” The detective scribbled something in his notepad. “Do you have any idea where Angus may have gone?”

“Non. He said something to Dimitri about taking us to location C. Another one of his men said the helicopter was ready,so I imagine he escaped that way. And then there was mention of Dimitri’s wife on her way to Paris.”

“Did you get a name for his wife?”

I shook my head. “It wasn’t mentioned.”

“There’s no marriage on record for Dimitri Volkov though our agency is running background checks on every female coming into Paris today. It’s a needle in a haystack, but we’re hoping for a hit.”

“What I’m hearing, Detective Moreau, is that Angus has gotten away again? He’s still out there and not only wants revenge, he likely wants me dead.”

“Alana…” Christophe reached out and pulled me between his thighs, then wrapped his arms around me, his embrace tight as I trembled, the fear getting the best of me.

“We’re going to do everything we can to protect you and your family, Mrs. Toussaint.”

I couldn’t help the insane chuckle that burst forth. “No one can keep me safe. He’s going to keep coming after me until he gets what he wants.”

“Which is why I’m going to suggest witness protection,” Moreau stated with conviction.

“I need to think about all of this. I need to go home.”

The detective started to object. “We don’t recommend—”

“I’m going home whether you like it or not. Rhodes texted that he’s called for more guards.”

“We’ll send some units to patrol the area for the time being. Please think about witness protection. At least until we have him in custody.”

The doctor came back in holding a clipboard.

“I shall.” I suddenly needed to go home more than anything. “Can we go?” I directed my question to the doctor.

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