Page 112 of Mafioso's Muse

Everyone looked at Harrison, who eventually took a step forwards. ‘That would be me.’ His voice faltered despite his confident stance.

The officers headed for him. The one who’d asked the question took hold of his arm and turned him around. ‘You’re under arrest for suspicion of wilful damage and causing grievous bodily harm.’ He cuffed Harrison. ‘You’re not obliged to say anything unless you want to, but anything you do say may be taken down and used in evidence against you.’

‘Wait.’ Harrison’s eyes darted around the room as though he was expecting someone to intervene. ‘You’ve got it all wrong! You’re not seriously going to take the word of a mafia member over a respected member of the dance community?’

‘I would save your commentary for when your lawyer’s present,’ the second officer said, taking hold of Harrison’s other arm and giving him a gentle tug in the direction of the door. ‘Let’s go.’

Harrison looked at Willow. ‘This is just a big misunderstanding.’

She dropped her gaze to her lap and reminded herself to breathe.

The board members were all on their feet now, looking far less composed than at the beginning of the meeting. Nigel’s hands hung limp at his sides, his mouth slack as he, too, processed what was happening.

‘Can we have a word downstairs, Mr Gallo?’ one of the officers asked from the doorway.

Willow felt Vaughn’s eyes upon her before he followed them. A deathly silence engulfed the room. Then, one by one, the board members returned to their seats, shuffling papers and adjusting items in front of them.

‘Normally, we would take a break now,’ Mary said, a slight shake in her voice. ‘However, I’m sure my colleagues will agree that we probably have all the information we need at this point.’ She looked to the other board members for confirmation.

David cleared his throat. ‘Safe to say we all agree. I think we’ll call it a day and reach out to you individually if we have any further questions.’

Patrick and Caroline nodded in agreement, Caroline casting a sympathetic glance in Willow’s direction as she did so.

Nigel walked over to Willow and crouched down, waiting for her to look up. ‘Why don’t you come to my office. Let’s give everyone downstairs a chance to clear out. I think we’ve all witnessed enough for one day.’

Willow’s eyes moved between his, noting the genuine concern in them. ‘Okay.’

He helped her to her feet, and she was grateful that her legs held up despite the numbness in them.

‘We’ll be in touch if we need anything,’ Patrick told them.

‘You take care, Miss Hayes,’ Caroline said, catching Willow’s gaze.

Willow managed a nod, then focused on the door ahead, her feet dragging slightly on the carpet as she made her way towards it. She was so rocked by this betrayal that she could barely form a coherent thought. Harrison was a lot of things, but never did she think him capable of something like that. The news would send a shock wave through the company. Everything was about to change.

They exited the room, and Willow stopped outside and braced a hand on the wall for balance.

‘Are you okay?’ Nigel asked her.

She shook her head. ‘Are you?’

Swallowing, he shook his head as well.

Dropping their gazes to the floor, they went to his office.

36

August 2024

It had taken all of Vaughn’s patience and self-control to handle the situation with Harrison lawfully. He’d thought about showing up at the director’s townhouse in the middle of the night, dragging him from his bed, and letting him sit in his own piss as he contemplated his death. But then he reminded himself that the goal wasn’t revenge—it was justice. He needed to ensure that Willow and the other dancers would never be harmed by him again. So Vaughn did it in a way that was both satisfying to witness but would ultimately be Willow-approved.

Harrison hadn’t spoken another word after he left the boardroom. He was either waiting for his lawyer to be present or simply knew it was over. The people who normally bought his lies would never believe another word that came from his mouth again. No one at Victoria Ballet would ever forgive him for what he had done.

Vaughn had met Harrison’s broken stare for a split second before the car door slammed shut between them. While the satisfaction was immense, the knowledge that Willow was finally free of the predator was something far richer.

After answering a few questions the officers had for him, Vaughn watched the two police cars leave, then walked over to his own vehicle. Finn was standing a few feet from it with his hands in his pockets.

‘Done?’ he asked.

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