Alveus (ABC's Inc. Romance #1) (14 page)

Dane’s
face grew hot. “Yes, well I did wonder at times, but I thought she was a good
actress. Look, are you all going to tell me that you’ve never had someone of
the opposite sex get close to you, just to get to your money? It comes with the
territory!” At least Dane had the satisfaction of knowing he was right when he
saw the abashed looks on their faces. All except for Dice, who sat quietly
observing the others.

“I’m
just curious, how did you expect to pacify Oma without actually marrying the
woman you hired to be your fiancé?” Greig asked.

“Well,
Oma gave me the impression that she was at death’s door, so I thought I could
get by with a long engagement,” Dane explained.

“Since
we’re opening up, here,” Gretchen said, “what about the rest of Lexi’s
accusations? Why did she say you’d gotten what you wanted, if she was sent away
before Oma’s demise? And for that matter, why
did
Keith arrange for her
to be taken away?”

Seriously,
Gretchen should have been a prosecutor, Dane thought. He wasn’t comfortable
with the idea of giving out the intimate details of his time with Lexi. It
wouldn’t be fair to her either. He tried to think of a way of skirting the
question.

“Aly
was not behaving according to Keith’s idea of how a paid escort should,” he
finally explained. “Besides that, he tried to set her up as the one who
poisoned Oma. If she disappeared, then it made her look all the more guilty.”

“But…”

“Gretchen,
leave it alone,” Greig admonished.

“Read
between the lines,” Stefan advised.

After
they all left, Dane sat in his apartment, a fresh drink in hand as the sun set
and the room darkened. Perhaps he had been in denial, but he wasn’t stupid; he
knew his heart was crying out to be with Lexi. But that was the last thing she
wanted. The no love policy he had trained all his life to perfect was crumbling
into dust leaving him exposed and helpless. Dane Wellesley is heartless –
everyone knows that. He had successfully rid himself of that vulnerable organ
decades ago. How had she managed to find it? Was it her smile, her sigh, her
kiss? All he knew for certain was that he was putty, lying useless at the feet
of one petite redhead with pale blue eyes.

“What
are you doing sitting in the dark?” The lights came on and Oma stood with her
hands on her hips. “I’m fixing you something to eat,” she decided.

“I’m
not hungry.”

“You
will eat it,” she said forcefully. However, she stood where she was, taking in
his defeated demeanor.

“She
hates me,” Dane whispered to the room.

Oma
sat down next to him and gently took his hand.

“Nein,
jungen,” she quietly said, “our
ein bisschen
loves you and she always has.
It was obvious that the two of
you were born to be together. The first moment you locked eyes on baby Alexiah
at the age of five, you gave yourself to her. As you grew up, her mother Alicia
and I watched the bond grow stronger between the two of you. Remember the way
she always followed you around, how inseparable you were? Her mother and I
never questioned that you would someday marry.”

“I
never took you for the kind of person who believed in silly romantic
fantasies,” Dane scoffed.

“You’re
wrong about that, Daney. Your grandfather and I lived what you refer to as a
silly romantic fantasy.”

Dane
couldn’t refute the obvious love his grandparents had for each other.

“What
happened to you when you were at University, Daney?” Oma asked. “Something
caused you to cut the ties from not only Alexiah, but from the Carsten twins,
as well. Something happened that changed your heart.”

“Cara,”
he admitted. “She made it a point to visit me regularly, each time with another
man on her arm, and each time she would leave me with an empty bank account!”

“And
an empty heart as well, it seems,” his grandmother perceived.

“She
taught me a great deal about love, or how I should avoid it. I will never
understand how you and Opa could have raised such a shallow, selfish woman,” he
spat out bitterly.

“I’m
not sure what we did wrong either,
jungen,”
she sadly admitted. “I suppose we spoiled her – we loved your mother so much.
Do you still hear from her?”

Dane shook his
head. “I see to it that she receives a generous allowance and she heeds my
wishes to keep away from me. If she breaks the rules, she forfeits a payment.”
Dane’s voice was cold.

“And yet
Alexiah
has broken through your barriers as only that little one
could,” his grandmother pointed out. “Do you still think it is just a silly
romantic fantasy?” She patted his hand. “It will work out as it was always
meant to.”

»ɞ»ɞ«ɞ«

“I
don’t want him here, Uncle Eddie,” Lexi told the elderly attorney. “Please tell
the hospital staff to keep Dane away.”

“Dane
saved your life, Alexiah; and he refused to leave your side the whole time you
were unconscious,” Ed Bravanger reported. “The man obviously cares for you, how
can you treat him so callously?”

“It
was he who put me back in the hands of those horrible people! Why is it that no
one seems to understand this?”

“Calm
down, Alexiah. You’ll hinder your recovery if you keep letting yourself get
upset. It was Keith Ingram who did business with the human traffickers, not
Dane.”

“Of
course he told you that,” Lexi said, flopping her head back onto the pillow.
She wanted desperately to believe that he was innocent too, but facts were
facts.

“Keith
Ingram confessed!” Bravanger held up his hand when Lexi started to reply.
“Listen up, young lady! You told me when I came into the room that I was the
only one you could trust. It’s why you called my office for help – isn’t that
right?” Lexi nodded. “Then I will tell you the true facts, including how your
young man…”

“He’s
not my…”

Bravanger
held his hand up again, “Ah, Ah…” he silenced her. “Including how your young
man moved heaven and hell to get you home safely.” He paused, daring her to
interrupt.

“Now,
let me clear up the first misconception,” he continued. “Dane Wellesley never
knew anything about the human trafficking until he tore apart Ingram’s office
after you disappeared. He found the idiot contract the councilor had you sign
and some cryptic notes which made him suspicious. He also found evidence that
Ingram was responsible for poisoning Marta. When Keith confessed to purchasing
you, Dane had to be forcefully restrained from beating the hell out of his
friend.” Lexi started to ask a question, but immediately clapped her mouth shut
by another raise of a hand.

“Dane
was told that a call girl was being paid to play the part of his fiancée.
According to Mr. Ingram, his high priced call girl wasn’t giving his friend the
attention he needed, so he contacted the selling agents to negotiate a return.
He admitted to framing you for Marta’s poisoning and your sudden disappearance
made you look all the more guilty.” Ed paused to let his words sink in.

“Any
questions?”

Lexi
shook her head, unsure about opening her mouth.

“Shall
I give you the details of how your friends and Dane thought nothing about
putting their lives at risk to illegally enter the private property of a
wealthy, powerful sheikh in order to obtain your freedom? Not to mention
putting their businesses on the line as well as the political relations of three
countries!”

Lexi
shook her head again.

The
car pulled into the circular drive and eased to a stop before the front
entrance of the Alberton estate. Lexi remained in the back seat, absorbing comfort
from the only home she had ever known. Edith appeared at the doorway with a
welcoming smile, as her husband Harold rushed to aid Lexi out of the car.

“Welcome
home, Miss Lexi,” he said. “We’ve missed you something terrible.” The elderly
servant’s words brought tears to her eyes. Still, even as she exited the
vehicle, she stood hesitantly at the bottom of the stairs leading to the
entranceway. The large house seemed the embodiment of the emptiness Lexi bore
when her last living relative betrayed her – Alveus.

Remembering
her manners, she turned to thank Uncle Eddy and Gareth Bravanger for their
assistance in bringing her home.

After
the elderly attorney’s lecture in the hospital, Lexi had plenty of time to
contemplate her feelings for Dane Wellesley. Twelve-year-old Lexi celebrated
and boasted her talent for reading her heartthrob’s benevolence, but the cautious,
adult Lexi tenaciously protected her heart – he was a womanizer, prone to use
his job as an escape mechanism. The last time she’d seen him was on the day she
woke up in the hospital. Lexi was certain that Bravanger had not passed on her
desire for Dane to keep away, especially after the lashing he’d put her through.
Even so, the abstruse
Herr
Wellesley never attempted to visit her, and
never attempted to explain himself. She was told that he had flown to London to
straighten out some company business. Clearly, he was anxious to have her out
of his life – her twelve-year-old heart would just have to accept that!

Thankfully,
Uncle Eddy
had
interceded with Oma on her behalf, explaining how
important it was for Lexi to return home. It seemed Richard Alberton had run
off, leaving Alberton Technologies in an uncertain state of affairs. It was no
surprise to Lexi; her father’s sibling had already proven his inadequacy in
business, before he’d arranged to make a change to her future.

The
Carstens returned to the states before Lexi was released from the hospital, leaving
a persistent Stefani behind. She became Lexi’s constant companion, and it
wasn’t long before their relationship picked up as if it had barely been
interrupted. Lexi determined that she would never put their wills to a test;
she would surely lose against her tenacious friend. Fani shared their flight to
Dulles airport, but detoured to pack up some belongings and to fetch her
treasured Chihuahua – that’s right, she was temporarily moving into the
Alberton estate! Meanwhile, Lexi had to make it through the front door.

With
promises to keep in daily communication, Lexi watched the Bravangers’ car
disappear down the long driveway. Time to face her ghosts. With a sigh, Lexi
plastered on a smile and climbed the stairs.

Edith
drew her into a motherly hug and turned to usher Lexi through the door, keeping
an arm protectively around her waist. Harold followed empty handed, appearing
at a loss; there was no luggage to bring in. It was a surreal homecoming and
even more so, Lexi discovered, once she entered the house.

“I’m
afraid your uncle made a few changes,” the housekeeper warned. “He removed most
of the more precious valuables from the house, except of course those which
were tucked away in your father’s safe – thank God.”

Lexi
paused in the foyer to admire a fresh-cut floral arrangement. The card attached
from Lee Carsten brought tears to her eyes.

“
Welcome
home Alexiah. I am only a phone call away, love Uncle Lee.”

The
twins’ father had always been more of an uncle to Lexi than Richard Alberton
had ever been. Why had she trusted in a man whose own brother had such little faith?
Richard had convinced her to expedite her parents’ funeral in private. Looking
back, Lexi was sure that her uncle knew his late brother’s attorney would be
out of town that week. Her father had been cremated and laid quietly to rest alongside
her mother, with little fanfare. Suspicion rose in her gut – why was Richard in
such a hurry? He alluded that it was for her sake, although it was obvious now
that he was anxious to get his hands on any and everything her parents had left
of value. Lexi’s heart reached out to her father for all of the disappointments
he had to have endured from his younger brother.

“Have
the police been notified regarding my parents’… my missing property?” she asked,
tucking the card in her jean pocket. Admittedly, a shadow of disappointment
wafted through her that the flowers had not come from Dane.

“No,
I’m sorry,” Edith said, looking at her husband for support. “We were unsure of
the younger Mr. Alberton’s right to the property.” Lexi spotted fear in the
older woman’s face.

“I
understand,” she said. “I’ll call them myself once I’ve taken inventory of the
missing items. …Mother’s Faberge´ egg collection?” The apologetic look on the
elderly couple’s faces told Lexi the answer. “Well then, I guess it was
farsighted of my father to have locked the two priceless pieces in the safe
after Mother died,” she added in an attempt to sooth them. The objects held
more sentimental than monetary value to her, anyway. “You’re sure the vault wasn’t
breached?”

“Oh,
yes,” the couple nodded their heads simultaneously, reminding Lexi of Bobblehead
figures. “Your uncle was furious that he couldn’t get into either one of Mr.
Alberton’s safe units – lordy, he kept cussing up a storm!” Lexi’s father had a
vault in his office at Alberton Technologies as well as the one in his home
office.

“Any
other surprises I should know about before I reacquaint myself with my rooms and
the solace of my lovely bathtub?”

“Only
that Miss Fani called to say that she would be here tomorrow morning. I’ll make
sure that the guest room she used to occupy when she visited is ready for her. Give
me a call when you get hungry; I stocked all of your favorites.” Edith pulled
her into another hug. “I am so happy to have you home safe,” she said. With
tears threatening to flow, the feisty housekeeper made a show of straightening
her shoulders and shooing her husband toward the kitchen, before disappearing
after him.

Lexi’s
rooms had always been her sanctuary and they didn’t fail her now. Enveloped by
these walls, she had hidden away, soothing childhood hurts and later her
mother’s surprising personality attacks. If they could speak perhaps they would
sermonize on the unfair treatment of a petite girl with a foul temper, but more
so these walls would recite a young girl’s dreams – dreams to continue the
success of her parents’ legacy, fill the house with the sound of children’s
laughter… and to love. Daney – every atom of space in these rooms was filled
with thoughts and fantasies of the boy, the teen, the future man that would
share Lexi’s vision. Of course she could now see the impossibility of it all,
but still the rooms gave comfort.

It
was as if she had never left. A handbag containing her cell phone, wallet and
keys sat on the overstuffed chair, along with a light jacket she had casually
draped over the back. Flipping off her shoes, Lexi made her way to the cabinet
next to the bathroom door.
Yes
, she smiled as her hand wrapped around a
bottle of
Argentine Beef
Cabernet. Setting it atop the small hutch, she
expertly uncorked it and fished a glass from the shelf. With her hands thus
occupied, she continued her journey to the large bathtub.

Heaven – yes this was definitely
heaven Lexi decided, as she languished in the steaming tub. Brahms played
softly through speakers as she sipped wine, and her body relaxed into the light
whirl pooling water, spiked generously with soothing lavender scented oils.
Tomorrow will be the start of a brand new life. No longer a daughter trying to
please the parents she loved so dearly and no longer the niece betrayed by a
greedy uncle – although still hollow Lexi was a clean slate, ready to fill with
her own desires. Time to get started on the dreams of her childhood – tomorrow
she would put everything she had learned into making Alberton Technologies the
first place manufacturers come to for quality, innovative answers. Tonight she
was going to reside in limbo; a safe place to put the past behind her. Relax
for the first time in years, take her brain and emotions off the back shelf and
dust them off. Tomorrow she would deal with cleaning up Uncle Richard’s mess
and sweep the past behind her.

»ɞ»ɞ«ɞ«

“So
what kind of bug crawled up your tush and set its sights into bringing to
surface every bloody evil you’ve ever encountered?”

“What?”
Dane pulled his mind off the stats on the computer screen to turn his attention
toward his London director. Brenda Gale was glaring at him with her hands on
her hips. “What the hell are you talking about?” he asked, confusion
obliterating his senses.

“First
of all, I don’t appreciate being cursed at,” the angry red-head informed him.
“And second of all – why are you here? Really, why do you feel it necessary to
commandeer my office to work on the Fairfield account? I had it under control!
Is there something about my performance as office director that has you
questioning my ability?”

“Of
course not,” he placated. Dane returned his attention to the figures on the
screen. Women, he thought shaking his head, who the hell can understand them? A
salon manicured hand reached in front of him and turned off his monitor.

“Not
good enough!” the bearer of the pampered digits pronounced. “You’ve been meaner
than… than,” she apparently couldn’t think of anything appropriate, so she went
with, “…a junk yard dog!” Normally that would have had Dane laughing
uproariously, but she was right. He was in a foul mood. Still, his mouth
twitched up slightly on the right side.

“Look,
Bren,” he said, turning his chair to face her, “I just needed to get away from
Frankfurt. I don’t have any problem with the way you’ve been running things
here.”

“Then
why don’t you spend some time at the New York office; sounds like they need a
heavy hand over there. They made a mess of their last two orders.”

“I
can’t, it’s too close to…” he caught her knowing look and glared. “Because
you’re not in New York, that’s why,” he answered. Ah-oh, she looked at him like
he was a mouse caught in a trap. And the smile in her eyes…
shit!
“Don’t
you have work to do?” he growled.

She
wriggled her buttocks into a comfortable position on the edge of the desk.
“Let’s see… what’s her name again? Aly, or is it Lexi?”  

“Oma,”
Dane contradicted.

“No,
I don’t think so,” the director said, smugly. Dane turned his monitor back on
and tried to ignore her.

“O’Brian!”
he shouted to the open door. “Have you got that information I asked for yet?”
The short trim figure of a thirty-something year-old man came in view.

“I’m
sorry sir; the place seems to be closed down. I keep getting a voice recording
and none of our e-mail contacts have answered. I’ll keep trying,” he said in
reply to the dark look in Dane’s eyes. When the boss turned his attention away,
O’Brian took the opportunity to duck back to his cubby.

“Whew,”
Brenda breathed, waving her hand in front of her face. “I think my hair’s
frizzing up from the steam coming off of you!”

“Is
it too damn hard to get a little information around here?” Dane bellowed, and
again asked, “Do you have some work to do, or would you like to take the rest
of the day off?”

“Tell
you what, why don’t we both take the rest of the day off?” she offered. “The
kids would love to see you, and a home cooked meal would do you some good.”

Dane
was about to decline, when his phone announced a text message. Whipping it from
his pocket, he discovered it was from Fani.

Package
delivered safely <3

She’s
home.
Dane felt a mixture of relief and emptiness – she’s
home safe, but it was as if a part of him was missing. He shook off the melancholy
and stood up.

“Sounds
good,” he told Brenda. “Have you got any bourbon in the house? I could use a
drink.”

“With
two teenagers at home?” she scoffed, “I think not. We’ll stop and pick some up
along the way.”

Bren
had made the right call. Her kids competed for his attention with a teenage ruthlessness
that kept him on his game in an effort to avoid favoritism. The concentration
involved left little room for his own inner turmoil. With his mind off his
troubles, Dane relaxed under the amusing anecdotes of the teens, the lethargic
effects of the bourbon, and a satisfied belly full of cottage pie. Therefore he
was caught off guard when he realized that the whole operation had all been the
conniving of his self-appointed big sister to get him to spill his guts. And
damned if it didn’t work!

After
cleaning up the dishes, the kids made a beeline for their rooms, allegedly to tackle
their homework. Dane suspected they were more likely tackling the social
networks. His hostess handed him a steaming cup of coffee, grabbed her own
glass of Riesling, and led him into the sitting room. He followed, after adding
a generous dollop of bourbon to his mug.