The Vintner and the Vixen (Vintage Love Book 1) (16 page)

Chapter 20

This couldn’t be real. They were still in bed and he was having a nightmare. Except the sick sensation was too strong to be imagined. Why hadn’t she told him?

Half an hour ago she’d been warm and sensual. Now she was hard, her stance aggressive, her shoulders back and war in her eyes. The Maya he knew, the Maya he loved, was gone. Had she been a figment of his imagination? Or a manipulation on Maya’s part?

No. He wouldn’t believe that.

Of all the questions bouncing through his brain, what came out was, “Did you sleep with him? Is he cupcake man?”

“No, he’s not cupcake man. And I never had sex with Etienne. That should have tipped me off. A guy who didn’t want my body? It was a first. I should’ve known he was a cop. We met when I was working in one of Big Tony’s clubs. My ex, Victor, had been one of Tony’s drug runners, except I didn’t know that at the time. Shortly after Victor went to prison, Etienne approached me. He was kind and sweet and just listened. He came to my art shows and met me after work, drove me home, that sort of thing.”

“He treated you nicely.”

“Yes. Then he started hanging out at the club more, and one day he asked me to introduce him to Tony. So I did. Etienne’s smart. Tony saw that and started to give him little jobs. Things started to shake up in Tony’s organization. It was probably Etienne’s doing. As each little guy got arrested, Etienne would take his place. Until soon he was in the inner circle.”

Jacques’s jaw ached from clenching his teeth. Only knowing it would make things worse for Maya had stopped him from punching the undercover cop straight in the face.

Maya’s voice was still hard, her stance rigid. “Our personal relationship was stalled in the friends department. I liked Etienne, but I didn’t want another criminal boyfriend, so I tried to break it off. I’d worked out by then that he’d only used me to get to Tony. Then Tony invited the two of us to his cabin for the weekend. Etienne begged me to go—it seemed the invitation depended on me coming as well. It’s a typical gang thing. If you bring your woman then the boss has some leverage if things go wrong.”

She shuddered and he wanted to go to her, wrap her in his arms, and never let her go. But time was ticking and he had to know all of it. “What happened at the cabin?”

“It was a remote place, on a lake in the middle of nowhere. It was so dark you couldn’t see your own feet. After dinner, Tony invited us all outside to view the stars. Then he shot his two closest guys. He blamed them for all the leaks and said he was cleaning house. When we got back to the city, Etienne told me it was over between us. I was angry but not heartbroken; I never loved him. The next day I went to hand in my notice at the club, but there was a raid and I was arrested. The shock of having to bail me out sent my great-grandmother into hospital. As I hadn’t done anything except be a stupid patsy, I was released. I spent the next two weeks at Gran-Gran’s side before she slipped away. She was so disappointed in me. I broke her faith, her trust, and her heart.”

“Maya.” His chest ached from holding in his emotions. This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t be on the verge of happiness only to have it torn away again. The hope that had begun to grow in his heart shriveled and died.

“No, let me continue. I have to tell it all.” She paced the floor, her hands clenched in fists. “I was devastated. Gran-Gran had been my rock, my biggest supporter. Then I heard that one of Tony’s men was ready to testify and they were fast-tracking the court case. I thought maybe it was Etienne about to confess. I hadn’t seen him since we were both arrested at the club. Then I was watching the news one night and I heard a report about a murder-suicide where the man’s whole family was killed before he took his own life. It was one of Big Tony’s guys, and I knew he’d never have killed himself, let alone his family whom he loved. Tony had got to him, killed him too. Then the next night, the other witness to the original murders was found in the St. Laurence River. I saw the way the wind was blowing; it was my turn next. Thankfully, the lawyer handling Gran-Gran’s estate had completed the transfer of the land and cottage here into my name and sent me the documents. I left the country that same evening. I wanted to put it all behind me. Start new. Make her proud of me for once.”

She stopped pacing, her hands held out to him for a brief second before they fell to her side. “Sorry I didn’t make our full thirty days. I was really looking forward to hearing your revised terms.” Her voice broke and a single tear escaped. It was his undoing.

He looked at the door then pulled her into his arms, his lips against her ear. “We can escape. I can get you out of here. I can have a plane—”

“No. It’s over, Jacques.” She pulled out of his arms and stood behind the chair.

If she’d shot him in the chest it couldn’t have hurt more. “How can you say that?”

“Because I live in the real world. You have no idea what Big Tony is capable of. He knows I can testify against him and he won’t rest until I’m dead. I was lucky the police found me before he did. He’ll have seen the pictures on the Internet, too. If I don’t leave, go with the cops, he’ll come after you. Or Charles or Daniel.”

“I can protect us all. I have money. I can hire the best security personnel in the world.”

“And we live in a compound? A prison ourselves while he goes free and kills other people? Do you know what they want me to testify about? I saw him execute two members of his gang in cold blood. He made them kneel before him and then he put a bullet in each of their heads. I can’t hide anymore. I can’t put other people’s lives in jeopardy because I’m a coward. I have to face up to my past.”

“And what about us?” Because he refused to believe she didn’t care at least a little.

“I can’t undo everything my great-grandmother did. I can’t destroy the family she sacrificed everything to save.”

“What do you mean?”
But wait, there’s more.
His stomach clenched in knots and his chest felt like it was about to cave in.

“The real reason Gran-Gran left your grandfather wasn’t because she fell in love with someone else. It was to protect your inheritance. Evidently, your family was on the verge of bankruptcy. The only thing that could save them was if Charles married some wealthy heiress. But Gran-Gran knew he wouldn’t do that unless she completely broke his heart. So she did. Breaking hers in the process. I now understand why she didn’t come back here after my great-grandfather disappeared. Because she couldn’t bear to see your grandfather married to another woman. And she wouldn’t tempt him to break his vows. She never married again. She was alone at twenty-five, but she never loved again. Charles was the name on her lips when she died.” Maya moved around the chair and put her hands on his face, her amber eyes brimming with tears. “And Jacques will be the name on mine when it’s my time.”

“Maya.” The lump in his throat was so large he could barely draw air. “I can fix this. We can—”

“No. Jacques, I’m so sorry. I knew this was coming, but I was selfish. I wanted as much time with you as possible. But that time is up. I signed the sale agreement for the land; the contract is in the cottage. It’s yours again. Back in the family where it belongs. I have to go. Promise me you’ll look after Princess and tell your grandfather that I love him.”

“I could have Big Tony killed.” He whispered the words, but they hung heavy between them.

She stepped back, out of his arms. “Then you would become like him. And I could never be with a man who killed another in cold blood.”

“I’ll wait.” He wasn’t going to let this go.

“You don’t get it, do you, Jacques? Girls like me, we’re shooting stars. Shine bright and go out in a blaze of glory. Gangs have been my life. Gangs will be my death. It’s over.”

She strode to the door, wrenching it open. “Etienne, I’m ready to leave.”

Princess gave a forlorn bark and five minutes later they were all gone.

***

The voices around Jacques morphed into an annoying buzz. All the CEOs of his various companies were gathered in the boardroom, presenting the last quarter’s earnings reports and projected forecasts for the next year. Only one company was in deficit and the failing venture, a tourism company, had been hit hard by the recent terrorist activity in Europe, so their drop in revenue was understandable. All together though, it would be another bumper year. And it meant nothing to him. What good was a fortune when the only thing he wanted he couldn’t buy?

The sale deeds that Maya signed were on his desk, but that’s as far as they’d gone. He hadn’t yet registered the transfer with the government. The land was back in de Launay hands. It was what he wanted. Wasn’t it? The responsible thing would be to forget the past couple of months and carry on as he had before. The invisible belt around his chest tightened another notch. Screw responsibility. What had it ever done for him?

His secretary put a fresh cup of coffee in front of him before placing her hand on his arm. He glanced down. He’d written Maya repeatedly across the meeting agenda. When he looked up again, all eyes were on him.

What was the point in amassing more money if he had no one to share it with? Grand-Papa was recovering now at home with a nurse in residence to keep him company and monitor his vitals. But he’d lost the spark Maya had ignited in him. They all had. And as much as it pained Jacques to admit it, his grandfather wouldn’t live forever. Then Jacques would be the last de Launay.

So, he had a choice to make—continue to build his fortune and pass it on to Daniel, who didn’t really need it, or some charity. Or Jacques could put on his big-boy pants and fight for what he wanted. Who he wanted. Who he loved.

Did Maya love him? Want him? Every time he closed his eyes his brain replayed the ride back from the hospital when she’d said she couldn’t live like this. What had she meant? What if she only wanted his luxurious lifestyle? If he didn’t have that to offer her, would she reject him? The whats and ifs were killing him, slowly destroying every vestige of sanity. How much longer could he maintain any reasonable facsimile of being in control?

He glanced down again at the agenda. Seemed his sub-conscious had already decided what to do.

He stood. “Thank you all for the hard work you’ve put into your presentations. I’d like to close this meeting with a final announcement.” Everyone in the room froze. Could he really give all this up? Could he look himself in the mirror if he didn’t at least try? “I will be reducing my role as chairman of the de Launay Group. You are all eminently capable of running these companies without my oversight, and I trust you to continue to do so in my absence.”

The murmur grew to a crescendo. Finally, one of the board members asked, “Jacques, are you okay?”

“Not yet but I hope to be soon. Can anyone recommend a good tattoo artist?”

Chapter 21

Jacques slipped into the Montreal courtroom and found a place to sit on a bench at the back. He resisted the urge to scratch his new beard.
Dieu
, it was uncomfortable. But it was nothing compared to the ache in his chest. Soon.

Maya was led to the witness stand and all the breath whooshed out of his body. She looked … pissed off. Anger fizzed out of every pore. Even furious she was gorgeous. More importantly, she was alive. He’d had bad dreams every night since she’d left that she’d be killed before he could get to her. Before he could put his plan into action.

He’d deliberately chosen a spot where he couldn’t see the defendant. Because he didn’t trust that he wouldn’t leap over the barrier and kill the man who threatened Maya’s life.

With a cold, hard voice Maya gave her evidence, reciting the horror of that night in chilling detail. As she finished her account, a hush fell over the courtroom. Then the defense attorney stood up.

Maya’s gaze swept the courtroom. It rested on him and for a split second he saw her face soften for the first time since he’d arrived. It quickly hardened again and she turned to the judge.

“I need to pee,” she said.

The judge looked annoyed but called a ten-minute recess. Maya was released from the witness stand and two armed guards escorted her from the room.

Had she seen him? Had she recognized him? He hadn’t quite figured out how he was going to speak to her without putting his plan in jeopardy. She was being kept in protective custody, and although he’d been in Montreal for four days, he hadn’t found a way to approach her and not blow his cover. He’d shown up at the trial today because he couldn’t take another day not being near her.

When she returned to the courtroom, she had a brief word with the Crown prosecutor before returning to the stand. The defense attorney grilled her, but she remained resolute. When he brought up her past, her involvement in gang life from her teenage years, the lawyers battled back and forth with objections and rephrasing of questions.

Finally, the judge called a recess for lunch. Jacques waited until Maya was taken back out through the side door and then he slipped out into the hallway. He put his sunglasses on and was about to exit the building when someone grabbed his arm.

“Excuse me, sir, you need to come with me.”

Had Maya sent for him? The pressure in his chest eased fractionally. He followed the guard down a series of corridors to a small interview room. The door shut behind him. Endless minutes dragged on until he heard the click of heels in the hallway outside.

The noise stopped and another door opened and closed, but not into the room where he stood. He released a frustrated sigh. He turned to the mirror on the wall, sure he was being observed. Running a hand through his hair, he ground his teeth in frustration. Court would resume in less than an hour. If Maya finished her testimony today, this would be his last opportunity to see her.

She’d said she was a shooting star. But she wasn’t. She was his north star. Without her, he was lost, directionless.

He’d almost given up waiting, about to go back to the courtroom in the hope of getting some message to her, when the door opened again and Maya walked in. She wore a baseball cap and sunglasses, but he wasn’t fooled. He’d spent long enough kissing those lips to have memorized them. They curved upward and his heart crashed against his ribs.

“What the hell are you doing here? I told you it was over,” Maya said. But there was a waver in her voice.

He lifted the hat off her head and her hair spilled down her back. Next he removed the sunglasses and tossed them with the hat on the table behind him.

“Our initial thirty-day agreement is over, yes. But you said you wanted to hear my revised terms. I’ve come to present them,” he replied. Then he kissed her. It’d been six weeks since she’d walked out of the chateau in handcuffs. He wouldn’t be finished kissing her anytime this year.

There was a knock on the mirror, and Maya unwrapped her arms from around his neck.

“We’re being watched. And I have ten minutes before I have to be back in court. You can’t be here, Jacques. If Tony gets wind of what you mean to me…”

“What do I mean to you?”

“You have to ask?”

He groaned. They didn’t have time for games. “Maya, you’re killing me.”

She put her hand on his cheek, the gesture so familiar it hurt. “You are my world, Jacques Charles Henri de Launay. The center of my world. Everything I am spins around you. I love you so much that I’m terrified. If something were to happen to you, I wouldn’t want to live.”

He kissed the palm of her hand. “Excellent. That piece of information will make negotiations go a lot faster. So, here are my terms. First, I am allowed to tell you as often as I want how much I love you. You may reciprocate. Second, this is an exclusive, in perpetuity agreement. You are mine and only mine, forever. Again, reciprocal. Third, you can keep the cottage and the land, but you have to change your name.” He held his breath.

“What do I have to change my name to?” Her head was cocked to one side, a small smile playing about her lips.
Dieu
, he loved her.

“De Launay. And you have to marry me to do so. Those are my terms.”

“I can accept terms one and two. However, it may have escaped your notice that I’m not really in a position to fulfill term three. How do you expect me to marry you when I’m under guard day and night and the second this trial is done I’m supposed to go into the Witness Protection Program?”

“There’s been a slight change of plans on that last point. When this is finished, we’re both going to disappear. Big Tony will never find us and we can live happily together. My only stipulation is that you marry me first.” His heart pounded as he waited for her answer. It wasn’t the most romantic of proposals but the best he could do given the circumstances. He’d make up for it with the honeymoon. And the rest of their lives together.

“Wait. What? I don’t understand.” There was a flicker of hope in her eyes, but it was quickly doused under a wave of doubt. “You can’t disappear. You’re a billionaire with twenty companies to run, not to mention a world-class winery you love.”

“I have people to run them for me. And even if they fail, I don’t give a damn. I’d rather live in a shack with you than the chateau alone. And I can make wine lots of places in the world. But I can’t be happy without you.”

“You’ve given up your job and your beautiful house for me?”

“Absolutely.”

“What about Charles? Is he okay? I’ve been so worried. I’m not allowed access to the news.”

“Grand-Papa is fine. He and Princess are waiting for us at our destination. He said he wanted one last adventure anyway. Personally, I think he just wants to make sure we produce the next generation of de Launays.”

The hope in her eyes flared back to life. “He’s not going to stand at the end of our bed and make sure we do it right, is he?”

He laughed, the first in weeks. “We’ll have Princess guard the door so he doesn’t come in.”

She put her hand on his chest and he winced. “What’s wrong?”

“My tattoo hasn’t healed completely yet, that’s all.”

“You got inked?”

He whipped off his leather jacket and then his T-shirt. Over his heart was the word “Maya,” the ‘y’ going on to form the tail of a fox.

“I got branded. And now you have to marry me, because no other woman will have me.”

“Jacques, this is crazy. You can’t give up your whole life for me.”

“I can and I have. It’s all arranged. I just need you. Will you come with me?”

“Yes.”

“And marry me? I want children with you. And I want those children to be legitimate de Launay heirs. This may be the only chance we have to get married. After this, we’ll be living under assumed names.”

Her smile could have powered a small town. “Have you really thought this through? It could be years, if ever, before it’s safe to come out of hiding. Can you live with that kind of risk?”

“I can. I’ve learned that life is nothing without risk. And life without you is too painful to endure. I’ve met your criteria for marriage. I love you, Maya. More than I thought possible to love. Marry me, please.”

Her cognac eyes filled with joy. “Nothing would make me happier than to be your wife, to love you forever and have your babies.”

He kissed her again, remembering her taste, the feel of her against him, and the surge of love that spread through him as she wound her fingers in his hair. His brain flashed the reminder that they were being watched, but he didn’t care. Eventually, there was a rap on the two-way mirror, and he reluctantly released her mouth.

“Of all the people involved in this trial, who do you trust the most?” he asked.

“Etienne.”

Jacques winced at the name. In his opinion, Etienne was the one responsible for putting Maya in this situation. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. He’s feeling guilty for the position I’m in. He’ll do anything to make it better.”

“All right, I’ll talk with Etienne. The second you’re done testifying, we’ll be married. Then the minute the trial is over, we’re out of here.”

The door flung open and the hard edge returned to Maya’s face. “Time to go, Ms. Tessier,” the guard said.

She turned back to Jacques as she stuffed her hair back under the ball cap. “I love you.”

Then she was gone.