Page 18 of Ma Belle Marguerite
“Have something to share, Josh? I can hear you, dumbass.” I retort. Normally his smart ass remarks make me laugh or ease the tension in a situation, but right now I just want to punch him in his fucking face.
“Sorry, boss, I’m just frustrated.” He replies meekly, knowing he has pushed me too far.
I scream into the phone. “You’re frustrated? Try being stuck in a hospital and told your plan to escape your father's clutches has just blown up!” With Bella back, this plan was more crucial than ever.
D cuts back in. “I know it looks bad, boss, but we’ll figure this out. Who else knew about the bunker?”
“Only Cole. He didn’t know about the weapons, though. I don’t think.” Even if I didn’t have a damn concussion, I think my brain would still be hurting trying to figure this out. He couldn’t have betrayed me, could he have?
“Want us to bring Cole to the basement when we find him?” Josh asks way too eagerly. “We can get him warmed up for you!”
I like to ask questions with some extra influence in the basement. D is my specialist. He has yet to meet someone he can’t ‘persuade’ an answer from. Josh usually prefers to stay behind his computers but will join in when he feels like our friend in the basement needs something a little extra.
“No, we don’t want to assume anything yet. We don’t know if anyone has followed us or had trackers on the guns. We have been too trusting. Plus, if on the off chance it is Cole, we don’twant to tip him off,” I grit through my teeth. I’m seriously pissed. If it is him, he will pay dearly.
“Yes, boss.” I can hear Josh’s pouting in his voice. He doesn’t go against orders no matter how much he hates them.
Just as I’m about to answer, I hear a soft knock at the door. My heart skips a beat and a tingly feeling erupts in my stomach. My palms feel sweaty with excitement and the anger I felt moments before. That must be Bella. “Come in.”
The door opens and she peeks in. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were on the phone. I can leave.” Bella talks quietly.
“No, stay. We’re almost done. One second.” I need to get off this call without letting her know what’s going on. The last thing I need is to scare her away with this crap.
“Oh, is the boss's lady there? Are you about to get lucky?” Josh laughs.
Why do I put up with this smart ass?“Josh, if you want to live until next week, I suggest you shut up!” I growl into the phone. He’s a real idiot sometimes.
Bella raises her eyebrow at me, looking amused. If only she knew what he just said. I have a feeling she’d give him an earful.
I just shake my head at her. “If you guys find anything important, give me a call. I’m unavailable until I say otherwise. Contact the hospital and ensure the doctor and nurses know to stay out of my room.” I hang up the phone and smile at my girl. She is more beautiful than I remember.
Bella looks at her feet shyly and says, “Sorry if I interrupted. I can come back on my lunch break.” She looks like she is ready to run.
I hold my hand out to her. “You’re never interrupting. You are now, and have always been, my number one priority. I told you I plan to prove that to you, and that starts now.”
Reluctantly, she nods. She avoids my hand but pulls up a chair close to the bed. I guess it will have to do for now. I don’t wantto push her too hard, too fast, but I don’t know how long I can be patient. I just want to grab her, squeeze her to me, and kiss her like we were never apart.
“How was your night,Ma Belle Marguerite?” I ask, hoping to get a read on how this conversation will go. The tingly feeling I felt seeing her moments ago turns to knots.
Looking at me curiously, she answers, “I spent the night with my girlfriends. Do you remember Camille and Giselle?”
I feel a tick in my jaw. “I don’t remember them that much,” I lie,wondering what they discussed. We saw each other in passing at parties here and there since high school. One of them has a thing for D, but I never really talked to them. So I guess it isn’t a complete lie. “Are you alright? Is there anything I can help you with?” I don’t like thinking that they know more than me. She should be unburdening herself with me as her number one confidant.
She shakes her head and looks down at her feet, “No, I think I know what I need to do.”
Fuck!“Care to share? You’re killing me here. Things were kind of messy when you left last night.” I look at her with the saddest eyes I can muster. “I spent the night going through all the letters.” I can’t lose her now.
“How about you share first,” Bella says, still looking at her feet.
“Sure,” I reply, “Only if you look at me.”Whatever it takes.
Finally, I get to look at her beautiful seaglass green eyes.
“Ma Belle Marguerite, I will never be able to make up for all the pain you went through. I should have known better than to believe you didn’t want me. I’ll figure out who is behind this.” I reach out and hold her face in my hands. “I will not make the same mistake twice. Even if you don’t want me, I’ll make sure whoever is responsible pays.” I won’t stop until I have them all in my basement and I will prove to her that I am where she needs to be.
Bella replies softly, “Rex, I need to see the letter you say I sent you. I want to believe you, but it is hard to trust you. Everything I have experienced the last thirteen years has shown me that you didn’t want me.”
She tries to look away from me, but I hold her face steady. “Anything you need, just tell me. As soon as I can get home, I will show you.” I need to get out of here asap.
