TAUT (40 page)

“So,” he says as he exhales a long breath of held-in air. “What do you really want?”

“I want what she wanted when she came back to America. A chance to put things to rest.”

“And that it’s?” He watches me with a critical eye.

“That’s it, Mr. Li. That’s all I want. I’m very busy. I’m supposed to leave the country tonight, but I will cancel and wait this out. I don’t need this job. I don’t need to work, as I’m sure you’re well aware. It’s a hobby for me. So I’ll wait. But one thing’s for certain, I
will
get a final word with Ashleigh. Somehow, some way.”

He’s silent for a long time and I know I’ve won. He’s running the logistics around in his head. Finally, after several full minutes he delivers his terms. “You can follow me to the family home and if Ashleigh is willing, you may have five minutes.”

“Agreed. That’s more than enough.”

Li relaxes back into his seat and smiles. Confident.

“I’m ready now, Mr. Li.”

He stands and gives me an open gesture with both hands. “Proceed.”

We walk back out of the office and we hit up the back door this time. “Where’s your car?”

“One street over on Fifth.”

“I’ll drop you off and you can follow me.”

Chapter Forty-Four

“I don’t know,” my deaf assistant says as we follow the black Mercedes up the 5 freeway.

“I don’t care. Just shut the hell up about it.”

“He’s dangerous. What if he comes after me?”

“He thinks you’re Pam, Evelyn. He has no idea who you are.”

“But he will as soon as this shit is over. I’ve got a license. He can check up on me.”

“You’re coming with me afterward. What’s the fucking problem?”

“Who the hell are you? Just some rich kid, some spoiled rich kid. You’re a movie producer. How are you going to take care of this?”

“Evelyn, you’re
in
, dammit. You cannot back out now, he already saw you.”

She’s silent for a while and I feel bad.
Ford
, that stupid inner voice says.
She’s helping you out, reassure her
. “OK, look, here’s my assessment of Li, OK? He loves his daughters. He’s worried about Ashleigh’s state of mind and the new genetic ties with that other crime family, right? He’s just trying to make things right in his own way, but when we do this—
together
,” I emphasize—“he’ll see we’re right, he’s wrong, things are good, and no hard feelings.”

I look over to catch her reaction and she’s rolling her eyes. “You’re full of shit. He’s a white-collar mobster, he’s got people who kill for him, and he’s coming after us as soon as we pull out of his driveway.”

I chew on this for a second. “Yeah, probably.”

She shoots me a
what the fuck
look.

And then we both laugh. Because honestly, it’s crazy as shit to mess with this guy, but I have no choice. Ash said fight for her. I just have no choice, I have to show the fuck up and fight for her.

We follow Li’s car when he gets off at the Solana Beach exit. We bypass all those fools turning left who think living near the ocean is an acceptable trade-off for the congestion and traffic and turn right to head up into the eucalyptus-covered hills of Rancho. The road winds like crazy around the canyons and finally we come to a stop in front of an exquisite stone-walled property with an equally impressive gate.

A house guard appears with a sidearm and I can tell Evelyn is getting nervous again. “Just relax. This is not the time to panic. We’ll be fine.”

Li’s car moves forward and the guard shoots us a dirty look as we follow and pass by. Ashleigh was lying when she said my house in Bel Air trumped this massive piece of prime real estate in San Diego County. They must have ten acres at least. Ten acres in Rancho Santa Fe. It’s mind-boggling. There are tall trees on both sides of the driveway and it takes a full minute to actually reach the house, that’s how long and windy this driveway is.

“You think he has all this land so when he kills people like us, no one hears it?”

I shoot her another
shut the fuck up
look, but it’s actually a pretty good question.

We follow Li around a circular driveway, and then I make a point of pulling up past his car, so I’m in front and pointing down the driveway. Just in case I’m wrong and Li’s not all about the mental health of his youngest daughter and we need to make a quick escape. “No talking until everything’s in place, got it?”

She nods but keeps silent.

We exit the car together and walk up to Li who is waiting at the head of the long stone-paved walkway that leads to the front door. “Beautiful home, Mr. Li. Did you build it yourself?”

“No,” is all he says.

I’m assuming that’s him giving me the
shut the fuck up
response. I oblige him, it’s the least I can do.

We enter the foyer and I’m staring at an elegant curved staircase that leads up to the second floor. Evelyn looks around like an idiot and I want to pinch her right now, but I can’t. “Nice,” I say to take Li’s attention away from my gaping assistant. “Is Ashleigh upstairs?”

“No, Mr. Aston. I called ahead. She’s in the library waiting for you. You have exactly five minutes and then this is over.”

I smile and walk towards the closed door that he’s pointing to. Evelyn follows, her head buried in her phone again, her fingers clicking out something to keep up the ruse.

He opens the door and I walk in.

Ashleigh is standing by the window, her back to me. “Ash?”

She doesn’t turn and I look over my shoulder to see her father is still behind us. “Private, Mr. Li.”

“Your five minutes are ticking,” he barks as he backs out and closes the door.

“Ash?” I walk over to the window and notice Kate is sleeping in a portable crib. “Ash?” I ask as I tap her arm. She turns slowly around, her head down and her shoulders slumped. “Are you drugged? Did they drug you?”

She shakes her head. “No. I won that battle.”

“Look at me, Ashleigh.”

She lets out a breath and then tips her head up. Her eyes are bloodshot, her face pale, and her hair is all askew. Like she just rolled out of bed. Her clothes agree with my assessment. She’s got on some leggings and a large t-shirt. Last week this was cute as all hell because she was smiling and happy, and most of what she was wearing belonged to me.

But now, this is a sure sign that the depression is worse. I wrap my arms around her and pull her close.

“Ford,” she says through her sob. “I’m not gonna make it. My sister is adopting Kate and—”

“No, Ashleigh. No. Your sister is not adopting Kate.” Ash looks up at me and then notices Evelyn behind me. “That’s Evelyn, Ashleigh. And she’s here to help me.”

“Help you do what?” Ash asks, confused.

“Fight for you, kitten. I’m here to fight for you. Your sister isn’t going to adopt Kate. I am. And you’re not gonna live here anymore, you’re coming with me.”

“But—” She looks hopeful, scared, and defeated all in the same moment. “My father won’t let me leave,” she whispers. “He’s giving my baby to my sister and I have to go back on the drugs as soon as she’s weaned off the breast milk.” She covers her face with her hands so I can’t see her cry.

“Ashleigh,” I say forcefully. “You’re leaving here with me. But I have to ask you something first.”

“What?” she asks as she frantically wipes her eyes.

I tip her chin up to force her to look at me. It takes her eyes a couple of seconds to catch up with her head, and then I see her clearly for the first time since she was taken away. “Can I be on your team?”

She squints.

“I have a ring,” I say hurriedly, because she’s looking confused and not the least bit excited. I pat my coat pocket and remove the black box and then open it up and present it to her. “I’m not very good at this stuff, Ash. I’m sorry, I should take you up in a fucking balloon or get down on a knee, or do it on Valentine’s Day, or bake it in a cake, or pretty much any other way than this right here.” I sigh and wave Evelyn over. “Begin,” I tell her.

“Ashleigh, I’m authorized by San Diego County to provide a California Confidential Marriage License on site to couples who wish to have a private and immediate ceremony. All you have to do is accept Mr. Aston’s proposal, and I will sign the paperwork and declare you married.”

“It’s a shitty way to do this, right? I get it, Ashleigh, It sucks. I hate it. You deserve so much more. I love the shit out of you, I love Kate, and I miss the fuck out of you guys. I’m desperate, Ashleigh. Desperate to get you two back. And I prepared a whole fucking speech to sweep you off your feet and show you I’d fight for you and win you, but fuck. I forgot it. I have a photographic memory and I forgot the fucking proposal I spent all night working on. I’m nervous, can you tell? I’m sorry, I suck at this romantic shit. I’ll let you draw cats and answer all your questions and I’ll let you inside my sphere and—”

“Stop,” she says, putting her little hand against my lips. “Stop talking, you nerd.” And then she laughs and I swear to God, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. “You had me at
I will call the police and report you for child abuse
.”

“Is that a yes?” Evelyn says.

The library doors open and Mr. Li interrupts. “Your time is up, Mr. Aston.”

“Yes,” Ashleigh says.

“Ashleigh Li and Rutherford Aston, by the power invested in me by the State of California, I pronounce you married. Sign quickly.” She presents a marriage license and thrusts two pens into our hands.” We scribble our names as Mr. Li rushes across the room towards us. Evelyn looks up at me. “You know what to do.”

I do know what to do. My hands cup Ashleigh’s face and she comes up on her tiptoes, and I kiss her. On the lips. With no coercion or games or tricks.

Damian Li punches me in the side of the head and I go stumbling sideways, hot blood dripping out of my ear and down my neck. This should piss me off, but I won. And nothing can touch me right now. “It’s done, Li.” He’s seething with anger. Like that shit is about to drip out of his pores, that’s how pissed off he looks. “She’s mine now. And if you doubt my plans, let me spell it out for you. She’s not on any medication. No doctor examined her, did they, Ashleigh?”

She shakes her head now as she glares at her father.

“No doctor examined her and pronounced her unfit. Unless of course you’d like to count your fake credentials hanging on that wall back in your San Diego office.” I wait a beat but he keeps quiet. “She’s not mentally ill, Damian.”

“She is, Ford. She’s sick. And you think this is cute and romantic? Taking her away like this? It’s not, because she needs serious help.”

I shake my head. “No, you’re wrong. She’s not sick. She’s sad.” I look down to Ashleigh and take her hand. “You’re not sick, kitten. You’re sad. And that’s OK, because life shit on you. And you do need serious help. But not in the form of drugs and therapy, Ashleigh. You need time and permission to feel what it feels like to lose someone who meant the world to you, that’s all. And we’ve got our whole lives to get it right and be together. I’ll grow old with you, Ashleigh. We’ll do this together.”

Her lip starts to tremble and she swallows down the pain and nods her head in agreement.

“You’re brave, Ashleigh. And strong. And very, very sad. But it’s OK now. You can be sad about what you lost all you want, until you’re ready to let Tony go. Because I’m gonna take care of you and give you all the time you need. You’re not sick, Ash. You’re sad. You don’t need drugs, you need Kate. And me. You need us, your team. We’ll get through this, I promise. Just trust me.”

She grabs hold of my neck and then jumps up and wraps her legs around my waist, her head buried into my neck, just under my ear. “I have never trusted anyone more than you, Ford Aston. I swear to God, I’m yours.”

Chapter Forty-Five

I was right about Damian Li. For now at least. Ashleigh screamed and her sister came and cried over Kate. It was not pretty. At all. In fact it was a blubbering mess of female hormones and in the end Li and I had to break out a decanter of 1946 Macallan. I’m glad Ashleigh had no fucking idea how special that whiskey was, because I’d never live down offering her a few shots of ten-thousand-dollar 1939 when her father had a dusty decanter of the stuff that costs half a million dollars.

But I was right in the end. They do love her. Damian Li was doing his best to protect everyone involved.

He sucked ass at it, unlike the God-man that is me. I kicked the shit out of that day.

And now we’re in New Zealand. Evelyn and her girlfriend came along as far as Sydney. They’re staying on my dime until Evelyn is really convinced that Damian won’t come after her for performing the confidential marriage. Let’s just say that’s not anytime soon. They got jobs and an apartment. But Li seemed calm about it. I’m not too worried and I usually have a pretty good inkling whether people are holding secret grudges, and I didn’t get that vibe from him.

Kate pulls on my ear and shakes me out of my daydream. She’s getting so big. Five months now. Pretty soon she’ll be crawling. And in a few weeks we’ll go home and real life will catch up to us.

My professional team—as I like to call Spencer, Rook, and Ronin—are all eager for me and my domestic team to return home. We have a lot of loose ends to clean up this spring. We’ve pissed off quite a few very important people trying to dig ourselves out of our past mistakes. And this is it. These next few months will dictate the rest of our lives. And all of us are important, even Ashleigh and Kate. Because they’re what I live for these days. Not money, not jobs, not pets, not sex, not control.

Just them.

Ashleigh walks out of the ocean in front of me. She’s taken up open-water swimming to help her through her pain. I hate it. I dream about sharks eating her, I dream about enchanted seaweed wrapping around her ankle and pulling her under, I dream about Charlie horses, and stomach cramps, and swallowing too much seawater, and sunburn. Fuck, I worry about everything. And it sucks.