To Bedevil A Beauty (Southern Sanctuary - Book 5) (21 page)

Berry’s
mouth dropped open.   “That’s weird.  That’s exactly how Drum
makes me feel.”

Nell
laughed softly, a smile dancing on her lips.  “I do love that man of
mine.  You should give it a try?”

“Give
what a try?”

“Love. 
You and Chief Hughes, I think you’d make a great couple.”

Berry
shook her head fast in denial.  “Not after my track record.
 
My taste in men is officially abysmal.”

“Not
all men are like Robert.  The Chief seems a good guy for one.”  Nell
started packing up her bag.

Berry
bent her head down, focusing on righting her clothing rather than looking at
her cousin.   She still distinctly recalled two and a half years ago
sitting in the courtroom in a suit she’d purchased from Goodwill an hour ago,
Joanne at her side, crying silently as the court reporter pulled out a thick
folder of charges being laid against Robert and his motley mix of
associates.  It had only been twelve hours since the dawn raid when her
entire existence had been wiped away.  But knowing she was broke hadn’t
hit her as hard as realising that she could finally divorce Robert, she could
be free.  Maybe she could find a nice guy, someone she was attracted too,
someone she could trust.

Her
eyes had tracked around the court room and come to rest on one of the Midnight
Raiders, there was something different about this one.
 
Sure he had the requisite wild long tangled
hair, five day beard growth and a tattoo, but there was something about the
look in his eyes across the courtroom that made her stomach roil and her
hormones dance.  Strangely, she found she couldn’t look away from him, her
breath caught in her throat. 

Thank
the Goddess for the Judge arriving and the entire court room being requested to
stand.  On shaky legs she’d stood up, biting her lip to stop the
tears.  What did it say about her?  Being instantly attracted to an
obvious criminal?  That she couldn’t be trusted, that’s what. 
Obviously she had some sort of faulty radar when it came to men.
 
Her gut hadn’t even sounding a warning at
what a bad idea it would be to hook up with the gorgeous rough biker guy. 
Not like it had gnawed at her when she contemplated whether to marry Robert or
not.  See… see how much she couldn’t be trusted.  Then and there, she
decided to swear off men.

“Sorry…
what did you say?”

Nell
placed a gentle hand down on Berry’s shoulder.  “I said that I’m
officially prescribing you a bath, a heat pack, a large glass of wine and a
good night’s sleep.”

“Thanks
Nell.”  Berry stood up, wincing only slightly at the twinges in her
back.  “You’ll let me know if there are any updates on Gideon?”

“Sure,
be safe Berry.  And think about what I said… about giving Chief Hughes a
chance.”

“You
know what’s really annoying about the melded?
  
How quickly they fall to the dark side.”

Nell
smiled ruefully.  “What can I say? I just want everyone to be as happy as
Drum and I are… of course, that doesn’t mean I still don’t want to kick
Great-Aunt Alma’s butt in retribution.”

“Grrr,
don’t even say that woman’s name near me.  I swear if she tries to mess
with me, I’m telling Gaia that Alma is the only one who can help her get
pregnant.”

Nell
shook her head laughing.  “Gaia’s too scared of Alma to fall for that
trick.”

“Gaia’s
a Rottweiler when it comes to conceiving.
 
She’d stalk Alma to the ends of the earth if she thought it would put a
rocket under the stork.”

Chapter
Nineteen

Magic
was real. 
MAGIC
was real.  Ramsey was still trying to get his
head around the concept as he let himself into his apartment, dismissing
Benedict with a silent nod. 

Not
only was magic real, he was… had… was… magic. He had the day of insanity as
proof of that.  When he’d become absolutely still, as per Sinclair’s instructions,
Gerard had reacted as if he’d turned invisible.  He hadn’t just been
frozen to the spot because that was what he and Sinclair had planned; he’d been
frozen in shock. 

It’s
one thing for someone to tell you that you have the ability to sink into shadows,
to become effectively invisible… but when they turn out to be telling the
truth, well it took some time to process.

According
to Sinclair, he had some training to do if he wanted to be able to move… or
flow… as Sinclair had called it, in
Shadow
mode.  But with
everything on his plate, Ramsey was pushing that to the back burner, along with
meeting the rest of his long lost relatives.  The only thing about magic
he was interested in learning right at this moment was what kind of powers did
Berry have?  And was her particular brand of magic the reason she always
knew exactly where he was?

He
had mentioned that little fact to Sinclair before they’d climbed covertly into
Berry’s office to save the day.  Sinclair’s eyes had opened wide in
surprise for a split second… the bastard knew something, but wasn’t going to
share it… all he’d offered to do was get Berry to close her eyes so she
wouldn’t give the game away to Gerard.

Which
didn’t make sense did it?  Berry could always see him, but she couldn’t
see Sinclair in shadow stealth mode.  Grrr, this magic thing was proving
to be tricky.  Just like loony Gerard, now sitting in a cell, rocking back
and forward babbling to himself and laughing occasionally in a disturbing,
high-pitched way.  Despite all their questioning, Gerard had proven beyond
useless in supplying any Intel on where they might find Robert Granger. 
When they mentioned Granger’s name, it only ever seemed to make Gerard laugh
that much harder. 

Maybe
now that Berry knew her ex was behind all this, she’d be willing to share her
thoughts.  He checked her room first, thinking she might be napping,
empty.  Going with his gut he found her in the living room, dressed in
those dark red silk PJ’s that clung to her soft curves, all currently hidden
under a blanket she’d thrown over her lap as she relaxed on the sofa, reading a
magazine and sipping red wine.

“Hey
there.  Should you be drinking?”  Ramsey studied her carefully,
cataloguing the already nearly faded bruises on her face, wow, Nell was good.

“Doctor’s
orders.”  Berry gave him a half smile.  “Want some?”

“No.” 
Ramsey closed the curtains on the rapidly darkening view and switched on a
lamp.  “I think I’ll grab a beer.”  He switched on more lights in the
kitchen.  “How are you feeling?”

Berry
watched him take a seat on the sofa directly across from her.  “Good,
better now that I’ve had a bath.  What about you?
 
Did you learn anything useful from Gerry?”

“No,
Gerry’s a mess.  Talking in riddles.  The senseless giggling doesn’t
help either, not to mention it’s kind of disturbing.  I’ve had Maureen
send out a fresh BOLO on Granger to every marina and boat ramp owner up and
down the coast.”

“Boats?” 
Berry shook her head.  “Robert hates the water.  I think he’d more
likely want a small plane.
 
He took flying
lessons you know, though he never bothered getting his license.”

“Flying? 
You’re sure?  His internet search history was all about boats.”  Even
as he spoke Ramsey was pulling out his phone and sending a quick text message
to Mac McKenzie.

Berry
shrugged, dropping her magazine on the coffee table.  “One thing Robert’s
good at is being sneaky; planting a false trail would be in his skillset. 
I just never thought he’d have the… balls, to track me down and attempt
something like this.”

Ramsey
took a deep drink from his bottle of beer.  “Tell me.”

“Tell
you what?”  Berry shifted the heat pack she was leaning against over
slightly.

“Berry.”

“Fine. 
I’m a Mage, which covers any powers that are derived from the mind. 
Specifically, I’m a Pathfinder Mage.   It requires eye contact and
for someone to be at a crossroads regarding a situation or outcome.  In a
split second I can see the first step on each and every pathway open to the
individual.  Sometimes there are only a handful of pathways, sometimes
there are hundreds. I don’t know what happens further down the pathway but I
know what the first step is and whether the decision is good, bad or in between
for the individual in question.”

Ramsey
found himself frowning.  “And your ex, Granger, he knows about your power
and wants to use it how?”

Berry
heaved a deep sigh.  “No, Robert doesn’t know about my powers, I’m pretty
sure he thinks I’m some sort of psychic.”

“Why
would he think that?”

Berry
could feel the hot colour flooding her cheeks, this was going to be so
embarrassing.  “I met Robert at a retirement dinner for an outgoing
Judge. To cut a long story short I found myself seated next to Robert at
dinner.  He was funny, smart and charming. Telling me all about his plans
to travel to Melbourne the next day for a Spring Carnival racing event. 
Too much wine on an empty stomach and one thing led to another and we ended up
in bed together.  It was… okay, but obvious, to me at least, that it was
meant to be a one night stand.”

“But
he didn’t see it that way?”

“Monday
morning at work, flowers were waiting for me.
 
More arrived the next day and every day that week.  It was kind of
flattering that he seemed so smitten and I thought maybe I should give him
another chance… sober this time.  We went out, he seemed really interested
in me, asked all these questions, wanting to know everything about me.
 
What I liked, disliked.  He seemed very
sincere…”

“But?” 
Ramsey sensed one coming.

Berry
shrugged.  “I wasn’t feeling it.  I was Legal Aid and pro bono.
 
He was high-priced, downtown law firm and
flashy cars.  But he proved even more tenacious after our first official
date…”

“And
he had the right ammunition to use by that stage.”

“What
do you mean by that?”

Ramsey
fought to keep his face blank and emotionless, though already he wanted to be
the first to track scum bag Granger down and plant his fist in his face. 
“After that first official date, he knew everything he needed to know about
you, what you liked, he could tailor his approach correctly.”

“Yes.” 
Berry blinked in surprise.  “Yes, that’s exactly what he did; home-cooked
meals, tickets to the museum, plays. I felt bad for saying no, when I could see
all the effort he’d gone too.”

“So
you said yes, but he could see that you still weren’t completely sold on him.”

Berry
nodded. “He ramped up his efforts trying to please me, extravagant gifts,
outings, compliments, kept saying how perfect we were for one another…
the
perfect couple
.  If I tried to turn him down or put him off, he’d pout
and lay this huge guilt trip on me, detailing exactly the cost and effort he’d
gone too trying to make me happy.  Before I knew it we’d been dating for
four months… but, whilst he appeared to be a nice attentive guy who liked
everything I liked, there was something missing, a spark, a connection,
something.  I think Robert may have guessed that I was intending to break
things off with him.”

“What
happened?”

“One
weekend I fell ill.  He was very concerned, said I should see a Doctor but
a couple of hours passed and I felt fine, so I just thought it was a one-time
thing… something I ate.  Until the next morning, when I felt horrible
again.
 
Robert was insistent this time,
he had a friend who could see me immediately.  The Doctor rang me with the
results the day after our visit, I was pregnant.”

Ramsey
was stunned.

“You
look surprised.  Trust me, I was even more shocked.  We’d been going
out four months and only slept together a handful of times.  Robert was
over the moon, insisting we get married there and then.
 
Gave me this heart wrenching speech about
always wanting children, how he’d dreamed of having a family with me. 
Still I hesitated… On paper, Robert was… perfect for me.
 
We had compatible careers, mutual friends, we
liked all the same things but still, it didn’t seem right to tie myself to a
man who I didn’t love.  In the end I gave in. For the sake of the baby…
for Robert, because when I gave in to temptation and used my magic on him,
asked him point blank, if he’d really be happy married to me?
 
Well, every pathway open to him was bright,
shiny and full of promise.”

“I’m
sensing this doesn’t end well.”  Ramsey leaned over, grabbing the bottle
of wine and topping up Berry’s glass.

“It
ended in a court room. It ended knowing my entire marriage was built on
lies.  That Robert had stolen all my money and that of many of his clients
and hidden it away overseas.  That everything we had… in what he
incessantly referred to as our
perfect life
– which basically boiled
down to having a lot of stuff with designer labels on it - actually belonged to
the banks and several money lenders.  That he had gambling debts that were
in the six figures, even though his luck at the race track had dramatically
changed in the last three years.  I can only guess he took all his
winnings and squirrelled those away too.  It ended when I recognised one
of the men standing next to Robert in the court room that morning as the doctor
I’d visited who’d told me I was pregnant. Only to call me a week after I was
married and tell me there’d been a mix up in the records and I wasn’t pregnant
after all.  He was a friend of Robert’s from his university days, caught
up in the whole money laundering, drug running scheme along with Robert.” Berry
took a large sip of wine.  “It seems I talk in my sleep, that I pick
winning race horses.
 
That’s why Robert
wanted to marry me so badly. That’s why he was always talking about the races.
That’s why he and his good friend cooked up the whole pregnancy lie.”

Ramsey
had to put the bottle of beer down less he break it.  He didn’t want to
say the next words but Berry deserved to hear the truth.  “I remember him,
the doctor.  Weedy guy, always sniffing, drug habit. He was in to both
Granger and the Midnight Raiders for a hundred thousand a piece.  They
owned his ass.”

“You
remember him?”  Berry echoed the words in whispered shock.

“I’ve
been trying to tell you for a while now Berry, about me and Robert.”

“You
and Robert?”  Berry’s voice barely cracked a whisper.

“I’m
the undercover cop who gathered all the evidence against the Midnight Raiders
and all their associates.  Associates like…”

“Robert.” 
Berry finished the sentence for him.

“You
probably don’t remember but…”

“You
were there… that day, in court.”  Berry stared at him, super imposing the
features of the criminal ruffian she remembered having an instant attraction to
across the court room over Ramsey’s features.  Oh Goddess.

“Berry…”

“Just
give me a second here.”  She put her glass of wine down, afraid she might
spill the contents. A dozen different thoughts zoomed through her mind. 
“When…?”

“When
did I try to tell you?  That day in the parking lot and again the night we
first slept together.”

“No.” 
Berry shook her head.  “When did you know I was me?  I mean, that I
was Robert Granger’s ex-wife?”

“I
recognised you.  That night at your place when you got stuck in the
window, not at first… but after you got dressed, your hair… you’d pulled it
back into that tight bun and I remembered where I’d seen you last, the court
room.  Then all the pieces fell into place, you were Robert Granger’s
wife.”

“And
you ran.”  She stated, puzzled.

“Not
my finest moment.  But all I could think, here’s my dream woman and I’m
the stupid bastard responsible for incarcerating her husband… ex-husband, for
nine years. I wasn’t sure if you’d get mad, take a frying pan to my head or
just walk up and kick me in the balls.  I was beyond shook up, so a fast
strategic exit seemed my best option.”  Ramsey tried to gauge Berry’s
reaction.  She looked stunned, a little pale, her eyes weren’t flashing
sparks, so he didn’t think she was angry but she definitely seemed a little…
befuddled? Dazed? 

“What
do you mean
dream woman
?”

Ramsey
couldn’t believe he’d let that bit of information slip. Damn, blame it on his
mind blowing day and how nervous he felt at finally telling Berry the truth
about his past. Huh?  Him nervous, he couldn’t remember a time he’d been
nervous when a gun or cricket bat wasn’t involved.  But this was Berry he
was talking about here… the woman he… oh for fuck sake, man up.  You love
her.
 
You lusted after her from the
moment you first saw her but getting to know her cinched the deal; laughing,
talking, bickering.  He loved her, the thought of almost losing her today
had bordered on the unbearable.  Pah, magic… he could take it or leave it
but Berry… damn it, he’d give it all up for Berry; the job, the magic, the as
yet unclaimed relatives.