The Lies That Shatter by A.V. Asher

Chapter Thirty

Alec sipped his whisky, enjoying the unique vibe of The Whiskey and Cask. Jazz music swirled softly through the small barroom. Rough brick walls lined the back of the bar, and the ornate copper ceiling reflected the light from the chandeliers.

When Alec finally spotted Mercedes entering the room, his ability to breathe left him. She looked so fucking amazing. The simple black dress reminded him of the first time he’d ever seen her. The neckline plunged between her breasts, revealing just enough curve to draw the eye. One shoulder was exposed with a thin strap holding up the side. The other had a long sleeve that swept around when she moved. The red heels accentuated her supple legs.

Alec’s cock stiffened just thinking about running his hands up her soft thighs and plunging his tongue between them. Tasting her again while she arched her hips up to him. A magnetic pulse burned between them, and he couldn’t get enough of her. He tried his best not to openly stare, but she was drawing him in like gravity.

Mercedes looked up and held his gaze in her own. He didn’t miss how she looked beyond him, searching to see if he was alone.

When he made his way to her, she eyed him warily. The veneer faltered slightly before she offered him a smile. No warm hugs or kisses on the cheek for him. She held out her hand, and Alec automatically reached for her. Electricity pulsed between them, stealing his ability to see anything but her.

“Thanks for coming,” she said, her fingers warm in his.

“You look beautiful,” he said.

She blinked at him in surprise. “Thank you. You look pretty dashing yourself.”

“Thanks.” His gaze was trapped with hers until she looked away. Alec glanced to the corner where a few instrument cases were being stored. “Will I get to hear you play violin tonight?”

Her expression shifted to uncertain. “Maybe. They might drag it out of me. I’ll probably make a fool of myself. I haven’t played since . . . well, since Scotland.”

Scotland crashed into his mind. Mercedes’s responsive body arching toward him as he pleasured her. The moans she made echoing in his head.

Alec cleared his throat. “I was hoping I could talk to you tonight, just the two of us. What time is Noah taking you to your safe house?”

Mercedes’s brows shot up. “Oh. The case went to the jury this morning, so I don’t have a safe house anymore. And Noah’s already been reassigned. He left this afternoon to go back to Sacramento.”

Shock filtered through Alec’s brain. “What?” He scanned the room. “Who’s on your detail then?”

A laugh trickled from Mercedes. “I don’t have a detail. I moved to a little boutique hotel in Pacific Heights to be closer to Charlie.”

What the fuck?

At his expression, she smiled at him. “That’s one reason to celebrate tonight. Don’t you think?”

Fear crawled up his chest. “I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t they tell me?”

Mercedes tilted her head. “Why would they tell you?”

It hit Alec like a brick. He wasn’t in the loop. They had ended her security, and he had played no role whatsoever in her safety. No part in her life at all.

Panic flared and he reached for his phone. “I have a few guys here that I trust. I’ll pull them and make sure they’re at your hotel.”

Mercedes’s fingers on his forearm stopped him. “Alec, please don’t.”

“You need someone to watch out for you.” He was finding it hard to breathe.

She shook her head. “No, I don’t. My testimony is over. The jury is deliberating. It’s time for me to return to my life.”

“What about Jason?”

Mercedes’s brow creased with worry but she lifted her shoulder. “Jason’s always going to be a threat. I can’t hide away forever.”

“Sadie . . .”

“Alec, this is what my life is. Today, I truly get to start over. To be Sadie Elliott again.” She gave a rueful laugh. “Whoever she is.”

“I know who she is,” Alec said softly. Firelight and laughter filled Alec’s memory. The way music would filter through the cottage, the river adding a symphony to their brief haven. It was a moment of perfection he’d been blessed to sample, but not keep forever.

Energy was snapping through his fingertips. He longed to touch her. Mercedes looked at him in a way that opened him up and pulled him in.

Mercedes parted her lips to say something but stopped. Her attention caught something over his shoulder, and she stiffened.

Fingers wrapped around Alec’s arm, and he turned. Shock coursed through him. “Kristin?”

He immediately jerked away, but it was too late.

“Excuse me,” Mercedes said with false politeness, and she stepped away from them.

Kristin peered up at him with a tinge of satisfaction in her eyes. Annoyance swirled in Alec’s chest. Especially when Mercedes went straight to Ezra’s side.

Alec looked at Kristin. “What are you doing here? You should be nearly back to London by now.”

“I know. I’m sorry. But I couldn’t go.” Her voice trembled. “I’m not ready to give up on us yet.”

“Kristin, I meant what I said. I’m in love with her and that isn’t going to change. You deserve better than to be with someone who loves another. I can’t do that to you.”

Mercedes’s laughter peeled through the room, and Alec’s gaze was drawn back to her. Ezra’s hand slipped around Mercedes’s waist, tugging her into his side. Ezra was clearly sending a message to all around them that they were together. She didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she beamed at everyone who was near her.

Jesus, it hurt to look at them.

“They look really happy together.” Kristin touched his shoulder. “Isn’t that what you want for her? It looks like Ezra makes her happy.”

But it didn’t. She would never be happy with Ezra. As much as they had in common, Ezra wasn’t what she needed. Mercedes had already suffered enough at the hands of undeserving men. It burned him up that she may be walking into more heartache.

“Hey, everyone,” Charlotte called, and the murmur of the guests died away. “Thanks so much for coming tonight and celebrating the return of my big sister, Sadie. I don’t have to tell you how hard this past year has been without her, and I am so grateful she’s come back to us.”

Mercedes smiled shyly as the guests all lifted their glass to her.

“So now, we are going to go down into the actual speakeasy,” Charlotte said. “We have hors d’oeuvres down there and the cocktails are on us. Please enjoy.”

Alec jerked his arm away from her grasp. “You need to leave. Now.”

She shook her head. “Alec . . .”

“I mean it, Kristin. Go home.”

Alec walked away, leaving Kristin in the bar.

The speakeasy was much larger than the main bar. Books lined the walls, and tables and cushioned chairs were scattered across the ornate carpet. Mercedes stayed on her feet, embracing old friends and smiling as she greeted them.

Alec had an unobstructed view of her face. She wasn’t watching him, so he could take her in a little more while still being discreet. He sipped his whisky, hoping it would do its job and mute the misery crawling through him.

After everyone had sampled the food and refilled their cocktails, Ezra stood and clinked his glass. He was so relaxed in front of a crowd, he seemed to draw energy from it. “What kind of party would it be if I didn’t stand and make a speech?” The crowd whooped with laughter. When they quieted, he spoke again. “Thank you all for joining us on such short notice. I know all of you are here because at one time in your life you were touched by Mercedes and Charlotte. If you were anything like me, you were beyond happy when Mercy came back to us.”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd. Maybe his own reaction would have been different if he hadn’t been rocked by betrayal. Fuck Whitley for ripping them apart.

Ezra continued. “I know a lot of you in here were witness to the mistakes I made years ago and I’m grateful for Mercy’s forgiveness, and that she let me come in and be a part of her life again. I can’t wait to be a part of your next chapter.” Ezra ran his fingers along her jaw, and Mercedes smiled up at him.

Ezra had the look of a man fully gone. Alec knew it well.

“Are you alright?” Cressida said as she sat next to him.

“No,” he said honestly. “I fucked this up so much.”

Cressida’s gaze followed his, taking in Mercedes and Ezra. “There’s still time to fix this.”

“Is there? Look at them.”

“Of course. She thinks she’s giving you what you want. She loves you but she’s not going to beg you to choose her.”

Alec frowned at Cressida’s words. Did Mercedes think this was what he wanted? For her to be with Ezra?

“Hey, if Kristin is it for you, that’s great. But you should probably stop looking at Sadie that way. Let her move on with her life.”

“I broke it off with Kristin. I took her to the airport this morning.”

Cressida’s jaw dropped. “Then what is she doing here?”

Alec winced. “Trying for one more chance.”

“Jesus.” Cressida rolled her eyes.

Alec looked back to where Mercedes was smiling and laughing with one of her former colleagues. “Christ. I just need one moment alone with her. Kristin just cocked it up and now Ezra’s got his bloody hands on her.”

“You’ll find the moment,” Cressida said. “You two belong together.”