The Lies That Shatter by A.V. Asher
Chapter Five
Alec had been on the phone for a good portion of the morning. The American client he’d cultivated a month ago was already netting him a decent referral business. West Coast operations in the United States were well on track for a physical office within the next year.
When Alec told Mercedes he had a plan to expand his company into California, he wasn’t kidding. After he thought Mercedes had fallen in love with someone else, he’d shelved the idea of expanding into America, tackling the European market instead. Financially, it had worked out.
Now he was making plans again. He didn’t want to make her choose between her homeland or his. She could go home, to the city she’d grown up in, and see her sister whenever she liked. Or they could live in London. He could live in either and work in both.
Alec organized his notes and added reminders of what they needed to secure the clients’ building when he heard the squeaky shoes of Mrs. Downey coming down the hallway.
“Sorry to disturb, Alec. You said to let Ms. Elliott’s sister through anytime she rang?”
“Aye, thank you.” Alec’s heart leaped. Charlotte didn’t call him often. He checked his mobile, noticing he’d missed a few calls from her.
He picked up the office phone and hit the line. “Charlie, is everything okay?”
“Alec,” she said in a choked sob. Alec’s pulse instantly shot up.
No, no, no.
“What’s happened?”
“I just had a visit from the marshals . . .”
No. This isn’t happening.
“They got her. She’s gone.”
“Charlotte . . .” The words were stuck and he could barely speak. “How?”
“They didn’t tell me anything, other than there was an attack on the safe house. By the time backup arrived, Sadie and the two agents guarding her were dead and the house had been burned to the ground. I think the suspect is dead too, but I don’t know.” She sobbed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t understand much after they said she was dead.”
Dead. Sadie was dead.
A cry ripped from his throat, and he dropped the phone. The pain in his chest made the room swirl, and he stumbled from the desk and sank to the floor.
This isn’t happening. This isn’t real.
“Alec? Alec, what’s going on?” Cressida’s broke through the chaos of his mind. The tunnel of pain wouldn’t let him focus. He could only shake his head, tears burning behind his eyes.
“Mrs. Downey! Get Declan, please.”
Alarm echoed through the office, and within seconds, Declan’s blue eyes were peering into his.
“Oy, Alec, talk to me, mate.”
Alec gestured to the phone on the floor, words catching painfully. “Charlotte,” he managed.
“He got a call from Ms. Elliott’s sister,” Mrs. Downey supplied.
Declan snatched up the phone. “Charlie? It’s Dec, what’s going on?” Then he spun to look at Alec. His face changed as he listened.
Alec shook his head. “No.” was all he could manage.
It can’t be true. It can’t be. She was going to come home to be with him. They were going to have another chance to be together.
Declan spoke quietly to Charlotte, but none of it made sense to Alec.
Cressida’s arm wrapped around his shoulder, and she held him tight to her. Tears were spilling freely down his face.
“Confirm it. Please,” he whispered to her.
“I will Alec, but right now, Dec and I are going to take care of you. I want you to breathe, okay? Just focus on breathing.”
Alec put his head in his hands and tried to do as Cressida said, but he could only manage shallow sobs. Nothing was right. His heart had been destroyed. Shattered into a million pieces, and nothing would ever be right again.