Could This Be Love Page 5

  Marcus did not take kindly to that remark. “That’s not funny, Raven. My father may have his flaws, but he’s not a killer.”

  “He wanted to kill my baby. What makes you think he wouldn’t kill a woman who was claiming to be pregnant by him and was scheduled to do an interview with that new CNN anchor when she came up missing?”

  “We’re supposed to be discussing our life, not my father’s, remember?”

  Raven stood up and wrapped her arms around her chest. “I don’t like that discussion either. I don’t see why I have to get married today. I have been a bridesmaid four times already, it’s time for someone to be my bridesmaid and fuss over me.” She stomped her foot like a stubborn child.

  Marcus pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back, he said, “I know it’s not fair to you, hon. But I am a public figure and we need to make this right as soon as possible.”

  With pouty lips, Raven told him, “I know we have to do a quickie wedding, but I thought I had at least a month to plan it.”

  “The longer we wait the greater the chance that you’ll start showing. We don’t want anyone snapping a picture of the governor’s fiancée with a baby bump, now do we?”

  Reluctantly, Raven admitted that Marcus was right. “In another month I’ll be three months pregnant. And I have known women who started showing that early, so I guess we do need to get married immediately.”

  Kissing his bride on the forehead, Marcus said, “Thank you for understanding, baby. I might not be able to give you the wedding of your dreams, but I promise that I’ll do everything in my power to give you a marriage that most women only dream about having.”

  Stepping out of his embrace, Raven told him, “I don’t know if I can trust your promises anymore.”

  Marcus looked wounded. “What do you mean? What have I done this early in our engagement to cause you to doubt me?”

  “You promised to take me to Britney after the press conference. But instead of handling my business, I’m stuck here pacifying your father.”

  “I will take you to Britney this weekend. I promise.”

  Shaking her head, Raven told him, “That’s not good enough. If you want me to say ‘I do’ today, then you need to let me know where Britney is and I’ll send Joe to check on her.” Raven pulled out her cell phone and stared at Marcus, waiting for him to provide her with the information she was demanding.

  He hesitated, but only for a moment. “All right, you win, call Joe and I’ll tell him where he can find Britney. But I want her left where she is. She needs time to get her life back on track.”

  “Deal,” Raven said as she dialed Joe and then handed Marcus the phone.

  When Marcus finished speaking to Joe, he handed Raven back her cell phone and then said, “Come on, it’s time to get hitched.”

  Shaking her head as she followed Marcus out of his office, Raven said, “Here comes the bride.”

  Chapter 7

  “He tricked me,” Raven declared, looking at the diamond on her ring finger as she held her cell phone up to her ear.

  Joe said, “I didn’t even know the two of you were dating. Then I turn on the news and discover that you’re engaged to our very own political wonder boy.”

  “Life is funny sometimes,” Raven said, but at the moment she didn’t mean funny, ha-ha. More like the-joke-was-on-her kinda funny.

  “You keep your business and your clients’ business close to the vest, I can respect that. But how is this going to make us look to our client… you get engaged to the last person she knew to be with her daughter, he gives us her location, but when I get there I discover that Britney has been relocated again.”

  “We’re not engaged anymore. We got married yesterday.” Raven dreaded telling Joe that, because she was already feeling like a fool, but having others know how big of a fool she had been was something Raven could hardly stomach. But the senator had already leaked the news to the media, so the word would be out soon enough.

  “But you just announced your engagement.”

  She could hear the puzzlement in his voice, but there was no way she was going to tell him of her pregnancy and look like an even bigger fool, just to give him clarity. “The governor’s schedule is tight, this was the only time we had to get married within the next few months.”

  “I see.”

  “I’ll be in to work in about an hour, we can talk further then,” Raven told Joe as she hung up the phone. Something stank to high heaven and she needed to get to the bottom of it before she was pulled into the muck with the stench.

  Flinging off the covers, she hopped out of the bed she had shared with her husband the night before. The man she had vowed to love, honor and cherish. But he had double crossed her, so as far as Raven was concerned, all bets were off.

  As she got out of the shower she was greeted by her lying husband. He was still in his robe and grinning from ear to ear as he studied her body. Raven quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself. “I thought you had already left for the office.”

  He shook his head. “I went downstairs to make you some breakfast, I thought we could have breakfast in bed before getting our day started.

  She didn’t like the way he was looking at her, as if breakfast was the last thing on his mind, but getting her back in that bed was the first, second and third thing he was contemplating.

  She brushed past him, feeling too close for comfort in the spa-like bathroom. She needed to move this conversation into the spacious bedroom. “I don’t have time for breakfast, I have to get to work.”

  “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, dear wife.”

  She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself as he said the word ‘wife’, all the while hearing the words from that old 1970s song, Love Don’t Love Nobody… It takes a fool to learn, and she was certainly Marcus Allen’s fool. Pulling her form fitting dress on and then climbing into her three inch heels, Raven tried to calm herself as she turned back to her husband and demanded, “Where is she?”

  He set the breakfast tray down on the bed. “Where is who?”

  “You know exactly who I’m asking about.” Pointing an accusatory finger in his face, she said, “You sent Joe on a wild goose chase and then walked me down the aisle as if everything was just fine, when all the while you knew that Britney was long gone from the latest rehab you stashed her in.”

  “What are you talking about? Britney isn’t gone. She liked that place. She told me that the facility worked for her. She was taking long walks, sitting by the river and clearing her head.”

  “She’s not there and you know it,” Raven hated yelling but this man was getting on her nerves. He was a deceiver and she wasn’t going to play his game any longer. She started marching towards the door.

  “Wait, I’ll prove it to you.” Raven stopped as Marcus picked up the phone and dialed the facility. He asked to speak with the manager of the facility. When the man came on the line, Marcus said, “Hey, how are things going down there?”

  “As good as can be expected,” the manager told him.

  “How is Britney? Is she responding well to therapy?”

  “Britney’s no longer here. I thought you knew that she checked herself out two days ago.”

  “I had no clue. I’ve been a little busy and didn’t have time to check on her. Why did you let her check out of there? I told you she needed to be there for at least a month.”

  “She was a voluntary patient, we couldn’t force her to stay.”

  Marcus hung up and then turned back to Raven. His eyes held confusion. “I didn’t know. But I’ll find her, I promise you that.”

  “I’m good on your promises. My team will find her, just stay away from me.” She had run away from her responsibilities to her clients when she feared that his father would be coming after her. But she wasn’t running from the Allens anymore. She’d tell the world every sordid detail she knew about this family if she had to, but one way or another she was bringing Britney back to Judge H
artman.

  He grabbed her arm as she attempted to leave. “I’m on your team, remember?” He held up his ring finger. “We’re married.”

  Snatching away from him, she said, “And now I realize that it was all politics. You couldn’t care less about this baby, so get out of my way.”

  “I didn’t do anything to Britney. I’m her friend, Raven. She came to me for help and that’s what I’ve been doing. I’m not trying to sabotage your investigation or anything. I honestly don’t know why she checked herself out of that rehab, when she clearly needs to be there.”

  She was done listening to him. “I’m late for work.” Stepping around the governor, Raven left his house, vowing never to return.

  But as she was driving in to work, her cell phone rang twice. The first call came from Marcus. Raven let it go to voicemail. The second call was not so easily ignored. Mama-Carmella was calling. She had forgotten to call her family to let them know that she and Marcus were doing a quickie wedding sooner than expected. She put the phone to her ear, tried to let her smile be heard as she said, “Good morning, I was just thinking about calling you all.”

  “Why would you need to call us? I mean, we do watch the news. So anytime we need to know anything about your life, all we have to do is turn on CNN,” Carmella said sarcastically.

  Raven knew right away that she was in trouble. Her sweet and loving step-mother was rarely sarcastic. “I’m so sorry that I didn’t call everyone yesterday, but Marcus’ father ambushed us with this courthouse wedding thing the moment we left the press conference.”

  “How did you let this happen, Raven? Your father is so upset, he just left the house to take a walk and cool off.”

  “Please don't be mad at me. Senator Allen is very forceful and Marcus just wanted to stop his father from worrying.”

  “We’re not mad at you, Raven, just disappointed. Out of all the girls, you’re the one who wanted a wedding and to have ‘your day’ the most. Your father and I were excited about being able to make all your dreams come true on your special day.”

  Hearing Carmella say that made Raven think about Marcus’ statement about not being able to give her a dream wedding, but being able to give her a marriage that most women only dreamed about. He was such a liar.

  “If it makes you feel any better, I think I made a huge mistake. I wish I had called you and Dad and asked for your advice before just blindly following Marcus.”

  “What’s wrong? What has happened after not even twenty-four hours of marriage?”

  “He’s a liar, that’s what happened. And God only knows what other atrocities he’s guilty of.”

  “He seems like a very nice man. Are you sure he lied to you?”

  Her step-mother was such a good hearted person that she naturally gave everyone the benefit of the doubt and did her best to think positively. But that wasn’t the way the world worked. And certainly not the political arena in which she lived, moved and did business. It was a snake pit, and Raven had to be three steps ahead of the political beings in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. or she would get a snake bite. “I’m at work now, let me call you back later.”

  “Wait,” Carmella called out. “Let me pray for you before we get off the phone.”

  That put a smile on Raven’s face, she could use some good old fashioned prayer right about now. “Thanks, I need all the prayer you can send my way.”

  As Carmella called out to God on Raven’s and Marcus’ behalf, it was almost as if Raven felt a shift in the atmosphere. She’d left Marcus’ home, vowing never to return, but as Carmella asked God to soften Raven’s heart and to bless the union of Raven and Marcus and keep them strong as they remembered to keep God first in their lives, Raven began to wonder if she had been too hasty. Her child still needed a father and if Marcus could just come clean with her, maybe they could make their marriage work.

  “Amen, in Jesus name I pray,” Carmella said as she finished her prayer.

  “Wow, I don’t know how you did it, but your prayer took away all the anger I was feeling towards Marcus.”

  “Prayer works, my dear,” Carmella told her.

  Stepping out of her car, Raven headed towards her office. “I need you to pray for me more often. Maybe I’ll stop making such dumb decisions.” She opened the door to her office and then said, “Oh and can you please give Daddy a big hug from me and tell him how sorry I am about everything?”

  “I’ll do that for you, if you’ll do me a favor.”

  “You name it, and I’ll do it.”

  “Pray for your husband.”

  ***

  Raven hadn’t even had time to pray for herself. The minute she walked into her office, Joe was ready to go.

  “I’ve got an idea,” he told her.

  “Would you mind enlightening me?” she asked as she hopped in the passenger side of Joe’s Mustang.

  As he drove down the street, he said, “I printed off a photo of Senator Allen and of Governor Allen, your husband…” he allowed those words to take root for a moment and then continued, “I figured we’d head back to that rehab and check with some of the nurses and patients; maybe one of them saw something the other night that could point us in the right direction.”

  “That’s good, but why are we showing anyone Senator Allen’s picture? He doesn’t have anything to do with Britney.”

  “While you were off getting married, I’ve been snooping around with some of Britney’s friends. In the last few months two of her friends remembered seeing Britney in the company of the senator. And we both know how he is with the ladies, so putting it all together I discovered that after the senator’s other mistress disappeared, he evidently took up with Britney.”

  “You’re kidding?” Raven rubbed her hands across her face. “This can’t be happening. My so-called father-in-law is a monster.”

  “You married into that family. You must like monsters,” Joe said, taking his eyes off the road for a split second to look her way.

  “You don’t know the half of it.” Raven closed her eyes as she realized the magnitude of secrets her husband was keeping from her. Mama-Carmella wanted her to pray for him, but she wanted to throttle him.

  Chapter 8

  “What are you doing here?” Raven walked up on Marcus as if she wanted to swing on him.

  “Same thing you’re doing here… trying to find out where Britney is. Why are you so angry?”

  “Because you’re just trying to get in my way. But I don’t care what you do, you’re not going to stop me from finding Britney.” She turned, getting ready to storm off, but Marcus grabbed hold of her arm and turned her back to face him. “Let me go,” Raven demanded.

  “I will let you go when you get it through your thick head that we are on the same team. I married you, for God’s sake, what do you think I did that for?”

  “Maybe you wanted to keep an eye on me so you could stop me from finding out what your father has done to another one of his lovers,” she whispered, not wanting everyone in the rehab facility to hear what they were talking about.

  Marcus pulled Raven to the side. “How did you find out about that?”

  “Some secrets are hard to keep. You just remember that, Governor Allen.”

  “Oh, so I’m just the governor now. Last night I was a whole lot more, at least that’s what you kept whispering in my ear.”

  “Don’t you throw last night in my face. You tricked me into marrying you when you knew that Britney was long gone from this facility.”

  Joe rushed over to the couple and said, “Y’all might want to take this lover’s quarrel somewhere else. We’re done here anyway. Nobody remembers seeing the governor or his father.”

  “So, you’re out here checking up on me?” Marcus shook his head as if he couldn’t believe the predicament he was in.

  “We just want to find Britney,” Joe said.

  “And if I could help, I would. But I don’t know where Britney went. I have no idea why she signed herself out.”

&nb
sp; “Why don’t you seem to care that Judge Hartman is worried sick about her child?” Raven asked with hands on hips, giving him plenty of attitude.

  “Judge Hartman is worried about her next election. She should have worried more about Britney when she was a child. I guarantee you that Britney wouldn’t be the head case that she is now, if your wonderful and honorable Judge Hartman had taken better care of Britney when she needed it the most.”

  Raven was silent a moment, processing the things her husband had said. He’d known the Hartmans a long time and would be privy to things she didn’t know. Raven hated surprises when dealing with clients. She wanted to pick her husband’s brain, but with the way she had been treating him, Raven doubted he’d be willing to tell all.

  While she was trying to readjust her attitude, Joe said, “Britney’s roommate said she mentioned something about a place outside the city limits. It didn’t make much sense to me at first, but I think I should check it out.”

  “I’m going with you,” Raven said.

  “Oh no you’re not,” Marcus corrected. “My wife isn’t getting ready to run around on some wild-goose chase. And anyway, I need you with me tonight.”

  First of all, she didn’t like being told what she could and couldn’t do. Secondly, who was he to think that she’d go anywhere with him? Before opening her mouth to verbalize that a still small voice reminded her, “He’s your husband”. She then fixed her face and said, “Joe and I are still working, why do you need me with you tonight?”

  “I have to be at my father’s house to discuss campaign strategy,” he glanced at his watch, “in about an hour. As my wife, I feel you should be there.”

  And if she was there that would give her the chance to quiz his father about Britney. Raven walked Joe a few feet away from Marcus and said, “Can you go check out your lead without me? I think I might be able to get an audience with the senator if I go to this meeting. That way, before the night is over, maybe one of us will find the answers to this puzzle.”