AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I hope we bring these guys down.” They hadn’t even started the retreat yet, hadn’t offered their bribes or been subject to the dubious therapy sessions. But she already disliked the place and had a feeling it was even worse than his sister had described.
He grinned, teeth flashing white in the shadows of the hallway. “We will.”
* * *
The knock came shortly after six.
Ainsley had just finished brewing a cup of tea in the small kitchen. Santiago glanced at her, and she nodded.
Ready to meet the enemy.
He opened the door to find a middle-aged couple standing on the porch. “Welcome to The Marriage Institute. I’m Brody Woods, and this is my wife, Alva.”
“Santiago Rodriguez,” he replied, automatically sticking out his hand.
Brody had a firm handshake, strong but not painfully so. Alva offered him a smile and held up a brown paper bag. “May we come in for a moment?” she asked.
“Of course.” Santiago stepped aside to let them past, though what he really wanted to do was drag them to a jail cell.
Easy does it, he reminded himself. As satisfying as it would be to unleash his anger on these two, he needed to keep the end goal in mind. Gather evidence, then bring them down.
They looked like a nice couple, a stereotypical middle-class pair. He wore khakis and a button-down shirt, his blond hair shot through with silver. She was a plump, matronly type, her short hair permed and teased to perfection. Her large glasses magnified her eyes, making her look a bit like an owl.
“We brought food,” she said in a singsong announcement. She placed it on the small table in the kitchen area and smiled, looking pleased with herself. “It’s not fancy, but we wanted to make sure you both had something to eat tonight. The kitchen in the main cabin doesn’t open until tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you.” Ainsley spoke softly, and Santiago could tell by her tone that she was struggling to appear friendly. He couldn’t blame her, and hopefully if the Woodses picked up on her negativity, they’d assume it was directed at him. After all, their marriage was in trouble, right?
Alva nodded. “Our pleasure. We’re so glad you’re here.”
Santiago nearly snorted. Of course they were. As far as the Woodses were concerned, he and Ainsley were two more marks to swindle.
“I’m glad we could fit this into our schedule,” he said. “And even happier you had room for us at the retreat.”
Brody spread his arms out, and for a split second, Santiago was afraid the other man was going to try for a hug. “Our mission is to help couples in trouble. As licensed counselors, we’ve made it our life’s work to teach other people how to effectively communicate and save their relationships.” His tone was earnest; if Santiago hadn’t known better, he might have believed the older man.
Alva stepped forward and placed what he supposed was meant to be a comforting hand on his arm. Santiago fought the urge to recoil from her touch. “You’ve both taken the first step, which is often the most difficult.” She glanced to Ainsley and back to him, clearly speaking to them both. “Your presence here means you’re both committed to doing the hard work of repairing your relationship. We are so happy to help with that.”
Ainsley merely nodded. Alva aimed a smile at her. “We’re looking forward to getting to know you both over the next week. Remember, if you need anything, we’re here to help.”
“Thank you,” Santiago said.
Brody tilted his head toward Ainsley. “We hope you enjoy your evening. The facilities at the main cabin are closed for the evening—we want everyone to wait to meet each other until our first session in the morning. Please get some rest, and we’ll see you at breakfast.”
“That sounds good,” Santiago replied. “Let me walk you out.” He stepped to the door and held it open. As the Woodses passed him, he shot Ainsley a look.
She nodded, understanding his silent signal.
Santiago c
losed the door behind him and indicated Alva and Brody should walk down the porch steps with him. While their backs were turned, he ran a finger over the surface of his own hidden camera, disguised as a coin he wore on a chain around his neck. “I was hoping to have a word in private?”
“Of course.” Brody’s tone was friendly, but he’d dropped his voice to match Santiago’s volume. “What’s on your mind?”
Santiago stopped and lifted his hand to scratch the back of his head. “Here’s the thing,” he said. He made a point of glancing back at the cabin, as if he was worried Ainsley was spying on them. “This isn’t going to work. I’m only here so that I can tell the divorce lawyer I tried everything. We have a prenup agreement that states we have to try counseling before we split or else she gets half of everything. Since we’re both lawyers, it’s not going to be easy to divorce. But I want out of this marriage.”
The Woodses exchanged a look. “I see,” Alva said carefully.
“Is there something you can do to help me?” he asked. “Maybe you can convince Grace that she’d be better off without me? If she initiates the divorce, I’ll be able to argue down the amount of alimony she should get.” It felt strange to use Ainsley’s middle name, but he needed to get used to saying it around these people.
