AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ainsley considered the question, mentally reviewing her options. They could both leave, today, before Micheline saw her and blew their cover with the Woodses. But they were so close to the end of the retreat, and with the couples all slated to share their decision to stay together or split up tomorrow during the closing session, they needed to stick this out. It was the final piece of evidence they wanted to connect the bribes and the retreat outcomes, and Ainsley didn’t want to walk away without getting it.
“Why don’t you go to the seminar?” she suggested. “I’ll pretend to have food poisoning, so they won’t suspect anything. That way, we’ll still be able to finish the retreat.”
“Are you sure? I don’t like the thought of leaving you alone.”
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “I’ll hang out here and lock the door. Nothing to worry about.”
She could tell by the set of Santiago’s mouth that he didn’t agree with her, but he didn’t argue. “All right,” he said. “What about this morning? Are you going to attend the morning sessions, or would you rather stay here?”
“No, I’ll go,” she said. “The counselors are really putting on the pressure now that we’re so close to the end. I need to record all the evidence I can get.”
“Okay.” Santiago nodded in agreement. “Let’s get cleaned up, then. We’ve got work to do.”
Chapter 12
The news that Micheline was making an appearance at the retreat had put a damper on the morning. But despite this unforeseen complication, Santiago still walked into his first group counseling session with a spring in his step. It wasn’t just last night’s sex or this morning’s run that had put him in a good mood, though he couldn’t deny that both activities had been thoroughly enjoyable. No, he was riding the residual high of having fully reconnected, physically and emotionally, with Ainsley.
Santiago was happy to be with her now. In some ways, the knowledge that this liaison was temporary felt freeing, and allowed him to fully enjoy their chemistry. He’d be sad when the retreat ended and they went their separate ways, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t appreciate each other’s company now. If only they’d surrendered to the attraction earlier in the week! They could have had more time together, rather than the scant hours they had left. But it was probably better this way, he told himself. Walking away from Ainsley was going to hurt, he knew that. If they’d started sleeping together on day one of the retreat, he probably wouldn’t have been able to let her go again when this was all over.
Brody sidled up to him as the first session ended. “You and the missus looked awfully cozy this morning,” he remarked.
Warning bells started clanging in Santiago’s head. Brody sounded nonchalant, but Santiago recognized his comment was more than just a casual observation.
“Did we?” Santiago replied. He shrugged, as if he didn’t care one way or another.
“Mmm-hmm.” Brody waited until the rest of the group had cleared the room. Then he fixed Santiago with a dark stare. “Have you had a change of heart since we last spoke? Because I can tell you, if you have, you’re not getting your money back.”
Santiago’s heart kicked into a higher gear and he sent up a silent prayer of thanks to the universe that he hadn’t yet shut off his hidden camera. The spy cam around his neck was picking up everything, and at this point, Brody was only deepening his own grave. This evidence, combined with the research one of his paralegals was doing into the financial records of the Woods and The Marriage Institute, would make the case against the Woods air-tight. As soon as he heard from his paralegal, he was going to contact the police and give them all the evidence.
“I haven’t changed my mind,” Santiago replied. “But from what I’ve seen this week, it’ll be easier to get her to initiate the divorce if she thinks we’re going to part as friends. Isn’t that what you’ve taught us? To play nice until we get what we want?”
Brody nodded. “That’s true. But most people aren’t that good at acting the part. You need to be careful. I could tell by the way she was looking at you that your wife still loves you.”
The observation landed like a blow, and for a second, Santiago couldn’t breathe. Ainsley had told him last night that she knew this wasn’t going to turn into anything. He’d believed she was telling the truth, had convinced himself it was okay to sleep with her because she wasn’t going to let herself get hurt.
But had she been lying? Not to him, but to herself?
Was he going to break her heart all over again?
He forced himself to smile, hoping he didn’t look as pained as he felt. “Trust me, Grace knows the score.” It felt strange to use Ainsley’s middle name, but he had to keep their cover intact for a little while longer. “My wife is aware that we don’t have a future together.” He hated saying the words aloud, and especially to this man, a relative stranger who had no business hearing about their relationship, fake or not.
Brody looked skeptical. “If you say so. Just remember, we told you there are no guarantees. If she doesn’t sign the papers, it’s not our fault.”
“I understand,” Santiago said, trying to hide his disgust. Brody and Alva were even worse than he thought! If they truly cared about people, they’d be happy to see one of the couples at the retreat looking stronger and more connected. Instead, they were only worried about their bottom line and the possibility he might d
emand his bribe money back. Taking them down was going to be one of the most satisfying moments of his career, possibly even his life.
Brody nodded. “I’ll check in with Alva, see what she’s been saying in her group sessions. Hopefully you’re right, and she really is getting ready to let go of your marriage.”
Santiago wanted to protest the invasion of Ainsley’s privacy, but he stopped himself just in time. For one thing, it didn’t really matter since they weren’t married and she was playing a part to help him. She hadn’t been baring her soul in the group sessions, so he didn’t have to worry about learning any secrets. Also, he had to keep his own role in mind: a husband who bribed the coordinators of a marriage retreat and asked for their help to convince his wife to get a divorce was not the kind of man who would worry about his spouse’s privacy in the first place.
“That’d be great,” he said instead. “I definitely don’t want any surprises, especially so late in the game.”
Brody clapped him on the back with a friendly smile. “We don’t either, son. Now, get on to your couple’s session. I’m sure she’s waiting for you.”
* * *
Ainsley left the room where the group session had just been held and stepped into the hall. She was due for a couple’s session with Santiago in a few minutes, but after one too many cups of coffee this morning, she needed a bathroom break first.
