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She starts to flounder, believing me and regretting her choice of words. “I—”
Putting her out of her misery, I stop holding back my smile and show her I’m joking. The panic drains from her face as she scowls.
“You’re such an asshole.” She tries to hide it, but I can see the slight tug of a smile on her lips when she sits across from me at the dining table. Various breakfast options are laid out for her to choose from. After skipping meals all day yesterday, and what we did all night, she must be starving, so I had Eric go and grab her anything she might fancy.
“At least there’s food in this dungeon today.” Alice glances over to the fridge, a blush sitting high on her cheeks.
“I ate quite well last night.”
Ignoring me, she picks up a chocolate croissant, leaning back until she can comfortably lift her leg up on her chair.
“Any news from Tony?”
“Yes.” The light she’d brought into the room suddenly dims as I remember I’m letting her go.
“And?” Her impatient demand, her obvious desperation to be away from me, pains me more than any physical wound my body has ever had to endure.
“And you’re going back to Wonderland. He fulfilled his part.” I take a sip of my coffee. “He even provided proof that he had no part in it being stolen in the first place.”
“He didn’t! Tony is loyal and honourable!”
I hate the idea of her defending another man who isn’t me, even if it is her best friend.
“Well, regardless, you’ll be rid of me soon enough.” I let out a sigh and discard my coffee on the table. “Eat. I’ll have Eric come and get you when it’s time to leave.”
She looks at me, confused, almost conflicted, but I don’t want to read into it and give myself hope, so I leave the room without another glance in her direction. Sitting in my office, staring at the blank computer screen, I have no one to blame but myself for this.
When we get back to the pub, Eric doesn’t have the chance to open Alice’s door. She’s opening it before the car’s fully stopped, flying out and across the road to the pub, like a bat out of hell.
“Tony!”
My instant reaction upon walking into the pub is to turn around and walk back out at the sight of her hugging Tony.
“Are you okay?”
Her concern for him makes my teeth grind, I’m so disgustingly jealous of the attention he gets from her. Specifically because I had it before I went and broke her heart.
“I’m fine. Are you? Was youwell looked after?”His gaze jumps to mine over her head. “I was more worried about you than myself.”
She scoffs, turning back to look at me, a sudden hesitancy in her gaze. “It was fine. He was respectful.”
I keep my face stoic and my lips sealed to stop from mentioning the fact that some of the things she liked me doing to her last night were far from respectful.
Alice glances between the two of us, appearing nervous. “I’m going to the bathroom. Try not to kill each other while I’m gone,” she warns warily as she walks around the bar and disappears into the back of the pub.
My eyes are drawn to the half of the bar she worked when I first came in, her excitement and the affection she showed me without hesitation.
“Are you happy with the outcome? You trust everything I have said to be true?” The question throws me. Should I have a reason not to?
“Shouldn’t I?” Alice has been friends with him for long enough to know what he would and wouldn’t do. She never doubted his innocence. I’m going to trust her, and so I’ll have to trust him.
“I never crossed Walter. I wound’t have committed to fixing it the way I did otherwise.”
“Good, then it’s settled and sorted. Myself and my men will escort it back to London.”
He leans back on a nearby table, crossing his arms. I have a feeling we aren’t done here.
“So, now that is put to rest. We have another issue we need to deal with, and that’s Alice.” Tony says her name like a warning. His face has changed from when Alice was in the room. I’ve heard the stories of how bloody and brutal he can be, and I was impressed. He’s nearly as creative as me, so I’m not surprised that he’s not willing to let me walk with what I’ve done.
