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A car awaited them right on the tarmac. Mitch was ushered into the backseat with Candace behind her.
“I want to make this quick,” Candace told the man sitting across from them in the large SUV. “Tell me what you’ve got.”
The local Hawaiian lawyer had drawn up all of the relevant documents. First was the non-disclosure agreement Mitch was asked to sign, as well as other legal documents that she hoped were not binding under the purview of an FBI investigation. The ring camera was still recording, hopefully, but Mitch had to quickly send an encrypted text to Agent James to tell her what was happening. Her only hope was that the FBI field office in Honolulu could take over in case things went down in Hawaii.
And Vanessa still had no idea she was here.
Mitch had preemptively blocked her because she knew her partner would start asking frantic questions when Mitch didn’t return home by midnight. So far, Candace had not confiscated Mitch’s phone. Nor had she touched her since announcing they were going to Hawaii. Candace had a small but luxurious house right on the beach, and that’s where they went now, where she claimed they could be “alone.”
Yet to Candace Lister, “alone” meant at least one servant on the premises and plenty of security around the perimeter.
More clothes were laid out for Mitch when she entered the primary bedroom without Candace. To the sounds of early morning waves and the sight of surfers getting them in before work, Mitch pulled out two outfits that would get her by for now. Candace had told her to pick out something that was both comfortable and stylish. There would be no photos, but there would be an officiant. Since, as Candace put it, one of the best things about a Hawaiian elopement was that the officiant counted as a witness.
They were married in the backyard by the pool. It was short and far from romantic.
Yet Mitch was immediately reminded of the island getaway she and Vanessa had embarked upon at the end of their long journey together. How that had been the first truly freeing refuge they discovered for exploring their love and devotion for one another.
It had been there that Vanessa formally collared Mitch and declared her whole.
“Are you all right,” Candace asked as they ate a lunch of fresh fruit and barbecue pork. She perused a financial report on her tablet while Mitch scratched at the flowy white top conflicting with the Hawaiian humidity. Foggy, cold San Francisco this was not.
“Just a bit overwhelmed by everything that’s happened in the past twenty-four hours,” Mitch said, dabbing her eyes with her napkin. “You know I have to tell Vanessa. She doesn’t know I’ve run off with you.”
“What is she to me? I’ve made you mine, legally and in your heart. All that’s left is to claim your body.”
“When will that be?”
Even through everything else waging war within her, Mitch had to keep Candace’s thoughts on one thing.
“Soon. Not now. While I’m here, I’m going to conduct a bit of business. Drop in on one of my restaurants unannounced for a surprise inspection. Remember, you and I may be together now, but nobody knows you’re the new Mrs. Candace Lister. Hm. I forgot to have my lawyer draw up that paperwork?” She made a note on her phone. “I’ll have it delivered by the evening for you to sign. No wife of mine will not have my last name.”
“Of course, Mistress.”
“I suppose you’ll want to tell whatever family you have, but it will have to wait. I need to get ahead of any media sniffing around.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
“Aren’t you a pleasing puppy already? I’ll make sure tonight is extra special.” Candace put down her tablet and gave Mitch undivided attention for the first time since the ceremony. “Name one thing you want, and I’ll make it happen. As a wedding gift to you.”
“Oh, well…” Mitch held her hand over her mouth as she hastily swallowed a piece of pineapple. “I only want it to be special. Romantic. Maybe we can work our way up to our wildest fantasies over the honeymoon.”
“Indeed. Best to be pragmatic. Just because I’m finally allowing myself to do what I want with you doesn’t mean I want to keep you from wanting more. Some mystery should suffice.”
“All I ask is that I have a great time, Mistress.”
When Candace left to do her restaurant drop-in, Mitch crashed. She was exhausted physically, of course, but pretending to be in love with Candace had done a number on her after so many hours. She shut herself up in the primary bedroom and buried her face in the pillow. As she drifted off into an uncomfortable nap, she refused to shed tears that might betray her later.
Even though she desperately missed Vanessa.
“Where the hell is she?” Vanessa slammed both fists against the dining table, where she battered Luke with a barrage of questions. “I know she told you what she’s doing. This is about Lister, isn’t it? This is about our investigation!”
“You know I don’t know much about that. No more than I have to!” Luke didn’t normally get so defensive around his employer, but Vanessa was coming in more than hot: she was liable to fire him right there! “She didn’t tell me anything. Only that she had some business to take care of that she wasn’t telling you about, and if you acted like this I was to keep my mouth shut. Well, that’s easy because I don’t know shit!”
Vanessa burned two holes in her corneas when she stared him down.
She’s gone and done something stupid. I know it!As angry as Vanessa wanted to be, she was more terrified than anything else. Mitch was her rock. Her constant. Her most precious person to ever come into her life.If something happens to her, I don’t know what I will do.Light the world on fire and watch it burn around her in a raging inferno.
Mitch was smart enough not to tell Luke anything. She knew Vanessa would make him talk, otherwise.I’ve got to go up the chain of command.People who would help Mitch. People who might know where the hell she went!
