I closed my eyes and got prepared for it. What in the hell else could happen?
“I’m ready,” I said.
“I did a sweep of your cottage. There were two small wireless cameras that someone had placed in your room. Someone has been watching y’all.”
My entire body froze as I let what Chris just told me settle into my brain. “What?”
Oh, my God. They saw Adaline naked. They saw us having sex. Who the fuck knows what else they saw or what they will do with the videos.
“Chris, how in the hell did you find them?”
“I combed through your entire cottage, call it gut feeling or something. I figured if someone was going to go through all of this trouble, they were most likely watching you as well. Especially if it is Stephanie.”
Turning, I glanced into the shop and saw Adaline standing at the counter checking out. She was wearing a smile as she listened to something the girl behind the counter was saying. “Who else knows you found the camera?”
“Just Todd,” Chris said.
Talking barely above a whisper, I said, “Don’t tell anyone else, especially Addie.”
Chris cleared his throat. “Um, isn’t she kind of pissed at you for not telling her about Stephanie calling up here and jacking with your reservations? Are you sure you want to hide this from her?”
“Just until after the wedding is over.” I turned away and scrubbed my hand down my face. “Chris, what would you think of taking on a new job?”
“New job?”
“I want to set up a small security team, mostly for Addie and you are about the only person I would trust to do it.”
Silence loomed over the phone. I didn’t say anything because I knew my brother was letting what I had just said soak in. “Ah, well I’d have to talk to MaryAnne about it. Can I think about it and talk to her some before we go any further with this?”
“Of course. But the sooner the better, Chris. I have a feeling if Stephanie is behind this, she covered her tracks really well.”
The door to the shop rang as it opened and Adaline, Emery, and Ashley all walked out laughing. It was nice to see Adaline happy. “Hey, I’ve got to run. We’ll be back over there in a little bit.”
“Talk to you soon, Emmit. Don’t worry, dude. Between me, Todd, and Waldo, nothing else is going to happen. I promise.”
“Thanks, Chris. Later.”
I hoped like hell my brother was right. I needed to make two more calls, but I didn’t want to make them on my cell.
Adaline walked up to me as she wore the most beautiful smile. “Hey, you still mad at me?” I asked as I gently kissed her lips.
Adaline’s eyes searched my face before they made contact with my lips. “No,” she whispered as she licked her lips and then looked back up into my eyes. “I’m sorry I got so mad. It’s just everything that is happening and today is supposed to be the happiest day of our lives, it has me thrown that’s all.”
I placed my hands on the sides of her face and pulled her lips back to mine where I kissed her again. My sister and Adaline’s mother had already gone back to the limo and were waiting for us. “Every day I wake up with you is the happiest day of my life, Addie. All we need is the two of us. Don’t ever forget that.”
Her teeth sank down into her lip as she worried it. “I won’t,” she said as I laced my hand around her waist and guided her over to the limo.
Making our way into the limo, I looked around at the three women and said, “So where to now?”
Ashley cleared her throat and said, “I think Adaline needs a massage, then it’s back to the villa to get ready. I know exactly how I want to put your hair up, Adaline!”
With a small chuckle, Adaline nodded her head and then turned to me. “What if she’s still there?”
Pulling her closer to my side, Adaline settled in next to me and rested her head on my shoulder. “Todd and Chris are taking care of all that, baby. Don’t worry about any of it. I swear to you, no one is going to do anything else to ruin this day.”
Adaline glanced up at me through her beautiful long eyelashes as she gave me a weak smile. I knew she didn’t totally believe me. Hell, I didn’t really believe me either. I had a sinking feeling Stephanie was lurking around . . . waiting for her chance to strike again. Knowing she might have watched me fuck Adaline this morning turned my stomach. The thought of someone possibly having a video of us caused my body to go stiff.
We needed to find this person, and find them soon.
Chris pointed to where each camera had been placed. I let out a sigh of relief that this morning’s escapades with Adaline weren’t in the line of sight of either camera. If it had sound, they could have listened to everything that went on.
“There’s no more. Are you sure?” I asked as I looked around the room.
“If there is, they are hidden really well.”
With a quick nod of my head, I said, “Okay.”
“Um, Emmit, I don’t really know how to ask this but I have to.”
I turned and looked at my brother as he gave me an awkward look. “Just ask.”
Chris rubbed his chin and sucked in a deep breath. “Did you ever have sex with Stephanie?”
“Hell no!” I said as I gave him a look of horror. “First of all, she worked for me and she was married. I’d never cross either of those lines.”
Chris held up his hands. “I had to ask. If it is her, and you did have some sort of relationship with her, I wouldn’t have put it past her to have recorded it.”
I pulled my head back and looked at Chris with a confused look. “Fuck dude, that’s some messed up thinking.”
With a shrug of his shoulders, Chris continued on. “I’m just saying, I could see some sick bastard recording you fucking, keep it for herself to watch and then send it to Adaline right before the wedding.”
My heart dropped to my stomach as the fear of something like that being sent to Adaline. Luckily, I never slept with Stephanie. “Well, I never slept with her so we don’t have to worry about that.”
Chris still wore a worried expression. “Talk to me, Chris.”
As he looked around my room, he shook his head. “It’s just weird, Emmit. Stephanie’s supposed to be back in the states. How did she do this? I hate to say this, but I don’t think we’ve heard the last of her.”
Not being able to push down the sinking feeling I had, I nodded my head as I said, “Yeah. Me too.”
“A sweep of your house is priority one once we get back to the states.”
My body shuddered as I let the idea of someone spying on me in my own home sink in.
“Come on, let’s go grab a quick drink to settle our nerves and then we need to start getting ready.”
“I just need to stop at the front desk and make a couple of phone calls. I’ve changed up the plans for the honeymoon. I’m not telling a soul about them. I want Adaline to feel safe.”
Chris slapped me on the back as he said, “Good call.”
I glanced around as an uneasy feeling came over me. I couldn’t shake the feeling of someone watching us as Chris and I sat in the bar and had a quick drink. I needed something to take the edge off. I was getting married in a few short hours, and I didn’t want Adaline to see me nervous.
“You ready?” Chris asked as he stood up and slapped me on the back.
Smiling, I dropped a few twenty’s onto the bar and said, “Hell yeah, I’m ready. Let’s do this!”
As we headed out of the bar, I took one more look around. I didn’t see any signs of Stephanie, but I sure as hell had the feeling she was there and I wasn’t about to let her know she was having any effect on this day what so ever.
Pulling out my phone, I sent Adaline a text.
Me: In two and a half hours you will be mine.
It didn’t take her long to send me a text back. It was a selfie and she was making a horrid face as Ashley had her hands all in Adaline’s hair. Laughing, I shook my head.
Me: You’d look beautiful with a plastic bag over your head.