Chapter 9 Lost and Found

I clutched her tight, refusing to let go. Oh God. Thank God. My Darcy.

We stood just outside the entrance to the big police station. The sky was clouded over, and looked like it might start raining any minute.

Darcy clutched at me too, sobbing. She had just stepped out of the police cruiser that had saved her from the kidnappers den. It had been a week since she had been gone. Seven terrible days. I had brought hell down on the local police. On Tom. Reports said she had been seen leaving town just that evening I had been to see her.

The one guy that had been picked up in her apartment had been a major suspect. He had had scratch marks on his face positively from a struggle. His belt had been unbuckled. The theory was that he had tried a rape first but his colleagues decided they did not need that and decided to dump him.

But he had denied every one of it. Said he just happened to be doing the wrong thing at the wrong place at a wrong time. Whatever that meant. Nonsense, of course. But he had refused to say anymore. So they had thrown his ass in prison, and followed the other leads.

The two private eyes I had hired had been absolute twats. While Tom had been passed out cold on his miserable ass, his Brandon partner had actually managed to follow them. Until they reached a busy express road and he had to ease up on his speed before the cops arrested him for going over the speed limit. The fool. I had thugs beat him up for it.

Then someone had phoned. Tipped the police off. She was not reckless, Alba, but she had not been too careful either. The police had found them easily, laying off the heat along some countryside farm cowshed. They probably had been keeping her alive, waiting for further instructions from Alba who the police had picked up just after the kidnap as she was trying to leave town and were keeping quiet about it. She had claimed she would rather die than let me see Darcy ever again.

Losing her those seven days had brought up thoughts in me that I really cared. That I loved her. Knowing she was in danger and perhaps dead had made me lose incredible weight. And not because of my dad's stupid challenge. I was done with that. He could confer his authority to who he deemed fit. I no longer cared. And besides, I was still rich even without it. I could easily start up my own company and build them over the years. And that was what I was going to do. Exactly that.

I looked Darcy over again. She looked pale and weak. I felt her pain like a prick to my heart. I knelt, holding her hand. She watched me with a weak knowing smile.

"Darcy," I croaked. "Now I have come to know how much of my future I see in you. Of how stupid and boring my life without you would look like."

She chuckled at that. "I know, baby. I've been doing my best. And I know you love me. I know."

I stood, swept her of the ground and twirled her around as she laughed. Then I was kissing her. Like my life depended on it. And she was kissing back. And crying. And laughing. And the raindrops were pelting at us. And the cops who had brought her were clapping and whooping.

"Babe, see, I no longer care about the inheritance. Watch." I whipped out my phone and called my dad.

"Dad, it's all been feigned. The marriage with Darcy. All of it since the night you called to tell me about bringing my fiancé. All in a bid to win over your trust. I have not responsible, sir. And I'll learn like my mates have. But not from you. And definitely not for wealth."

"What are you saying? Who is Darc..." but the phone was already sailing away from me. It hit the asphalt a pole away, shattering.

Darcy watched me with her eyes brimming though through the rain, I could not really tell if they were tears. "Now, now, Mr. Bernhardt, you've got to become less lass with throwing away expensive things. Seeing as you've just ruined your chance at owning a multi-billion dollar industry."

"I don't care, Mrs. Bernhardt. You are in it with me. For better, for worse. Remember?"

"That was on a contract," she laughed.

"And you took real vows."

"I do not agree. I did not mean it," she frowned, pretending. "You conned innocent me into doing it."

The rain was quite heavy now, and the drops were getting painful. And still, neither of us were moving. I wanted to say everything to her. To promise her everything. And somehow, I knew she wanted to too.

I knelt again. "Even though you do not have a choice, I will do you this one offer, Miss Darcy. The honor of being Mrs. Bernhardt. Again. Do you agree?"

"Why, yes silly. Where's the ring?"

I laughed.

"Really, Darcy?" I asked, a painful tug on my stomach.

"Really." She agreed, grinning through all the water. "And I am pregnant."

"What?"

"Yes, mister. Found out while I was out doing captive duty. The goons figured out. Stopped them from doing stuff with me. Disgusted them."

My hands shook. So I really was going to learn how to be responsible. Oh God. I would not be naming him Brandon. That one was certain. He was looking to look as handsome and as rich as his dad. With ladies flocking around. But I was going to teach him self control. And to look before he leapt. Leaping without looking had landed my ass into Alba, and I wouldn't let a son of mine follow in my footsteps.

"We are going to name him Brandon," Darcy said.

"What? Like hell we are."

A sergeant walked up with an umbrella. "Ma'am, we need you to step inside for a statement."

"Get lost," I said to her.

She stared, affronted. "Sir..."

"I said to get lost."

"Mr. Bernhardt. You really must work on this attitude of yours," Darcy taunted, going to the boiling woman and leading her away by the hand. "You will work on them."

"Whenever you're ready, Mrs."

The officer looked like she could murder me. For the sake of it, I stuck my tongue out at her.

I was happy. I wondered how Alba would feel now. And for the first time in my life, I had no idea what I would do not. For the first time, the future actually looked exciting.