Page 67 of Ceremony of Lust
One of the officers, a short older man with a dark bushy mustache, holds up his hand. “We’re here to ask Mr. Landau a few questions. That’s all.” He uses his thumb to gesture at the other officer. “This is Detective Francis, and I’m Sergeant Lewis.”
“Have a seat, gentlemen,” Zev tells them as we settle on the sofa, still completely wound up in each other. He glances toward his lawyer and nods. “I can answer a few questions as long as Mr. Allen is present.”
“We appreciate that,” Detective Francis says with a polite smile.
I feel Zev’s hands on me, stroking my arms, running through my hair, traveling up the length of my spine. The questions are all about Leann. They seem innocent enough, and Zev answers them easily.
“So, the last time you saw Ms. Devereaux was the night before this Selection Ceremony?” Sgt. Lewis asks.
Zev and Fraser exchange a look, and then he lets go of me, shifting away with an uncomfortable look. “I saw her again about a month after I married Yael,” he says solemnly. His eyes slide over to me, and once he recognizes my surprise and then hurt, they close.
“What was the nature of this meeting?” Detective Francis asks as he takes notes.
The air in the room thickens as I look at my husband for answers, my heart slowly cracking open.
“She wanted money,” he tells them.
I stand abruptly, which is probably a mistake. Immediately, the room spins, and my mouth waters as bile rises in the back of my throat. I bolt from the room, dashing toward the half-bathroom just off the kitchen. I make it just in time, falling to my knees in front of the toilet as the first wave of nausea hits me, and I empty the contents of my stomach. My body convulses as I continue to vomit until there’s nothing left.
“Sweetheart.” I hear Zev’s soft voice behind me before I feel his warm hand on my chilled back. “Are you okay?”
I don’t answer. Not because I don’t want to, but because I continue to dry heave into the toilet. Zev continues to rub small circles on my back until finally, the nausea subsides.
“I’m okay,” I croak.
“No, you’re not,” he insists. “Let me take you up to bed.”
My eyes flick toward the open door. “What about the police?”
“Fraser is taking care of them. He’s going to arrange for me to answer their questions down at the station.”
An unexpected sob escapes my throat as I bury my face in his shirt. His arms encircle me, clutching me tightly against his chest. His warmth spreads through me, and the chill in my body fades.
“They’re gone,” Fraser informs us a few minutes later. “I’ll call you tomorrow with the details.”
“Thank you,” Zev tells him, and then Fraser’s gone, leaving the two of us on the floor of the bathroom.
“You lied to me,” I whisper.
“I know, and I’m so sorry I did.”
“Tell me the truth now,” I insist.
“Only if you let me take you up to bed.” He rises slowly, taking me with him. He shifts my weight in his arms with ease and then heads toward the staircase.
He’s quiet as he settles me in the big, plush bed, drawing the comforter up and over my knees before he crawls in beside me. His hand strokes my hair as he tells me about his meeting with Leann and the money he gave her. Tears trickle down my cheeks one by one as I listen to him. We were only married a month when he did this, still practically strangers, yet this feels like a betrayal.
“Say something?” he asks. “Anything.”
“Is that the truth? Are you hiding anything else from me?”
His lips press against the back of my neck. “No, I’m not. I promise you.”
His hand slides over my waist and rests on my tummy. I clutch it with my own as silent streams of tears pour down my cheeks. We’ve been married almost a year. Two more months and we’ll have survived the first year of marriage, but how many scars will be on my heart before that day comes?
“Talk to me, Yael. Your silence is killing me.”
“Tell me what you do for the Elders.”