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The one on the left, wearing a commanders badge, stopped in front of Simon.
"Simon Northam, Duke of Hurstgrove?"
"Yes. " He froze.
The sergeant beside him whipped out a pair of handcuffs and slapped them around one of Simons wrists. "Youre under arrest for Felicia Saffords kidnapping and rape. "
Chapter 15
FELICIA GASPED AS THE officers whirled Simon around and cuffed his hands behind his back. Around her, the room buzzed as surprise and malicious interest swept through the crowd.
Rape? "You cant do this!" she protested to Mason.
But he could. As the prosecutor and the barrister drafting the charges, he would have latitude the average citizen wouldnt. He could say anything he bloody wanted, at least until someone talked to her and looked at the tabloid pictures. Then, any fool would know the truth. Right?
Or could Mason turn Simons proceedings topsy-turvy, forcing him to prove his innocence? Apprehension gripped her chest.
"We have a warrant for his arrest," the sergeant pointed out.
"Can we do this elsewhere?" Simon hissed. "This is a benefit dinner. Theres no need to keep the cause from making money so that you can make an example of me. "
The sergeant speared Simon with a hard stare. "Are you admitting your guilt?"
"Im refusing to air legal laundry in front of an audience. "
"Wait!" she demanded. They had to see this was all wrong. "Im Felicia Safford. "
The commander turned to her. "Are you all right? Do you need medical attention?"
Medical attention? They truly believed shed been attacked? "No, of course not.
Im fine. "
The older man sent her a kindly glance. "Then wed like you to come with us and tell us what happened. We wont let anyone hurt you anymore. " He glowered at Simon.
"Lets go. "
God, everything was happening so fast. If they took Simon away, her protection would go with him, yes. But she was more concerned about him. She cared for him far too much to let anyone take him from her.
She swallowed, realizing the enormity of her feelings for him. Theyd crept up on her and crowded in. Hed barged into her psyche, making himself almost as necessary to her as air.
She loved him. Dear God. How had that happened?
The policemen shoved Simon through the stunned crowd, out the door to the front of the hotel, past the paparazzi. Anxiety, incredulity, and dread rushed through Felicia as she ran after them, through the barrage of questions and flashbulbs. Mason chased after her, shouting. But she didnt slow. Somehow, she had to get Simon out of this mess.
As the peelers moved to place him in their car and refused her entrance, she grabbed the sergeants arm. "Stop! Youre making a mistake!"
He cast a curious glance between her and Mason, who now panted beside her.
"You can tell us your side of the story at the station. "
The sergeant pushed Simon in the waiting police car and pivoted away. Felicia darted for the limousine, shaking all over, the press following. Damn, she must keep herself together.
A glowering Mason followed in his sensible sedan.
Nail-biting minutes later, they all arrived at the station. The two officers ushered Felicia into a small interview room, then left. She paced, wondering how long it would be before they allowed her to see Simon.
Mason must have convinced someone to let him in because he barreled into the little room moments later and grabbed her arm. "I filed these charges to help you. Now is your opportunity to tell the truth, Felicia, without Simon to coerce you. You didnt leave our wedding voluntarily with him. "
Not for anything would she admit that now.
"Youre using your position to prosecute your own brother?" She felt betrayed on Simons behalf. She understood how Mason could feel as if his brother had wronged him, but how could Mason do this?
"No, to protect you," Mason insisted. "Make certain hes punished if he forced himself on you. "
Simon had gone to another woman and engaged in something less than sex to avoid forcing himself on her, his own mate. "He would never do that. "
Masons face thundered into a frown. "Hes seduced you. Did he tell you that he loves you? Dont put anything past him. Hed charm his way into your affections merely to turn you inside out. Felicia, whatever you think you know about him, hell break your heart and hell relish it. His feelings for you . . . " He shook his head. "Theyre all about hurting me. "
Two days ago, she would have believed it and run scared. After all, shed known Mason for six years, and Simon a mere three days. Now, she suspected that if she asked Simon to cut out his own heart and serve it up for her on a platter, he would.
"Arent you trying to hurt him with this stunt?" she demanded.
The door to the interrogation room opened, and the two arresting officers walked in, minus Simon. They frowned at Mason.
She jerked her arm from her former fiances grasp. "Where is he?"
"Hurstgrove is in custody," the sergeant growled. "Pending interrogation. "
Felicia shook her head. "This is a huge misunderstanding. "
"Is it, now?" The commander sent her a searching gaze. "Not according to Mr.
Daniels. " Then he frowned. "Sir, you shouldnt be talking to the victim until I question her. Ill have to ask you to leave. "
Mason raised a brow. "Im both the prosecutor and her fiance. Shes been hurt, and Ive just recovered her. Im not leaving. "
"Simon never hurt me," she insisted.
The commander hesitated, and Mason kept on. "You know me. I would never do anything to jeopardize this investigation. "
The older man sighed, clearly not liking it, but he nodded and turned Felicias way again. "Did the Duke of Hurstgrove carry you away from your wedding against your will?"
"Is that what everyone thought?" She pretended an amused laugh. "Ridiculous. "
The older mans bushy gray brows slanted down ominously. "Mr. Daniels claims that, after kidnapping you, His Grace forced you to engage in sexual activity against your will. "
Felicia was almost afraid to turn and look at Mason. Now, she had to choose publicly. With one word, shed likely ruin her relationship with her best friend forever.
Inside, she wept, hating that shed come between brothers. But there was no choice.
"No, he didnt force me to do anything I didnt choose to. "
She looked Mason in the eye. His eyes slammed shut, and the pain on his face was a stab to her chest.
"He carried you away from our wedding," Mason insisted. "I watched him. So did dozens of others. Ive brought their statements. "
Felicia forced herself not to flinch. "I went willingly. He only carried me as a romantic gesture and so that my shoes wouldnt be ruined by the snow. "
"Your bloody shoes?" Mason railed. "Youd only met Simon the day before. He was a virtual stranger. You were furious with him. "
He had her there, and Felicia panicked for a moment. If she didnt think of something plausible to say, he could ramrod these charges through and have Simon prosecuted. Hed proudly made a life of putting violent offenders behind bars.
"Hes protecting me. Someone is after me. " Please dont let them ask about Mathias.
"Why not come to us, Miss?" the sergeant barked.
"Simon knew of the threat before I did. I-it all happened so fast, and then we were running for our lives, hiding and unsure whom to trust. But he didnt abduct me. "
The policeman cast a glance at Mason. "And the charge of rape? Did Hurstgrove sexually assault you or force you to enter into a sexual relationship?"
"As I said, nothing was against my will. "
"Will you sign a sworn statement to that effect?" said the older policeman.
Felicia couldnt look at Mason, knowing hed stuck his neck out professionally to bring her home safely, and she was rejecting his help. But she nodded.
"Youre certain?" the commander asked.
 
; "Yes. I was completely willing," she murmured.
"You let him fuck you?" Mason sounded shell-shocked. Betrayed.
Felicia hated that shed hurt her best friend so deeply. Hed tried so hard to be her everything. Shed do almost anything to take her words back, except hurt Simon.
"Mason. . . "
The commander pulled out a chair. "Sit down so we can get the facts. "
A long hour later, the commander put a piece of paper in front of her, typed with her formal statement. "Sign here. "
"Felicia," Mason pleaded, looking pasty white. "You cant mean any of this . . . "
"Im sorry," Felicia whispered, then signed the statement and handed it back to the commander. "Will you bring Simon to me now?"
The younger policeman looked at her as if she was a Stockholm syndrome victim to be pitied. "Are you certain thats what you want? Its not too late. "
She didnt care what he thought. She knew the truth. "Im certain. "
The commander made a call to the jail. Moments later, two policemen ushered Simon in and uncuffed him.
"Youre free," the older man said, sliding Felicias statement across the table in front of him. "Miss Safford made a written account of events that exonerates you. "
He paused to caress her shoulder in an affectionate gesture of thanks, then plowed toward Mason. "You jealous bastard! How could you do this to Felicia? You know sharing the intimate details of her life is hard. But you forced her into telling all. "
Mason raised a dark brow. "She apparently found a way to share everything with you. Her past, her fears, her body. I saw those pictures online. You shared her with the whole fucking world. " He turned to her, anguish contorting his face. "Didnt I love you enough? Didnt I give you the space and time you needed? What else could I have done?"
Felicia closed her eyes and clutched her stomach. God, this hurt. Shed always known that being left by someone she loved would cause untold pain, but shed never imagined that being the one to cut someones heart out would hurt so deeply as well.
"You did everything," she murmured. "Im sorry . . . "
"Sorry? With a word, you think my pain just . . . goes away? I wanted to love you for the rest of your life, and I was willing to accept whatever terms you needed. "
"Its my fault," she choked as guilt slammed into her. "You were my crutch when I was afraid. After Deirdre died, that was all the time. You never demanded more of me, and I . . . walled myself off. Im sorry I never let you in. Im sorry I let you be my strength instead of standing on my own two feet. " Hot tears rained down her cheeks. "Youve always been a great friend, and I never meant to hurt you. I really am sorry. "
"Thats enough. " Simon pushed between them and glared at Mason. "Dont you dare take your anger out on her. If youd like to hit me later, Ill stand still and let you.
Sue me, hate me, disown me if that will make you feel better. "
"Dont worry. I will. "
In the wee hours of the night, Duke climbed into the limousine with Felicia at his side, paparazzi still chasing them.
"Dont these vultures ever sleep?" she muttered.
Despite all the tension of the evening, he laughed. "Theyre robots missing their off buttons. "
She shook her head and curled up next to him on the seat, exactly where he wanted her.
"Thank you for everything you did tonight. " He hugged her tightly. Of course he also appreciated the fact shed come to him wanting affection.
She turned to him with solemn blue eyes. Hed never grow tired of the sight of her. He hoped he saw her every day for the next thousand years.
To his surprise, she planted a soft kiss on his lips. "Are you truly surprised that I defended you?"
"Mason had no basis in fact when he tossed the rape charge out, as Im sure he was aware. Hed seen the pictures on Out of This Realms site and become angry. " He sighed. "Frankly, I dont blame him. In his place, Id be an unhappy bastard, too. But Im surprised you told Commander Bradford that I hadnt abducted you against your will.
That wasnt precisely true. "
She caressed his face. "From eavesdropping, I knew I was in danger and suspected only you could help me. I balked because it was so sudden. " She bit her lip.
"And because you scared me. "
"Id never hurt you. "
A smile played at her gorgeous mouth. "But you were much too charming and seductive for my peace of mind. "
He returned the smile tenfold. "Ah, liked me a bit too much for comfort, did you?"
"Now youre just being cocky. "
Duke clamped his hands around her waist and lifted her. She shrieked as he settled her over his lap, thighs straddling his hips. Then he lifted up to her so she could feel his erection. "Not yet, but lose those knickers, and I will be. "
"Youre incorrigible. " She scrambled back to the seat beside him, casting a fretful glance at the driver.
As Duke raised the privacy glass, his heart lurched. "But you do like something about me?"