All Chapters of Married For The Show: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

RAINAThe footsteps stopped just past my door.I held my breath.A second passed. Then another. The footsteps moved on. Soft. Careful. Whoever it was, they weren't headed toward my room. They were going somewhere else.I waited until the sound was halfway down the hall. Then I slipped out of bed.The floor was cold under my bare feet. I pulled my robe on and tied it without making a sound. My heart was hammering against my ribs hard enough that I could feel it in my throat.I cracked my door open. Just an inch. Enough to see.The hallway was dark except for the faint glow of a sconce at the far end. I saw a shape moving away from me. Small. Slim. Carrying something against his side. A bundle of some kind, wrapped in cloth.Teddy.I almost let the door click shut. Almost went back to bed. Almost let it go.But something stopped me. Some small voice in the back of my head that had been asking questions for weeks now and had never gotten an answer.I waited until he turned the corner at

RAINA The drive was short. Twenty minutes through quiet streets. Past closed shops. Past the long stretch of road that led out of the wealthier neighborhoods and into the older parts of the city. I kept both hands on the wheel. I checked the rearview mirror more times than I needed to. I told myself this was business. That this was the work, and the only way out.The church appeared at the end of a long, narrow road. The trees stood close around it. The building itself was small. White stone with a steeple that was darker than the rest of it. The parking lot wrapped around to the side, hidden from the road.A black sedan was parked in the far corner.A man was leaning against the driver's side door.I pulled in slowly. I parked a few spaces away from him. I sat with my hands on the wheel for a second longer than I needed to.Then I got out.The cold hit me. The lot was completely empty except for his car and mine. The streetlight at the edge of the road was old, the bulb was yello

RAINAThe chance came on a Tuesday afternoon.I almost missed it.I was carrying a stack of fresh towels to the master bedroom. One of the many duties I performed as Mrs. Rowland. The marriage was fake, but the role wasn't. Castor expected his household run perfectly. His shirts pressed. His meals on time. His towels changed twice a week. And I did it all with a smile because that's what kept the peace.Castor's study door was open. Not all the way. Just enough.His voice leaked through the gap like smoke."I told you. Not this week."My feet stopped before my brain caught up.I stood in the middle of the hallway, towels against my chest, heart already climbing into my throat.A pause. Someone on the other end. Then him again, harder."Then find another way. I'm not moving on this."My hand was in my cardigan pocket before I made the decision. The recorder was there, right where it had been every day since Sylvester pressed it into my palm at the church. Warm from sitting against my

RAINAA week had passed since I saw Sylvester.After our first meeting, he'd chosen the spot for our second.The motel was on the far side of the city, the kind of place truckers used when they didn't want to be remembered. Two stories. Concrete walkway. A flickering sign that said vacancy in faded red.I parked at the back, the way Sylvester had told me to in his text. I walked up to room twelve and knocked twice.He opened the door before my hand had dropped.He was in dark jeans and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. No jacket. He stepped aside and I walked in. The room smelled like old carpet and something cleaner underneath. Soap. Aftershave. Him.He shut the door behind me. Locked it."Sit."I sat on the edge of the bed because there was only one chair and he was already moving toward it. He pulled the chair around to face me. Sat. He had a small glass of whiskey on the nightstand he'd been drinking.Not wasting any time, I reached into my coat and pulled out the recorder

RAINAI heard the commotion before I heard the doorbell.I was in the sitting room with a cup of tea I hadn't touched, going through a stack of invitations Felix had sent over for campaign events I was expected to attend. My social duties as Mrs Rowland.Raised voices outside. Faint, coming from the direction of the front gate. I couldn't make out the words, but I could hear the tone. Someone wasn't taking no for an answer.A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.Maria's footsteps crossed the entrance hall. The front door opened."Hi. I'm here for Raina."My cup froze halfway to my mouth.I knew that voice."I'm sorry, ma'am. Mrs. Rowland isn't expecting visitors this morning. If you'd like to leave your—""Zoe Castillo. She's expecting me, she just doesn't know it yet.""Ma'am, I really can't let you in without—""I just spent fifteen minutes convincing the two lovely gentlemen at your gate that I wasn't a threat to national security. I'm not doing it again at the front door. I'm com