Chapter 49

Ella and Louise were sitting together. Both women had given their evidence and were now able to talk. They had their heads down and were talking softly. Roman watched them as they held hands. He wanted to go over and sit with El but Jacko had stopped him. He looked at Ella and had seen the haunted look come into her eyes that she had had previously and he was scared. She still hadn't told him he could move in and he was nervous about pushing her. Great, he thought, so he was nervous and scared. Uh, better not let on to Jacko otherwise he would never hear the end of it. He half grinned and looked up to see Nic had brought him a coffee.

"Thanks." He said softly.

Looking around he saw Ella had gone somewhere and he was surprised that he had been immersed so deeply in his own thoughts he hadn't realised she had gone. He looked up to Nic and she shook her head at him before he could say anything.

"Nic?" he questioned.

She shook her head again.

"Tell me." He asked her.

"She needed some fresh air." Nic told him softly.

She looked over at Jacko and Mike.

Roman stood up and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He dialled her number and waited. It immediately went to voicemail and he hung up without leaving a message.

Looking at everyone he took a deep breath and sat back down and drank the coffee while he waited. He didn't see Nic and Jacko exchange a look.

She sat on an uncomfortable wooden chair in the pale green painted room waiting. A scarred table in front of her. The door opened and Gardy was escorted in and he sat the other side. She faced him.

"You know this is not admissible in court." The QC told them.

El nodded.

"What do you have to say to me?" El asked him.

"You're pregnant." Gardy muttered. "Is it mine?"

Ella laughed.

"No it isn't." she stated. "Don't you think if it were I'd have had it removed." She told him hatefully.

"I want a DNA test." He muttered.

She laughed again.

"Why? Do you think you'll be able to pay child support where you are going?" she asked. "This baby is mine and Roman's. He is the father."

Gardy glared at her but didn't rise to the taunt.

"My baby inside you." He said looking pleased.

She laughed again and the sound of her laughter was harsh in the small bare room.

"This baby is Roman's, he made love to me. " she told him. "He didn't hold me down with a knife and force himself on me. He didn't laugh in my face was he heard me beg."

"I may be in jail but you have a life sentence Ella, my Ella. You will be raising my child. Mine. My genes running through the child. What will you do if it's a boy?"

She looked down at the floor.

"For the last time and I don't know how to get past your deluded brain. I am in love with Roman. He pleases me in bed. We made this baby. " She stood up and went towards the door.

With a sigh she turned around.

"Why did you kill my brother?" she asked.

"Because he knew what I was doing. He knew I was selling arms and he told me that unless I stopped he was going to tell Roman." Gardy confessed.

She looked at him with all the hatred in her heart.

"You are despicable excuse for a human being and I hope you rot in hell. And if this were your baby then think on this, Roman will raise the child. Will hold the child and bring he or she up to be his. The man you hate." She paused. "And every night he will be in my bed pleasuring me."

She pulled open the door and stepped out. The clerk escorted her back to the corridor and she looked for Roman. Within minutes she saw him standing with his back to the others, a look at their faces revealed that they had been grilled until they told him where she was.

He turned as though he had sensed her presence.

"Ella." He said softly.

She walked over to him.

"It's over. We can go home now. Will you please move in?" she murmured.

He pulled back from her.

"I can't. I can't trust you." He admitted. "It is over Ella. Our marriage." He told her.

She paled.

"Why?" She asked.

"Secrets and lies aren't part of my mission spec." He said. "You keep too many secrets Ella and you need to start relying on me I'm your husband. What am I saying. I was your husband." He pulled away suddenly and walked away for her, from them all.

She stood there watching him walk away.

"It wasn't about you." She told his departing back. "It was about my brother. I needed to know."

He turned.

"And now you know?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Was the answer worth the cost?" he asked.

She looked at him for a long moment.

"Yes." She told him. "Yes, because I have peace. I have peace for the first time in 11 years."

He flinched before walking back to her. Regardless of the audience he pulled her into his arms and kissed her savagely.

"Goodbye El." He said softly.

He walked away from her and into the waiting elevator. They watched him go.

The clerk came out into the corridor and announced that the verdict was back. Ella looked at the others.

"I don't need to hear it." she said to them.

She walked to the elevator and pressed the button and waited.

Mike and Nic and Geoff stood together. Jacko stood next to Louise and watched. They remained silent.

The elevator opened and she stepped into it away from them.

"What does this mean?" Mike asked.

"Well I'm not sure." Nic told him. "But I'm still your sister no matter what."

"Er… Nic aren't you supposed to be cheering him up?" Geoff asked her.

She glared at him.

Mike and Geoff exchanged a grin.

"Come on we need to go home." Nic told them. "And just for that I'm driving." She smiled.

Jacko turned to Louise.

"How about letting me take you home too pretty lady?" he asked.

Nic turned to her.

"Do not believe anything this man tells you Louise!" she warned the other woman. And watched as she laughed.

Ella sat on the sofa an untouched glass of water in front of her. The twins were in a playpen. She was dry-eyed as though still in shock, but she knew that wasn't the reason. She didn't believe that this could be it. The end of her marriage. After they had been through so much.

She stood and took the glass into the kitchen and poured the contents down the sink turning to the fridge she opened it and looked for something to eat. She closed it again and began crying. Before she knew it she was sinking to the floor sobbing.