Chapter 20

"My lawyer came to see me right after I was arrested. The cops wanted to interview me, but they had to wait for her to show up. I refused to talk to both her and them. She left and they kept trying. Different ones each time. One of them said she knew I was innocent and that she suspected your family was responsible for the murders." He shrugged one shoulder. "The others said they had forensic evidence and the murder weapon. You warned me to get rid of it and I forgot. I was going to, and then Per broke his arm, and I was at the hospital. It slipped my mind."

"I wondered if that was why."

"Yeah. You must have thought I was a fucking dick."

"No, I didn't think that. It was my fault. All of this is my fault." I slid my hand into his, but he pulled away and folded his arms.

"The lawyer came back to see me early this morning. Yesterday morning. She brought photos of Monica and my kids out at the park, playing and picnicking. She told me it was time to start talking. It was a threat. I don't know who got to her." He sighed heavily. "She went over everything with me—details of where and how Sven and that other guy and Sara died, and the name of the farmer. I had to repeat it a few times. Then she pointed out one photo and told me to keep it. Ten minutes later I was back in the interview room and I had to recite the details to the cops. She was there too, and she prompted me a few times with some of it, when they asked me things I didn't know how to answer."

My chest tightened and I ground my teeth. I clenched my fists on my thighs and waited for him to continue.

"When they put me back in the cell, I looked at the photo. It had a backing on it, stuck down. The razor blade was hidden inside." He started to shake. "I had no choice. The message was clear. It was me, or them. I had to confess, and end it before I could be cross-examined, or before any other evidence came out."

"Oh, Petter," I groaned. In that moment, I hated my mother and Zvonomir, and I hoped to God they would get what they deserved.

"All I could think about, was Per and Oscar growing up without a dad, and Monica wondering why I would do that to myself. I would never—" He choked and took a shaky breath. I could barely make out the last few rough, strangled words. "I never would have tried to kill myself if I thought I had a choice." He put a hand over his face and sobbed.

I had no idea what to do. I had never been faced with this—someone I loved in this much pain. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him against me. The other side of the door, I hear the TV start up loudly with a children's programme and guessed Monica had done it so the kids wouldn't hear their dad cry.

"It's okay," I said. "They're safe. You're all safe. It's going to be okay."

He coughed and scrubbed impatiently at the tears on his face. Then he leaned against me with a sigh. "Do you know why? Who set this up?"

"My mother and Zvonomir," I told him. "I heard them talking. Somehow, they found out about us. I heard her say if they had to tolerate my unnatural behaviour at least you would be out of the picture. I'm so sorry, Petter."

"You didn't do it."

"I may as well have. We—no, I—had the murders lead to you. That's what started this. I'll never forgive myself."

Petter pulled away from me and met my eyes. "You have to stop thinking about that. It's done. So what now?"

"There's a lot to say, and I'll tell you as much detail as you want later. For now, Christian is working for the cops. He's an infiltrator. I knew from the beginning and I let him find out what I wanted him to know. He helped me get you out, in exchange for me giving him everything I have on Majmun and the Family. So, now I have to leave, too, and where I go depends on you."

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to be with you. Wherever you choose to go. If you don't want me, I'll go back to Croatia for a while."

"You told Monica you love me," he said slowly.

"Oh, you heard that, huh?"

"Yes, I heard everything you both said when she came to get you just now." His lips twitched a little, but he didn't really smile.

"Well, it was the truth. I never felt like this before, but I love you, and I will do anything for you. Anything. Even if that's to walk away and never come back."

"I've always wanted to go to America. Florida. The kids would love being able to go to Disney World and Sea World and all that stuff. There are a lot of bikers there."

"You could set up the business you talked about," I added. "A bike shop."

"Yeah. Monica can work anywhere. They always want nurses. What about you?"

"I'm sure the people of Florida need to eat." I smiled. "Maybe I could open a pizzeria, or something else. Whatever will work."

"So, is that what we're doing?" He still looked unsure.

"One hundred percent. There is nothing here I want anymore. I'll miss Blanka, but I think Christian will take care of her. They like each other, and she was never involved in any of the stuff we did."

Finally, he smiled a little. "How long do we have?"

"I don't think they're too concerned in chasing us right now. Christian's giving them all the information on a huge Russian import deal I set up. Blanka helped him get files off my computer on some of the shit Majmun did, including a video of him torturing Sven Birgersson. Christian will make sure they know you didn't have anything to do with any of it. They'll still want me for my part in everything, and they have me on the CCTV getting you out of the cell, but by the time they've intercepted the shipment and dealt with the fake landing spot that Majmun wired with explosives, we'll be long gone."

"Shit, you do have a lot to tell me. Just one question."

"What's that?"

"Who hit you? You have a huge bruise on your face."

"Oh, God." I laughed "That was Monica. When Christian and I turned up at your house with you, she fixed you up first, then almost broke my jaw. I don't blame her one bit."

Petter let out a small chuckle. "That's my Mon."

The door opened and Monica slipped in. She closed it behind her, leaving the kids watching TV. "Are you two okay?"

"Yeah." Petter nodded. "Thanks."

"I'm sorry," I said again.

"I think you redeemed yourself," she told me. "Shall I order room service? I don't think being seen in the dining room would be a good idea, and you need to eat, Petter."

"Yes, definitely. Go for it." I gestured to the hotel phone and she went to order food.

"We need to ditch the van and use a taxi to take us to the airport," I said. "We also need to book flights."

Monica finished her breakfast order and sat on the edge of the bed the other side of Petter. "Did you decide where we're going?"

"I thought Florida." He glanced at her. "What do you think?"

"The kids will love it."

"That's what I thought."

"What about you?" Monica peered around him at me. "Are you going with us?"

"Yes."

"Okay. We should be able to rent somewhere when we arrive, until we decide what we're going to do about living arrangements."

Petter glanced at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, Petter. I thought this would happen one day. We were always going to meet someone, it's just that you got there first and I haven't been looking. One day I will. We can't all live together. You two will want some privacy and the kids can't be around when you're, you know." She snorted. "Besides, I want some space to find my own Mr Tall Dark and Handsome. There's no hurry. Just think about it, though." She got up again, bent to kiss Petter on the forehead, then returned to the other room.