One Night Of Consequences Collection. Annie West

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СКАЧАТЬ my anguished heart.

      So how could I break his—with a lie?

      And yet—how could I not?

      Wide-eyed, I looked across the great hall toward Maurine, who at her age would likely never come back from the shock of a scandal and trial for fraud, much less being sent to prison. I looked at my sweet baby in his baby swing, who would endure the experience I’d feared most—being surrounded by paparazzi—before he lost his father. And Alejandro. I looked at him, hardly able to breathe. If he really did attack Edward as I feared...

      I remembered the look in his eyes in Granada when I’d told him that Edward had visited me. I remembered the cold menace in his face.

      I will kill him.

      “Lena?” Alejandro frowned, coming closer. “Who was on the phone?”

      The phone suddenly rang again. I picked it up.

      “Your Excellency?” It was the security guard at the gate. “There’s an Edward St. Cyr here. He has no appointment. Should I let him inside?”

      I took a deep breath.

      “Let him in,” I said faintly, then hung up the phone. I picked up my handbag. I walked slowly toward my family, feeling as if I was going to die.

      But I would die for them. I looked at those three beloved faces, in this beautiful old castle I’d already come to love. My family. My home. Would I do it? To save them?

      Yes.

      “Where are you going?” Alejandro said.

      “I’m sorry.” My teeth were chattering. My words were faint. “Our marriage is over. I’ll be back tomorrow. So we can discuss c-custody....”

      I stopped at the door. Alejandro was staring at me with open-mouthed shock. I was trembling so hard it was all I could do not to black out.

      But it was the only way to save him. To save all of them.

      I was the one who’d allowed Edward into our lives. I was the one who should pay for that. Not them.

      But as I looked into Alejandro’s face, I knew that he, too, would suffer. Squeezing my eyes shut, I turned away.

      “Edward’s come for me,” I choked out. “I’m leaving with him now. We both know it never would have worked out with us, Alejandro. Not for long...”

      “What are you saying?” he breathed, searching my gaze. “I don’t believe you!”

      “I’ll be back with a lawyer—tomorrow....” My voice ended on a sob. Whirling around, I fled for the door. Outside, I saw Edward waiting in an expensive SUV. The windows were all rolled down, the engine still running. Sobbing, I climbed in beside him. He gave me a triumphant, cruel smile.

      “Wise choice,” he said coldly. “Very smart.”

      “I don’t feel smart,” I whispered, hating myself, hating this choice already, wanting to do nothing more than jump out of the vehicle. And suddenly, that’s just what I needed to do. “No. NO. I can’t do this—”

      Reaching over me, Edward put on my seat belt. It felt like a restraint.

      “You’ll soon be free of his influence,” he said softly, reaching toward me. “I promise you.”

      I shuddered at his touch. “Don’t!”

      With a low laugh, he put down his hand. “Have it your way. I am a patient man....”

      But as he turned the steering wheel and started to drive down the circular courtyard, Alejandro was suddenly there, standing ahead of us, blocking the way to the road.

      He wasn’t looking at Edward. He was looking only at me. I saw his lips form my name.

      “Make him believe you love me,” Edward growled in a low voice. “Make him believe.”

      I licked my lips. I looked at Alejandro’s stark face. The anguish in his dark eyes.

      And I couldn’t go through with it.

      “I can’t.” My voice trembled as I started fumbling with my seat belt. “I can’t do this. Let me out of here!”

      “Too late,” Edward said grimly, holding on to the latch as I tried to fight him.

      Alejandro saw us struggling through the front window. Hands clenched at his sides, he started walking toward the SUV, now staring at Edward with narrowed eyes, his powerful warrior’s body threatening his murder.

      Edward’s mouth twisted as their eyes met. He glared back, the same expression of murder in his face.

      They both intended to kill or be killed today.

      Over me.

      With a low, cruel growl, Edward stomped on the gas, increasing speed as he drove the SUV straight at Alejandro, who was unprotected and alone in the castle courtyard.

      But my husband didn’t turn and run. He didn’t back down. Instead, he started running straight at the car—as if a man could play chicken against seven thousand pounds of steel!

      I screamed. Grabbing the steering wheel, I twisted it hard to the left. Veering off balance, Edward’s SUV crashed into the stone fountain and twisted, then flew, high into the air.

      As if in slow motion, I felt us fly up, up, up, at the same time we flipped in sickening circles, around and around. We hit the ground with a bone-jarring crunch and rolled down the long hill, all the way down. Then, with a shudder and metallic groan, the SUV was still.

      I wasn’t dead. I was upside down, held into the passenger seat by the taut seat belt that had knocked the air out of me, leaving a streak of pain where it crossed my chest.

      Panting, I looked over at the driver’s seat. It was empty. Edward was gone.

      “Lena!” Alejandro cried. A moment later, my door was wrenched open, and suddenly he was there. He yanked open the seat belt, and caught me in his strong arms as I fell.

      Cradling me desperately, my husband sank to the ground, still holding me against his chest. He ran his hands over my body, found no life-ending injury and exhaled, holding me tight against him, rocking me in his lap. “Oh, my love,” he choked out. “You’re safe. You’re safe. For a moment I thought...” He looked at me fiercely. “Don’t ever do that to me again!”

      “I’m sorry,” I wept, pressing my head against his chest. “He learned the truth and said if I didn’t come with him, he would ruin your life and Maurine’s and even Miguel’s. I couldn’t risk you going to jail for the rest of your life—”

      “I’d rather be sent to jail for a million years,” he said hoarsely, “than lose you.” I felt his body trembling beneath me. Reaching up in amazement, I brushed away a single tear trailing down his tanned, hard-edged cheek.

      Pressing my forehead to his, I whispered, “Thank you for not letting me go.”

      He СКАЧАТЬ