Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

ALYSSA entered her house with a tired sigh, avoiding her bare ring

finger and its meaning, and looked at her watch. Nearly one a.m. Luc

should have received the annulment papers by now, likely hours ago.

She‟d half expected him to call Bonheur tonight and demand to talk to her.

Silence. Or be waiting in her driveway when she arrived home. No one.

Nibbling on a ragged fingernail, she wondered what that meant. Would he

go along with the process and grant her the legal end of their marriage, as

if it had never taken place?

She hoped so. Sort of. Well, that was what she should want. He‟d

deceived her and may never care about her the way she cared about him.

Granted, his “not caring” always made her feel special, but she had no way

of knowing if his tenderness was an act. And she didn‟t want to blindly trust

him, then wake up one day and realize—too late—that she‟d put her faith in

someone who would rip her world apart and stab her in the heart.

Someone like Joshua.

Telling Luc about her past had been cathartic. And though difficult, it

had seemingly brought them closer together. The fact she‟d misjudged the

situation only made her more determined to end things now. If she stayed,

she‟d only get in deeper, and that mistake could be catastrophic.

Though it hurt damn bad, it was better this way. Or would be someday,

she supposed. Now, drawing another breath, putting one foot in front of the

other, was hell. Alyssa wasn‟t eating as well as she should. What little she

managed to choke down was for the baby‟s sake. And sleep . . . It just

wasn‟t happening without Luc‟s hot, protective body next to her. Alyssa

knew she was burning her candle at both ends, running herself ragged

trying to get a restaurant off the ground, deal with the insurance adjusters

and contractors to rebuild Sexy Sirens . . . while trying to forget Luc. But the

life growing inside her was a constant reminder of her husband. Even

without the baby, she doubted she‟d ever get over him.

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After locking the front door, she turned on a nearby lamp that provided

just enough golden glow for her to trudge up the stairs. Her heels clicked

on the hardwood floors in the shadowed hallway to her bedroom.

All at once, she remembered that her alarm hadn‟t sounded when

she‟d walked in the house. Had she forgotten to set it this morning? And

her bedroom door was closed. Alyssa frowned. The lack of sleep and

nourishment must be catching up to her. Other women told her that

pregnancy had a way of making a girl fo rgetful.

Still, she never shut that door when she left. She always wanted to

know what—or who—awaited her in her room before she walked in.

Something else Joshua had taught her.

Was it possible Luc was waiting for her on the other side of the door?

He had a way of melting her defenses with his surprises.

The possibility pumped her full of excitement. They were supposed to

be ending their marriage, but she‟d be lying if she said she hadn‟t missed

him with every breath she took. She wasn‟t sure how he‟d gotten into the

house. After all, she‟d changed the locks. Then again, he knew Jack and

Hunter, and those two could break into Area 51, wrapped inside Fort Knox,

surrounded by the White House.

With a sigh and a stomach tightening in knots, Alyssa pushed the door

open, hoping to see that Luc had decorated the bedroom like a fantasy

honeymoon suite.

But no. Instead, ropes had been tied to the bedposts at each corner,

leaving loops at the ends for wrists and ankles. She gasped, bile rising in

her throat.

Blinking, her breath thin, Alyssa stared in horror. What the hell? Luc

knew better than almost anyone that she could not endure bondage. Why

on earth would he put her through this? To prove that she could, in fact,

trust him? If he wanted to reconcile, threatening to tie her to the bed wasn‟t

the way to persuade her to give their marriage another try.

Anger set in. Where was the son of a bitch? In the bathroom? Closet?

Hiding because he knew she was going to take a strip out of his hide for

this shit?

As she turned toward the bathroom, acid nearly dripped from her

tongue. Then she caught sight of who awaited her.

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It wasn‟t Luc who leaned against the wall, jacket stripped off, tie loose,

smirk firmly in place.

She screamed.

LUC pulled up in front of the house he had shared with Alyssa.

Parked. Stared. She‟d beat him home, based on the softly glowing lamp in

the living room. Damn. Would she even answer the door at this time of

night?

During the long drive, he questioned himself a hundred times, his

thoughts an endless loop of logic that always drew him back to one

conclusion: He had to talk to her face-to-face, try to reconcile with her

again. He wasn‟t letting Alyssa go without a fight. Somehow, he had to

make her believe that he loved her and would never do anything to betray

her trust again.

Armed with his conviction, he turned off the car, stepped out to the still

night and chilly November wind. His palms were sweating as he

approached the door.

A faint feminine scream of terror burst across the night. The sound

seared its way down his spine. It wasn‟t the TV. It was real and human—

and familiar.

Alyssa!

Running to the door, he grabbed the knob and wrenched it. But it was

firmly locked.

her house tight. Which begged the question: Who had gotten to her and

how had they broken in? Later. He couldn‟t worry about details now.

Luc would also have to break in, somehow. He had to make some

decisions—and fast—or Alyssa could die.

Nine-one-one was the first logical choice . . . except Remy didn‟t do his

job well and didn‟t have the means to get into the house. Calling Tyler

made more sense.

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Ripping his phone from his belt, he hit his speed dial, thankful he‟d

filched the number off of Alyssa‟s cell phone just after she‟d gone “missing.”

Tyler answered before the second ring. “What?”

but I can‟t get in since she changed the locks.”

ten away. You‟re going to have to get in and handle this until I get there. I‟ll

get you inside.”

keep Alyssa from harm was lost.

there‟s a door that leads into the garage. On the right of the door, there‟s a

holly bush. Behind it is a tiny film canister. It should be half buried.”

Luc sprinted around the side of the house and was now directly below

Alyssa‟s window. He heard her scream again, and the sound cramped his

gut with fear and dread. Why couldn‟t he just break the fucking thing down

and save her? He needed her in his life, damn it.

Frustration mounting, he ran back to his car and pulled out his

emergency flashlight. While there, he also pulled out the semiautomatic

he‟d forgotten was in his car and tucked it into the waistband of his jeans,

at the small of his back . . . just in case.

The seconds back to the side door seemed to take forever, but he

quickly located the canister, extracted the key, and shoved it into the lock.

The stuffy air was dusty and smelled faintly of grass. Luc didn‟t dare

turn on a light, but at least he knew his way around.

alone. No need to alert anyone to the fact you‟re there yet. They could kill

her before you have a chance to save her.”

Edging around her lawn equipment and the front of her little

convertible, he sidled up to the door that led into the den.

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keeps a key. And if you open it, the alarm, if it‟s engaged, will make a

sound and alert her intruder. You need to go through the attic.”

hanging from the garage ceiling. A set of stairs emerged into the empty

space beside her car. He climbed up, flashlight leading the way.

Inside the space, he found Christmas decorations in boxes, tax

records boxed up neatly and arranged one year after another, and virtually

nothing else but empty space. Impatience and fear gnawed at him.

handy,” Tyler tried to joke, but the quip came out tersely.

space, it will angle up. The exit is at the end, in the hall just outside her

bedroom.”

traversed the hall.

Luc made his way through the door and, on hands and knees, crawled

up into the rafters of the house.

element of surprise.”

As much as every second apart from her chafed Luc, he agreed this

was the best plan.

charge there, so it‟s not him. But fucking Primpton made bail.”

Luc couldn‟t agree more.

Tyler sighed. “There‟s something else I should tell you, just in case this

asshole is our problem. You‟ve probably guessed that I‟m not a bouncer by

trade.”

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Shit. Luc did not like the sound of this. “What the fuck did you do?”

the end of August by a real wealthy prick to find Alyssa. I was given a

teenage picture of her and the information that she was somewhere in

Lafayette. The asshole told me it was his missing sister.”

Luc went cold all over. “Joshua.”

the sitch under control.”

me payment. I flew back to L.A. to give him her information and

photographic proof. Son of a bitch asked me a million questions, like did

she have a husband or lover, had I fucked her, was I aware of anyone

fucking her. He was obsessed, man.”

Luc‟s gut knotted. “Damn it, we all assumed Primpton was the threat.”

prison sentence with this prank. You almost through the crawl space?”

For once, Tyler‟s presence would be a huge relief. “Once you figured

out that Joshua was a scumbag, you stayed in Lafayette to protect

Alyssa?”

without risking my license. For all I knew, he just wanted to know where

she was and to beat off to her picture every night. Then when things started

to get hot, I couldn‟t prove who‟d left her the knives and the threats. So I

stayed, called buddies back home periodically to check up on the bastard,

make sure he was still in L.A., and I did my best not to let her out of my

sight. It would have been a shitload easier to safeguard her if I‟d been her

lover. Nothing like twenty-four/seven protection.”

Jealousy belted Luc. “That‟s not the only reason you wanted Alyssa.”

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sighed. “But she‟s always been into you. I never had a chance.”

But you were too tenacious, damn it.”

And so the truth came out. Tyler had never once slept with his wife.

Alyssa hadn‟t been lying. Luc gritted his teeth. He‟d been so fucking stupid

to let his jealousy get out of hand.

of the crawl space is right in front of me. It lowers from the ceiling. Do I just

push down and the stairs lower?”

on the hardwood floor if you don‟t lower them slowly.”

Alyssa screamed again, this time a clear, plaintive wail. “No! Don‟t

touch me!”

slowly.”

partner that Joshua left L.A a few weeks ago.”

Tyler sighed. “I didn‟t think after all these months he‟d suddenly make

a move. I wasn‟t checking up as often . . . My fuckup, I know. Anyway,

Joshua told his wife he‟d be on business in London, but TSA says he never

left the country . . . If that‟s him in Alyssa‟s bedroom, he‟s going to want to

mess with her for a while. He‟s got over a decade worth of hard-on for

Alyssa. If he intends to kill her, it won‟t be quick. Take a deep breath and

find some fucking patience.”

Tyler‟s words ate at him. Anxiety scraped him raw. He swallowed it

because the PI was right.

It‟s tucked in my waistband.”

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lower the ladder, and once you open the trapdoor, he‟ll be able to hear you

talk.”

racing heart. This was it. He must save Alyssa or die trying.

Deke had done a lot to prepare Luc for this. Hand-to-hand sparring,

karate, a near overdose of target practice . . . But the fact was, Luc was a

chef and, other than helping Tyler dismantle Peter in Alyssa‟s office, Luc

had never had to mop up an attacker and rescue someone—especially not

someone he loved more than his next breath.

of surprise if you can. If not, just blow the motherfucker‟s head off. I‟m

calling Remy now. The cavalry will be there in less than five. Do whatever

you have to do to keep her alive that long, and we‟ll take care of the rest.”

before he let whoever this was kill his wife. And if it was Joshua . . . Luc

would be fucking thrilled to exorcise this ghost for her—for good.

ALYSSA blinked. Blinked again. Her worst nightmare had come to

life—and now stood in her bedroom.

Run! Her brain couldn‟t make her body obey the commands as shock

overwhelmed her system. She stepped back, fear gripping her lungs as she

screamed.

Now that I‟ve succeeded, time to remind you who you belong to. And yes,

the ropes are for you. Old times‟ sake.”

Her body trembled. But when she saw the black-handled serrated

knife in his hand—the kind that had been stabbed into her belongings—her

world shook.

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His eyes sparkled with sick mischief. “I enjoyed scaring you with all

those notes. Trashing your bedroom was fun, too. But you weren‟t as

terrified as I wanted. I‟m put out that you‟re not the same meek virgin,

Lindsey.”

She wasn‟t. But in that moment, it was as if she were fifteen again and

stunned that her best friend was now her worst nightmare, causing her

immense pain as he stripped away her innocence, one forced thrust after

another.

her baby‟s sake.

forgotten your first. Let‟s see what else you remember.”

deep in her bones.

He didn‟t hesitate. “Of course. I‟d keep you alive, but I don‟t like the

idea of sharing you with that chef you married. Besides, my wife hates my .

. . little toys.”

His wife? She flinched. What he planned was bad enough, but to

desecrate his wedding vows, too? Then again, it didn‟t sound like the first

time he‟d strayed.

Joshua‟s eyes flared with the promise of pain as he stalked toward her

with a twisted smile. She backed away. “Leave me alone.”

They ribbed me that you‟d hated fucking me so much that you left home.”

I did! But she knew confirming that would be unwise.

painful at first, you being a virgin, but I was sure I fucked you good.”

He‟d thought terror and anal bleeding were good? “That‟s all in the

past. There‟s nothing between us now, Joshua.”

from me. Then you shared your body with other men. Got married!” He

pressed his lips together. “Very unwise, but thankfully, very temporary.”

With his implied threat, anger boiled to the surface, rolling over the

fear. “Don‟t you dare touch Luc!”

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your clothes.”

The time for talk was over. Once Joshua decided that he wanted

something, nothing deterred him. He could be methodical and patient, if he

found the game and sport worth his while. The rest of the time he was a

greedy bastard, wanting what he wanted now.

Alyssa refused to play along.

She had to find a way to defend herself and get out the door. If she

turned and ran, he‟d only catch her. She was wearing stilettos, and he‟d

been a track star in high school. No contest. Finding a way to even the

odds was critical.

Backing away from him, toward the door, she risked a peek over her

shoulder. The first thing to catch her gaze was shiny and silver and, she

knew from lifting it, heavy.

Thank you, Luc, for the wedding gift.

She turned her back to Joshua and lunged for the frame. As expected,

he darted after her. And she was ready. When he approached, she

clutched the heavy, scarred photo frame and swung with all her might,

clocking Joshua in the face.

He stumbled back, staggering into the wall, clutching his right eye.

learned about the fine art of making a fucking hurt in the last fourteen

years, but I‟ll be damn happy to show you.”

Alyssa didn‟t stay to hear his disgusting tirade. She kicked off her

shoes and darted for her bedroom door. She stopped short when Joshua

managed to grab a few strands of her hair in his fist. Then he began to

yank back.

If she let him drag her back into that bedroom, she was as good as

dead. She might die anyway, but damn it, she wasn‟t going down without a

fight.

Turning her head one direction, she yanked with all her might in the

other. Pain seared across her scalp as the strands tore from their follicles,

but she was free.

Knowing she was a second or less ahead of him, she darted out the

door, into the darkened hall—and crashed into someone.

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She gasped. Dear God, had Joshua brought help?

Luc!

She wanted to ask a million questions, but there was no time. Joshua‟s

footsteps resounded on the hardwood floor. Luc shoved her behind him,

then backed them against the wall, out of Joshua‟s path. Alyssa prayed that

in the dark, he wouldn‟t see them right away.

Curled up against Luc‟s back, she was so relieved to see him—and

worried for him at the same time. Joshua wanted to kill him, and Alyssa had

no doubt her stepbrother meant it.

Luc pressed her deeper into shadow as Joshua approached, his pace

slowing. She could almost feel his methodical gaze sweeping the darkened

hallway and held her breath, praying she and Luc would come away from

this alive. Somehow.

Something gouged Alyssa in the stomach—hard, cold. She squeezed

a hand between them and felt around. Luc had a gun!

He tensed as she touched the weapon, then gave her an infinitesimal

shake of his head. Alyssa frowned and let go. Guns weren‟t her favorite,

but hopefully Luc had a plan. Wondering what the hell it might be as he

pressed her against the wall, Alyssa panted, her heart thumping in a

staccato rhythm so loud she feared people in the next county could hear it.

Joshua crept past them, then stopped at the top of the stairs when

sirens split the air.

The police are coming! Thank God.

At the sound, Joshua lifted his head, then growled. “Fucking bitch!

Where are you? I‟d have heard you run down the stairs. And now the

fucking cops are on the way. Someone cut my fun short, damn it, but I‟m

going to end you before they get within ten feet of saving you.”

Without warning, he flipped on the hallway light. And he had a gun

pointed directly at Luc‟s chest.

Joshua looked taken aback to see her husband; then he smiled. “Well,

talk about an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.”

Alyssa couldn‟t breathe. Luc‟s gun was still behind his back. He‟d

never have time to pull it free and shoot Joshua in return. Her stepbrother

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was one trigger pull away from killing Luc. And she knew Josh—he‟d do it

without remorse. Hell, he‟d probably laugh.

That could not happen. If she no longer had Luc, she‟d crumble, crack

. . . die.

She leaned around Luc‟s left shoulder and glared at Joshua. “Leave

him alone. It‟s me you want. I‟ll get in a car with you. You can take me

wherever you want, do whatever you want, if you‟ll leave him alone.”

For a second, hope sparked. Maybe . . . Then she remembered. His

concern was likely not for her but because she was pregnant. “I know

you‟re worried about the baby. You‟ll find someone else and have another.

I know you will.”

fucking knock you up?”

Luc eyed the gun, but otherwise ignored him. “I‟m not thinking about

the baby now. I‟m worried about you. If you go with him, I‟ll never see you alive again. For me, there‟ll never be anyone else I‟ll love half as much as

you.”

His words warmed her, pouring over her shivering skin like melted

chocolate. For that one moment—possibly one of their last together—

Alyssa hoped he meant that and, aside from their coming child, she

mattered to Luc.

Damn it, why did she have to realize that there was a chance his

feelings were every bit as real as hers just when their time together was

ending?

No. Joshua had taken everything from her once. Never again would

she be this asshole‟s victim. If anyone was going down this time, it was

him.

Luc had a gun, and she had gumption. Time to use both.

closer—until he pressed the gun to Luc‟s forehead. “Time to end this

lovefest.”

Alyssa‟s heart stopped.

The sirens were screaming, coming closer with every second. She

saw the panic on her stepbrother‟s face. He was about to do something

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rash, reckless, and given the fact he could shoot Luc point-blank at any

moment . . . irrevocable. There was no way her husband could reach his

gun and fire quickly enough. She, however, might be able to use the

element of surprise.

While he stared at her in growing anger, she grabbed Luc‟s gun, then

shoved him aside. Vaguely, she heard him stumble. Joshua was distracted

by the commotion long enough for Alyssa to grip the unfamiliar gun, point,

and . . .

Bang!

As the sound crashed through her ears, Joshua slapped a hand to his

chest and staggered back. When he pulled his fingers away from his white

shirt, they came away red. A crimson stain began spreading across his

shirt.

To her horror, he righted himself and raised his gun again.

Luc jumped in front of her and ripped the gun from her hands. Before

she could protest, he‟d planted his body in front of hers, aimed, and fired.

The loud shot reverberated through the little space, ringing in her ears.

Joshua‟s head snapped back. As he fell to his knees, blood oozed

from the wound right between his eyes.

Alyssa jumped as he dropped into a noisy heap on her hardwoods. His

gun fell out of his lax hand and skittered across the floor.

Luc kicked it away from Joshua, until it rested at his feet. Never taking

his eyes off of her stepbrother, he steadied his own gun and pointed it

again at the sick bastard.

Alyssa took a step toward Joshua and bent.

And damn it, she wasn‟t at all shaken by the thought she might have

helped kill her stepbrother. In fact, she was holding her breath, hoping she

had. If so, she‟d throw a fucking party.

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Downstairs, they heard a commotion, then a loud thump as the front

door hit the foyer wall. Footsteps poured inside, pounding up the stairs, just

as Alyssa bent to Joshua and put her fingers on his carotid.

directly behind Joshua.

She stood and smiled—really smiled—for the first time in fourteen

years. “The son of a bitch is dead.”

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