Page 12 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 4

Tears fell down my cheeks as a broken sob tore through my body. My knees became weak, and my legs felt like jelly as I lost my footing and crumbled toward the ground. The pain of it all had become too much. My knees never touched the floor because Christophe was there, lifting me up, holding me in his warm embrace. Proving time and time again that he’d always be there for me. Even when he was the source of my anger, he was still there, protecting me from harm.

“I love you so much, Christo. I can’t stay mad at you. I can’t live with this hideous feeling of betrayal between us.”

“You can,” he murmured into my ear. “Be mad at me for as long as you need. Punish me in whatever way will help you trust me again. I will still be here, ready to catch you if you fall. Ready to take whatever hits are necessary to make amends.”

“Hearing the rationale behind why you chose that path…” I choked on a sob. “I understand. If I’d had the opportunity to double-cross Angus after his part in Celine’s death, I might have made the very same decision. No. Iwouldhave made the same choice. She was my family. My chosen sister. The only person in the world who loved me before I met you. I can see that, when given the opportunity, you had no choice but to do right by her. I only wish I’d been a part of it.”

He cupped my cheeks and wiped away the tears that kept falling. “Celine didn’t deserve what happened to her. You didn’t deserve what happened to her. I made a choice to act on behalf of both of you. I don’t regret that. But I can promise you right here, right now, on my life and yours, that I will never keep a single thing from you again. Can you ever forgive me?”

I lifted one hand and put my palm over his heart. The other I placed at the back of his neck and looked deeply into his eyes. “I forgive you.”

Tears shimmered in his eyes as he dipped his head and took my mouth in a deep kiss. It lasted a long time and said everything we’d left unsaid.

I missed you.

I trust you.

I love you.

It was reaffirming and exactly what I needed to get myself back on track. Until a loud blast and the sound of shattering glass ripped through the room, bringing us back to the real world. Christophe slammed my body to the floor, covering me completely with his bulk.

Inspector Moreau bolted into the kitchen, gun drawn, right as another few gunshots exploded through the balcony glass door. He slid to the ground and crawled over to us.

“Are either of you hurt?”

We both shook our heads.

Moreau grabbed a radio from his belt and yelled commands into it. “Back garden. Shots fired through the balcony window. Look for a sharpshooter in the trees. Hurry!”

Another couple bullets whizzed through air, piercing the upper cabinets across from where we were huddled behind the island.

We could hear answering shots fired outside by those I assumed to be the authorities.

“One man down. Sniper rifle in hand. We got him, but he won’t be sharing any intel,” came a rushed voice through the radio.

“Let’s go. Now!” Moreau demanded. “We cannot keep you here. It isn’t safe.”

“And you know a place that would be safer?” I asked as I crawled across the kitchen floor toward the back staircase that led to the second floor. “These men snatched us in a public place after killing our security team. They have the balls to attack us in our home while the authorities are present. You are not a deterrent for them,” I snapped. “I’m sorry, inspector. I don’t believe for a moment you can keep us safe.” With that, I climbed the rest of the stairs, Christophe in tow. We both crouched down and headed toward our room where Aurelie had already packed our bags.

I sat on the floor next to the bed, out of the view of the windows, just in case, and pulled out my phone.

“Who are you calling?” Christophe asked.

“The one man we know who can probably help us out of this mess.”

Christophe’s eyebrows rose but he kept his mouth shut.

Moreau entered the doorway and crouched low. “My team hasn’t found another shooter. We should be okay for now.”

I ignored the inspector and dialed the number I should have called the second we were freed yesterday.

“Hola señora.” Diego answered on the first ring. “I am surprised you are among the living. Sokolov doesn’t tend to leave loose ends.”

“I’m starting to see that. I’m calling in my marker.”

“How can I help?”

“We need a new safe house,” I started.

---