by Diana Bold
Vanessa froze as a loud bang sounded from somewhere above them. The three men froze as well, staring up as though they could somehow see through the ceiling.
Adrian! Though she knew it was almost impossible that he had somehow managed to find her, Vanessa couldn’t help but rejoice at the possibility. He’d come for her! She’d known he would.
Roger exchanged glances with his henchman, then jerked his head toward the stairs. “Go see what that was.”
The two goons nodded and rushed up the steps. Vanessa scooted backward, cradling the baby to her chest. She got unsteadily to her feet, knowing that her life and that of Anne’s child could very well be won or lost within the next few minutes. She wanted to be certain she was prepared for anything.
“Where are you going?” Roger snarled.
“Nowhere,” she snapped. “I’m just standing up.”
For a few moments, the silence was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. Then a shot rang out, and another loud thump echoed from above. After a few more seconds, there was the sound of a scuffle, then another shot and another thud.
Roger flinched at each sound, his attention squarely on the stairs. Vanessa took advantage of his inattention by inching farther away from him, searching frantically for something, anything she could use to hit him over the head with.
They both craned their ears for some clue as to what had happened. Had Roger’s men prevailed, or had whoever else who had entered the building been the victor?
Please, let it be Adrian and let him be all right.
“Otis,” Roger finally screamed. “Report!”
The eerie silence remained.
“Preston!” Roger yelled again. “Report.”
He turned and shoved Vanessa to the ground. “Stay put,” he growled. “I’ll be right back.”
Unable to believe her stroke of good luck, Vanessa scrambled back to her feet, ready to make a run for it as soon as he was out of sight.
* * * *
As Adrian shoved Roger’s second henchman’s lifeless body out of the hallway into the room he’d been hiding in, he heard footsteps pounding up the cellar stairs. He dropped the body and grabbed for his gun just as Roger entered the hall. They locked eyes for one second, and Adrian thrilled at the terror he saw on the face of his lifelong tormentor. For the first time in his life, he had the upper hand.
He expected Roger to confront him, to try to kill him, but to his shock, Roger whirled and took off running in the other direction, taking a sharp left and disappearing. Cursing, Adrian stumbled over the body and pursued him.
As he reached the door to the cellar, Vanessa spilled out into the hallway in front of him, her hair in tangles around her shoulders, her dress ripped and filthy, her beautiful face swollen and streaked with blood. She held a tiny baby in her arm.
She gave a cry of relief and launched herself into him. They crashed together with a force that brought him to a screeching halt, and she threw her free arm around him. “Adrian! You came for me! I knew you would!”
He embraced her fiercely, and then drew back to stare down into her battered face, very aware that Roger was getting away from him. “Are you hurt? Did any of those bastards hurt you?”
She shook her head, tears suddenly filling her eyes as she wilted against him. He suddenly knew that all the bravery she’d shown Roger and his men had been an act. She was at the end of her strength. “No, not me, but Anne…”
He kissed the top of her head. “I know, darling. I heard.” Then he drew back from her. “I have to go, Vanessa. He’s getting away.”
She shook her head, confusion darkening her face. “No,” she cried. “Don’t leave me, Adrian. I can’t bear it if you leave me.” She was shaking and pressed her arm across her midsection, as though if she let go, she’d fall apart.
He gave one longing glance in the direction Roger had gone, everything in him wanting to go after him and make him pay for what he’d done.
“Choose love,” Vanessa whispered, her voice raw. “You’ve spent your whole life chasing revenge, and it’s made you so alone. You don’t have to be alone any more. Please, Adrian. Choose me.”
Her words pierced him, and suddenly the decision was crystal clear. All his life, he’d been seeking vengeance for what that bastard had done to him, but now he realized that killing Roger wouldn’t make it go away.
God only knew what Vanessa had been through. She needed him, and being there for her was far more important than going after Roger.
There would be time for that later.
He pulled Vanessa back into his arms, holding her tightly, being very careful of the baby, stroking her back to offer what comfort he could. “I’m here, darling. I’m not going anywhere.”
She collapsed utterly then, sobbing as if her heart would break, telling him of everything she’d been through, about how she’d helped deliver Anne’s baby girl, then woke to find Anne dead.
Tears filled his eyes, too, and for once, he let them fall. They stood in the hallway, grieving, for quite some time. Then, at last, he took Vanessa’s hand and led her out of the building to the street outside to wait for his brothers and Clinton.
* * * *
Morgan was the first to arrive, his mount’s sides heaving as he flung himself to the ground. He glanced at Vanessa’s bruised and bedraggled state and then looked around frantically. “Where’s Anne?” he cried.
Adrian stepped forward, his heart in his throat. “Morgan, I’m so sorry,” he murmured, placing his hand on his brother’s shoulder. He’d been holding the baby beneath his cloak for warmth, and he slowly revealed her. “Anne is gone, but here is your daughter, Felicity.”
Morgan shook his hand off, shaking his head and backing away. “No,” he muttered, turning toward the building. “No, she’s still in there. Why didn’t you get her? Why did you only rescue Vanessa? Why did you leave my Anne in there!” His voice rose with each word until he was practically screaming as he strode toward the building.
Vanessa threw Adrian a devastated look and chased after Morgan, capturing his arm and forcing him to stop. He stared down at her, his chest heaving, just as Luke and Clinton arrived.
“Morgan, it’s not Adrian’s fault. Roger’s men threw Anne down the stairs, right after they brought us here. She went into labor, and I helped deliver the baby. But…she…didn’t make it.” Vanessa’s large, expressive eyes filled with tears, and Adrian knew how difficult this was for her. “I did everything I could…but she wouldn’t wake up. There was so much blood…”
“No,” Morgan screamed, still refusing to believe it. “Where is she? Where is my Annie?”
“I’ll take you to her,” Vanessa whispered, taking his hand and leading him into the building.
Lucien stepped toward Adrian, questions in his eyes. “What the hell happened?”
“Anne’s gone,” Adrian muttered, helplessly holding the baby, who had begun to cry. Morgan hadn’t even looked at her, too wrapped up in his denial that he’d lost Anne. “That bastard Roger killed her.”
“Is he dead?” Lucien asked, fury in his eyes. “Did you kill him?”
Adrian shook his head, unable to explain himself, but knowing he’d done the right thing nonetheless. “He got away.”
“What! How long ago? Why didn’t you go after him?” Lucien demanded, obviously disappointed in him.
“Vanessa needed me,” Adrian said quietly. “She begged me to stay with her. She’s been through so much… But I did kill his two henchmen, the ones who actually killed Anne.”
Lucien gave him a measuring look, and then turned to confer with Clinton, who immediately took off the way they’d come.
A deep, sorrowful howl came from inside the warehouse. Adrian and Lucien exchanged looks and then rushed inside to take care of Morgan.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Vanessa stood back as Morgan gave a heart-wrenching cry and dropped to his knees beside Anne’s body, cradling her in his arms. “Anne,” he sobbed. “Oh God, Anne! I�
�m so sorry, sweetheart. I’m so fucking sorry.”
Vanessa’s own eyes filled with tears as she watched him, but she had no idea how to help him. Tentatively, she moved forward and wrapped her arms around him, trying to offer what comfort she could.
All she could think about was the night she and Adrian had spent at their house, how convinced Anne had been that Morgan was losing interest in her. She wished with all her heart that her friend had faced her end with the knowledge that this man obviously loved her more than she possibly could have imagined.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, over and over. “I’m so sorry, Morgan. She told me to tell you that she loved you. That she wanted the baby to be named Felicity, that you and the children were her whole world.”
Morgan didn’t acknowledge her. He just kept rocking Anne, sobbing her name.
A noise on the stairs caught her attention, and she looked over Morgan’s shoulder to see Adrian and Lucien coming down. The look on Adrian’s face when he saw his twin cradling Anne’s bloody, broken body made her heart break all over again. He would take this all upon himself. She knew it to the depths of her soul. All of the progress they’d made, all the happiness he’d almost managed to believe he deserved would be shattered by this.
Morgan stiffened, and then he slowly lifted his head and turned to look at his brothers as well. “This is all your fault!” he screamed, his eyes pinned upon Adrian. “I told you that if you didn’t stop being Prometheus that something like this would happen. Now look what you’ve done! Look at her, you bastard!”
Adrian flinched as though he’d been hit. “You’re right,” he whispered. “Morgan…I’m so sorry. I never meant for anyone else to be hurt by this. I was trying to help them, the children…” He broke off and moved as though to comfort Morgan, but then stopped at the look in his twin’s eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
“Do you think that means anything to me now?” Morgan snarled. “Do you think that you can just say sorry and it can erase the fact that my wife is dead?” He shrugged Vanessa off, and she scooted away from him, knowing the last thing he wanted now that his anger had ignited was her comfort. “It should have been your wife, Adrian. If there was any justice in the world, it would have been her.” He turned his seething gaze upon Vanessa, who couldn’t believe this was the same peaceful man she’d come to know. He looked as though he wanted to kill her.
Lucien drew in a harsh breath and stepped forward, ever the big brother. “Morgan, I know you’re hurting, but that’s enough. This is not Adrian’s fault. Roger made this happen. He’s the one you should blame.”
Morgan shook his head, unwilling to listen, his hatred still burning bright. Vanessa knew he was just lashing out, as wounded things tend to do, but it was unbearable for her to watch, because she knew how much Adrian loved his twin.
Lucien obviously came to the same conclusion, because he stepped forward and helped Vanessa to her feet. “I’m glad you’re all right,” he murmured in her ear as he gave her a quick embrace. “Morgan didn’t mean that. Get Adrian out of here. Leave the baby with me, and I’ll find a wet nurse for the child. I’ll also take care of the constable. Being an earl does have some perks. Take him home and reassure him that you don’t blame him, and neither does Morgan. He’ll come around. He’s just grieving.”
“Thank you,” she whispered back. “Take the baby to Fiona at Brookhaven. She’ll take wonderful care of Felicity until Morgan is ready.”
“Good idea,” Lucien agreed. “Thank you.”
She stepped hesitantly toward Adrian, who had the same haunted, devastated look in his eyes that he’d had after she’d made her horrid marriage proposal. He looked as though everything he’d loved or believed in had just been taken from him.
Vanessa carefully took the baby from Adrian, turning and placing Felicity in Lucien’s surprisingly capable arms. He ran one fingertip across the baby’s face, the ghost of a smile tracing his lips as he met his niece for the first time.
“She’s beautiful, Morg. Come, meet your beautiful daughter. She’s got her mother’s nose.”
“I can’t bear it,” Morgan said, almost inaudibly. “I can’t bear to look at her.”
Lucien dropped to his knees beside Morgan, embraced him with his free arm, and began quietly comforting him, rocking the crying baby at the same time. She couldn’t understand everything he said, but she had faith that somehow he would get Morgan through this. Now she just had to do the same for Adrian. The thought that Lucien had trusted her with that made her feel she had finally truly become a member of this family, though it broke her heart all over again to realize how lost they would all be without Anne.
She put her arms around Adrian’s waist and rested her forehead against his chest. She could feel his heart beating as though he’d run a marathon, feel the tension in him, and knew how close she was to losing him. He would want to run from this, throw himself back behind the mask and hold everyone, including her, at bay.
“Adrian, take me home,” she whispered, shamelessly using his sense of responsibility against him. “I’m not feeling well…” She wondered if she should fake a swoon, but Adrian shuddered and finally wrapped his arms around her.
“I need to stay here,” he said reluctantly. “I killed two men. The constable is coming, and Morgan needs me.”
“Lucien will take care of all of it. The constable can come speak to you when he’s done here,” she assured him, shivering a bit at the thought of what he’d had to do to save her and Felicity. “And Morgan needs a little bit of time to grieve his loss. Lucien has him. And I just want to go home, away from this place.” She lifted her gaze, staring into his troubled eyes. “Please, Adrian.”
He leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. “I know what you’re trying to do. Maybe you’re right. Having me here is just upsetting Morgan more.” He sighed and stepped away, taking her hand and leading her toward the stairs.
* * * *
When Adrian and Vanessa stepped into the foyer of their home, they found Gabriel sitting halfway up the curving staircase, his arms curled around his knees. He’d obviously been waiting there for some time, and his eyes lit up at the sight of them.
“Mama!” he cried, launching himself down the stairs and into Vanessa’s arms. “I was so worried ’bout you!”
Adrian looked on, feeling a gut-wrenching sense of responsibility and shame. This was his family, and he’d put them all at risk by continuing his masquerade long after it had become dangerous, long after Roger had put the pieces of the puzzle together.
“It’s all right,” Vanessa whispered, holding their son. “Your papa rescued me, and we’re both fine, sweetheart. We’ll never leave you again.”
She met Adrian’s gaze over Gabriel’s shoulder, and the concern and love he saw in her eyes humbled him. He dropped to his knees beside them and gathered them both in his arms. For so long, he’d had so little regard for his own life, but now he finally had someone to come home to, people he needed to take care of. He couldn’t keep living his life the way he’d been living it.
Prometheus had been less about rescuing the unfortunate than it had been about making Roger pay. He saw that now. He’d done good work, but his motives had not been what they should have been. He needed to refocus his energy to helping the ones he’d already rescued and taking care of his family.
“I’m done,” he whispered, stroking Vanessa’s back, thinking of how close he’d come to losing her. “I’m putting up the mask, darling. I don’t want to do this anymore. I just want to be here, with you and Gabriel.”
She gave a shuddering sob and held him tighter, and he knew how much she’d want that. The fact that she’d never asked for it made him love her even more.
I love her. It suddenly occurred to him that he still hadn’t said the words. She’d almost died, and he’d never told her that she was his entire life. Yes, she’d hurt him, but he understood her reasons now, however misguided they had been. She’d made her proposal out of
love, and he’d punished her for it for far too long already.
“I love you, Vanessa,” he whispered, pulling away to look in her beautiful dark eyes. “I’ve loved you since the first time I kissed you. When I thought I was going to lose you, it nearly destroyed me.”
“I love you, too,” she breathed, leaning forward to kiss him softly.
“I love you, too, Mama and Papa,” Gabriel chimed in, obviously needing the words as much as they did.
“Ah, Gabriel, my boy, I love you, too.” Adrian pulled the boy into his lap and kissed the top of his head, meeting Vanessa’s shining eyes as he did so.
“We both do,” she affirmed, and for a very long time, the three of them sat huddled together on the stairs, just appreciating the fact that they’d found each other.
At last, Vanessa went to take a long, hot bath to soak away the filth and pain of her ordeal, and Adrian took Gabriel up to his bedroom and tucked him in, reading him a book and staying with him until he fell asleep. Then he sat there for a while, love, pride, and guilt warring within him. He’d taken on the responsibility of this child, yet this was the first time he felt like he’d actually been a father to the boy. Gabriel needed to know he was loved. The last thing in the world he wanted was to be the sort of father to Gabriel that Winters had been to him. He needed to do better.
Realizing he was famished, he went downstairs and ordered a late dinner for himself and Vanessa, wondering how long it had been since his wife had eaten. Just as he finished conferring with the cook, he heard a commotion at the front door and went back out into the foyer.
Clinton had arrived, and he’d brought a policeman with him. Giving Adrian an apologetic look, Clinton introduced them. “My lord, this is Constable Quinn O’Brien. He has been to the warehouse and would like to speak with you before you retire for the evening.”
Adrian sighed and held out his hand. To the man’s credit, his direct green eyes didn’t linger on Adrian’s scars.