“I’ll be fine, Hudson. Try not to worry so much.”
A deep frown creased his brow as he gazed down at her. The intensity of his scrutiny was unnerving, and for a moment she feared he’d seen right through her flimsy excuse. “I will worry until you’re back in my arms,” he finally said. He leaned down, his lips gently touching hers. “You’re my life, Alessandra. I would do anything for you. All you need to do is ask.”
Allie’s chest tightened. “I know,” she murmured against his lips. “I’ll see you soon.”
She kept her eyes trained on the elevator as she made her way down the long hall. Hudson was watching her from the doorway of their suite. She could feel it. If she stole even so much as a glance over her shoulder, she knew she’d run back into his arms and tell him everything. But Julian had been adamant she handle this alone, and so that was exactly what she had to do.
Whatever it takes to keep them safe.
Over and over the words played in her head during the ride to the airport, and as she waited in the concourse, anxiously checking her watch. When Harper finally came through the doors, Allie pushed her way through the exiting passengers and threw her arms around her friend.
“Whoa, glad to see you, too,” Harper laughed.
Allie squeezed her tight. “Thank you.”
“No problem. Never celebrated New Year’s Eve at thirty-five thousand feet. Not exactly the mile-high club I had in mind, but . . .”
An overwhelming sense of gratitude collided with the tension coiled deep within her, and a strangled sob escaped Allie’s lips.
Harper leaned back to look at her. “Oh hey, it’s okay.” She wiped the tear that slipped down Allie’s cheek. “Although, can I say for the bazillionth time, that I think meeting with Julian is a terrible idea?”
“I know. But it has to be this way.” People surged past them, rushing to meet family members or connecting flights. “Come on, let’s get out of this mess.” Looping her arm though Harper’s, she lead her to a cluster of chairs near the windows. “Did you have any trouble finding it?”
Harper shook her head. “No, it was right where you said it would be. But it was terrifying traveling with this rock.” She pulled a leather box out of her carry-on bag and pressed it into Allie’s trembling hands. “How in the world did you walk around wearing it? I’d be afraid someone would chop my finger off to steal it.”
The image Harper conjured only added to the nausea rolling in the pit of Allie’s stomach, but she kept her focus on the task at hand. “I have a driver from the George V waiting for you downstairs, but he’s going to drop you at the Ritz Carlton. I booked you a room there because with my luck you’d run into Hudson in the lobby.”
“Where does he think you are now?”
Allie frowned. “I told him I was visiting one of my mother’s friends.”
“I’d point out the many ways this whole thing is a bad idea, like how lies are what tore you two apart the first time, or how Julian is a snake in the grass, or how Hudson is going to flip when he finds out . . .” Harper paused and her expression softened. “But I’m guessing you already know all that.”
Allie nodded and swallowed past the lump in her throat. When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. “He’s threatening to hurt Hudson. And Nick.”
Harper’s eyes grew wide. “All over that ring? I mean, it’s a freaking monster, but couldn’t he afford, like, a dozen more?”
“He could, but according to him, this one is priceless.”
“Jeesh, glad I didn’t know that part on the flight over.”
“Good riddance to both of them, as far as I’m concerned.” She tucked the ring box into her purse and handed Harper a large manila envelope. “Everything you need is in here. The hotel registration is under your name but I gave them my credit card, so raid the mini bar, go to the spa, order room service, whatever you want.”
Harper peeked into the envelope. “You didn’t need to do all this.”
“Yes, I did. You dropped everything and flew to Paris on literally a moment’s notice. The least I can do is make sure you enjoy yourself while you’re here.”
“So what’s the plan?”
“Not much, really. I’m going to grab a cab to take me out to Julian’s, then stop by Bernadette’s on the way to meet Hudson at the train station.” Allie was a horrible liar. If she had any hope of pulling this off, she’d have to actually sit down for a quick cup of tea with her mother’s friend. “With any luck this will all be over in an about two hours.”
“Call me on your way to the train?”
“Will do.” After one last hug, Allie hurried through the crowded concourse to the nearest taxi stand. During the drive she gazed out the window as the scenery changed from bustling urban to scenic vista, bracing herself for the inevitable. She’d hoped to never lay eyes on Julian Laurent again, and for a short time it seemed like that might be possible. But now she was not only going to see him again, she was going to be alone with him.
Her heart rate spiked and her skin broke out in a cold sheen of sweat as memories of the last time they were together flooded her mind. She could see his face, contorted with anger, his nostrils flared with rage. She could smell the sour stench of alcohol mixed with the sweet scent of his cologne. She could feel his hands on her and the blood that dripped down her face. But most of all she could hear him. The snarls and grunts and harsh breaths as he bent her over the couch and forced her legs apart.
“We’re here, Mademoiselle.”
Allie startled. “Pardonnez-moi?”
The driver nodded to the iron gates in front of the car. “This is as far as the car can go. The road is too narrow.”
“Too narrow?”
“Oui, Mademoiselle. It was built for horses, not automobiles.”
She peered through the window. Beyond the gates was a cobblestone bridge that stretched across . . . a moat? Allie couldn’t believe her eyes. She knew the chateau had been in Julian’s family since the sixteenth century, but an actual moat? While she’d expected it to be as ostentatious as everything else in Julian’s life, she had to admit that took her by surprise.
“Do you still want me to wait?”
“Absolutely. This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.” She tossed fifty euros on the front seat and slid out of the taxi.
The iron gates seemed even more foreboding once she was out of the car. They towered over her in a flourish of swirls and interlocking scrolls that met in the middle to form a giant letter L. Taking a deep breath, she somehow managed to propel herself forward on shaking legs.
As she moved across the weathered stones, she took in her surroundings. Below her the water moved under the bridge in slow ripples, with lily pads and moss floating along the gentle current. In the distance she could see meticulously trimmed topiary dotting the elaborate gardens, and beyond that a large stable and several smaller houses she assumed to be servant quarters. But the true focal point was the main house. The massive three-story home loomed in front of her like a scene from a movie. With its towers and spires and flags it more closely resembled a castle than a chateau. As she neared the entrance she wondered idly if under different circumstances she’d consider the whole scene to be straight out of a fairy tale instead of ripped from her worst nightmare.
The oversize wood door swung open as she approached. When she reached the top stair, Julian appeared in the doorway. He was holding a crystal glass that undoubtedly contained straight vodka and wearing a pair of tan pants and a blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows.
“Alessandra.” His lips drew back in an expression that was decidedly more sneer than smile. He gestured for her to enter then stepped aside to let her pass, taking a sip from the crystal glass as she did. “Welcome home,” he murmured.