Chapter 29
Chapter twenty-nine
Madeleine
My eyelids feel heavy as I let them slowly blink open. The room around me is engulfed in darkness, everything appearing blurry as I sit up. A groan escapes my throat as I clutch the back of my head, feeling a throbbing pain in one specific spot.
Suddenly, a light casts over the space, illuminating Cressida sitting on a worn, stained sofa in a long, baby blue satin gown; her right gold heel peeks out through the slit, bouncing impatiently in the air.
Everything looks out of place.
“Finally, you’re up.” Cressida smiles, her intent clear as she looks at me with a cruel glint in her eyes.
My eyes catch on a bright red substance coating my fingertips. Blood. Shit. I rub the back of my head again, realizing it’s wet and sticky. That’s not good.
“That’s not my fault,” she says. “You did that to yourself when you hit your head on the floor.” She tilts her head to the side, observing me like a predator. “Don’t you remember?”
The last thing I remember was Cressida asking if we could talk.
Caine got up to follow me, but I told him I would be right back as I turned to follow Cressida toward the bathroom.
Once we were inside, she lunged at me, catching me off guard as she jabbed a syringe into the side of my neck.
Whatever was in it instantly took hold of me as my words slurred and my knees gave out, my body falling to the floor. Hence, my aching head.
But how did I get here?
And where the hell is here?
“Why the fuck did you take me here?” I ask, sitting up straighter against the cold, damp wall, trying to ignore the pain. As a chill skates across my shoulders, I adjust the top of my dress, wishing I had worn something with sleeves.
She uncrosses her legs and leans forward. “Isn’t it obvious?”
My brow arches. “Enlighten me.”
“Well, Eli, of course,” she states matter-of-factly.
My heart stills.
Eli, as in my Eli?
I remain silent as she stands.
“I’m not stupid, Madeleine. Although many probably presume I am, simply because I’m a woman.
” Her arm comes forward, and I notice her knuckles wrapped around a gun.
My gun. The one that was previously strapped to my thigh holster, hidden beneath my dress.
“I know you’re not marrying my brother for love.
In fact, I know more than you about everything going on here. ”
She crouches down before me, a sympathetic smile playing on her lips. “You see, I love Eli. In fact, I’ve been in love with him for years.” Her head tilts to the side, her smile growing wider. “And I have your dad to thank for that.”
My nails dig into the palms of my hands. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Well, if he hadn’t gotten himself killed, I never would have bumped into Eli at his funeral.”
Every muscle in my body tenses at her words, my blood boiling with fury as my knuckles shake.
“I have to admit, I found the funeral service quite boring. I mean, it’s not like I knew the man.
So, while everyone else was engaged in small talk, I wandered aimlessly through your family’s house.
And just as I was entering the living room, a man bumped into me.
” She looks off into the distance with a dreamy smile on her face.
“It was Eli.” She laughs softly. “I had no idea who he was until I heard one of your brothers call out to him.” A slight flush spreads across her cheeks.
“His deep brown eyes locked onto mine as his hands gripped my arms, steadying me to ensure I was okay. The deep timbre of his voice sent a pleasant shiver over my body as he apologized for not seeing me.” She chuckles, her eyes glazing over as if lost in a memory.
“I never believed in love at first sight until that moment.” She stands to her full height, smoothing down the fabric of her dress.
“And I just remember thinking, I would do anything to make him mine.”
Her no-nonsense declaration causes my eyes to widen as alarm bells ring in my mind, warning me.
“It was simple for me to obtain all his basic information. Quite convenient for me that he spent most of his time here, in New York. I would make it a point to be at the same events as him. To ensure I was always in his line of sight. But did he ever notice me? Did he ever look my way? No, because”—she casually points the gun at me—“he was too busy looking at you. Never understood why, either. Let’s be honest; between the two of us, I’m the real prize.
” She sneers at me in disgust, pausing before saying, “You probably don’t even remember seeing me at the hospital. ”
“The hospital?” I ask, my brows cinching together in confusion.
“Yes, I was at my doctor’s office for a routine visit, sitting in the corner of the waiting room, reading a magazine.
Just minding my business. When you came traipsing out of the room with the nurse congratulating you and handing you pamphlets for expecting mothers.
” She looks down at the ground, shaking her head.
“I just knew.” A dark laugh escapes her lips.
“So I decided to skip my appointment and follow you. I watched as you pulled over at a nearby park and walked over to a picnic table, brushing off the snow before you took out a pen and a piece of paper from your bag. You scribbled across it for a while, crossing things out and adding more until you finally held it up, smiling proudly at your work. Then you walked over to the nearby mailbox and dropped it inside, leaving it there.” Her expression shifts to one of disapproval.
“You just left such an important letter in a mailbox unprotected for anyone to take.”
I shake my head, fury ensnaring me. After all this time, it was her behind that awful letter. It was her who wanted to see to my demise. This fucking bitch. “You took the letter.”
“Of course. I had to see for myself what you wrote to my dear Eli. Although I must admit, it was rather upsetting to digest. I mean, the idea of you pregnant with Eli’s baby…
Well, it gave me nightmares.” She grimaces, her brows knitting together as her features contort in disgust. “So, I responded as I thought Eli should in this situation. Or, I suppose, in a way that would ensure you would no longer want anything to do with him. I even replicated his signature for you, which I admit was quite a challenge given that I had never seen it before. That is, until I obtained a copy of his enlistment forms. It’s quite convenient to have so many connections in high places, like the government, for instance.
” A smug smile appears on her face. “I’m guessing from the lack of a child that you took my advice. ”
“You psychotic bitch!” I shout, no longer able to contain my emotions, my fingers digging into the dirt, ready to pounce. “You are going to regret everything when I’m done with you!”
She swiftly jerks the gun toward me, causing me to refrain from unleashing upon her. “I don’t think you’re in any position to be threatening me.”
I seethe through my teeth, fighting the violent tremble that races through me.
“Easy.” She smiles wickedly, taking a step toward me. “We haven’t even gotten to the best part yet.”
I grind my back molars, my heart beating erratically beneath my rib cage. I’m going to kill her.
“You see, my letter to you was the key to breaking your heart, but I needed a way to break Eli’s as well. So, I went to my dearest brother for help with that part, but I needed to ensure my plan would give him what he’s always wanted in return to secure a deal.”
I swallow hard, and against my better judgment, I ask, “What did you do?”
She brushes a hand across the couch cushion before taking a seat. “Oh, come on, Madeleine. You’re smart. That’s one of the things I like about you.” She leans against the back of the couch with amusement in her eyes. “What do all men want?”
I grin, unable to help myself. “A good blow job after a long day? Don’t tell me you and Alastor are that close?”
She scowls, her eyes narrowing in on me.
“They want power, you cunt.” She presses her fingers into her temple, briefly closing her eyes.
“In order to achieve that, I merely suggested that he marry you, accomplishing two goals at once: you would no longer be available for Eli, and it would also establish a powerful alliance for my brother. But I explained that there was a slight dilemma in that you were in love with another man. So, I simply advised Alastor to use Eli as his pawn in this little game to achieve our end goal.”
My breath catches as I realize that everything that happened to Eli is because of this raging psychopath. “Why the fuck would you do that?”
“Because when you came running to my brother for help—and we knew you would, considering our family’s power in that country—desperate with no options, you would say yes to his proposal.
” She stares at her manicured hand. “Having the Vasiliev brothers as cousins is quite advantageous,” she adds with a slight shrug of her shoulder.
“It certainly made it easier to have him kidnapped in a foreign country.”
“The Vasilievs are the ones who took him?” I ask, rage like I’ve never experienced coursing through my veins.
“Well, not them, but their men who reside there. Alastor doesn’t like to get his hands dirty, but the Vasilievs don’t mind at all.
Of course, it cost a pretty penny. I believe Alastor offered them half of our company’s shares, but that was nothing compared to what he would be gaining once he married you. ”
“His unit was killed during their attack!” I yell. “Those men tortured him, and he has the burns to prove it.” I shake my head, glaring down at my blood-covered hands. “He has fucking PTSD because of you!”
“It’s not my fault that he was hurt,” she responds, taken aback that I could even suggest such a thing. “I didn’t tell them to torture him! Sometimes, men just take things too far.”
I scoff. “Do you hear yourself? He could have died!”
She rolls her eyes in annoyance. “I never would have let that happen. I had planned to take care of him when he came home. However, his returning to the States and working for your family was never part of my plan. I had no way of getting into the Alarie Estate unless I hiked up the stone walls surrounding your property.” She gestures to herself.
“Do I look like someone who can climb walls?”
My lips part. She’s actually delusional. “So, what now, Cressida?” I look around the deserted warehouse. “Do you plan on killing me? Is that why you’ve taken me here? Is that how your whole plan comes together?”
She frowns, tilting her head to the side. “Of course not. I didn’t take you here to kill you. Well…” She waves the gun around. “Unless you put me in a position where I need to. No, I brought you here to have a little chat, woman to woman.”
Oh, this will be good. “I’m all ears.”
“You will follow through with marrying my brother, and then you will let me and Eli live out our happily ever after the way we were always meant to. You won’t get in the way of our happiness.”
I bite my bottom lip, trying to suppress a laugh.
Apparently, that doesn’t make her too happy because she clicks back the safety of the gun, aiming it right at me.
“Okay, I tried to play nice, but now you’re really pissing me off.
I’m giving you two choices here. You can either marry Alastor and stay the fuck away from Eli or if you can’t agree to that, then I’ll have to kill you and leave you here.
And who knows how long it will take for someone to find you.
” She uses the tip of her heel to kick something that looks like it might have been alive at one point but is definitely not anymore.
“The coyotes may find you before your brothers do,” she warns.
“Gee, thanks for that lovely image.” I roll my eyes and stare up at the ceiling.
“I don’t think the choice is that hard. I mean, if you marry Alastor, you’ll have me as a sister-in-law. Haven’t you always wanted a sister?”
“Yeah, just not one who I would consider to be certifiably insane!”
Her expression freezes, and her eyes remain unblinking. “What did you just call me?”
“Insane!” I lean toward her, my chest heaving.
“Don’t call me that!” She stands to her full height, pressing one hand into her scalp.
“But that’s what you are, for thinking Eli would want anything to do with you.” I laugh, leaning against the wall. “Do you have any idea what he’s going to do to you when he finds me like this?”
“Eli loves me!” she screams, stomping a foot like a disobedient child.
Her eyes widen, her chest heaving erratically.
“Or, at least, he will when you’re no longer in the picture.
” She raises the gun, tilting her head to the side.
“I’m giving you to the count of ten. And if you don’t choose by then, I’ll decide for you. One…”
Shit. “Cressida, just put the gun down,” I say calmly. “We can talk about this.”
“No.” She shakes her head. “There’s nothing left to talk about. I love Eli, and he will love me. And we’ll be happy together once you’re gone. Two…”
“Cressida, please, you don’t have to do this.”
“Three…”
Maybe I can run? I look toward the door.
“Don’t even think about it. My guards are waiting just on the other side. Do you think I lugged you here myself?” She scoffs. “Four, five, six, seven…”
Sweat rolls down my temple as my heart thrashes against my rib cage.
This is it.
I’m going to die.
In a fucking warehouse, wearing vintage Chanel.
The door bursts open, revealing the darkest pair of eyes I’ve ever seen. They lock onto me before shifting to the monster standing in front of me. “Drop the fucking gun, Cressida!”