“I know.”
“Have you tried talking to Rachel?”
“She’s just closed me off. To be truthful, I think it started even before we left Barbados.”
“So, ask her what the problem is.”
That’s the problem—what if her answer is something I don’t want to hear?
“I can’t even imagine my life without her.” I look at Aidan, and his face tells me he understands.
He pats my shoulder. “All the more reason to end the silence.”
I have that in my mind when I return to the apartment. It’s still early, and the lobby of my hotel is busy with people coming and going from a book signing.
I wonder if Rachel knows about the event. It’s the sort of thing she would like.
The apartment is empty when I enter.
As soon as I enter the foyer, I can see that something is wrong. Rachel’s purse in on the floor, and on the carpet close to it, there’s a small red stain.
On a reflex, I hit the panic button on my phone and hurry into the living room. My eyes go to the curtains leading to the balcony. They’re billowing inward, letting in the biting wind.
“Rachel.” I’m already running toward the doors.
“He has a gun!” Her scream is filled with terror, and my heart stops beating. “He has a gun,” she screams again just as I clear the doors.
Her hands and feet are bound. She is leaning on the balustrade, edging away from a figure dressed in black. Evans Sinclair has a gun trained on me, and that’s fine with me, as long as it’s not pointed at Rachel.
I keep my voice steady though I want to scream. “What do you want?”
Evans jeers at me. “What do you think?”
My eyes go to Rachel again. Her terror is tearing me apart. What has he done to her?
I turn back to Evans. “You’re not going to get it.”
He smiles. “I think I already have.”
“Really?” I need to keep him talking until Joe gets here, hopefully with the rest of my security. “You’re a wanted man. You’re going to jail. You won’t get your hotel back, and you won’t get away with whatever you plan to do here.”
He glares at me, his eyes filled with hate. “You have no idea how much I hate you, how much I’ve hated you all these years. I loved her, and she chose you, over and over again. Ava was perfect, and you ruined her. You made her give you all the time, all the attention she should have given me.”
At first, I’m confused. It takes me a minute to realize what he means. “Your sister—”
“Yes!” he screams. “I loved her, and you took her from me, and then you stole my hotel.” He goes silent and draws in a breath of cold air. “Maybe I won’t get my hotel back, but then, maybe I don’t want it anymore. Maybe I won’t even get out of here or get away with this, but I’m going to hurt you, Landon Court, and you’re never going to forget about me.”
I know he’s about to do something, and when he swings the gun in Rachel’s direction, my vision goes black. I leap for him, my only thought is to prevent that gun from going off.
He turns back to me, as if in slow motion. His eyes widen, and I feel something hit me like a sledgehammer. I crash into him just as the recoil from the gun swings his arm backward, my weight does the rest, and we both go over.
The last thing I hear is Rachel screaming.
I love you, Rachel.
I love you.
Chapter 36