[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Something caught her eye, and she looked toward the burning
building to her right. A man limped slowly toward them, grotesquely
burned. Eric raised his hand, and she saw him take aim. She
screamed. God, no please.
Brad whipped around, gun in hand. Bullets popped, and Brad fell,
beside her. No. Isabel looked up to see her brother laugh.
No, no, this isn t happening.
Take it, Brad said, his voice surprisingly calm, and she glanced
down as he pushed something toward her.
No, she couldn t. This was her brother. But he was stepping
closer. She circled her fingers around the handle and lifted the heavy
weapon. She aimed it. Her brother smiled. She found his chest. She
saw her mother, Gina, Leyna, and her grandfather s caring eyes. Eric
raised his gun again.
I m sorry, she whispered and fired. Over and over, she pulled
back on the tight trigger until her brother lay on the ground.
Salsa Nights 179
She dropped the gun aside and found the bleeding hole on the left
side of Brad s abdomen. Gently, she put pressure on it with her hand
and gazed into his gorgeous blue eyes.
Brad. Please, she whispered, caressing his smoke-stained face.
Slowly, he raised a hand toward her. She took it and brought it to
her cheek. He brushed his fingers across her trembling lips. It had
quickly become a gesture she d come to need from him.
I ve loved you so long, Brad whispered, struggling to breathe.
Isabel s eyes watered, and she turned to Dale. He hadn t moved,
and his eyes were closed. I love you. Please, you can t leave me,
too, she told him, fighting the lump in her burning throat.
A sweet smile touched his lips. My princess.
His eyes fluttered closed, and his hand went limp in hers. No. No.
People in uniform gathered around them. She looked at Dale and
floated her hand over his hair. Chocolate. She brought her eyes back
to Brad. For once, his lips were relaxed, his eyes soft. He was
peaceful.
I never had a chance to tell you that I love you both, she
whispered.
Sobs raked her body, and Isabel wasn t aware of her screams until
someone carried her away.
180 Chalee Mar
Chapter Twenty
Isabel sat on her heels. Thunder boomed from a distance,
announcing the arrival of a storm. The smell of rain swirled in the
breeze that flowed around her, fluttering her hair.
Her fingers brushed over each petal in the bouquet of fresh
flowers. The butterfly pin rested neatly against the gray headstone.
She grazed her hand over his name, tears slipping down her face.
I love you, Grandpa. Te quiero. Thank you for choosing them.
It pained her greatly that she d lost precious time with her
grandfather before he died. But she d forgiven her father, and she d
forgiven herself. Somehow she knew that he watched over her. He
knew she loved him.
Nik waited under the palm tree. She fell in step alongside Isabel.
Slipping her arm through her friend s, Isabel rested her head against
Nik s arm.
Thank you.
For what? Nik asked.
Isabel sighed. For flying here the day of the fire. For staying with
me at the hospital. For being here now.
Nik snorted. You re closer than a sister, so stop thanking me.
Isabel smiled. Are we ready for tomorrow?
Yup. The studio in Orlando will be ready for us, and we re all
sharing a comfortable efficiency until the night before the big day. I
made the hotel reservations for two nights, just to make sure we all
get plenty of sleep after celebrating our first-place win, Nik told her,
wiggling her eyebrows.
Salsa Nights 181
Her friend was a lifesaver. She d contacted a friend who owned a
jazz and ballet dance studio in the same city as the championships.
They had free use of one dance floor for the next three weeks. With
only three couples competing, they didn t need any more space.
You re the best, Isabel told her, squeezing her arm.
I know, Nik replied, and Isabel heard the smile in her voice.
So, have you decided?
Isabel straightened as they reached her car.
She nodded, taking a deep breath. Yes. I m taking a vacation
after Orlando and starting someplace new. Not here. Not now.
Nik raised a brow and leaned against the door. So you re running
away from them, she said, disappointed.
Isabel scoffed. No. I m moving on.
Brad told you he loves you, Nik reminded her needlessly.
But Dale didn t. I can t choose one. I won t. She shook her
head, gazing out at the ducks crossing the small pond at one end of
the cemetery.
Isa, maybe he just didn t get the chance to tell you. Regardless,
you can t leave without telling them how you feel.
But she had. For three days and three nights, she held their hands
in the hospital and told them over and over. But they slept. Drugged
for the pain, they had been unaware of all the times she cried, of each
time she told them she d loved them since she was a child. She hadn t
been able to stay past the third night when they were becoming more
lucid. They d ask questions she just wasn t prepared to answer. What
if they d made her choose?
The few times they opened their eyes and ate what they could, she
smiled at them and made them more comfortable. Yet, she held back.
What if Dale didn t feel the same? What if Brad didn t understand
that she was in love with both of them? What if he rejected her after
she confessed her true feelings? And what if Dale did love her, but
they wouldn t share her?
182 Chalee Mar
These men were alphas. They could have sex with the same
woman, the dominance over her being paramount to their control. But
share the woman they both loved? She wasn t sure they could, and
she wouldn t tell them both that she was in love with both. Certainly [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl karpacz24.htw.pl
Something caught her eye, and she looked toward the burning
building to her right. A man limped slowly toward them, grotesquely
burned. Eric raised his hand, and she saw him take aim. She
screamed. God, no please.
Brad whipped around, gun in hand. Bullets popped, and Brad fell,
beside her. No. Isabel looked up to see her brother laugh.
No, no, this isn t happening.
Take it, Brad said, his voice surprisingly calm, and she glanced
down as he pushed something toward her.
No, she couldn t. This was her brother. But he was stepping
closer. She circled her fingers around the handle and lifted the heavy
weapon. She aimed it. Her brother smiled. She found his chest. She
saw her mother, Gina, Leyna, and her grandfather s caring eyes. Eric
raised his gun again.
I m sorry, she whispered and fired. Over and over, she pulled
back on the tight trigger until her brother lay on the ground.
Salsa Nights 179
She dropped the gun aside and found the bleeding hole on the left
side of Brad s abdomen. Gently, she put pressure on it with her hand
and gazed into his gorgeous blue eyes.
Brad. Please, she whispered, caressing his smoke-stained face.
Slowly, he raised a hand toward her. She took it and brought it to
her cheek. He brushed his fingers across her trembling lips. It had
quickly become a gesture she d come to need from him.
I ve loved you so long, Brad whispered, struggling to breathe.
Isabel s eyes watered, and she turned to Dale. He hadn t moved,
and his eyes were closed. I love you. Please, you can t leave me,
too, she told him, fighting the lump in her burning throat.
A sweet smile touched his lips. My princess.
His eyes fluttered closed, and his hand went limp in hers. No. No.
People in uniform gathered around them. She looked at Dale and
floated her hand over his hair. Chocolate. She brought her eyes back
to Brad. For once, his lips were relaxed, his eyes soft. He was
peaceful.
I never had a chance to tell you that I love you both, she
whispered.
Sobs raked her body, and Isabel wasn t aware of her screams until
someone carried her away.
180 Chalee Mar
Chapter Twenty
Isabel sat on her heels. Thunder boomed from a distance,
announcing the arrival of a storm. The smell of rain swirled in the
breeze that flowed around her, fluttering her hair.
Her fingers brushed over each petal in the bouquet of fresh
flowers. The butterfly pin rested neatly against the gray headstone.
She grazed her hand over his name, tears slipping down her face.
I love you, Grandpa. Te quiero. Thank you for choosing them.
It pained her greatly that she d lost precious time with her
grandfather before he died. But she d forgiven her father, and she d
forgiven herself. Somehow she knew that he watched over her. He
knew she loved him.
Nik waited under the palm tree. She fell in step alongside Isabel.
Slipping her arm through her friend s, Isabel rested her head against
Nik s arm.
Thank you.
For what? Nik asked.
Isabel sighed. For flying here the day of the fire. For staying with
me at the hospital. For being here now.
Nik snorted. You re closer than a sister, so stop thanking me.
Isabel smiled. Are we ready for tomorrow?
Yup. The studio in Orlando will be ready for us, and we re all
sharing a comfortable efficiency until the night before the big day. I
made the hotel reservations for two nights, just to make sure we all
get plenty of sleep after celebrating our first-place win, Nik told her,
wiggling her eyebrows.
Salsa Nights 181
Her friend was a lifesaver. She d contacted a friend who owned a
jazz and ballet dance studio in the same city as the championships.
They had free use of one dance floor for the next three weeks. With
only three couples competing, they didn t need any more space.
You re the best, Isabel told her, squeezing her arm.
I know, Nik replied, and Isabel heard the smile in her voice.
So, have you decided?
Isabel straightened as they reached her car.
She nodded, taking a deep breath. Yes. I m taking a vacation
after Orlando and starting someplace new. Not here. Not now.
Nik raised a brow and leaned against the door. So you re running
away from them, she said, disappointed.
Isabel scoffed. No. I m moving on.
Brad told you he loves you, Nik reminded her needlessly.
But Dale didn t. I can t choose one. I won t. She shook her
head, gazing out at the ducks crossing the small pond at one end of
the cemetery.
Isa, maybe he just didn t get the chance to tell you. Regardless,
you can t leave without telling them how you feel.
But she had. For three days and three nights, she held their hands
in the hospital and told them over and over. But they slept. Drugged
for the pain, they had been unaware of all the times she cried, of each
time she told them she d loved them since she was a child. She hadn t
been able to stay past the third night when they were becoming more
lucid. They d ask questions she just wasn t prepared to answer. What
if they d made her choose?
The few times they opened their eyes and ate what they could, she
smiled at them and made them more comfortable. Yet, she held back.
What if Dale didn t feel the same? What if Brad didn t understand
that she was in love with both of them? What if he rejected her after
she confessed her true feelings? And what if Dale did love her, but
they wouldn t share her?
182 Chalee Mar
These men were alphas. They could have sex with the same
woman, the dominance over her being paramount to their control. But
share the woman they both loved? She wasn t sure they could, and
she wouldn t tell them both that she was in love with both. Certainly [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]