“Because of the weather,” I reply, glancing at the window.
Slowly, she shakes her head. “Because Colin called it off.”
The vise around my chest is released, and I take a deep, life-giving breath. One I feel like I’ve been holding for twenty years.
“Where is he?” I ask.
“Dunno,” she replies. “Blaire called me and said it was off. By the time I got here, everyone was gone.”
“I have to find him,” I mutter, passing my sister to run straight through the house toward the parlor, then the kitchen, and then up to the guest rooms. Each one of them is empty, and the staff is pulling sheets from the beds. I hear a car door slam outside, and panic builds inside of me as I sprint out toward the drive.
As I barrel out the front door, I stop in my tracks as Pierce stands at the back of his Rolls-Royce, his hands on the boot. With a placid expression on his face, he turns toward me. His eyes are half lidded, unimpressed as he shoves his hands in his front pockets. The rain has lightened to a typical Scottish drizzle, but it soaks the both of us in moments regardless.
“Where is he?” I mutter, gazing to the windows of the car in search of my Colin.
“How the hell should I know?” Pierce replies flatly.
My brows furrow as the American waltzes toward me with indignation in his eyes. My mind is swirling with questions I can’t seem to form.
“I knew it was a risk bringing him here,” Pierce says as he leans against his car. “Maybe that’s why I did it. To test him. To see if I truly had his loyalty. Turns out I didn’t, because he chose to stay here with you.”
I glance back up at the manor behind me, hoping to findColin staring out one of the windows in search of me, but they’re all empty. When I don’t respond, Pierce continues.
“You can’t give him what he needs, you know?” he says, this time with less haughty confidence than he had last night.
I take a menacing step forward. “Yes, I bloody can, and I will.”
“You’re too soft on him. He craves control. That you could possibly pull off, but the degradation? Never. You love him too much.”
“That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard,” I growl.
He lets out a sardonic laugh. “The most absurd thing I’ve ever heard is you having him for nearly a decade and letting him go. If you love him so much.”
“A mistake I won’t make again.” There’s a tension headache brewing from how tightly I’m scowling at the man in front of my house. I don’t know why I’m even bothering to argue with him. Maybe because he got in my head last night. He had me thinking I was wrong for Colin, which is ridiculous. I was made for Colin.
“I’ll be waiting for him when you do.”
Fueled by resentment, I take two fuming steps toward the man, grab him by the collar of his shirt, and shake him as I snarl in his face. “You will never touch Colin Shelby again, because he’smine. He has always been mine, and he always will be mine. And not because I fixed him or trained him or preyed on him in his weakest moments like you did. But because he chose me. Because I give him a voice and I encourage him to fucking use it. I will be everything that man needs and more, because we belong to each other. That’s what love is for, and if you even dare to speak to him again, I will do whatever I have to in order to protect him, ya ken? Now get in your ugly car and get the fuck off my bloody property.Now.”
Releasing him, I take a step back and let out the heavy breath I was holding. To my relief, he doesn’t utter another word. With a huff of frustration and a shake of his head, he climbs into the driver’s seat and takes off, kicking up gravel in his wake. As Iwatch his taillights disappear in the distance, a sense of contentment washes over me.
It’s over.
Spinning around toward the house, I find my sister standing in the doorway, waiting for me. There are tears in her eyes and a tight, thin smile on her face.
“Anna, I’m sorry,” I mumble with defeat as my shoulders slump.
She scurries toward me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “Don’t apologize to me,” she whispers in my ear. “I’ve never been prouder of you. That is the Declan I know and love.”
“I just ruined the wedding and kicked out the groom,” I argue. “Aren’t ye mad?”
Pulling away, she holds my shoulders with a look of motherly affection. “Not a wee bit. Now, go upstairs and make things right. There’s someone waiting for you.”
My gaze shoots up to the third floor, and this time I find his blue eyes watching from the window. I take off in a mad dash, but first I hug my sister again. She kisses my cheek before I slip out of her grasp.
“I’m leaving,” she hollers.
“Good,” I reply, stopping at the door. “You should.”
