One Night Of Consequences Collection. Annie West

of us, blocking the way to the road.

      He wasn’t looking at Edward. He was looking only at me. I saw his lips form my name.

      “Make him believe you love me,” Edward growled in a low voice. “Make him believe.”

      I licked my lips. I looked at Alejandro’s stark face. The anguish in his dark eyes.

      And I couldn’t go through with it.

      “I can’t.” My voice trembled as I started fumbling with my seat belt. “I can’t do this. Let me out of here!”

      “Too late,” Edward said grimly, holding on to the latch as I tried to fight him.

      Alejandro saw us struggling through the front window. Hands clenched at his sides, he started walking toward the SUV, now staring at Edward with narrowed eyes, his powerful warrior’s body threatening his murder.

      Edward’s mouth twisted as their eyes met. He glared back, the same expression of murder in his face.

      They both intended to kill or be killed today.

      Over me.

      With a low, cruel growl, Edward stomped on the gas, increasing speed as he drove the SUV straight at Alejandro, who was unprotected and alone in the castle courtyard.

      But my husband didn’t turn and run. He didn’t back down. Instead, he started running straight at the car—as if a man could play chicken against seven thousand pounds of steel!

      I screamed. Grabbing the steering wheel, I twisted it hard to the left. Veering off balance, Edward’s SUV crashed into the stone fountain and twisted, then flew, high into the air.

      As if in slow motion, I felt us fly up, up, up, at the same time we flipped in sickening circles, around and around. We hit the ground with a bone-jarring crunch and rolled down the long hill, all the way down. Then, with a shudder and metallic groan, the SUV was still.

      I wasn’t dead. I was upside down, held into the passenger seat by the taut seat belt that had knocked the air out of me, leaving a streak of pain where it crossed my chest.

      Panting, I looked over at the driver’s seat. It was empty. Edward was gone.

      “Lena!” Alejandro cried. A moment later, my door was wrenched open, and suddenly he was there. He yanked open the seat belt, and caught me in his strong arms as I fell.

      Cradling me desperately, my husband sank to the ground, still holding me against his chest. He ran his hands over my body, found no life-ending injury and exhaled, holding me tight against him, rocking me in his lap. “Oh, my love,” he choked out. “You’re safe. You’re safe. For a moment I thought...” He looked at me fiercely. “Don’t ever do that to me again!”

      “I’m sorry,” I wept, pressing my head against his chest. “He learned the truth and said if I didn’t come with him, he would ruin your life and Maurine’s and even Miguel’s. I couldn’t risk you going to jail for the rest of your life—”

      “I’d rather be sent to jail for a million years,” he said hoarsely, “than lose you.” I felt his body trembling beneath me. Reaching up in amazement, I brushed away a single tear trailing down his tanned, hard-edged cheek.

      Pressing my forehead to his, I whispered, “Thank you for not letting me go.”

      He cupped my face, looked me straight in the eyes. “Never. We are forever....”

      A low growl made us both turn.

      “You’ll be sorry.” We turned to see Edward collapsed on the grass, where he’d been flung from the vehicle, across the hill. “Both of you,” he panted, “will be sorry.”

      Alejandro’s hands tightened on me. I looked up at him in terror. “Don’t kill him. It’s not worth it. Remember you promised you’d never leave me....”

      “Kill him?” He looked at me incredulously. “Why should I? Look at him....”

      For the first time, I noticed the odd way Edward’s arms and legs were stretched out in unnatural directions on the grass. But even his body wasn’t as contorted as his face.

      “I’ll tell the world,” Edward panted, “how you all committed fraud. I’ll ruin your lives—both of you—the old woman and that baby, too....”

      Alejandro glared at Edward, parting his lips to answer. But someone else beat him to it.

      “Calm down, dear. You’re acting crazy.”

      Maurine stepped calmly between us on the hill. She peered down at Edward benignly, as if about to offer him cookies at a party, and the upside-down SUV behind us, with its crushed steel doors and a wheel still spinning, was just a decoration, like fairy lights or balloons. “Whatever you think is wrong, Alejandro is my grandson.”

      Edward gave a hard laugh. “It’s a lie.” He coughed. “I’ll prove it when I get the court order for a blood test....”

      “You know, I always wondered.” She smiled, then looked at Alejandro, who was still on the ground, holding me protectively in his lap. She gave a brisk nod. “I was about to tell you, before all the fuss broke out. The hairbrush. You’re my grandson, Alejandro. Really and truly. The grandson of my heart.” She gave us a broad, self-satisfied smile. “Also a grandson of a DNA test.”

      I felt Alejandro jump. His face was pale.

      “What...?” he breathed.

      “The silly secret was just causing such a problem between you two.” She looked between us severely. “And the way you were botching things. It just was ridiculous. Honestly, I’d always wondered why your mother stayed on as housekeeper for all those years, even when my son wasn’t paying her. And then there was that family resemblance.... Anyway. It never mattered to me one way or the other. Until it started to interfere with your happiness.” She grinned. “So I took your hairbrush and had a DNA test. You are my grandson, Alejandro. By heart, as you always were. But also by blood.”

      “No!” Edward screamed. Then he was suddenly quiet. I think he had fainted from pain.

      Rather vengefully, I hoped he had. Although I didn’t want him to die, of course. I didn’t. Really, I didn’t.

      Alejandro’s eyes were wide. “Is this true, Abuela?”

      She nodded. “Remain the Duke of Alzacar, and if anyone wants to check if you are my grandson, let them.” She looked at him and said quietly, “There is no one left in the family to inherit, if not you. No one you’re cheating of his rightful due. And let me tell you something more. You’re the finest duke of them all.”

      I saw him blinking suspiciously fast. He rose to his feet, helping me to rise, as well. He hugged his grandmother, then pulled me into the embrace. When we finally pulled away, I wiped my eyes, then glanced over at Edward, still unconscious.

      “We should call an ambulance, do you think?”

      “I can see him breathing,” Maurine said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “He’s fine.” She sighed. “But I’ll call.” She glanced at Alejandro. “And I expect the policía will want to come, as well....”

      She went toward the castle, and Alejandro looked at me.

      “She’s right. We have only a few moments before the police arrive,” he said quietly. “A choice must be made.”

      “So make it,” I said, trusting whatever he’d decide.

      He clawed back his hair. “I am tired of secrets. Tired of lies.” He turned to me. “I never want another secret to shadow the light between us.”

      I nodded, unable to speak over the lump in my throat.

      “So.” He smiled at me, blinking fast, then gave a decisive nod. He walked over to Edward, who was still unconscious, his legs stretched out at a painful angle. He put his fingertips to the other man’s neck,