Alejandro's Revenge (16 page)

She expelled a long breath. Of course, at the time, she'd been too dazed to realise what had happened. Too pathetically grateful to him for showing her how incredible sex could be.
But then, he had been a master at the art of seduction, and she'd been a willing novice, eager to learn.

He'd made love to her again before he'd carried her into his shower and allowed the cool water to cleanse their sweating bodies. Then he'd collected their clothes from beside the pool, helped her to dress, and taken her back to the Esquivals. She'd known she should have told him she was leaving the next afternoon, but it would have sounded like begging. How could she pretend that what had happened had been the same for him as it had been for her?

It hadn't been until a few weeks after she'd got back to London that she'd discovered she was pregnant. By that time Edward and Lauren had come back from their honeymoon, and it had been a simpler thing to ask her brother who Alejandro really was. When Edward had told her he was married she'd been devastated. And when, a couple of weeks later, she'd miscarried the baby, she'd told herself it was all for the best.

Only it hadn't been.

Rolling onto her stomach, Abby let the hot tears seep into her pillow. Tragically, while she was in the hospital, she'd contracted an infection, and after spending several days flat on her back recovering from a haemorrhage she'd been told that it was unlikely that she'd ever conceive again.

Ross knew, of course. She'd had to tell him when he'd asked her to marry him. She hadn't told him how it had happened, of course, and she hadn't known whether to be glad or sorry when he'd confessed that he had no desire to have children anyway. Somehow she'd always imagined that one day she would be a mother, even if she had to adopt a child to satisfy the maternal instincts inside her.

And that was why she was so protective of her brother, she thought. Despite the considerable distance between them, she still felt responsible for him. It was the main bone of contention between her and Ross—or it had been. Now she wondered if she had any future with anyone, when it seemed obvious that she hadn't got over Alejandro as she'd thought…

A
BBY
had her chance to talk to Edward alone the next morning.

For once her brother was eager to talk to her. She knew it was because she'd had dinner with Alejandro the night before and Edward was eager to hear the outcome. But it hurt her that he could be so transparent. Didn't he care about her feelings at all?

Abby had already decided she was going home that evening. She'd rung the airport before going down to breakfast and had been both disappointed and relieved when she'd found she'd have no trouble getting on the flight. She was relieved because she wouldn't have to worry about seeing Alejandro again, but she was disappointed because her visit had solved nothing. Quite the opposite, in fact.

She knew it was cowardly to run away, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't bear to face Alejandro again, knowing what she knew now. Running away seemed the only answer; the only way she could hope to retain any dignity at all.

She was sitting on the patio, rehearsing what she was going to say to the Esquivals, when she heard Edward's uneven step behind her. His crutches rang against the tiles, heralding his approach, but she refused to acknowledge that she'd heard him. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to him, and knowing she was leaving that evening meant she couldn't be as frank as she'd have liked.

‘Hey, you!' Edward exclaimed as he lowered himself onto the cushioned recliner beside her. ‘Didn't you hear me coming?'

‘I heard you.' Abby shrugged. ‘Where's Lauren?'

‘Lauren?' Edward blinked. ‘I don't know. I think she's taking a shower. Does it matter?'

‘It might.'

Abby was cool, and Edward seemed to realise that all was not as it should be. ‘What's the matter?' he asked. ‘Why are you giving me that dirty look? Am I in the doghouse?'

Abby hesitated before replying. Then she said quietly, ‘You tell me.' She paused, and then went on, ‘In fact, you might start by being honest with me for a change.'

Edward snorted. ‘I beg your pardon. When haven't I been honest with you? I don't know what you're talking about.'

‘Don't you?'

She arched her brows and Edward eyes narrowed, his expression changing in a flash. ‘Oh, I get it,' he exclaimed. ‘This has something to do with last night, doesn't it? Come on. Spit it out. What lies has Varga been telling about me now?'

Abby stared at him, suddenly realising what he was trying to do. Maybe, thanks to Alejandro, she was beginning to see her brother in a different light. Whatever, she suddenly knew that he was trying to make her feel defensive. He was hoping she'd feel threatened and blurt out everything Alejandro had said.

‘Why should you think Alejandro would tell me anything about you?' she asked innocently now. ‘I thought all I was supposed to do was persuade him to leave Lauren alone?'

‘Well, it was, of course.' Edward scowled. ‘But I know Varga better than you do. It would be just like him to try and turn you against me.'

Abby considered her words before replying. ‘I don't understand,' she said. ‘What could Alejandro possibly say to achieve such a thing?'

Edward's face showed a trace of colour, and he moved his shoulders impatiently. ‘I don't know,' he muttered sulkily. ‘He—well—he could have made a crack about the fact that I'm always broke.'

Abby felt the first twinges of apprehension. ‘You're always broke?' she echoed blankly. ‘What are you saying? That
Lauren's father doesn't pay you a living wage? I don't believe it.'

‘Why not?' Edward was defensive now. ‘You don't know what these people are like, Abby. They want to know how you've spent every cent. God, I can't even play the odds without Luis breathing down my neck every minute I'm at the track!'

‘You go to the track?' Abby's heart sank. She had hoped that moving to America would cure him of that obsession. ‘You do mean the racetrack, don't you? Oh, Eddie, you promised me you wouldn't—'

‘Oh, for God's sake, get off my back, why don't you?' Edward was bitter. ‘Don't you think I get enough nagging from my wife? I have to have some bloody entertainment. Being the Esquivals' son-in-law isn't all fun, I can tell you that.'

Abby drew a careful breath. ‘And—Alejandro knows about this? About your gambling, I mean?'

‘I thought he might.' Edward tried to sound offhand. ‘Like he knows everything else.' He waited a beat, and then he added grimly, ‘These people all stick together, Abbs. I bet the thugs at the track are friends of his.'

‘What thugs at the track?'

But Edward was suddenly hooking his crutches beneath his arms, getting ready to leave her. ‘It doesn't matter,' he said shortly. ‘It's not your concern.'

‘Do you owe Alejandro money?' she asked, dreading his answer, her hand on his arm preventing him from getting up ‘Is that what this is really all about?'

Edward swore then, surprising her with his vehemence. ‘No,' he muttered angrily. ‘What do you think I am? If I owed Varga money don't you think the Esquivals would have heard of it?'

‘I don't know.' Despite her own dealings with Alejandro—or perhaps because of them—she didn't think he would betray a confidence. ‘So why are you afraid of him?' she persisted. ‘It's not because of Lauren. I know that.'

‘How do you know?' Edward wasn't prepared to back down so easily. ‘You know nothing about us. About the problems we have. Did you know, for instance, that Lauren's desperate to have a baby? These people put a lot of store in having children. We've been trying for two years and I haven't been able to come up with the goods yet.'

Abby gazed at him. She remembered what Lauren had said on her arrival. About the fact that things had been difficult for them in recent months. She thought she knew what she meant now. And Alejandro had nothing to do with it.

‘Maybe that's why she spends so much time with Varga,' Edward continued aggressively, and Abby's hand fell from his arm as his words gathered strength. ‘How do I know he's not trying to give her a baby? She spends enough time with him, goodness knows.'

‘Don't be ridiculous!'

But Abby pressed a hand to her stomach as she chided him. She was feeling sick suddenly, and it wasn't easy to hide her feelings either. Alejandro had assured her that it wasn't true, that he had no interest in the younger woman. But could she trust him when she couldn't even trust her own brother?

‘Why is it ridiculous?' Edward demanded now, staring at her suspiciously. ‘That joker hates me, doesn't he? My God, what did the bastard say? Here I was, thinking you'd be having a cosy session getting it together with lover boy, and all the time you were pulling yours truly apart.'

Abby cringed at his accusation. But she couldn't allow him to get away with it without making an attempt to stand up for herself. ‘So that
was
what you wanted,' she said, unable to keep the distaste out of her voice. ‘You really did expect me to go to bed with Alejandro. But not because you suspected he was involved with Lauren. How much do you owe him, Eddie? You might as well tell me. I'm going to find out anyway.'

‘I've told you, I don't owe him a cent,' retorted her brother harshly. ‘All right, I may have asked him for a loan. But he wouldn't do anything to help me.'

‘And you thought if I—if we—' Abby couldn't finish the sentence. ‘You thought he might loan me the money.' Her face mirrored her contempt and she found it hard to look at him. ‘Don't you know a man like Alejandro doesn't have to pay for it? Besides, wasn't it you who told me he was married, just to stop me from having any ideas about him myself?'

‘I thought I was doing you a favour.' Edward hunched his shoulders. ‘Anyway, why bring that up now?'

‘Because it's relevant,' said Abby coldly. ‘You use people, Eddie. You didn't want me to get involved with Alejandro, so you told him some cock-and-bull story that I was engaged. That is true, isn't it?' She could tell from his face that it was. ‘I've only just realised what Alejandro meant when he asked me about my engagement. You let him think I wasn't interested in him.'

‘Well, you weren't.'

‘How do you know that?' Abby felt cold inside now, cold and disillusioned. ‘You didn't think about me at all, only what was best for you. What's the matter, Eddie? Were you afraid I'd be looking over your shoulder every time you strayed out of line?'

Edward grunted. ‘It wasn't that simple. This was a new start for me. I didn't want—I didn't want—'

‘Me screwing it up?' Abby felt hurt now, and angry. ‘But now you need my help so you thought you'd take advantage of me again?'

‘No—'

‘Yes.' Abby couldn't bear to look at him. ‘You disgust me, Eddie. You really do.' She hesitated, and then, deciding she had nothing to lose, she added painfully, ‘I was pregnant when you told your pitiful little lies two years ago. When you decided to—mess up my life, I was expecting Alejandro's child!'

‘No!'

The awed whisper came from somewhere behind them, and for an awful moment Abby thought Alejandro had come upon them, unobserved. But then the realisation that it had been a female voice brought her instantly to her feet.

‘Lauren,' she said weakly, as the younger woman moved out of the shade of the awning. ‘I—I didn't realise you were there.'

‘Obviously not,' said Lauren evenly, but her eyes had turned to her husband in open enquiry.

‘How long have you been there?' demanded Edward, struggling to his feet and casting a killing glance at his sister. ‘I don't know what you think you've heard, but Abby was just letting off steam because she's got to go home.'

Lauren ignored him, her gaze returning to her sister-in-law now. ‘You said you were expecting Alejandro's baby,' she prompted, causing Abby's heart to plummet. ‘I did not know you knew my mother's cousin so well.'

‘She didn't,' said Edward shortly, scowling at his sister. ‘He must have—had sex with her the night of our wedding. That was all it was.'

Abby flinched at his callous dismissal of her relationship with Alejandro. Yet wasn't he right? Hadn't she been as easy as he accused her of being? She hadn't even had the sense to insist that Alejandro used protection. She'd been so frantic, so mindlessly eager, so afraid that he'd change his mind.

Lauren was waiting for her reply, and Abby took a steadying breath before saying flatly, ‘It was a mistake.' It let her brother off the hook, but what the hell? She didn't want his broken relationship on her hands, too. ‘It should never have happened. I lost the baby just a few weeks into term.'

Lauren pressed her hands to her mouth. ‘Oh, Abby,' she said, her eyes filling with tears. ‘I am so sorry. You must have been devastated.'

Abby couldn't let her think that. ‘It wasn't so bad,' she lied. ‘It would have been hard for me to bring a baby up on my own.'

‘Of course.' Lauren nodded. ‘Now I understand about your broken engagement. Edward told us what had happened, but didn't tell us why.'

‘No.' Abby had to force herself not to look at her brother. She'd suspected what he'd done, but it wasn't the same as
having it confirmed in this way. ‘And now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go and pack. I'm leaving this afternoon. I have to get back to England, you see.'

‘But what about Alejandro?' exclaimed Lauren, staring at Abby through lashes still wet with unshed tears. ‘You must tell him what happened, Abigail. He deserves to know the truth—'

‘No!'

‘Dear God, no!'

Edward and Abby both spoke at once, and this time her brother had her full support. ‘You must not mention a word of this to Varga,' he snarled. ‘Are you out of your mind? He'd never forgive her for not telling him. Can't you see that?'

‘I think you are afraid that he might blame you, Edward,' declared Lauren in her clear, slightly accusing, voice. ‘I was coming to tell you,
cara
. They have found the men who trashed our apartment. Alejandro had his suspicions after learning that you owed money to some people at Hialeah Park, and with his help the police were able to arrest the guilty ones.'