For One Night Only (29 page)

Wasting time talking to him on the phone had been foolish, but she’d had no idea he was still so close. Once he’d arrived, she’d been unable to finish what she had started with so many witnesses around. The decision to abandon her plans for the time being had been an easy one when the opportunity to spend time with Ruben had presented itself. She was no fool and knew it was a ploy to keep
Bethany and his child safe, but Angie wasn’t strong enough to resist. If she allowed Ruben to walk away from her this time, she knew for sure that she could never again hide behind her anonymity
. He would never forget her face.
This would be their last time together unless she could make him want her.

Angie could almost smell the fear radiating off him in waves. He’d fallen quiet, sitting beside her stiffly, allowing her hands to roam wherever they wanted. She dug her nails into his thigh, smiling in satisfaction as she felt him tense. Sliding a bold hand onto his groin, she massaged his cock through the denim of his jeans as she kissed his neck. He remained flaccid and lifeless under her hand
. Why wouldn’t he respond? He had always been interested in her before.

She pushed away from him in disgust. The shaky smile he tried to maintain as he asked what was wrong made her want to gag. He was only doing what he thought was necessary to protect the people he loved. Tears rolled down her face as she finally saw what she had known all along—he didn’t want her—not now, not ever.

Angie began to speak, not really caring if he listened or not. She told him of the many nights she had lain waiting for the day she would be with him again. Of the hours she had watched him go about his day-to-day life without knowing she was there, loving and wanting him. About the agony of seeing him with someone else, when she had never been given the chance to show him what life with her would be like—how much she would cherish and love him. She spoke of their last night together in Los Angeles and the way hearing Bethany’s name on his lips had almost ended her life and how her scars were a permanent reminder that their experience was real—not imagined.

His face drained of color as he picked up her wrists to look at the scars. Kissing one gently, he clasped her hands together in his, looking deep into her eyes…and he told her he was sorry. Angie watched a tear roll down his face as he continued to stare at her. The guilt and pain she saw in his eyes hurt more than anything she had ever known. She wanted his love, not his pity.

His look turned to one of fear when she asked if he could ever love her. If he lied, she would know, but he didn’t even try. Solemnly shaking his head, he couldn’t hold her gaze as he saw her hope morph into pain at his reply.

Ruben’s offer of help wasn’t what she wanted to hear at that moment. Angie wasn’t surprised that he thought she needed to ‘talk to someone’. He thought she was crazy.

He continued to speak but she wasn’t listening to the words coming out of his mouth. She allowed his voice to trickle over and into her—felt his eyes on her face—and knew that the love she felt for him was unconditional.
Bethany may have stolen everything she ever wanted but she could never take her love.

Finally, Ruben knew her…really knew her
. Angie
. Not some faceless fan with a crush on him. Not some stranger he had used and thrown away. She had made a personal connection with him that neither of them would ever forget. In the absence of any other emotion, she would settle for the knowledge that she would never again be a nameless face in the crowd. He knew her—a flesh and blood woman who loved him more than life itself.

Angie lifted a hand to smooth his face, touching him for what she knew would be the last time. He flinched away before regaining his composure, forcing himself to sit still for her touch although it clearly repulsed him. Ruben thought she would hurt him. Hadn’t he listened? Didn’t he know how much she loved him?

A flash of red caught her eye and she looked out of the back window, seeing for the first time the police cars following them silently. The brief moment she had stolen with him would soon be over, but she had no intention of watching him walk away from her ever again. She would be the one to leave this time.

Scooting away from him to perch on the edge of the seat, she waited until he looked away before grabbing the door handle. Angie paused, looking down at the road speeding away beneath them.

‘
I love you, Ruben,’ she shouted as she flung open the door and jumped out. In that last brief moment, she saw the shock on his handsome face as he grabbed for her and she knew, finally, that he would never forget her.

She felt pain…searing pain…the ground ripping at her as she rolled over and over. Then a noise, louder than she had ever known…a large shadow racing towards her…the squeal of tires as it tried to stop. A bright glint of sunlight bouncing from the chrome…the roar of an engine…

…And then nothing…

* * * *

Bethany
paced back and forth in front of the lounge windows, watching the street for a sign of Ruben.

The police had long since left, after informing her that the chase had come to an abrupt end and that Ruben was safe. Despite her persistent questions, they had refused to go into details, leaving her to wait and wonder about what may have happened. She guessed Angie was in custody, but kept the front door locked just in case.
Bethany wondered if she would ever feel safe again.

Donna’s touch on her shoulder made her jump. ‘Hey, Beth. You have got to calm down. Come sit on the sofa with me.’

‘I can’t—not until he is here.’

Donna sighed, but didn’t try to force her. ‘Wonder what’s taking so long?’

Bethany
fought the urge to give voice to the thoughts that had been running through her brain for the last couple of hours.
Maybe if she didn’t speak them out loud, they wouldn’t be true?

She turned to watch her sister rub a weary hand over tired eyes.
Bethany felt totally responsible for her sister’s exhaustion—caused entirely by the emotional roller-coaster ride that they had all been on in the last twenty-four hours. Donna had even offered to take the baby again when Ruben finally did return, but
Bethany had said no, sensing that he would want and need to spend time with her and the baby. Donna had not argued, but refused to leave
Bethany on her own until Ruben arrived.

Byron had left earlier with the police, insisting that they take him to Ruben despite their protests.
Bethany had not been able to do the same. She didn’t want Tiana out of her sight for even a second, but had no intention of taking her baby anywhere near that mad woman. Donna had turned up too late to allow her to leave with them.

Finally allowing her sister to coax her down onto a sofa,
Bethany cast a protective look over at Tiana, still sleeping in blissful oblivion. Angie hadn’t gotten anywhere near her daughter—
thank God
—but it had shaken Bethany to the core at just how close she had come to losing everything today. She shook away thoughts of how far the tortured young woman may have been prepared to go.

The doorbell rang, jolting
Bethany to her feet. She ran to the door and almost flung it wide before fear grabbed at her. Checking the spy hole, she sobbed in relief as she saw Ruben’s dark head. Opening the door to him,
Bethany stepped back in shock as she saw his ashen face. He gave her a shaky smile that did nothing to make her feel better.

‘Ruben. What’s wrong?’

He didn’t speak. Stepping in through the doorway, he pulled her to him, almost squeezing the breath from her lungs as he held her tightly.
Bethany felt him begin to shake moments before she heard the first sobs begin. Casting a quick glance over her shoulder at Donna, she was relieved to see her sister gather her things before quietly slipping passed them and closing the door.

Bethany
held onto him as tightly as she could, stroking his hair and talking to him quietly —telling him it was over and that they were all safe. Finally, he began to calm down, releasing his grip on her gradually before turning his back to wipe roughly at his face.

‘I’m sorry, Beth. It should be me comforting you,’ he said shakily, smiling a little more convincingly than he had before. ‘Are you okay?’ He grabbed her shoulders to stare hard into her face.
Bethany nodded in reassurance.

‘I need a drink,’ he said gruffly, shrugging off his jacket and walking over to stare down at the sleeping baby. ‘I don’t know what I would have done if…if…’ His voice broke and he turned away quickly, as if to shrug away the thought and the tears.

Bethany
took his hand, forcing him to sit on the sofa as she got them both a brandy. Ruben threw his down in one gulp, holding the glass out to her again for a refill. Taking a small sip before placing the glass on a table, he held his arms out to her. She sat in his lap, needing to be as close as humanly possible after the experience they had all been through.

‘Is it over now?’ she whispered. ‘Will Angie leave us alone?

Ruben inhaled sharply, causing her to raise fearful eyes to his as he spoke. ‘It’s over,
Bethany.’ He closed his eyes. ‘She won’t bother us again.’

‘Where is she?’

Ruben pushed her off his lap as he scrambled to his feet. Pacing briefly, obviously lost in his thoughts, he finally turned to her. ‘I wasn’t going to tell you this, Beth, but I guess you will find out anyway.’ He dropped to his knees, gathering her hands in his. ‘Angie was very badly hurt.’

She gasped in shock. ‘How?’

Any color the brandy had restored to his cheeks quickly drained away. ‘Oh Beth, it was awful.’ He shook his head. ‘One minute, she was talking…telling me about the things she had done and how long she had followed me…and the next, she threw herself from the car.’

‘Oh my God!’

‘I tried to grab her, but it was too late. She was gone before I could react.’ Ruben closed his eyes, forcing himself to continue. ‘She was hit by one of the patrol cars following us.’

Bethany
couldn’t speak. She hadn’t known the woman at all, but the news of the tragic turn of events left her shaken.
Why hadn’t anyone intervened?
Angie’s instability couldn’t have gone unnoticed for long by her loved ones?

‘Has anyone notified her family?

Ruben flopped down onto the seat beside her. ‘She has an aunt in
New York
, but nobody else. Her father died last year, which according to the police is when her aunt lost contact with her until a recent suicide attempt.’

‘I wonder what happened to her—why did she become so obsessed with you?’ The question had been rhetorical, but the expression on Ruben’s face as he cast his eyes downward made her very nervous. ‘Ruben?’

He cleared his throat, obviously preparing himself before turning to face her. ‘There’s a lot more to this story that you need to know.’

Chapter 27

Ruben sank down gratefully to rest in the shade of the small tree situated on an incline overlooking his parent’s garden. The deep sense of peace resonating through him was a new experience and was taking some getting used to.

Shielding his eyes against the low evening sun, he scanned the faces of the people gathered below, looking for her. His eyes found her finally, sitting in the shade of the veranda, feeding their daughter. He smiled as he saw his mother fussing around the baby again. Beth had been really patient, allowing her to interfere constantly without complaint. Ruben felt grateful in a way he never thought he would.

The memory of the awful events of three months ago had finally begun to fade. They were all safe now and, after their wedding earlier that day, they were at last a family.

Ruben shuddered at the thought of how easily he had almost lost it all. After confessing to
Bethany that he had actually caused Angie’s obsession with him by sleeping with her—not once, but twice—he had been prepared for the worst.

Beth’s reaction had surprised him.
Hell, she always surprised him.
She had listened quietly, letting him explain that he didn’t even know her when he had first met Angie. Then, when they’d met again, he had been drunk and desperately miserable and hadn’t even remembered the poor girl. Daring to look at her as he’d finished telling the story; he had been amazed and grateful to see compassion in her eyes.

Beth had told him that she loved him more than ever and that his ability to be open and honest with her—even at his own expense—was all she had ever needed from him. Ruben would never understand how admitting to something so awful had actually made his relationship stronger, but he was glad it had.