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kind of strange, hypnotic spell. As she felt consciousness slipping away, Gillian made a desperate
gamble  the only hope she had left. Forcing her leaden arms up, she latched them around Remy s neck
and pulled with all her failing strength, forcing his head down until his lips came in contact with her
own.
Kissing him was like kissing a dead fish. She tasted cold sweat, and got no response as she
poured what was left of her fading heart into that kiss. Then, just as she was slipping away from
consciousness, she felt his lips tremble, and his iron grip loosened enough that she could draw small
puffs of air. Suddenly, he was kissing her back, with all the ardor she d come to expect from Remy.
With a gasp, she pulled away from his kiss as he hands loosened more, and dragged much-needed air
into her starving lungs.
 My God. Suddenly, Remy s hands were gone completely, and Gillian looked up in surprise to
find his clear blue eyes staring not at her, but at his hands, as horror infused his stark, grim features.
Then, his eyes snapped up to her, and her gasp this time had nothing to do with the need for air.  Tell
me what I did.
There was no way she was doing anything of the sort, Gillian decided grimly. Remy looked too
close to the edge as it was.  Did?
 Dammit, Gillian, he growled menacingly, causing her to take an involuntary step back, her
hands flying protectively toward her sore neck. She saw his eyes flicker, and knew he d seen.  Don t
Esther Mitchell 101
play dumb with me! I can see the marks, he reached toward her, and she flinched slightly, drawing a
frown from Remy.  And I can see that flinch. What happened?
 I& I m not sure, she finally admitted shakily.  I was coming to your suite. When I got here,
to the Hall, I heard something. Then you were here; only, it wasn t you. Your eyes were& empty. You
grabbed my throat, and I couldn t breathe. But I knew you were under some kind of hypnotic&
something; so, I thought, maybe if I kissed you&  Her voice failed her momentarily, before she met his
eyes head-on and asked,  Why were you trying to kill me?
The next thing she knew, she found herself crushed protectively against Remy, and she could
feel his trembling all along her body. His lips brushed her ear, and he breathed,  I would never harm
you, cherie. Never.
She pulled back to study him skeptically.  You tried to kill me, Remy.
 Not me, he muttered, his eyes averted, before he finally met her gaze, and she saw resignation
and indescribable pain.  Didn t you even wonder why I refused to let you call the cops, or take me to
the hospital, the night of the preview?
She shrugged awkwardly. She had wondered, but had decided it wasn t any of her business.  I
guess I figured it had something to do with insurance.
He laughed harshly.  No. My insurance on this place would have covered those slight damages
without hesitance. But if the police got involved, I would have had to go to the hospital; and they would
have had me locked up in no time.
She blinked as new fear washed through her.  What are you saying?
 I m saying that, whoever that intruder was, he knows chemicals, and probably Vodun, as well.
At her gasp, he smirked.  It s not that uncommon in this part of Louisiana. Everyone not claiming
Southern gentility in their bloodline claims to be descended from some mambo or hougan.
She gave him a quizzical look as she stepped away.  How do you know so much about
Voodoo?
 Vodun, he corrected easily, and shrugged as he slipped an arm around her waist, leading her
toward the doors on the opposite end of the Hall.  My mother and aunts are obsessed with the
supernatural, and I was born and raised in New Orleans. I guess it s in my blood.
She chuckled, and then grew somber as she recalled the reason they were even having this
conversation.  What does all of this have to do with the intruder, Remy?
His expression was grim as he unlocked the door to his suite.  He was a master. I didn t even
register the needle, until my arm started hurting after the fight was over. He must have given me a drug,
to make me susceptible to his control. It s the only logical reason I can think of. He looked at her
soberly.  He wants you dead, Gillian. I can still hear his voice echoing in my head.
She shook her head in confusion.  But, who would ?
 I think we have to consider every possibility, including your ex.
She stopped dead in the middle of his sitting room, her eyes wide in disbelief.  You re kidding,
right? Remy, you knew Darrell; he hasn t changed. He s too lazy for that kind of planning. If he
wanted me dead, he wouldn t act so secretive about it, either. Besides, I haven t had one of those
damned hang-up calls in months! Why now?
He sighed.  I don t know. But he s the only person I can think of who s warped enough to want
to kill you.
She bit her tongue against voicing her suspicions about Etienne Fabron. Gillian might not like
Etienne, and he might despise her for reasons she couldn t fathom, but she d never seen any proof that
he meant to kill her.
 So, what do we do, now?
 We aren t going to do anything, he said, scowling.  I want you to leave Scarlet Oak.
Intrigue 102
 No.
 Gillian, he reached for her shoulders, clasping them lightly.  Go back to Duex Regali; or, even
better, leave Louisiana completely. Please.
She pulled away as anger and determination settled over her like a dark blanket. He wasn t
getting rid of her that easily.  No.
 Please, he whispered, his eyes closing as he paced away from her.  God, Gillian, what will it
take? I almost killed you, back there!
 But you didn t, she pointed out softly, taking a step toward him as she realized the truth.
Remy was afraid of himself.
 Next time, I might! He shuddered.  I couldn t deal with that; I couldn t live with myself if I
did something like that to you.
 There won t be a next time, she countered quietly, her eyes glued to his as she took another
step forward.  You won t let it happen again, Remy; not now that you know what he wants.
 Gillian&  His voice was husky, his pupils dilating in hunger as she slowly pulled off her shirt,
determined that he wouldn t send her away. She wouldn t leave him to this evil, alone.
She dropped the shirt onto the floor as she took the final steps that placed her body flush against
his. She heard the shuddering quality of his indrawn breath, felt it shimmy through her, as well. His jaw
tightened, and she knew how close to the edge he was. Smiling softly, she placed one hand against his
chest, right above where his heart beat, strong and sure.  I trust you, Remy. I trust you with my life.
With a groan, his arms came around her as his lips descended on hers, sweeping her away into a [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]