An Unbreakable Bond (19 page)

Tristan felt sick. He hadn’t meant for it to sound so ugly. “Shit! Look, I have to go for an emergency meeting. I’ll be back later tonight. Promise me Wade that you won’t let her leave until I’ve had a chance to sort this out?" Ten years seemed to fade away, as the old banter between them returned.

Wade chuckled. “And why would I help you?”

“Because…because, it’s taken me weeks to break down her walls and get her to trust me.” Was that the real reason? Hell no! The thought of him returning and her not being here was killing him. If it wasn’t the fact of it being an emergency with the theft of Sheikh Tariq’s oil ships, he’d go in there and fling her over his shoulder and take her to a remote place until they’d battled it out once and for all.

Wade doubled over in laughter. “You’ve got it real bad! The big billionaire Tristan is in love with my kid sister!”

Tristan growled. Love, what is love? His insides flipped and his heart ached. Was he in love with Annabelle? If he had to give the intensity of his feelings a label, then it would be love. Could he live without her? Yes, he would physically survive, but inside he would be empty, void. She challenged him, pushed his buttons and drove him mad with need. All those things made him feel alive. “Promise me Wade? If I come back and she’s left I’ll hold you personally responsible. I’ll hunt you down, string you up and torture the –”

“Okay, okay, back down soldier. I promise alright. Anyway, the outcome of this I have to see!” Still chuckling he walked into the house.

Chapter 12

Annabelle was throwing things into her case when April flung herself through the door and into Annabelle’s arms. “Mum, I heard you all outside. Is it true? Are we leaving dad?”

Stroking her daughter's hair some of the fire drained from Annabelle and she slumped forward cradling her daughter. “Yes honey, we’re going home.”

“But I don’t want to!” wailed a fretful April. “I want to stay here with you and dad!”

Annabelle made a bone weary sigh. “Sweetheart, we have to go, but your dad will come and see you in England.”

With a wracking sob April pulled herself out of her arms and ran from the room slamming the door behind her.

Following her out into the hallway she watched as April raced down the stairs.

Wade was passing the bottom of the stairwell and caught her arm. “Hey, hey, what’s with big guns?” She threw herself into her uncle’s arms and sobbed. Wade caught Annabelle’s eye at the top of the stairs, shook his head and shooed her away.

Sometime later, after sorting through April's things, she started on her own closet. Right about now she would have been in anticipation of the night to come, getting ready for Tristan in his bed. Amazing how much damage can be done in a few minutes. Feeling emotionally drained she put on a pair of pyjama shorts and a white vest. The heat from the day had not subsided. It was going to be a humid night.

Concern about April led her to knock lightly on her door, but there was no answer. Opening the door a creak she saw the bed was empty. Closing it soundly, she left. She must still be with Wade. Cocking her ear she could hear the television downstairs and decided to leave her with him a while longer.

Lying in bed she was restless. The events of the day wouldn’t leave her, from the ecstasy at the lake to the anticipation, to the humiliation. A small cry escaped.

Why had she come here?

Once again she’d allowed herself to fall for him. When would she learn that loving Tristan only brought her pain and suffering? From the moment he walked into her shop she knew it was only a matter of time before she caved. When he asked her to marry him in her kitchen, using the very words she’d yearned to hear ten years ago, she knew then that she was a goner. Perhaps she’d never stopped loving him, just somehow covered it over. After all, there had been no-one else since Tristan. Not from a lack of trying, but simply because they failed to ignite something deep within her, that abandonment. Well, this was the end. Tomorrow, she would have to squash that love and walk away. There was no way she could live with the fact that making love to her brought Tristan guilt and disgust.

Outside, the rain began to gently patter at her window. Tossing the covers aside she needed to check on April one last time. Opening her daughter’s bedroom door the bed was still empty.

Where was she?

Downstairs she found Wade asleep in front of the television.

No April! Panic began to bubble in the pit of her stomach.

Shaking him awake, she was shouting, “Wade, Wade, where is April?”

“Whhhaat…April? She went to bed an hour ago?”

“No, she didn’t, her bed is empty.”

Turning on all the lights they moved from room to room calling her name, but came up with nothing. Where could she be? Surely she wouldn’t have left the house?

“Wade, call Tristan now!”

She paced the floor in anxiety whilst Wade spoke to Tristan. Disbelief and shock were gnawing at her. If only she hadn’t flown off the handle at Tristan today. If only she’d taken the time to speak to April properly about it all and reassure her somehow.

“Stay here sis, Tristan has told me how to raise the alarm and gather the ranch-hands.”

“I’m coming with you!”

“No! Stay here. Neither of us knows our way around the ranch. The guys can do a much better job!”

Before she could reply he was out of the door. There was no way she was staying here when her daughter could be out there lost or hurt. Stifling a sob she quickly scribbled a note and made her way to the stables.

The first place to look would be at the lake where they were today. It had a lake house, perhaps she was hiding in there? As soon as she got near she couldn’t wait any longer and virtually leapt off the horse and ran the rest of the way to the house.

Once again she ran from room to room calling her name. Upstairs, she looked under the beds and in the closets. It was pitch black. There was no electricity and the moon was covered over by the storm clouds. In her haste to get moving she’d forgotten to pick up a torch, so she had to mostly feel her way. Openly weeping at not finding her in the house, she tried to catch her breath to calm herself down. Think Annabelle, where else would April go?

Tristan was in the helicopter on his way back to the ranch when he got the call. As soon as it landed he ran through the now heavy downpour of rain to the ranch and threw open the front door. Wade had gathered together a team of men from the ranch who were about to move out as a search party. “Where’s Annabelle?” he roared. Absolute panic had grabbed at his heart. The estate had some rough terrain and there were untold predators out there.

Wade held up his hands in protest. “She took off, saddled a horse and went down to the lake you were at today.”

Tristan stormed up to Wade and grabbed him by his shirt. “And you idiot let her go out there in the dark and rain alone?”

“I told her to stay here whilst I went and raised the men for help and when I got back she was gone. She left a note.”

Tristan snatched the note and shoved Wade to the side.

“I’m taking Betsy the horse to the lake and onto the lake house. You search the rest. Find her Wade, she is my life.”

Tristan crumpled the note and threw it at Wade in anger. Taking a flashlight and one of the walkie-talkies from the table, he barked, “Call me immediately with any news.” The tension in him was so tight he felt he was about to snap. Entering the stables he saddled his stallion and took off in the direction of the lake.

Arriving at where they had parked the jeep earlier, he found Betsy taking refuge under a tree, soaking wet from the torrential downpour. Quickly leading both horses to the overhang stables of the lake house for cover he set off and began searching frantically for both of them, calling out their names into the darkness.

No answer.

He reached the lake and waded in waist deep calling.

Still no answer…

Frustration began to gnaw at him and he repeatedly smashed his fist in the water. To lose one would be devastating to his entire world. To lose both would utterly destroy him. How could Annabelle take off without waiting for him first? It had hurt him to read only Wade’s name in the note, proving that she still didn’t trust him enough not to let her down.

The rain was relentless, pouring down in cascades and then he heard it, thunder. This now added another dimension to his pain. What if April was frightened of thunder? Running his hands through his wet hair, he realised that he didn’t even know his own daughter! What a fool he’d been. Why had he walked away ten years ago? The moment he’d kissed Annabelle, he’d known she was the one and like an idiot he’d run as fast as he could in the opposite direction. It had nothing to do with guilt, shame or disgust. All those wasted years, because if he was to admit the truth to himself, he’d been afraid at what she was able to draw out of him. And now his stupidity may have cost them the greatest loss of all.

Please God, give us another chance?

Desperately calling their names at the top of his lungs, he made his way out of the water and back towards the lake house.

Suddenly, his walkie-talkie came to life. It was Wade. “Tristan, we found her, we found April!” Gut-jerking relief made him bend over and gulp at the air. Thank God! He wasn’t a praying man, but right now he felt like sinking to his knees in gratitude.

“Where is she? Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. She was in the cow shed with Maisy and her new-born calf.”

A sob escaped from his throat. Of course, he’d taken her to show her the calf yesterday afternoon and she was fascinated by it and they had immediately bonded. “Okay, can you deal with her at your end whilst I find Annabelle? She’s around here somewhere as Betsy is here.”

“Yeah sure, April doesn’t know what a stir she’s caused yet. She’s asleep next to the calf, so I’ll take her home and put her to bed. Just bring Annabelle back with you and we’ll sort it all out in the morning.”

Sighing with relief, he replied, “Okay, over and out.”

A moving shadow passed to his side and he caught it from out of the corner of his eye. Turning in its direction, he began shouting over the noise of the thunder, “Annabelle is that you?”

She was running towards him yelling, “Tristan!”

The despair in the call of his name was so agonising he almost wept. The sight of her as she neared triggered a sense of protection so fierce he nearly stumbled from its intensity. It took all of his strength not to grab her and squeeze all the air out of her in relief.

Breathless, she stopped a few feet before him. “She’s not in the house, and I don’t know –”

“It’s okay honey. They found her, she’s safe.”

The news was just too much and Annabelle put her head in her hands and sobbed with such deep wrenching grief. “Oh Tristan,” she cried. “All of this is my fault. If only I had told you about her ten years ago, she would have had you in her life and this wouldn’t be happening.”

He reached out to touch her, but she flinched back.

“Don’t, don’t touch me!” she shrieked. “I can’t take your sympathy right now!”

Even though it was muggy and still warm from the heat of the day, he could see her shaking and rain was dripping from her face onto her chest. “Look, you’re soaked and cold from the shock. Let’s get you out of the rain and then we can talk properly.”

“I’m not shaking from being cold Tristan, I’m so bloody angry I could throttle you!” Holding it together for ten years and adding to that all the tension from the last few weeks was pouring out of her. The ups and downs of the emotional roller-coaster ride and all the dramas they’d encountered along the way, was like a volcano erupting inside.

“Look, if it’s about earlier, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it in the way that it sounded.” It may have been dark, but there was no mistaking the power of emotion that was rolling off her and he was about to become the whipping post.

“It’s not just earlier. It’s about
everything!
This whole fiasco between us is just a mess.” She put her hands on her hips. “You brought me here under threat and you’ve done everything in your power to try and get me into bed, and I nearly lost my daughter because of our stupid games! We’re leaving tomorrow. I’m taking her home!”

A flash of lightening lit up the night sky. The woman who stood before him was definitely all fire and brimstone. Rain had absolutely drenched her clothes, which were now plastered to her body. The tips of her nipples were poking out at him through the thin cotton of her vest. She looked wild and beautiful all at the same time.

“Your daughter…she’s my daughter too!” He clenched his fists to prevent himself from reaching out to grab her vest and pull her to him.

Thunder clashed above them.

“You kept her from me for ten years Annabelle,
ten years;
can you imagine how that feels?” Now his fire was matching hers and his voice rose above the rain and thunder as a forceful power. “And you stand there pining to go home, back to your little life.”

“Yes, as far away from you as possible wouldn’t be far enough!” she roared back.