Authors: Julie Ortolon
“Maybe he is insane.” Luc shook his head. “Chloe, you can’t let a crazy person tell you what to do with your life.”
“Worst of all, he said he’d go after you. He said he’d make sure you and your entire family suffered.”
Fury filled Luc. “Don’t you dare give in to him to save me.”
“I can’t let him do that, Luc,” she pleaded. “You don’t know what he’s capable of. So, I guess I don’t have a choice. Oh God.” He heard her gulp for air. “Please forgive me, but I have to give John the necklace. I can’t let him hurt you. Even if it sounds like I’m choosing them, I’m really choosing you.”
“That’s bullshit! John can’t touch me. He has no power or connections in my world.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Chloe, your choice isn’t them or me. It’s them or you. Are you going to live your life with John’s leash around your neck, or are you going to break free?”
“My mother will never speak to me again.”
“You don’t know that,” he said, feeling his world spin out of control. “Your mother might tell John to go to hell.”
“She won’t choose me.” Chloe’s voice grew weak. “She’s never chosen me.”
“Then she’s not worth you throwing away what we could have together.”
“She’s my mother, Luc.”
“God!” He balled his hand into a fist. “Okay, you know what? Give John the godamned necklace. When you do, tell him to shove it up his ass. Then come live with me.”
“I can’t! I’d never be able to face your grandmother. Or your family when they find out.”
“I’ll make them understand.”
“What about you?” she asked, her voice forlorn. “Could you forgive me? Honestly?”
“Honestly?” He paced, thinking about it. “Actually, no. Not because of the necklace, but because if you give in to John on this, you are not the warrior I thought you were.”
“Sometimes warriors lose.”
“Warriors never surrender without giving everything they have to the fight.”
“I love you, Luc. I wish things could be different, but there’s nothing else I can do.”
“Yes, there is!” He waited for her to respond, but heard only silence. Pulling the phone from his ear, he saw the call had ended. She’d hung up on him.
“Godamn it!” On a surge of fury, he flung the phone against the wall where it shattered. Dropping into a recliner, he put his head in his hands as pain ripped through him. He couldn’t believe Chloe had just thrown their future away.
~ ~ ~
Chloe collapsed sideways onto the sofa and gave in to grief. Her anguish made no sound since she couldn’t take in enough air to even form a sob.
A knock on the door jarred her.
“Chloe?” Allison called cheerfully. “It’s me. How was your trip?”
She froze. If she ignored the knock would her aunt go away? No, Allison knew she was back. She had to answer.
Giving in, she went and opened the door without even trying to hide the emotions ravaging her face. The pain cut too deep for her to care. Allison’s smile vanished the instant she saw her.
“Oh, goodness, what’s wrong?” Allison opened her arms.
Chloe went into the embrace eagerly, letting Allison hold her. “I just broke up with Luc.”
“What?” Allison kept an arm around her as they went to the sofa and sat. “I didn’t even know you’d gotten back together.”
After Chloe told her everything that had happened through choking tears, Allison sat quietly, squeezing her hand.
“I can’t believe that,” Allison said in shock. “Actually, I can. I swear, I hate that man. I’ve never hated anyone else in my life, but I hate John LeRoche.”
“He’s always been autocratic, but this was different,” Chloe told her, wiping at her cheeks. “He really scared me this time.”
“Because he’s losing control,” Allison said. “When he lost Pearl Island he was furious, but he still had LeRoche Shipping. Now he’s losing control of that, too. Even if Harold saves the company, John will no longer be at the helm. That has to be hard for a man who’s rarely crossed or challenged.”
Bitterness made Chloe’s teeth clench. “I hope Harold takes over completely and kicks John out of the office.”
Allison looked at her as if stunned, yet hopeful. “Do you think Harold has the backbone to do it?”
“I do.” Chloe let the hope she’d felt in New Orleans soften her anguish. “Alli, wait until you meet him. He’s amazing. And he’s exactly what my mother has always needed. He actually wants to be a dad to me. Do you know how it feels to have that possibility set in front of me, and then have John threaten to snatch it away?”
“If Harold has enough backbone to stand up to John over the company, I doubt he’s the kind of man who will let John tell him how to manage his family.”
“Except it won’t be his decision.” The pain returned, twisting at her heart. “Diane will have to follow John’s orders if she doesn’t want DeeDee to ostracize her, and you know DeeDee won’t stand up to him. He always wins, Allison. No matter who gets hurt in the process, John LeRoche always gets his way.”
“What are you going to do?” Allison asked.
“What I have to do. If I don’t give John the necklace, the whole family will be torn apart.”
“Chloe,” Allison said, taking both her hands. “That’s on them, not you.”
“What does it matter who’s to blame?”
“Is it worth giving up the chance of finding love with Luc?”
“I did find love with Luc. Oh God.” She closed her eyes. “How is it possible to spend so few days with someone and have them suddenly mean so much?”
“Love doesn’t wear a watch. Time has nothing to do with what we feel.”
“I don’t want to lose him.” Fresh tears welled up from the bottom of Chloe’s pain. “It’s killing me.”
“Then don’t let him go.” Allison gave her hands a fierce squeeze. “When you get the necklace, fly back to New Orleans and give it to Luc.”
“I want to, but…” She looked away as fear swirled through her.
“But what?”
“What if this thing with him doesn’t last?” she finally admitted. Turning back to Allison, she searched her aunt’s eyes, beseeching her for answers. “What if I tear my family apart, and a year from now, Luc and I don’t even like each other? Then I will have lost everything. At least if I give the necklace to John, he can’t make me a wedge between DeeDee and Diane.”
“Oh, Chloe.” Allison sighed as a sad smile softened her face. “How can you doubt that Marguerite was willing to sacrifice being with the man she loved for the sake of her daughter, when you’re willing to sacrifice so much for others? Like Marguerite, though, you’re making the wrong choice.”
Chloe’s breath caught. She’d never truly believed that Marguerite sacrificed her own happiness for her daughter’s sake, but in that moment, she understood. When you loved someone, protecting them meant more than your own happiness. She looked at her aunt as the heartbreak of that filled her. “How do I know which choice is right?”
“Follow your heart.” Allison smiled encouragingly. “See if you can fly.”
“What if I can’t?” Chloe asked.
“You’ll never know unless you try.”
Chapter 22
The next morning, Chloe sat on the driftwood log where she’d found the necklace, staring at the cloth bundle in her lap. Mr. Hendricks from the Texas Seaport Museum had personally delivered the necklace to the Pearl Island Inn shortly after breakfast. He’d been sorry to lose the item for the display about the
Freedom
, but he also seemed pleased to see it go to Chloe. She had done her best to show proper enthusiasm, but inside she felt sick.
As soon as he left, she carried the cloth-wrapped necklace down to the beach. Taking a shaky breath, she unfolded the cloth and stared down at the beautiful piece. The diamonds sparkled amid the intricate gold vines and leaves that framed the mirror. It looked so much like the portal in Luc’s game, her heart ached to be back with him. Back at Vortal, talking, playing, making love.
Happiness is kicking ass, slaying dragons, and stealing pirate treasure. That’s happiness.
Yes, it was, she thought, as a tear slipped down her cheek.
Giving something so wondrous to John repulsed her.
Then don’t do it
, a voice inside her head told her, along with so many other voices.
Warriors don’t surrender without a fight. Follow your heart. Make the decision that’s right for you.
How, though?
she wanted to shout back. How did anyone who had been hurt and disappointed so many times find the courage to go after love, knowing sometimes it ended in heartache?
You’re standing at a crossroad. In one direction lies more heartache. In the other, happiness.
But which direction was which? If she gave John the necklace, it wouldn’t change anything for the LeRoche family. John wouldn’t be stupid enough to back out of his partnership plans with Harold until his finances turned around. The necklace didn’t have the power to do that. Even if it did, it wouldn’t happen fast enough to stop the wedding. But giving the necklace to John would save her family from being torn apart. It would give her mother a chance at happiness, and give herself a chance at a relationship with Diane, and now Harold.
But at what cost?
She’d lose Luc. He wouldn’t forgive her for giving in to John, even if she could convince him she was doing it as much for him as for her family. Luc didn’t know what John could do. What strings he could pull to destroy people who crossed him. She remembered Luc insisting that John didn’t hold any power in his world.
She wanted to believe that, but did she dare take that chance?
Her chest hurt at the mere possibility that Luc or his family might suffer because of something she’d done. She wanted Luc to be happy. That seemed impossible now, no matter what she did. Right now, he had to be hurting, too. At least he’d be safe, though.
Like Marguerite, you’re making the wrong choice.
Yet, Chloe thought she finally understood why Marguerite had chosen the path she had. For years, she thought Marguerite hadn’t run off with Captain Kingsley because her faith in love had nearly been snuffed out after a lifetime of having her heart shattered. What if that weren’t true, though? What if she’d refused him because she feared what Henri would do? Maybe her sacrifice hadn’t been just for Nicole, but for Jack, too.
Had Jack known that? Had he understood? Or had he been as angry over Marguerite not defying Henri as Luc had been over her not defying John?
“But you did it for love,” Chloe whispered, suddenly sure in her heart. Nothing else could have made Marguerite endure so much. “You sacrificed everything because you loved him, didn’t you?”
No answer came, of course. She told herself to stop waiting for something that clearly wouldn’t happen for her. With a sigh, she lifted the necklace to look into the mirror one last time before taking it to John. Sunlight glinted off the surface, blinding her for a second. When the glare vanished, the reflection she saw made her gasp.
A woman stood right behind her.
Scrambling up, she dropped the necklace as she whirled to see who had snuck up on her. No one was there. She’d seen someone, though. A beautiful, dark-haired woman with clear blue eyes who had looked right at her in the reflection.
Chloe’s heart began to pound. Could it be…?
“Marguerite?” she whispered, straining to hear or feel anything different.
Nothing.
Wondering if she’d imagined it, she bent to retrieve the mirror. Tentatively, she moved the mirror so it reflected the area behind the driftwood bench.
Her heart lurched when she saw a woman standing there, watching her with earnest blue eyes. She jerked her head around, but again saw no one. Only when she looked at the reflection did she see Marguerite.
The trembling of her hand made holding the mirror at the right angle difficult. She was finally having her encounter with one of the ghosts, but she couldn’t keep the mirror still.
Breathing hard, she told herself to calm down. She’d be able to control the mirror better if she sat back down and held it with both hands. Which meant moving closer to the ghost. As much as she’d longed for this moment, she felt unnerved at the thought.
“Okay, I can do this,” she whispered to herself.
Shaking all over, she moved forward and lowered herself to sit. Taking the mirror in both hands, she aimed it over her shoulder.
Marguerite stood there, smiling as if to calm her. The blue eyes, clearly reflected in the mirror, held kindness and compassion. The shapely lips moved, but no sound came out.
“I’m sorry.” Chloe shook her head. “I can’t hear you.”
Marguerite’s shoulders moved in a sigh as sorrow filled her eyes. Her gaze intensified, as if willing Chloe to understand something.
“What?” Chloe asked, desperate to know what Marguerite was trying to tell her. As she tried to figure it out, thoughts came into her mind, words spoken in a French accent. Her imagination? Or a projection of Marguerite’s thoughts?