Vanquished (The Encounter #3)(39)
Fuck. If I was such a cold-hearted fool, hearing him apologize shouldn’t affect me so, but I wasn’t. And as much as I loathed to admit it, I could feel my body beginning to cool off as I took his apologetic words in.
“I’m already going through so much; you can’t insult me like that. The next time you do that, I won’t be so forgiving.” It was a warning he should pay heed to because I was hormonal, and I wasn’t to be trifled with.
“Thank you …” He kissed the side of my head, breathing me in as he held me dearly. “Does he know they’re mine?” he calmly asked a minute later, breaking my reverie.
“Yes.”
He tensed then blew out a breath. “Then why—” He caught himself. “Of course. His illogical actions make much more sense now.”
Hugo should never have judged his friend. He should have known something was amiss. Julien and I had not been sure how Hugo would take the news.
“What does Julien know? I mean, for him to offer himself to help me, it makes me wonder.”
Julien had repeatedly said he didn’t know much at all, but he had hunches. He was a powerful man with vast resources at his disposal, though. As a result, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d had it investigated out of curiosity. It involved his best friend, after all.
“I tried to answer his questions after Louise’s death, but I couldn’t disclose everything. He seemed to be pacified by my answers, but he’s a smart man. He can put two and two together. He was worried about me after that, but I couldn’t reveal what plagues me. The curse will never disappear, not until the last Xavier man or woman is dead,” he solemnly said before twisting me around to face him with his warm hand cradling my face. “The bastard made sure of that by forming this special group, his disciples as he called them, living and breathing by his creed. It’s their sole purpose in life. I don’t have a way out, Isobel. Nor will you if you decide to keep the babies. There’s no end to this, only bitter death.”
Bitter death … breathing by his creed… his disciples … I knew what I was in for, but the very thought of a small army of people hunting me down until me and my babies were dead … Fuck, that would be some twisted f*ckery.
“If they are passed off as Julien’s babies, it will work.”
“You’re willing to take that monumental risk? What happens when they look like me? What then? It only takes a hair sample to test if they have my DNA. I wouldn’t put it past them to do such a horrendous thing. I’m cursed, Isobel, and there’s not enough money in this world to stop it.”
He was becoming agitated in trying to drill the words into my head. However, I would take my chances with Julien. If I had to play pretend forever, then forever it would be. This was the only way.
“I’m taking what Julien is offering me, Hugo. I know what you’re trying to say, but I won’t give up. I won’t ever terminate the twins. No. Just no!”
He looked away, knowing he was losing a battle, before reverting his gaze back to me. “Who else knows?”
“Just you and Julien—” I stopped before adding, “And the doctor in New York.”
“Good. Tell no one else. None of your friends or family members,” he commanded then gave me a crestfallen look. “I don’t know what I’ll do when I see you ripe with my children, Isobel.” His voice shook. “I used to dream of having children…what they’d look like…how I’d teach my son to play football…how I’d look at you beaming with love with the sunset as the backdrop…” He was staring at my bare stomach before I saw his bottom lip quiver just as his hand touched my midsection. “I will watch from afar…I won’t ever stop loving you, these unborn babies…I will love you at a distance. Always know that, Isobel.”
Jesus Christ. How could he say such haunting things? I would never be the same. “I’ll love you too, Hugo. Forever.”
Amidst all the chaos, I followed my heart for the last time and made love to the man because goodbye was a breath away.
Chapter Twenty
Hugo
“It’s about time someone tells me what the f*cking hell is going on!” Julien’s furious voice screeched into the phone receiver.
I had just informed him that I had Isobel, so his outburst was justifiable since I should have called him sooner in case he had reported Isobel missing to the authorities. Thank heavens he hadn’t. For some odd reason, he’d had a hunch Isobel’s disappearing act at the yacht party sounded typical of me. Not to mention, some people he had asked had said she had been seen with me or someone closely resembling me, so it hadn’t taken time for him to put two and two together.
Back to the present dilemma, I made this call intending to pursue Isobel’s plan with Julien, even though the thought of it—them being married—lacerated through me like laser so acute that I knew I wouldn’t be sane the moment they tied the knot. It wasn’t about me, however, nor her or Julien. This was about the twins and what I could do to support them.
Outsmarting someone who had a vendetta so big he had a massive network covering his tracks would be ludicrous, but it could happen. As it was, we prayed this madness of a notion would simply work in our favor.
“We need to discuss matters privately. Tell no one where you’re going. Don’t bring any of your security, just you.” I didn’t directly give him my location, just innuendoes of where we were located. He had been here before, and I didn’t doubt his keen mind would get the drift. We were alike in so many ways; there was no worry to be given.