Shadow Storm (Shadow Riders 6)

Stefano sighed. “I knew she hated Emmanuelle. She was always abusive toward her.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Val said.

“I have no choice,” Stefano said. For the first time he sounded old. Tired.

“The report was sent to the council, Stefano,” Elie reminded. “Only an Archambault can be sent after a rider. You know that. Let them handle it. This is one you don’t want to touch.”

“She will continue to go after Emme,” Stefano said. “You heard her. If they don’t act fast, she might hire someone else. Or worse, try herself and force Emmanuelle into a situation where she has to kill her own mother in self-defense or let her mother murder her.”

Valentino sighed. “Really? Do you think I’m going to sit by and let this woman get away with trying to murder my wife? I’m not a shadow rider, and there’s no love lost between us. In fact, the things Emme has told me that her mother did to her when Emmanuelle was just a little girl make me want to strangle her with my bare hands. People think I’m a monster.”

He shook his head, trying to hang on to his temper, trying to remember that Eloisa was also Stefano’s mother. At some point he must have one or two good memories of her.

Elie leaned toward Valentino. “It’s precisely because Emmanuelle is your wife that you can’t be the one to do this, Val. I know you thought I was a threat to you, but Emme is like a sister to me. I love her dearly. What I do know is she loves you with every single breath she takes. The last thing she ever needs is to find out her husband killed her mother. It doesn’t matter if Eloisa deserved it. You can’t be the one.”

“She has to go now, before she contracts with another killer. The last one got too close.”

Elie nodded his agreement. “Eloisa committed a crime against a shadow rider. She has indicated she will continue on that same path. Both Stefano and I have sent reports to the council indicating time is of the essence. Neither of us wanted to come to that conclusion, but we had no choice. Emmanuelle has had too many terrible things in her life that she’s had to cope with. Don’t make this yet another one. Give her your life together, free of any of that. If you kill her mother, you and I both know it will eat away at her. This will be taken care of.”

It went against everything he was to have anyone else protect his wife—remove his wife’s would-be killer. He was that man. He would always be that man. But Stefano and Elie made sense. He knew Emmanuelle. If for one moment, she sensed he had something to do with her mother’s death and she asked him, he would have to tell the truth. That would always lie between them. Emmanuelle wouldn’t want to let it. She would understand, but it would still come between them.

Val rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I know you’re right. I just don’t want to take any chances with Emme’s life. I feel so damn bad for Henry.”

“He knew what he was signing up for,” Stefano said, pushing out of the chair. “All of us have tried with her, over and over. You have no idea the things she’s done and the chances she’s had. We’ll take care of Henry if he lets us.” He stepped into a shadow and was gone.

Elie stood as well. “Take good care of Emme, Val. I’ve put in for an arranged marriage. I got word from the council that I have a match. I won’t see my bride until the day of the wedding. She’ll be coming here to marry me. I don’t want to return to France. I hope Emmanuelle will become friends with my wife.”

Valentino lifted an eyebrow. “You did what? I read those bullshit papers Emme filled out. They were so detailed it was unbelievable. You could be blackmailed for the rest of your life if someone got ahold of those.”

“According to the council, no one is supposed to ever see them. It’s a new program. You answer the questions online. The program matches you, and then it is erased. Emme wasn’t supposed to print them out.”

“She’s such a perfectionist she didn’t want to make a mistake, so she printed the questions out and answered them. I think she changed her answers several times.” Valentino had to smile in spite of the fact that he’d been so angry when he’d realized that Emmanuelle was really contemplating allowing herself to be partnered with another man—one not him. “Go after the woman you know you’re supposed to be with, Elie.”

“She doesn’t want me, and I can’t blame her.” Elie shrugged and stepped into a shadow.