King's Ransom (Man on a Mission 2)

Andre had arrived home today. Juliana knew that, even though he hadn’t even come to watch the filming as he used to do. Hadn’t sought her out. So tonight she would go to him. Tell him everything. Ask him the questions she’d wanted to ask for eleven years, and finally hear his explanations. And she would make love with him...the way she’d longed to do since their one and only night together.

She stepped into her silk-and-lace undies—one of the few luxuries she allowed herself—then pulled a clean, oversize T-shirt from the dresser, making a little face as she did so. Wishing for the first time she had something more...sexy. More...seductive to wear for Andre. A T-shirt seemed so prosaic. Certainly not romantic. And she wanted to be romantic tonight of all nights. Too bad, she told herself with a rueful smile. Should have thought of that earlier. She wasn’t going to wait another night just so she could set the stage. Andre would just have to take her as she was. She was pulling the T-shirt over her head when the phone by her bed rang.

The palace operator spoke in her ear when she answered the phone. “I have a Mr. Marty Devens from Los Angeles on the phone, Miss Richardson,” she said in her pretty, accented English. “Would you like to take the call?”

“Of course.” Juliana wondered what Marty could be calling her about, and then, with Marty’s first words, shock and disbelief settled in.

Chapter 15

Juliana put the phone down, tears oozing from her eyes. She’d managed to hold off until she hung up the phone, but now...now she could cry for Sabrina. Sabrina, who was dead on a hospital operating table. And the twin daughters she’d tried so desperately to stay alive long enough to give her beloved husband were in neonatal intensive care—prognosis guarded but not optimistic.

Dirk was crazy with grief, Marty had just told her. Inconsolable. Oh, Bree. Bree, Juliana mourned, catching her breath on a sob. What will Dirk do without you? Oh, Dirk, I’m so sorry. I wish I could be with you now. I wish I could say something to comfort you.

But there were no words. Nothing anyone could say to bring Sabrina back, and that was the only thing that would comfort Dirk in the first wildness of his grief. How tragically she remembered that kind of grief, when it seemed as if Andre was dead to her all those years ago.

Heartsick, she crawled under the covers and huddled there, shivering, but not from the cold. Thinking that she couldn’t go to Andre...not now. Not when her heart was breaking over Sabrina and Dirk.

Bree’s dead and Dirk might not survive. That was all she could think of. Bree’s dead and Dirk might not survive. She couldn’t possibly sleep, couldn’t possibly turn her emotions off enough to fall asleep, because the phrase kept repeating in her head. Bree’s dead and Dirk might not survive.

On that thought she fell asleep, but it was a fitful sleep as she tossed and turned. When she woke hours later, unrefreshed, her first thought was for Dirk. She picked up her cell phone and placed a call to Marty. “How is he, Marty?” she asked as soon as the phone was answered.

“Not good. I wouldn’t tell anyone except you, but I’m afraid for him. I don’t think he’s...rational. I tried to talk to him about the...the arrangements. About Sabrina’s funeral. But it’s as if he can’t even hear me. He’s in some other world. He keeps talking about how this is God’s punishment.”

“Oh, Marty...”

“Yeah. I always thought Dirk was so strong. But now I see a lot of his strength came from Sabrina. She was always there, standing by him, believing in him. Helping him believe in himself.”

She took a deep breath. “So what are you going to do?”

“Whatever I have to do, with Dirk the way he is. Thank God I’ve got power of attorney from him. Otherwise...”

“I want to be there for the funeral,” she told him. “Please hold off long enough for that. We’re almost done here. Today’s the last scheduled day, so if we can wrap things up I’ll take the first plane out of here...probably this weekend. But I can’t be sure exactly when I can get back, so...”

“Don’t worry. I know Dirk would want you there. I’ll make sure the funeral’s at least a week from now. And maybe the additional time will give Dirk a chance to come to his senses, too.”

“What’s the word on the babies?” Please, God, she prayed. Let them be all right.

“I’ve been to the hospital, and as Dirk’s attorney I’m getting regular updates. The babies are holding their own, that’s about all I can tell you at this point. But they’re so tiny, Juliana.” He cleared his throat and she knew emotion was getting to him, too. “You’ve never seen anything so tiny as Dirk’s little girls.”