Authors: Gael Morrison

Lovers Never Lie (28 page)

BOOK: Lovers Never Lie

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"I know," he said, pulling Stacia snug against his chest. "She would want what was best for me. And that is you. But I couldn't love again until I put her to rest. Justice, not revenge. That's why I had to keep you safe."

"For her," Stacia said haltingly, her doubts returning. "Not for me."

"That's what I thought at first." He captured her gaze with his. "Then I fell in love and knew it was for you. I tried to deny it, tried to tell myself I was only interested in your safety, nothing else, even tried to convince myself that if we made love, my lust for you would be satisfied." He kissed her again and for a long moment nothing more was said.

"But it didn't work," he finally whispered. His tongue drew a fire across her lips. "I fell in love with you." He put both arms around her and held her tight. "Because I needed you—"

She sank into his embrace, and let all doubts die. She wanted only to savor the moment, cherish it and him.

"—and you need me."

"I do need you," she admitted softly. Her heart expanded with the truth of it. She smiled. "I'm getting a taste for this adventurous life, you know."

He swore under his breath.

"Getting good at it," she teased, her smile widening to a grin.

He captured her mouth and kissed her words away. "You are good," he finally said, darting hungrily back to her lips between each word.

"If I agree to let you keep me safe—"

He frowned.

"—you have to agree to let me keep you safe."

He nuzzled her neck and sighed. "I'll agree to anything," he said, "except letting you get into this kind of danger again."

"What about your diamonds?"

"To hell with my diamonds."

She tried to pull away, but he held her tightly.

"You don't want them back?" she asked innocently.

"Stacia," he said slowly, as though her mind had been addled by all she'd been through, "the diamonds are gone. They're blown to bits."

"Maybe not," she said, shaking her head slowly. She grinned at the look of surprise on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"I have them."

He stared at her, stunned.

"Natolie lent me her sweater—"

"Who's Natolie?"

"A girl I met on the bus."

"The girl I met in the cafe," Andrew murmured.

"I was cold. She and her mother were kind. The sweater was black." Her sentences emerged too short and incoherent. Must be delayed shock, Stacia decided.

Andrew stared at her not understanding.

"Natolie's sweater had baubles on it," Stacia went on patiently. "Nothing fancy, not as sparkly as diamonds, but if you didn't look too closely, they seemed real enough."

A groove formed on his forehead.

"When I actually had to go looking for Maria, I almost didn't go on. I went into the church, the one I had seen in the picture on Wilson's desk."

His face darkened at her mention of Wilson's name.

"There was a statue of Mary in the church. It was beautiful, but so sad looking." Stacia shivered. "It had no eyes. The jewels were gone from them. Perhaps during the war." Stacia smiled. "But she still had her strength and she gave it to me."

"You have your own strength," Andrew said.

Stacia stared into his face, saw the love and admiration there, and a warmth filled her soul.

"Too much of it sometimes," he added. He squeezed her tightly, as though even now he was afraid she might disappear. "Finish your story," he said, kissing her brow.

"In Maria's basement," she went on, "when there was no place to hide—"

Andrew's eyes grew black.

"—when Maria was almost there... I switched sweaters." Stacia smiled, totally satisfied with the surprise flashing across his face. "I turned your sweater inside out so the diamonds were hidden, and put it on then gave Maria, Natolie's sweater." Stacia shrugged. "She never noticed."

"She noticed," Andrew disagreed, his face turning sober. "That must have been why she came back." He shook his head. "Her own greed killed her in the end."

"They were smuggling weapons," Stacia explained, a shiver skittering across her shoulders. "They used diamonds to buy weapons."

Andrew caught her to him and for a long moment simply held her. "I know just what we should do," he said, releasing her at last. His eyes glowed in the moonlight. He rose to his feet and held out his hand.

She was grateful for his touch as she followed him to his car, grateful, too, when the policeman stopped them that Andrew was the one to answer the questions. She felt sapped of strength. Leaning into Andrew, she borrowed some of his.

When at last they were free to go, she sank into the front seat of Andrew's car. Her heart was still too full, the horror too near, to say anything. Andrew steered carefully down the winding road toward the village and parked the car in front of the church. Stacia turned to him, surprised.

"Inside," was all he said.

It felt different entering the church this time, as though Maria Argolis's evil spirit had already passed from the village. The interior of the church still looked shabby and worn, but there was a warmth and peace that hadn't been there before. The cold shadow of Stacia's ordeal began to disperse.

Andrew smiled down at her, as though he knew what she was feeling. Then he put his arm around her waist and led her to Mary.

"Take off the sweater," he commanded softly.

Stacia looked at him, not understanding, not wanting to leave the comfort of his embrace.

"I'll keep you warm," he promised, reading her mind as he had been doing since the day they met.

Heat touched her cheeks at the look of love in his eyes, and she tugged off the sweater and turned it right side out. With a small smile, she handed it to Andrew.

He looked first at the diamonds, then at her, then he kissed her long and passionately in front of the statue of Mary.

It was as if they had kissed before God himself. Joy filled Stacia's heart, and with it came peace, originating from the man and blessed by the Saint.

Finally, slowly, Andrew drew his lips from hers. He took the sweater he'd held crushed against Stacia's back, and plucked two diamonds from it. These he placed on the statue's outstretched hand.

"We'll give them to Mary for the villagers of Artemis. They were good to you, helped me find you."

"The villagers hated the Argolis evil as much as us," Stacia said.

It seemed so right, so perfect. Almost as perfect as Andrew.

"What about you?" Stacia asked, wanting to make sure. "Your diamonds are very valuable."

"I have something much better." Andrew stared steadily at her, the light in his eyes speaking his love. "My jewel is you," he said firmly. Then he kissed her again, a kiss filled with promises.

The End