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No Joshua had taken everything froain would she be this asshole’s victi down this tiu to be sick," Joshua sneered as he stalked closer and closer--until he pressed the gun to Luc’s forehead "Time to end this lovefest"

Alyssa’s heart stopped

The sirens were screa closer with every second She saw the panic on her stepbrother’s face He was about to do soiven the fact he could shoot Luc point-blank at any momentirrevocable There was no way her husband could reach his gun and fire quickly enough She, however, ht be able to use the eleun at Luc, then waved it to the left "Lindsey isher, you’ll die"

"It’s Alyssa, asshole," she sneered "And I hate you Rot in hell!"

While he stared at her in growing anger, she grabbed Luc’s gun, then shoved hiuely, she heard hih for Alyssa to grip the unfa!

As the sound crashed through her ears, Joshua slapped a hand to his chest and staggered back When he pulled his fingers away froan spreading across his shirt

"Bitch!" Joshua hted hiain

Luc juun from her hands Before she could protest, he’d planted his body in front of hers, aih the little space, ringing in her ears

Joshua’s head snapped back As he fell to his knees, blood oozed froht between his eyes

Alyssa juun fell out of his lax hand and skittered across the floor

Luc kicked it away fro his eyes off of her stepbrother, he steadied his own gun and pointed it again at the sick bastard

Alyssa took a step toward Joshua and bent

"No!" Luc insisted "It could be a trick"

"Then cover me" She sed "I need this"

And daht have helped kill her stepbrother In fact, she was holding her breath, hoping she had If so, she’d throw a fucking party

Downstairs, they heard a commotion, then a loud thump as the front door hit the foyer wall Footsteps poured inside, pounding up the stairs, just as Alyssa bent to Joshua and put her fingers on his carotid

"Well?" Luc prompted

"You okay, Ms Devereaux?" Re on the stair directly behind Joshua

"Mrs Traverson," Luc corrected Rear?"

She stood and smiled--really smiled--for the first time in fourteen years "The son of a bitch is dead"

Chapter Twenty

THE blisteringly clear Friday afternoon gusted through Lafayette Alyssa watched out the living roo Half an hour before she was due at the obstetrician’s office Luc had begged her to let hin of hihed What was up with thatabout Luc’ look on your face," Sadie teased

Alyssa rolled her eyes at her own ridiculousness She’d taken steps to end herabout hi, sorely tempted to put it on just to feel closer to him

"I don’t understand Luc," she confessed "It’s been almost a week since we shot Joshua"

"A bastard ripped her hand "Honey, why didn’t you tell any of us about your past?"

Because it had been her sha it to fortify her iron heart so that she’d never get too close to anyone else again Luc had melted her defenses and filled her soul Now she felt incomplete without him

For me, there’ll never be anyone else I’ll love half as ernail, those words ran through Alyssa’s head Had Luc really meant that or had the possibility of her and the baby’s deaths prompted him to say those words?

"I just wanted to keep it behind ined that Joshua had seen nized me, hired someone to hunt me down"

"You mad at Tyler?"

The question rattled around in her head "Nota job Tyler said that Joshua didn’t act creepy or obsessive until after he’d located me and turned over the information He actually put his life on hold to protect me because he feared the worst"

"And because he was hoping you’d give hiri to do now?"

After hours on Monday, he’d insisted on seeing her ho sure all ell and safe since Luc had left

What did you expect a man you served annulment papers to do? Stay so you could throw him out more creatively?

"He wants to remain in Lafayette Says he likes it here and had no real ties in Los Angeles Jack and Deke offered hi away business because they’re short-handed, and Deke wants to spend more time with Kimber since they have a baby on the way"

"You do, too, girlfriend When is that appoint, Alyssa glanced at her watch and winced "I’ll give Luc five airl needs s," Sadie offered, then sh I know you’d rather have Luc"

Alyssa couldn’t refute that After Joshua’s attack nearly a week ago and after she and Luc had answered all of Remy’s questions, she’d expected him to stay, confront her about the annulment At least voice an opinion But he’d only stolen a kiss, told her loved her and pleaded to go to her doctor’s appointotten the better of her, and she’d called Luc to ask hiain, he’d only told her that he loved her and would be there on Friday to pick her up She tried to put him out of her head and focus on the myriad items on her to-do list, but no luck