‘Did you sleep with the good doctor before or after that conversation, Lila?’ Delphine’s voice was ice and Lila knew she already knew the answer.
‘Before. And I am sorry; Delphine, but I don’t regret anything. I fell in love with Noah long before I slept with him. He is everything to me and our child, although she didn’t survive, she is still real to me. I still feel like a mother.’
Delphine’s face softened. ‘I’m sorry about the child, Lila, truly. But I thought we were close, that you trusted me enough that you would have known to come to me. When we lost Richard, it was agony but when you left too…a part of me died.’
Her words broke the dam that Lila had been building around her emotions and she gave a sob. ‘I don’t want to do this,’ she said, ‘I don’t want to cry and have you think I’m crying so you’ll be nice to me. What I did…I cannot take back, I don’t want to take back. But if I could save some of the hurt you felt…I know it’s too late. I love you, Delphine, I loved Richard, I love Cora and Harry and Richard Sr. But I cannot be part of your family anymore.’
Delphine mouth quivered and she quickly covered it with her hand, looking away from Lila, breathing deeply to steady her nerves.
‘Don’t say that,’ she whispered eventually. ‘Please don’t exile us from your life. Not permanently. If you need more time, fine but please, when you’re stronger, come back to us. If not as our daughter, as our friend.’
Lila, trying to contain herself, closed her eyes. Please let me go. But a part of her didn’t want that either. They had been her family. Lila just felt she didn’t deserve to have both the Carnegies and her new life – it was too much.
‘Hello.’ A small voice behind her. Lila turned. Cora, red-haired, thin as a bird, stood behind her. Her eyes were dull, her features pinched but she gazed at Lila not with hatred but of sorrow. Lila could not help but hold out her arms to her and Cora went into them, hugging her tightly.
Delphine watched them for a moment then got up. For a long moment, she placed her hand on Lila’s shoulder, looking down at her, then nodded and left the room.
Manhattan
Noah sat with Charlie in the precinct, watching the rest of the office as they went about their jobs. Charlie was on the phone but he ended the call.
‘Sorry, man, another bad tip. Didn’t think we’d get nothing on Riley, and I mean, nothing.’
‘You talked to that brother you don’t see eye to eye with?’
Charlie rolled his eyes. ‘Multiple times. Look, is Lila freaking out about that news story? Because I guarantee no-one will remember it by next week.’
‘Only that the Carnegies will be hurt but she’s with them now.’
‘Any idea who sold that story?’
Noah gave a humorless snort. ‘Oh yes…Lauren Shannon. She’s still sore at me; I really should have seen it coming.’
‘Well, at least we know something then. I’m getting a little tired of being in the dark about these attacks.’
‘Me too. I feel antsy about being here even, about Lila being in the city. You must feel that way about Tinsley.’
Charlie nodded. ‘Man, the things men do to women.’
‘The things we do.’
Cora finally let Lila go. She sat back and wiped her eyes. ‘Lila, I’m so sorry about everything. When I saw that story, I knew why you had left, and I didn’t blame you. I heard what you said to Mom and you’re right. You and Richard weren’t destined to be happy ever after.’
Lila was a little thrown. ‘Cora…I thought you’d be the angriest of all of them at me. You’d just buried your brother and now you find out, I was already pregnant with another man’s baby at the funeral. I can’t forgive myself for that part, even though I don’t regret being pregnant.’
Cora stared at her with large blue eyes, struggling to find the words then said. ‘We’ve all done bad things, Lila, all of us. I…oh god…’
She crumpled into tears again and Lila, really worried now about the young woman, hugged her tightly.
‘Cora, what is it? What are you trying to tell me?’
Cora, through her tears, said something unintelligible. Lila stroked her hair back from her face. ‘Cora, breathe. That’s it, another one. Now, tell me slowly.’
Cora was trembling violently. ‘It was him, you see. I fell in love with him and I thought….that night…I thought he wanted me but then he took me to her place and then I saw him kiss her.’
Lila shook her head. ‘Cora, you’re not making any sense.’
Cora was shaking her head back and forth. ‘I paid someone. A guy I know, not a good guy. I paid him to scare her off….I paid him to get rid of her but I didn’t know he would actually go through with it…I was so scared…’
Lila’s blood went cold. ‘Cora…are you telling me…’
‘I was the one who sent that man to hurt Tinsley. Oh god, Lila, I was so in love with Charlie and it wasn’t fair and I was crazy jealous and…’
Lila’s head was in her hands, not wanting to hear anymore. ‘No…no…’
‘I sent him to hurt Tinsley, Lila…I tried to kill Tinsley…’
End of Part Three.
Hold Onto Me
A Billionaire Romance
Book 4
By Michelle Love
Shattered #4:
Two days before her lavish Upper East Side wedding, artist Lila Tierney is stabbed and left for dead by an unknown assailant. Waking up in the hospital she is devastated to discover her fiancé Richard Carnegie has been arrested for arranging her murder. An exhausting and draining recovery keeps Lila at her lowest point until she meets handsome doctor Noah Applebaum. Despite her loyalty to Richard, Lila cannot help the feelings he stirs in her. Everything changes though, when Richard is murdered and Lila has to reevaluate her life when she discovers that she is pregnant with Noah’s child…
Hold Onto Me
Lila and Noah are recovering from the loss of their much-wanted child and the media frenzy which exposed their whereabouts to the world – and to whomever is hunting Lila down. Their friends Charlie and Tinsley have become irrevocably tied up in the mystery, and Lila is horrified to learn of a near fatal attack on Tinsley. When she discovers who was behind that attack, Lila is caught in the middle of jealousy, hatred and murder and it’s not clear who will survive. Desperate to start making a happy, safe life with Noah, their world is destroyed by one act of such jealousy and as Lila struggles to hold on to the man she loves, the killer closes in…
Hold Onto Me
Manhattan
Noah looked down at Lila, tucked into the crook of his arm as they watched t.v. back at their hotel. She had been quiet ever since she’d been at the Carnegie’s – although she said it had gone well – and now Noah was worried. He picked up the remote control and flicked off the t.v. Lila barely reacted.
‘Okay,’ he said, ‘there’s something on your mind. Spill it.’
Lila hesitated then sighed. ‘I was thinking of all the ways that love – or at least what we might think is love – is corrupted. Tainted.’
Noah smiled. ‘That’s deep for this late in the evening. What’s really bothering you?’
Lila rubbed her eyes. ‘Just between us?’
‘Of course.’
She gazed at him for a long moment then… ‘Cora hired a guy to kill Tinsley.’
Noah felt the blood drain from his face and he groaned. ‘Oh, fuck.’
‘Yeah.’ Lila wrapped her arm around his waist for comfort. ‘The upside is she’s distraught about it. She’s glad the guy didn’t succeed.’
‘Because of Charlie?’
Lila nodded. ‘See what I mean? People do crazy things for love. Or lust.’ She swallowed hard and looked at him. ‘Noah, I have something I want to tell you and, god, it’s not easy. I have never told anyone this, not even Charlie.’
He frowned. ‘What is it, love?’
‘I slept with Riley. About fifteen months ago. Richard and I were going through a bad patch, he’d
been cheating and I had tried to be blind to it but one night, Riley and I were at the bar late, after closing and I’d just had enough. It was only that one time but…’
‘But what?’ Noah kept his voice level. He didn’t judge Lila – or Riley – for what they had done but he was still strangely jealous.
‘He told me that he was in love with me, that if he were someone else, he would beg me not to marry Richard. He wasn’t…I mean to say, he didn’t come across as obsessive just a sad guy with a crush. I ached for him, felt guilty. ‘
Noah tightened his arms around her. ‘We all make mistakes with other people’s hearts, all of us. Doesn’t make us bad people.’
Lila pulled away from him so she could face him. ‘Exactly. Which is why I have a hard time thinking that Riley is behind all of this. It just doesn’t make any sense.’
Noah was quiet for a moment, letting her think. ‘The photos on the all of his apartment, though.’
‘Someone could have out them there…no, I know, it’s ridiculous. Maybe it was his way of dealing with his crush.’
Noah was skeptical. ‘Sweetheart, if you have a little crush, you maybe have one photo. Not thousands.’
‘Where the hell did he get them from, that’s what I want to know. Actually, scratch that. We weren’t talking about Riley and me; this is about….do I tell Charlie and Tinsley what Cora did?’
Noah let a long breath hiss out from between his teeth. ‘That’s a hard one…’
‘Isn’t it just. What would you do?’
Noah considered. ‘Maybe get Cora to talk to Tinsley in private. Tinsley deserves to know the truth – Charlie…well, that’s up to Tinsley.’
Lila nodded slowly. ‘That’s a good idea, yeah, that is a good idea. I’ll call Cora in the morning.’ Noah saw her shoulders relax and a small smile play around her lips. ‘Thank you, baby, you always know what to do for the best.’
She crawled back into his arms and pressed her lips against his. ‘Why do I feel, despite everything, that things are going to be okay? I think it’s you, Noah Applebaum. When I’m with you, I feel safe, loved.’
‘You are both those things, Lila Belle.’ He grinned then. ‘I never did ask, is your middle name really Belle?’
Lila chuckled. ‘No, it’s just what Delphine used to call me. Cora is Cora Belle and somehow that translated to me as well. I liked it.’
‘What is your middle name?’
‘I don’t have one. I don’t even know what my real name is, or even if my birth mother gave me a name. Apparently, and I know this is weird, until I was three and put into the children’s home, they called me Lily. It was Charlie who named me Lila, and gave me his mother’s maiden name.’ She smiled now, remembering and Noah stroked her face.
‘Maybe, one day soon, I can give your my name – if you want it,’ he smiled but his eyes were wary. Lila kissed him.
‘Nothing would make me happier.’ She pressed her lips against his neck. Noah buried his face in her hair.
‘Then, when you’re fully healed, we’ll go away together. Somewhere only we know and I’ll ask you properly.’
She looked up at him with shining eyes. ‘I can’t wait, my love. I can’t wait.’
The next morning, Lila drove out to Westchester in the hire car Noah had arranged for her. She had pooh-poohed his suggestion being driven by a bodyguard. ‘Who’s going to get me travelling at speed on the Interstate?’
He had no argument and she kissed him gratefully. ‘I’ll call you when I get there, I promised.’
It was Richard Sr. who greeted her at the door. Never an effusive man, Lila was shocked when he pulled her into a bear-hug. ‘We missed you around here, Lila Belle.’
His warm voice brought tears to her eyes and all she could think of then was how much she’d hurt all of them by disappearing.
Richard told her that Cora was waiting for her in her room and with a smile; he went back to his study.
Cora was sitting on her bed, her big eyes wide with nervousness and Lila couldn’t help but feel for the young woman. Cora was fragile, vulnerable…but, Lila reminded herself sternly, that was no excuse for what Cora had done. And it was hardly a little thing either…
‘Cora, darling, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what you told me.’
Cora frowned. ‘What did I tell you?’
A small pang of dread hit Lila’s stomach and she sighed. ‘Cora, I think you know.’
‘No idea what you’re talking about.’
So this was how it was going to go, was it? Lila shook her head. ‘Yes, you do, Cora and pretending otherwise is not going to help it go away.’
Cora stuck her nose in the air. ‘You’re really going to have to enlighten me.’
Lila had heard enough. ‘Cora, what you did was despicable.’ Enough with treading softly, Lila thought, and she saw Cora’s face redden.
‘Lila…’
‘No, Cora, no. We are not doing this. You put me in the middle by telling me, and now you have to step up and face the consequences. I think you should talk to Tinsley, tell her what happened, why you did what you did.’
Cora laughed, a false high sound. ‘I hardly know the woman, why should I talk to her?’
Lily’s mood darkened. ‘Trying to have someone killed, Cora, just because they’re involved with a man you like – you don’t think that’s good reason?’
Cora looked away from Lila’s gaze. ‘I don’t understand why you’re saying this to me. It must be the hormones in your system; I know you must still be feeling strange after the baby and everything.’
Low blow. ‘Cora, do you really want me to tell Tinsley? Charlie? Your parents?’
Cora looked at them, her blue gaze icy. Her mouth hitched up in a cruel smile. ‘And who do you think they’ll believe, Lila?’
Lila’s temper flared and she clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palm. ‘Fine. Let’s see, shall we?’
She stalked out of the room and down the stairs. She slammed the front door on her way out and it was only when she was halfway up the drive that she let out a howl of frustration. Why couldn’t this be simple? She’d had visions of taking Cora to Tinsley, a tearful admission, an instant pardon from Tinsley. And everyone lives happily ever after, she shook her head. You bloody fool, Tierney.
She drove back into the city and to her hotel, greeting Noah’s security team. In the suite, she dumped her bag and slumped onto the couch. Jesus. What should she do? Who was her loyalty to?
She grabbed a pillow and stuck her face in it, screaming a loud ‘Fuck!’ deep into its softness.
No. If Cora was going to be a bitch about this, then there was only one thing to do. Tell Tinsley what she knew. Then it was up to Tinsley what action she took and Lila could take herself out of the equation.
She called Tinsley at the bar and asked her to meet her later then she went to shower, hoping the cool water would cool her hot temper. So much violence, she thought as she scrubbed at her body with the soap, so much damn violence. She looked down at the sill livid scars on her belly. Her body had quickly gone back to its pre-pregnancy shape, and now she could feel her ribs against the taut skin. Too skinny. She had hardly eaten since Matty had been stillborn, and she knew Noah was torn between insisting she eat and look after herself and not wanting to pressure her. God. She cranked the faucet off and leaned her forehead against the cool tile. She wanted to get away with him soon, go somewhere where it was the just the two of them, start rebuilding a life.
When she was dressed, she was gazing unenthusiastically in the fridge when the intercom buzzed. ‘Hey, sweetcheeks, it’s me.’
Charlie presented her with a bunch of flowers. ‘Cheesy, I know, but what the hell?’
She grinned and kissed him. ‘They’re gorgeous, thanks, Charlie. You not working?’
He shrugged. ‘Yeah, kinda, but I wanted to see you.
‘Because?’
His grin was crooked. ‘Do I need a reason?’
Lila relaxed an
d hugged him. ‘Of course not. Just seems every time lately, there’s been a reason. It’s good that you just want to hang out with your oldest buddy.’
‘Word, sister. Where’s the good doc?’
‘Meeting. He’s thinking of quitting the hospital and setting up somewhere else, his own practice so he’s meeting with some insiders, get some advice.’
Charlie made a face. ‘God, business meetings.’
Lila nodded, grinning. ‘Which is why you’re a cop and I’m an artist. Not that you would know, I’ve been ‘resting’ for way too long.’
‘Time to get back into it?’
‘God, yes, I’ve been drifting for a few years now. So much for my independent woman stance; first Richard, now Noah – they both supported me financially whether I like it or not.’ She sighed. ‘I have to do something, Charlie. Maybe I could go back and retrain as an art teacher.’ She suddenly looked excited. ‘God, why didn’t I think of that before?’
Charlie was watching her, a small smile on his face. ‘You just keep making plans over there. You staying in Seattle?’
She nodded. ‘I am. It’s where Noah is, where I want to be. Only one thing missing and that’s you.’
‘Yeah.’ Charlie’s smile faded. ‘Well, things go bad here, I’ll come home.’
Lila studied him. He looked tired and drawn. ‘You okay?’
He nodded. ‘Just a lot on my mind. They’re going to partner me up with someone new next week and I don’t know how I feel about the guy. Or the job. Or New York.’
‘What about Tinsley?’
‘The one good thing.’
Lila smiled. ‘I’m glad.’ She chewed her lip then sighed. ‘Charlie, I have something to tell you and I don’t want you to blow up and get crazy. This is me asking you as a friend, not a cop.’
Shattered: A Billionaire Romance Series (Contemporary Romance Novels) Page 19
