Part Eight
She struggled against him. Determination shining in her blue eyes. She bit the hand that covered her mouth, and her eyes widened when she heard her captor swear in pain. "Dammit! You stupid woman!" She paused. Her hand on the door knob. And slowly turned around. "Jacques!?!?" she gasped. "What are you.why did you grab me like that? You scared me," she said. Meeting his cold stare with one of her own. "Because," he ground out. Holding his hand gingerly. "Marie called me in a panic. Your friend wouldn't let her call the police." She lowered her head in embarrassment. "What's going on in there? Jacques? Is everything okay?" she heard a male voice call out. Luis, she thought. Shutting her eyes. She didn't want to see the look on his face when he saw her. "It's fine, Monsieur Lopez-Fitzgerald," he answered. Stepping out into the hall and pulling her with him.
"Sheri!" Catherine exclaimed. "I was so afraid," she pouted. Throwing her little arms around her neck. Sheridan gently wiped the tears away from her green eyes with her thumb. "Don't you ever do something like that again," Marie warned harshly. Hugging her tightly. "You had us ALL worried." Sheridan's gaze slowly shifted from Marie's concerned dark eyes to Luis's. His dark eyes were unreadable. His jaw set in a tight line. "I'm sorry," she whispered guiltily. Her blue eyes never leaving his face. He said nothing, and she felt her heart sink. "You're forgiven," Marie said. Placing an arm about her shoulders and leading her inside the apartment. "Are you coming, Luis?" Catherine asked. Holding out her tiny hand. "Soon," Luis promised. "I need to do something first," he said. Staring at Jacques.
"Was she being followed?" Luis asked. His dark eyes searching Jacques. He didn't trust this man. Just a feeling he had. "Non," Jacques answered. Averting his dark eyes from Luis's penetrating stare. A little warning signal went off inside Luis's head, but he chose to ingore it for the time being. She was back. Safe and sound. And right now that's all that mattered. He turned to leave. Not failing to notice that Jacques declined to follow. He gave him a curious look. "It's none of your concern, Monsieur, but I have a patient to attend to. The one you and my wife dragged me away from with your silly concerns. I must be going now. I want you and that crazy woman to be out of here when I return tomorrow. You understand me?" he said in a menacing voice. "Crystal." "It's good we understand each other, Monsieur. Au revoir."
"Sheridan," Luis said quietly. Stopping in front of the chaise where she sat. Sipping from a cup of tea. Marie looked up. Stilling the soothing movements of her hand upon Sheridan's back. "She's been through enough, Luis. I think that's punishment enough. Someone was following her." Luis drew in a surprised breath. Gratitude swelling within him that she made it back to him in one piece. But also anger. That she had done such a foolish thing in the first place. "Sheridan," he said again in a carefully controlled voice. "We need to talk. Now," he said. Not meeting her blue eyes. Sheridan rose from her seat and silently walked down the hall to the guest room they shared. Catherine watched her go with solemn green eyes. "Be nice," she warned. And Luis felt a smile small come to his lips as he knelt at Catherine's feet. "I thought you knew I was a nice guy," he said. Tapping her nose. Catherine giggled. "Oui." And you, too, Marie, he thought. Staring into her dark eyes. I'd never intentionally hurt her. Despite what she thinks. Marie smiled at him as he passed. And Luis was happy Sheridan had a friend who cared so much.
He found her staring out the French doors she had made her escape through earlier. She looked as weary as he felt. He fought to control the urge to take her in his arms. Tell her everything. "That was an incredibly stupid thing you did," he said as he slipped the door shut behind him. "Especially after yesterday. What will it take, Sheridan?" he asked. Grabbing her by the shoulders and spinning her around to face him. "It seems bullets aren't enough. Apparently you think you're invincible. You were followed. Do you honestly think the person following you had innocent thoughts and intentions?" She shook her head weakly. And he felt a tug at his heartstrings seeing the tears collect at the corners of her blue eyes. But he continued. She needed to hear this. Even more than he needed to say it.
"You selfishly ran away. Worrying us for no good reason. Can you imagine how devastating it would have been to Catherine or Marie if you hadn't been so lucky?" Or me, he thought as he shook her lightly by the shoulders. "Can you?" he demanded. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Tears falling freely now. "I was selfish. And stupid. There was no excuse for the way I behaved. You should never have saved my life in the first place, Luis. I didn't deserve it. You should have just let me." He cut her off. Covering her lips with his own and kissing her passionately. As if his life depended on it. He pulled away. His breathing ragged. "Don't you EVER say that again," he said. Leaning his forehead against hers. "Never," he whispered in a gruff voice. Pulling her into his arms and hugging her tight. Sheridan's eyes fluttered shut. Reveling in his strong, safe embrace.
Outside in an alley, the man with the small dark eyes looked suspiciously from side to side as he hissed, "Jacques. I thought you were on our side. I thought you wanted Ms. Crane dead as much as we did." Jacques brought the cigarette to his lips. Then said. "I am. But I have a better idea. You ready to hear it, little brother?" "Oui," Pierre answered with an evil smile. "I'm all ears. Tell me all the details. I can't wait to hear your plan. Soon, Sheridan Crane will be dead. And no one will be able to point a finger at me and Roger. Tell me about this perfect plan." "Well," Jacques began, "I have the perfect way to get rid of Ms. Crane. And my wife and her brat of a daughter." Pierre smiled appreciatively as Jacques filled him in on all the details.
She struggled against him. Determination shining in her blue eyes. She bit the hand that covered her mouth, and her eyes widened when she heard her captor swear in pain. "Dammit! You stupid woman!" She paused. Her hand on the door knob. And slowly turned around. "Jacques!?!?" she gasped. "What are you.why did you grab me like that? You scared me," she said. Meeting his cold stare with one of her own. "Because," he ground out. Holding his hand gingerly. "Marie called me in a panic. Your friend wouldn't let her call the police." She lowered her head in embarrassment. "What's going on in there? Jacques? Is everything okay?" she heard a male voice call out. Luis, she thought. Shutting her eyes. She didn't want to see the look on his face when he saw her. "It's fine, Monsieur Lopez-Fitzgerald," he answered. Stepping out into the hall and pulling her with him.
"Sheri!" Catherine exclaimed. "I was so afraid," she pouted. Throwing her little arms around her neck. Sheridan gently wiped the tears away from her green eyes with her thumb. "Don't you ever do something like that again," Marie warned harshly. Hugging her tightly. "You had us ALL worried." Sheridan's gaze slowly shifted from Marie's concerned dark eyes to Luis's. His dark eyes were unreadable. His jaw set in a tight line. "I'm sorry," she whispered guiltily. Her blue eyes never leaving his face. He said nothing, and she felt her heart sink. "You're forgiven," Marie said. Placing an arm about her shoulders and leading her inside the apartment. "Are you coming, Luis?" Catherine asked. Holding out her tiny hand. "Soon," Luis promised. "I need to do something first," he said. Staring at Jacques.
"Was she being followed?" Luis asked. His dark eyes searching Jacques. He didn't trust this man. Just a feeling he had. "Non," Jacques answered. Averting his dark eyes from Luis's penetrating stare. A little warning signal went off inside Luis's head, but he chose to ingore it for the time being. She was back. Safe and sound. And right now that's all that mattered. He turned to leave. Not failing to notice that Jacques declined to follow. He gave him a curious look. "It's none of your concern, Monsieur, but I have a patient to attend to. The one you and my wife dragged me away from with your silly concerns. I must be going now. I want you and that crazy woman to be out of here when I return tomorrow. You understand me?" he said in a menacing voice. "Crystal." "It's good we understand each other, Monsieur. Au revoir."
"Sheridan," Luis said quietly. Stopping in front of the chaise where she sat. Sipping from a cup of tea. Marie looked up. Stilling the soothing movements of her hand upon Sheridan's back. "She's been through enough, Luis. I think that's punishment enough. Someone was following her." Luis drew in a surprised breath. Gratitude swelling within him that she made it back to him in one piece. But also anger. That she had done such a foolish thing in the first place. "Sheridan," he said again in a carefully controlled voice. "We need to talk. Now," he said. Not meeting her blue eyes. Sheridan rose from her seat and silently walked down the hall to the guest room they shared. Catherine watched her go with solemn green eyes. "Be nice," she warned. And Luis felt a smile small come to his lips as he knelt at Catherine's feet. "I thought you knew I was a nice guy," he said. Tapping her nose. Catherine giggled. "Oui." And you, too, Marie, he thought. Staring into her dark eyes. I'd never intentionally hurt her. Despite what she thinks. Marie smiled at him as he passed. And Luis was happy Sheridan had a friend who cared so much.
He found her staring out the French doors she had made her escape through earlier. She looked as weary as he felt. He fought to control the urge to take her in his arms. Tell her everything. "That was an incredibly stupid thing you did," he said as he slipped the door shut behind him. "Especially after yesterday. What will it take, Sheridan?" he asked. Grabbing her by the shoulders and spinning her around to face him. "It seems bullets aren't enough. Apparently you think you're invincible. You were followed. Do you honestly think the person following you had innocent thoughts and intentions?" She shook her head weakly. And he felt a tug at his heartstrings seeing the tears collect at the corners of her blue eyes. But he continued. She needed to hear this. Even more than he needed to say it.
"You selfishly ran away. Worrying us for no good reason. Can you imagine how devastating it would have been to Catherine or Marie if you hadn't been so lucky?" Or me, he thought as he shook her lightly by the shoulders. "Can you?" he demanded. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Tears falling freely now. "I was selfish. And stupid. There was no excuse for the way I behaved. You should never have saved my life in the first place, Luis. I didn't deserve it. You should have just let me." He cut her off. Covering her lips with his own and kissing her passionately. As if his life depended on it. He pulled away. His breathing ragged. "Don't you EVER say that again," he said. Leaning his forehead against hers. "Never," he whispered in a gruff voice. Pulling her into his arms and hugging her tight. Sheridan's eyes fluttered shut. Reveling in his strong, safe embrace.
Outside in an alley, the man with the small dark eyes looked suspiciously from side to side as he hissed, "Jacques. I thought you were on our side. I thought you wanted Ms. Crane dead as much as we did." Jacques brought the cigarette to his lips. Then said. "I am. But I have a better idea. You ready to hear it, little brother?" "Oui," Pierre answered with an evil smile. "I'm all ears. Tell me all the details. I can't wait to hear your plan. Soon, Sheridan Crane will be dead. And no one will be able to point a finger at me and Roger. Tell me about this perfect plan." "Well," Jacques began, "I have the perfect way to get rid of Ms. Crane. And my wife and her brat of a daughter." Pierre smiled appreciatively as Jacques filled him in on all the details.
