Мишель Роуэн - Stakes & Stilettos

There's room in the world for heroes of all shapes and sizes."

"Overbearing," I said, and tried to laugh a little. "Yeah, you're definitely that."

His brow lowered. "Pardon me?"

"You're overbearing. Way. I normally don't mind so much but for some reason lately it's really been getting on my nerves."

"Is that so?"

"It is." I shook my head. "I think I should thank Veronique. She came at the exact right time to help a lot of things crystallize for me. I hate to admit it, but I think she might be right."

"Might be right about what?" His tone was even.

"The annulment being a stupid idea. I mean, seriously Thierry, it's only been ten weeks.

I've left milk in the fridge for longer than that. It's the blink of an eye for somebody your age."

"This is Veronique's opinion? That ten weeks is not long enough to constitute a worthy relationship?"

"Actually, I think it might be my opinion. Ten weeks. Almost all of it difficult."

"We have had our difficulties."

I laughed, and it sounded amazingly convincing. "Difficulties? Well, let's see about that.

Yeah, there are difficulties. You being overbearing and unemotional. That's a couple of them. There's also you being judgmental, possessive, and jealous."

He stood up, his brow deeply furrowed. "And this little outburst was inspired by your chat with Veronique, was it?"

I put a hand on my hip. "Yeah. Your wife, Veronique. She made it very clear that's how she was staying, too. Seriously, what's in it for me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. What's in it for me? I'm just supposed to stand by and be your mistress? For what? The next thousand years? Sorry, Thierry, but I need more commitment than that in a relationship. I thought I could ignore it, because there were a hell of a lot of other perks, but at the end of the day, there are way too many strikes against us."

"Such as?"

Dammit. "Veronique told me about your little financial difficulties."

His eyes widened a fraction. "Did she?"

"Yeah. I can't believe you didn't tell me. I thought you were rich."

"And this was a prerequisite for our relationship? The fact that I had money?"

"I didn't think it was, but now that I think about it…" I paused and tried not to cry. Oh, my God, I didn't want to say these things. None of it was the truth. I didn't care if Thierry only had two cents to rub together, it didn't change how I felt about him. "I guess it does.

What am I supposed to do? Eat Kraft Dinner for the rest of my life?"

"You don't eat."

"Figuratively."

"I must say I'm disappointed to hear this from you." But he didn't sound all that disappointed. He sounded bland and emotionless. His expression was now completely unreadable.

"I would be surprised," Gideon had said to me earlier. "If Thierry raised one finger to help salvage your love affair or try to talk you out of your decision. If Thierry really puts up a fight, if he really loves you as much as you think he does, then maybe I'll reconsider."

"I'm sorry to have disappointed you," I said.

"Barry did warn me that he suspected that you were after my money, being one of very little personal means."

I shrugged. "A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do."

"Veronique had no right to tell you any of my personal affairs."

"She's funny like that."

"I'm sorry this evening has not gone as well as I'd planned."

"We've had worse evenings."

"Oh?"

Nail in the coffin alert. My heart ached so badly with every word I spoke to him, but I forced myself to hold it together. "Yeah, remember that crazy night you nearly tore out my throat and then left me for dead? That was memorable."

His expression went from bland to icy. "I do remember. It is one of my greatest regrets."

"I told somebody a while ago that I was involved with a married man who had a serious drinking problem. Sounds like a huge mistake, doesn't it?"

His gaze remained as cold as ice. "It does indeed."

I gave him a small shrug. "I think tonight is a really good night for us to… I don't know.

Start fresh."

"I agree," he said slowly. "Perhaps we should spend a little time apart and meet tomorrow to discuss this further. I'm sure we can come to an understanding. I know that your words tonight are spoken out of frustration with Veronique and stress from dealing with the curse. I will choose not to take what you have said personally."

"That's not exactly what I meant." I felt like crying, but I held it inside. If I let one tear fall—if I let Thierry think for one moment that I didn't mean what I was saying—then I had no doubt that Gideon would find out and he would kill everyone I loved. Including

Thierry. It was all up to me.

I willed my hands not to shake, and I pulled off the eternity band and placed it on Thierry's desk. He eyed it before his gaze returned to me.

"I'm starting new," I said. "I haven't been happy for a very long time and I'm realizing that a lot of it has to do with being with you. We're not right together. We don't fit."

"They say that opposites attract."

"Maybe temporarily. But I'm not looking for a temporary relationship, Thierry. This isn't right. I can feel it. I'm trusting my gut on this one. It's over. I want to see other people.

People who aren't so overbearing and moody. And when I leave, I would really appreciate it if you don't try to see me again. It'll just be awkward. Do you understand?"

He stared at me for a very long time. His eyes were gray and there was no warmth there.

"I see," he said finally, and there was no inflection to the words. Just a general statement.

"And I do understand, Sarah. I feel no ill will toward you for this decision. I have expected it for some time."

"Well, that makes things much simpler."

"Indeed it does."

"Then I won't draw this out any longer." I took a deep breath. "I thought I loved you, but

I was wrong. I'm sorry to have wasted your time and mine. Good-bye, Thierry."

"Good-bye, Sarah."

I blinked and turned around, and then all I could hear was the click-clack of my heels as they touched the ceramic-tiled floor and the accompanying thudding of my heart slamming against my chest.

I waited until I was outside in the cold February air before I started crying, great heaving sobs that made me clutch at the brick walls in the alley to stay on my feet. I'd never felt worse in my entire life. It felt as if all of my insides had been pulled out through my mouth and lay on the snow covered ground next to me in a horrific steaming pile of pain.

And, no. Definitely not an exaggeration.

I loved him. Oh, my God, I loved him so much.

But it was obvious. He couldn't love me in return. What he'd told me before had been words. Just words. If he really loved me he wouldn't have stood there and listened to me without trying to defend himself. Without trying to fight for me. He didn't fight. He didn't care.

Gideon was right.

It was over. I'd never see him again. But at least he'd be safe. He'd be alive. That was all I could ask for. He'd never know how much this had hurt me. He'd never know how much I loved him.

But at least he'd be alive.

I tried to pull myself together and slowly, very slowly, I did.

Gideon would pay dearly for this. The devil would get his due. The ball was now in my court. Les jeux sont faits.

I sniffed. And other sayings appropriate to the situation.

I pushed my tears away. I'd go home to George's place and pull a Scarlett. Tomorrow was another day. My first day as a vampire without Thierry in my life.

Dammit. Here come the waterworks again.

Interlude

Toronto, Ontario, Present Day

Thierry watched in silence as Sarah left his office.