Page 89 of A Caribbean Heiress in Paris
“I plan to hold you to that.”
He kissed her, slowly and sweetly, until she was gasping for air.
“Let’s sleep, cariño.” She burrowed into his chest, already half-asleep. “The morning will be here soon, and I’m sure there will be much to do.”
But the morning Luz hoped for never came.
Hours later, hard knocks on the door ripped them from an exhausted sleep with the news that Evan and Apollo’s plot had resulted in their entire world being set ablaze.
Twenty-Four
“He is not in London. My men have combed the city. There’s no sign of him,” Evan said as he barreled into the room, looking much too presentable for a man who’d barely slept two hours.
“We must get you, Clarita and the Leonas out of Edinburgh.”
“I told you I wasn’t going anywhere without you,” she reminded him, to which he responded with a mulish shake of the head.
“No, leannain.” Her resistance buckled somewhat at the endearment. “I need to make sure your rum and my whisky are safe. We’re moving them again, farther out of the city. We can’t take any chances; the man burned down two of my warehouses.” Evan’s voice was thin with fury at the mention of the fire that had ravaged most of the three buildings he owned in Leith. It was a miracle half of the port hadn’t gone up in flames. The only reason all her rum wasn’t gone was that Evan had had the foresight to move their reserves elsewhere, in the event his father tried to retaliate after they confronted him.
“Have you confirmed it was him?”
“No, but who else could it possibly be?” His face, which last night had been so content and peaceful, was pinched with worry. “I know you don’t want to do this, but it would ease my mind to know you’re out of Edinburgh for now.” He looked so undone, so desperate that she found herself relenting.
“I will go fetch Clarita from Beatrice’s house, and then we’ll go to the train.” He heaved a sigh of relief, the lines of his face softening.
“Good. Why don’t I send one of my men for her and you—”
That she could not accept.
“Absolutely not, Evan. My sister has gone through too much. If a footman came to get her when I promised I would, she would be scared. I will go and come straight back here.”
“All right,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I need to go down to Leith. We are emptying everything we have left in Edinburgh and moving it south to a location Murdoch knows near Glasgow. One of my footmen will accompany you to my sister’s. I will return to take you to the train in an hour.”
“Carajo,” Luz cried half an hour later as their carriage arrived back at the house on Queen Street.
“What is it?” asked Clarita, who had been unusually somber on the drive from Beatrice’s.
“I forgot Bisabuela’s book. I left it in my office.” Luz could not believe she’d forgotten it. Things had been so chaotic this morning, it hadn’t occurred to her until now. With her sister safely with her, and Evan taking care of the rum, there was only the book left to secure.
And Evan.She was worried about Evan, fearful of what else his father might try to do. It had been those three things for so long: Clarita, Caña Brava and the book. But now it was four. The four things she had to know were always safe.
Despite the turmoil of the day, she was warmed by that.
“Are you going to send someone for it?” Amaranta asked her as they descended from the carriage, but Luz shook her head.
“No.” She pointed in the direction of her office, which was only a few minutes’ walk away.
“I will quickly fetch it and then come back here to wait for Evan.” Protests erupted around her.
“Apologies, my lady, but I canna let you do that.” That came from Clint, Evan’s footman, who had taken very seriously his master’s orders not to let Luz out of his sight.
“I don’t take orders from my husband, Clint. You can accompany me if you’d like, but Iwillgo to my office. I cannot leave Edinburgh without my book.”
“Luz, I don’t want you to go,” her sister cried. Luz glared at Clint: he was scaring poor Clarita.
“Nothing will happen to me in broad daylight!” Luz kissed Clarita’s forehead and ushered her inside. “I will be back before you are done readying your board games for the train.” She held up her hand when Clint seemed intent on arguing. “Evan has a man outside my building, and Clint is coming with me. What could possibly happen?”
“Esto no me gusta, Luz,” Amaranta protested.
