Angel’s Promise by Aleatha Romig

 

Prologue

The conclusion of DEVIL’S DEAL

Emma

As the solid doors to the house opened and we all progressed toward Rett’s front office, the soft music and Miss Guidry’s excitement mixed with loud voices coming from down the hall. Rett’s and Ian’s posture changed, our steps staggered, and Miss Guidry reached for my hand.

“Oh no,” she said, “Mrs. Ramses, come with me.”

Judge McBride seemed confused.

“You too, Judge McBride,” Miss Guidry said, trying to lead us back to from where we’d come.

I tried to make sense of what could be happening as the mixture of concern and anger radiated from my husband’s being.

The voices were close, near the grand staircase in the foyer.

It didn’t make any sense.

Who would be in Rett’s home—our home?

Henri, one of Rett’s men, came around the stairs. “Mr. Ramses, I’m sorry. They demanded to wait for you. They have been checked and are free of weapons.”

They?

Weapons?

“Ramses.” The loud call came from beyond our view.

Rett turned to me. “Emma, go with Miss Guidry. She’ll take you upstairs another way.” He looked at Judge McBride. “This won’t take long.”

I reached for Rett’s arm. “Will you be safe?”

“Yes, and so will you. Go.”

Miss Guidry seized my hand and tugged me back toward the courtyard. Before we could get another step, the loud voice called again.

“Ramses. Where is she? Your man is telling the truth, we’re not armed. Come meet me like a man.”

My fingers flew to my lips as I pulled away from Miss Guidry. I knew that voice. I’d grown up with that voice. For eighteen years we’d lived under the same roof until he left for college.

“He’s really alive.”

“Emma, go,” Rett commanded.

“No. Kyle said he isn’t armed. You won’t let him hurt me.” I didn’t even consider he was now going by a different name or what his men had done. He was my brother, Kyle O’Brien.

Rett seized my arm. “Not like this, Emma. Go.”

I pulled my arm away. “I may be your wife, but I can make my own decision.”

We both pivoted near the end of the staircase. In the large foyer, staring back at us were two men. No introduction was necessary for either. One was the man I’d thought was my brother. The other was the brother of the man in the picture Rett showed me when I first arrived. While his brother Greyson had died, by the evidence before us, Liam Ingalls was very much alive.

I sucked in my breath as my eyes opened wide.

“Fuck, Emma,” Kyle said, “tell me you didn’t marry him.”

My tongue faltered, forgetting how to speak as I stared at my brother. This was New Orleans; maybe he was a ghost or one of Miss Guidry’s spirits. However, I knew he wasn’t, and neither was the boy-turned-man beside him who’d taken my heart. Liam Ingalls had taken more than that. It was then I realized Rett had a pistol in his hand pointed at the two men.

With the large light shining down in the foyer, I scanned them both. With the same color hair and eyes as me, I again questioned if Kyle and I were biologically related. Liam was Kyle’s polar opposite. Where Kyle was golden blond like me, Liam’s hair was dark like Rett’s. Kyle’s eyes and mine were both blue. Liam’s were a mesmerizing green. I’d seen those eyes in my dreams and nightmares. After my family’s death, images of his eyes brought on tears with the memory of how Liam told me he was leaving and that there was no future for us.

“Emma, go the fuck upstairs,” Rett growled as he lifted his pistol.

He wasn’t the only one holding a gun. Ian and Henri both had barrels pointed at Kyle and Liam and in the distance, I heard others coming.

Kyle lifted his hands above his head. “I told your man I’m not armed, Ramses, and neither is Ingalls. There’s no need to kill us like you did Greyson.”

Rett took a step forward. “Unarmed, it will make it easier to kill you both.”

“No.” I had found my voice.

“Emma, upstairs.”

“You married him?” Liam asked.

“Why are you here?” I asked as memories of my abduction came back. “Leave. Listen to Rett and get out.”

Kyle spoke with his hands now on top of his head. “Em, I came to tell you what’s happening and to free you from...him.”

Free.

“I’m not captive, Kyle. I live here.” The lies I’d lived with for too long gave me strength. “Furthermore, why would I go with you? I’m Rett’s wife. You lied to me. God, Kyle, you’re alive. You let me think...let me mourn....”

The male image of me took a step closer, but stilled his steps as all the guns lifted, still pointed his direction.

Kyle shook his head. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you before now. I didn’t mean to hurt you, Em. I meant to include you. That’s why I hired Underwood to watch you and get you here to New Orleans.”

My gaze went to Rett and back to Kyle. “You hired Ross?” I lifted my hands to the side of my head. “I can’t believe you, Kyle.” I looked to Rett and shook my head. “I’ll ask Ross.”

“Sis, he’s dead,” Kyle said. “Your husband had Underwood killed. Ramses not only had him killed, he had Underwood’s death ruled a suicide.”

“What?”

“He’s lying, Emma,” Rett replied. The volume of his voice rose. “Now get the fuck out of this house.”

“Are you going to slaughter me in front of my sister?”

“You know she isn’t your sister.”

“Is it true?” I asked Rett in disbelief. “Is Ross dead?”

More men had gathered, coming from where I wasn’t certain. In a mere matter of minutes, they outnumbered Kyle and Liam by at least eight to two and also eight firearms to none.

“Get them out of here,” Rett ordered.

As a large man I didn’t know gathered Kyle’s arms behind his back and my brother struggled, he said, “Em, you look just like her and so do I. There’s so much you need to know. Ramses is a liar and a murderer. Come with us.”

There were too many things going through my head. “Where have you been for four years?”

“It’s a long story.”

I took a step toward him. “You talk about Rett. What about you and your men? Did you know what your men did to me?” Tears infiltrated my words. “You let them hurt me. Get out of this house and out of New Orleans.”

“Get him out,” Rett yelled.

Kyle’s head shook back and forth as he was dragged toward the door. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve been trying to find you. It was the court filing this afternoon for the marriage license that tipped us off.”

“Your men,” I said, explaining, “the ones who took me.”

“No, Em.” Kyle’s expression was puzzled. “My men would never touch you. I wouldn’t allow it.” His blue eyes went to Rett and back to me. “Listen to me, don’t stay here. Come with us and learn the truth.”

As I tried to grasp what Kyle was saying, Rett’s men surrounded him and Liam, pushing them through the double front doors out into the yard and driveway. As the volume rose, the air filled with Rett’s orders.

If Kyle’s men didn’t take me, who did those men work for?

My stomach lurched at the only other possibility—one I couldn’t bear to entertain.

Rett stood in the doorway. Turning, he looked back my direction. “Emma, remember what you said.”

My expression must have asked for clarification.

His dark stare bore down on me. “You said you’d trust me.”

There was too much.

I needed clarification.

I hurried past Rett and yelled to the outside for Kyle. “Who is us? Who should I listen to, you and Liam?”

Kyle turned my way.

“You’ve both lied to me.”

Kyle’s voice came over the dull roar of the commotion. “Em, I’m sorry. I’ll tell you the truth. Us doesn’t mean Liam. You should listen to our mother.”

“She died,” I reminded him.

He fought as he was being pushed into the back seat of an SUV.

“Kyle,” I called one last time.

“Jezebel, Em. She’s alive and I swear, she can explain.”

As Kyle disappeared into the SUV, I stepped back and back, into the foyer. My heart beat in overtime against my breastbone as the bodice of the dress grew tighter. Breathing became difficult as too many thoughts clouded my mind and I sank to the stairs, sitting on the bottom step. Beyond the double doors, Rett’s men disappeared, taking away my brother and my first love.

When Rett stepped back inside, he closed the double doors. With a deep breath, he ran his hand over his hair, pushing it back from where it had become disheveled. I looked up, wondering who was telling me the truth.

Rett offered me his hand. “Come, we need to sign the marriage certificate.”

I didn’t budge. “Jezebel is alive?”

He nodded. “I never said otherwise.”

I shot to my feet. “So you lied by omission?”

“Miss Guidry told you. She speaks of Jezebel in the present tense.” He reached for my hand.

I pulled it away. “She speaks of your mother in present tense too.”

Rett continued to offer his hand.

Refusing to reach for it, I held the banister and stared back up to his gaze. “Tell me who took me.”

“I have their names if you want to see them. Their identities are irrelevant, Emma. I won’t allow them or anyone else to harm you. They’re dead.”

Just like Greyson and now Ross.

The finality of his statement cooled my skin. “Who hired them?”

“Emma.” Rett took another step closer, his presence dwarfing me as his timbre slowed. “Come with me, now.”

Applying pressure to my teeth, I stared at the man before me.

Had Rett told me the truth?

Was he truly the devil?

The earlier noise from all the commotion was gone; a new blistering silence rang in its place as Rett’s nearly black eyes narrowed. “Now, Emma. You agreed to this deal with me.”

I had, and yet as my grip tightened on the top of the banister, I was unable to move forward.

The doorway to the room right off the foyer caught my attention. The tall doors were opened. The room within glowed with golden light from a large chandelier above. The furnishings were like something out of a museum or a palace. Standing guard were more of Rett’s men. Ian was within, speaking with Judge McBride. Miss Guidry was also there, her head shaking as she added to their conversation.

As my presence lingered, it was as if I were one of her ghosts, present, but unable to affect the world around me.

Rett’s voice lowered, piercing the fog of illusion. “Emma.”

My chin snapped toward him, yet my lips didn’t move.

His earlier emotion was gone. In its place was Rett’s usual demeanor, one of superiority and power. It was as if the world was once again in his control. For a moment that dominance had been in jeopardy but no longer. His firm lips curled in victory as his arm wrapped around my waist and tugged me toward the room with the others.

With Rett’s warm breath near my ear, to others his attention might have appeared gentlemanly. However, as goose bumps coated my skin, I heard what others couldn’t: the underlying growl and warning.

“Remember my rule.”

My feet began to move in unison as we neared the room.

“You promised, angel. Judge McBride is waiting with our marriage certificate, and you will sign.”