Heartless Lover by Faith Summers

Epilogue

Summer

Two months later

Icouldn’t think of a better way to end this week.

Tuesday night was the last performance of the play, and I got the biggest standing ovation I’ve ever had in my life. The best thing was looking into the audience and seeing Eric standing there with my father next to him cheering for me.

On Wednesday I signed another contract to do another play in the fall with the same director who also put me in touch with a movie producer who saw my performance in the play. He’s keen to cast me in a movie he’s producing in the fall.

If I get the part, it would be the epitome of my acting career. Since the movie is also being filmed in L.A. the timing would work perfectly since I’ll be studying at UCLA.

On Thursday, Eric and I moved into our new home—a five-bedroom beach house in Laguna Beach that looks like it was pulled from a dream.

Yesterday we spent the day in bed, and now I’m in his arms dancing under the stars away from the guests at his sister’s wedding.

We broke away from the guests a little over an hour ago and we’ve just been dancing on the beach to the faint music we can hear.

It was a beautiful day where I got to see his family again, who I absolutely adore, but this is even better because I never imagined this could be me.

I’m happy.

For most of my life, happiness felt like a myth for a girl like me. Now I have it.

I have happiness and I’ve finally made peace in my heart with my father.

I see him every day as he hangs on to life. I think the togetherness strengthens him. There are days when he seems stronger and days when he’s weak, but he fights to stay alive.

When I gaze up at the handsome man holding me, he smiles at me like he just had one of his crazy ideas.

“What now Mr. Markov?” I ask.

“Thinking of what I’m going to do with you next.”

“What are you thinking?”

He pretends to consider my question even though I know he’s already formed the idea. That was how he looked before he asked me to move in with him at his old apartment and how he looked when we pitched up on the drive of the beach house and he told me it was our new home.

We stop dancing and my spirits rise when his warm hands cup my face.

Our eyes lock as he gazes deeply into my eyes with a fervency I’ve never seen in him before.

“I’m thinking of what you might say if I told you I’m planning to give you my name and fill your belly with my babies.”

Joy overwhelms me at such a degree that my head spins. I beam up at him feeling warm all over.

“I’m going to say yes,” I answer, and we fall into a kiss that speaks of our forever.

* * *

Eric

6 months later

Summer and I got married two days ago.

We eloped to Brazil. I married her on the beach not far from where she’s walking now, collecting seashells.

It was just me, her, and the priest. Her father is miraculously still with us and is in the same condition as he was months ago when we first met. However, I didn’t want to risk bringing him here or planning a wedding with his health declining.

He was the only person I told we were doing this and agreed it would be a nice surprise for Summer. So, I did it.

She looks like a mermaid in the shimmering sun with her long hair floating in the wind and that soft green bikini gracing her body.

I’ll join her out there in a little while when I finish talking to Alejandro.

I switch my focus back to him as he pulls up a chair and sits opposite me on the porch of the beach house I’ve rented for my stay here.

I place the envelope I have for him on the table between us and he gazes at it. I’ve been helping him, and the trail has run cold.

I actually don’t think I’ll be able to find more than what I have. This isn’t like when I was hunting Robert. Even when I knew Robert had aliases. At least then I still had some ideas up my sleeve.

With this nameless, faceless person we’ve christened El Diablo it’s different—too vague. And I’m not sure how Alejandro is going to take the recent evidence I found.

“Hey, how’s married life?” he asks, glancing my girl on the beach.

“Perfect.” I smile. “I can’t believe that woman out there is my wife.”

“Love is a blessing few have. Savor it.”

I nod and think about him. He’s never been married but that look in his eyes speaks of love lost and pain. As a man who’s good with reading people I know what certain things are without the need to be told what they are.

He glances at the envelope, and I do too.

“I don’t think you’re going to like what I got for you,” I tell him.

I open the envelope and the pull out a ring in a little plastic bag.

Alejandro straightens up when he sees it. “Where did you find that?”

“I thought you would recognize it.” He should because he’s wearing a ring just like this.

The ring has an insignia in the center of a griffin with the flower inspired symbol of the Fleur De Lys behind it.

“That’s a ring worn by the men in my family. It bears our insignia. Apart from me all the men in my family are dead. I’m supposed to be the only one left with a ring like that.”

“I found it among Robert’s things that came over from Monaco and I remembered seeing yours. People I’ve spoken to said our El Diablo was wearing a ring like this. They never see his face but they’ve seen his hand with this ring on it. I don’t know why Robert had it.”

“This just gets stranger by the minute. You’re telling me we’re dealing with a ghost?” He raises his brows.

“Yes, or someone who wants you to believe that.”

“I don’t know where to begin tracking a ghost.” He sighs with frustration.

“That’s why I’m going to keep looking.”

The same way I set out to destroy everyone who wanted to destroy me, I plan to help anyone who helped free me from captivity.

“Gracias, amigo.”

“De nada.”