Page 66 of All Mine (The All Mine #1)
Etienne
It was almost midnight and Etienne had only let Isabella out of his arms while he took his turn to give the police his statement.
His interview had taken the longest as he shared the entire story of Alex’s debt and the link to the Dougalls. The two police officers shared a look.
‘This might be just what we need to nail them,’ one said, but the other looked unconvinced. Etienne knew he was debating the fact that the Dougalls were nowhere near the attack itself.
‘Even if it’s not, it’s enough to bring them in for questioning.’
While Etienne would love to see them thrown in jail, so long as they left Alex and Isabella alone from now on, it was enough. And with the two-word message Alex had told him he received on transfer of the money; it seemed it was over. Debt Paid. Thank God.
The ambulance crew had dressed Etienne’s head wound and Isabella had held his hand throughout.
Gabi had used Isabella’s phone and texted the Girl Gang WhatsApp and Wren, Rosie and Amber had dropped everything, turning up to sweep broken glass and make tea.
Walker had organised a skip for the following day to clear out the piles of broken furniture.
Nonna had passed around several glasses of rum and then taken herself off to bed.
Since finalising his statement, he had kept hold of Isabella’s hand. It felt like the most natural and obvious thing in the world and he wasn’t letting go.
Once everyone had gone, and Gabi had also gone to bed to watch an action film for research, Etienne sat with Isabella on the sofa and told her everything.
Starting five years ago– no, before that, he corrected himself– when Alex started his gambling.
How it got worse when their parents died.
How Etienne had let him down by not giving him the money, by putting a woman first. He’d dropped his head at that point, not through embarrassment but through the realisation that what he felt those years ago was nothing, nothing , compared to what he felt for Isabella.
‘So that’s the whole fear of commitment thing,’ she said gently, finally understanding.
He told her about Alex’s phone call. How he would do anything to right his wrong and get what was left of his family back together.
‘You could have told me,’ she said. ‘I would have helped.’ It was such an Isabella thing to say that it stopped him in his tracks, wondering how he could have got it all so wrong.
He wound his fingers through hers. ‘Everything I did, I did to keep you safe,’ he said, squeezing her hand gently to make his point. ‘I’ve never felt like this for anyone before and I promise I will never hurt you again.’
He passed her a cushion to get comfy and told her the whole story, explained about Walker’s concern that the Dougalls were behind the fires. The sudden fear when Alex told him the Dougalls knew who he was. The overriding worry he was going to drag her into danger.
When he stopped talking, she was curled in the corner of the sofa so that she could face him, still holding his hand. In the silence he could hear the clock in the square chime midnight.
‘I feel the same, you know,’ Isabella said quietly. ‘About you.’
Their eyes met and held, and there was something burning so strongly there that it hurt his chest.
‘Since the first time I saw you, I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind. I was drawn back, time and time again,’ she said. ‘I just want to be with you.’
He smoothed her hair away from her face. ‘That’s good, because I’m not letting you go again. Not ever.’
He couldn’t stay away any longer. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, gently, conscious of her bruises. Her lips met his and his heart swelled with the tenderness of the kiss.
He pulled away to look into her face, only then noticing the shadows under her eyes, the paleness of her skin.
Isabella smiled but it turned into a yawn, and he wanted to wrap her up in a blanket and watch her sleep.
She stretched her arms above her head, letting go of his hand, and it felt strange and empty without her.
She pushed herself to standing and he felt his shoulders sag.
It was obviously time to go. She stretched again, before looking back at him.
‘Do you need to go home?’ she asked, tilting her head to one side.
He exhaled slowly.
‘No,’ he said. ‘I need to stay here.’
‘I was hoping you’d say that.’
She extended her hand to him again and he stood with her, pulled her into him, and she sighed, long and slow.
‘I’ll need to get up early in the morning to sort everything out,’ she said into his shoulder.
‘Cancel the bookings and the opening arrangements, change the social media adverts. . . fill the skip.’ She sighed again and he felt her disappointment inside his own body.
Everything she’d worked so hard for, smashed to smithereens.
The focus of her whole year, her adult life even, snatched away just as it was within taking distance.
‘Don’t cancel anything,’ he said. ‘Leave it all to me.’
She pulled away to see his face. Her skin was pale with shock and fatigue.
‘I can’t do that. . .’ she said, shaking her head and wrinkling her nose. ‘It’s my business.’
He moved his hands to the top of her arms, shaking her ever so gently so that she listened.
‘I know you want to do everything on your own,’ he said. ‘I know you’re an independent, successful woman. But let me help. You helped me. You help everyone. I won’t let you down.’ It was suddenly vitally important to prove it to her. To show her he was a man of his word.
She lifted an eyebrow, considering.
‘You’ll open on Saturday as planned,’ he insisted and a tiny light of hope rekindled in her eyes.
‘But that’s the day after tomorrow.’ She lifted her hands to the sky in despair. ‘And there’s nothing left of the restaurant.’
‘Trust me,’ Etienne said, pulling her back against him. ‘I have an idea.’
Mia Famiglia WhatsApp group
Mamma : Everything ready for the launch?
Isabella : Hmm. Not quite. We’re having a few last-minute setbacks.
Papà : I’m sure you’ll work it out. You always do.
Isabella : Let’s hope so!
Mamma : I’m so sorry we can’t be there.
Papà : But we’ll be thinking of you.
Mamma : And we’re proud of you, darling.
Papà : So proud.