To Love, Honour and Betray(50)

Eduardo stared at her, breathing heavily. “What did he want from you?”

She lifted her chin. “To help me go back to North Dakota and file for divorce.”

“And what did you say?”

“What do you think I said?” she cried. “I said no! Because I’m married to you. I have a child with you. I love you! Of course I told him no. Are you out of your mind?”

Baring his teeth, Eduardo grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the staring eyes of the souk and down the warren of streets to the parked car. Pushing her inside, he started the engine. It was only after they were back on the road that he spoke to her through gritted teeth.

“I found you in his arms.”

Callie whirled on him. “I was comforting him!”

“I trusted you,” he ground out.

“Trusted me?” She looked at him, tears in her eyes. “That’s a joke! You never trusted me. You kept me a virtual prisoner, locked away from my family. Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

Eduardo looked at her, his handsome face pale beneath his tan. Setting his jaw, he didn’t answer.

“When I think of all the time I spent,” Callie whispered. “Sending them picture after picture, letter after letter.” She looked up at him fiercely. “And the whole time, you were keeping them away, and me, locked away in your own little cage!”

He turned his eyes grimly back to the road. As he drove from the fortified gates of the medina toward the sprawling palm desert, he was silent, his jaw tight.

“You’re not even trying to deny it,” she said, tears streaming down her face.

He changed gears with more force than necessary. “I was going to tell you about it,” he retorted. “It’s why I told Sanchez he could leave you there. I wanted to surprise you at the market, and take you out to dinner just the two of us, so we could talk in private. So I could try to make you understand.”

“I understand, all right!”

His hands clenched on the wheel. “I was trying to protect you. To protect all of us.”

“Brandon said he was followed. Did you have me watched, too? What about my family?”

Eduardo looked at her then looked away.

“Keith Johnson had the detail,” he said flatly.
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The hot Moroccan air blew through the car window, whirling over her skin. “Keith Johnson?” she faltered. “But you use him to gain information on your rivals. On your enemies.” She looked at him. “Which one am I?”

“You’re my wife,” he said tightly. “I was trying to keep you safe.”

Her emotions were so jumbled she felt numb. “Safe!”

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “What was I supposed to do?” he said roughly. “Let another man destroy our marriage?”

Callie’s throat hurt. She closed her eyes, hearing the purr of the engine and soft whirr of the tires against the road.

“No,” she whispered. “You destroyed it yourself.”

She looked at him, and his dark eyes burned through her. Then wordlessly, he looked back at the road as the car turned into the gatehouse and drove up the sweeping entrance to the riad.

“We left Brandon,” she cried. “Injured in the medina …”

“I’ll send someone to check on him,” Eduardo said coldly, not looking at her. “I wouldn’t want your best friend in all the world to be left abandoned and alone.”

Parking the car, he turned off the ignition and got out. Callie didn’t move. She stared at the beautiful tile work of the grand home, at the green gardens and swaying palm trees above the blue-water pool. This place truly was paradise.

Her hands were shaking. She felt chilled to the bone.

The car door opened.

“Come, querida,” Eduardo said quietly, reaching for her hand. She did not resist as he pulled her from the SUV and into the house. Inside the riad, all was quiet. Perhaps her parents and baby were sleeping. Callie heard only the soft burble of the fountain from the courtyard garden.

She felt her husband’s hand in her own, as strong and protective around hers as it had ever been. But everything had changed. Was it only that morning that she’d been so happy, feeling like all her dreams were coming true? As Eduardo led her through the cloistered walk around the interior courtyard, she felt cold in the fading light of the sun.

“Why did you do it?” she rasped. “Why?”

Eduardo stopped.

“I’m tired, Callie,” he said wearily. “Tired of trying to keep you. Tired of feeling like I’m failing. Tired of knowing, whatever I do, it won’t be good enough.”