Independence & Consequences by M J Marlow (best color ebook reader .TXT) 📕

to his word. He had been gentle. She had been right to trust him. Any other man in his position might have simply raped her. He had not taken her until he was certain she wanted it as much as he did. She sat down and the maid put her plate in front of her. Once again the meal passed in silence. Rafael was called to the hospital, and she was left alone with Alejandra. “I have practice,” she said as she rose to her feet. “I am still allowed to pursue my career, remember?” she hissed when Alejandra stepped in front of her. Alejandra stepped out of the way, smiling at her coldly. Isabel wasted no time getting ready. Dancing, she would be free of the nightmare. She could find peace for a while. She was not surprised that several of the Alvarez guard went with her. They waited at the back of the auditorium as she joined the other dancers. Simon looked at them and then at Isabel’s face. His goddess was in trouble. He took her aside and she would not look at him. He raised her eyes to his and he could see the pain in them. “Simon is here for you, little goddess,” he said as he turned her back to the stage. He removed her shrug and saw the bruises. “He will kill, if you ask it of him.” He saw her trying to make up a lie and shook his head. “Do not excuse this, goddess,” he said firmly as he laid a gentle finger on her bruised arm. “There is no excuse.” “Please don’t get involved, Simon,” Isabel whispered as she raised herself en pointe to kiss his cheek. “I’d hate for anything to happen to you.” “Places!” Sebastian watched as she went into the wings upstage and waited for her entrance. The corps moved out onto the stage and began their dance. Swan Lake, he smiled, had always been one of his favorite ballets. His enjoyment was heightened at seeing Isabel perform. Whatever horror she was experiencing in her personal life, she was using it to fuel her performance. It was flawless. He insisted that the company remain at it the entire day. Isabel knew he was stalling for her and she loved him for it. She threw herself into the practice and began to relax. The enjoyment ended when Rafael arrived. “We have an evening planned, Isabel,” he said as he held his hand out to her. “You will not keep me waiting.” “What a bastard!” Quinn hissed to Simon as they watched him practically drag Isabel away. “This can’t be right.” He looked at the manager. “Arranged marriages? In this day and age?” “Places!” Isabel heard him call and was satisfied. She couldn’t let him come to harm for trying to help her. She went with Rafael without argument and he shoved her into the car. They drove to Alexa’s where she was waiting with a long sleeved gown in a rich black velvet. Rafael brought out a set of pearls and put them on her, smiling at her reflection. He added a bracelet and earrings and she was dressed. He went to kiss her cheek and she moved away from him. He couldn’t blame her for feeling this way. He hated himself for being forced to insist she return to him. “Isabel,” Alejandra smiled as they joined her at the opera. She kissed Isabel on the cheek. “You are looking quite beautiful.” She ran a finger along the strand of pearls, smiling. “Grandmother’s pearls suit you.” “Indeed they do,” Ricardo said as he joined them. He kissed Isabel on the cheek and repeated the gesture to Alejandra. Then he turned to Rafael. “Your bride is looking quite pale, Rafael.” “She was practicing all day, Father,” Rafael told him as he led Isabel to a seat; “and is worn out.” He went to sit next to her and Ricardo moved him to the back and took his seat. “You should be careful, child,” Ricardo said as he looked at her closely. “We do not wish you to fall ill.” He felt her shiver and wished he could save her from what they were doing. He turned to Alejandra. “I have found a husband for you, Alejandra,” he informed her. “He will be joining us shortly.” “I am too young to marry,” Alejandra protested. “Nonsense,” Ricardo told her. “You are the same age as Isabel, and she has already wed.” The door to the back of the box opened and a tall, square-jawed man stepped inside. He and Rafael rose to their feet. “This is Esteban Moreno,” Ricardo introduced the man. “Esteban, allow me to introduce to you your intended bride, my daughter, Alejandra.” “It is a pleasure, senorita,” Esteban looked at Alejandra, his dark eyes glowing. He bent over her hand and kissed it. “I look forward with great anticipation to the day I make you mine.” Alejandra pulled her hand away, glaring at him, at the man who had once been her uncle. She stormed out of the box. Esteban looked at Ricardo and shrugged. “She has no manners, that one.” “I trust you will add that to the lessons she will learn,” Ricardo replied. “I shall,” Esteban nodded. “I will leave you to your entertainment and go find my reluctant bride.” He smiled at them and left without another word. Ricardo turned to see Rafael and Isabel looking at him strangely. He took the seat vacated by Alejandra and left Rafael to sit on the other. Rafael took Isabel’s hand in his and she pulled it away, daring him to make an issue of it with his father there. Rafael lowered his head and she saw the pain in his eyes before he turned his gaze back to his father. “What are you playing at, Father?” “Your sister has been stepping above her place,” Ricardo replied, his eyes on the stage as the curtain rose. “She needs a man who will teach her how unwise this is.” He smiled as he thought of what waited for Alejandra. “In the Moreno tradition, she will be taken to their holdings and taught how to be a proper wife for their master. At the end of the year, she will be a bride, or she will be turned over to the Council to stand trial for her role in Enrique’s murder.” Rafael’s comment on his piece of news went unspoken as his beeper went off. He excused himself and placed a call on his cell phone. He was being called into the hospital. Ricardo saw her to her mother’s penthouse and left her in the care of Emilio and Guillermo. He left the men instructions that they were not to let her out of their sight, or he would have them blinded. Then he turned on his heel and left. He went to Rafael’s apartment and pounded on the door. His nephew was already halfway through a bottle of Scotch. Ricardo took the bottle and poured himself a glass. He set the bottle down and shook his head at Rafael. “Your sister only hired the man who shot my brother,” Ricardo told him. “That is the only reason she is not before the Council now.” “My sister has been warped by that monster’s tutelage,” Rafael frowned. “He meant me to become such a monster.” “You have too much of your mother in you, Rafael,” Ricardo smiled. He remembered Vanessa. He and Enrique had both been interested in the vibrant young woman. Enrique had won. “You could never be like that.” He sat back and relaxed. “So tell me, Rafael, do you truly love your pretty wife?” Rafael looked at him, frowning. “Because if you do not, she can be set free.” “She is my heart, Uncle,” Rafael told him fiercely. “She is my life! But,” he continued on truthfully, “if she does not want me, then I will not hold her.” “That is all I needed to hear,” Ricardo smiled and nodded. He raised his glass to his nephew. “I wish you a long and happy life, filled with many children.” * Isabel went about her life. She attended the practices, went places with her friends in the company and sold the estate immediately. The money was split as she had instructed it be done. She was in the middle of a duet with Quinn, when she caught sight of Rafael. He was not looking at all happy. They finished dancing and Quinn raised her hand to his lips. She could see that he was aware of Rafael’s presence. He didn’t care. She smiled as his lips moved up from her palm to her wrist, blushing. The amusement in his eyes told her that Rafael was visibly angered by their exchange. “I’ll hurt him for you, Isabel,” Quinn whispered as he took a step closer to her. “Uh oh!” Isabel turned as Rafael came storming on stage. He grabbed her arm and took her outside to his car. He didn’t say one word as he drove off with her. Isabel let him fume. She wasn’t going to let him off the hook. He had made a promise to her, if only with the thought of keeping her from harm, but he had made it. She had hated him for it in the beginning but now she had come to care for him, a great deal more than she would have thought possible. She had begun to wonder if making love to him had been the only reason for her change of mind. She bit her lip as she felt a blush rising on her face. “Thinking about your new lover?” Rafael hissed as he saw her blush and misread its source. “He isn’t the man for you, Isabel.” “He is not my lover, Rafael,” Isabel hissed back at him. “I am your wife now. You can’t seriously believe that I would cheat on you?” She saw him frown. “Why did you come to the theater?” The distress in his eyes was her undoing. Isabel pulled his lips to hers and felt him stiffen a moment. And then he was kissing her. All the anger melted out of her and she let herself respond. When the kiss ended, they looked at each other, overwhelmed by what had just passed between them. They went to the yacht and Ricardo was very happy at their news; they would remain together. He had the steward break open a bottle of champagne. “I was hoping you’d come to your senses, boy,” Ricardo smiled. “We will have dinner one night this week to celebrate. I shall ask Delphine to join us.” “Delphine?” Isabel asked. “As in Swan?” “I’ve been seeing her,” Ricardo nodded. He looked at the young people who were grinning at him. “She is a very delightful companion.” The next eight weeks sped by. Isabel and Rafael were blissfully happy as they had their church confirmation wedding. Ricardo proposed to Delphine and the woman was quite happy to say yes. The only negative note in all of it was the dark looks that Isabel was getting from Simon. It appeared her happiness was upsetting him. She couldn’t understand why. She would find him glaring at her and Rafael. He started to find ways to get her alone, and then he would just glare at her, unable to say anything, This was bad enough, but when someone started calling her at home and saying nothing, she knew she had a real problem. She could have given it over to someone in the family, but she was tired of everyone else fighting her battles for her. “You can’t remain married to him, Isabel,” Simon said as he came into her dressing room after dress rehearsal the night before the actual performance. “Of course, I can,” Isabel protested and tried to push past him. He pressed her deeper against the wall he had pinned her against. “I