His Paris Affair (The Albury Affairs) (30 page)

“Do you have to be so rude all the time?” his mother
chastised sauntering in with Anthony like they were royalty.

Melody noticed Angelo didn’t give Ruiz his back even once.
But Ruiz did, closing the door and walking into the room. “Champagne anyone?”

“Pour me
one darling,” Clarissa sat
in one of the two single chairs in the living
room.

“Me too,” Antonio—Anthony said, smugly falling into the
chair next to Clarissa. His confidence sickened her.

Ruiz didn’t even spare him a glance when he handed his
mother a flute and said, “I don’t serve the help.” Then he stretched the other
one out to Angelo.

Angelo narrowed his eyes with suspicion not making a move to
take the flute from Ruiz.

Without missing a beat, Ruiz downed it with one swallow,
picked up the bottle from the ice bucket, filled half the flute, downed that
too before he refilled it to the top and offered it to Angelo again. This time
he took it with a smirk.

“Jon Luc, Dante?”

“We’ll have something from the liquor trolley,” Jon Luc
answered, already pouring himself a drink.

“I’ll just pour myself a glass then,” Anthony grumbled.

He got out of the chair and Ruiz pushed him back down. “The
help don’t drink. So mother, Angelo wouldn’t have anything to do with your
visit last month, would he?”

The shrewd smile was answer enough, but before she could put
it to words, Angelo spoke. “Seeing as how my money is frozen in your accounts,
I needed someone to check out the lay of the land for me.”

“Your money?” Ruiz chuckled. “Wow Angelo, I never took you
for a fool. You trusted the wrong man this time.”

Melody watched as Angelo’s gaze grew hard and the muscle in
his jaw jumped repeatedly.
What was Ruiz
doing antagonizing him?
Then Angelo looked around the room, he stared at
the ladies with a smile and a slight bow of the head to each one of them.
Melody was glad none of them smiled back and though she knew they were as
scared as she was, they didn’t show it. When it came to the men, the smile was
still there, but his gaze lingered for a long while like he was assessing what
kind of threat they pose to him. And then just as Loraine predicted, he looked
out the window, at Allan then back out the window. Melody couldn’t believe how
relaxed they all looked, like there was nothing wrong with what was happening.

“You have a beautiful view of Paris,” he commented casually.

“We like it. You can see half the city from up here,” Reno
said.

“But why are the drapes open? Anyone can look in?”

“Precisely,” Allan answered, swirling the brown liquid in
his glass with a twist of his wrist, and the lopsided grin on his face that
Melody has always found terrifying. He only reserved it for those who’d crossed
him and were about to pay the piper.

The room fell silent then as Angelo looked at each one of
them again, but with a different light in his eyes before he finally turned to
Ruiz.

“Alright, I’ve had enough of this game. I just want my
money.”

“You’re going to have to ask the police for that,” Ruiz
spoke moving backwards to stand in the middle of the room, just a hand reach
away from Melody. She was tempted to reach out and touch him but she stayed
put.

“Anthony, you told me he has it?” His words were soft
spoken, but lethal.

Anthony vaulted out of his chair, his eyes wide with fear.
“Of course he does! He’s made it that he’s the only signatory to the new
account. If not, we could have taken Melody and she would have done what she
was told, like she always does.”

Loraine squeezed her hand, but Melody refused to look at her
to see the question in her eyes everyone else probably had. She wasn’t proud of
how spineless she’d been then and she wasn’t willing to discuss it with anyone.

“Or we could have taken him and he would have done what we
asked, especially with a gun to his head!” he yelled.

Angelo brushed at his lapel with his knuckles at invisible
dust. “Then you must not know Ruiz very well. He doesn’t do what he doesn’t
want to. Damn stubborn with a gun to his head.”

Melody couldn’t believe how proud Angelo sounded. Ruiz just
stood there like a statue, staring blankly at the man who’d insisted on calling
him son.

“And what new account? You never told me about a new
account.”

Anthony’s mouth open and shut several times, nothing coming
out, his feet shifting restlessly under him. His panic would have been funny if
not for the crazed look that was slipping into his eyes.

“The new account has his money. I want my money.”

Anthony stuttered again no words coming out of his mouth.

“Clarissa, this isn’t what you promised me.”

What?
Ha!
Melody always knew the woman was a
two timing witch!

Clarissa just sipped at her flute not even bothering to
answer, but her contempt was clear as she stared at Ruiz. Anthony tried to
speak again to no avail and his completely crazed eyes shifted around the room
as he span aimlessly around like he was looking for a way out besides the one
Angelo had his back to. Then his gaze landed on Allan and he went very still,
his lips slowly rising into a snarl.

“You! This is all your fault!” He reached behind him and
pulled out a hand gun. Melody dropped her flute and her hand went to her mouth
to keep herself from screaming. She was sure she was seriously going to loose
it when Ruiz took a step to the side, completely shielding Allan from Anthony’s
line of sight.

“Put that down before you hurt yourself,” Ruiz said with a
very bored tone.

Melody squeezed Loraine’s hand tight when Anthony stomped to
Ruiz and pressed the gun to his chest. The entire time Ruiz didn’t move even an
inch back. He didn’t even bat an eyelash he just stared at Anthony—not the
gun—like he was a nuisance.

“Aren’t afraid of guns ha? Maybe we should test that.”

“Do that and I’ll drop you right where you stand, Anthony.”
Melody’s eyes swung to Angelo. He had a wicked grin on his lips, his eyes
gleaming with something dangerous as he stared at Ruiz. “He’s no use to me
dead, but you should point that gun where it would hurt the most.” Ruiz’s eyes
shifted then and collided with his, but his face remained expressionless.

Anthony’s eyes widened and he stuck half his tongue out and
licked around his lips. He laughed and nodded vigorously. “
Si, si!
”

 
He took a step
back, separating the gun from Ruiz’s chest. Melody only had a moment to lower
her hand and take a deep breath before she froze. Anthony turned quickly and
she found herself face to face with the silver barrel of a gun.

“His little sister and this dog’s wife,” he swung to the
other side pointing the gun at Riana, “His precious wife and this dog’s baby
sister. Decisions, decisions.”

Melody looked up at her brother as she struggled to catch
her breath. His jaw was clenched tight and his eyes yelled murder, but when she
looked at Ruiz, he just stood there his hands palm open at his sides, his face
completely expressionless. Melody’s and Riana’s eyes met. Anthony swung back
and forth between Riana and Melody and each time her heart picked up tempo.
Scared, truly scared wasn’t the word to describe what she felt, what she saw in
her sister-in-law’s eyes.

“No, I can’t shoot Riana, the star of all my fantasies. I’ll
take her away with me instead. And Melody, she was such an obedient wife. I’ll
show my gratitude by sparing her. I have a better idea. Where is my little
Esme?”

“No!” Melody screamed jumping to her feet. That got her all
his attention.

Anthony reached for her, but his hand was grabbed out of the
air and twisted behind his back. Ruiz moved so fast, she was sure no one
noticed until he had Anthony’s twisted arm between his back and Ruiz’s chest.
He tried to jerk out of Ruiz’s hold several times to no avail and he screamed
his frustration.

“Don’t do it. He’s setting you up,” Ruiz warned through
clenched teeth.

“
Merde!
Let me go
or I swear I’ll start shooting!” he threatened, swinging the arm with the gun
around.

“Go on Anthony, show him how serious you are!” Angelo
yelled.

All of the yelling and screaming was too much, too
confusing!

Anthony suddenly went silent and he looked at Angelo for a
long moment before he turned the gun in Riana’s direction. Riana paled, moving back
into the couch shaking her head.

“Don’t!” Ruiz yelled.

“Do it!” Angelo yelled.

“No!” Allan shouted. “Shoot me if you want. It’s me you
hate. This very hotel we’re in, I stole it from you and every one like it
around the world. That’s what you hate me for, isn’t it?”

Anthony’s eyes had been glazed over until he heard Allan’s
voice, his words. He bumped Ruiz, forcing him to take a few steps back and
Anthony turned them both so that the gun was now pointed at Allan’s chest.

“No, please no!” Riana cried and Amy had to wrap her arms
around her to hold her in place.

“Don’t!” Ruiz yelled again but this time there was a plea in
his voice, anguish etched in his face and regret in his eyes. Like he already
knew what was going to happen, like there was nothing he could do to stop it.

No, she couldn’t lose her brother, she just couldn’t!
“Ruiz, please!” she cried.

“
Finalmente!
Ora si muore!
” Anthony yelled.

A shot rang
out echoing right inside her chest. Her eyes moved to Allan. He was still
standing, shocked, but standing with no blood pouring out of a hole in his
chest. She turned to Ruiz and Anthony. Ruiz was holding his hand up, with the
gun pointing to the ceiling. Anthony screamed profanities having missed and
this time when he bucked, Ruiz lost his footing and his grip, but he recovered
fast enough to push him forward. Anthony landed at Allan’s feet, crazed that
another shot had missed. Allan kicked his hand, sending the gun flying to the
raised floor of the dining area. Anthony scrambled for it on his hands and
knees.

“Please,
don’t!” Ruiz pleaded in complete misery.

Why was he
pleading? Why did he look so tortured? Why wasn’t he doing something to stop
this!

But that
plea also fell on deaf ears as Anthony stood with the gun held in both his
hands.

“Do it you
useless fool!” Angelo bellowed.

As Anthony
steadied himself, raising the gun up to point it at Allan again, Ruiz reacted.
Everything happened to fast she wasn’t sure she saw it right.

With two
jerks Ruiz had his jacket off but still kept one hand in as he rushed Anthony.
With the hand still in the jacket, he threw it over his head, wrapped the
sleeve around the gun and Anthony’s hands and pulled them up to his head before
Ruiz freed his hand and tied the two sleeves together in a knot around his
neck, effectively trapping him. Ruiz then grabbed the lapels of Anthony’s
jacket, swung him to one side then with an earth shattering roar swung him back
and sent him flying right into the window.

Chapter Thirteen

There was a loud continuous crush as the fifteen by thirty
feet glass shattered.

Then a fading scream.

Then silence.

Then another crush and car alarms.

The entire time Ruiz stood there, his back to the open space
that used to be a window, feet apart, fists clenched so tight they were shaking
at his sides. His chest moving up and down as he heaved and panted his lips
curled in a snarl, his nostrils flaring and his eyes... God his eyes looked
demonic!

A slow clap from across the room drew her attention. Angelo
was laughing and cheering as if someone wasn’t just thrown out of a window.

“I knew my Ruiz was still in there, below all this Brady
bunch nonsense.
Excelente!
” he
cheered proudly. “Now come home and take your place beside me as my son! You
can bring your wife and daughter along if you wish. I am happy to welcome new
family.”

What? Melody turned to Ruiz worried that he might actually
say yes. Ruiz just stared at him, still panting.

“You killed him,” Clarissa whispered aghast, her hands
shaking at her neck, her face pale.

Angelo barked a laugh, “And what a way to do it! I didn’t
expect that—I knew you would kill him, but I never expected that.”

“Get out,” Ruiz growled.

“Son, I’ll leave with you. Your mother can go ahead, we have
a lot to discuss.”

“I’m not your son! Now leave before I show you out the same
way I did Anthony.”

Angelo’s laugh died and he stared at Ruiz, really looked at
him. “Ruiz—”

“You have nothing here! No money, no lackey and especially
no son!” Ruiz bellowed.

Angelo looked like he was about to yell himself, but instead
he hissed with contempt. “You are weak, useless to me! They have made you soft
with womanly ideals. Where is the boy who killed my son with his bare hands?”
Angelo turned away and walked to the door.

Melody’s heart leaped.
What?

“Don’t come back or it will be the last thing you ever do!”

“There is nothing for me to come back for,” he yelled back
banging the door shut behind him.

“What are you waiting for?” Ruiz snarled at his mother.

Clarissa scrambled to her feet. “A monster! I knew you were
a monster,” she shrilled as she ran out the door.

Melody took her first step to run to Ruiz, but Allan caught
her around the waist with his arm and carried her back.

“No! Allan!” she cried trying to fight out of his hold.

“Wait!” he whispered harshly into her ear.

Melody made one last effort to break free. Defeated she
stood still and watched Ruiz. They all watched Ruiz.