“Oh, God, Bennett.” Brie was on her knees beside him. “Oh, no, no, Bennett.” His blood seeped into the white silk of her dress as she gathered him into her arms. Frantically, she checked for a pulse. “Go ahead and shoot,” she hurled at Janet. “You can’t do any more to me. I’ll see you and your lover in hell for this.”

“So you will.” Reeve spoke quietly as the doorway was filled with light, men, uniforms and guns.

Janet watched Armand go to his children and the guards stand firm. She held her gun out, butt first. “No dramatics,” she said as Reeve stepped forward to take it. “I’m a practical woman.”

At a signal from Reeve she was flanked and taken away.

“Oh, Papa.” Brie reached out. Armand was on his knees beside Bennett. “He tried to get the gun.” Brie pressed her cheek to her brother’s hair. “The doctor—”

“He’s right here.”

“Now, now, Gabriella.” Dr. Franco’s kind, patient voice came from behind her. “Let the boy go and give me room.”

“I won’t leave him. I won’t—”

“Don’t argue,” Bennett said weakly. “I’ve got the world’s worst headache.”

She would have wept then, but her father’s arm came around her, trembling lightly. “All right, then,” she said as she watched Bennett’s eyes flutter open. “I’ll let him poke and prod at you. God knows I’ve had my fill of it.”

“Brie …” Bennett held her hand a moment. “Any pretty nurses at the hospital?”

“Dozens,” she managed.

He sighed and let his eyes close. “Thank God.”

Holding out a hand for Alexander, Brie turned into Reeve’s arms. She was home at last.

Epilogue

He’d promised her they’d have one last day on the water. That was all, Reeve told himself as the Liberté glided in the early-morning wind. They’d have one last day before the fantasy ended. His fantasy.

It had nearly been tragedy, he thought, and couldn’t relax even yet. Though Loubet had already been taken when Eve had rushed into the ballroom, Brie had been alone with Deboque’s lover.

“I can’t believe it’s really over,” Brie said quietly.

Looking at her, neither could he. But they weren’t thinking of the same thing. “It’s over.”

“Loubet—I could almost feel sorry for him. An illness.” Brie thought of his pretty young wife and the shock on her face. “With Janet, an obsession.”

“They were users,” he reminded her. “Nearly killers. Both Bennett and that guard were lucky.”

“I know.” Over the past three days, she’d given thanks countless times. “I’ve killed.”

“Brie—”

“No, I’ve faced it now. Accepted it. I know I was hiding from that, from those horrid days and nights alone in that dark room.”

“You weren’t hiding,” he corrected. “You needed time.”

“Now you sound like my doctors.” She adjusted the tiller so that they began to tack toward the little cove. “I think parts of my memory, or my feelings were still there. I never told you about the coffee—about Janet’s telling me that Nanny always fixed it for me. I never told you, I think, because I never really believed it of her. I couldn’t. The bond was too strong.”