Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 240

Down on the beach, Julian was just accepting his third beer from Jasper.

Suddenly, his chest seized with a sharp, blinding panic.

The bottle slipped from his grasp, beer spilling into the sand.

Acting entirely on instinct, Julian shot to his feet and sprinted madly toward the inn.

The sudden, explosive movement stunned the entire group.

Jasper hesitated for only a second before jumping up. "Keep an eye on the kids!" he yelled to Ms. Crane before sprinting after him.

"Huh?" Ms. Crane, pleasantly buzzed, watched the two men tear off into the darkness. She slurred slightly as she laughed to Rona, "Rich guys really are built different. Look at that dedication! Having a few drinks and immediately going for a midnight sprint!"

Rona, who was also feeling the alcohol, nodded sagely. "Oh, you have no idea. The entertainment industry is brutal. The male stars are constantly working out and doing treatments. The fans demand perfection..."

...

The moon slipped behind the clouds, casting the night in pitch black.

Disaster struck in silence.

As Julian burst through the back gate of the inn, the sound of a violent struggle echoed from the second floor.

It was coming directly from Hester's balcony.

Julian's eyes locked onto her room. Just as he lunged for the stairs, a figure was violently hurled over the balcony railing!

Thud!

The man slammed brutally into the turf below.

A second, much larger silhouette vaulted cleanly over the railing, landing with predatory grace and immediately pinning the struggling intruder to the ground.

Julian rushed forward.

By the dim light of the garden lamps, he saw the attacker's face. Blonde hair, blue eyes. A foreigner.

"Good," Julian nodded sharply. "Take him and go."

"Yes, sir."

Tate and Leon hauled the unconscious assassin to his feet and dragged him into the shadows.

The courtyard fell silent, leaving only Julian and Jasper.

The wind blew the clouds away, allowing the moonlight to flood the grass, casting their long, sharp shadows across the ground. A gust of wind rustled the trees, sending a few dead leaves drifting slowly to the earth.

"Who was that?" Jasper asked, his voice low and tight. "Was he here for her?"

Julian slowly pivoted, his dark, dangerous gaze locking onto Jasper's face. The usually calm and composed lawyer looked visibly shaken.

Julian's brow furrowed, his voice dropping to a glacial chill. "You seem awfully concerned about my wife, Mr. Kane."

"She and I are friends. Shouldn't I be concerned?" Jasper countered sharply. "Mr. Weston, this isn't the first time something like this has happened, is it?"