Immortal Billionaire. Jane Godman

Immortal Billionaire - Jane Godman


Скачать книгу
turned to Sylvester and his heart somersaulted. “I find it fascinating. I’d love to know more.”

      This was too dangerous. Her nearness was intoxicating. If only he could tell her. Explain why he couldn’t allow himself the luxury of getting closer to her. If only he didn’t have to brutally snuff out that half hopeful, half scared light in her eyes.

      Getting a grip on his emotions with difficulty, he injected a note of steel into his response. “Matt’s right. If I’m not careful, I can turn my hobby into something resembling a lecture. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.” He turned away, but not before he saw the flash of pain in her eyes or the surprise in Matt’s.

      You bastard. His lips compressed into a thin line as he marched back to the house. If she had to be here at all, why did Connie have to be so vulnerable, so easy to hurt? Why couldn’t it be brittle Lucinda or robust Ellie? Why shy Connie, who was already so damaged? Someone took a knife to her throat not so long ago, and now you are doing the same thing to her heart.

      Because she’d fallen in love with him at first sight. Of course she had. Just as he had with her. It was inevitable when you’d shared all they had before they’d even exchanged that first glance.

      Sylvester wanted to turn back, to draw her tenderly into his arms and kiss away the hurt before explaining it all to her. But he didn’t want to see her expression change to one of horror. He didn’t want the ensuing speculation about his mental health, the stares, and the whispered comments behind hands. He didn’t want anyone to try to stop him seeing this final task through to its inevitable conclusion.

      Ignoring the sounds of revelry from the pool area, he made his way up to his room. Going to the drawer in his dresser where he kept the files on each of his guests, he reached beneath those and withdrew the portrait of Máximo de León y Soledad. The face that stared back at him was proud and noble. A perfect, precise, mirror image of his own.

      “This had better be worth it.” Five hundred years ago, Máximo had set off on a journey into the unknown. Now it was time for modern-day Sylvester to do the same.

      He didn’t know how long he sat in his room, gazing at that picture, but it was some considerable time later when he was roused from his thoughts by the sounds of shouting, running footsteps in the hall below and a woman screaming. Frowning, he replaced the portrait and made his way down the stairs. When he reached the foot of the staircase, there was already a crowd in the marble-tiled hall.

      “What’s going on?”

      The group around an unconscious figure on the floor parted in recognition of Sylvester’s authority. Guthrie, clad in swim shorts, and still wet from the pool, was lying on his back, a puddle of blood forming behind his head. A smashed glass lay beside him and a strong smell of liquor pervaded the scene.

      “Somebody find Roberto. He’s a trained paramedic.”

      Sylvester knelt beside Guthrie, checking his pulse. It was regular. Clad only in a bikini, Lucinda was still screaming. Sylvester glanced over his shoulder. “Can someone get something to cover her up? Keep her warm. Vega, maybe a cup of tea...” The message behind the words was clear. Get her out of here. Making soothing, clucking noises, Vega led Lucinda away.

      “Shall I help you lift him onto one of the sofas?” Jonathan offered.

      “Let’s wait for Roberto.”

      Roberto arrived a minute later, carrying his medical bag. Sylvester rose so Roberto could get better access.

      Turning Guthrie’s head, Roberto discovered a nasty wound on the back of his skull. The movement caused Guthrie to groan and open his eyes.

      “What the hell hit me?”

      “You fell.” Jonathan told him. “You left the pool to come and fix yourself another drink. When you didn’t come back, Lucinda came looking for you and found you here. You must have knocked your head on the floor when you fell.”

      “No, that’s not right.” Guthrie winced as Roberto began to clean the wound. “I’d got my drink and was on my way back to the pool. As I was passing the stairs, something hit me on the back of the head and I went down. That’s what happened. Not the other way around.”

      “But that can’t be how it was. Who would hit you?” Jonathan insisted. “It’s much more likely you fell and banged your head. Your feet were wet and—” he gave Guthrie an apologetic glance “—you had been drinking.”

      “I know what happened, damn it!”

      Sylvester met Roberto’s eye over Guthrie’s head and Roberto shook his head with a frown. “This needs stitches, boss. I can do it, but he should probably get it checked by a doctor, as well.” He beckoned Sylvester to take a look. The cut on Guthrie’s scalp was circular and deep. “He’s right. It looks like he’s been bashed hard with a heavy object. No way was this caused by hitting his head on the floor.”

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QRbaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bWxuczpkYz0iaHR0cDovL3B1cmwub3Jn L2RjL2VsZW1lbnRzLzEuMS8iIHhtcE1NOk9yaWdpbmFsRG9jdW1lbnRJRD0iYWRvYmU6ZG9jaWQ6 aW5kZDo5NDFhODhkZS0zODBhLTExZGYtYWM3MC04YzQ4ZjE0OTM5YmEiIHhtcE1NOkRvY3VtZW50 SUQ9InhtcC5kaWQ6QjU3RjRFMjA4ODA2MTFFNkIxRENGRUJDMjQ3QzVDRDMiIHhtcE1NOkluc3Rh bmNlSUQ9InhtcC5paWQ6QjU3RjRFMUY4ODA2MTFFNkIxRENGRUJDMjQ3QzVDRDMiIHhtcDpDcmVh dG9yVG9vbD0iQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNS4xIE1hY2ludG9zaCI+IDx4bXBNTTpEZXJpdmVk RnJvbSBzdFJlZjppbnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOjk5ODhEQTc3RjIyMDY4MTE5MDgxOEVGNzIw MDA0NkIxIiBzdFJlZjpkb2N1bWVudElEPSJ4bXAuZGlkOjFBN0M0RjE3QUEyMDY4MTE4MEJEREQw RTU5RjcxMzQzIi8+IDxkYzpjcmVhdG9yPiA8cmRmOlNlcT4gPHJkZjpsaT5Ob2N0dXJuZTwvcmRm OmxpPiA8L3JkZjpTZXE+IDwvZGM6Y3JlYXRvcj4gPGRjOnRpdGxlPiA8cmRmOkFsdD4gPHJkZjps aSB4bWw6bGFuZz0ieC1kZWZhdWx0Ij5JbW1vcnRhbCBCaWxsaW9uYWlyZTwvcmRmOmxpPiA8L3Jk ZjpBbHQ+IDwvZGM6dGl0bGU+IDwvcmRmOkRlc2NyaXB0aW9uPiA8L3JkZjpSREY+IDwveDp4bXBt ZXRhPiA8P3hwYWNrZXQgZW5kPSJyIj8+/+0ASFBob3Rvc2hvcCAzLjAAOEJJTQQEAAAAAAAPHAFa AAMbJUccAgAAAgACADhCSU0EJQAAAAAAEPzhH4nIt8l4LzRiNAdYd+v/4ggkSUNDX1BST0ZJTEUA AQEAAAgUQURCRQJAAABtbnRyUkdCIFhZWiAH1wADAAIACgAHAClhY3NwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAA9tYAAQAAAADTLWJJQ0OcbTSlraRF9hRtmLBRDBJtAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAljcHJ0AAAGxAAAAMlkZXNjAAAHkAAAAIN3dHB0AAAA8AAAABRy VFJDAAABBAAABYRnVFJDAAABBAAABYRiVFJDAAABBAAABYRyWFlaAAAGiAAAABRnWFlaAAAGnAAA ABRiWFlaAAAGsAAAABRYWVogAAAAAAAA9tYAAQAAAADTLWN1cnYAAAAAAAACvAAAAAoAFQAfACoA NAA+AEkAUwBdAGgAcgB9AIcAkQCcAKYAsAC7AMUA0ADaAOQA7wD5AQMBDgEYASMBLQE3AUIBTAFX AWEBawF2AYABigGVAZ8BqgG0Ab4ByQHTAd0B6AHyAf0CBwIRAhwCJgIwAjsCRQJQAloCZQJwAnsC hgKRApwCqAKzAr8CywLXAuMC7wL8AwgDFQMiAy8DPANJA1YDZANyA38DjQObA6oDuAPGA9UD5APz BAIEEQQhBDAEQARQBGAEcASABJEEoQSyBMME1ATlBPcFCAUaBSwFPgVQBWMFdQWIBZsFrgXBBdUF 6AX8BhAGJAY4Bk0GYQZ2BosGoAa1BssG4Ab2BwwHIwc5B08HZgd9B5QHrAfDB9sH8wgLCCMСкачать книгу