Secret Love - Brenda Jackson [97]
“Jake loves you, Diamond.”
She smiled up at Sterling through her tears. “Yes, I know. He loves me so much that he’s willing to put his own life on the line to protect mine. I can’t have him doing that. I love him too much.” She inhaled deeply before saying, “I guess our problem is that we have too much love.”
“There can never be too much love.”
“For me and Jacob there is.”
Without saying another word Diamond stood and walked out of Sterling’s office.
Chapter 25
D iamond stretched out on the bed and turned her head on the pillow to stare out of the window. She always thought the view of the mountains surrounding Sterling’s home was beautiful, but today she didn’t want to think about anything but Jacob and what he was enduring because of her.
Sighing, she placed an arm over her forehead and shifted her gaze to the ceiling. A single tear rolled from the corner of her eye. What would she have told her child if anything had happened to Jacob? I’m sorry, but your father is no longer alive because of me…
More tears filled her eyes as she gently rubbed her stomach where their baby rested. Why was the world so cruel? Why couldn’t people—fans, media, photographers—just leave her and Jacob alone to love each other in peace?
Blast it! They would never have peace whether she was Diamond Swain Madaris, the movie star, or Diamond Swain Madaris, the ex-movie star. They’d had more peace from the prying eyes of the news-hungry press when their marriage had been a secret. Now their secret love was no longer a secret and with the revelation came complications. And she had a deep feeling that this would only be the beginning.
Diamond glanced toward the bedroom door when she heard a soft knock. “Come in.”
The door opened, and Colby appeared in the doorway. “Hi. Sterling just told me what’s going on. Are you all right?”
Diamond nodded and swung her legs off the mattress to sit up. Colby crossed the room to sit beside her. “Is there anything I can do?” she asked.
Diamond smiled through her tears. “Not unless you’ve got another planet for us to go live on.”
Colby smiled gently. “Sorry. I can’t help you there.” After a few moments, she asked, “Are you upset with Jake for not telling you what was going on, Diamond?”
“Yes, somewhat. But I’m more upset with myself for having placed him in that position in the first place. We should never have married.”
“Oh, Diamond, surely you don’t mean that.”
“I do. This is the main reason I didn’t want to marry him. I knew if he married me that his world would be turned inside out.”
“Why are you blaming yourself? You know as well as I do that Jake is not blaming you. He loves you.”
“But look what loving me has gotten him. I couldn’t handle it if anything were to happen to him because of me. I would never forgive myself, and our child wouldn’t forgive me either.”
Colby reached over and hugged Diamond. Right now words would be useless. What her friend needed now more than anything was a hug.
Conrad Ammons walked out of the food mart to the car he had rented. He had taken two weeks of vacation time from his job to do what he felt had to be done. From the information he was able to garner from the locals, Jake Madaris rarely left his ranch.
Ammons knew that more than likely Madaris would be attending the Cattlemen’s Ball that would be held in a few nights. He would make the hit then. Everything was set and in place. Getting rid of Jacob Madaris would be a piece of cake, especially since Diamond wouldn’t be around and there wouldn’t be any chance of her getting hurt. Word had it that she was visiting Sterling Hamilton and his wife and new baby and wouldn’t be making it home for the ball. No doubt