Ellie turned. “What is it now—” She stopped.
Once again, Robbie stood in the doorway. Only this time, he held a gun.
Chapter Nine
“Robbie!” Ellie cried. “What are you doing? Put that gun away!”
Garek looked at the gun, then at Robbie. “Don’t be a fool, Hernandez,” he said coldly.
Ellie moved in front of Garek. “Robbie,” she pleaded. “Remember what happened last time you shot someone.”
“Rafe was an ass, Ellie. He deserved to be shot in the rear end.”
Garek, tense and watchful, frowned at the name. Rafe…Ellie’s ex-boyfriend?
He tried to pull her behind him, but she yanked away. “Get out of the way,” he growled at her, “before your idiot cousin shoots you.”
Ellie didn’t budge. “Garek will leave, Robbie. You don’t need a gun.”
“Who said I want him to leave? Caspar and I came up with a better idea.” His gaze on Garek, Robbie ground a dirt clod from the sculpture under his heel. “My aim has improved since the business with Rafe, perro. You better do what I tell you, or you’ll be sorry.”
“What is it you want?”
“You’re going to marry Ellie,” Robbie said deliberately. “My friend Caspar here is an ordained minister.”
Caspar gave a little wave from the bedroom.
“Robbie!” Ellie was horrified. “Are you insane?” She sniffed the air, then looked at him suspiciously. “Were you smoking something while you were in the bedroom?”
“No way,” Robbie said. “I’m clean. I just want your baby to have a daddy.”
Ellie felt, rather than saw, Garek turn to stare at her. Her cheeks burned, but she didn’t look away from her cousin. “Robbie, I told you before I’m not pregnant. Put that gun down right now—” She started forward, only to stop when Garek put his arm around her shoulders. She glanced up at him and received a shock. In spite of his cool facade, a muscle ticced in his jaw, and fury blazed in his eyes. A sick feeling of dread rose insideher.
“Very well,” he said to Robbie. “Let’s hurry up and get this over with, then.”
Triumph flashed in Robbie’s eyes. Keeping the gun trained on Garek, he stepped aside so Caspar could emerge from the room. The tall thin man approached the happy couple and opened a white leather prayer book.
“Dearly beloved…” he proclaimed.
Ellie’s body jerked in silent protest. The arm around her shoulders tightened.
“Better to play along,” Garek said to her under cover of Caspar’s booming voice, “than to risk someone getting hurt. We can deal with it afterward.”
“No,” she said stubbornly. “Robbie, I refuse to go through with this ceremony. What are you going to do about it? Shoot me?”
His big brown eyes took on a wounded look. “You know I would never hurt you, Ellie,” he said indignantly. “I would just have to shoot your boyfriend.”
“That’s not funny, Robbie.” She knew he didn’t really mean it. But then he hadn’t really meant to shoot Rafe, either. Could she ever forgive herself if he accidentally hurt Garek?
When she didn’t say anything for a few seconds, Caspar cleared his throat. “Do you, Garek, take this woman…”
“This is ridiculous!” she burst out. “It’s completely illegal. Don’t we have to have blood tests or something?”
Caspar shook his head. “The law is much more lenient nowadays. Blood tests aren’t required.”
“But what about a license? We have to have a license!”
“Don’t worry,” Caspar informed her. “I can print a blank one off the Internet. They’re good in any state.”