All The Secrets We Hide by Martina Bernard

Author:Martina Bernard [Bernard, Martina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-03-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter twenty-seven

Rotterdam, The Netherlands

“Hello, Therese.”

Therese had not noticed him, but that was hardly surprising. She was on her way to see her daughter and, as always, was deep in thought as she walked to the hospital entrance. She hadn’t noticed there was a man waiting for her by the public toilets. Not even him.

“Carlos,” she said as affably as she could muster, though she felt the blood draining from her face and was barely managing to breathe.

“Everything okay?” asked Carlos after an uncomfortable silence.

“What was that?” she hissed. “Everything okay? Are you serious?”

“I meant with you,” he said. “I know what happened to Deborah, and we all feel very sorry. I just wanted to see if everything’s okay with you.”

Therese turned to continue walking toward the entrance. She was determined to ignore him, but no such luck. She felt his hand on her shoulder and halted, but she refused to look at him. After carefully checking to be sure nobody could overhear their conversation, she said, “What we did, it should never have happened.”

“I know,” Carlos said.

“And the fact that you kept our company and my entire family in a stranglehold made it all that much worse.” She peered resentfully at the figure standing before her.

“Well.” He shrugged. “I didn’t have that much choice.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I have my orders,” he said with an apologetic look.

Great, but that didn’t tell her a thing. And that was precisely the insidious thing about Carlos—his charm, his handsome appearance, his scar which only made him more attractive and mysterious.

“Orders from whom?” she demanded.

He shook his head. “Sorry, but we’re in enough trouble already. Believe me, the less you know, the safer it is for you.”

“You think I don’t know anything?”

“Maybe not nothing,” Carlos said with a sigh. “But not everything.”

“Carlos, why are you here?” She’d had enough of his games. “If you somehow think we can talk about our affair, you’re sorely mistaken.”

Carlos chuckled. “Calm down. I come in peace, not to continue our secret liaison.”

“Peace?” Therese sniffed, “I have become painfully aware that you do not know the meaning of that word.”

“You’re angry, I understand that.” He appeared surprisingly calm, but that didn’t mean she trusted him.

“Debby,” she said, and pointed upstairs. “She’s here in the hospital, kept in an induced coma. Did you have anything to do with that?”

Carlos looked offended. “Really? You think I could do something like that?”

“Honestly?” she said, trying to get her breathing under control. “Yes. No. Hell, I don’t know.”

“No, Therese. I didn’t have anything to do with her attack, and I would never have allowed such a thing had I known.” Carlos took a step closer and took her by both shoulders. “I’ve known Debby since she was a little girl.”

Known? More like forced himself into her life.

Therese pulled away and stepped back. She didn’t want to feel his hands on her body. Never again.

“Tris,” Carlos began.

“Don’t call me that. You know more,” she interrupted. “Spill.”

He hesitated a beat, then said, “Okay, I know more.

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