Price to Be Met by Jessica Steele

Author:Jessica Steele
Language: eng
Format: epub

CHAPTER SIX

'You didn't know?' It must be clear to him that she hadn't known, for she was staring at him in the fading light, her eyes wide with shock. 'My mother married him two years ago,' he said flatly, and she knew from that that in his opinion it was the worst day's work she had ever done. Aldona reasoned then that with Lionel Downs telling her he wasn't married, then Zeb's mother must have since died. And knowing how sad she would feel if it was her dear departed relative they were talking of, she said softly:

'I'm sorry.'

'You're sorry!' The words sprang from him as if her being sorry was the last thing he expected to hear, before he aloofly told her, 'My mother is not in need of your sympathy. She married Downs and seems prepared to put up with him.'

An assault of fresh shock had her gasping anew. 'Your mother's alive? You mean she's still married to him?' Her voice had risen to a high note. 'You mean she isn't—they aren't divorced,' her voice petered out as she added, 'or anything?'

'Or nothing,' he said. 'That swine and my mother are still married.'

'Oh, Zeb,' the words came from her all choked, 'I didn't know he was married. Honestly I didn't.'

'Would it have mattered if you had?' he asked harshly.

'Of course it would,' she snapped. 'What do you take me for?'

'I thought that fact was already established,' he told her insultingly, and caught her hand as the shock she had received combined with his insult proved too much for her, and her hand swung in an arc without her instruction.

'Cut that out,' he growled, as he held her wrist to prevent her blow from landing. 'Try any of that stuff with me and you'll be giving what you promised back in Malta without being paid for it!'

That quietened her. Zeb wasn't the sort of man to use threats lightly. She reached for the door handle of the car. As far as she was concerned their 'chat' was at an end, and all she could do was to thank God she had got away from Lionel Downs when she had. He had threatened one fate—the man beside her was threatening the same one. And she just didn't trust herself, the way she was feeling right at this moment, not to take another swing at him if he again insulted her so vilely.

His hand came down over hers, taking it away from the door handle. 'Where do you think you're going?'

'Back to my flat—I can't think of another thing we have to discuss.'

'I'll take you to your flat,' he said, his tone authoritative, leaving her to guess if he too thought their discussion over.

Feeling as though she had just broken all records for the hundred yards dash, Aldona gave him her address and leaned back in her seat, exhausted. There was as much point in withholding where she lived as saying she preferred to walk. Zeb intended to drive her back

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.