The Mistress's Secret by Julia James

Author:Julia James [James, Julia]
Format: epub
Published: 2010-02-13T06:53:37+00:00

Chapter Six

As Nicky's plaintive cry came again, Alanna galvanized into action. She hurried from the room, intent only on reaching Nicky. Her yelling must have woken him. Panic started to engulf her. She had to get Leon out of the flat. Had to get rid of him totally. She'd been an idiot to throw that letter at him from the hospital thanking her for so magnificent a donation—

but something had snapped inside her as he'd rained down such vile insults on her head. But Nicky calling out was an even worse disaster.

Nicky was sitting up in bed, half distressed at being woken, still half sleepy. She sat down on the bed and cuddled him up to her, sheltering him from view.

"It's all right, darling, just lie down and go to sleep again. It was just something noisy on the telly, that's all." But Nicky was craning his neck to try to stare over her shoulder.

She heard something in Greek behind her and froze. Then heavy tread across the shabby carpet.

"You have a child? "

She didn't let go of Nicky and kept her back to Leon.

"Yes." Her teeth were gritted, stomach hollowing with fear.

"I met ... someone else. My—my son is three. Just turned three."

Her voice was strained. Would Leon believe her?

Nicky was squirming in her arms, defying her attempt to lay him back down again.

34

The Mistress's Secret

by Julia James

"Who's that man?" he demanded.

"Just someone visiting Mummy. Lie down, poppet." Desperately she urged him back down on the pillow, but he struggled upright.

"I'm not a poppet," he said distinctly, "I'm Nicky. And I'm not three, Mummy. I'm four! " There was a rasp, a sharp intake of breath behind her, and then the room flooded with light. She blinked, blinded by the brightness. Footsteps, rapid, urgent, a hand on her shoulder, pulling her away from her son so that his face was visible. His face—with his dark, Andreakos eyes, his black hair, his Mediterranean skin tone. Only the shape of his face was hers.

"Thee mou—"

Leon's voice shook. His brother's eyes looked up at him out of his nephew's face.

* * * *

Alanna stirred the coffee in her mug round and round with the teaspoon. She wanted to drink it, was desperate for the caffeine—desperate for anything that might act upon her savaged nerves—but it was too hot. On the far side of the kitchen table, palms square on the surface, leaning menacingly toward her, Leon loomed like an unholy presence. Alanna hunched into her chair.

"Give me one good reason why you hid him! One! " His voice cut at her, and the teaspoon jerked in her grip. One good reason? She could give him a dozen!

"I'd have thought it was obvious," she said tightly. She lifted her eyes, like dead weights, to Leon's. 35

The Mistress's Secret

by Julia James

He was glaring down at her. There was anger in his face—

but more, much more. She could not tell what it was. She had never seen such emotions in him before. She was used

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