The limosine traveled at a snail's pace through the heavy Athens traffic. Out of the corner of her eye Leah noticed Nik helping himself to a drink. He passed her one without being asked. She drank without examining the contents. It tasted like pure orange. Meanwhile the silence smouldered. The atmosphere was explosive. She felt like a straw doll with a flame-thrower aimed at her. Menace threatened on all sides.
Where had he slept last night? When she had finally drifted off around dawn she had still been alone. He hadn't put in an appearance at lunch either, not that she could say that she had been disappointed by his absence. It had taken ice cubes, cold cloths and every cosmetic technique she possessed to conceal the reddened state of her eyes. She didn't feel in any fit state to meet Nik's family. Her nerves were jangling like piano wires.
When she simply didn't think she could bear the silence one minute longer, she settled on what she saw as a safe subject. 'When we get back to London,' she murmured tautly, 'I'm going to check out that writing bureau. It's a long shot, I know, but Max did tell me to guard it well. It might just have a—'
'Secret drawer? Or maybe a hidden coded map with X marks the spot?' he cut in, in a growling tone dripping with sarcasm. 'I doubt if Max was as deeply into Enid Blyton as your imagination appears to be. Take an axe to it if you like! It won't get you anywhere.'
If it killed her she would find that certificate, she swore to herself, her cheeks burning. It wasn't fair that she should be held hostage to protect someone in his precious family from having some past transgression exposed. And it was positively paranoid of Nik to fear that even though Max was dead that secret might still be a threat, likely to be dragged out into the light of day if they broke up!
Parting her lips tremulously. Leah expressed that latter belief out loud. Nik slung her a seething glance, negating her assumption that she had chosen a safe subject. 'That is not a risk I am prepared to take.'
'I'm starting to think that you're covering up a murder, something really ghastly!' Leah shot back shakily.
'Nothing so dramatic' He vented a harsh laugh, his jawline clenching hard. 'Your conscience may rest in peace.'
'I wish you’d tell me,' she said unsteadily.
'And put temptation in your way? Do you think I don't know how desperate you are to be free? Do you really think I'm that stupid?'
Leah paled but she defended herself. 'I wouldn't hurt your family.'
'Wait until you meet them,' he breathed with dark satire. 'You are not about to step into a living, breathing episode of The Waltons.'
Leah tensed 'And what's that supposed to mean?'
'You'll see-' He lounged back into the corner in one fluid motion, black eyes shielded to a sliver of light in his impassive face by the thick dark crescents of his lashes. His expressive mouth had a decidedly embittered curve. It finally dawned on her that he was not looking forward to an ecstatic family reunion. Or was it that?
Why did she continue to ignore the fact that those wretched photographs had been as much of a shock to him as they had been to her yesterday? New and fragile bonds had been shattered by too brutal a reminder of the recent past.
And in her determination to defend herself she had used those photos as an excuse to vent her own bitterness. Maybe she had chosen the wrong issue on which to make a stand...and very possibly the wrong target as well. It wasn't Nik's fault that she was still furiously angry with herself for not trying to take control of her own life sooner, for playing the martyr to the bitter end to retain her father's approval, and, finally, for being taken in by someone as superficial as Paul Woods.
