Page 78 of Forbidden Dark Vows

I force a smile. For all I know, Ruby had some kind of twenty-four-hour bug and is visiting her dad in the hospital right now, oblivious to my churning gut and overactive imagination. If I back out of this venture now, there won’t be a second chance.

“Midday. I’ll be there.”

I wait for Carlos to leave before calling the hospital in Chicago where Graham is currently being treated. I get transferred to his ward and speak to the duty nurse.

“He’s responding well to treatment.” It’s the standard response to an inquiry by someone other than a close relative.

“Is his daughter with him right now?” My heart flutters, eager to settle down as soon as I hear that Ruby is fine.

“No, he’s alone right now, sir.”

My stomach twists sickeningly. No one is with him. Celia and Ruby are not there, but they’re not answering the house phone, so where the hell are they?

My fingers hover over the buttons on the telephone. Call the hospital again and find out that Ruby’s condition is worse than Celia let on, or sit here and worry about her until one of them calls me back? Celia’s comment replays inside my head. “I’m taking care of her.”

I hit redial before I can talk myself out of it.

When I get through to the switchboard, I ask if Ruby Jackson has been admitted during the last twenty-four hours.

“Can you please tell me her date-of-birth, sir?”

Shit!My brain scrabbles around trying to figure out Ruby’s year of birth on the spot. “Twenty-fourth December 1965.” Praying that’s correct.

The seconds tick by.

“Yes, Ms. Jackson was admitted via ER last night.”

My heart is pounding so violently I think I’m going to be sick. “What’s wrong with her?”

“I’m afraid I don’t have access to medical information, sir.”

“Can you put me through to the ward?”

“Transferring you now.”

I tap the desk with my thumb, my body a bundle of nervous energy. Why didn’t Celia let me know? Why did she play it down when Ruby’s condition had obviously deteriorated after I left Chicago?

The ward takes an eternity to pick up the phone. When they do, I introduce myself as Ruby’s fiancé. “How is she?”

“Ruby’s condition is stable at the moment.”

“Can you tell me what’s wrong with her?” Her condition is stable means nothing to me if I don’t know what’s going on.

“The doctors are still carrying out tests, sir.”

“Tests? What kind of tests? What does this mean?”

“I’m sorry I can’t give you any more information until we have the results, but she’s responding well to pain relief.”

Is this supposed to make me feel better? I feel so helpless. I shouldn’t have left Chicago yesterday morning. I should’ve taken care of her myself. We’re not even married yet, and I’ve already let her down.

“Can you please tell her I called. Harry Weiss. My name is Harry Weiss.”

The meeting takesplace in a private suite of the Plaza Hotel. Carlos’s contact is tall, dark-skinned, with the classic looks of a Hollywood movie star. A young Omar Sharif. He gets straight down to business, talking us through his vision for the project, and shaking our hands warmly when we agree to proceed in just under an hour.

Then, we’re invited to dine with him. Four gourmet courses that we eat in his dining area, each course accompanied by the appropriate wine. Carlos already warned me that it would be offensive to refuse the meal, but I’m trying hard not to keep checking the time on my wristwatch.

When our client leaves the room briefly, Carlos’s eyes narrow in my direction. “Something is wrong. You’ve been like a deer in the headlights all afternoon. Is it the contract?”

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