Page 26 of The Forgotten Wife

“So how did you find me?” she persisted.

He shrugged. “My security team alerted me that you were missing and in possible danger. I took it from there.”

“You mean you had meunder surveillanceeven in Nawaka?” First Mwana, and now Nick, as well? Unbelievable. Her appetite completely deserted her.

One of the things she’d hated about her life with Nick had been the constant presence of security, media, and bodyguards. Having restaurants and theatres checked out before they entered had seriously worn on her nerves right from the start of their relationship. Even when they were alone, there’d always been a shadow or two in the background somewhere.

Except here on Althea.

Here, they’d been truly alone. Or as alone as they could be without thevisiblepresence of security guards. The thought of being permanently spied on—not to mention the press attentionthat would likely await Nick Andreakos’s wife at home in England—made the prospect of recuperating here on Althea even more appealing.

“You didn’t stop being in danger just because we weren’t together.” The harsh snap to his voice brought her head up. Just as in the kitchen, something in his tone coupled with her own instinct warned her things weren’t quite right.

Heart in her throat, she stared at him. “Nick, am I still in danger?”

CHAPTER 5

Nick tensed. “Not if I have anything to do with it.” “What does that mean?” Belle asked.

He hated lying to her, but hell, she’d been back in his life less than twenty-four hours and was already traumatized from what had happened to her. He tried for the middle ground. “I don’t want to alarm you, simply because I don’t have all the facts yet.” “Facts on what?” she pressed.

“On what exactly we’re dealing with.”

Her soft lips pursed. “For God’s sake, Nick, stop being so damned cryptic! What’s going on?”

His hand tightened around his wine glass. “When my men looked around the caves, we found a few things we’re still working through.”

“What sort of things?”

Nick swallowed down the fury that rose every time he thought of it. “There was a room with pictures—lots of pictures— displayed. Of you.” He took a fortifying sip of wine.

Stunning blue eyes widened. “Of me? He had a few in another hut he took us to, but—you think I was his primary target?”

“I don’tthink. Iknowyou were.” His forceful answer made

her pale. He cursed under his breath. “It’s over, baby. No harm will come to you here.”

He glimpsed the naked relief in her eyes and told himself he was doing the right thing in withholding information that Mwana in all likelihood hadn’t given up his hunt for her. No need to scare her unnecessarily.

When she popped a piece of feta into her mouth, he breathed easier. “You didn’t say how you found me.”

“I applied the best intel and resources to the problem and achieved the desired result. Nothing else matters. Now, tell me, how’s themoussaka?”

“It’s delicious,” she responded automatically. He watched her take a few unenthusiastic mouthfuls, then she laid her fork down.

“Baklava?” He pushed the dessert toward her. She’d grown too thin in the last six months and lost some of the voluptuousness he’d loved about her. He decided to keep his thoughts to himself when she declined and opted for a cup of tea.

By now the sky was covered with a blanket of stars against a velvet background. She leaned back in her seat and gazed into the heavens. This far from civilization, the stars were clearly visible on a night like this. He knew she’d always found the island breathtakingly beautiful, but her sigh was far from contented.

“A penny for them?” he murmured, then wondered why he wished to know her thoughts when he was still reeling from the conversation they’d had just before dinner.

She lowered her eyes to his. His stomach clenched at the misery he saw in the depths.

“Keep your penny. My thoughts aren’t worth it. Not to you anyway.”

The words felt like knives piercing him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She set the cup down with a telling rattle. “It means if you’d cared about me at all, Nick, you wouldn’t have married me under false pretences. And you certainly wouldn’t have stayed away for the last six months.”

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