Page 77 of Dark Desires

I coughed on my sip of wine as he spoke so openly. We rarely discussed business with guests in our home, but Tony clearly had no such qualms.

‘You know we’re big in the illegal pharmaceutical trade. I want to expand into more medical grade stuff throughout Europe.’

‘Hmph,’ Tony said as he took a mouthful of his own wine, holding up a finger to signal a moment, but before he spoke Hugh came into the room with his usual cocky grin plastered to his face.

‘Ah, the prodigal son returns,’ he said, taking the seat to the left of his father. His voice was full of ire as he said son, his dislike of me spilling into the word.

‘Ah, Hugh. Have you been up to much since I last saw you? Or just nose deep in a pile of coke?’

Tony guffawed as Hugh reddened with fury.

‘Where is Mother tonight?’ Hugh asked, changing the subject while scowling at me like a sullen child.

‘At a spa, I think. Or in Milan? I don’t know.’ Tony shrugged and looked at his watch.

‘Where’s Nicole? That girl would be late to her own funeral.’

We waited, conversation stilted and sparse between the three of us until Nicole entered ten minutes later, followed closely by her bodyguard.

Nicole wasn’t her usual picture-perfect self, with hardly a speck of makeup and her hair pulled into a rushed ponytail. Creases marked her dress and the whites of her eyes faintly pink.

My brow creased as she gave me a brief smile before sitting beside me, barely glancing at the wine or the food that was swiftly placed before us.

‘How was your trip?’ she asked after clearing her throat. My chest tightened as I wondered whether she knew about Valentina. Had she found out and been crying about it before dinner? I glanced at Tony and decided that no. If she knew, he’d know. And if he knew, he’d have relieved me of my bollocks.

‘It was fine. The midges were rife in the evenings. You know how it is up in the highlands.’

‘I’ve never been to Rosenhall,’ she said, not meeting my eyes before taking the tiniest forkful of the slivers of duck and sweet potato that made up our starter.

‘I’ll take you sometime.’ I gave her a smile that I hoped came across as friendly. She looked like she could be done with a friend.

She glanced swiftly upward before her eyes sunk back to her plate. I looked across at Hugh and then back at her.

‘I hear you two lovebirds have set a date,’ Hugh said before spearing his food forcefully.

‘We have?’

‘Sorry, yeah. I meant to tell you. We got The Salvator on a cancellation. I hope that’s okay?’ Nicole’s voice was smaller than I’d ever heard it, her usual confidence gone.

‘Of course. When are you thinking?’

‘It’s four weeks on Saturday.’

My mouth opened and closed like a fish as I tried to find words.

A month.

Fuck.

It wasn’t some obscure date where we would be married in the future, but a concrete one where I’d become her husband. Hers on paper and in business. Everything but a romantic husband. The room lurched as I took a breath.

‘Why the rush?’ I asked.

‘Why wait?’ She swallowed as she met my eyes. ‘You still want this, don’t you?’

No.

I wanted to scream it at her. But her expression held me back. There was a pleading look in her eyes that made me nod. Relief washed through her face as she glanced up at her brother, and then to her bodyguard, who stood at the wall behind him.

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