Revelations of the Night Before Read Online Free PDF Page B

her from him.
    “I’ve made an appointment with one of the city’s top obstetricians, unless you have a doctor you prefer.”
    She shook her head, suddenly defeated. If she ran, he would follow, and if she fought, he would fight back. He was a force to be reckoned with, and she did not truly want to fight him. That was not how she wished her relationship with the father of her baby to be. If shehad a hope of staving off trouble, she would go with him. For now.
    Nico put a hand in her back and guided her through the crowd until they popped out onto a street nearby. A dark Mercedes sat with the engine idling, and when they approached it a man got out and opened the door for them.
    Once they were inside, the doors closed and they were soon moving through traffic. The glass was up between the driver and them, and there was nothing but silence in the rich interior of the car.
    “Now would be a good time to show me the scar,” Nico said at last.
    “I’m not sure I want to,” she said softly. “I think I liked it better when you thought I was lying.”
    The leather squeaked as he turned toward her. “I’m not going to hurt you, Valentina.”
    “Or my family,” she added firmly. Because she realized now that it was a very real possibility he would go after Renzo somehow. She had seriously underestimated the depth of his hatred for her brother—and Renzo’s for him.
    There was silence for a moment. “I can’t promise that.”
    Her heart felt pinched in her chest. She pictured Renzo with Faith and their son, and it killed her to think that she could be responsible for causing them trouble. “I will do as you ask, without complaint, so long as you leave Renzo out of this.”
    He studied her for a long moment. “I’m still not positive he doesn’t have something to do with this situation. Why would I leave him out of it?”
    This is your fault
.
    Yes, it was her fault. Anger began to swell inside heragain, crowding out the despair, glowing and expanding until she thought she would burst with it, until her skin was on fire from trying to contain it all.
Men!
    “I love my brother, but if you think for one moment I would agree to some scheme that involved me getting pregnant just so he could get back at you somehow, then you
are
insane! What woman in her right mind would let her body be used like that for the express purpose of revenge? I have no idea what happened between you, but no one died so I’m pretty certain it wasn’t that bad. What you’re suggesting is disgusting.
    “And not only that,” she added when he didn’t say anything, “I think the two of you are pigheaded and foolish for allowing this to continue all these years. It’s childish to have a
mortal enemy
. No one has mortal enemies these days.”
    “Rich men do,” he said, but for once his voice wasn’t harsh or hard or angry.
    Tina folded her arms against her body. “I doubt it’s that bad. I simply think you make it so.”
    “What an innocent life you’ve led,” he replied, and a current of old shame flooded her.
    Yes, she’d been naive for far too long. She’d grown up sheltered, pampered and scared to say boo. Boarding school, and then university, had done much to erode her shyness—but at heart she was still that girl who hid behind her hair and feared the world.
    Except that she refused to show that fear. To anyone. She put a hand over her belly. She had to be strong now, no matter what. No matter that she was scared. No matter that she quaked inside at the thought of what she’d done to her family.
    “If by ‘innocent’ you mean that I fail to see the need to harm others, then fine, call me innocent.”
    He made a soft noise of disbelief. “In business, my dear, you must always be willing to be ruthless. It’s the only way to survive and thrive.”
    “And yet it’s not necessary in one’s personal life, is it? Any man who is ruthless in his personal life will soon find himself alone.”
    “Perhaps it’s not so bad to