Part 30 (1/2)
Standing in the entryway of the condo with cloud-filtered sun all around, Hannah tried to ignore the disapproval Jake hadn't bothered to conceal. All the way up in the elevator, his pale, cold gray eyes had measured her with a chill that reminded her of Archer at his worst. Dark hair, dark mustache, a height and strength to equal Archer's; and a ruthlessness, too.
But not toward Honor. For her, Jake's eyes went from ice to steamy mist. The pa.s.sion and gentleness he felt for his wife were as clear as his dislike of Hannah.
Rubbing her arms as though to ward off cold, Hannah hurried into the living room, wanting to escape Jake's oppressive dislike.
”Not yet,” Jake said, putting a hand on Hannah's arm.
She froze. Though his touch was light, it wasn't casual.
”Jake,” Honor said, frowning at her husband. It was unlike him to treat a stranger so coldly. ”What's going on?”
”That's what the merry widow is going to tell us.”
Anger streaked through Hannah, burning away caution. She turned on him. ”You're half right. I'm a widow.”
”Are you in mourning?” Jake asked politely.
”Not since seven years ago.”
”Care to explain that?”
”No.”
”Okay. What did you do to Archer?”
”Nothing.”
”Yeah? Then maybe you can tell me why he needed to whale the c.r.a.p out of something this morning.”
Honor winced. ”Uh, Jake...”
”Yeah, I know. None of my business. Too bad I'm a nosy b.a.s.t.a.r.d.” He looked at his wife. ”She hurt him, honey. I want to know why.”
”You're wrong,” Hannah said, fighting to keep a grip on her temper. The contempt in Archer's glance earlier and in Jake's now raked over her. ”I didn't hurt Archer. He's too ruthless to be hurt by anyone smaller or weaker than he is.”
Jake said something blasphemous.
Honor was too stunned to say anything at all.
”You're blind, lady,” he said coldly. ”Deaf, dumb, and f.u.c.king blind.”
”I'm sure you're a good friend to Archer now,” Hannah shot back, ”but you know nothing about Archer ten years ago. About what he did.”
”You might be surprised. Archer and I were in the same business.”
”I might not be surprised,” Hannah said, furious. In her own way, she needed a fight as much as Archer had. ”I married his half brother!”
”What?” Honor demanded. ”What did you say?”
Abruptly Hannah realized where her temper had led her. Jake's dislike was uncomfortable, but she had lived with much worse. Yet none of it had gone as deep as Archer's withdrawal and the fear growing inside her that she might have been terribly, terribly wrong about a man.
Again.
If you wanted a child without complications, you should have gone to a sperm bank She rubbed her face with hands that were cold and told herself that she hadn't been wrong in her a.s.sessment of Archer's ability to love.
Don't worry. If it comes to visitation rights, I won't do any damage.
Tears burned behind Hannah's eyes, tears she refused to permit. ”I'm sorry,” she said tightly to Honor. ”I had no business telling you that. Whatever you do, don't mention it in front of your mother. She doesn't know.”
”So it's The Donovan's son,” Jake said.
Distantly Hannah noticed that he had taken Honor's hand and laced their fingers together tightly. The message was clear: whatever had to be faced, they would face it together. Envy stabbed through Hannah, surprising her with its cruel edge.
”Yes,” she said, her voice much calmer than her eyes. ”Before he met his wife. Long before.”
”But Archer knew?” Jake asked.
”Yes.”
”And this half brother... he's dead?”
”His name was Len, Len McGarry. And yes, he's dead.”
”How?” Jake asked, but something in his tone told her he had already guessed.
”Murder.”
Honor made a low sound.
Jake squeezed her hand and kept on talking, pinning Hannah with eyes that were like a cat's pitiless and clear. ”Are you a suspect?”
”I didn't kill him.”
He looked at her a moment longer, then nodded. ”Are you at risk?”
”I ” Her voice hitched, then steadied. ”Yes. That's why I called Archer.”
”You'll be safe here,” Honor said.
”He told me the same thing,” Hannah said in a low, husky voice. ”But I can't stay.”
”Why not?” Honor asked.
Hannah looked at Jake and shook her head.
”My husband is protective of the people he loves, but he'll be civilized about it in the future,” Honor said. ”Right, Jake?”
”Sure.”