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‘Don’t worry, Zak, I don’t want to be here any more than you want me to be. But while I came to Montegova out of courtesy to your brother, I also did want to speak to you. And it has nothing to do with work.’
His eyes narrowed, suspicion growing with each second that passed between them. The blood rushed in her ears, the knowledge that once she released the words there would be no taking them back strangling her vocal cords.
‘You wish me to fetch the string quartet, perhaps? Add a little suspenseful music to this dramatic performance?’ he mocked.
‘You may find all this amusing or boring or whatever emotion you’re trying to project but, believe me, this is the last place I want to be.’
He tensed, his body solidifying to stone as he continued to watch her with an intensity that sent skitters of apprehension over her. ‘Then make it fast.’
Simply because her heart was threatening to hammer itself out of existence, her head spinning with the effort of keeping herself under control, Violet exhaled and let the words fall from her lips. ‘I’m pregnant.’
For the longest stretch of time he simply stared at her. Then his breath hissed in a sizzling exhalation. ‘Repeat that,’ he ordered.
‘There’s nothing wrong with your hearing, Zak. You heard me right the first time.’
Several emotions chased across his face, none of them calming her roiling senses. The ones she managed to decipher only accelerated her heartbeat, the shock at his discovery of her virginity in no way competing with the icy shock and anger that finally remained once he’d composed himself.
‘You are not reckless enough to attempt to trick me so I’m going to take you at your word,’ he rasped through flattened lips.
How she managed to locate her vocal cords to respond would remain a mystery to her. ‘I won’t thank you for that because I’m sure there’s an insult in there somewhere. Facts are facts, though.’
His nostrils flared as his gaze dropped down to her belly, drawing her attention to that telling gesture that had once again taken her by surprise. This time her hand stayed, splayed over her stomach in a protective gesture. When his eyes rose to hers, Violet could tell he’d fully acknowledged it.
A moment later he pivoted away, reached into his pocket and extracted his phone.
He spoke too fast in Montegovan for her to decipher even the word or two she understood of the language she should’ve mastered a long time ago if only her mother hadn’t pandered more to her English side. ‘What are you doing?’ she asked when he hung up.
‘You know my family’s history so you know I have a half-brother who was sprung on us the day of my father’s funeral.’
She frowned. ‘Yes. That isn’t news, is it?’ she replied, wondering where he was going with this. ‘What does that have to do with—?’
‘Very few people will ever know the depth of the chaos Jules’s unexpected arrival caused in our lives. Like you, her mother chose a significant occasion to deliver her news.’
She gasped. ‘Surely you don’t think—’
He cut across her once more, his tone icier than ever. ‘Believe me when I say that I’m not going to sit back and watch it all happen all over again.’
Her heart lurched at the intensity and determination in his voice. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘You will,’ he replied.
Heading for the door, he summoned one of the guards and returned to where she stood. ‘You will watch her. Make sure she doesn’t leave this room. Is that understood?’
The guard snapped to attention. ‘Yes, of course, Your Highness.’
Violet rushed forward. ‘Wait, what do you think you’re—?’
He turned towards her, his face a mask of determination as his eyes speared into hers. ‘Who else knows?’ he demanded.
‘I... No one.’
‘For your sake I hope that’s the truth.’
‘I’m not a liar, Zak!’
Without acknowledging her response, he turned and started walking towards the door.
‘Zak, if you think I’m going to be left here cooling my heels whilst you waltz off and do...whatever, know that it’s not going to happen.’
