Yesterday's Sins (39 page)

"Would you?" Sarah gasped.

"Noni?" She stopped and looked at Kate, her hand on the door handle. "If ladies don't use words like that how come you understood them?"

The old woman fought against amusement and lost.

"Hussy," she hissed, giving a deep earthy chuckle.

Alex shook his head after the door had closed behind them. "Don't let me hear you using that language again Catriona. It's so vulgar. But that was very nicely done."

"She's an old witch, but I felt sorry for her."
 

"We'll leave you." Gregori went across to the door, holding it open for Emily and Luke.

"No. Stay." Alex's command halted them. "There is something else we need out in the open."

Kate looked from Alex to the others. Luke was watching Alex eyebrows raised. She heard Gregori inhale a sharp breath. Emily watched them, blue eyes narrowed.

And Kate braced herself for what was coming.

"I can't live with this a moment more," Alex said grimly. "Somehow, Catriona's cousin has got hold of a damning document. I will retrieve it, but you all need to understand how grave this leak is."

Kate laid a hand on his arm. "You don't need to worry about Jessica, Alex. Everything she possesses about our family will be retrieved and delivered to you. And the leak will also be plugged."

Alex throat worked as he swallowed. "Are you saying what I think you are?"

Kate nodded. "We don't need to concern ourselves about Jessica."

"What's so all fired important about these papers?" Luke broke into their conversation.
 

"You don't have to do this," Kate said quietly.

"Yes, I do." He caught her hand and lifted it to his lips. "What Jessica Howard has uncovered is an affidavit sworn by Kate's father, Fraser Howard."

"An affidavit? Why would Kate's father swear an affidavit?" Luke asked, brows drawn in a heavy frown.

"The day Marcos was killed; Catriona came to see me swearing her innocence for the hit and run that left him dead." Alex dropped her hand. "I didn't believe her and had Gregori give her drugged coffee and kidnapped her."

For several stunned moments no one moved or spoke.
 

"You bastard." Luke's hand clenched and took a step towards him. "And you had the nerve to involve me."
 

"Alex? You didn't?" Emily's blue eyes sparked with anger. "How could you?"

"At the time, easily." He shook his head, lips twisted. "Later, I did wonder if I'd gone insane. I not only kidnapped Kate, I forced her to marry me."

"And Sarah?" Luke asked; his expression so grim Kate shivered.

"Sarah is the child I demanded to avenge Marcos's death."

"Wasn't Kate's cousin convicted for killing Marcos?"

Alex nodded, looking directly at his brother.
   

"And I thought our father was the unscrupulous member of the family. Looks like you have as few scruples as he had."
 

Alex flinched and ruddy colour crept up his cheeks but he didn't back away from Luke. "That's a fair assessment."
   

"Was this why you were asked to step down as CEO? Why you've broken away from the family firm and moved to New Zealand?"

"One of the reasons, the others are not germane."

 
"You could have told us this before we moved here."

Again Alex nodded. "Emily knew, but I should have told you Luke, before I asked you to move into Kate's old home."

"Why didn't you? Is this the reason we've never been accepted by the rest of the family? The reason you've never told anyone who Sarah's mother is?" Luke rounded on Emily. "You knew all this? And went along with Alex. How could you?"

"Luke it's not our business. This is between Kate and Alex. It's their past and they've obviously made their peace with each other."

For a moment no one moved or spoke.
 

Luke leaped across the space and gripped Alex by his shirt front, his other hand drawn back to strike. Alex made no move to defend himself.
 

Kate moved quickly and gripped Luke's arm. "Don't Luke. Please don't."

Luke looked at her his expression murderous. "You don't think I should thrash the living daylights out of him?"

"You can if you insist," she said quietly. "But it wouldn't be a fair fight. You see Alex won't lift a finger to defend himself. What satisfaction would you get out of that?"

"You'd defend him?" Luke looked from her to his brother and then dropped his hands. "You're right. It's no fun pummelling a coward."

"Luke," Emily said sharply stepping forward to catch her son's arm. "How can you say that? I taught you better."

Luke flushed but didn't retract. "What else would you have me call a man who can treat a woman the way Alex has treated Kate? Only a coward takes on a woman who can’t fight back."

"A coward? Alex? Me not fight back?" Kate stared at Luke and then burst out laughing. "Is that what you think?"

She glanced at Alex and saw amusement lighten his grey eyes.
 

"What's so funny?" Luke looked from one to the other, his bewilderment obvious.

 
"You are," Kate managed to bring her laughter under control. "You see Luke, Alex seriously underestimated me."

"Not fight back?" Alex chuckled. "You try invoking a Highlander's rage sometime, Luke."
   

Gregori stepped forward. "And the blame doesn't solely lie with Alex either. I carry my share of blame."

Luke bristled all over again, blue eyes glittering with anger. "You were both in on it? Does the rest of the family in Australia know this?"

"No," Alex said lips twisting in wry mockery. "And to protect Sarah and Kate, I'd prefer it stays that way."
 

"Have you no remorse? No shame?"

Alex raked a hand through his hair. "I have both. But to regret it and wish it undone would be to wish that Sarah didn't exist. And that I can never do."

"Me either," Kate said quietly.
 

"You know what? I think you two deserve each other." Luke looked from one to the other shaking his head and without another word he stormed out.
 

Emily gripped Alex's arm. "He'll calm down."

"I know." Alex laid his hand over hers. "But thank you for your help and support."

"We'll leave you." Gregori opened the door for Emily.
 

When they were alone Kate laid her arm on Alex's. "You didn't need to do that."

"Yes I did." Alex cradled her hand I his larger one. "For far too long, you've had to bear the pain and grief brought on by my actions."

Kate nodded and gave him a serious look. "Without Joe, I'm not sure I would have survived. He sent his son to Brisbane to bring me to him."

Alex's expression was as grim as she'd ever seen it. "Did he know you were leaving us?"

"No, Jimmy met up with me at the Brisbane rail station after he learned I'd left the hospital." Kate shook her head and smiled softly. "I was whisked from there by chopper to Sydney. And Joe nursed me back to health. I was so sick."

"In mind and body?" Kate nodded and he drew her into his arms and held her close. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

"We need to let it go, Alex."

"In a moment."
 

Something in his expression set her heart thundering. Kate looked down at the floor, anywhere but at Alex. She had nowhere else left to run.

"There's something else you have to ask, isn't there?" Alex asked tipping her face up with a long finger.

For several long, moments grey eyes duelled with blue.

Could she take that last leap of faith and surrender her independence and live with Alex? Content to follow where he led. He would always be the leader, it was the way he was. She hovered for long tense moments.

"Can I come home?" she whispered, her voice breaking on the words.

Before the words were out she was crushed hard against him, his face buried in her hair.

"Oh God, Cat," he whispered in a hoarse, anguished voice that brought tears to her eyes. "I thought I'd never hear you say those words."

They stood so close together as to be one, seeking and giving solace for the long years of separation. Alex lifted his head and held her face between the palms of his hands, his eyes tormented. "Why have you forgiven me? I don't deserve your love."

"Hush." She put trembling fingers over his lips, "It's over."

Nothing would ever change the past, but love and understanding had diminished its power to hurt and they could leave it behind.

"Yes." Alex shuddered, gathering her close against his heart, burying his face in her golden hair.

"Kiss me," she demanded, pulling away from him.

For a moment Alex's eyes burned into hers.

"Soon," he growled deep in his throat. "There's a bad memory I need to exorcise first."

She gave a startled cry as he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, striding into the main hallway and up the stairs.

"Put me down," she shrieked, pummelling his back with her clenched fists, wondering if he'd gone suddenly mad. "You overbearing, egotistical, maniacal cave man. Put me down." Startled faces, drawn by the commotion, appeared from behind the doors as she continued to rant and rave at Alex.

He ignored their grinning audience.

The jolting ride slung over his shoulder upset Kate's delicately balanced stomach and made her head spin. At the top of the stairs he set her back on her feet. Her head spinning she clung to the banister rail, glaring at him, her hair dishevelled and her cheeks flying red flags of temper.

"You arrogant pig," she screamed stamping her foot.

Alex watched her, a huge reminiscent grin on his face.

"You forgot wog, nig-nog, autocrat and Greek," he drawled sardonically tapping her infuriated nose with one long finger. "Tell me. Do you think my wife will like this?"

And she understood, she'd hurt Alex on her first visit.

"That depends," she shot back, remembering her black jealousy. "Who was the blonde bombshell you had here?"

Alex threw back his head and laughed. The sound echoed through the house. "Were you jealous?

"Yes," she hissed, her eyes narrowing.

"Angeline is very beautiful, very pregnant and very married. But not to me."

She glared and then paled as her upset stomach rebelled. "Oh, lord, I'm going to be sick."

She pressed a hand to her lips, looking desperately for a bathroom as nausea threatened.

Alex swept her into his arms and into the bathroom of his bedroom suite. He held her until the shuddering spasms were finished, wiping her face with a cool flannel.

"
Theos
," he breathed, as pale as she was. "You were serious. You're pregnant."