but I can’t allow you to tell me what I must or must not do. And I don’t expect you to be angry because I choose to live my own life. You are a busy man. Don’t worry about me, please.”
Chris stood close to the house and waited.
“You have been through a great deal,” Giacano said. “Too much. You need someone to care for you at all times. You are an attractive woman, and—”
“I’m an insignificant, married woman,” Sonnie said, her voice sharper. “No, don’t argue with me. I’m used to the truth. I’ve lived with it for months. I’m grateful for the recovery I’ve made, but I know what I look like.”
Chris breathed in slowly. She had a lousy opinion of herself and she was dead wrong. She limped and had scars. Big deal. She was interesting, damn it. She interested him...
“What is inside you shines out, my dear,” said Sonnie’s subtle brother-in-law. “That is what matters. But an opportunist who discovers what a wealthy woman you are could flatter you, take advantage of you. There already is someone, isn’t there? That’s why you came here alone. Who is he? Give me a name and I’ll find out about him.”
“How did you know I was here?” Sonnie asked.
After a short silence Giacano said, “You don’t need to know that. I’m here; that’s what matters. There will be nothing for you to worry about anymore. Let me take you back to your family. I’ll stay tonight and we can leave in the morning.”
“No. What are you saying? No.”
The man’s sigh was loud and frustrated. “These are not the decisions for you to make. In Frank’s absence, I must decide what is best for you.”
“You aren’t Frank,” Sonnie said, and Chris thought he heard the start of angry tears. “You aren’t my husband. I don’t even know if I’ve got a husband anymore.”
He ought to feel uncomfortable, Chris thought, only the lady had come to him with a story about her life being in jeopardy. It was his duty to take her request for his services seriously—even if he hadn’t agreed to work for her.
“I know I am not your husband.” Romano had taken a long time to respond. “But I am the head of the family. That means it is my responsibility to look after you. Sonnie...Sonnie, have you heard something about Frank? Did they contact you?” The man’s voice rose.
“No, nothing.”
“Please, my dear, don’t hold back anything about my dear brother. I cannot tell you how I have suffered thinking of what could be happening to him.”
“I haven’t heard anything about Frank. Billy told you I was here, didn’t she?”
“Billy loves you.”
“She’s my half-sister and I ought to be able to trust her. She promised she wouldn’t tell anyone where I’d gone.”
“Come back into the house, Sonnie. I need to be sure you’re all right. You are as much a part of my life as...You are very important to me.”
Chris narrowed his eyes. Mr. Giacano was too smooth, and he wasn’t Sonnie’s type. And there was something about him that raised Chris’s antennae.
“I will be staying in Key West,” Sonnie said, and Chris smiled with one side of his mouth.
“Your family wants you to come home.”
“Frank did his best to keep me as far from my family as possible. He didn’t want me to have them near me, and he didn’t want me to have friends.”
Shrugging away from the wall, Chris went on alert. He hadn’t only imagined that Sonnie was covering up more than she had actually shared with him. A husband who cut her off from other people. Classic behavior for an abusive spouse. Not that he had any proof that Frank Giacano had been abusive—yet.
“Let me hold you, Sonnie. I look at you and I just want to take you into my arms. You have suffered so much for one so gentle. Come, my dear.”
Chris bowed his head and listened even harder. He studied his fingernails. Surely she was too smart to be taken in by lines like that.
“You are confused,” Romano said. “You don’t even accept
Chris stood close to the house and waited.
“You have been through a great deal,” Giacano said. “Too much. You need someone to care for you at all times. You are an attractive woman, and—”
“I’m an insignificant, married woman,” Sonnie said, her voice sharper. “No, don’t argue with me. I’m used to the truth. I’ve lived with it for months. I’m grateful for the recovery I’ve made, but I know what I look like.”
Chris breathed in slowly. She had a lousy opinion of herself and she was dead wrong. She limped and had scars. Big deal. She was interesting, damn it. She interested him...
“What is inside you shines out, my dear,” said Sonnie’s subtle brother-in-law. “That is what matters. But an opportunist who discovers what a wealthy woman you are could flatter you, take advantage of you. There already is someone, isn’t there? That’s why you came here alone. Who is he? Give me a name and I’ll find out about him.”
“How did you know I was here?” Sonnie asked.
After a short silence Giacano said, “You don’t need to know that. I’m here; that’s what matters. There will be nothing for you to worry about anymore. Let me take you back to your family. I’ll stay tonight and we can leave in the morning.”
“No. What are you saying? No.”
The man’s sigh was loud and frustrated. “These are not the decisions for you to make. In Frank’s absence, I must decide what is best for you.”
“You aren’t Frank,” Sonnie said, and Chris thought he heard the start of angry tears. “You aren’t my husband. I don’t even know if I’ve got a husband anymore.”
He ought to feel uncomfortable, Chris thought, only the lady had come to him with a story about her life being in jeopardy. It was his duty to take her request for his services seriously—even if he hadn’t agreed to work for her.
“I know I am not your husband.” Romano had taken a long time to respond. “But I am the head of the family. That means it is my responsibility to look after you. Sonnie...Sonnie, have you heard something about Frank? Did they contact you?” The man’s voice rose.
“No, nothing.”
“Please, my dear, don’t hold back anything about my dear brother. I cannot tell you how I have suffered thinking of what could be happening to him.”
“I haven’t heard anything about Frank. Billy told you I was here, didn’t she?”
“Billy loves you.”
“She’s my half-sister and I ought to be able to trust her. She promised she wouldn’t tell anyone where I’d gone.”
“Come back into the house, Sonnie. I need to be sure you’re all right. You are as much a part of my life as...You are very important to me.”
Chris narrowed his eyes. Mr. Giacano was too smooth, and he wasn’t Sonnie’s type. And there was something about him that raised Chris’s antennae.
“I will be staying in Key West,” Sonnie said, and Chris smiled with one side of his mouth.
“Your family wants you to come home.”
“Frank did his best to keep me as far from my family as possible. He didn’t want me to have them near me, and he didn’t want me to have friends.”
Shrugging away from the wall, Chris went on alert. He hadn’t only imagined that Sonnie was covering up more than she had actually shared with him. A husband who cut her off from other people. Classic behavior for an abusive spouse. Not that he had any proof that Frank Giacano had been abusive—yet.
“Let me hold you, Sonnie. I look at you and I just want to take you into my arms. You have suffered so much for one so gentle. Come, my dear.”
Chris bowed his head and listened even harder. He studied his fingernails. Surely she was too smart to be taken in by lines like that.
“You are confused,” Romano said. “You don’t even accept
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