shaken breath. "That's hitting below the belt."
"Every time I look at Connor, I see Keir. At first, I thought it was my imagination. But when Keir returned from the States, I knew I wasn't mistaken. Why didn't you ever tell him about his son, Victoria? A man should at least be told."
She flinched but remained stubbornly silent.
What was between her and Keir was their business, and nothing to do with anyone else.
Logan looped an arm around her shoulders. "Come with me where we can talk without the risk of interruption."
As they went through a side door, a muffled growl made her look up straight into Keir's face.
Fury enveloped her in waves, leaving her scorched.
When Keir took a step towards her, she moved closer to Logan, suddenly afraid.
"And we believed there was nothing between you. Couldn't a sexy bit like you manage without a lover?"
Victoria was horrified by the snarled insult, her mind blanked in shock. This was a side of Keir she’d never seen.
How can I defuse this ugly situation?
"Victoria’s my friend, Keir." Logan’s voice was tempered steel. "Insult her, pal, and you insult me."
She closed her eyes. This was beyond a nightmare.
The two brothers bristled like savage dogs over a juicy bone. In a moment they would tear at each other's throats.
The insult was wounding, but not as hurtful as the fear the brothers would come to blows.
Caine stepped between his sons. "Would someone please explain what's going on?"
How could she explain?
Victoria shuddered, pulled away from Logan and tried to run past Keir. He caught her arm and swung her around.
Panic kindled. "Let me go. You promised to leave me alone."
"What were you doing with Logan?"
She looked into his eyes and saw hurt and confusion. With an instinctive movement, she laid a hand on his arm.
"Keir!" Caine misconstrued her action. His voice cut through the air, as taut as a whiplash. "Let Victoria go."
Keir’s hand dropped, his expression went blank, and he bowed to his father's authority. "My apologies."
"Excuse me," she stammered and fled past them up the stairs.
She almost reached the sanctuary of the Emerald suite when she was accosted by Davina.
"It hasn't taken you long to manage the impossible," she jeered. "Keir and Logan never quarrel. It's taken an unscrupulous, over sexed little slut to do achieve that."
The outrageous insult topped Victoria's bowl of humiliation. Pushed an inch too far, she lifted a hand and slapped Davina’s face.
Hard.
The crack of flesh meeting flesh echoed down the hall.
Fury and apprehension made Victoria's heart thud erratically. "Don't ever speak to me like that again."
As she stepped past the blonde, Davina caught a handful of Victoria's flowing hair, gave it a brutal yank, and then shoved her hard.
A choked cry of pain escaped Victoria. She lost her balance and slammed into the wall with a sickening thud.
"How dare you?" Davina stood over her, ugly color mottling her cheeks.
Logan shouldered the infuriated blonde aside. "That's quite enough."
Davina cringed.
Victoria looked at Logan and wasn't surprised. He hauled her to her feet, and arm around her shoulders, guided her to her room.
Logan opened the door and slammed it behind them with enough force to rock it on its hinges.
The sound made her wince. She lifted a hand and massaged her scalp. She knew why soldiers had short hair. Long hair rendered them vulnerable.
Once inside, she turned on him. "I want to go home, Logan. Now."
"Not yet." Logan’s voice was as hard as Keir's and as implacable. "Running away won't alter a thing. You and Keir have to decide on Connor's future. You haven't told him about the boy?"
"No." Victoria stiffened her spine. "And I don't intend telling him this weekend. While I will never deny Connor his father or grandfather, I won't be pressured into any decision."
"So I was right?"
"After that scene downstairs do you doubt it?" Victoria shrugged and walked across to the window, resting her hot
"Every time I look at Connor, I see Keir. At first, I thought it was my imagination. But when Keir returned from the States, I knew I wasn't mistaken. Why didn't you ever tell him about his son, Victoria? A man should at least be told."
She flinched but remained stubbornly silent.
What was between her and Keir was their business, and nothing to do with anyone else.
Logan looped an arm around her shoulders. "Come with me where we can talk without the risk of interruption."
As they went through a side door, a muffled growl made her look up straight into Keir's face.
Fury enveloped her in waves, leaving her scorched.
When Keir took a step towards her, she moved closer to Logan, suddenly afraid.
"And we believed there was nothing between you. Couldn't a sexy bit like you manage without a lover?"
Victoria was horrified by the snarled insult, her mind blanked in shock. This was a side of Keir she’d never seen.
How can I defuse this ugly situation?
"Victoria’s my friend, Keir." Logan’s voice was tempered steel. "Insult her, pal, and you insult me."
She closed her eyes. This was beyond a nightmare.
The two brothers bristled like savage dogs over a juicy bone. In a moment they would tear at each other's throats.
The insult was wounding, but not as hurtful as the fear the brothers would come to blows.
Caine stepped between his sons. "Would someone please explain what's going on?"
How could she explain?
Victoria shuddered, pulled away from Logan and tried to run past Keir. He caught her arm and swung her around.
Panic kindled. "Let me go. You promised to leave me alone."
"What were you doing with Logan?"
She looked into his eyes and saw hurt and confusion. With an instinctive movement, she laid a hand on his arm.
"Keir!" Caine misconstrued her action. His voice cut through the air, as taut as a whiplash. "Let Victoria go."
Keir’s hand dropped, his expression went blank, and he bowed to his father's authority. "My apologies."
"Excuse me," she stammered and fled past them up the stairs.
She almost reached the sanctuary of the Emerald suite when she was accosted by Davina.
"It hasn't taken you long to manage the impossible," she jeered. "Keir and Logan never quarrel. It's taken an unscrupulous, over sexed little slut to do achieve that."
The outrageous insult topped Victoria's bowl of humiliation. Pushed an inch too far, she lifted a hand and slapped Davina’s face.
Hard.
The crack of flesh meeting flesh echoed down the hall.
Fury and apprehension made Victoria's heart thud erratically. "Don't ever speak to me like that again."
As she stepped past the blonde, Davina caught a handful of Victoria's flowing hair, gave it a brutal yank, and then shoved her hard.
A choked cry of pain escaped Victoria. She lost her balance and slammed into the wall with a sickening thud.
"How dare you?" Davina stood over her, ugly color mottling her cheeks.
Logan shouldered the infuriated blonde aside. "That's quite enough."
Davina cringed.
Victoria looked at Logan and wasn't surprised. He hauled her to her feet, and arm around her shoulders, guided her to her room.
Logan opened the door and slammed it behind them with enough force to rock it on its hinges.
The sound made her wince. She lifted a hand and massaged her scalp. She knew why soldiers had short hair. Long hair rendered them vulnerable.
Once inside, she turned on him. "I want to go home, Logan. Now."
"Not yet." Logan’s voice was as hard as Keir's and as implacable. "Running away won't alter a thing. You and Keir have to decide on Connor's future. You haven't told him about the boy?"
"No." Victoria stiffened her spine. "And I don't intend telling him this weekend. While I will never deny Connor his father or grandfather, I won't be pressured into any decision."
"So I was right?"
"After that scene downstairs do you doubt it?" Victoria shrugged and walked across to the window, resting her hot
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