“If we’re talking about Jenny-”
“Of course we’re talking about Jenny. My daughter-in-law. But if she’s-”
“You know, I don’t think she is your daughter-in-law anymore,” Michael said evenly, his eyes flicking to Jenny and then moving away. Hell, she looked dreadful. If he kept looking at her, he’d slug someone. “She was only your daughter-in-law while she was married to your son. But she’s no longer married to your son. She’s married to me.”
“You really married her?”
He didn’t just want to slug someone. He wanted to slug her. “I really married her.”
“Why on earth-”
“That’s none of your business.” Michael’s voice was flint hard. “Get out.”
“No.” Gloria smiled then, and at her nod, Bruno carefully replaced the cap on the syringe. He placed the sealed syringe in his pocket, and Jenny’s breath came out in a rush of relief. “Not quite yet.”
“Now.” Michael took one dangerous step forward, but Gloria put up two beautifully manicured hands.
“There’s no need.”
“There is.”
“How much do you want?”
It was a raw demand, thrown bluntly into the room, and it had the effect of making Michael stop dead.
“What?”
“I assume there’s money in here somewhere.” Gloria cast a disdainful look at Jenny. “I have no idea what terms you’ve agreed on, but I’ll make it worth your while to forget them. You can say you married her when you were drunk. I’ll pay you off, and we’ll have your marriage annulled. You’ll find me more than generous.”
“Generous?” Michael’s eyes were watchful, carefully assessing.
“More than generous.” Gloria’s mouth twisted into the self-satisfied smile of someone who knew everyone had his price. “Say two hundred thousand?”
“American dollars?”
“Pounds sterling.” The smugness grew more pronounced. “That’s about three hundred thousand of your-”
“I know what it’s worth.” Michael’s eyes narrowed. “You’d pay that much? You must really want her.”
“I want nothing about her. I just want the baby.”
“I’m not-” Jenny spoke from the other side of the room, but Gloria turned on her like a snake.
“Quiet, girl. We’re talking business.”
“How high will you go?” Michael asked idly, and waited.
Gloria looked at him assessingly.
“I have to assume you’ll go higher. If Jenny has offered me more than that-”
“She hasn’t.” Gloria swiveled to stare at Jenny incredulously. “She doesn’t have a penny to her name. I’ve seen to that. If she’s said she has, then she’s lying.”
“How much?” Michael asked. “Half a million pounds?”
“I don’t-”
“You really want the kid. Do you want him half a million pounds’ worth?”
“I don’t-”
“Get out, then,” Michael said indifferently. “Half a million pounds, or we’re not talking at all.”
“Michael!” Jenny’s voice rose in dismay. She was staring from Gloria to Michael, and her face reflected her sense of betrayal. “You don’t mean-”
“Quiet, Jenny,” Michael said kindly. “Can’t you see your mother-in-law-or your ex-mother-in-law-and I are doing business?”
“I don’t wish-” Gloria said, but Michael interrupted.
“That’s not the way to talk. Not when you’re trying to buy a man’s wife from him. Half a million or out!” He took a step toward Gloria, and Gloria fell back as the thugs stepped forward. Neither of the heavyweights seemed to know what to do.
“Very well, I agree,” Gloria said weakly. “Half a million.”
Silence.
“You’ll pay that much?” Michael demanded.
“I said I agreed.”
“Half a million pounds,” Michael said blankly. “You have to be kidding. Certified check?”
“If you must.”
Jenny gave an angry, desperate gasp and headed for the door. Michael moved to block her, holding her lightly against him.
“No, Jen. Stay.”
“I’m not a possession,” she said furiously. “To be bartered.”
“No.” He looked thoughtfully into her furious eyes and smiled, then looked at Gloria. “She’s right. Jen’s not a possession. Besides, she’s real cute. You know, I have a mind to keep her.”
“For half a million-”
“I know. I’m nuts. But a wife like this doesn’t come along every day.”
“You know you don’t want her. It’s just a marriage of convenience. How much?”
“You mean you’d go higher?”
“I…” Gloria looked incredulous. Then the venom returned in force. “If I must. But not-”
“She’s not for sale.”
“You’ll have your price. Everyone does. And if you don’t sell…”
“Are you threatening me?”
“If you like. It’s my son’s child.”
“No.” Michael’s arm held Jenny tight. “Jenny’s carrying my son. That’s the end of it.”
“Your son!” she hissed. “Any DNA testing in the world will tell that’s nonsense.”
“I think you’ll find,” Michael said smoothly, “that since I’ve married Jenny, any court in the land will uphold my right to claim fatherhood-with or without DNA testing. As long as Jenny doesn’t dispute it, and I don’t think she’ll do that.” He looked into her confused eyes and smiled. “Will you, love?”
“No.”
“I didn’t think so.” His thoughtful gaze returned to Gloria. “Now get out and stay out. Take your hired men and your filthy little syringe and your private jet and get the hell out of this country. If Jenny and I never see you again it’ll be too soon.”
“You can’t-”
“Oh, yes, I can,” Michael said softly, dangerously. “Jenny’s my wife, and I know how to look after my own. Get out. Now.”
THEY DIDN’T SPEAK.
They didn’t speak while Gloria and her thugs took themselves down the stairs, Bruno giving them a nervous backward glance. They didn’t speak while the trio gunned the Mercedes into action and drove out of sight, rubber burning on the road behind them. Michael could have bet Bruno was behind the wheel. Jenny stood numb while Michael crossed to the bed and reached under it for her suitcase.
Finally she stirred to life again. A couple of kids-a boy and girl of about sixteen, draped around each other in obvious lust-had stopped at her open door and were staring in. Their curiosity was obvious.
“You heading to the hospital?” the boy demanded, looking with fascination from Jenny’s belly to where Michael was placing things in her suitcase. “Looks about time. My mom said you went on Thursday. False alarm?”
“I…yeah.”
“Gee, you’re big,” the girl breathed, and Michael suppressed a grin and turned to face them.
“That’s what happens when you let your heart take over from your head,” he told the entwined couple. “It’ll happen to you, too, if you’re not careful.”
“We’re not that dopey. He’s got protection,” the girl retorted. “Don’t you, Bob?”
But Bob, it seemed, hadn’t. He gave a shamefaced grin. “Aw, we don’t need it, Mary. It’s safe.”
The girl wrinkled her nose in horror and turned to look at Jenny. Her eyes widened. Obviously Jenny’s condition didn’t appeal one bit. “You moron. You think I want to be as fat as that? Get real.”
“Aw, Mary…”
The girl turned and fled downstairs, and Bob followed, bleating protestations of eternal love. He hadn’t caught her by the time he reached the street, and his protests echoed faintly into the night.
“I think we might just have done our bit for population control,” Michael said, grinning. Then he glanced at Jenny’s white face and tried to think of something to ease the strain he saw there. She wasn’t smiling. “Hey, it’s okay, Jen. Don’t worry. I’ll look after you.”
“I don’t want to be looked after.” She closed her apartment door and leaned against it, breathing fast. “Nor do I want to be an advertisement for safe sex. Michael, what are you doing?”