Follow a Stranger

and started the engine.

CHAPTER FOUR

They made the return journey in less than half the time

Jake had taken, tearing round corners and over bumps in

the road, jolting and swaying furiously. She clung to her

seat, eyes shut, aware of Marc’s anger through every

nerve in her body.

When they pulled up outside the villa Sam and Pallas,

who had been sitting on the verandah, rose nervously and

came down to meet them.

Marc ignored them both, helping Kate out of the jeep

with impersonal firmness. She shot a glance up at him

and found his face under a tight control again, but the

grey eyes met hers with the glacial expression she always

found so terrifying.

“Oh, your poor hands!” exclaimed Pallas, catching sight

of them. “What have you done to yourself?”

Marc propelled Kate towards the building, his hand

clamped on her elbow, taking no notice of his sister. He

pushed her upstairs and into the large, luxurious

bathroom.

“Sit down,” he ordered, and left her alone for a

moment, returning with a large bottle of iodine and some

plasters. He ran warm water into the bowl, immersed her

hands with the gentleness of a trained nurse, carefully

washed and dried them, then anointed the grazes with

iodine, while he put a plaster over the deeper cut.

Kate held her breath until the iodine had stopped

stinging. “Thank you,” she whispered, her blue eyes damp

with tears.