Forbidden Surrender

His expression became fierce. ‘There must be something someone can do! I can’t just sit back and let Marie die!’

Sara looked at him dazedly, clutching on to the back of the chair for support. ‘Wh—what did—–’ she swallowed hard. ‘What did you say?’ she asked shakily.

Danny avidly searched her face, shaking his head. ‘My God,’ he groaned, closing his eyes, ‘you didn’t know, did you? No one told you Marie is dying!’

CHAPTER NINE

‘I DON’T believe you!’ Sara choked. ‘You’re lying!’ Her voice rose hysterically and her legs began to shake, finally giving out on her as she collapsed to the floor, her eyes huge in her white face. ‘Tell me you’re lying,’ she pleaded tearfully, numb with shock.

Danny came down on the floor beside her, pulling her into his arms. ‘I’m not lying, Sara,’ he murmured into her hair.

She shook against him. ‘But why? How?’

‘I would have thought the ‘‘why” was obvious,’ a steely voice interrupted them. ‘The ‘‘how” should be equally obvious,’ Dominic added contemptuously.

Danny turned to look at his brother. ‘Shut your filthy mouth!’ he snapped.

Dominic raised his eyebrows. ‘Perhaps if you both got up off the floor I just might be able to do that.’

Danny sprang to his feet, his expression fierce. ‘What the hell are you saying now?’

His brother closed the study door and came further into the room. ‘If the two of you have to sneak off together at least choose somewhere a little more private—and comfortable—for your lovemaking.’

‘No, Danny!’ Sara screamed as he flew at Dominic, his fist landing on his brother’s chin.

Dominic’s face darkened with an anger even fiercer than Danny’s. ‘You’ll never know how glad I am that you did that,’ he muttered through bared teeth. ‘I only needed the excuse to hit you …’

Sara closed her eyes to shut out the sight of Dominic beating his brother to a pulp. The furniture was flying everywhere as first one man and then the other fell across the desk or against the chair. Sara couldn’t make a move to stop them, although she did manage to pull herself to the corner of the room out of harm’s way.

‘That’s enough.’ Danny leant against the side of the desk, trying in vain to staunch the flow of blood from his nose.

‘More than enough,’ Dominic agreed grimly, a trickle of blood escaping from the cut on his mouth. ‘Get out of here. And don’t come near Sara again,’ he added threateningly.

Danny looked stricken as he turned towards her, seeing her sitting wide-eyed and shocked in the corner of the room, and went down on his haunches to her, helping her to her feet. ‘Stop it, Dominic,’ he warned as the other man made a savage movement towards him. ‘Can’t you see the state she’s in?’ He sat her down in a chair, rubbing her chilled hands.

If anything Dominic’s expression darkened even more. ‘Were you forcing yourself on her?’ he demanded tautly. ‘Because if you were—–’

‘Shut up, Dominic,’ Danny sighed, all the time dabbing at his bleeding nose. ‘Sara has just received the biggest shock of her life.’

His eyes narrowed sharply. ‘My God, you didn’t—–’

‘Yes!’ Danny hissed. ‘Someone should have told me that even Marie’s sister didn’t know.’

‘You stupid—–! My God, you’re going to answer to me later for this!’ Dominic exploded. ‘In the meantime you’d better get to a hospital and get something done about your nose.’

‘But Sara—–’

‘Will be perfectly safe with me,’ he interrupted grimly. ‘Just get the hell out of here, Danny. I think you’ve caused enough trouble for one day.’

‘How was I supposed to know Sara hadn’t been told? I naturally assumed—–’

‘We would hardly come out and baldly tell her something like that. In time—–’

‘In time!’ Sara repeated shrilly, suddenly coming to life, looking up at Dominic with accusing eyes. ‘In time you and my father were going to tell me Marie is dying, that having found my twin I’m now going to lose her again! And how much time was it going to take for you to tell me—on her deathbed, perhaps?’ Her voice broke emotionally.