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She shivered.
‘You’ve lived with security precautions all your life. You can’t be surprised by that?’
‘I just...you’re a private citizen.’
‘Yes, with a lot of money, which motivates some people to do very bad things. Hence the security features.’
‘What else?’ she asked curiously, falling into step beside him.
‘Planning your escape or your rescue? I should tell you, neither’s likely.’
She blinked up at him. ‘Do I need to be rescued?’
‘I haven’t decided yet,’ he said, but without humour. ‘Maybe I’m the one who should send out an SOS?’
‘Oh?’
‘I’m starting to think you’re trouble with a capital T.’
‘You can always let me off at the nearest port.’
‘And call the Catarno guard to come collect you? That’s not a bad idea.’
She stopped walking, staring at him. ‘Benedetto, listen to me—’ She inhaled sharply, searching for words. But how could she get through to him? He seemed so determined, without even a hint of doubt about his plan to return her to the family she’d left for their own good.
‘I know you’re doing this out of loyalty to Anton. I know you think you’re doing the right thing, but you’re really not. Nothing good can come from making me go back.’
He stopped walking, stared at her for a long time, silence crackling between them.
‘Did someone there hurt you, cara?’
She flinched. Not because his term of endearment was unwelcome, but because it was entirely too welcome, too comforting. It made her want to cry to think even for a moment that this man might be on her side. He wasn’t. Of course he wasn’t. He was operating on Anton’s behalf, and while she loved her brother, in this matter their wishes were diametrically opposed. But what if Benedetto saw Amelia’s perspective? What if he actually went in to bat for her? She couldn’t fathom what it would be like to have a defender such as Benedetto.
‘Amelia?’ he demanded, his expression pinched, as though genuinely worried about what might have happened to her.
She swallowed hard, blinking away. Yes, someone had hurt her. Daniel had destroyed her childish faith in love, he’d taken her trust and trampled it. And worse, he still knew a secret that had the power to destroy Amelia’s family. Fear rose in her throat, making it hard to breathe. What a mess it all was.
‘I can’t go home.’ The words were bleak. ‘If you have any decency in your heart, any whatsoever, you’ll take me at my word and let me go.’
He looked momentarily surprised and then anguished. ‘Why does it bother me,’ he mused a moment later, ‘for you to say I have no decency?’
Her emotions lurched all over the place. ‘I don’t know.’ A whisper. Tears were threatening. She looked away, determined not to show such weakness.
‘Do you know why I decided to take you to Catarno by boat?’
She lifted her shoulders. ‘Because it was a sure-fire way of getting me out of Valencia?’
‘True, but I have a helicopter on board. I could fly you there tomorrow and be done with this.’
Fear made her heart hurt.
‘I thought this would be best for you. To have time to get used to the idea, to work through whatever issues you have with your family, to make your peace with the necessity of seeing them again and being at your brother’s wedding. Of being able to put your best foot forward and show your family that you’ve changed.’
But Amelia hadn’t changed. She was still an illegitimate love child, a secret, a shame. And a target for blackmail because she’d opened her big mouth to the wrong person.
‘Am I supposed to thank you?’ she whispered, anguished.
‘No.’ He moved closer, putting a hand on her arm solicitously, staring into her eyes with obvious concern. ‘Tell me why you ran away.’
