he didn’t say a word.
Sally stood and waved Mathias in with a warm smile. “Look who’s here to see you…would you like to spend the day with Christian?”
Mathias shrugged. “I guess.”
Christian saw through the artful nonchalance and remembered giving off the same vibe the day he walked through Mama Jo’s front door, a bundle of nerves, dread and apprehension beneath a surface of guarded calm. He knew that somewhere in that kid’s most private thoughts pulsed a raw wound that Mathias would do anything to protect, including pushing away those who were only trying to help.
“Let’s go, buddy,” Christian said with a friendly gesture. “Got a full day ahead of us.” He waved goodbye to Sally and then they headed out the door.
CHAPTER FOUR
“YOU SHOULD BE RESTING.”
Skye ignored the advice. She wasn’t about to give up the opportunity to spend some much-needed time with her son to lie around in bed. She slid into her wool coat, taking care not to wince even though the pain nearly took her breath away. It’d been almost two weeks since the beat down so at least her facial bruising had nearly disappeared but her side still hurt like a son of a bitch. She couldn’t let on how much it hurt or how much she was suffering or else Belleni’s watchdog would make things difficult for her. Once Skye had broken her pinkie toe by accidentally catching the corner of the wall as she ran to help Nico when he’d fallen and even knowing this Vivian had insisted that Skye wear stilettos that night for a client, saying that a former ballerina should be accustomed to pain. Skye forced a smile. “It’s a beautiful day and Nico wants to go to the park,” she said, adding with enough ice to convey her feelings, “besides, I’m not about to miss my designated day with my son. I see him so little as it is.”
“Suit yourself. It matters little enough to me if you’re in agony or if you stupidly injure yourself further but Belleni might care if you’re unable to fulfill your duties.” Vivian Forrone, a woman whose flawless skin yet shrewd gaze made it difficult to determine her true age, pinched her mouth in obvious disapproval as she took in Skye’s pallor and mostly faded bruises. She gave the apartment a cursory inspection before saying, “You look like hell. You can’t go walking around the city like that.” She chided with a scowl, “Belleni said—”
“I don’t care what Belleni said,” Skye cut in sharply, just saying his name made her want to snarl. It was reckless, acting this way so openly, but she felt the walls closing in and she needed some fresh air before she went crazy. Added to that, she missed her son and felt his absence like a physical ache in her chest and it would take a nuclear bomb going off to stop her from spending time with him today. “I promised Nico and I’m not going to disappoint him.”
“Nico is not in charge,” Vivian reminded Skye with a glint to her icy-blue eyes that almost looked like hatred, and Skye suppressed a wary shudder. Vivian reported to Belleni alone and provided an extra set of eyes on the women that he kept in his stable. Vivian was the equivalent of an office manager/accountant/ spy and as far as Skye could tell, the woman relished her job with a zealot’s enthusiasm. Skye had often wondered at the relationship between Vivian and Belleni but no one, including herself, had ever had the courage to find the answer. A frown pulled Vivian’s smooth brow into disapproving lines.
“We won’t be out long,” she assured Vivian, moving quickly to get away from her. “Probably only an hour or so.”
“Perhaps we should check with Belleni first. I’m sure he’ll agree with me that you should stay indoors.”
Skye called out to Nico as she headed toward his room. “Vivian, I’m taking my son for some fresh air and I don’t care if it snows, we’re going out.”
Belleni had sent Vivian to help care for Skye while she recuperated but that wasn’t the only reason the sharp-eyed woman was suddenly her shadow. Skye wasn’t naive; he’d wanted to ensure that Skye knew she still belonged to him by infringing on her privacy.
“This is very unwise,” Vivian cautioned, yet her expression was inexpressibly smug, almost glad. “But do as you will. Your star has fallen and it’s just a matter of time before it’s snuffed out and replaced with something shinier and brighter, someone far prettier than you.”
“I look forward to it,” she said simply. The day Belleni let her go would be the best damn day of her life, but given their most recent conversation…that wasn’t happening anytime soon.
Plainly disappointed by Skye’s failure to react more strongly, Vivian switched tracks, aiming for something far more bound to rile her as she queried, “Have you given any more thought to the Excelsior School for Boys?”
Skye’s gaze narrowed. “No. My answer remains the same as it was the first time Belleni suggested it. I want my son to have as normal a childhood as possible and that does not include being sent to boarding school,” she said firmly, ignoring Vivian’s long exhale of annoyance. Belleni’s motivation was transparent enough to Skye. He no longer wanted to be encumbered by a child and shipping Nico off at the earliest opportunity was the easiest answer but there was no way she’d even consider it. Nico was the only thing keeping her sane on some days. “Besides, he’s not even old enough to be put on the list so why even talk about it?”
“Oh, please, let’s not run in circles about this. I only ask because Belleni is eager to see Nico with an excellent education. Personally, I couldn’t careless. But Belleni seems to have taken a mild interest.” Her lip curled in distaste and Skye’s fingers curled into a tight fist but she made a concentrated effort not to give into her impulse. Punching Vivian would only provide a momentary—albeit deliciously wonderful—satisfaction but it would no doubt create more problems than solve. And she had enough of those on her plate as it was. “Well, I can’t expect you to understand the value of a higher education seeing as you barely graduated high school—”
“You know that’s not true, Vivian,” she interrupted coolly. “I graduated early so I could focus my attention on my ballet.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Vivian made a show of remembering, though Skye knew it was an act. Why they had to play these silly malicious games was beyond Skye but Vivian rarely gave up an opportunity to jab at her. “Dance. What a shame that didn’t work out, either. Given your experience, I would assume that you would want Nico to focus on getting the best education possible. But what do I know? I’m not a mother.”
Thank God for that. She imagined crocodiles were more suited for parenting than the spindle-thin, pointy-jawed, designer-clad menace idly straightening Skye’s photos along the mantel. “No, you’re not. For everything there is a reason, I suppose,” Skye said, not quite able to help herself.
Vivian’s gaze cut to hers, frost in her eyes. “Yes, well, not everyone is as lucky as you.”
Lucky? Skye swallowed the sputter of indignation. She was hardly what she’d consider graced in that area. If anything, ever since she’d booked that flight from Iowa to New York, a black cloud of misery had been hanging over her. Ballet had been her life but if she’d known how cutthroat the professional world of dance was…She suppressed an inward sigh of resignation. Oh, who was she kidding? It wouldn’t have mattered. She’d had stars in her eyes and believed stardust in her slippered toes. Ha. The old injury twinged in her knee as if to remind her how far she’d fallen from her dreams, pulling her back to the moment and the fact that she was wasting time trading barbs with Vivian when she could be enjoying the day with her son.
“I doubt your services are
