a thing, and wasn’t discovering the enemy’s game-plan half the battle?
‘The initial step is establishing legal evidence of my paternity.’
‘Something I won’t consent to without being fully aware of your intentions.’ Her voice was even, polite. ‘Immediate and long term.’
His eyes narrowed fractionally. ‘Whatever is decided will be primarily in Nicki’s best interests,’ he assured with hateful ease.
‘How can that be so?’ Shannay demanded, glaring at him. ‘Establishing custody rights will provide a total disruption to her life. Schooling, friends, family. Any hope of stability.’ She could feel herself winding up. ‘I’m her mother, dammit.’
He looked at her for what seemed an age, noting the fine edge of her anger, the restrained need to fight him … regardless of common-sense.
‘Nicki hasn’t displayed any curiosity about the absence of a father in her life?’
She ignored the silkiness in his voice, the latent anger held in tight control, and her eyes sharpened beneath the dark inflexibility evident in his.
‘Inevitably, soon after she began attending kindergarten,’ she revealed.
‘And?’
Her gaze didn’t waver. ‘I told her the very basic truth.’
An eyebrow lifted. ‘Enlighten me.’
‘I left her father before she was born.’ She lifted a hand and smoothed it over her hair in an unconscious gesture. ‘A number of children have single parents nowadays.’
Marcello leaned back in his chair and regarded her thoughtfully. ‘Except you’re still married, Shannay. To me.’
‘Not for much longer.’
His smile was a faint facsimile. ‘In four years you have only considered filing for divorce now?’
‘I’m not part of one of your business deals, Marcello. So quit playing psychological games.’ Shannay buttoned down her frustrated anger. ‘Spell out exactly what you intend.’
For a moment she imagined she glimpsed a fleeting shadow in the depth of his eyes, only to dismiss it.
‘With Nicki?’
‘Of course, with Nicki!’
‘Initially, I want to gift a sick elderly man the opportunity to meet his only great-grandchild.’
It wasn’t the answer she expected, nor was the mixture of emotions that tore at her heart. ‘Ramon is ill?’
The one person who had attempted to smooth over the family discord at Marcello’s choice of a wife. Someone who saw more than anyone intended, and became her ally. ‘How ill?’
‘The medical professionals predict he has only a matter of months. Maybe less.’
The implications assumed vivid reality. Achieving his objective would involve taking Nicki to Spain.
Pain escalated as it raced through her body, consuming her mind with turmoil. ‘I won’t allow you to take her overseas.’ Rationality went out the window. ‘She doesn’t have a passport. Hell, she doesn’t even know you!’
What if he didn’t bring Nicki back?
What if Nicki became distressed, distraught …?
‘Naturally, you would accompany her.’
Revisit a place where she had spent the worst twenty months of her life?
Mix with a family who hid their disapproval of Marcello’s choice of a wife beneath a thin veneer of politeness? A former lover, touted not to be so former, who delighted in causing mischief and mayhem?
‘You have to be kidding!’
‘A few weeks,’ Marcello elaborated. ‘That’s all.’
Shannay closed her eyes, then opened them again. ‘No.’
‘I gave Ramon my word.’
Something which only made the situation worse. ‘Ramon knows about Nicki?’
‘My grandfather was—’ he paused fractionally ‘—inadvertently appraised of Nicki’s existence.’
It wasn’t difficult to do the maths. ‘Penè.’ Marcello’s widowed aunt, a disgruntled woman who took delight in running interference.
She had no difficulty envisaging Sandro informing Marcello of his chance encounter a week ago, or the manner in which Penè came to hear of it.
Happy families. Not.
There was more. Ramon’s illness was only a part of it.
Her eyes narrowed. ‘And?’
One eyebrow slanted in silent query.
She took a deliberate sip of coffee, then another, before replacing the glass onto its saucer as she speared him with a direct look.
‘I don’t doubt the validity of your request. But don’t attempt to use it as a smokescreen.’ Did he think she was a naive fool?
‘Why would I do that?’
Shannay had positioned the figurative nail, now she chose to hammer it home. ‘To gain my sympathy, and dilute the major issue here.’ She waited a beat. ‘Your plans to gain custody.’ Her expression hardened a little. ‘Or is that not to form part of this discussion, and you’ll instruct your legal representative to inform mine of your intention?’
She was fearless when it came to protecting her child. He admired her strength and determination … and pondered if she was fully aware it was no match for his.
‘It will take time to work out a mutually amicable custody agreement,’ Marcello offered with deceptive indolence. ‘We need to consult and compare our individual schedules, and above all, ensure the arrangements we propose suit Nicki’s best interests. Her emotional welfare is the priority, is it not?’
Defensive assurance rose to the fore. ‘My daughter’s emotional status is just fine as it is.’
‘But circumstances have changed,’ he posed with deliberate calm. ‘Nicki is no longer the child of one parent. She has two. The legal system is purported to be fair. If we’re unable to reach an amicable agreement, a court judge will review our respective cases and award custody.’ He paused deliberately, his gaze intent on her expressive features. ‘Given the facts, do you doubt any judge will deny me reasonable access to my daughter?’
No, she conceded the hollow knowledge. But she was confident she could insist such access be confined within Australia.
‘Why do I get the feeling there’s an underlying reason behind all this?’ she demanded with increasing vexation.
‘One
