To say her relationship with Rafe was business made her want to retch. “I won’t do it. I can’t find out what you want.”

  “But you do have a way to find out, don’t you?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Then you’ll find one.” His gaze grew hard, like steel planks pinning her down. “Or there are going to be problems.”

  Problems for the boys.

  The threat wasn’t stated, but it hovered between them as clear as if the words had actually been spoken.

  “How could you?” Leaning forward to stare into his eyes, she tried to find a piece of decency in this man she’d lived with almost her entire life. “Even if you aren’t their father, they were still once a part of your family, a part of your life.”

  “All of us do what we have to, to survive.” He met her ferocious gaze with a mild one, like he were discussing the weather. “I get what I want, you get what you want.”

  Desperate, she used her last card. “I’ll tell Rafe. He’ll keep the boys safe. He’ll come after you.”

  “Will he?” A chuckle. “Will he believe you?”

  Her greatest fear swung into the forefront. “He’ll believe me.”

  He took a sip of his coffee, the chipped side glinting in the dull light. “Will he believe in your word when I show him how you signed over the money from our hotel account so I could escape?”

  “You’ll be in jail before you can show him anything.”

  The old man seemed unfazed by the challenge. “Will he believe you when he sees the photos of us meeting many times without his knowledge?”

  Horror clutched at her throat. “What do you mean?”

  He waved a hand to the one other patron in the taverna. The man smiled and waved back, a fancy mobile phone in hand. A phone that took photos, surely.

  Horror turned to frozen panic.

  “He won’t, will he, Tammy?”

  No. He wouldn’t. Their relationship was too fragile, too precarious and he was too wounded. If she had a few more weeks or months, maybe she could overcome this, but now?

  “Get me the bid amount.” Haimon rose and shrugged into his coat. “Send it to me by text within twenty-four hours.”

  She stared at him, too afraid to say anything.

  “I’ll want proof, also.” He hiked up his trousers, his expression turning to calculation. “Best to take a mobile phone photo of the bid letter so I know it’s real.”

  “How am I going to get that?” A sick brew of hopelessness swirled in her stomach. “Maybe I just get the number.”

  “Ah.” He smiled again. “So you will get this for me. Good.”

  “I haven’t agreed.”

  “You are negotiating terms.” His grim smile never wavered. “That means you’ve agreed.”

  “I might be able to get you the number—”

  “I want proof. Something on Viper’s letterhead. Something I can depend on.”

  “You don’t trust me?” The question was childish, a stupid thing to say, yet some remnant of her childhood with this man reared its head.

  “That was always your problem, Tammy.” Haimon shook his head in disgust. “You always believed in trust.”

  A well of tears threatened to burst. “There has to be—”

  “Don’t trust anyone. Ever.” He brushed his hand over his head, his gaze never leaving hers. “How many times have I told you that?”

  “Then why should I trust your word that once I do this, you’ll leave us alone?”

  “A very good question. Perhaps you are learning at last.” Putting his hands on the back of the chair, he leaned in. “The boys aren’t mine. We aren’t a family.”

  She kept her gaze pinned to his narrowed eyes.

  “I have no ties to any of you.” His stare was hard as stone. “Once you get me this money, I’m leaving Greece.”

  “Where will you go?” Some last, lingering tug of emotion slipped from her heart.

  “Don’t pretend to care.” He gave her an indifferent shrug. “Only know I’ll be gone for good.”

  “There’s got to be another way.”

  “No. There isn’t.” He didn’t even glance behind him as he walked away. “Do it. Or you’ll lose everything you love.”

  * * *

  Finally. Rafe was asleep.

  Tamsin edged her way out of his warm embrace and stepped onto the cool stone floor. Grabbing her nightgown from the end of the bed, she slipped it over her head before turning around to look at him.

  His face, shadowed by night, still held an aura of power and strength. The tough edge of his jaw, the strong arch of his brows, the black hair contrasting with the white silk sheets—all of it, him, warned her who she was dealing with.

  A powerful man.

  A man she had to betray.

  Her gut lurched and writhed.

  If only she had a bit more time. Just a few more precious weeks, even days, to nurture what she was sure was blooming between them.

  She knew he cared. She knew it.

  Rafe had watched her all through the evening meal with the boys. He’d known something was troubling her. But his eyes didn’t hold anger or distrust. No, they’d been filled with puzzlement, worry, concern. Yet she knew in her heart if she blurted out that Haimon was around, that she’d met him many times, that she’d given him money…

  She knew those dark, black eyes would fill with rage.

  Not only rage at an old man.

  Rage at her.

  Trying to punch her anguish away, she swung away from him. Tam tiptoed through the door and closed it behind her with a soft thump. The shadows followed and swallowed her as she crept down the hallway and into the kitchen. Needing some consolation, she opened the refrigerator and poured herself a small glass of vinsanto.

  She couldn’t avoid it any longer.

  She had to make a choice. Her boys. Or her love.

  The irony slammed into her. Ten years ago, almost to the day, she’d had to make the same choice. And exactly as before, she had to make the only one she could.

  Forcing herself to focus, she plodded into Rafe’s office.

  Titus rolled from his bed and padded across to where she stood. When he rubbed his big head on her leg, she absently smoothed her hand through his rough hair. A small fizz of comfort shot through her for a moment.

  Only a moment.

  The laptop sat on the desk. Closed. Yet open to her. No locks anymore. No password needed. No lack of trust. So easy to betray someone who trusted you.

  Tam clenched her jaw. What other choice did she have?

  The question had been whirling in her mind for the past fourteen hours. Ever since Haimon had left her with the warning.

  Do it. Or you’ll lose everything you love.

  If she didn’t send him something tonight, she put her boys at risk. If she didn’t send him a quote, he’d expose her dealings with him to Rafe.

  She couldn’t chance it. She had to text Haimon something. She had to betray her lover to protect her brothers. And the fragile love fighting for life. Because texting him what he wanted bought her some time. Bought her boys their health. Bought the concealment of her dealing with her stepfather. Bought her time to build on the love she hoped grew between Rafe and her.

  The ugliness of her choice ran like poison through her veins. She shouldn’t do this. She should confront Rafe and let things fall where they may. But then she’d lose. Lose him and lose the boys. Lose herself.

  Lost. She’d be lost without her loves.

  Maybe Haimon would keep his promise and leave Greece. Rafe might never figure out why he’d lost this one contract. She’d be able to live with the secret knowledge she’d given his enemy a way to steal from him, couldn’t she?

  A sick slide of self-loathing coated her throat.

  Yet what else could she do? She only had maybes and desperate hopes to cling to in order to keep everything she so desperately wanted.

  She took a sip of the wine, trying to wipe away the taste of what she had to do.

  Betraying her love. Again.

  Clamping down on the thought, Tam slipped into Rafe’s leather chair and lifted the laptop’s cover. The computer whirred; the screen lit up. With a grumble, Titus walked back to his bed and sank down, laying his head on his paws, his dark gaze pinned on her.

  Perhaps she wouldn’t find anything. A surge of powerful hope swept through her. Still, this wouldn’t let her off the hook. She had to find something for Haimon or he’d come after everyone she loved. The realization crushed all hope until the only thing she had to hold onto was despair.

  She had no choice.

  She tapped into Rafe’s email and started to scan the hundreds of emails. The antique grandfather clock tick-tocked in the background.

  Staff meeting Thursday noon

  P&L report – June

  Final proposal - Nanodevice patent #122

  Her finger stopped. This couldn’t be that easy, could it? She’d half-hoped, half-dreaded she’d find it. Was this it? The dynamite email that might destroy her life?

  She tapped open the email. Clicked on the attachment.

  Final bid proposal

  This had to be it. Peering at the clock, she noted the time of the email. Less than four hours ago.

  Please confirm, Mr. Vounó, that this is the final number you wish to go with.

  The email was signed by someone with a long string of degrees. The main scientist? Another name. Rafe’s VP of acquisitions was listed below.

  Had Rafe seen this? Scrolling through his send box, she found his confirmation.

  This was it. The final bid. The bid amount stunned her. If Hamion were only getting a tiny portion of this, she could understand why his wheeling-and-dealing impulses were on high-alert.

  Understand. However, she’d never forgive.

  Tam leaned back in the chair. She could be overblowing this situation—misreading the feral emotion in her stepfather’s eyes. Maybe she should cling to the belief that this would all go away.

  A flash of memory ran through her brain. The way Haimon’s grey eyes had glittered. With madness, certainly. Yet also with some sort of strange drive for revenge. As if it had become his life’s calling to steal something from Rafe.

  Like he thought Rafe had stolen the twins from him?

  Her mouth twisted. Haimon hadn’t seemed upset about not being the boys’ father, but there’d been that something. That something more that told her this was personal to the old man. He wasn’t going to let this go. He wasn’t going to walk away.

  She knew it in her gut.

  The clock ticked. Tocked. Titus rolled over on his bed, his eyes blurry with sleep, yet still watching, waiting.

  A sudden crazy idea smashed into her mind like a comet.

  Crazy. Foolhardy. Risky.

  But the idea offered her something she needed right now. More than anything.

  She wouldn’t have to betray her lover.

  Also, the idea gave her another thing she needed right now—more time. This crazy, fool-hardy, risky idea gave her that. If she did it right. With nervous, fearful concentration, she clicked onto the internet. How long did a medical bid process take? The whole deal couldn’t happen overnight, could it?

  The deep, low chime of the clock tolled out the late hour. Tamsin frantically scanned dozens of internet pages. Typing in a variety of words, she finally sighed and leaned back in Rafe’s chair once more. It could be months before the final decision was made. Still, given Haimon’s confidence, and his circumstances, she probably had a mere few weeks.

  Weeks. Time. Hope.

  Weeks she could use to solidify her relationship with Rafe. Time to ease into telling him what was going on without setting him off. Hope that somehow, together, they could evaluate how to protect the boys from Haimon’s inevitable wrath.

  She clicked on the bid letter. Printing it, she placed it aside and then on an empty email she typed the new numbers, matching the font to the letter.

  Within a few minutes, she’d altered the letter to her satisfaction. Running into the kitchen, she found her phone. The photo came out perfectly. The Viper logo prominent, the language the same. Only the final bid different.

  Lower by several hundred thousand dollars.

  Tam stared down at her mobile phone. She didn’t know how many companies were bidding on the device. Possibly dozens. However, by the way Rafe had talked about it and the way Haimon had discussed it, it seemed likely there was only Viper and this other company in a bidding war.

  Haimon’s cronies were going to lose.

  Yet not for several weeks and that bought her time. And hope.

  Click.

  The bid letter disappeared.

  With it, her last loyalty to an old man who’d never been her father dissolved.

  Chapter 18

  “The deal looks good, really good, Rafe.”

  Rafe gazed across his desk to his CFO. Savas Pagonis had been with him since the early days. One of the first men he’d hired—not for his resume, but for his instincts. He’d never regretted it. “You’re sure?”

  “I’m sure.” Savas leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “You should know, there’ve been some whispers about Tobba having an inside edge. Still, I’m inclined to discount those.”

  Rafe frowned and rubbed his hand across his forehead. He should be excited about obtaining this patent. The product would skyrocket their profits. Yet the only thing he felt was intense irritation that one of his oldest rivals was making a last minute play for a device they hadn’t spent any time going after until weeks ago. “I don’t understand it. Tobba specializes in pharmaceuticals, not devices.”

  “Who knows?” The CFO shrugged, bushy eyebrows drawing down. “Even if they do bid, they don’t have enough knowledge of the product and what it’s capable of doing to put in a bid that will win over ours.”

  Irritation mixed with sudden frustration. He didn’t want to think about this. He didn’t want to be here in Athens. He wanted to be home, up in the hills of Sparti, with the boys.

  And Tamsin.

  His lover, who he’d left this morning, the sunlight barely sliding across the foot of their bed as he dressed. Her face had been pale, drawn. Like she’d spent the entire night tossing and turning. However, she hadn’t done that. In fact, he’d slept all night without even once awakening to a kick or a toss.

  Last night, at dinner, he’d been ready to question her. The boys had eaten, in their usual hurried way, and then raced off to play with Titus.

  He’d had a moment, a moment to find out what the hell was going on. The words were on his tongue, the demand for her to tell him so he could fix it. Defeat what was worrying her, clear away whatever mess was distressing her.

  But when she’d glanced at him, her green eyes had been filled with such stark despair he’d nearly gasped, the words falling off his tongue and into his aching gut. Before he’d been able to catch his breath and drag the words back, she’d jerked to a stand. Bustling around the table, clearing the dishes, putting away the remaining food, chattering about nothing—all of it overwhelming the words he couldn’t find.

  She hadn’t been the only one terrified.

  He’d been as well.

  “Don’t worry.” Savas stood, a flash of a smile crossing his face. “Take that frown off your face, my friend. Our bid went a little higher than I’d wanted it to be, but now, maybe that’s for the best. There’s no way Tobba has the knowledge or the money to take this patent away from us.”

  “I think we should take precautions.”

  “Good idea.” The man clicked on his mobile phone. “I’ll have security dig around. See if they can find out what inside information Tobba supposedly has.”

  “I trust you to handle that.” Because he had no interest in doing so. In fact, he could hardly care less. The only thing he could focus on was what terrified Tamsin. The early morning call from his CFO demanding he had to come to Athens to go over final numbers for this project couldn’t have come at a worse time.

  “Done.” His friend shoved his phone in his pocket and wagged a finger at him. “Now you can focus on the work you’ve let pile up during the last few months.”

  “I have everything in hand.” His jaw tightened as the irritation returned, now with a sharper edge.

  “Do you?” Savas was friend enough not to back down even in the face of a black scowl. “The company, your people, take a cue from you, Rafe. The summer has been rather…sleepy.”

  “I’ve had things to take care of.”

  His CFO stuffed his hands in his pockets, a look of puzzlement on his face. “You could have easily left the twins with your mother. Or your sisters.”

  The masculine bewilderment in his friend’s words almost made him smile, because it mimicked exactly what he’d thought only a few months ago. Along with the amusement came the sudden realization of how far he’d traveled emotionally. The thought of leaving the boys to someone else’s care was now anathema. “The boys need me.”

  “The company needs you, Rafe.”

  “The company is fine.”

  “You know what’s going to happen once we get this patent. There will be a lot of work to do in order to roll this out successfully.”

  “Do you think you’re telling me something I don’t know?” A sliver of weariness mixed with aversion coursed through him. Savas was right. There were going to be many long nights and many missed days with the boys. He supposed it would be all right. The twins would be in school, busy with new friends, and his family would be around to fill in the gaps. And of course, their sister would be there, too.

  The confident thought stopped him.

  Tamsin. Here. For good.

  In fact, he’d assured this by offering her a job and encouraging her to go to school. Once more, he realized with a shock how far he’d traveled from that moment where he’d stood in the cold London rain ready to confront his two enemies.

  Tam was not his enemy. Not anymore.

  “I know you’re a hard worker.” Savas drew him out of his contemplation with a jerk. “That’s not my point.”

  His point, Rafe knew, was whether or not he still had the juice to run this company. Whether or not he had the enthusiasm and drive to keep the engine of Viper Enterprises surging forward. The subtle question angered him, but he’d hired this man to be an independent thinker. Savas’s value for the company was in saying the words that needed to be said. Even if that angered the owner.