Not-So-Secret Baby. Jo Leigh

hesitated, but only for a moment. Then she lifted her shoulders, straightened her back and headed down the hall.

      It felt as though he was taking her down the Green Mile, right to the executioner’s block. He didn’t know details about Todd’s private life, but he’d heard rumors. The one thing Nick did know was that Todd wanted complete obedience from his women. How he got it was what troubled Nick.

      It didn’t matter. It wasn’t his business. He only wished he could offer her hope, or even comfort. At the very least he wanted to tell her he was more than he seemed, that he wasn’t a bastard. But that could end up very badly. For lots and lots of people. So he kept his expression neutral, his body several steps behind her, his gaze just over her left shoulder.

      All he could do was look forward to the end, to the day he put Todd down once and for all. Todd was going to pay for a multitude of sins, and Nick would take great pleasure teaching him the error of his ways.

      Until then, he couldn’t afford to be distracted, not even by Jenny.

      UP UNTIL THE last second, the very moment before the door to Todd’s suite opened, she hoped Nick would stop it. That he’d reach over, touch her, save her.

      By the time it was too late, she’d gotten it. Gotten the truth about Nick. The reality of her situation. She was on her own. No one was going to help, no one was going to care. She had to get Patrick out. And she had to do it alone.

      But first she had to get through the night.

      “Ah, that’s my girl.” Todd stepped into the foyer, dressed in an Armani tux, his silver-white hair shining in the lights of his chandelier. “That’s the beauty I fell in love with.”

      She forced a smile. “You look very handsome.”

      He came close, his scent assaulting her, making it hard to keep her smile steady. “Thank you, my love.” He stood in front of her, lifted her chin with the back of his hand until their eyes met. She gasped when she saw the malice in his gaze. He was enjoying every second of this, her knowing he was going to hurt her. Hurt her badly.

      He leaned down, touched her lips with his.

      She let him kiss her, forced herself to kiss him back. The moment she increased the pressure, he pulled back, keeping the contact light, almost tender. And then he nipped her.

      She gasped, stepped back.

      Todd laughed. Turned away. “Nick, my man. Go on, get the hell out of here. Find that pretty dancer you like so much.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a wad of bills, tossed them to Nick. “Take her somewhere nice. I won’t need you till tomorrow.”

      Nick grinned, put the money in his pocket. “Thank you, sir. I’ll be here first thing.”

      “Make it about nine. I have a feeling we’ll be sleeping in.”

      “You got it. I’ll have the cell with me if you need me tonight.”

      But Todd wasn’t listening. He’d turned his attention back to Jenny, dismissing Nick as effectively as if he’d shown him the door.

      Jenny watched Nick out of the corner of her eye. He never looked back. The door closed with a click and Todd’s hand landed on her shoulder. He squeezed her there, squeezed hard enough to make her moan.

      “You know where I want you,” he said, his voice low, soft, almost purring.

      She swallowed. “Yes, sir.” Then she turned, headed toward the bedroom. She kept her head high, willed herself to stop trembling. But each step was more difficult than the last.

      NICK WENT RIGHT to his room, to his bathroom, and started the shower. When he’d locked the door, he stripped, but before he got under the water, he pulled a small black pouch from under the sink. It looked like an iPod. He put the earphones on, pressed Play. But instead of the sounds of music, he heard a guttural laugh. Todd’s laugh.

      The bug was in Todd’s living room. It was an extraordinary piece of equipment, built specifically to get by the sweeps of one of the world’s most efficient and sophisticated counter-surveillance experts. It, and three others, were the only microphones like it in the world.

      Nick listened for all he was worth. He hoped they wouldn’t go to the bedroom. There were no bugs there. He’d put one inside Todd’s limo. The other was in Todd’s outer office. Nick had one more, but that bug hadn’t been successfully planted. It was to have been in Todd’s private office. The inner sanctum. But every time Nick had tried to put it there, something had stopped him. Something in the form of Henry Sweet.

      He didn’t care at the moment. Not when he had to listen to Todd’s footsteps. Todd’s laughter.

      Damn. Was that whimpering? Crying? Damn it, whatever he’d heard was gone. Todd had taken her out of range.

      Nick couldn’t do a thing. Not at this stage of the game. But when it was over, the bastard would pay. Nick would kill him with his own two hands if he so much as raised a hand to Jenny.