'I need to talk to you, Jake.' Hawk shot June an apologetic smile. The housekeeper was polite enough to him, but she still didn't seem to like him. It could make things a little awkward around here when he moved in permanently—as Leonie's husband.
'If it's about the Alton Hotels—'
'It isn't,' he cut him off softly. 'It's personal. Very personal.'
Jake frowned, his expression clearing as he gave an agreeing nod of his head. 'Let's go into the lounge. Thanks for the lunch, June,' he smiled at her warmly.
The blush that still coloured her cheeks made her look almost girlish. 'You're very welcome,' she murmured huskily.
Hawk grimaced ruefully to himself as he and Jake went into the lounge; June served his meals as if she wished she dared add a touch of arsenic to them! He wasn't conceited enough to think that every woman he met had to be attracted to him, but he couldn't remember ever encountering this veiled dislike from a woman before. The problem would have to be settled once he and Leonie were married; he refused to be treated like an interloper in his own home.
Jake turned to him, the sun shining in the window behind him outlining the bulk of his body. 'She told you, then,' he said with some relief.
Hawk frowned. 'Who?'
'Leonie,' Jake supplied impatiently.
Now how the hell had he known—? Maybe Stephen had been to the kitchen and spoken to his father since his return? What the hell, it was all out in the open now, maybe they could deal with the problem.
'Yes, she told me,' he nodded. 'I'm just glad somebody did.'
Jake frowned. 'I know I should have come to you, but—'
'You don't owe me any explanations, Jake,' Hawk cut in softly. 'I have to admit I was a little disappointed you didn't feel you could confide in me, but that was your decision,' he shrugged.
'And Leonie's,' rasped Jake.
'She only found out just now—'
'Is that what she told you?' his friend sighed heavily. 'The little fool!'
Anger burned within him. 'What's that supposed to mean?' he snapped.
Jake shrugged. 'Leonie has known about him for a lot longer than that. I warned her yesterday, but she has some ridiculous idea that she can handle him.' He gave a scathing snort. 'If you could have seen the way he looked at Holly…!' He shook his head.
Hawk had the feeling that some of this conversation had been lost on him. Jake made it sound as if Stephen were some sort of threat to Leonie and Holly, and that he couldn't believe.
'Did Leonie tell you he was at the hotel the night you took her there for dinner?' Jake's eyes were narrowed. 'That it's only a matter of time before he realises you're Holly's father and tries to cash in on the fact?'
'Stephen?' said Hawk disbelievingly.
Jake scowled. 'What the hell does he have to do with this?' He was suddenly very tense.
'I'm not sure.' Hawk shook his head dazedly. 'I wanted to talk to you about the fact that you're upset because Stephen has dropped out of school, and you—'
'That's what Leonie told you?' Jake groaned raggedly.
'Yes,' Hawk gave a puzzled frown. 'What did you think I was talking about?'
The other man drew in a harsh breath. 'I don't know. I—er—'
'Yes?' prompted Hawk warily as Jake became suddenly evasive.
'Maybe you'd better go back and talk to Leonie some more,' he grimaced.
Hawk shook his head slowly. 'Why don't you talk to me, Jake?' he asked softly. 'Who exactly was it that was at the hotel that night?' His eyes were narrowed to icy slits.
Jake groaned. 'Leonie's going to kill me for opening my big mouth!'
'Not as painfully as I am if you don't open it again,' warned Hawk softly.
Jake's expression darkened. 'I'm going to tell you because I think you have a right to know, not because of any threats you might make,' he said. 'Spencer,' he bit out. 'Michael Spencer saw the two of you together that night at the hotel. He came to the house yesterday—'
'Here?' Hawk ground out disbelievingly; why the hell hadn't Leonie told him that bastard had been creeping about the place?
Jake nodded. 'I saw the two of them talking together in the garden. Leonie seemed—upset, so I went out to make sure she was okay. He seemed to be threatening her in some way, so I warned him off. Then he picked Holly up—Calm down, Hawk,' he advised softly as a murderous gleam flared in Hawk's eyes. 'He put her into my arms— but not before he'd made a couple of veiled threats concerning Holly and Leonie. I—'
'Why the hell didn't you tell me?' Hawk attacked. 'He's the sort of man who likes inflicting pain on a woman!'
And Spencer had been right here, within his grasp! God, what he wouldn't have given to have had his hands on him!
The 'friend' Leonie had been meeting in town for lunch today, the one who had 'let her down'! Why the hell would she have been meeting Spencer? And yet he knew, somehow he just knew, that was who she had gone to Claymont to see.
'I could see that,' sighed Jake. 'I wanted to come to you straight away, but—well, Leonie wanted to tell you herself.' He grimaced.
She hadn't mentioned her ex-husband to him, had preferred to meet the other man in secret instead. Why?
'If anything had happened to her—'
'I know,' Jake said wearily. 'But she was so adamant about wanting to tell you herself. And— well, she can be damned persuasive,' he added defensively.
'When it comes to her and Holly's welfare you'd do well to remember that you owe your first loyalty to me,' Hawk bit out coldly, turning towards the door.
'Where are you going?'
He gave an angry sigh. 'Back to Leonie to get the full story,' he rasped. 'Don't ever let me down in that way again, Jake,' he warned softly. 'I'll talk to you about Stephen again later.'
Jake stiffened. 'There's nothing to talk about.'
'We'll see,' said Hawk softly, closing the door behind him with forceful anger.
Why hadn't Leonie told him about Spencer's visit? She didn't still care for the bastard, did she? He knew she didn't love him, and there were some women who continued to love a man no matter how cruel he might have been to them. He wouldn't have believed that of Leonie, but she had never actually said she hated the man who had once been her husband, despite all that he had done to her!
Hawk's conversation with Jake didn't appear to have gone well, Leonie realised as he strode purposefully across the lawn to where she sat with Laura and Hal, his expression thunderous.
She picked up the jug of iced lemonade that stood on the table in front of her. 'Would you like some—'
'I want to talk to you. Now. Alone,' he grated coldly.
Hal made a protective movement. 'Dad—'
'Stay out of this, Hal,' Hawk ordered harshly. 'Leonie and I need to have a little talk about her first husband,' he added gratingly.
Leonie gave him a startled look, her hand shaking badly as she carefully replaced the jug on the table. Surely Jake hadn't—
'First husband,' Laura repeated frowningly, a sudden glow in her eyes as she looked at them excitedly. 'Does that mean the two of you—'
'No—'
'Yes!' Hawk spoke gratingly over her denial, taking a firm grasp of Leonie's arms. 'There aren't going to be any more secrets, Leonie,' he told her softly. 'None at all. You understand?' he prompted in a controlled voice.
She understood only too well; she knew that he would demand the whole truth from her now. And that was something she hadn't told anyone, not even Laura.
She nodded. 'Let's go into the house.'
Hal eyed his father aggressively as he spoke to Leonie. 'Are you sure that's what you want to do?'
'Hal, I asked you to stay out of this,' Hawk reminded him, dangerously soft. 'This is between Leonie and me.'
'But—'
'He's right, Hal.' Leonie put a reassuring hand on his arm, touched that he cared for her enough to want to defend her against his father.
'But if the two of you are getting married—'
'We'll ta
lk to you about that later,' Hawk cut in decisively. 'Let's go inside,' he added, keeping a firm hold on her arm as he walked at her side.
She flinched a little as they faced each other across the lounge. She had seen Hawk angry before, furiously so, but that anger had never been turned directly on her before, his disapproval over Laura and Hal always taking precedence. But right now his anger was focused directly on her, and it was a daunting thing.
'You might well look guilty!' he rasped suddenly. 'Just when were you going to get around to telling me you still have assignations with your ex-husband?'
Leonie gasped at the injustice of the accusation. 'That's a lie!'
Hawk's mouth twisted. 'You met him today, didn't you?' His eyes were narrowed.
Her face paled. 'Stephen…?'
'Stephen told me nothing,' Hawk snapped. 'He didn't need to, I was able to guess that all on my own. After Jake told me Spencer was at the hotel that night we went there for dinner, and that he also came here yesterday morning!' He glared at her angrily.
'I was going to tell you—'
'When?' he scorned.
'When I felt the time was right,' she flared.
'And just when was that going to be?' he challenged. 'You've known almost forty-eight hours that Spencer was in the area!'
'Michael is my responsibility—'
'Not when he threatens you and our daughter he isn't,' challenged Hawk.
'He didn't—' Leonie swallowed hard. 'All right, maybe he did,' she conceded harshly. 'But I would never let him hurt Holly.'
'And what about you?' He was breathing deeply in his anger. 'What sort of price are you willing to pay to keep him away from Holly?'
Her face paled. 'What do you mean?' she gasped.
'Did you go to bed with him?' he grated.
Relief flooded through her that he didn't realise just how much she had 'paid' the last year. 'You know I'm not able—'
'There are ways, Leonie,' he reminded her hardly.
Her cheeks burnt. 'Not with Michael there aren't,' she denied with distaste. Making love with Michael had all too quickly become something she merely suffered during her marriage to him. He had soon felt the same way when she wasn't able to respond to him.
Hawk's breath left him in a ragged sigh. Evidence of how much the thought of her and Michael together disturbed him. 'I suppose I should be grateful for that, at least,' he bit out. 'What did he want here, Leonie? And why didn't you tell me he was in Claymont?'
'Maybe because I knew you would react like this,' she attacked. 'Michael is a part of my past, and—'
'By coming here like he did he's also part of our future,' Hawk said harshly.
She shook her head. 'He's gone now.'
'Why?'
She looked up defensively. 'Why not?'
Grey eyes narrowed to icy slits. 'Did he get what he came here for?'
'He's gone, isn't that enough?' she evaded aggressively.
Hawk slowly shook his head, watching her thoughtfully. 'It depends what you gave him to leave,' he said softly.
Her eyes flashed as dark as emeralds. 'I gave him what I always give him; money!' She faced him challengingly, breathing deeply in her agitation.
Hawk was suddenly still. 'Why would you give your ex-husband money?'
'Hawk—'
'Unless you still care for him?' he accused harshly. 'Is that it, Leonie—are you one of those women who like it when a man's rough with them?'
Her arm arced up with all the force she had, her hand making hard contact with his lean cheek, her fingers tingling from the contact, although Hawk remained unmoving as the livid welts appeared on his skin. Leonie stared at him in horror for what she had done.
'Well?' he challenged in a voice that sounded as if he had cut glass in his throat.
Her eyes widened with renewed fury. 'Oh yes, Hawk,' she bit out caustically, 'I loved it every time something didn't go Michael's way and he would hit out at me.' She ignored the way his eyes narrowed coldly. 'I enjoyed walking around with bruises that prevented me going out of the house for days at a time. But most of all I was in ecstasy when he would take my body simply because it was his right to do so. But the best night of all was the night Danny was born, when he—'
'That's enough, Leonie,' Hawk choked.
'Oh no.' She shook her head. 'You wanted to know how much I liked Michael's rough treatment of me! The night Danny was born I wasn't feeling well, I'd been in bed most of the day because I felt so ill. But when Michael came to bed he was in the mood to make love, and the fact that I didn't feel well was "my own fault. After all, I was the one who'd wanted the brat!",' she recited bitterly. 'When I refused his lovemaking he—he—'
'Leonie, don't,' Hawk muttered in a pained voice, moving to take her in his arms.
She evaded his grasp. 'When I refused he raped me,' she finished defiantly. 'After that all I knew was blinding pain. Until they told me that Danny was too small, that they doubted they'd be able to save him.' She looked at him coldly. 'Oh yes, Hawk, I run to Michael's arms every chance I get for more of the same treatment!' she told him contemptuously.
He closed his eyes in self-disgust. 'I'm sorry,' he choked. 'So sorry.' He looked at her pleadingly. 'I just—The thought of your meeting that bastard behind my back sends chills down my spine!'
'What do you think it does to mine?' Leonie snapped unsympathetically.
He drew her hands into his. 'Tell me why you give him money,' he prompted huskily.
She gave a ragged sigh, knowing the time for prevarication was over. And maybe once Hawk knew the truth he could help her. She suddenly needed very badly to lean on someone, and Hawk had such broad shoulders, gave her a sense of security. She was so tired of going on alone.
'I give Michael money because,' she drew in a ragged breath, 'because I was still married to him the night Holly was conceived and he threatened to claim paternity of my unborn child!'
CHAPTER ELEVEN
'What?'
That bastard, that weak son-of-a-bitch who beat up women because he wasn't man enough to go against someone of his own strength, had dared to threaten claiming paternity of his child? He would see the other man in hell first!
Hawk watched as Leonie sank weakly into an armchair, all the worry and pain she had gone through alone during the last months reflected in her shadowed eyes.
He had helped do this to her, as surely as if he had been Michael Spencer's accomplice. Without his child growing inside her Leonie wouldn't have been vulnerable to the other man.
He went down on his haunches beside her chair, taking her hand in his, amazed at how cold it was when the weather was so warm. 'I'm here now, Leonie,' he told her gruffly. 'I'm not going to let him near either you or Holly again,' he promised grimly, knowing it was a promise he would keep at all costs; Michael Spencer was going to receive another visitor today, and he wasn't going to find this one at all cowed by his bullying tactics!
Leonie sat back in the chair, her eyes closed. 'He'd been to see me several months before, asking me for money because he was out of work again.' She shook her head. 'I refused to help him. Then— then you and I—met.' She gave a pained frown. 'And the next time Michael pressed me for money I was very obviously pregnant—with someone else's child.'
Hawk sat at her feet, gently caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. 'I believed the two of you were already divorced, you know,' he told her gruffly, knowing it was no excuse for the way he had decided he wanted her and brooked no refusal to his desire.
She gave a bitter smile. 'We were about to be. We were actually at a meeting between our lawyers discussing the final terms when I fainted, and the doctor they called to examine me diagnosed my pregnancy. Michael was livid at first, furious that I could have found someone else to care about enough to have their child.' Her eyes were a dull green. 'Then he saw a way he might be able to make the knowledge pay off for him. I refused to drop the divorce proceedings and return to him as his wife, so he asked for money to keep quie
t about not being the baby's father instead.' She shook her head. 'He threatened a court case for the custody of my child if I didn't give him what he wanted.'
Now wasn't the time to berate her, to tell her what a fool she had been to give in to any of Spencer's demands; Leonie knew exactly what a mistake she had made.
'You could have come to me,' Hawk prompted softly.
She gave a ragged sigh. 'I knew you'd find out about Holly some time, but I had hoped it would be after Laura and Hal were married. Maybe then we would all have been able to weather the scandal Michael was—is still—threatening,' she added with a shiver of apprehension.
'I'll take care of him,' Hawk told her grimly.
'You don't understand,' she said shakily. 'Michael knows who you are now, and—'
'If he doesn't he very soon will,' rasped Hawk. 'Don't worry about him any more, Leonie,' he advised huskily. 'Spencer is my concern from now on.'
He wished she could have looked more reassured by the statement, but she still looked worried. Hell, of course she was worried, she'd had that bastard messing up her life for so long it was going to take time for her to realise it was over.
And it was over for her. She was his now, the woman he loved above everything and everyone else, and he would protect her with his last breath.
If Sarah hadn't made the mistake about Leonie's divorce already being a fact he would never have pushed for that night with her, he never went near married ladies, but he couldn't exactly blame Sarah for the mistake she had made. He had demanded results immediately, and considering the divorce was on its way through the usual channels, and that Sarah had had no idea that his interest in Leonie was purely personal and not just in the sister of the woman he had believed was out to trap Hal, she had done the best that she could in the time he had given her.
Looking at Leonie, a woman who was so tiny he felt as if he could put her in his pocket and carry her about with him always, he wasn't so sure that even knowing she and her husband were happily married could have kept him away from her that night!
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