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Lara stared at him What did the threat mean? That he’d see her in court? Or that he’d take her in his arht, and make a sham of her pathetic attempt at defiance?
“I hate you,” she said, her voice tre “Do you hear ae the way I feel I hate you, and I alill”
Soerous flashed in his eyes but he spoke with a dispassionate calhtened her more
“Are you packed?”
“Packed? No” Lara’s heartbeat fluttered “We didn’t discuss—”
“It doesn’t matter” He brushed past her “In fact, I prefer it that way”
“You prefer…?” She rushed after hi Don’t—”
Her breath caught Michael was clinging to the crib rail, swaying unsteadily as he stared, round-eyed, at Slade
“Hi there,” Slade said softly “Hi, Mike”
“His naers You can’t just—”
But he already had He’d lifted Michael froazed solemnly into the face that was an adult version of his, and smiled
“Hey, Mike,” Slade whispered The baby put a plu baby-sweet scents that were as foreign as they elcome He sed hard There was a luht My flesh and blood
He turned at abehind hiht with tears She looked like a wo and, just for an instant, he alht of what he had lost, thehe had a son, the years that would have been lost to Michael if he’d grown up without knowing he had a father, and his heart hardened
“If there’s anything here you really want,” he said coldly, “get it now”
“I don’t—” Her voice trembled “I don’t understand”
“And pack whatever my son will need”
“He’s ave birth to him I’ve raised him without any help from you—”
“Do it And do it quickly We have a lot to accomplish before one o’clock”
Lara stared at him “What?”
“The —”
“No” Lara shook her head wildly “No!”
“—and,” he said, as if she hadn’t spoken, “our plane leaves at one”
“Our plane?” She wrapped her ar “Slade Slade, listen to me You have to be reasonable I—I have a life here A home—”
“Your Mrs Krauss is waiting in a taxi downstairs She’s agreed to take care of my son while you and I see Dobbs, and then the justice of the peace”
“How do you know about her? Have you been spying on me?”
“You can list your house with a rental agent or sell it You won’t be co back to it”
“You have been spying!”
“I’ve been collecting inforet, if you really want it”
Lara knew his barbed renored it All she cared about, all thatcontrol of her life
“Slade, listen to ive up everything My job My career—”
“I’ you” He soing to be a ood job at both”
She shrank back as he strode past her Slade told himself that was fine It was the way it should be Hell, after what she’d done to hi that happened…