‘Edo, that’s not fair.’ She snatched a breath. ‘I told him I didn’t need him—’
‘AndItold him to watch you at all times. You can’t just wander off.’
He couldn’t possibly be serious. ‘I was only gone an hour.’ She stared at him, pained to see him struggling with his emotion. ‘Can I not just go out? Would you have me electronically tagged, like a prize heifer?’
He didn’t laugh and suddenly she was too strung out herself to handle him well. ‘I simply explored your very posh neighbourhood in the sunshine. Is that so terrible?’
‘It’s not safe.’
‘It’sridiculouslysafe.’ She inhaled sharply again. He was upset because he’d been worried—irrationallyworried—and she had to make him see that. ‘Edo, what happened to Dante was so awful, I can’t imagine it. But he wouldn’t want you worrying like this for the rest of your life—’
‘They never caught them.’ He cut her off.
‘What?’ She stilled.
‘The fiends who took him. Never caught. Dante was too traumatised to give much information and they never—’ His breathing heaved. ‘For all I know, they’re still out there.’
‘Edo.’ She leaned back against the wall, her legs suddenly weak.
‘You didn’t take the most basic precautions,’ he growled. ‘Basic, Phoebe. When you are so vulnerable. You’repregnant.’
She gazed at the wildness in his eyes, the pallor of his skin. Her walking in the sun for an hour had been torture for him. Because of the baby.
‘You can’t live like this,’ she muttered sadly.
His expression turned thunderous. ‘Like “this”?’
She was heartbroken for him. He was so isolated. So fearful. So burdened by the belief he had to protect her that he couldn’t enjoy even the little things in life—couldn’t let her, either.
‘You can’t controleverything.’ Her emotion got the better of her. ‘Not the weather. Not random things. Not life. Not me either. And I don’t want ourchildto beafraidto go for a walk in their own neighbourhood.’ She didn’t wantanyof them being afraid to go further than three feet from a tribe of bodyguards. ‘We can’t condemn this baby to a life offear. It’ll be damaging—’
‘You think I’lldamageour child with my concerns?’ He jerked back. ‘If that’s the case, then perhaps its best if you return to London sooner rather than later.’
‘What?’ She froze. She hadn’t meant to make him snap. But he had. Just like that.
‘You’ll be better off there. As will the baby.’
She struggled to understand what he was saying—to be sure whether he meant it. ‘Have you changed your mind about me staying here in Italy until the birth?’Truly—just like that?
To her horror, he jerked his head in assent.
‘You’re right, I can’t control you here. I don’t want to. More importantly, you don’t want me to. So I’ll step back. But I’ll make sure you’re safe in London.’
Wild hurt rose within her. ‘I can keep myself safe. Case in point, this morning.’
‘What you do with my security plan when you’re there is up to you.’
‘Your security plan?’ Was he really only concerned with keeping her physicallysafe? Was there really nothing more to what he wanted for her? Or for their baby?
‘Yes.’ He met her gaze steadily. ‘But you also need your friends, Phoebe. Their support. You need your place.’
Sohewasn’t a friend? And her place wasn’t here with him. Because he didn’t want to support her.
She reeled, desperately cut. Because, despite her best efforts, she’d still fallen for him. She’d still believed they might have achance.
‘Why did you even bother with this in the first place?’ she asked angrily. ‘Why not just leave me and your unwanted offspring to fend for ourselves?’
‘I wanted what’s best, but—’
