The world froze. Her brain jerked. In slow motion, she turned and lifted the envelope, using her fingernail to rip it open.
“Gemma?” Jethro said from behind her. “I’m taking longer than I wanted and broughtyou a coffee.”
She turned to face him.
He moved inside and set two mugs down on the desk.“What’s wrong?”
She pulled out the papers but couldn’t decipher the words. All the letters jumbled together on the page, so she handed them to Jethro. “I can’t read them.” Her voice trembled. “What do they say?”
He ducked his head to read and then lifted up, his eyes sizzling. “Monty is suing youfor custody.”
The crashing sound in her ears increased in force and the room tilted. Then the darkness edged in, and she fell.
* * * *
Fury felt clean in Jethro’s veins. Powerful and clean. He sat next to Gemma behind her office desk while Scott shut the door and took the guest chair, finishing typing a text as he sat. The world had gone dark with night outside, and it felt as if danger was waiting patiently for them all.
Scott looked up, tucking his phone in his pocket. “All right. Let me see.”
Jethro handed over the legal papers to Scott and then put his arm around Gemma. He’d grabbed her before she fainted all the way and had shoved her into her chair, holding on to her hands until she’d come back. She was shaking so hard right now she movedhisarm. “Take a deep breath, Gemma. Oneand then two.”
She did so, and the exhales were shaky.
“It’ll be okay,” he said. “No matter what, I’ll make it okay.” He’d lived a good portion of his life as a spy and could get her to safety, if that was what she really wanted. The pallor of her skin was an immediate concern, and he had to get her back into the moment. She was so accustomed to being alone that she hadn’t realized she had an entire team behind her. “Say it.” He put a snap into his words this time, needing herto concentrate.
“It’ll be okay,” she repeated, her voice a monotone.
Shit. She was going into shock.
He pinched her shoulder.
“Hey.” She turned toward him.“Knock it off.”
“Then stay with me.” He held her tighter, noting a slight tinge of color finally coming back to her cheeks. She looked vulnerable and fragile, and right now she needed to be able to make some decisions. She hadn’t given him the right to make those decisions for her, so he’d help her regain her focus. “Trudy is a nice name. I was thinking about it. Please tell me you didn’t name your daughter after a famous femalestatistician.”
Gemma frowned. “So what if I did?” There she was—back in full force. “Gertrude Cox was the founder of Experimental Statistics, Jethro. She’s the perfect role model fora little girl.”
He forced a smile for her benefit. “You’re right.” And an adorable dork, but right now wasn’t the time to tease her. At least he’d gotten her out of her head so she could concentrate. “Now that you’re thinking again, you can stay in control. Don’t forget that. No matter what happens, you are in control andyou are safe.”
She blinked and then nodded.
Scott looked up. “Interesting. He’s claiming paternity without a test and wants full custody because you, and I quote, ‘robbed him of his chance to be a father and committed fraud by placing a fake name on the birthcertificate.’”
“Is that illegal?” Jethro asked.
“No. Nor is it illegal not to tell a man he fathered a child,” Scott said, folding up the papers. “However, Monty is willing to take and pay for a paternity test, and if you don’t allow it, he’ll seek a court order to obtain Trudy’s DNA.”
Gemma seemed to shake herself out of her trance, but her face was so pale little blue lines were visible along her temple. “Can he do that?”
“Yes,” Scott said, his gaze sympathetic. “Especially because he’s willing to pay for it. We’ve been documenting your history of abuse with him, and Brigid has found at least one other witness who will testify in trial, but you’re going to have to face him.”
“Trial,” Gemma hissed, slapping her head. “This is crazy. Monty doesn’t even want kids. He told me once during a fight that he’d neverwant a child.”
Jethro tightened his hold. “I promise you, I won’t let himget to Trudy.”
Scott flipped the papers onto the desk. “I know the attorney on the other side, and he’s a rat-faced bastard. Let me make a call.” He stood and walked out into the hallway.
Jethro pulled Gemma around to face him. “Look at me.”
