‘Whatever for?’ Nik sounded genuinely surprised. ‘What is so important in London?’
‘My job, Danny’s nursery, our home!’ Carrie’s voice rose as she spoke.
‘Danny can’t go to nursery while he’s sick,’ Nik said. ‘So you can’t work. And don’t expect me to believe you’d rather be stuck in that tiny flat than taking it easy in my home.’
‘I’m not discussing this with you. It’s my decision, not yours,’ Carrie said firmly, wishing she felt as confident as her voice sounded. ‘I’m getting Danny and taking him home, to London, right now.’
‘How are you planning to do that?’ Nik asked, lifting his dark brows superciliously. ‘You’ll have no more chance of getting him on a flight here than you did in Menorca. What’s more, I’m not going to risk my nephew’s well-being by leaving him in your care when you’re obviously not thinking straight.’
‘I wasn’t thinking straight when I trusted you to take us home,’ Carrie snapped. Tears were pricking behind her eyes but she blinked furiously, determined not to let him see how upset and helpless she felt.
Nik paused at the exit and looked back at her, his broad shoulders virtually blocking the view of the airport behind him.
‘By now Danny is safely in a car that is ready to take him to my home,’ he said. ‘Whether you join us is up to you, but Danny is coming home with me tonight.’
He turned calmly and started down the steps to the tarmac below.
Carrie dashed after him, her heart pounding as she burst through the doorway into the warm night air.
‘Wait!’ she shouted, stumbling precariously on the top step and grabbing the metal rail to keep her balance. ‘You can’t do this.’
‘Of course I can.’ Nik turned and looked up and her, his expression utterly implacable. ‘It’s already done.’
‘But you lied to me!’ Carrie cried. ‘This is kidnapping!’
Nik studied her for a moment, not even bothering to defend himself, and then he pulled something out of his jacket pocket.
‘Here’s your passport,’ he said, tossing it up to her. She caught it instinctively. He also put her bag down on the step beside him, so she could pick it up as she passed. ‘You can do as you wish. Danny stays with me.’
Oh, God! Her stomach plummeted as she stared at the passport in her hand. Nik still had Danny’
s!
‘Wait!’ she shouted again, clanking down the steps behind him. ‘Give Danny’s passport to me right now,’ she demanded, snatching up her bag from the step as she passed.
‘I’m going home,’ Nik said over his shoulder. ‘You may do as you wish.’
Carrie stared in dismay as he strode across the tarmac away from her. Her stomach was churning and she felt horribly sick. She couldn’t believe this was happening, but she knew if she didn’t follow him he’d soon be driving Danny away into the Greek night without her.
She did the only thing she could. Gripping her shoulder bag tightly, she started to run after him.
Carrie stared out of the window as the limousine made its way swiftly through the one-way system of Corfu Town. It was late at night, but there were still a surprising amount of people about.
She’d never been to Corfu before, but she knew it was a busy tourist spot, popular with the British. If only she could get Danny away from Nikos Kristallis, surely there would be people she could ask for help?
She glanced sideways at Nik. He was leaning forward, watching the sleeping baby with an unsettling intensity.
‘I need to stop here in town,’ Carrie said suddenly, knocking on the window that separated them from the driver. ‘Could you ask your driver to pull over?’
‘Whatever you need will be provided at my home,’ Nik said, picking up the internal telephone to communicate with the driver. ‘There’s no need to stop.’
Carrie gritted her teeth and looked through the glass to see the man talking to Nik on the telephone link. She had expected him to slide open the glass that separated them. But she knew without Nik’s support she didn’t have much chance of persuading his driver to stop for her.
‘I need to pick up some things for Danny and for me. I didn’t expect to be away from home for so long,’ Carrie tried again.
‘Don’t think about doing something foolish.’ Nik turned to look at her. ‘I have Danny’s passport and a copy of his birth certificate. He is my nephew and my family is well known here. No one will help you take the child out of Corfu without my permission.’
Carrie bit her lip and went back to staring out of the window. They were driving through the countryside now. It was dark, but she could see that the road was winding its way through dense olive groves. She tried to concentrate on remembering the route, so that she could retrace it on her own if she got the opportunity. But all she could think about was how foolish she’d been.