SEV’SSISTERHADbeen admitted to a private hospital, a recently built commanding property glinting with glass and exclusivity and bristling with staff. They were greeted in the entrance foyer by a young dark-haired man who introduced himself as Dr Ethan Foster.
Amy quickly realised that he and Sev were old friends and that he was well acquainted with Sev’s sister, Annabel, as well. Amy stood uncomfortably to one side, striving not to eavesdrop while Ethan brought Sev up to speed on events. There was a lot of low-voiced speech and she noticed Sev throwing his proud dark head up angrily at one point, even white teeth gritting as though he had learned something that outraged him. Just then, feeling very much surplus to requirements, Amy was tempted to kick Sev for dragging her along and she was determined not to even show her face near his poor sister, who would surely resent the appearance of a complete stranger at such a stressful time.
‘What was all that about?’ she whispered in the lift.
Sev dealt her a grim glance. ‘I’ll explain later but right now I need to stay calm for Annabel’s benefit. She doesn’t need me stalking in to tell her that she picked a bad guy. After what she’s been through with him, she already knows that.’
As Sev strode into the private room from which she could hear the sound of sobbing, Amy stayed in the corridor and the doctor, Ethan, grimaced. ‘Blame me for this. I didn’t fully understand the situation and, of course, the first people I contacted were Annabel’s parents and I let them speak to her on the phone, assuming that they would support her...but they’re not supportive of her continuing the pregnancy and the last thing she needed was to be virtually congratulated on her potential loss!’
‘Oh, heavens, no,’ Amy agreed with a grimace. ‘That must’ve made her feel worse. Sev’s the only real support she has.’
‘He’s never been the emotional type. It will be a challenge for him to find the right words—’ His voice broke off as a woman’s raised voice emanated through the ajar door.
‘You agree with them, don’t you? Why don’t you justadmitit? You think if I lose this child, it’ll be the best thing for everyone!’ Annabel condemned shakily.
It was compassion for them both that prompted Amy to intervene because she knew that Sev didn’t deserve that accusation and that he was deeply concerned about his sister.
‘Now don’t go making assumptions,’ Amy murmured quietly as she entered the room. Ducking deftly past Sev, she moved down the side of the bed to look at the flushed blonde woman sitting up in it. She found it disorientating that, with her fair colouring and light blue eyes, Annabel bore not the smallest resemblance to her black-haired, dark-eyed big brother. ‘Sev’s worried sick about you and about your child.’
‘Who the heck are you?’ Annabel gasped in understandable bewilderment.
‘Just a friend. My name’s Amy.’
‘Well, you can see how many friends I’ve got at the minute by the emptiness of this room,’ Annabel breathed tartly. ‘There probably isn’t going tobea baby now though, so—’
‘Wait for the scan, wait and see,’ Amy urged in gentle interruption. ‘Don’t automatically assume the worst. It’s much too soon for that.’
Sev watched in fascination as Amy talked his sister down from her emotional peak, using nothing more than her quiet voice, positive outlook and a sympathetic expression. Within a matter of minutes, Annabel had stopped actively crying and was anxiously sharing the story of events of earlier that evening, mentioning physical warning signs that made Sev squeamish and he would sooner not have heard, sending him in retreat to the door. In the midst of her story, Annabel suggested that Amy take a seat and asked if Sev could get them some tea.
‘Decaf only,’ she warned him. ‘I’m being very careful.’
‘Of course, you are,’ Amy chipped in approvingly.
‘Do you have a child?’
‘No. At the moment a dog is my child substitute,’ Amy admitted with a grin, telling Sev’s sister about Hopper and Harley and then explaining that she had been with Sev when Ethan contacted him.
Annabel gave her a wondering appraisal. ‘Don’t be offended when I say that you’re not my brother’s usual type.’
‘I didn’t think so but I’m just seeing how it goes,’ Amy admitted with calm acceptance.
Annabel explained that the father of her child didn’t want her to have their child and that his attitude and the lies he had told had led to a bitter end to their relationship. In an effort to remedy that, Annabel had agreed to meet the man she called Olly earlier that evening at his request, but that meeting had quickly gone sour, ending in an argument and her sudden departure. In her haste to escape his verbal attacks she had slipped and tumbled down a couple of steps into the street. Amy listened, inputting an occasional word of empathy and, throughout, Annabel became less emotional and less tearful. It was after midnight by the time the consultant appeared, his friendly manner and practical opinion of the situation soothing his patient even more. By the time the scanning machine was wheeled in, Annabel was becoming sleepy. Amy offered to leave but Sev’s sister reached out for her hand and urged her to stay with her.
As Amy moved out of the seat to leave space for the technician to operate, Sev smiled at her from the doorway and it was a dazzling smile that made her tummy flip and her knees weak. She went pink and hastily looked away again. Moments later as the scanner revealed the flashing heartbeat of her child Annabel beamed with joy and everyone else breathed a sigh of relief that, for the moment at least, tragedy had been averted.
‘Time for us to go home,’ Sev murmured after chatting to the consultant for a few minutes.
Amy screened a guilty yawn with her hand as they travelled down in the lift. ‘You were very angry before you saw your sister,’ she murmured uncertainly.
‘Ethan explained what had happened this evening with the baby’s father. That bastard has been harassing Annabel with calls. He persuaded her to meet up with him again. Of course, he turned nasty fast. She could have been seriously hurt...Anythingcould have happened!’ he seethed.
‘He sounds like a real piece of work.’
Sev gritted his teeth in frustrated rage, a feverish line of colour accentuating the hard line of his high cheekbones as he recalled Annabel’s wan face and haunted eyes in that hospital bed. It would have given him the greatest of pleasure to visit Lawson and plant a fist in his smug, bullying face to punish him, but such open aggression would blow his plans, and revenge was a dish better eaten cold, he reminded himself grimly. He could not afford to reveal his family connection with Annabel untilafterhe had attended the Lawson party because that invitation would be quickly withdrawn if his quarry realised who he was.
Noting the taut lines of his classic profile, Amy breathed in deeply as they crossed the car park to the limousine awaiting them. ‘It’s over now and she and the baby are safe,’ she pointed out quietly.
‘But they shouldneverhave been at risk in the first place!’ he countered through gritted teeth of lingering anger. ‘Heknowsshe’s pregnant. He should never have subjected her to a scene like that.’