Page 100 of Tears of Gold

The doorbell rings and I hear Dan stomp across the hallway to answer.

“Oh,” I hear a familiar voice say.

I literally can’t get my legs to move fast enough.

“Who the fuck are you?” Dan growls.

“Oh, Sienna, hi.” I screech into the hallway and find them just staring at one another. With my greeting, Dan’s eyes slide over her with more interest.

“And this is the woman he was going to leave you for?”

“Dan, shut up.” I turn to Sienna. “I’m sorry.” Gesturing my hand, I beckon her forward. “Come in, come in. You know Eli isn’t here, right? He is in the States.”

“I know.” She drops her gaze to my tummy—so now I know she knows. Excellent. Dan groans as he does with every mention of Eli and stomps off to the sitting room which he’s made his own, as he lays on the sofa all day and eats all the food Miss Beesley brings to him.

He’s looking better. Stronger. The bruises are fading, although I still don’t know what caused them and he has his colour back. His swagger that I remember so well is slowly returning. I don’t know what Miss Beesley is feeding him, but she needs to cut him back; he’s getting cocky again. The last thing I need is Elijah coming home tomorrow and finding Dan lording it in his place. That would be a disaster.

Sienna walks in, her heels clacking against the marble. “I just came to drop some files off Eli needed.”

“Have you been working for him again?” It’s funny but there isn’t a shred of jealousy in my tone, or in my heart.

“Just some basic research. Nothing major.”

My phone rings. It’s a Brighton number, so motioning for her to head into the sitting room I swipe answer. Then my stomach drops as I listen to what the caller has to say.

Sienna leaps up from opposite sofa to Dan’s when I walk in. I can barely see. Can barely even think.

“Faith? What’s wrong?”

“Jesus, Faith.” Dan jumps up and almost bulldozes Sienna out of the way to get to me first. “What’s happened? Is it His Lordship? Has his private jet come down?”

Sienna casts an interested glance over Dan, but I can’t be dealing with his shit. “Dan,” I snap. “For once will you shut the fuck up?”

He does.

“Faith?” Sienna steps closer and sits at my side.

“That was the police. Someone has come forward and made a statement disputing my claims against Aiden. They have said the Crown Prosecution Service doesn’t have enough to go on and the case won’t go to court.”

I think I may puke, and it has nothing to do with the baby.

Sienna has her phone out of her bag in record time.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“Telling Elijah.”

“No. Leave it; it’s not his fight.” I don’t add that right now I’m not sure he is still fighting for me anyway.

“Then I’m calling your lawyer. This is unacceptable.” She dials and gets up, walking away. Dan looks at me with large round eyes, his colour fading to that of two days ago.

“I will take the bastard down, Faith. You know I would do it for you.”

“No. I told you then and I’ll tell you again until the day I die, I will not let you ever do something like that.”

“You should. I’d rather he was dead then walking around.”

“Dan, you don’t have to protect me anymore. I’m a big girl. I’m getting married.”