Kate Hewitt - Bad Blood

Nathaniel realised just how much his brother was carrying. ‘We weren’t your responsibility.’

‘Yes, you were. And I let you down. If I hadn’t left, all of you might not be scattered around the world.’

‘If you hadn’t left, we might not be so successful,’ Nathaniel drawled. ‘Did you know Alex was the youngest driver to win the British Grand Prix at Silverstone?’

‘I watched it on television while staying in one of Sebastian’s hotels—the Singapore Grande Wolfe, I think.’ Jacob stooped to pick up a broken photo frame that lay abandoned and forgotten on the dirty floor. He stared at the faded, cracked picture. ‘We need to replace this with some of Annabelle’s. Her work is astonishing. She finds beauty in everything. And then there’s you—Sapphire-winning actor. Twenty million dollars for your last movie and a percentage of box office gross. What do you do with all that money?’

Nathaniel thought of the children in Rio and the projects he was exploring back in the U.S. ‘I give it to Jack and he doubles it.’

‘Yes, I gather he has rather a talent for investments.’

‘And poker. Even Lucas refuses to play poker with him.’

‘The tabloids have been full of stories about you and Katie Field. You’re lucky finding someone who loves you like that.’

Feeling cold inside, Nathaniel concentrated on the graffiti sprayed on the wall. ‘She walked out.’

‘And you let her? Because you don’t love her?’

‘Because I do love her.’ Acknowledging that for the first time, Nathaniel rubbed his fingers over his forehead, aware that Jacob was watching him.

‘So you’d rather spend your life with women you don’t care about?’ His tone was heavy with irony. ‘If there’s logic there, I’m missing it.’

‘If you don’t care, you don’t have anything to lose.’

‘But you do care,’ Jacob said quietly, ‘and it’s up to you to make sure you don’t lose. Although I’m guessing it can’t be easy for a woman, being with you.’

‘Because I’m screwed up?’

‘You’re no more screwed up than anyone else. No, I was thinking about the publicity. Cameras in your face wherever you go. Women wanting to marry you and have your babies. On the other hand, maybe she likes all that.’

Nathaniel thought of the brown jumpers. The way she tried to blend into the background. Beautiful, caring Katie. On Wolfe Island, there had been nothing but the two of them. The crazy, insane Hollywood world had been nowhere in sight.

Nathaniel stared at the crumbling walls of Wolfe Manor, at the dust and the cracks. The history. Jacob would restore the house, he thought. Build a future from the rubble. He needed to do the same thing . ‘She hates all that. She thinks I’m a different person in front of the camera.’

‘Is she right?’

‘Yes.’ Nathaniel traced his initials in the dust. ‘I’ve always hidden behind the acting. I didn’t want to be myself. Maybe I was afraid of more rejection. If people reject the character you’re playing it’s not as personal as if they reject the real you.’

‘You should be proud of who you are.’ Jacob’s voice was soft. ‘You’re an incredible actor. I’ve watched your career from the very start. You have a ferocious talent, Nathaniel. But you’re also a good man. I know about all your charity work—about the drama projects for disadvantaged children. Rafael filled me in.’

‘I just wrote cheques,’ Nathaniel said gruffly, ‘until Katie made me roll up my sleeves.’ He thought about the children in Rio. ‘This boy has been emailing me—I think he has real talent. I’m going to pay for him to go to drama school.’ And others—it was a decision he’d made when he accepted his Sapphire. He wanted to give other children the chance he’d had.

‘You’ve played a lot of roles. Now it’s time to play yourself. With Katie. Go.’ Jacob gave him a push. ‘We’ll get together another time. All of us. I’m back now and I’m staying. I have to stop this place from crumbling into the dirt and I intend to do the same for the rest of this family.’

Katie taped the lid of the last box. ‘There.’ She sat back on her heels and wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her jumper. Keep busy. Keep busy . ‘I never knew I’d gathered so much stuff.’

‘I can’t believe you’re packing boxes wearing a priceless necklace.’ Claire put two mugs of tea down on the threadbare carpet.

‘I’m just terrified I’ll lose it.’ Katie touched the diamonds at her throat. ‘I haven’t taken it off since I discovered I was still wearing it on the plane. I’ll be relieved when it’s finally gone.’

‘Now you’re talking rubbish. You’ll be heartbroken when it’s gone because it’s the only thing you have of him.’ Her voice gruff, Claire leaned forward and hugged her friend. ‘You’re so thin. I hate him for doing this to you.’

Terrified by how bad she felt, Katie pulled away. She’d never been in love before and she’d had no idea that it could hurt this much. The grief was huge and physical, a weight on her chest that she couldn’t shift. ‘Don’t you dare cry or you’ll start me off.’

‘Sorry—I just can’t believe you’re going. What am

I going to do without you? You’re my best friend … you tell me what to wear.’ Claire’s eyes narrowed. ‘I’m loving that red jumper, by the way. What happened to all your favourite shades of brown?’

Katie felt her eyes sting. ‘I moved on,’ she said huskily. ‘Now, stop making me sad. You can come and stay. And we can email and text and there’s always Skype and Facebook—’ She broke off as someone hammered on her front door.

Claire looked at her watch. ‘The removal men are early.’

‘Katie?’ Nathaniel’s voice bellowed through the closed door. ‘Open this damn door!’

Claire shot to her feet, tea sloshing onto the carpet. ‘It’s him! What’s he doing here?’

Katie put her tea down carefully. ‘He’s here for his diamonds. I should have texted him to tell him I was planning to return it.’

‘I don’t think men like Nathaniel would bother travelling to another continent just to retrieve lost property.’

‘Well, there isn’t any other reason for him to be here.’ Feeling sick and dizzy, Katie stood and smoothed her jumper. She didn’t want to face him. She just wasn’t sure she could hang on to control. Wishing she’d couriered the necklace back to him, she walked to the door and pulled it open.

Nathaniel stood there dressed in black leather, a motorbike helmet tucked under his arm.

Her knees went weak.

How was she going to cope? How could she forget about him when Nathaniel Wolfe’s insanely handsome face stared back at her from every billboard and every magazine?

‘Hi, I know why you’re here.’ She must have learned something from him, she thought, because it was only acting skills that kept her afloat. ‘You’ve come for your property.’

‘That’s right.’ His voice was smooth and sure and he glanced over her shoulder and saw Claire. ‘Hi, Claire.’

Claire looked as though she might faint. ‘You know my name ….’

Katie put her hands behind her neck and unfastened the necklace. The diamonds seemed to symbolise all the reasons why this would never have worked. ‘Here—’ She held it out to him and he stared at it.

‘Why are you giving me that?’

‘You’ve come for your property.’

‘That’s right. But I don’t want the necklace.’ He studied her with those blue eyes that made women forget how to think straight and walk straight. ‘I want you.’

There was a whimper and a thud behind her, but Katie was too busy keeping her own emotions under control to have any thoughts to spare for her friend. She wasn’t going to fall for it. Yes, it sounded sincere. He was an actor. He earned a living making the unbelievable, believable. ‘Take the necklace …’ She pushed it into his hand. ‘Get on with your life.’ Get out of my house before I make a complete fool of myself… .