Chapter Seven #2
‘Astrid.’ A warm hand held hers, sliding the phone from her fingers. ‘You need to stay calm. I’m already thinking about how we can fix this. Protecting Luca is my top priority.’
‘How can you protect him? All they have to do is look up my address! They’re probably already there. Oh God, Jem and Luca always go out for a walk in the park first thing in the morning. I have to book a flight, I have to get home.’
‘I’m already on top of it,’ he said earnestly. ‘My jet is waiting for us at the airport; we’ll be with him in a matter of hours.’
‘Thank you.’ She tried to feel relief, but instead felt even more dread coil in her stomach. ‘Wait…did you say we?’
‘I’m coming with you, of course.’ He stood up straight. ‘I would like to meet my son.’
‘Do you think now is the best time?’
‘It’s as good a time as any, when I’ve missed the pregnancy and the first nearly seven years of his life, wouldn’t you say?
I have a lot of time to make up for.’ His gaze was cool and measured as he slid her phone across the worktop towards her.
‘You realise that you can’t stay in London whilst this is happening? ’
‘We had planned to take a trip over to visit Grayson’s place in Ireland. I’m sure we can go early and lie low over there.’ She blew out a long breath. ‘It’s not ideal, but thankfully school doesn’t start again for another few weeks.’
‘You think it’s wise to bring this to their doorstep?’
Astrid swallowed past the lump in her throat.
No, it wasn’t wise, nor was it fair. Izzy was pregnant with their second child and enjoying some down time at their home in the countryside.
While she was sure that their security was top of the range, this disaster wasn’t something she felt comfortable landing on them.
‘I want you both to stay with me while we’re getting this media storm under control. For safety reasons, and for the sake of all of our privacy, the best course of action is to take you both under my protection.’
Astrid froze, shaking her head at his words. ‘Your protection? I’m perfectly capable of keeping my own child safe. You’re a racing driver, for goodness’ sake, not a mob boss.’
‘I’m an Accardi,’ he said simply. ‘Much as I’ve tried to distance myself from that fact.
You’re not ignorant of the level of power my grandfather’s family holds.
I was raised amongst them; I know how to handle situations like this.
You may know the media like the back of your hand, but you’ve never faced a scandal like this. I grew up right in the middle of one.’
Astrid was silent, stewing over his words and the annoying truth they held. It seemed he was more controlling and imperious than she’d given him credit for. Still, she forced herself to nod, muttering her agreement between gritted teeth.
‘The Monaco race isn’t for four weeks, as you know. I planned to spend the summer break at my home in Grenada. It’s private, it’s safe and we can make our next plans.’
It wasn’t an invitation or a request, and she felt her chest tighten. ‘I can’t just let you whisk us away to the Caribbean. It’s…excessive. Not to mention it would be confusing for Luca.’
‘Astrid, look at me.’ He took her hands in his. ‘Luca hasn’t even met me yet and already my family name is putting him under threat. Let me take care of you, both of you—let me shield you from this.’
She ignored the shiver of awareness from his touch, and the reminder that being so close to him invoked from the night before. He was just as new to the revelation that they shared a son as she was.
‘Okay,’ she heard herself agree. ‘We’ll go with you.’
She was immensely grateful that Apollo had a private jet.
The lack of queues and waiting around, unlike a standard commercial airport, meant that they touched down in London far sooner than she’d anticipated.
She realised that with the time difference Luca would only just be finishing his second breakfast of the morning.
Without the usual school classes or activities, Jem had been planning to take them both on a trip to the playground, but a quick phone call had forewarned them both to remain indoors with the curtains drawn.
She had asked Apollo to remain behind and allow her some space to pack their things and explain the situation to Luca.
There had been an odd tension between them since last night that she couldn’t quite place.
Of course, things would be tense, considering the shock of discovering they shared a son, but there was something else in the way Apollo looked at her.
Something dark and brooding that sent shivers down her spine.
Apollo’s jaw had been like steel as he’d cleared her to leave with one of his personal security detail, and she had felt the tension coming off him in waves as he’d remained behind on the private airfield and watched her hire car drive away.
She was barely aware of the familiar sights of London passing her by, such was her inner turmoil over the events of the past twenty-four hours.
Yesterday, she’d woken up in her normal bedroom with her biggest worry being how to switch off her brain from work for a few weeks.
Today she was contemplating co-parenting her precious son with a brooding billionaire.
She wasn’t quite sure how or when she would tell Luca about his father, but she had told Apollo they needed to take it slowly. A sudden revelation would not be well received by Luca right now, especially after his plans had already had to change so much this week.
Her son’s frown greeted her when she finally walked into their townhouse, his eyes shrewdly taking in her rumpled appearance and likely quite tired expression.
After a tight hug, his favourite, she sat down with him on the sofa and told him that their trip to Ireland would become an adventure to a brand-new place with lots of beaches. Predictably, he was not amused.
‘Don’t like new,’ he said softly, tears forming in his green eyes.
‘New can be fun,’ she tried, noting Jem’s wince from across the room. ‘I’m sorry, darling; are you very disappointed?’
A single nod was his only answer.
‘It’s okay to have big feelings. I’ve had big feelings too.’ She patted his back softly. ‘But I promise you, it will be fun. Plans change sometimes.’
Luca stood up and moved to the small swing chair they kept for him in the living room, as the movement helped him to regulate his bigger emotions. With a scowl and a huff, he sat down into the stretchy material and solemnly swung his legs.