“And there’s something else. Burton made it clear to me that if I don’t marry him, I will lose my position with Burton International. And aside from my two-year restraint clause, he assured me that I would never be able to find work here in Australia again—or anywhere else his reach extends. Dad needs specialized care for the rest of his life, and it won’t be long before Mum can’t cope on her own anymore, even with me helping where I can. If I can’t support my parents financially, Raif, what am I to do?”
Fourteen
Raif held her close. He was still trying to assimilate the news that she hadn’t gotten rid of their baby, along with the information she’d just given him. She was trembling now—with emotion, with fear and with helplessness. He understood it all. Had gone through it all himself when Burton had flung his cruel gibes in Raif’s direction. But there was one thing Burton hadn’t counted on: that Raif would do anything for his family, no matter what. Family always came first—including his unborn child and that baby’s mother.
He eased her away slightly and tilted her face up to his. “Shanal, answer one thing. Do you trust me?”
Her lips quivered and she drew in a sharp breath. Her irises were all but consumed by the pupils of her eyes as she stared up into his face. “Yes, I do. I trust you.”
“Then believe me when I say I will help you, if you’ll just let me. Get me a copy of the loan agreement your father had with the bank. I’ll ensure that the debt he owes Burton disappears. And trust me when I say that I can more than adequately provide for your parents, Shanal. And for you and our baby, too.”
“But what about my work?” she protested. “Burton doesn’t make idle threats. He’ll spread out his tentacles and make it impossible for me to work anywhere.”
Anyone else might have thought her concern about her work a selfish one, but Raif knew Shanal. She was, at heart, a geek. A lovable, intense, scarily clever geek. Her work meant so much to her, and she took justifiable pride in her professional accomplishments. Without her job she would feel as though she had no definition in life. It was as much a part of her as those perfectly arched eyebrows or the delectable texture and taste of her skin. And she had a fair share of her father’s pride, as well. He knew, without question, that if Burton destroyed her reputation—which he was more than capable of doing—he might as well just grind her into the ground along with it.
It was up to Raif to make sure that didn’t happen.
“I don’t want you to worry about that. It’s not going to be your problem. Just leave it with me.”
“Raif, that’s a lot of trust you’re asking me to give. It’s already Wednesday. We get married on Saturday afternoon.”
“No, it won’t get that far.”
“But how on earth can you prevent it?”
“I just need you to trust me, Shanal. Can you continue to act as if you’re going along with his plans?”
“Of course I can. I’ve managed to get this far.”
He pressed a kiss to her lips. “That’s my girl,” he said approvingly. “I will fix this. I promise. Your parents will be okay and your job will be safe.”
“But how—?”
“Trust me. Everything will be okay.”
A knock at the door prevented Shanal from asking any more questions. As they acknowledged Ethan’s presence and his summons to join the rest of the guests at the table for dinner, Raif quietly vowed that there was no way he would ever allow Burton to have any more power over Shanal or her family. Or anyone else, if he had any say in the matter.
* * *
By Thursday afternoon Raif was climbing the walls with frustration. The private-investigation company he’d retained to look into Burton’s affairs had come highly recommended, but given the tiny window of time they had to work in, would they be able to dig up enough dirt on Rogers soon enough to make a difference?
Shanal had emailed a scanned copy of her parents’ original loan agreement. The sum was staggering, but not impossible to meet out of his private resources. Raif was already in talks with his bank and financial planners to liquidate the necessary funds to ensure that sum Rogers had paid through a company facade, together with the appropriate market rate of interest, would be available to be settled, and the mortgage, also registered in that company’s name, discharged. But the information he needed to nail Burton’s ass to the wall, and ensure it stayed there—information necessary to keep Shanal from losing her job and her professional reputation—still eluded him.