Broken by Martina Cole Page B

sorry, love, but I have to talk to you.’ He was searching her face for any signs of softness.
    ‘If you think a few choice words will change what’s happened,’ she said heatedly, ‘then you are even more arrogant than I thought. You consistently lied to me—’
    ‘I never lied, I just never told you everything. That’s the difference.’
    ‘The result is the same. You did things you knew would compromise me, Patrick. What happened to truth and trust and honesty? Now you’re in the shit, and I am not going to get pulled in with you. You promised me a good life . . .’
    Patrick was getting angry himself now. He found her more alluring now than he ever had before. He adored her and she knew it. The club meant nothing to him really. Its appeal was monetary and that was that.
    ‘Listen, Kate, I need you more now than I’ve ever needed anyone. The love I have for you is immense. I care more about you than any other living being. When you’re not there I miss you beside me in the morning, I miss reading the bloody papers and drinking coffee with you. I miss you in bed with me. I miss you so much it hurts, but I am not here to ask you to come back, love. I’m here to ask you a favour.’
    She gasped at his bare-faced cheek. ‘A what ?’
    He stared into her eyes. ‘I need a favour, Kate.’
    ‘You have a bloody brass neck, Patrick Kelly. After humiliating me in front of my boss, suppressing information you knew could put me in a very difficult situation, you then sit here and ask me for a fucking favour. Do I look that stupid?’
    ‘Do you know something, Kate? You still talk like Old Bill, don’t you,’ Patrick said irritably. ‘ “Suppressing information”. Why can’t you say “I kept stumm”, like normal people.’
    Kate’s eyes were hard now. ‘Because, unlike your so-called normal people, I happen to have half a brain and I don’t like to talk like a cheap-rate gangster. Forgive me, Patrick, present company excepted, of course.’
    The barb hit home and she saw he was fuming.
    ‘You lairy bitch. Have a pop at me - go on. I know you better than you know yourself. I know everything about you, woman. You can come the big “I Am” with those little shitbags in that nick but don’t you dare to use that tone with me, lady. I picked you up and brushed you down after that little mare Lizzy shagged half of Grantley and popped enough pills to get the whole town high. I never threw it in your face, mate. I listened to you going on about that fucking geek Dan, and I got shot of him for you, so don’t you “gangster” me. When it suits you, I’m useful. I admit I am not kosher, not by your standards anyway, and if a few punters want to look at some tits what’s the bloody problem? As long as I don’t show them yours what’s the big fucking deal?’
    She stared into his face; it was still the face she loved. The face she wanted beside her. Even if he was a little greyer, a little more wrinkled. He was gorgeous and she would never get over the sheer sexuality of him. But he was not getting away with this.
    ‘Don’t talk to me like I’m one of your little gangster sluts, Patrick Kelly.’
    He slapped her hand in annoyance. ‘Will you stop calling me Patrick Kelly! You sound like me bleeding mother.’
    ‘Don’t you touch me like that! Always violence with you, isn’t it? The hard man, the big bloke. Well, you don’t impress me, Patrick Kelly. You don’t impress me one bit. You lied, schemed and broke all the trust I thought we had. I wanted something you could never give me, and that was honesty. I am always honest with you, about everything, but then I don’t need to duck and dive, do I? I don’t do anything that would offend you or make you feel disgusted.’
    He was sorry for her. He knew she was being truthful, he knew how much she was hurting. He loved her and to see her so hurt made him feel bad. But he had an agenda and he had to keep that in mind.
    ‘I need you, Kate,’ he told her