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‘Everything but the kitchen sink, I know.’ As his phone rang with an incoming call, David put the suitcase down and moved away, his voice quiet as he turned his back to Gina and the children.

‘Come on, you guys. Let’s go explore our room while Daddy is on the phone.’ She held the children’s hands and looked at David, her stomach sinking as she listened to his conversation. ‘Then we’ll go and get our ice-creams.’

‘I could meet you there this afternoon.’ David’s words reached her even though he spoke quietly. He turned and held her gaze, and Gina’s cheeks burned as she read the plea in his eyes.

‘The bar where the cruise boats leave the harbour?’ He glanced down at his watch with a frown. ‘Yes, five o’clock will be fine.’

Gina turned away from David and left him to see to their luggage as he ended the call.

‘Mummy!’ Andrew protested as she hurried the children across to the building where their suite was located.

Dropping Andrew’s hand, she swiped the card across the lock, her movement jerky, reflecting the anger that was building in her. So he’d intended spending the weekend with them and she’d fallen for his promise? The cold air of the foyer rushed out to meet her when she pushed the door open and Gina welcomed the chill on her burning skin. She sat the children on the floor inside the suite and went back to hold the door open while David made three trips back and forth from the car, filling the foyer with their luggage.

Not a word was spoken until he brought in the last bag, and Gina closed the door of the suite where she and the children would be spending God-knew-how-long until David decided they could go home. She settled the children in front of a cartoon on cable television with a banana each, once again promising ice-cream, and when they were settled she went back into the kitchen. David was leaning against the stone counter top, waiting for her. He opened his arms but she ignored him, walking over to the kettle and filling it with water while she tried to contain her temper.

‘Where’s your bag?’ She looked at the pile of luggage stacked neatly inside the door.

‘I left it in the car. I’ll come back for the day tomorrow, and spend it with you. I have to go to this meeting.’

She arched her eyebrow before turning away to rifle through a container of exotic tea bags. ‘Don’t bother. I’d hate for you to go out of your way for us.’

Gina closed her eyes as she waited for the water to boil and shrugged David’s hand away when he gently touched her on the shoulder. She opened her eyes, staring out through the large window, and watched a family group cross the lawn to the pool area. She couldn’t hear their laughter but she could see the happiness on their faces as the couple watched two children run to the side of the sparkling pool.

‘You’ve changed so much, David.’ She flinched as he slid his arms around her from behind and dropped his chin onto her shoulder. ‘Tell me what’s going on. Show me you can trust me. What you are showing me now is that we are no longer important to you and you have dumped us out here in the wilds where we won’t bother you.’

His laugh held no amusement. ‘It’s nothing to do with trusting you. I just don’t want to frighten you.’

Uncertainty made her chest ache as his voice shook and she turned around in his arms. ‘Then tell me what it happening. Please.’

David dropped his forehead to rest against hers. ‘I made a stupid mistake and signed a document I shouldn’t have. Now I’m being pressured to uphold a decision in a committee meeting that may have consequences.’

‘So?’ Gina wrinkled her brow and waited for David to continue. ‘Can’t the other members of the committee see it is not a good decision?’

His breath was warm against her face and he didn’t answer. Screams and laughter carried in from the television show in the living area and Binny’s cute little chuckle followed soon after.

‘David, you’ve always followed your judgement, and your integrity is one of the reasons you got to be Chief Minister at such a young age. You know that. How can you doubt you are doing the right thing this time?’

‘I wish it was so easy. There’s more than that.’ He leaned back and the fear settled into Gina’s stomach as he held her gaze. ‘A very powerful man has threatened to hurt the children if I don’t recommend approval for a boundary change that could result in mining at the edge of the national park.’

‘Who has? What the hell are you talking about?’ She pushed away from his gentle hold. ‘How dare you not say that to . . . I mean . . . tell me that before. And you were just going to leave us here alone and go back to the city? Without warning me to be careful?’ Gina sought the right words, her voice becoming increasingly shrill. When she was really upset, her English deserted her and she would lapse into her native Italian. ‘How dare you play with us, with la nostra sicurezza, with . . . with . . . our lives, just to run your precious Territory?’ Her voice hitched on a sob and she pulled away from his hold. ‘Our bambini, David. You risk them for what? A fucking piece of land?’

‘Listen to me. No one knows you’re here. It’s safe here and –’ David’s voice was quiet and it was his calm that fuelled Gina’s anger even more. He ran his hand through his hair and then reached for her again, but she balled her fists and struck at his chest. David grabbed for her hand but she folded her arms.

‘Who are they?’ Her eyes filled with tears as she stared at him and she blinked them away. ‘Tell me.’

‘Keep your voice down.’ The patience in his voice despite his commanding words pissed her off even more. How could he be so calm? She and the kids were just there for him to be with at his whim, and she knew they always came second to his precious political career.

‘What are you going to do?’ Gina whispered and brushed away the tears that were now running down her cheeks. ‘I know you so well, David, and I love you for your high ideals. You will do the right thing as I would wish you to.’ She stared at him and her voice was cold. ‘But if anything happens to our children, I will never forgive you.’

Chapter 8

Saturday

Makowa Lodge

Kane pushed open the door to the administration block of the lodge, and welcomed the cool air on his face. He lifted his hand and wiped away the beads of perspiration on his brow, although the sweat probably had more to do with the pain in his damned hip than the heat of the day outside. The walk into the waterfall yesterday had left him with a nagging ache down his leg, and he’d barely slept after he’d come back from a late visit to the farm – his mind fogged with pain and worry until he’d finally resorted to painkillers in the early hours.

Concern about what this job was going to require of him was interspersed with thoughts of his mother stuck in that rundown dump by herself, and of the fact that Ellie Porter had somehow snuck through his defences.