BooksBarbecue
Back The Jump
Chapters (52)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Acknowledgements
  5. BOOK ONE
  6. Chapter One
  7. Chapter Two
  8. Chapter Three
  9. Chapter Four
  10. Chapter Five
  11. Chapter Six
  12. Chapter Seven
  13. Chapter Eight
  14. Chapter Nine
  15. Chapter Ten
  16. Chapter Eleven
  17. Chapter Twelve
  18. Chapter Thirteen
  19. Chapter Fourteen
  20. Chapter Fifteen
  21. Chapter Sixteen
  22. Chapter Seventeen
  23. Chapter Eighteen
  24. Chapter Nineteen
  25. Chapter Twenty
  26. Chapter Twenty-One
  27. Chapter Twenty-Two
  28. Chapter Twenty-Three
  29. Chapter Twenty-Four
  30. Chapter Twenty-Five
  31. BOOK TWO
  32. Chapter Twenty-Six
  33. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  34. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  35. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  36. Chapter Thirty
  37. Chapter Thirty-One
  38. Chapter Thirty-Two
  39. Chapter Thirty-Three
  40. Chapter Thirty-Four
  41. Chapter Thirty-Five
  42. Chapter Thirty-Six
  43. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  44. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  45. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  46. BOOK THREE
  47. Chapter Forty
  48. Chapter Forty-One
  49. Chapter Forty-Two
  50. Chapter Forty-Three
  51. Chapter Forty-Four
  52. Epilogue

He shook his head vigorously. ‘No way. Not while I’m here.’

Donna felt a sudden peace envelop her. Paddy Donovon was here, so she was safe. If only she could believe that . . .

She glanced at her watch. It was nearly five-thirty. The dawn was breaking slowly, orange jets of light crowding the dark sky. She was aware of birdsong, as if someone had turned on a radio. The night was ending, and the day was beginning.

‘I’m going to bed, Paddy, you can see yourself out.’

He watched her as she walked towards the door that led into the house.

‘Donna.’ She turned around slowly. ‘Are you all right?’

She smiled at him, a lazy smile that enhanced her good looks. ‘What do you think?’

As she walked up the large staircase that led to her bedroom she looked around her home as if for the first time. At the ornate coving, the pale grey walls, the pictures so lovingly placed to their best advantage. She felt her feet sinking into the carpet, saw the sunlight beginning to filter through the set of double doors on the landing that led out to a small sun terrace at the back of the house. How many times had she sat out there drinking wine on hot summer evenings with Georgio? How many times had he picked her up and taken her to bed? She walked along to her bedroom, its splendour meaning nothing to her any more, because the man who had fashioned it with her was gone from her.

But, she reminded herself, she could get him back. She could be the means of bringing him, if not home, at least back into her arms.

He had never lied to her, she accepted that. But what he had done seemed worse.

He didn’t tell her anything because he didn’t trust her . . . and that knowledge hurt her more than a blow could ever have done. He loved her too much was Paddy’s argument. Well, he couldn’t hope to have loved her even half as much as she loved him; she lived and breathed for Georgio Brunos. He was the reason she got up in the morning and the reason she went to bed at night. She had always told him everything. Had assumed he had afforded her the same courtesy, but obviously not.