The stony certainty in his tone gave Imani pause. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying Gabe doesn’t want the kid to know any of that yet.”
“Well of course, not yet,” she studied her husband as though he were an idiot. “He’s only a baby-”
“Gabe doesn’t want him told.”
She blinked, awareness sparking. “Until he’s older, yes?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe. When?”
“Not now.”
“Will he ever?”
“Baby...I can’t say.”
“But that’s insane.”
“It’s the way he wants it.”
“And you agree?”
“Gabe’s his father.”
“That’s not what I asked. If I were to die, would you hide my heritage-”
“Imani!”
“Our son’s heritage from them?!”
“I never said that-”
She threw up a hand and turned to storm away.
Roman caught her before she got too far, holding her fast when she would have jerked free.
“I would never do that and you damn well know it!” He eased his hold on her when he sensed her tension easing. “This is Gabe and Brogue we’re talking about.”
“Giselle wouldn’t want-”
“But she’s gone!”
Imani flinched and then braced against Roman in a clear indication that she didn’t wish to be touched.
Roman obliged. “She’s gone, Imani.”
“I know that!” Imani took a dish towel from the refrigerator door handle and slapped it at the stove. “Some of us plan to make sure she isn’t forgotten. No part of her.”
“Imani.” Roman’s baritone was rougher with the warning element clearly lacing his voice. He grumbled a curse and then closed the distance she’d put between them. Again, he took her by the arms, made her face him and kept quiet until she met his eyes.
“I already tried to tell him all this, baby.” Roman nodded when her lashes fluttered rapidly in surprise. “He won’t hear it. Now, the fact is that Gabe is all our nephew has. His only parent.” Roman put in when Imani opened her mouth to dispute.
“Gabe is his father and the guy is holding on by a thread-if that. We push him and who knows what he’ll do. He could disappear in the night with Brogue and who knows where they’d end up. Where Brogue would end up.”
Roman kissed Imani’s forehead and tugged her closer. She didn’t return the embrace.
“It’s not right, Sere,” he admitted, “but Brogue can’t know any of this.”
“So we just keep this secret until he’s a grown man?”
“Unless Gabe wants it done sooner. Our hands are tied until Brogue’s old enough to make his own decisions.”
“Being raised by Athena?” Imani drew back as far as Roman would let her. “Being conditioned by her?” Disgust wound through her regal tone. “When the time comes, he may not care who his mother was.”
“Hey?” Roman took her face in his hands. “There are still many things we can tell our nephew about his mother. Like, what an angel she was, how beautiful she was inside and out-”
Imani dissolved into tears then.
“I know...” Roman started to rock her slowly. “I know...it’ll be alright.”
“Will it?” She exhaled shakily into his shoulder. “Roman...I’m so afraid for that child.” She clutched his shoulders frantically.
Roman mimicked the action in the way he held her hips. “Me too, Serenita. Me too.”
~59~
