"And you hope he has?" Marc asked slowly, not wanting to know, and yet needing to. When she hesitated, his heart stirred. There was room there…and it was still wrong.
"We were a family for a long time, and if he can stop..." Angela caught herself quickly, "If he can compromise, I might be willing to settle back into our old life."
"And if he won't?" Marc stubbed out the roach, and when she met his eye again, there was no mistaking the fear, but there was also a wall of determination that reminded him of the old Angie, his Angie.
"Then I'll grab Charlie and go north. Kenny would never expect a weak woman who speaks a little Spanish to head for Canada."
Marc let out a frustrated sigh, sure she wasn't telling him everything. "We could do that anyway."
"No. I have to give him the chance."
"So, I take you there and hang around until you make up your mind, and then maybe take you north. What's the catch?"
Angela sighed ruefully, not meeting his eye. "There's more than one, but the biggest is that Charlie doesn't know for sure that Kenny's not his father. I've never been... able to tell him, but he'll figure it out and then Kenny will know. Once my Marine finds out who you are, he'll never agree to anything. You may have to fight for both of us."
Marc said nothing, waiting, and she let out a worried noise that called to him.
"He'll be madder than I've ever made him, and…maybe it'll come to blood."
"Surely you're exaggerating?"
"No, I'm not. He'll see you for the threat you are, and try to run you off or hurt you. It's only fair you know what you're getting into."
Marc felt a fresh tremor of unease at the tone. "Then why take the chance the boy will get caught in the crossfire? We'll grab him and go."
"No, Brady. I would have been sent home, and they would have taken my baby from me. Kenny saved me that. We made a deal. Eighteen full years no matter what, and while I can't keep that promise now, I at least owe him the chance to accept that things have changed and keep the family he had, just on different terms."
Marc was quiet as he studied her, not liking it. If her man was that possessive, there was bound to be ugliness he wanted no part of. "What you're asking is unfair. I can't even spend time with my son. It's a bad deal now, too."