“I leave you alone for a few days and you get busy at once. What’s the word? When a Pope dies, a new one comes?”
His grimace of naughtiness, combined with the evil glare and the wave of negative feelings he emanated, made her wonder if he still had a shred of humanity. His scornful laughter let her understand he had none left.
“Get away from her, Tom,” ordered Cédric, placing his hands on her shoulders.
Alice, now jammed between them, prayed in silence to come out of it alive, but Tom raised his hands and backed away.
“As you wish. I just came to repudiate her.”
“What?” she screamed, horrified. “ You want to disown me?”
Tom’s face momentarily assumed a contrite expression, but then he masked it with indifference.
“I thought you might want your life back and disowning you seemed the
