The Innocent's Secret Baby

For Lena, my mum.

You were wonderful as both and I will love you for ever.

Until we meet again…

Contents

Cover (#u89a92c81-11ad-5df4-9f2b-4b1250e58d69)

Back Cover Text (#u347b67ad-d33d-5d02-a7e9-fb59ceabcc31)

Introduction (#u5ad8d338-4f9a-5bce-b06c-dce8633e5941)

Dear Reader (#ufc6c3c6a-3c55-53b7-9e5d-51d306ef78b2)

Title Page (#uee4d9816-cf7a-5276-ab8b-a4c6d1079501)

About the Author (#u74cf2226-12cd-5b3c-827b-18713694ed81)

Dedication (#uc64fd70f-f7de-5807-b1e7-a09ea592233d)

PROLOGUE (#u397be14b-c556-5736-8ec0-7e6a7b47e934)

CHAPTER ONE (#u5e4aaba5-a038-55d9-9608-c6b3dfe745f6)

CHAPTER TWO (#ue27a417e-7a2b-5e16-8226-b8cdaf079548)

CHAPTER THREE (#uecb31612-e788-5d56-ae6e-b99cfa1475ed)

CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

PROLOGUE (#ufc5c9635-389f-522d-bb66-b6c8fd2a9a38)

SURELY NOT?

As Raul Di Savo thanked the mourners who had attended his mother’s funeral a figure standing in the distance caught his attention.

He wouldn’t dare to come here!

Not today of all days.

The tolling of the bell in the small Sicilian church had long since ceased, but it still seemed to ring in Raul’s ears.

‘Condoglianze.’

Raul forced himself to focus on the elderly gentleman in front of him rather than the young man who stood on the periphery of the cemetery.

‘Grazie,’ Raul said, and thanked the old man for his attendance.

Given the circumstances of Maria’s death, and fearing Raul’s father’s wrath, most had stayed away.

Gino had not attended his wife’s funeral.

‘She was a whore when I married her and she goes into the ground the same.’

That was how he had broken the news of her death to his son.

Raul, having been told of a car accident involving his mother, had travelled from Rome back to Casta—a town on the Sicilian wild west coast—but he had arrived only to be told that she had already gone.

He had been too late.

Slowly, painfully, he had pieced together the timeline of shocking events that had led to Maria’s death. Now Raul performed his familial duties and stood graveside as the line of mourners slowly moved past him.

Condolences were offered, but small talk was strained. The events of the last few days and the savage condemnations that were now coursing through the valley made even the simplest sentence a mockery.

‘She was a good...’ A lifetime family friend faltered in his choice of words. ‘She was...’ Again there was hesitation over what should be said. ‘Maria will be missed.’