Bend But Never Break

by Cheryl Phipps

  BEND BUT NEVER BREAK

  Talia McLeod is on a desperate hunt to find her daughter Chloe, kidnapped by her dangerous ex-husband. She has to put her trust in the icy Detective Nick Foster, despite being let down by law enforcement time and again in the past. When the threats against Talia escalate Nick will stop at nothing to keep her safe, even if it means going against protocol. But he’s horrified to find his personal feelings for Talia put everything they most love at risk.

  By Cheryl Phipps

  Sign up for my new release mailing list at www.cherylphipps.com to receive a free romantic short story.

  BEND BUT NEVER BREAK

  Bend But Never Break is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Bend But Never Break published by Cheryl Phipps

  Copyright © 2014 Cheryl Phipps

  ISBN: 978-0-9941043-1-1

  Table of Contents

  Title

  Bend But Never Break

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Thanks

  Dedication

  To my husband, Mervyn.

  Your faith in my ability to do this never wavered, even when mine did. Without your support, I know it wouldn’t have happened. Love really can conquer anything. xx

  PROLOGUE

  Nick, being no stranger to the seedier side of life, welcomed the familiar rush of adrenaline as it pumped through his system. The men he’d been tailing had carried something down the alley, and now they exited empty-handed. His mind went down several paths, but there was only one way to find out if the worst-case scenario was true. Waiting for several minutes to make sure they weren’t going to return, he warily entered the ally.

  After a few steps, the darkness enveloped him like a winter cloak, without the associated warmth and reassurance. It wrapped itself tighter with each step, threatening to smother him. Gingerly, he felt the rough brick wall with one hand and stretched the other arm ahead. Sliding the tip of his shoe forward in order not to trip, he moved forward, one cautious step at a time.

  His own breathing sounded loud in the stillness of the night, and it seemed an age before his hand finally pressed against something hard, just as his toes stubbed the same object. Biting back a foul word, he felt along the side and realised he’d hit a dumpster. Perhaps they’d merely been getting rid of trash, although not likely, judging by the way they’d furtively entered and left. They clearly hadn’t anticipated being tailed, which had made Nick’s off-duty surveillance that much easier.

  Turning to check how far he had come, he noted that the mouth of the alley had disappeared into the darkness. It might be safe now to use the torch on his phone, and as he switched it on, he heard a faint noise. Straining to locate the source, he was rewarded with another sound. Whatever made it was inside the dumpster.

  Throwing back the lid and gagging a little at the stench, he shone the torch around the interior. A large rug lay upon a pile of fetid rubbish, and something inside the folds made it move slightly. Flipping open one end and praying he was wrong, Nick was shocked to expose a semi-naked female body. Tentatively touching two fingers to her neck, he could discern a faint pulse. She was alive - barely. As gently as he could, he lifted the woman out of the bin and laid her, still partially wrapped in the rug, onto the concrete.

  ‘Lie still. I’m going to call an ambulance.’ Nick wasn’t sure if she was able to hear him, so he took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. He pulled out his phone and began to make the call when he felt her clutch feebly at his arm.

  ‘No! Please!’ she begged through gritted teeth. ‘My baby! Where’s my baby?’ The exertion caused her to pass out.

  Holding his phone close to her so that the screen gave him some light, he nearly gasped at the sight of her horribly disfigured face, but at least he was now certain who she was; there was no mistaking that hair. The beautiful auburn curls he’d felt a desire to run his hands through on more than one occasion were now tangled and partially matted with blood.

  He needed no explanations. He knew to whom she’d been married, and that sorry excuse for a man would have had a hand in this – there wasn’t a shred of doubt in Nick’s mind. Looking down at the woman he barely knew, the one he’d been fascinated and frustrated with in equal measure, he sighed deeply. She’d been stunning, and if he got her to the right people, she might be again, but the real issue was how he could possibly keep her safe. It would be better for her if her ex-husband believed she was dead, at least for now.

  With grim determination, he cracked his knuckles, shrugged out of his coat and wrapped her in it before returning the blood-soaked carpet to the dumpster. There was only one person he trusted, and who was capable of doing what was needed. New Zealand might be the epitome of a clean, green country but there were always going to be scum who plagued his existence. Rarely did they change, but Kirk had and over the years they’d become friends. Being an ex-criminal, Kirk had many contacts, and more importantly, he knew the value of secrecy.

  CHAPTER ONE

  The pain was excruciating. Every inch of her body hurt in varying degrees. Even childbirth had not been this bad. A pain far stronger than that penetrated the fog of her brain and pierced her chest. Chloe - her baby - was she safe? Talia forced her eyes open and then closed them tight as the brightness stung enough to bring tears. Bringing an arm up to shade them, she tentatively tried again.

  Everything was blurry but she could make out someone sitting in a chair across the room, and her heart sank. No doubt it was one of her ex-husband’s goons waiting on Randall’s latest orders. Apparently, having her beaten senseless wasn’t enough. What more would she have to endure before he eventually killed her? Because that was surely the only way Randall would ever let her go.

  She pushed aside the wall of self-pity that threatened to topple onto her. Somehow, she’d survived and therefore she might still have a chance to get Chloe away from him. This was all the encouragement she needed to keep her fighting.

  Talia lifted her head from the pillow and gasped at the pain. The bed was doing a great carousel impersonation and she lay back down, willing it to stop spinning before she threw up.

  The chair creaked and she heard soft footsteps approaching.

  ‘Lie still. You mustn’t move.’

  She turned her head to face him. ‘Which one are you?’ Her voice was raspy from disuse. He came closer and although she could see clearly now, she still had no idea who he was.

  ‘Pardon?’

  ‘Which one of Randall’s hoods are you?’

  ‘I don’t work for Randall Hughes. You can relax, Talia, you’re miles away from him. You’re safe. He won’t find you here.’

  ‘Safe?’ She almost laughed, although there was nothing funny about her situation. ‘I’m alive so that makes me far from safe. If you’re not with Randall, then who are you?’

  ‘I’m Nick Foster, a detective. I’ve been tailing you and your ex-husband for some time.’

  ‘Do you know where my daughter is?’ By the look on his face, he might have been expecting a thank you but his features softened at her question, as did his voice.

  ‘All I know is that she was last seen with a nanny a few days ago.’

  ‘A few days? How long have I been here for? And where exactly am I?’

  ‘You’re at my friend’s house. Kirk�
�s been looking out for you. He took you to a doctor he knows and then brought you back here when you were stable. No one knows you’re here apart from Kirk and I, and you’ve been here for a week.’

  ‘That can’t be right.’ She shook her head and winced. Foggy memories surfaced of being spoon-fed and washed by a stranger. Had it been this detective or someone else?

  ‘Careful. The doctor thinks you might have a concussion,’ he said, touching her shoulder gently.

  Talia wanted to scream at him not to touch her, but the look she gave him must have been enough, as he drew back from the bed. The only person she wanted to touch was Chloe, and her heart ached, more than any injury, that she couldn’t do it right now. A tear leaked from her gritty eyes and she looked away.

  ‘When you feel up to it, get Kirk to ring me. We have a lot to discuss and I think we can help each other.’

  Talia turned to see him walking toward the door, and she panicked. What if he didn’t come back? ‘Wait. Let’s talk now.’

  He stopped and faced her. ‘There’s no hurry. You need to get better first.’

  ‘I need my daughter safe. Tell me how you can help me do that.’

  He hesitated, then picked up the chair by the door and brought it close to the bed. He was tall, and even seated, she had to look up to meet his eyes. They were a piercing blue and Talia felt that they could look all the way into her innermost thoughts. Nice though he might seem, how could she ever trust him? Too late, she’d found out Randall had had his hooks in everywhere, including the police force.

  ‘We’ll be monitoring his every move, and by catching Randall in the act of one of his deals, we can put him away for a very long time. At this moment, Randall has no idea you’re alive so he thinks he’s safe. I know it’s not exactly what you want to hear but it’s a start. Do you remember anything from that night?’

  ‘I remember those animals enjoying every moment of the beating they gave me. I guess they were pretty pissed about losing so much money.’

  ‘I’d say they were more than pissed about it since they left you in a dumpster to die. Seems they were pretty determined not to have you show up again, which is to our advantage.’

  ‘How so?’

  ‘We have it on good authority that a new shipment will be arriving by sea in two months. If you can help with any information, that would be great but when we get Randall, and we will this time, I’d like you to testify for the prosecution.’

  ‘Let me get this straight. You have no intention of getting my daughter back from that monster for another two months? Forget that!’

  ‘Talia, if I could, I’d pick her up tomorrow, but that wouldn’t solve anything.’

  ‘I don’t give a damn about solving anything – I just want my daughter. Can’t you understand that?’

  ‘I do understand, but it can’t happen any faster. With you out of the way, Randall will let his guard down, and it’ll be easier to know where Chloe is at all times. If he suspected you were alive, he would hide her away and - ’ he shrugged his shoulders in apology ‘ - he’s very good at covering his tracks, as you well know.’

  It was the first time the detective had alluded to her involvement in Randall’s smuggling operation and felt herself blush. ‘I didn’t know what Randall was up to until that last day and I didn’t cover up a damn thing.’

  ‘If I didn’t believe that, you wouldn’t be here - you’d be in a prison hospital.’

  His words shocked her; although they shouldn’t have. Even when she’d still been living with him, she’d realised that Randall did not operate to the letter of the law. In fact, it had been her unwillingness to be involved outright that had led to the separation. She might even have gone to the police herself, but an unplanned pregnancy prevented that. From the first moment she’d held Chloe, looked into that sweet innocent face, nothing had mattered more to her - not her job, not her good name, not even her life.

  ‘Forgive me that I’m not more appreciative of your efforts, but a lot could happen in a couple of months, especially around a man like Randall, which means my daughter would be at risk that whole time.’

  ‘We have someone on the inside who’s watching out for her as we speak. If anything changes or she’s not being looked after, then I’ll step in. I’m sorry I can’t offer you a better solution, but if we barge in there now, Randall will have the custody tied up in court. He’s got enough money that he can buy witnesses to say that you were an unfit mother, and it would be your word against his that he ordered you beaten up.’

  ‘But you said you believed me!’

  ‘I do, and we took some photos of you from that day, but it still won’t be enough. Even knowing who did this to you, we can’t prove Randall authorised the beating. Just about everything we have is hearsay and the rest won’t stick. We need concrete proof he’s the monster we know him to be.’

  Talia looked away and for the first time, she took stock of her badly damaged body. She was in pain but they must have been giving her something damn strong because she’d only just realised her other arm was in a plaster, and her legs, sticking out from under her nightie, were black and blue. Also, her face felt tight and when she touched it with her good arm, she could feel a jagged line of stitches. There was no way she could attempt anything in this state.

  ‘If I do what you want, then you’ll guarantee Chloe’s safety?’

  ‘I’ll do everything in my power to ensure it.’

  ‘That’s not really the same thing, is it?’

  ‘I don’t make promises lightly.’

  She wanted to believe him and needed him to make that promise desperately. But two months? How could she live without seeing Chloe for that long? ‘Maybe you could take me to where she is and I could see her through a fence or something?’

  ‘I couldn’t allow that, however I could get our person to send a video or a photo on a regular basis. Would that help?’

  ‘I guess it’s better than nothing, but how do I know this person will take care of Chloe properly? I don’t know if she’s being fed right, or if she’s being harmed.’

  ‘I know it’s not perfect, but I’ve been told that she’s happy and healthy, and if I hear she’s been hurt in any way, I will intervene, I promise you.’

  ‘If it’s not too late,’ she said miserably.

  ‘The person inside is more than capable of keeping your daughter safe.’

  ‘I don’t have a choice, do I?’

  ‘I’m sorry, Talia, but not at this stage. I have to go but Kirk will come up and introduce himself and there’s a buzzer here if you need anything.’

  ‘When will you be back?’ Talia hated the desperation in her voice, but even though Nick was a stranger, he gave her hope, made her feel less alone in all of this madness.

  ‘I’ll be back in a few days. If you need anything, Kirk will provide it, but if I can help with anything, just tell him and he’ll contact me.’

  He didn’t leave with any platitudes, and for that she was grateful, but without his presence, the room suddenly felt too big, and the fear came back with a vengeance. Was she doing the right thing? After losing her whole family in a boating accident a couple of years ago, and then having to deal with Randall’s abuse, losing Chloe would kill her.

  ***

  It was nearly two weeks later when, after punching in the code, Nick drove through the security gates and followed the driveway around to the back of the house. According to Kirk, Talia was doing better than he had expected. They’d agreed to let her think that Kirk had been the one to find her since they felt it would be easier to accept living with a stranger for the length of time she needed to.

  As he got out, he heard a voice and walked through a gap in the hedge. A large lawn stretched out to the pool area, and Kirk stood at the side of it, shouting instructions.

  ‘Get your bum down! You won’t get any faster if you’re swimming like a baboon.’

  ‘I’m pretty sure baboons don’t like water.’

  Kirk didn�
��t flinch at the sound of his voice, an indication he’d been aware of his arrival, which renewed Nick’s faith in his friend as the best protection for Talia.

  ‘I’m glad you’re finally here. Take over while I go and make some calls. This babysitting takes a lot of time I can ill afford. Don’t go easy on her - she doesn’t deserve it today.’

  Nick smiled at his friend’s grumpiness and watched him march back up the lawn. He would have been surprised with any less of a greeting. Kirk did not do pleasantries.

  A splash of water made him turn just as Talia emerged from the pool, pulling off a pair of goggles. Damn, she was looking good. Long legs, now free from any bruises, and narrow hips accentuated her generous bust, which was hidden in a very modest navy swimsuit. She’d been losing weight over the time he’d had her under surveillance, but it looked as though she’d put on a couple of pounds since he’d last seen her. Kirk was a great cook - one of his more honest talents. The wound on her face had healed, but the scar, stretching from her hairline to her right eye, would be a long-term reminder of what she’d been through.

  ‘I see my coach has deserted me.’ She acknowledged his presence before wrapping a towel around herself, taking off her swim cap, then running her fingers through her lush hair in an attempt to tame it.

  Nick felt a tug of disappointment when she covered up. ‘Kirk had a couple of calls to make. I hope he hasn’t been working you too hard.’

  ‘You’re kidding, right? The man is a slave driver.’

  ‘I can talk to him if you like.’ He hated to think of her overdoing things.

  ‘No, that’s okay. I kind of like it. It was hard the first day or two but with the cast off, it’s getting easier.’

  ‘Wasn’t that a bit soon?’