by F. C. Clark
‘Not far to go – carry on.’
Tears roll down my cheeks.
Luke places his hand on my hair. ‘Shh, it’s OK – we’re nearly at the safety point.’
Safety point? I don’t understand what is going on. I use my hand to wipe my face.
‘You’ve done well. Your driving skills are moderately satisfactory.’
He looks at me, knowing he can make me smile. ‘I know you’ve had the wind knocked out of you, but I’m here now – this is my problem too.’
I nod. I’m too weak to speak.
Luke taps his ear and speaks. ‘Sutton. In five. Over.’
‘Kate, slow down.’
From nowhere, two motorbikes appear.
‘Shit. Luke?’
‘They’re here for us. Stop the car.’
I stop the car, and Luke presses the stop button on the dashboard. I remain seated, waiting for my next set of instructions. Luke gets out of the car, and goes to open my door.
‘Let’s go.’
He holds his hand out for me.
The men remove their helmets and move towards us.
‘Kate, I would like to introduce you to James Sullivan and Scott Parker.’
‘Hi.’ They look identical to Luke, with matching outfits and guns. They are tall and well-built. The blond man, James Sullivan, looks rugged, but he has a nice smile. Scott Parker’s features are hard, although his chocolate skin and shaved head are certainly striking.
‘I took out three vehicles. Any sign here?’ Luke asks.
‘No. Both locations are clear.’
‘Good.’ Luke looks at me. ‘Ever been on the back of a bike?’ He arches his brow and flashes his best Sutton killer smile.
‘Nope. Never wanted to.’
‘It must be your lucky day. Do you have a jacket in your bag?’
I nod.
‘Put it on.’
Still feeling numb, I grab my jacket and slip it on without question.
James Sullivan passes me a helmet.
‘Allow me.’ Luke slides the helmet over my head, then does the same for himself. ‘Can you hear me?’
His raspy, sexy voice echoes in my ears. ‘Yes.’
Luke passes Scott Parker his rucksack, while James Sullivan walks towards the vehicle we arrived in. I watch him plant the same green putty. I’m guessing he’s going to destroy the evidence.
Luke straddles the bike. He helps me to climb on behind him. James and Scott share the other bike. The engines roar as we head off. Within a few seconds, there is another explosion.
‘Kate, hold on – this will be rough.’ Luke talks to me through his mic.
‘OK.’
I grip him tightly. The bike hits a rough piece of road and almost throws me off. Luke reaches behind him to steady me. ‘Jesus, hold on – these roads are bad.’
Before long the surface changes. The bikes glide across a field towards a farmhouse. Next to the house sits a metal hut, with two large doors that open and automatically close behind us as we ride inside. A dark corridor lights up in front of us as we descend towards another set of doors, which silently open. We ride directly into a large room. What is this place? I wonder.
Luke stops the bike and climbs off. He removes his helmet and passes it to a man dressed in military clothing, then removes mine and lifts me off the bike.
Next he takes my hand and leads me to a room where James Sullivan and Scott Parker are waiting. I sit down.
A young man enters the room. ‘Sir.’ He looks at Luke.
‘I need the medical and drug-testing kit, strong coffee and some food.’
‘Yes sir.’ The young man exits. I look across at Luke, puzzled. This must be his dream job – commanding people.
‘Now then, Kate, you gave Sutton quite a fright.’ James looks at Luke. ‘I don’t think many people would have put themselves in this sort of danger – rather brave of you.’ He extends his hand. ‘Let me officially introduce myself. I’m James.’
I shake his hand. ‘Hi.’
‘Brave is not the word I would use.’ Luke glares at James.
Scott nods, using his two fingers to salute me.
I remove my jacket and look around the room, which is filled with computers. ‘What is this place? Some kind of secret army hideout?’ This is definitely a military operation. Luke Sutton, what is going on?
James laughs. ‘It’s no concern of yours.’
‘Oh.’ Well, that told me!
‘Luckily for you, we were not far away… That’s all you need to know,’ James says.
The young man returns. Luke takes the medical kit and wraps the blood pressure cuff around my arm. It tightens.
‘Still low – the same as earlier.’ He slides his hands into a pair of white medical gloves. He then places a tourniquet around my other bicep and opens a container, taking out a needle.
‘What are you doing?’
‘I need a blood sample.’
‘I hate needles.’
Parker looks to Sullivan and sniggers. I’m not in the mood to be ridiculed. ‘Is this really necessary? I think you’re being a little over-cautious – as usual.’ I can’t help but feel hostile.
‘If you hadn’t put yourself at risk, then I wouldn’t need to take blood.’
‘Fine!’
He takes some blood and places it in various vials.
‘You need to use the bathroom.’ Luke places a plastic pot in front of me.
What? ‘No, thank you.’ I know what he wants me to do.
Luke lowers his gaze to meet mine. ‘I’m not bloody asking you; I’m telling you.’
‘I don’t take orders.’
Furiously, he points at my face. ‘Kate, I’m warning you – do not fucking push me after the stunt you just pulled.’
‘Stunt! Oh my God, Luke – actually, who the bloody hell are you? Some things don’t lie, like your bloody temper. Tell me, are you going to shove something up my arse?’
Oh fuck! I have no filter. Can I blame the drugs? I have no time to think: Luke picks me up and puts me over his shoulder. ‘Put me down!’
Luke grabs the pot. I try to move, which is pointless; he is far too strong for me.
‘No. Stop moving.’
We arrive at a bathroom. Luke places my feet firmly on the floor and closes the door behind us.
‘Excuse me!’ I place my hands on my hips. ‘I think I can manage to go to the toilet alone.’
‘You can’t be trusted to go anywhere on your own.’
‘Is that so? I’m here because I thought I was doing the right thing.’
‘No – all you’ve done is put yourself in a lot of danger.’
Luke undoes my jeans. ‘I need a sample to test the drugs in your system – it’s that simple. You may need some drugs to counteract what you’ve been given.’
‘Fine. Turn around.’ I scowl. ‘Luke, this is embarrassing.’
‘Kate, I know your body inside out. Fuck, I’ve had my mouth on you enough times. Watching you piss in a pot is immaterial.’
‘Not for me. How can you be so matter-of-fact?’
He laughs. ‘Because I love you.’ He pulls me to him and kisses me hard. My arms lock around his neck, and he cups the base of my arse. He pulls away. ‘Now piss in the pot.’
‘Oh, so romantic.’ I shake my head. ‘Fine, turn around.’ Within a few seconds the deed is completed. ‘Finished.’ I pass Luke the pot.
‘Wasn’t so bad, was it?’ He smiles, enjoying my embarrassment.
We return to the room with my pot of piss. I sit down and watch Luke test the sample.
‘Some form of Flunitrazepam – my guess is half a milligram, as you’re fairly steady on your feet.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Have you heard of Rohypnol, K
ate?’ James says.
I feel the colour drain from my face. ‘That’s the date-rape drug! I don’t understand – it can’t be Ivor.’ Feeling incredibly vulnerable, I wrap my arms around my torso.
‘It’s also a sedative, like a benzodiazepine.’ Parker says.
‘So, would I remember if they did anything to me?’
Sullivan looks across at Luke and then at me.
‘Your memory would be sketchy. Do you think anything happened?’
I shake my head. ‘I don’t think so. I’m still wearing the same clothes. I just remember my body feeling heavy, like I was drunk. But I feel OK, just tired.’
‘I think it was to prevent you from running away.’
I understand James Sullivan is trying to relax Luke and ease my mind.
Parker pulls his chair round to face me. ‘I need to debrief you, ask you some questions. Sutton has filled us in with some of the details regarding your Russian parents. Did your father say anything to you – tell you where he was going, give you any information at all?’
‘First of all, he’s not my father.’
‘He is your biological father,’ Parker says.
‘They say any prick can make a baby, but it takes a real man to be a father. Therefore, if you’re referring to the arsehole who may have tied me up – no, he didn’t say where he was going.’
Parker sits back in his chair. ‘Bloody hell, Sutton, you’ve got your work cut out for you.’
‘Tell me about it.’ Luke raises his brows.
‘Look, for what it’s worth I don’t think Ivor tied me up. I can’t explain why. Anyway, he said he was going to leave early and I wouldn’t see him again.’ Feeling awkward, I fidget in the chair. ‘He told me I would leave at first light. I had to input a code to transfer the money across – is that useful?’ The men look at me. ‘I think I can remember it.’
‘Here, write it down.’ Sullivan passes me a notepad and pen.
‘Fine, give me a minute.’ I make a start. ‘Russian Victoria sponge cake.’ Luke smiles. ‘Here goes: sugar 30g, flour 90g, butter 100g, eggs 24 and baking powder 189 teaspoons. There you go. I wouldn’t use these quantities – your cake will be shit.’
Luke places his hands on either side of my face, allowing his lips to show his appreciation.
‘What can I say? My girlfriend loves to cook.’ He passes me a coffee and a sandwich.
Parker sits at his desk and inputs the code. ‘There’s nothing in the account – it’s empty.’
‘Ivor mentioned holdings and stocks – something like that. I didn’t really understand.’ I take another bite of the sandwich as the men watch me.
‘Did he say anything else?’ Parker asks.
I shake my head. ‘No, other than he thought my mother was murdered. Apparently, he was set up and has some long-standing feuds with another family. I asked him about payback for his wife – my mum. He said he’s dealt with some, and he needs proof for others.’
The three men remain silent.
‘Do you know him? He did seem quite nice. I know he might have tied me up, but his eyes were sad. I felt sorry for him.’ I look down at my hands, confused at my feelings towards a man I don’t know. ‘He reminded me of you, Luke, strong and controlling, but I’m sure he wanted to protect me. He told me he liked the look of you.’
‘Kate, you’ve just compared me to the leader of one of Russia’s biggest corrupt families.’
I nearly spit my coffee out. ‘What? Ivor?’
I know Christina said the family was corrupt, and I admit the situation was scary, but I didn’t fear Ivor.
‘Sullivan said they’ve been collecting intel on him for a few years.’ Luke moves next to me.
‘Years? Did you work here?’
‘Kate, drop it.’ He looks exhausted. I reach for his cheek.
‘You have to let me in, Luke. You can’t bring me to a place like… whatever this place is, and not give me something back.’
‘Sharing is not always an option, Kate.’ Parker offers me his point of view.
I meet his glare. ‘Neither is lying to me. I tell you what, just take me back to Ivor’s house. I’ll find my own way home.’
‘Enough – this isn’t the time or the place, Kate.’ Luke’s dark eyes lock on mine, and for a split second we are alone. Today is about more than him rescuing me; this is his past saving me, a past he’s kept from me. Why?
He sits back in his chair, breaking our connection. ‘What do you mean, he liked the look of me?’ Luke asks, moving next to me.
‘It was a bit creepy. He had a room that was filled with pictures of me, from when I was really young to now – and there were pictures of you.’
‘Fuck.’ Luke stands and rubs his chin, taking in the information. ‘OK – my gut instinct, this was already a war zone before we arrived. But we need to do a clean sweep. There’s no way these pictures can circulate.’
‘A clean sweep?’ I gauge all the men. ‘You mean, blow it up?’
‘I agree. Kate, it’s for your safety.’ Parker tries to justify himself.
I stand. ‘No – no way. You can’t do that. The house is old and historical. If Ivor is my father, which seems likely, then you can’t do that – the house is full of paintings and… history.’ I look at Luke. ‘Suppose one day in the future – way, way in the future – we had children, then I would want them to know about their ancestors. I know he might be shady, but he did seem to care about me.’
Sullivan looks at Luke. ‘We can do a manual sweep. It’s your call, Sutton.’
‘Luke, please don’t damage that house – it’s not ours.’
‘Fine. Send in the team, collect every scrap of photo evidence. I want a thorough cleanse of the entire house, outbuildings – the entire estate.’
‘I’ll go and get the team ready.’ Parker leaves the office.
I walk over to Luke, slip my arms around his waist and place my head on his chest. His strong arms tighten around me as he lowers his face to my hair.
‘When can we go home?’ I look up at him.
He reaches down and gently kisses my lips. ‘Soon, baby.’
Sullivan stands up.
‘I’ll go and check the plane’s status.’
At last we are alone in the office.
‘This has been the worst nine hours of my life. I never want to go through that again.’
I look up at his face. ‘I’m sorry. I was scared about what might happen to everyone, including you.’
‘You walked into a war zone with no thought of your own safety. Never do that again!’
‘Never.’ I sigh. ‘Luke, I don’t know what to do. Harry and I are adopted, and our real mum is dead – murdered. You’re not who I thought you were…’ I pause. ‘Ivor is not Harry’s dad – that’s why the trust fund was left to me. Everything’s changed. I’m so confused.’
Luke releases his hold on me and sits down, pulling me into his lap. ‘You assumed Ivor was Harry’s father?’
‘We both did. Ivor thinks that Dad had an affair with Katenka.’
Luke’s brows shoot up.
‘I know! This is a bloody mess. I can’t take much more… my head is going to explode.’
‘We’ll sort it out – together.’
I lean my head on his chest. ‘What about us? I can’t pretend I didn’t see you break—’ I swallow my words.
‘It kills me that you know.’
‘Weirdly, I can see you here, at a place like this.’ His need for control starts to make sense; Luke Sutton was built for this. ‘I don’t understand why you haven’t told me.’ I look up at him and pull his face towards me.
‘This isn’t right… You don’t belong here, Kate.’
‘Your past is your past.’ His past involved killing people. He knows this isn’t over; I need more than his limit
ed explanation, but I am too exhausted for a fight.
After a while we leave the hidden underground bunker. I follow Luke closely, his hand gripped firmly around mine. I have no intention of letting him go. I inhale the morning air and squint at the blinding sunshine. We continue to walk past the farmhouse. To the rear of the property is a flat field where I see a small transport plane. Definitely not a private jet – quite the opposite.
Sullivan places his hand on Luke’s shoulder. ‘I’ll be in touch with the lab results.’ He turns to me. ‘Any chance of staying out of trouble? Sutton’s getting too old for this shit.’
‘I’ll try.’ I reach up and give him a kiss. I turn to Parker and plant a kiss on his cheek too. ‘Thank you.’
‘No problem.’ Parker is unmoved. ‘Sutton, have a safe flight. All paperwork from the sweep will be delivered as soon as we have it.’
Luke gives both the guys a manly hug. Their history is plain to see: they seem to have the tight bonds of true friendship. ‘I’ll let you know when we arrive in London.’
We climb the steps to the plane. Inside, it is basic.
I turn to Luke. ‘Not your usual five-star mode of transport.’
He laughs. ‘I assume you prefer my jet.’
‘Yes. I bet there’s no office on board?’
‘No.’ He laughs.
Four men join us. They look fairly young. I wonder if Luke was part of a team like this. Is that how he came to know so much about blowing up cars, and killing people?
It’s incredibly loud inside. I feel exhausted, though, and I don’t think any amount of noise can keep my eyes from closing. I rest my head against my seat, while gripping Luke’s hand.
‘Kate… Kate… wake up.’
My eyes open.
‘We’re nearly home.’
‘Good.’ I yawn.
‘Stand up.’
I look at Luke, half asleep.
‘Kate, stand up.’
I do as I’m told. Luke bends down and lifts my legs, one at a time, sliding them into a kind of harness. He does the same with my arms, then tightens the straps.
I may be sleepy and drugged but…
‘Luke!’
He pulls my face to his and gives me a kiss. ‘Do you trust me?’
‘Yeah… But, this is a harness, right?’