by Elise Noble
How dare they think I had anything to do with selling drugs? There was no evidence of that at all. None!
“I don’t believe this!” I muttered, making coffee to occupy my hands. Otherwise, I might have been tempted to punch something.
Russell glanced up from his spot at the table. “That you’re a hardened criminal? Neither do I, so that’s something else we’ve got in common.”
“How’s it going with the laptop? Did you find anything yet?”
“Some of Mulhearn’s paranoia seems to have rubbed off on Brenner. He’s got passwords on everything, and half of the stuff’s encrypted.”
“Can you get through it?”
“Most probably, but not as quickly as we’d both like. Blackwood’s tech team’s working on it too.”
“Is there any clue as to where he went?”
“Not yet.”
Yes, waiting was definitely the hardest part.
CHAPTER 15 - KYLIE
LEYTON SHOWED UP early on Tuesday morning. Thankfully not too early. Fifteen minutes sooner, and Russell and I would’ve been otherwise engaged. Leyton took one look at me—my flushed face and guilty expression—and raised an eyebrow.
“Did I interrupt something?”
“Uh, I was just doing yoga. You know, to relax?” Russell and I hadn’t discussed telling anyone about the change in our relationship yet, and I didn’t want to jump the gun by suggesting we were more than just friends. “It’s hot out there. Do you have any news?”
“Maybe.”
I moved aside so Leyton could come in, then closed the door behind him. Russell was already working, and thankfully looking far more composed than me.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“I’m on my way to Sunshine Coast Airport. A man fitting Francis Mulhearn’s description rented a plane and took off from there yesterday evening with a passenger.”
“You think it was Mulhearn and Brenner?”
“The Feds do. The pair filed a flight plan for Indonesia, and Mimi’s packing already.”
“She’s going after them?” I asked.
“Mimi doesn’t like the bad guys to win. None of us do. Kind of ironic, though, don’t you think? That they’re the ones running now?”
“I’d had that thought.”
“I found some stuff on Indonesia in Brenner’s search history,” Russell said. “Plus Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand.”
“What sort of stuff?” Leyton asked. “Information that could help a criminal on the run?”
“It looked more like vacation planning. Hotels, excursions, and, uh, tourist attractions.”
“What kind of tourist attractions?”
Russell frowned slightly. “I’m not sure that’s important right now.”
What didn’t he want me to know? “I appreciate that you’re trying to protect me, but there’s no need. I’m not a porcelain doll.”
Russell let out a long sigh. “Fine. It was brothels. He was researching brothels.”
Stay calm, Kylie. Okay, Russell was right. Again. I really didn’t want to know that.
Leyton just nodded, as if the fact that my ex paid for sex was a perfectly normal, everyday occurrence. “Can you summarise the information? I’ll pass it on to the team.”
Russell murmured his agreement, and I forced myself to focus on my breathing. In and out. In and out. In and out. For once, I was glad Mimi was a psycho, because I couldn’t think of a better person to pay Michael a surprise visit.
“Do you want a coffee or anything before you go?” I asked Leyton. “A pastry? Akeem sent a whole basketful over this morning.”
“Nah, I ate in the office. I’ll keep you updated, okay?”
I thought it would be another lonely morning, just me and the TV, but two minutes after Leyton left, there was a soft knock at the door. Not Akeem—he always hammered on the wood or wandered around to the terrace if we didn’t let him in fast enough.
I opened the door and found Aurelie standing there.
“Hi. Akeem sent me over to give you a yoga lesson. Or meditation, whatever you want. He thought you could use some company.”
What on earth was Akeem thinking?
“That’s kind of you—of him—but I’m quite busy today.”
“Are you sure? I could come back later if—”
“Totally sure. But thanks anyway.”
I closed the door then leaned on it, feeling guilty and nervous at the same time. Aurelie seemed lovely but also overly curious. I hated the way she studied me.
“Everything okay?” Russell asked.
“Fine.”
Yoga wasn’t actually a bad idea. A few asanas could help to calm my nerves as long as I did them alone rather than under the watchful eyes of an all-too-perceptive yoga teacher. While Russell turned back to Michael’s laptop, I headed out to the mats on the terrace, one blue and one green, waiting under the dappled shade of a jacaranda tree.
While I was away, I’d learned to take pleasure in the small things, those little gifts that everyone else took for granted. The rays of the sun. Breathing fresh air. Cool tiles under bare feet, the smell of fresh coffee, the sound of the birds in the trees, the feel of the breeze on my face.
For the last three years, my motto had been to live each day as if it was my last, and I took that to heart as I stretched out my calves and settled into downwards-facing dog.
Perhaps today would be my last?
An hour and a half later, my muscles burned, and when I tried to lift into wheel pose, my arms wobbled and gave way. I fell onto my ass. Yup, it was time for a shower.
Russell grabbed my hand as I walked past, brought it to his lips, and kissed my palm. Such a simple gesture, but I loved it. I loved him.
Oh, shit.
I loved him.
CHAPTER 16 - KYLIE
“I’M ALL SWEATY,” I choked out as the enormity of the revelation struck me like a wrecking ball. Not the revelation that I was sweaty. The revelation that I was in love with Russell. This was big.
“I don’t care about a little sweat,” he said, completely unaware that I was freaking out inside.
“Maybe I’ll take a shower anyway.”
I needed to think.
“Whatever you want.” His lips tickled as he curled my hand closed and brushed them across my knuckles. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Russell went back to work, focused as always, while I stumbled into the bathroom, desperately trying to process my thoughts. He cared. Even when work took precedence and he was in the middle of an important task, there was a part of him that cared. I’d finally found him. My soulmate. The man who stole my breath, my heart, and sometimes my sanity. Some said finding the perfect man was the difficult part, but I knew that was a lie. Keeping him would be a thousand times harder.
In the bathroom, I let the hot water cascade over me, hoping it would wash away the filth that clung under my skin. That was just wishful thinking. The muck had been ingrained for years, and getting rid of it would take more than fancy toiletries.
What should I do? The noble thing would be to let Russell go, to vanish quietly into the night instead of dragging him into whatever pit I ended up in. He had a life in London. A job. Friends.
I had nothing.
And yet, I couldn’t quite bring myself to sever the connection.
When my skin began going wrinkly, I shut off the water and shrugged into the fluffy white bathrobe hanging on the back of the door. My stomach told me it was lunchtime, and I needed to make sure Russell ate. Perhaps I could call Akeem and ask—
“Heard you were back in town.”
The first word sent tremors down my spine. The second made my heart drop to my feet. The rest? They tore the bottom out of my world. That pit I mentioned? I’d just fallen through the bottom of it and straight into hell.
“W-w-what are you doing here?”
Michael sat on the edge of the bed, seemingly relaxed, legs spread in the cocky way that only men could manage, a semi-automat
ic resting in his lap. Where the hell was Russell? I looked past Michael, through to the lounge, and saw a body sprawled on the floor beyond the dining table. Fuck! Russell wasn’t moving.
I edged towards the door, but Michael motioned me back with the gun.
“I’m here to catch up. You and me, we’ve got a lot to talk about.” He stood, and his stance turned menacing. “Like what the fuck you think you’re playing at.”
He spat the words at me, and a drop of saliva landed on my cheek. I didn’t dare to wipe it away.
“What I’m playing at?” A flicker of yesterday’s anger stirred inside me, but I did my best to temper it. No point in stoking Michael’s wrath even further. “You framed me for murder!”
“Not really. You practically framed yourself when you agreed to meet Jasper John. How many times did I have to tell you? If you get a tip, tell me first. Such a simple rule, and you broke it.”
“I was doing my job.”
“Your job was to obey orders.”
“So you could bury the evidence?”
“So I could encourage an appropriate narrative.”
“You mean threaten people.”
“I prefer the term incentivise.”
“Why are we even having this conversation?” I needed to get to Russell. He hadn’t moved, not even a twitch. Was he dead? Had Michael killed him? Tears threatened to burst out of me along with my rising fury. “What the hell do you want from me?”
“You’ve ruined my fucking life, Kylie Jaye, and you need to fix what you’ve done.”
“You were the one dealing drugs!”
“Supply and demand. If it wasn’t me, it would’ve been someone else. And you sure enjoyed the fruits of my labours while we were together. The diamond earrings I gave you for your birthday? The trip to Bali? Tickets to see your favourite rock bands? Where do you think all the money came from?”
“I didn’t know! I didn’t think—”
“Exactly. You didn’t think. You never thought, Kylie. That was one of the things I liked about you.”
Instinct took over and I moved to slap him, but he caught my hand and forced me back against the wall.
“Didn’t you ever wonder why I picked you for Task Force Titan? It wasn’t for your brains. It was for these.” He reached out and squeezed a breast. Hard. If he hadn’t been holding a gun, I’d have broken his damn fingers. “Made us look good for the diversity committee.”
“You’re sick.”
“Aw, babe, you used to like that.”
“What do you want from me?” I asked again.
“Simple. You’re going to walk into the police station and tell everyone the drugs were your idea. That you…” His lips curved into a thin smile. “Corrupted me.”
“Nobody’s gonna believe that. Are you crazy?”
“The story doesn’t need to stand up to scrutiny. I just need long enough to get out of the country. And I see your boyfriend has my laptop, so I suppose I should thank him for that. Saves me from getting a new one.”
“Why didn’t you just leave with Francis Mulhearn?”
“Who?”
“Froggy.”
“Francis? That’s his real name? Well, little girl, Francis wants to kill me because he reckons it’s my fault that seven million dollars’ worth of his drugs got seized. But there’s no way I spilled the beans. The leak must’ve been from his end.”
That was Michael all over—arrogant and rude. Nothing was ever his fault.
But I nodded and agreed because it was better for him to think that Mulhearn was at fault than to work out we had his Ether messages.
“He should’ve been more careful, shouldn’t he?”
Michael’s smile turned triumphant. I risked a quick glance in Russell’s direction, but he still hadn’t moved. I couldn’t see any blood, and I hadn’t heard a gunshot. That had to be a good sign, right? Inside, I was cracking. I felt as though the slightest touch would shatter me, but I couldn’t fall apart. Not now, not when there was a chance of saving Russell.
“We all should’ve been more careful,” I continued. “How did you find me, anyway?”
Where had it all gone wrong? Would he tell me? Of course he’d tell me—Michael was a natural-born show-off.
“When you got away from Shane on the bike, I knew you had help, and there’s only one crew in Brisbane with enough balls to pull a stunt like that. Then I saw Leyton Rix outside the morgue on Wednesday morning, and it all clicked into place. I’ve been tracking his phone ever since, and he kept coming here. I don’t know how you managed to afford Blackwood’s services, but…” Michael looked around, nodding slowly. “I must say, you’ve done well for yourself, Kylie. I thought you’d end up on the streets somewhere, spreading your legs for money, but I guess you found yourself a sucker who’d pay a better price.”
“I hate you.”
Michael just laughed. “Hate that you’re not as smart as me, more like.” He glanced at his watch and motioned towards the door. “Let’s go.”
“To the police station? Why the hell should I? You’ve already taken everything from me; why should I give you what you want?”
“Simple. You’ve got two parents happily enjoying their retirement, and I’m sure you want them to carry on that way.”
“You’re threatening my parents now?”
“As I said—consider it an incentive to do the right thing. And don’t think for a second that I’m going to let you go running off to Blackwood so they can put your parents into protective custody—I have an associate with them right now, and while you make your confession to the cops, me and your mum and dad will take a little trip. Once I’m happy you’re cooperating, I’ll let them go.”
“And then what? You’ll just disappear?”
“Now you’re beginning to understand. Get dressed.”
“But—”
“Get. Dressed.” Michael grabbed my bathrobe and yanked it open, pausing to take a good look. “Still as hot as ever, babe. If only we had more time.”
That sick… Wait. Where was Russell? His spot on the floor was empty, and I couldn’t see any sign of him. Please, say he’d gone for help. How long would the police take to get to the Black Diamond Resort? The nearest police station was in—
“Kylie, get your ass in gear. Stop stalling and put on something nice for your mug shot. The whole world’s gonna see that picture.”
He grabbed the robe again, and the next part happened in slow motion. A blurred form rushed through the doorway, heading for Michael, arms outstretched.
“Don’t touch her!”
I wanted to tell Russell to stop, to run, to get the hell out of there, but all that came out was a scream as Michael raised his gun and fired. A scarlet stain blossomed on Russell’s T-shirt, and he gasped for breath as he staggered back into the living room and crumpled to the floor.
His blood wasn’t the only red I saw. Rage clouded my vision, and I grabbed the first thing to hand. The model of Shadow, two kilos of solid bronze. I swung it at Michael with every bit of strength I had left, and an expression of surprise froze on his face as I caught him under the chin. Even when he fell, I didn’t stop hitting him until I heard another scream. Not mine—this one came from the lounge.
My vision cleared, and I saw Michael lying in front of me, his face caved in, his head misshapen. Aurelie stood in the doorway with her mouth open, staring at my blood-streaked hand.
“Oh my gosh,” she whispered.
“I…I…” I couldn’t explain. I didn’t even know where to start with explaining. “I…”
“Is that him? Your ex?”
What? How did she know? “Yes. Please, help Russell. I don’t care about anything else, just help him.”
I tried to move, but my limbs were stiff, uncooperative, my brain still trying to process what was happening. What I’d just done. Was Michael dead? Where was the gun? Get the gun, get the gun, get the gun.
I spotted the pistol and dropped the magazine out, then kicked it un
der the bed out of reach in case Michael somehow managed to move. In the living room, Aurelie refocused and dropped to her knees beside Russell.
“He’s bleeding.”
“Michael shot him.” My voice sounded weird, echoey, as if it was coming from somebody else. I jammed two fingers against the bastard’s carotid artery, feeling for a pulse.
“What do I do?” Aurelie asked. “Does he need CPR?”
“Is he breathing?” Let Russell be alive. Please, let him be alive. I’d give my freedom, my soul, every breath I had left if it meant he’d live.
“I don’t…” Aurelie bent forwards, holding the back of her hand by Russell’s nose. “Yes, I think so.” She fumbled for her phone. “I need to call Akeem.”
Nothing from Michael, not even a flutter. Good.
“Akeem? We need an ambulance, not freaking Akeem?”
But she didn’t listen, just dialled. Dammit, where was my phone? I spotted it on the floor, smashed, and cursed Michael all over again.
“Akeem? Russell just got shot in Emmy’s villa. Is Glenn home? … Oh, thank goodness.” A pause. “Uh, in his chest. I don’t know, he’s lying on his back. Yes. Okay.” She pulled up his shirt, and there was the wound, less than a centimetre across, but oh-so-deadly. “He says to seal the hole.” Aurelie grabbed my hand as I crouched beside her and positioned it flat against Russell’s ribs. “Press here.”
“Who’s Glenn? Who are you speaking to?”
“Akeem’s boyfriend. He’s a doctor, and he’s on his way.”
“On his way from where? We still need an ambulance!”
“From the staff block. Akeem’s calling the ambulance. Do you need to leave?”
“Leave? I can’t leave.”
“But I thought you were, like, a fugitive?”
“Who told you that?”
“I recognised you from the TV. But when I called Emmy to ask if it was okay, you staying here and everything, she said the stories about you were all rubbish and you didn’t do any of the stuff they said you did. She told me to look out for you and be a friend if you needed one, but I was too late. Oh, dammit, I was too late.”