“You’re such a serious boy,” Mom tells me.
“I’m twenty-nine, Mom. I’m hardly a boy anymore.” I soften the words with a smile.
“You’ll always be a boy to us, honey. You’re right, you’ve come a long way, and we’re so proud of you for working so hard over the last few years. What you and Hal and Albie and the others have done with the Ark is amazing. The dedication you all put in is obvious. But there’s more to life than work. I know you don’t think you do, but you deserve more. Don’t you want a woman by your side? To come home to her at night? To get married, have a family?”
To be honest, I haven’t thought about it much until now. The last few years have been packed solid with work. I’ve dated occasionally, women I’ve met through friends, but none of them have turned into a serious relationship. I’ve held back, I know I have. But I can’t hold back forever. I don’t want to stay alone for the rest of my life. The dogs are wonderful company but they’re no replacement for a partner.
“If you’re worried what people will think about you dating a colleague,” my father says, “just marry her. They can’t argue with that.”
I give him a wry look. “I don’t think either of us is ready for that.”
“You might be surprised.”
I finish off my coffee and get to my feet. Marriage might be pushing it, but I do want more with Nicola. I just don’t know how to get it. And Mom and Dad don’t have a wand to wave to make everything all right. I feel better for talking to them, but I’m going to have to work it out myself.
“I’d better get going,” I tell them. “Got a lot to do. But I’ll visit you guys soon. I know I haven’t been around much lately, and I want to remedy that. You’ve been good to me, and I don’t want you to think I don’t appreciate that.”
“We’re your parents,” Mom says huskily, rising with me and coming over to give me a hug. “We love you unconditionally. And I don’t mind saying it again—you’ve never been the devil you think you are. You have a huge heart, honey, and a good soul. Any woman would be lucky to have you as her man.”
“You’re biased,” I point out, and she chuckles.
“Maybe. I know I’m right, though.”
I kiss her forehead, then give Dad a hug. “All right, guys, I’ll see you soon,” I promise.
I walk out into the sunshine and get back in the car. I’m excited at the thought of seeing Nicola again, which is mixed with the knowledge that we’ll be at work, and I won’t be able to show her how I feel. We haven’t discussed what’s happening tonight, or when we’ll see each other again. I’m screwing this up before it’s even started.
Why is nothing in my life simple?
Chapter Twenty-Four
Nix
Later, Leon comes into the office, nods at me as he walks by, and goes into his room. I’m nervous. Why am I nervous? I make him a coffee, take it in, and place it on his desk. He’s studying his laptop, but he glances up at me as I put the cup down.
“Thank you,” he says.
“You’re welcome.” Our eyes meet for a brief moment, and there’s a ghost of a smile on his lips, and then he looks away.
“We’re all set for the finance meeting,” I tell him.
“Cool, thanks.”
“I’ll get the coffee pot ready.”
“Great.” He clicks his mouse, his attention on his screen.
I bite my lip, turn, and walk away. Soon the others start arriving, the meeting room door closes, and that’s that.
He’s tied up in the finance meeting for the rest of the afternoon, and I don’t get to see him before I leave at the end of the day. He hadn’t mentioned meeting up with me again, so I guess I’m not seeing him tonight. I check my phone—no secret messages, no texts sent beneath the table. No declarations of undying love. Did I really think there would be?
Unsettled and restless, I pack up my stuff for the night, gather my purse, and head outside.
It’s five-thirty and the sun is setting. There’s not really such a thing as twilight up here in the Far North—in Christchurch there’s a long period of dusk where light lingers and fades very slowly into darkness. Here, it’s light, and then bang—it’s dark. It catches out lots of people who walk in the bush, and the Search and Rescue teams are busy in tourist season.
I walk across to my car and get in. I met Leon at the Ark on Wednesday morning and left the car here, giving my keys to reception in case they needed to move it. There’s a bag of apples on the passenger side, left by Kaia, probably, one of our volunteers, who often gives me fruit from her garden.
I buckle myself in, turn on the engine, and put it in Drive. And then I inhale sharply as I glance in my mirror and see a figure in the back.
It’s a man, and he leans forward and presses something against my neck. It’s sharp—a knife.
Holy fuck. It’s John.
“Don’t move,” he says.
I couldn’t if I wanted to. I freeze in terror, my heart pounding on my ribs.
“What do you want?” I whisper.
“Drive.” He gestures to the road in front of us.
I swallow hard. “Where?”
“I’ll tell you where. Drive.”
I put my foot on the accelerator and ease the car forward slowly. I can’t do this—I can’t drive away from the Ark with this guy. I need to do something—leap out of the car, smash into a wall, anything to force him to drop the knife, but I’m too scared. The point digs into my skin, and it stings—I think he’s drawn blood. I have no doubt he’d slit my throat if I tried anything. My mouth has gone completely dry.
We head for the gate, and I ease out onto the main road. “Why are you doing this?” I demand, angry and frightened at the same time. I can’t believe he’s followed me all the way across the country. His obsession terrifies me.
He moves close behind me, and I glance at his face in the mirror. He has a beard now, and his hair is long and lank, hanging limply around his neck. There’s anger in his eyes, and a steely determination. “I told you, you need to accept that we’re meant to be together. I love you, Nicky.”
How can I be furious and petrified at the same time? I drive along the road, feeling faint as my heart races. The wound on the back of my head throbs for the first time in days. “I feel sick,” I tell him. “I hit my head last week and I haven’t been well.”
“Just drive.” He directs me into town, along the seafront, and out the other side. “In there.”
I follow his finger and see a small, run-down motel. Trembling, I drive the car there, park, and turn off the engine when he instructs me.
“Get out,” he says.
This is my chance—he has to get out of the passenger door at the back. I throw the driver’s door open and leap out, but he’s too quick. He grabs my jacket and yanks me back, and this time I feel the press of the blade in my back beneath my jacket.
“If you scream,” he murmurs in my ear, “I’ll kill you. Understand?”
The blade pierces my shirt and I feel a sharp sting as it cuts my skin. Fear causes nausea to rise within me, and I nod.
He slides his arm around me as if we are a loving couple away for a dirty weekend, and moves me toward the end unit, keeping his other hand beneath my jacket. I glance around desperately looking for help, but the unit is quiet, and there’s no sign of other customers or the owners.
He guides me to the door, opens it, moves me inside, and locks it behind us.
Then, slowly, he walks around in front of me. His lips stretch in a disgusting grin.
“At last,” he murmurs, trailing the knife around beneath my jaw, “we’re alone.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Leon
“Coffee?” Hal asks, pouring himself a cup from the pot Nicola made earlier.
“No, thanks.” I run a finger down my iPad, checking we’ve covered every item on the agenda. We’ve run over time, because I spent the first half an hour or so telling them about my visit to the PM.
All the heads of department are here—Hal, who’s in charge of the Animal Welfare Team, Stefan, who oversees the running of the veterinary center, Albie, who heads the IT Team, Fitz, our estate manager, Jules, who organizes the grooming center, Poppy, now in charge of the petting farm, and a couple of others who look after the grounds and buildings.
It’s been a productive meeting, despite the fact that I’ve found it difficult to concentrate. Everyone’s sticking to their budgets, which makes my job a whole lot easier.
“You okay?” Hal asks as he takes his seat again, and the others start to pack up. “You seem… distracted.”
“Got a lot on my mind,” I tell him.
He nods, waiting until everyone but Albie has left the room. Then he raises an eyebrow at me. “Is your preoccupation anything to do with a blonde ballerina, by any chance?”
Albie’s lips curve up, but he doesn’t say anything as I glare at them both. “Stop interfering,” I tell Hal.
“That means yes,” Albie says, looking genuinely pleased. “At last! At least my bruised jaw was worth it.” He waggles it with his fingers, giving me a wry look, and I can’t help but smile.
“I want to apologize for that,” I tell him, thinking about what my parents said. “I shouldn’t have hit you, and I’m sorry.”
“Oh, I deserved it,” he says cheerfully. Then he smiles. “But thanks.”
“The trip away was a success?” Hal asks. He looks hopeful, almost eager.
Normally I’d have told them both to mind their own business, but it’s been a long day, I’ve known them forever, and I miss Nicola. I’ve spent all day missing her, my arms aching to hold her, my lips desperate to press against hers. I’m like a thirsty man in the desert, who has no idea which way to turn for the oasis. I don’t know what to do, and it’s driving me insane.
“Yeah,” I admit, closing my laptop. I don’t miss their surprise at my admission. I’m very rarely open about my personal life. “Kinda. More complicated now, though.”
“That’s women for you,” Albie says.
“So what happens next?” Hal asks softly. “Are you officially dating?”
“We’re not doing anything officially.” I slide my laptop into my briefcase, then lean back and sigh. “I told her I can’t date her while we work together, so she’s looking to get another job.”
Albie looks dismayed. Hal frowns. “Seriously?”
I shrug. “I’ve spent the last five years telling everyone relationships at work are a bad idea. It’d be a tad hypocritical if I turned around and did the same thing.”
“Nobody gives a fuck,” Albie says. “You can’t ask Nix to leave for you. That’s out of order, man.”
“I haven’t asked her to leave,” I reply irritably, because I know I’ve done everything but actually say those words. “She suggested it.”
“I hate to admit it, but Albie’s right,” Hal says. “Nobody cares about your policies and your principles.”
“I care,” I tell him flatly.
“Yeah, I know. But I wish you didn’t see love as a weakness of character.”
I stare at him. “I don’t.”
“Yeah, you do.” Hal meets my gaze steadily. “You think I’m weak because I gave in to my feelings for Izz.”
I feel a wave of shame. “That’s not true. I acknowledge I might have felt that way when you hooked up with Rosie, but you and Izz… that’s something different. We’ve known her most of our lives. I might have thought it was ill-advised to make a move on her when you hadn’t finished with Rosie—”
“Can’t deny that,” he mumbles.
“—But it was only a matter of time before the two of you got together. I’m pleased for you, man.”
Hal smiles. “So why are you and Nix any different?”
“Because I’m Head of HR. I wrote the fucking policy.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Albie insists. “You’ve declared the relationship to us—you’re not doing anything secretly.”
“It’s not a repeat of you and Angela,” Hal says. “You’ve got to get that out of your head.”
“I can’t do it,” I tell him. “I can’t see her and have her work for me. If it goes wrong, what then? What do we do if she decides she doesn’t want to be with me anymore and breaks up with me?”
A small part of my brain acknowledges the way I’ve phrased it. I’m not concerned about what happens if I break up with her, because I know that wouldn’t happen. I’d never tire of Nicola, not even if we’d been together fifty years.
“If it happens, you worry about it then,” Hal says. “Yeah, of course it would be awkward, but many people find partners at work—it’s where we spend most of our time. Rosie and I ended badly, but we sorted it. It’s done.”
“And Nix isn’t insane like Rosie and Angela,” Albie adds helpfully, earning himself an exasperated look from Hal.
I get to my feet. “I appreciate the support, but it’s not going to happen. It’s a risk I’m not prepared to take.”
Hal stands too, about to argue with me, but luckily I’m saved by the door opening.
It’s Remy and Izzy. I can tell immediately from their faces there’s a problem.
“What is it?” I ask.
“It’s Nix,” Izzy says.
*
Five minutes later, we’re all in Fitz’s office, looking at his computer screen. We have security cameras all around the Ark. Fitz had them installed as a precautionary measure, and we’ve never had to use them before. “The recordings are uploaded straight to the cloud,” he says, pressing a few buttons. “Give me a sec to find the right place again.”
“Tell me what happened again,” I ask Remy.
She’s gone very pale. “I was washing the dog brushes at the sink by the window overlooking the square. I looked up and saw Nix cross to her car and get in. I turned to put the brushes away, got another one, and looked back as she began to pull away, and she looked… I don’t know… terrified is the only word I can think to describe it, and there was someone in the back of the car.”
My heart is pounding so hard on my ribs I’m surprised it doesn’t break through and bounce off down the corridor.
“I was worried,” Remy continues in her French accent, “and I was just wondering what to do when Izzy came in. I told her, and we ran over to Fitz to check the cameras.”
“Look,” Fitz says, and I follow his finger to the screen. This camera overlooks the square. I watch Nicola cross it to the car park that’s just out of shot. There’s a moment where nothing happens, and I curl my hands into fists in frustration, but then I see her car appear from the car park and turn right onto the road. I can’t see her face, but Remy’s right—there’s definitely a person in the back.
“Jesus.” A sliver of ice runs down my back.
Hal frowns. “How do we know she wasn’t just giving someone a lift home? Maybe they were waiting by the car for her.”
“Why would they get in the back?” Izzy asks.
“Good point,” he says. He meets my eyes, and I see my concern reflected in his.
“I’ve run the tape of this camera back,” Fitz says, “and haven’t seen anything suspicious. Kaia took some bags of apples to people’s cars. I was just about to check out the car park camera when you came in. Hold on.” He taps a few keys and brings up another view of the car park. He rewinds a little then presses play. We watch Nicola walk across to her car, which is slotted in between two others. There’s nobody waiting there. She gets in, but because of the angle we can’t see what’s happening in the car. A minute or so passes, and then she drives out.
“Go back further,” I tell him. He rewinds the recording, slowly at first, then a little faster. Five minutes, ten minutes, thirty minutes. People come and go from other cars, but there’s no sign of anyone approaching Nix’s.
And then suddenly, a man appears. We all inhale sharply. Fitz continues rewinding until the man disappears off-screen, then presses play. We watch the man approach the car. He’s tall
and dark-haired, and wearing a black jacket and jeans. He pauses by the side of the car, looking in, and then he moves to the passenger seat behind the driver’s and opens the door. He gets in and closes the door. The digital recording shows it’s thirty-six minutes before Nicola turns up.
“Holy shit,” Izzy says.
“Who the fuck is it?” Albie demands.
“I know who it is.” Cold has settled inside me. “When she lived in Christchurch, Nicola had a stalker. It looks as if he’s finally tracked her down.”
“How did he get in?” Hal asks.
“Kaia must have unlocked the car to put the apples in and forgotten to lock it again,” Albie says.
“Oh, putain de merde.” Remy looks stricken. “What do we do?”
I take out my mobile phone, bring up Nicola’s number, and call her.
“I tried that,” Izzy says. “It’s going to her answerphone.”
I wait anyway, but she’s right—Nicola tells me to leave a message, sounding bright and cheerful. I hang up, cursing.
What has he done with her? He could have taken her anywhere. By now they could be on State Highway One, heading for Auckland. How did he make her do what he wanted? She mentioned a knife last time; did he threaten her with it? Did she fight back? Even though she managed to make it away last time he attacked her, I know she was frightened of him. She said, “I was so fucking scared of that knife I couldn’t move.” Has he hurt her?
“I’m ringing the police,” Hal says, taking out his phone and walking out.
I watch him go, full of anger, helplessness, and frustration. God, please don’t say I finally got with her only to lose her again. I’m such a fucking idiot. I’m not religious, but suddenly the story about the drowning man springs into my mind. He was stuck on a rooftop in a flood, and a rowboat, a motorboat, and a helicopter came by to rescue him, but each time he said no, that God would save him. Eventually he drowned, and when he got to heaven he asked God, “Why didn’t you save me?” And God said, “I sent you a rowboat, a motorboat, and a helicopter—what are you doing here?”
My Boss, the Billionaire (The Billionaire Kings Book 2) Page 18