Traitor in the House

by Caz Finlay

  ‘I just didn’t want to,’ Luke answered, still not making eye contact.

  ‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, she’s not married, is she?’ Michael asked with a sigh. ‘We don’t need any more drama right now without you pissing off someone’s husband as well.’

  Luke turned to him but he didn’t meet his eyes. ‘No, of course not. It was just a convenience thing,’ he answered and then turned back to the road.

  Michael continued to stare at him for a few moments, noting the flush on his neck deepening. Luke Sullivan was keeping something from him, of that he was one hundred per cent certain.

  Luke could feel the heat of Michael’s gaze on his neck as he drove to The Blue Rooms, and he resisted the urge to pull at his collar to let some air at his flushed skin. He should never have answered the call but he often had calls from unknown numbers. The people he worked with were prone to changing their numbers as frequently as their bedding. But now Michael Carter knew he was lying to him and he could feel the tension in the car growing with each passing moment. Why hadn’t he come up with a perfectly plausible explanation instead of trying to shrug it off and getting defensive? He could have just said that he’d met a woman and he took her to a hotel for a quick shag. He could have bragged about what a good time they’d had – even though that wasn’t Luke’s style. But it was perfectly legitimate, wasn’t it? To take a woman he fancied to a hotel for the afternoon? In fact, that is what had happened. He had taken her to a hotel and he’d had the best afternoon and the best sex of his life. And now he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Despite who she was, and the fact that he was going to go to hell, or quite possibly get his head ripped off his shoulders, he couldn’t wait to see her again. And when he did, would he be able to keep the fact that he was completely besotted with her from everyone else in the room?

  Despite the discomfort of Michael’s suspicion, and the guilt of what he’d done weighing on him, Luke couldn’t help but feel a thrill when he thought about her and he wondered if she felt the same as he did. She had seemed like she did. But then she had been wracked with guilt and had spent the drive back to Liverpool making him promise not to tell anyone about their fledgling affair. Not that he would, but she’d seemed even more anxious than he was. Yesterday had been the culmination of months of stolen glances and whispered conversations with hidden meanings. It had been intense and passionate and everything he had imagined it would be. They had both crossed a line yesterday. One that they really shouldn’t have, albeit for different reasons. But there was no going back now. Whatever happened, Luke wasn’t going to give her up without a fight.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Patrick Carter sat back in his armchair with a smile on his face as he watched his wife Sue painting with their youngest grandchildren, Oscar and Belle. They picked the children up from school and nursery a few days a week and had them overnight every Wednesday and Saturday, and they loved it. Sue often joked that it kept them both young. Sue had never had any children of her own. Having nursed her ill parents into her late thirties, she didn’t meet her first husband until she was forty-three and by then felt she’d left it too late. Their marriage had only lasted two years and then Sue had felt this had confirmed she’d made the right decision. She was almost sixty now and Patrick often wondered if she regretted her decision, especially as she was so close to Grace, who’d had Belle and Oscar later in life, and she was so good with the little ones, who all adored their nanny Sue.

  Patrick had never thought he’d marry again after Marie, his first wife and the mother of his two sons, had died so young. He had been devastated by her death. He had considered her the love of his life and thought it would be somehow disrespectful to her memory to fall in love again. Sean and Michael had encouraged him to find someone else, but he had never wanted to. Then he had met Sue, when he was recovering from the assault that had nearly killed him. She was one of the nurses in the outpatient clinic and he had fallen for her hook, line and sinker. She was one of the warmest and most caring people he had ever met in his life. They had dated for a few months before he’d told her about his family and their business, fearing it would be the beginning of the end. But Sue had accepted that that was who he was. Then, when she had met Sean and Sophia and their daughters, and Michael and his sons, she had fallen in love with them all – and they with her.

  But it was when Grace came back to Liverpool with little Belle in tow that Sue had really come into her own. She’d never experienced the other grandchildren as little ones, but now she had this little granddaughter, and Sue was the only nanny that Belle had ever known. Sue had been as delighted as Patrick was when Michael and Grace finally got their acts together and became a couple. It had been a long time coming, and then Oscar had arrived a year later and Sue had stepped up again. She told Patrick that he had finally given her the family she had always dreamed of, and that made him so happy he felt like his heart would burst.

  Patrick’s thoughts were interrupted by his mobile phone ringing. He picked it up from the coffee table beside him and saw Murf’s name flashing on the screen.

  ‘Hello, Murf,’ he said.

  ‘Hiya Pat,’ Murf answered. ‘How are you, mate?’

  ‘Good. Belle and Oscar are here so they’re keeping me and Sue busy.’ He smiled at Sue as she looked up at him. ‘How are you?’

  ‘Can’t complain, Pat. I got that information you wanted. Sorry it took me a while but we’ve been swamped these past couple of weeks.’

  ‘I heard about Parnell and his firm giving you some grief. It’s all sorted now though?’ Patrick asked. He was retired now, as he liked to tell anyone who would listen, but he worried about Michael and his grandsons, who were still very much in the thick of it.

  ‘Yeah. It’s all quiet again on the western front – for now.’ He heard Murf sigh quietly.

  ‘What did you find out?’ Patrick asked as he stood up and walked into the kitchen. He wasn’t sure he wanted Sue to hear what he might or might not be about to discover just yet. At least not until he’d spoken to Michael.

  ‘It’s true,’ Murf replied. ‘Luke and Grace. You were right.’

  Patrick shook his head. ‘Wow. I mean, I suspected, but to have you say it’s true…’

  ‘I know. I can’t believe it myself, Pat. If I hadn’t seen the proof with my own eyes, I’d say you were having me on.’

  ‘Did you look into Luke for me?’ Patrick asked.

  ‘Yeah. Everything he’s told Grace and Michael so far checks out. He doesn’t appear to have any skeletons in his closet. Not that I can say the same for his business partner, Danny.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘Nothing to do with this, Pat. At least I don’t think so.’

  ‘Okay, maybe tell me some other time. So, what do you think he’s playing at then? Luke, I mean? What’s his endgame?’

  ‘I’d have thought it was obvious. Money? Power? He wants a slice of the Carter empire?’

  ‘Maybe. Listen, I need to speak to Michael about this. Can you keep it to yourself, Murf? I don’t want this getting out before I’ve spoken to Michael and Grace.’

  ‘Of course, Pat. I have a lot of respect for you and your family, you know that. I would never betray your trust like that.’

  ‘I know you wouldn’t. Sorry, Murf. It’s just that … when this gets out…’

  ‘I know, mate,’ Murf said with a sigh. ‘I’ll keep schtum though. I’ll be seeing Michael and Luke shortly. They’re on their way here.’

  ‘Just act normal then. You don’t know anything. It’s probably safer for all concerned. I’ll speak to Michael as soon as I can.’

  ‘Okay, Pat. Make it sooner rather than later though, eh? I feel like I’m in the eye of a storm here.’

  ‘I will, and thanks, Murf. I knew I could count on you.’

  ‘No problem, Pat. Take care, mate.’

  ‘Take care,’ Patrick replied before hanging up the phone.

  He leaned back against the wall and swallowed. He had known it w
as true, but it still didn’t bother him any less now that he had confirmation. He trusted that if Murf had seen the proof, there was proof. What the hell was Luke Sullivan playing at trying to muscle in on his family?

  Patrick picked up his coat. If Michael was on his way to The Blue Rooms, then Patrick would go there now and see him. The sooner this was out in the open the sooner Luke could be dealt with. He popped his head around the living-room door. ‘I’ve just got to pop out, love,’ he said to Sue. ‘I need to see Michael. I’ll be back in a few hours.’

  ‘Everything okay?’ she asked.

  ‘Yeah,’ he said, trying to sound nonchalant. ‘I just need to talk to him about something. Bye, kids,’ he shouted.

  ‘Bye, Grandad,’ Belle and Oscar shouted happily.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Michael and Luke walked through the corridor of The Blue Rooms to Jake’s office at the back, where Glenda had been escorted by Murf to keep her out of trouble. Luke’s earlier conversation in the car still had Michael curious. What had that been about, and why hadn’t Luke just been honest with him? Who had he been at that hotel room with? Why had the usually calm and collected Luke Sullivan suddenly appeared so flustered?

  Whatever the reason, now wasn’t the time to dwell on it. They had Glenda Alexander to sort out first because the last thing they needed was another ghost from the past causing any more problems.

  Michael stepped through the open door of Jake’s office to see one of his most trusted soldiers, Murf, sitting at Jake’s desk staring at the woman sitting on the small sofa opposite him. Michael couldn’t help but think of Zelda from the Terrahawks when he looked at her, and he was suddenly reminded of how he and Sean would lie in front of the TV watching it every Saturday morning. She had a cigarette in one hand and cradled an empty glass in the other. She looked up at him and Luke as they walked further into the room.

  ‘Hello, Luke.’ She almost spat his name, then looked past him and at Michael. ‘And who’s this?’ she asked as she licked her lips and sat back against the sofa.

  ‘This is my colleague, Michael Carter,’ Luke replied.

  ‘Oh, yes, I know your name, of course, although I’ve never had the pleasure,’ she said as she beckoned him over to her and held out her hand.

  ‘Hello, Glenda,’ he said, still feeling the urge to call her Zelda and ignoring her outstretched hand.

  ‘I’ll leave you both to it, Boss,’ Murf said as he stood up and straightened his jacket. He placed a hand on Michael’s shoulder as he walked out. ‘Good luck,’ he said quietly and with a grin.

  Michael perched on the edge of Jake’s desk and Luke remained standing beside him.

  Glenda sat back in the chair, a toothless smile stretched across her thin face as she stubbed out her cigarette in her empty glass.

  ‘What do you want, Glenda?’ Luke snarled at her.

  ‘What do you think, Luke? I want to be a part of Stacey and Danny’s lives. They’re my children after all,’ she cackled.

  ‘You lost any right to call them that when you abandoned them to live with that nasty piece of shit you married,’ he replied.

  ‘I came back, didn’t I? After Terry was gone, I came back for them. Do they know what you did? Do they know you paid me to leave them alone?’

  Michael looked at Luke. This information was new to him. Luke was certainly full of surprises today.

  Luke laughed. ‘No, they don’t know that five grand was all it took to make you turn your back on them for a second time. Would you like to tell them about that, or should I?’

  Glenda scowled at him. ‘Don’t you dare sit in judgement of me. You think you’re some hotshot businessman, but I know where all your money came from. Does he know?’ She nodded towards Michael.

  ‘What?’ Luke snapped, looking as surprised as Michael felt.

  Michael frowned. What the hell did any of this have to do with him? Why would he know where Luke’s money had come from? ‘What’s she on about?’ he asked.

  Luke turned to him and shrugged. ‘I honestly don’t know, mate. She’s a fucking fruitcake, isn’t she?’

  Glenda started to cackle. ‘So he doesn’t know then, does he? About you and his wife?’

  ‘Shut the fuck up now, Glenda!’ Luke shouted.

  Michael felt like he had been punched in the gut. He stood up, looking between Luke and Glenda. ‘What about him and my wife?’ Michael snarled, directing his question to Glenda.

  ‘Take no fucking notice of her. I told you she’s off her head,’ Luke insisted.

  ‘Tell me what is going on between him and my wife,’ Michael shouted again.

  ‘She’s lying, Michael,’ Luke interrupted.

  ‘No, I’m not.’ She blinked as though deeply offended. Then she stared directly at Michael and grinned. ‘I have the proof.’

  Michael took a step towards Luke. ‘Tell me what the fuck she is talking about,’ he snarled, feeling the anger surging in his chest like a geyser. He’d known there was something between the two of them. Luke and Grace had a connection that Michael had been prepared to overlook because he trusted his wife, but now here was this old hag claiming she had proof to tell him otherwise.

  Luke stared at him, his hands held up in either surrender or feigned ignorance. ‘I haven’t got a clue, Michael. I swear there’s nothing going on between me and Grace.’

  Michael blinked. Of course it couldn’t be that. He trusted Grace completely. She would never do that to him. But then he remembered his and Luke’s earlier conversation in the car. Luke and the hotel room. The champagne. The married woman. Grace had been at a meeting with the contractors all afternoon yesterday. She hadn’t replied to a text message he’d sent her and had said it was because she’d been so distracted by the pain-in-the-arse foreman that she’d forgotten to press send. It hadn’t bothered him at the time. It had only been a question about the dog and she had even shown him the reply she had typed out but not sent. But had she in fact been distracted by something, or someone, else?

  Something was going on and he wanted to know what it was. He charged at Luke, grabbing him by the throat and pushing him against the wall. The younger man struggled, but he was no match for Michael, who was filled with such anger he felt like he might spontaneously combust.

  ‘Have you been fucking my wife?’ Michael snarled. His head was telling him that it couldn’t possibly be true, but his anger was clouding his thinking.

  Luke glared at him. ‘No!’ he snapped.

  Michael was distracted momentarily by the office door opening. Looking up, he saw Grace walking in, with a look of horror on her face when she saw he had Luke pinned to the wall.

  ‘Michael!’ she shouted. ‘What the hell are you doing?’

  In the background Glenda cackled. ‘Oh, this is even better than I thought it would be.’

  Michael stared at his wife. She was the love of his life. She was quite literally his other half. How could she have done this to him? To them? He felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest. Suddenly, all the fight in him was gone. What was the point of anything if he didn’t have her? He released Luke from his grip and let his hand fall to his side. ‘What the hell is going on between you two?’ he said to Grace.

  She stared at him blankly and he had to give it to her, she was playing her part well.

  ‘Nothing is going on. What are you on about?’ she asked as she looked between Michael and Luke.

  ‘There’s nothing going on between us,’ Luke croaked as he rubbed the red skin on his throat.

  Michael turned to glare at him and pointed in his face. ‘You just shut the fuck up right now,’ he spat.

  Grace walked towards the two of them. ‘Why on earth would you think there’s something going on between us?’ she said to Michael as she reached him, placing her hand on his arm.

  God, she was so bloody convincing. ‘Because she said so.’ He indicated Glenda.

  ‘And you believe her?’ Grace snapped.

  ‘She said she has pr
oof,’ he went on.

  ‘Well, I’m telling you she hasn’t, because there is none to have,’ Grace replied.

  ‘I never said they were fucking,’ Glenda piped up from the corner and they all turned to face her. ‘You jumped to that conclusion all on your own,’ she added with a grin.

  Michal spun around to stare at her. What the fuck was she playing at? He felt like his heart was about to pack in. ‘Then why? What?’ he asked as he shook his head. What the hell was going on? Deep down, he had known Grace would never cheat on him, but what was this old crank on about then? His head was starting to throb as the blood continued to thunder around his body.

  ‘You spiteful old cow,’ Grace said as she walked towards Glenda. ‘What the hell are you up to?’

  Glenda looked between Grace and Luke. ‘So you really don’t know? Neither of you?’

  They both stared back at her. ‘Know what?’ they replied in unison.

  Glenda started to laugh uncontrollably at this point. ‘Oh my God, you two think you’re on top of the world, but you’re really thick as pig-shit, aren’t you?’

  Grace walked towards Glenda and brought her face closer to the older woman’s. ‘You think you’re safe because these two gentlemen would never hurt a woman? But I’m more than happy to,’ she snarled. ‘Now tell me what the fuck you’re on about or I will slap the two remaining teeth you have out of your head.’

  Glenda shrunk back in fear. ‘It’s not my fault your husband was so quick to assume you’d been carrying on behind his back,’ she sniffed.

  ‘Oh, but I’ll bet that was exactly what you wanted him to think, you nasty old cow. Now what is it you think you know?’

  Glenda looked up at her. ‘I thought you would have worked it out already. The resemblance is uncanny. He’s your brother.’ She nodded towards Luke, who stood there with his mouth hanging open. Grace looked at him and then at Michael, and then back at Glenda. ‘What?’ she snapped.

  ‘I said, he’s your brother,’ she sighed as she reached into her handbag. After a quick rummage around, Glenda handed her an old worn photograph. Grace looked at it and felt her heart constrict. It was a picture of a pregnant woman, whom she assumed to be Luke’s mother. She was standing with a man, their arms wrapped around each other’s waist, and both of them beaming proudly for the camera. There was no mistaking the man in the picture – he was Pete Sumner, Grace’s father.