Clash (The Forever Duet #2)

by Jennah Thornhill

  Her sad and red-rimmed eyes gaze at me, the scared daze evident.

  “Baby, are you with me?”

  She nods, and I pull her towards me as she throws her arms around my neck, just like that night in her living room when I had to bring her back from the edge. Kissing her cheek, I pull her back and look at her again. “Let me speak with Dylan for a second.”

  Getting up from my crouched position, I go over to Dylan. “What the fuck happened?”

  “She had a call. We only know what the call was about because she put it on speakerphone. He didn’t threaten her: he just said he wanted to hear her voice. Neil, I haven’t got a clue who this bastard is, but I think it’s time we got the police involved.”

  “I think you’re right. It was a male voice though, yeah?”

  Dylan tells me the rest, and by the time he’s finished, I’m freaked out. I just can’t even begin to think who this could be.

  “Right, I'm taking her home. Can you gather all her work and take it back to yours? I can’t get Bonnie home and worry about her work, too.”

  “Yeah of course. Shall we leave it in your office instead?”

  “No.” I answer right away. “She doesn’t like leaving it here; she prefers to have it with her.”

  As I turn my attention to Bonnie sitting on the floor, her face is in her hands and she begins to shake. This has really messed her up. The way it's going, she’ll be a nervous wreck—that’s if she isn’t already.

  Squatting, I take her hand and kiss her knuckles to get her to turn her attention on me. “Let me take you home.”

  Nodding, she begins to get up from the floor while grasping my hand as I help her to her feet. Tucking her under my arm I thank Dylan and Serena, yet again, and we make our way out of the building.

  Tommy is nowhere to be seen since I warned him—good fucking job really. That bastard is beginning to get on my last nerve.

  Bundling Bonnie in the front seat of the car, I fasten her seatbelt and we head home.

  Driving once again like a mad man, I try to keep my eyes focused on the road ahead of me, but every time I have to stop at a red light, they stray to the woman in the seat next to me. She hasn’t said a word since we left the office, and her silence is starting to worry me. My plan is to get her home and into a hot bath before tucking her into bed with my arms wrapped around her.

  As soon as we pull up at Bonnie’s house, I can see something isn’t right. I lean across the centre of the car and kiss Bonnie's cheek, telling her to stay put and that I’ll be right back. I take the key out of my pocket and jog up the path.

  Putting the key in the door, I go turn it, but it’s already unlocked. I cautiously push the handle and step over the threshold. Everything seems fine as I walk through the hallway.

  I use my shoulder to push open the door to the living room and discover I had been right to be cautious: everything is upturned, there’s stuff on the floor… The plant in the corner has been knocked over, and the soil has been trodden into the carpet. Even the flowers I sent her have been sent flying onto the floor.

  My heart sinks at the sight before me.

  I have to stop her from seeing this because it’ll break her heart.

  Sucking a breath into my lungs, I ring Dylan first—telling him what's happened and that we’ll be on the way over to his house—then I call the police. While I’m waiting for them to pick up, I see the note stuck to the telly, written in the same handwriting as before:

  Step two complete:

  Step three will be your boyfriend!

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Bonnie

  I have no idea how I’ve ended up here: one minute I’d been in the conference room listening to the lunatic down the phone, and the next Neil’s putting me in his car and we’ve ended up back at my house.

  Everything around me had been white noise after the call. The only voice that had got through the fog that had taken over my mind had been Neil’s. His intense, yet caring, bright blues had stared back at me when he’d got down on the floor to me.

  On the way over here, I hadn’t said a word and I’d been able to tell by the way he kept looking at me that I was freaking him out. Thing is, I’m so lost in my own head right now, I don’t even know what to say. Shit like this happens to celebrities, not a regular run of the mill mid-twenties woman like myself; I’m nobody important, not in the grand scheme of things.

  I’ve been sitting in this car on my own for ten minutes now, and there still isn’t any sign of Neil. When he’d asked me to wait for him, I’d assumed he was just grabbing something before taking us back to his place, but something in my gut is telling me that isn’t the case. I may just be getting paranoid, but who can blame me?

  Unwilling to just sit here any longer, I take a few deep breaths and grab my bag from the footwell, unclicking my seatbelt. Opening the car door, my foot is barely out and on to the curb when I hear Neil shout.

  “Bonnie, stay where the fuck you are. Please, baby. I’m begging you. Just get back into the car.” He steps from the doorway before turning and spending more time than necessary trying to lock the damn door. That gut feeling I’d had, multiplies quicker than anything I’ve ever felt before.

  Ignoring his demands, I climb from the car, trying to show him that I’m not some weak wall flower and that believe it or not, despite my meltdown less than twenty minutes ago, I am in fact a strong woman.

  “Bonnie, I’m warning you, baby. Get in the goddamn car. I’m taking you to Serena.” His long legs take purposeful strides back to the driver’s door, and my eyes follow every step he takes. The entire time, he doesn’t once look at me.

  Turning my body fully so I can look over the roof of the car, I slap my hand down on the metal. “Don’t you baby me, Montgomery. Something’s happened, and you aren’t fucking telling me.” His eyes flash in my direction, and I continue. “You either tell me, or I’ll just go into my own house and find out. The choice is yours.”

  When he still doesn’t say anything, I puff out my cheeks before pulling my keys out of my bag, turning towards the house.

  “Bonnie, stop please. I’m just trying to protect you. Now get in the car. Let me take you to Serena and I’ll tell you everything.”

  I’ve never heard Neil beg before—well unless you count the times, he’s done it when I’ve had my mouth around his dick—but this is different. He sounds like he’s at breaking point, and he just needs me for once, and to not argue with him on this. I can see the conflict in his eyes, and the way he’s leaning on the car, it’s as if it’s the only thing he’s got to support him. Knowing I can trust him, I don’t say a word, and as I get back in, I hear him mumble, “Thank fuck.”

  Leaning over the centre console, he places a kiss on my cheek and whispers a ‘thank you.’ against my skin.

  In record time, he’s got us to Dylan’s and Serena’s, and when they both come barrelling out of the front door with concern etched on their faces, I know straight away that they know what’s going on before I even do. And that just pisses me the fuck off even more.

  When I pull myself from the car, Serena wraps her arms tightly around me, and believe me, for a tiny woman, she can cut off anyone’s air supply with those arms of hers.

  “Oh, Bon. I’m so glad you’re here. Let’s get you inside and I’ll get us a glass of wine.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dylan give Neil one of their manly hugs, and Dylan must say something to him because Neil looks deflated and shakes his head. When Serena finally let’s go of me, she takes my hand and leads me into their home.

  With a determination I didn’t think I possessed at the moment, I school my features and pull my shoulders back.

  Something else has happened and I want to know what the fuck it is.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Neil

  She hasn’t taken her eyes off us since we’ve walked in here. I feel like I’m under scrutiny, and it’s only going
to be a matter of time before she demands again that I tell her. Blocking Bonnie out for a second, I concentrate on Dylan.

  “You have to tell her mate. You can’t ignore this.”

  “I know, but I’m not sure how much more she can take…”

  “Believe me,” he says cutting me off, “she’d rather know so she can deal with it in her own head than if something happened to you through all of this.”

  “Right, enough with the fucking whispering.” Bonnie stands up in the middle of the room with her hands fixed on her hips and her foot tapping on the carpet. “I’m not stupid, and I’m not a fucking damsel in distress. Now, Neil, if you’d like to keep that dick in its place for the next time you want to use it, I suggest you tell me what the fuck is going on and why you wouldn’t let me into my house.”

  Dylan nods, giving me the courage to tell her.

  Twisting around I walk towards her and take her hands. “You better sit down.”

  “I’d rather stand.”

  “Please, Bon, for once, don’t be stubborn and just sit with me.” Finally, she does as I ask but doesn’t shift her defiant gaze from me. Sucking every bit of air that I can into my lungs, I close my eyes, wondering where to even start with all this shit. I just need to say it and get it out.

  Scrubbing my hands over my face and blowing out the breath I was holding, I prepare to drop the bomb. “It seems someone has broken into your house: they’ve turned the living room upside down.”

  She releases my hand to cover the shocked gasp that comes from her mouth. “Oh my god. What do they want from us?”

  “That’s not all…” I pull the note from my pocket and open it out. “This was stuck to the screen of the telly.”

  I hold it out and she takes it from my fingers. Before she’s finished reading it, her hands are shaking furiously.

  “I’m not sure if they went anywhere else other than the living room.”

  “Fuck the house,” Bonnie snaps. “Neil, they're threatening your life. This is getting really serious. First the car, then my house and now they’re saying you’re next.”

  Wrapping her up in my arms, we spend the next twenty minutes not saying a word until the police call, relieving the deathly silence.

  Kissing the top of her head, I leave the room with my phone to my ear. I reiterate to the policeman on the other end everything that’s happened to us over the last few weeks and how they’ve taken it up a notch—I’m sure my tyre being slashed was no coincidence and now Bonnie's house... It doesn’t take a genius to work it out.

  They bring the call to the end by saying they’ll send someone around to Bonnie’s but to not touch anything until someone has been. Fucking great. Now her house has to stay a bomb site until they can be arsed to pull their finger out.

  “What did they say?” Dylan asks as I go back into the living room.

  “Oh, they were a great help.” I roll my eyes with sarcasm. “They said someone will be out today to have a look at the site. I mean what the fuck?”

  Dropping to my knees in front of Bonnie, I put my hands on her thighs. “When you had that call today, did you recognise the voice by any chance? Anything that can help us work out who this bastard is?”

  “I’m not sure—I can’t remember much about today. It’s like when I’m going into panic, my memory blanks and it leaves me with a black spot. I’m sorry.”

  “Hey”—I stroke her hair— “you have nothing to be sorry for. What did I say the other night in the hotel?” When she doesn’t say anything, I push her to respond. “What did I say?”

  “It’s you and me against the world.”

  “That’s my girl. I love you, Bon.”

  She doesn’t take her eyes from mine when she answers me. “What if they do hurt you? Worse still, what if they take you from me? Oh, my God…”

  Getting up from the floor, I take my place beside her, pulling her back into me and placing my forehead on hers. “It’s not gonna happen, okay?”

  “Do you promise?”

  “I promise. Now, Dylan and I are going to yours to wait for the police. I want you to wait here with Serena, and we’ll be back as soon as we can. Can you do that for me?”

  Nodding her head, she pulls her knees up into her chest, resting her cheek on top of them.

  Before Dylan and I are out of the door, she shouts me, stopping me. She runs up to me, pushes to her tiptoes and kisses me like she's not going to see me again—not that I mind.

  “Please be careful. I love you so much; I can’t lose you.”

  Those words are all I need to keep me strong through all this. I don’t give a fuck what happens to me as long as they don’t touch a single fucking hair on her head.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Bonnie

  My house—my poor little house.

  It’s been ransacked, and for what? I have nothing of any value, I live simply and keep myself to myself. My friends are limited to Serena. I don’t like the idea of a big circle because then you have more chance of getting stabbed in the back. Yet, that theory isn’t working all that well for me right now because I’m still getting shit on from a great height.

  This shit is getting more fucked up as time passes, too. I’d known it had to have been something bad for Neil to keep it from me the way he had. I’ve seen him worried before, but nothing compares to the panic and worry that has just stared me right in the face.

  They’ve threatened him now, and I can’t—won’t—let anything happen to him because of someone who clearly hates me.

  With the guys over at my place, I’m left at Serena’s. Pacing up and down in front of the sofa, I chew on my thumb nail until the skin is bleeding. My nerves are frayed, and I’m edge. I won’t rest until they get back.

  “Bon, you’re gonna make yourself ill. Let’s get you a glass of wine, and I’ll call Dylan to see if they have any news.” She comes to stand in front of me, stopping me in my tracks and pulling my thumb from between my teeth.

  Just as we’re heading into the kitchen, my phone starts to ring from my bag. “Give me two secs will you: I just need to answer that in case it's Neil.”

  Serena gives me a swift nod and continues into the kitchen. Rummaging through my bag, I find my phone right at the bottom and pull it out. Not recognising the number that’s flashing on the screen, my heart sinks, knowing it isn’t Neil calling me.

  Cautiously, I swipe across to answer it. “H... Hello.”

  “Oh, hey Bon. It’s Kate. I’m sorry to be calling you out of office hours. It’s just I needed to ask you something about the skirt you’re putting me in for the show, so I got your number from Dylan's assistant. I hope that’s ok with you?”

  Relief floods me when I realise not the same fucking nut job from earlier.

  I must take some time to answer her, because the next thing I hear is, “Bonnie? Are you there?”

  Quickly gathering myself together, I reply, “Yes, I’m so sorry, Kate. I’m here.”

  For the next five minutes, she asks me if I can change the buttons on the back of the skirt to a zip. It’s an odd request, but I think she’s right. After a quick goodbye, we hang up just in time for Serena to appear with two large glasses of wine.

  “Here, drink this. It’ll help.” Handing one of the glasses to me, we both take a large mouthful, neither one of stopping until our glasses are nearly empty, sighing with smiles on our faces.

  “Fuck me! I needed that.” We both giggle at my reaction to just a simple glass of wine.

  “Was that Neil on the phone?”

  “No, it was Kate—one of the models. She just wanted to ask me a question.”

  “At least it wasn’t that crazy fucker from this afternoon.”

  I laugh because it’s as if she can read my mind. “Funny you should say that. I thought the exact same thing when she said it was her. The relief I felt was unbelievable.”

  We drink some more, then some more, and before we know it,
we’ve drunk two bottles of wine and the guys still aren’t back.

  “Shit! I never called Dylan,” Serena exclaims with a hand over her mouth. “I’m so naughty.” Her words are starting to slur, but if I can count on one thing—or should I say one person—then it’s her. She has this way of making you comfortable and making you forget that life can sometimes be a complete bitch.

  Chapter Forty

  Neil

  “Jesus, mate, what the fuck were they looking for?” Dylan asks as he looks around, stunned.

  “That’s the thing: I have no fucking idea. I can’t work any of this shit out. Was Bonnie targeted or has someone got a grudge? I just don’t know.”

  Leaving Dylan in the front room, I head up the stairs to see if they’ve been up there. Hesitating at the door of Bonnie's bedroom, I push it open to see the mattress upturned, the bed base moved from where it should be and everything that was placed neatly on her dressing table, has been knocked off.

  Hanging my shaking head and sighing with my hands on my hips, I close my eyes away from the mess that’s around me. Dylan’s voice breaks the spell I seem to be under when he calls me. Willing my feet to move as quickly as they can, I go out on the landing and look over the bannister.

  “Police are here.”

  Hurrying down the stairs, I greet them and tell them who I am, shaking their hands.

  “Someone wanted to make a point it seems. Is there anything missing?”

  “I have no idea. We were told not to touch anything, so we haven’t actually looked. Rolling my eyes, I glance at Dylan who smirks. “So, what are you going to do about this?” I ask the uniformed officer.

  “There’s not much we can do unless you can tell us something that can tie this in.”