I bury my head in my pillow to silence my cries. I wanna scream so loudly, with every pitiful ounce of energy I have left. I’ve never been one to pray, only having done it a few times when I’ve been at my worst, but right now I pray to whoever is listening to save us. To save Aidan from his father. A man, if you can call him that, who will do anything to get what he wants. I pray for the target to come off my back, when I’ve never done anything to hurt anyone. When I can’t shed another tear, sleep comes.
At some point in the night I wrestle with the sheets, but it’s Aidan’s strong arms that surround me. Guilt sweeps over me. I’ve lied too many times to count now. He doesn’t deserve that. Why can’t I tell him? Tiny needles stab at my heart every time I think I should. And I know in my heart I should. It brings me to the brink of tears again, but I hold my breath and clench my teeth, begging the tears not to come. If he wakes up to the sounds of my cries, and tries to comfort me, I won’t be able to stop. I blank out my thoughts, and focus on the sad beat of my heart until I drift off again.
****
When I wake the next morning, I feel hollow, but my head is somewhat clearer. The caffeine-high fog seems to have lifted now that I’ve managed to get some sleep.
Cassie. She’s the answer. For my sanity, at the very least.
She’s always good at taking my mind off things, and her boyfriend, Jeremy, is probably jetsetting around the world, so she’s likely to be home alone. A Friday pyjama night at Cassie’s will give me the distance I need—as much as it pains me to say it—from Aidan.
I shower and dress, and make a coffee for the drive in. I’m not in the mood to eat. When I get to work, I bail Cassie up in the kitchen.
“Hey gorgeous, you’re in early,” Cassie says, looking as fresh as you’d expect for someone not being blackmailed. She’s tucked her smooth burgundy hair into a French roll, her dark-grey square-neck dress hugging her to her knees.
“Hey, Cassie.”
“Your eyes are puffy as anything. Are you feeling alright?”
“Yeah, I’ll be okay. Can I ask a favour?”
“Sure, what?”
“Are you doing anything tonight? Because I really need a girl’s night. A girl’s night in.”
“That’s sounds great. There’s a bottle of champagne in my fridge that’s been taunting me all week.”
The relief is almost instant; well, enough for me to breathe a little easier. Another night I don’t have to face Aidan while I sort this shit out. I’m fully aware that the clock is ticking, but maybe after tonight, with some headspace, I can work out exactly what I’m going to do.
I ring Aidan to give him plenty of notice. Just in case he’s got plans for dinner.
“Hey, baby. You feelin’ better? I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. The sleep did me a world of good.” And the outpouring of emotion into my pillow.
“You needed it. You’ve been workin’ too hard.”
“Yeah, I know. If it’s okay with you, tonight I’m gonna stay at Cassie’s. We’re gonna sit around and watch hopeless romantic movies and drink champagne.”
“Sounds good, baby. You need a break, relax. I’ll be sorting stuff anyway before I leave in the morning, so you go have fun.”
“I’ll pop by after work and get some stuff. Do you want me to get anything for you for dinner?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll drop in and get something from May’s.”
“Okay, have a good day.”
“You too, baby girl. See you tomorrow.”
****
I rock up at Cassie’s after work with my pyjamas, slippers and a bottle of champagne, because I know one bottle won’t be enough. I also grabbed a big arse packet of M&M’s and a tub of Rocky Road ice-cream on the way. The perfect ingredients for a calorie-filled night in.
Cassie greets me with a warm hug. It does little to lift my mood. She holds me at arm’s length, looking at me like I’m one of those hidden magic-eye puzzles.
“Geez, Eevie, you really do look like shit.”
Well, that’s just fucking perfect. She already suspects something’s up. “Thanks, Cassie. Why not tell me what you really think.”
“Don’t be so sensitive. What’s goin’ on with you? You’ve been out of sorts for weeks. Aren’t you sleeping?”
“No. Not really.”
“Why not? You should be on top of the world right now. Madly in love with a gorgeous man, you’re back at uni, and your mum’s doing fine. So what is it?”
“Let’s start with the champagne first, and then I need a spoon. Rocky Road is calling me.”
“Okay.” She eyes me suspiciously. “Then, we talk.”
I’m going to have to tell her. I have to tell someone before I develop a deep-seated anxiety disorder. I also need to lay off the coffee. The combination of no-sleep and at least six cups of coffee a day is not doing anything to help my mental state.
****
I dig into my ice cream, loving the way it numbs my brain. It definitely tastes a lot better after we nailed those bottles of bubbles. But now, sitting here by myself for the few minutes since Cassie left the room, I wanna cry. That real, hard, gut-wrenching kind of cry, because I don’t know what else to do. I’m completely fucked. My sanity is on the line.
Cassie huffs as she comes back into the room. “Okay, girl. Spill. You look like you’re ready to crack.”
I can’t look at her. I wipe the tears from my cheeks that I didn’t even register falling.
“What the fuck has you in this state? I’ve never seen you like this. You’ve definitely lost weight … and you don’t have any to lose.”
She’s right. I’d felt it in my clothes. Substituting breakfast with coffee and a couple of mints in the car on the way to work hasn’t helped. A shit way to start the day, I know.
“If I tell you something, Cassie, you have to swear to me that you won’t tell a soul. And I mean no one.”
“Sure,” she says casually.
“No, Cassie,” I stress. “Promise me. No one can know.”
She furrows her perfectly-groomed brows. “Okay,” she says rolling her eyes. “I promise.”
I sink my head into my hands. “Someone has a tape.”
“What kinda tape?”
“The kind you don’t want people to see.” I take in a shaky breath. “Someone’s been watching me and Aidan.”
“Fuck, Eevie. Are you shitting me?” Her voice climbs higher with each word.
“No.”
“Who would do this? W … what do they want?” she says.
“Money. I’ve already given them what money I had for some photos. I didn’t believe it until the video was emailed to me. This can’t get out, Cassie. But it’s not just the money anymore. He …”
“Who?”
“Aidan’s father.”
Cassie’s mouth drops open, words failing her.
“He’s using me to get to Aidan. I have to convince Aidan to meet him, but Aidan was crystal clear. He wants nothing to do with his dad.”
“Fucking hell. This is fucked up.”
I twist my fingers together in my lap to stop the trembling. “Aidan is my everything, Cassie. First they wanted money or Aidan would get hurt, and now he wants to meet him. How do I convince Aidan to meet with the man who abandoned him as a child? The one person that could hurt him the most? It’s doing my head in.”
“Eevie, this is serious shit. You could get hurt. Aidan could get hurt. Fuck!”
“I know. I’m in so deep. I can’t sleep, I barely eat, and I’m afraid of my own shadow.”
“What does Aidan think about all this?”
“He doesn’t know …”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You’ve been handling this shit all by yourself? You need to tell him. You need to tell him now, Eevie.”
“I can’t. I can’t risk him getting hurt.”
She shakes her head and gets up, pacing up and down in an erratic path in front of me. “Did
I ever tell you what my brother Ryan does for a living?” she asks after a minute of deep thought. She stops dead in her tracks, awaiting my response.
“Isn’t he a cop?”
“Yeah. He’s a detective. At least let me speak with him. He can do a bit of background work and see exactly who you’re dealing with.”
“No, Cassie. You can’t. I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone.”
“Eevie,” Cassie says sternly. “It’s only a bit of background work. That’s all. Do you understand just how serious this is?”
“Yes, believe me, I do.”
“Christ, Eevie! I’m fucking twenty-six and you’re giving me grey hairs! I won’t take no for an answer. I can’t sit back and let this shit happen to you.”
I sit silently and stare into her brooding eyes. She storms out of the room, and comes back a moment later, her phone to her ear.
“Ryan, it’s me. You know how you owe me?” She pauses. “Well, now’s the time, brother. I need your help with something. Can you come over?” She rolls her eyes at whatever he said in response. “Shut up and get your arse over here. Eevie and I need to talk to you … Good … We’ll see you soon.”
“He’s coming over here … now?” I say, shocked he’s just dropped everything. I don’t know if I want this; if I can handle this. I had this under control—okay, maybe not, but the more people that know about this the more dangerous it’s going to get.
“Yeah … I’ll get us some more champagne.”
“No. I need vodka,” I say, almost choking on my words.
“Yeah, you’re right. This shit definitely calls for vodka.”
CHAPTER NINE
* EEVIE *
Not even ten minutes later, a guy with broad shoulders and long legs strolls into the lounge room. Blue jeans sit low on his slim hips, and a grey hoodie fits snug against his muscular chest. Of course the good looks run in the family. With Cassie for a sister, there was never any doubt.
His deep-brown eyes slowly scan over me, a cheeky smirk tickling the corner of his mouth. He runs his hand through his short, sandy-brown hair, and then loops his thumbs through his belt and rocks back and forth on his heels.
“Ryan,” Cassie says coolly.
“Hey, Cass. You’ve been holdin’ out on me. This is Eevie?” Ryan says, and grins at her like they’re in on some big secret.
What has she told him about me?
Cassie crosses her arms across her chest and shakes her head at him as if it’s some kind of warning.
“No wonder you won’t let me come visit you at work, Cass,” he says, looking at me up and down, a mischievous glint in his eye. Yeah, I must look a fucking treat—a few champagnes under my belt, a gut-full of ice cream and sporting a daggy pair of flannel pyjamas. Way to go, me.
“Put your dick back in your pants, Ryan,” Cassie barks.
I stand up and extend my hand to him, needing to look up to meet his gaze. He shakes my hand firmly, his warmth tingling up my arm, calming me somewhat. “Hi Ryan. It’s good to finally meet you.”
“You too, gorgeous,” he says and smiles.
My words falter as the panic of telling another person sets in. “I just wish it were under different circumstances.”
His smile fades and his eyes dart nervously to Cassie.
“There’s something serious we need help with,” Cassie says, motioning for him to sit down. Ryan sits beside me, and Cassie curls up on a giant cushion on the floor in front of us.
“What do you need?” he says, his face serious.
I glare at Cassie, hoping she’ll take the lead. “Eevie’s being blackmailed. They’ve already got money out of her for some photos, but now they have a tape. They’ve emailed it to her, so we know they have it.”
“What kind of tape?” Ryan asks me, his dark, inquisitive eyes drilling into me.
Heat prickles under my cheeks. Could this be any more embarrassing? “A sex tape,” I whisper, my eyes returning to focus on the knot of sweaty fingers in my lap.
“Did you give consent for it to be filmed?” he asks.
“No, God no.”
He takes his phone out of his pocket, and starts tapping away on the screen. “Do you have any idea who could be behind this?” he asks.
“Before the emails I spoke with Aidan’s ex-girlfriend, who said she’d been blackmailed by Aidan’s father for information on Aidan. He hasn’t been in Aidan’s life for well over twenty years … Now, for some reason, he wants to see him. I’ve given him all the money I have, but he’s got me right where he wants me. He wants me to convince Aidan to meet with him. I’ve got ten days left to do just that.”
“What’s his father’s name?” he asks, matter-of-factly.
“Mitchell Stone,” I reply.
He taps on his phone again, seemingly taking notes, and then glances up at me and pauses. “Can I see the email?”
“Ryan!” Cassie shouts, and punches him hard in the thigh.
“Calm down, Cass! Despite what you think of me, I’m not being inappropriate. There can be some important information we can gather from it. We can have our IT guys take a look at the email address and see what they can find.”
Cassie huffs and fusses around with the pillow. “Fine. Sorry. So, can you run some checks on this guy, find out who we’re dealing with?”
“What do you mean by ‘we’re dealing with’? I don’t want you involved in this, Cassie. This is my problem,” I pipe in.
“Yes, Eevie. It is a problem, but like it or not I am involved. You’re my friend, and I’m gonna do everything I can to help.” She glares at Ryan. “Ryan, are you gonna help us or what?”
“Yeah. I’ll make a few calls.”
Ryan’s focus shifts from Cassie to me. He rests his hand on my shoulder, a move which ensures I give him my undivided attention.
“Eevie, blackmail is a dangerous game. The kind of people that resort to this will already be desperate. I know you’re scared right now, but I think the best thing you’ve done is ask for help. I’ve seen this shit turn bad very quickly. Nine times out of ten, the blackmailers get what they want, and don’t come through with their part of the bargain. I’d hate to see you go through all this for a bad result.” With a gentle smile, a dimple appears on his smooth cheek. He removes his hand. I’m beginning to understand why Cassie never introduced us. If I weren’t already madly in love, I’d be a dribbling mess in front of this god for sure.
All I can do is nod.
“Can you get me a pen and paper, Cass? Maybe you could fix Eevie another drink? I need to get some more details.”
“Sure,” she says. She leans over and kisses me on the forehead. “We’ll get through this, Eevie.”
I give Ryan some more of Aidan’s personal details so he can check his birth certificate for exact details on his father. We start at the beginning. I tell Ryan everything—the call with Tara, what Aidan told me he knows of his father, and I answer his many questions about the emails, the phone calls and the drop offs. He’s very thorough, and I have no doubt he’s very good at his job. I show him the email on my phone, my skin crawling with dread as every second passes. I can barely push the send button when he asks me to forward it to his IT crew for further investigation.
“I don’t want Aidan to be in anymore danger than he already is. Please keep this quiet, Ryan. I don’t want them to find out I’ve gone to the cops. I don’t even wanna think about what would happen if they did.”
He frowns and strokes his chin. “You know, I have to say, you seem awfully worried about Aidan. Perhaps you should be more worried about yourself.”
I finish the last of my vodka as I work out what to say. Why wouldn’t I be worried about him? I love him … more than anything. I can’t imagine life without him.
“She’s head over heels, Ryan,” Cassie scoffs. “He’s a great guy, it’s just unfortunate that—”
“Unfortunate how, Cassie?” I blurt out before she finishes. I narrow my eyes at her. “What are you trying to say?�
��
“This whole mess is unfortunate, Eevie, and Aidan comes with some serious baggage.”
How dare she? “We’ve all got baggage, Cassie, hell, I’ve got my own, but that shit’s not important. I love him.”
“I know you do, and you’re blinded by it, Eevie,” she says, holding her hands in the air.
I huff out in frustration. She should be careful what she says, because as much as I love her, I love Aidan more.
Ryan interrupts. “Alright, girls. Cool your heels.”
He’s right. It’s probably best to take a deep breath before I say something I might regret.
Ryan stands up, folds his notes and puts the paper into his jeans pocket. “Eevie, I’ll give you a call tomorrow. In the meantime, you should probably stay here. Keep a low profile. When are they expecting you to deliver the package? Um, I mean for Aidan to make contact?”
“Ten days.”
“I’ll get on it, and call by tomorrow. Get some sleep, gorgeous,” he says softly, and winks.
“Thanks, Ryan.”
****
Last night was the best night’s sleep I’d had in weeks. Maybe it was the relief I’d felt in sharing my burden. Maybe it was the hope, no matter how remote, that Ryan might help.
Cassie insisted I spend tonight at her place as well. There’s no point being home alone dealing with this shit while Aidan is away, and even though I’m still a bit upset about her dig about Aidan having baggage, I decided to stay. Sometimes I need to learn when to listen … for my own good.
After getting out and taking a walk around the markets, Cassie and I retreat back to her place and cook up a nice dinner: fresh fish, and seasonal vegetables, and a lemon tart for dessert. Cassie insisted I needed to put some weight back on. I’m sure, eating like this, it won’t take long.
****
* RYAN (yes, Ryan) *
“This guy is fuckin’ dangerous, Ryan. Does this chick have any idea who she’s been dealing with?” Senior Detective Parker asks, the warning tone in his voice confirming how dangerous this situation is.
Spike (Spark Series #2) Page 10