Alfie reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. ‘You need to lighten up, Gemma. You look like a dog that’s been caught chewing a shoe.’
The guard wanted to know if we had anything to declare. I felt myself freeze. But Tommy didn’t hesitate, he shook his head to indicate we had nothing and handed over our passports. I sat in the back, trying not to draw attention to myself, wondering if our time on the run was finally up.
The guard looked at our documents, then turned away from the window and spoke to his colleague in French. Even though I couldn’t understand what they were saying, I knew they were suspicious. Otherwise, they would have just waved us through.
‘I thought Jean-Claude said they never bother to stop tourists,’ Tommy said.
‘He did. He told me we’d get waved through. But he also said there wouldn’t be any border checkpoint if we stuck to a minor road. I can hear him now. “Just drive over the bridge, Alfie, and you’ll see a sign telling you that you’ve entered Germany.” Wait till I get my hands on the fucker.’ Alfie laughed.
‘Step out of the car, please.’
The words I’d been dreading were ringing in my ears.
Alfie leant forward in his seat. ‘What’s the problem, officer?’
‘I need to carry out a search of your vehicle.’
Panic gripped me. If he went through my bags, he’d find the jewellery.
‘You’ll soon be on your way. This will only take a minute.’
Alfie put his hands either side of the driver’s headrest and whispered, ‘Step on it,’ into Tommy’s ear.
Tommy shoved the Mercedes into gear and sped away from the checkpoint with screeching tyres. Almost instantly, our car was followed by wailing sirens and flashing lights as the police took up the chase.
Tommy drove at high speed while attempting to outrun them. Turning a sharp corner too quickly, the car swerved and nearly collided with the barrier on the opposite side of the road. Tommy regained control, but when valley fog suddenly engulfed the Mercedes, he accidentally clipped a tree, damaging the front passenger wing. The impact spun the car and almost tipped it over in the process. The sirens intensified behind us. But Tommy managed to pick up speed again, and we crossed the German border into France. Relief swept over me, as the sound of the pursuit faded into the distance. I was sure we were going to get caught.
‘Should I head to the nearest underground car park and ditch the Mercedes?’ Tommy asked.
Alfie nodded, making eye contact with him in the rear-view mirror.
‘Get the bags out of the boot and make sure we haven’t left anything behind,’ Alfie said after Tommy parked the car on the lowest level.
*
There couldn’t have been a better place for us to disappear. Being December, vast crowds had flocked to Strasbourg to visit the mulled-wine-scented Christmas Market. It had taken over the streets of the old town, and we were able to blend in easily with the tourists as we strolled around. Medieval buildings and pastel-coloured half-timbered houses lined the riverbank. They looked like they could have come straight from the pages of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale.
As daylight began to fade, we left the twinkling Christmas trees of the main square behind us and booked into the Hotel Cour du Corbeau. It was more discreet than Alfie’s normal choice, tucked away down a picturesque side street. Our spacious room overlooked a courtyard decorated with tiny white fairy lights, but even though our surroundings were idyllic, I found it impossible to relax.
For me, the most stressful part of life on the run was knowing that the police were looking for us, whereas Alfie seemed to get a kick out of it.
‘I want you to do a job tonight, Nathan,’ Alfie said.
‘Are you serious? Isn’t it a bit soon?’ I protested, speaking up before Nathan had a chance to say anything. I hoped Alfie would listen to me.
‘We’ve been here for a week now; if the police had any new leads, they’d have already tracked us down. It’s time to move on.’
The pictures of the robberies were still all over the news. I thought it was too risky, but Alfie didn’t care. As far as he was concerned, the police wouldn’t be able to identify anyone from the grainy CCTV tapes of masked men.
*
That night Tommy brought a car around to the hotel entrance to collect us. For a change, he was driving an Audi, and this time it was silver and not black. Alfie had told him to pick a different make and colour just in case.
Before we got on the road to Paris, Nathan and Johno drilled into the tube of the supermarket safe in Strasbourg. They emptied the contents, swollen by pre-Christmas spending, with such ease that Alfie told Tommy to make detours through Metz and Reims, so they could clean out their supermarkets too.
As we drove through the night, exhaustion started to set in. My eyes were just beginning to close when the sight of the sun rising over the river Seine made me blink and open them again. Alfie reached for my hand. His touch made me jump. I pulled my hand away. Nathan was asleep on the seat next to me.
‘Come to my room later, Gemma.’ Alfie smiled and took hold of my hand again. He placed it on his thigh near his groin.
My hand sprang back as though I’d just touched a hot pan, and my heart began to race. Alfie’s brazen attitude was scaring me, and I looked at him with a panicked stare. What the hell was he doing? Nathan was sitting inches away from me.
‘Why are you looking at me like that?’ Alfie smiled.
I shook my head. ‘You know why.’
I’d quietly mouthed my reply, so I didn’t wake Nathan up, but I felt him stir beside me. I glanced at him over my shoulder. When I was sure he was still asleep, I turned back to face Alfie.
‘Make sure you come and find me later. I want to tell you the rest of the story.’ Alfie winked.
67
Gemma
The conversation I’d had earlier with Alfie played over and over in my mind. I couldn’t deny I was curious to find out more about his connection with Nathan’s family, but I didn’t know if he could be trusted to keep his hands to himself.
Alfie was a smooth talker. There was no denying he was an attractive man, and if I was being totally honest about the situation, I was flattered by the interest he was showing me. He could be incredibly charismatic. Alfie Watson could charm the knickers off a nun if he wanted to!
I didn’t understand why Alfie wouldn’t respect my decision. I’d made it clear that nothing more would happen between us. I wouldn’t cross the line again. I’d been pretty blunt about it. But he was a man on a mission, flexing his alpha male muscles. He wasn’t going to give up easily. Perhaps it was his pride that wouldn’t allow him to accept it was over. Men like Alfie weren’t used to being knocked back. He’d freely admitted he loved the chase, but I wasn’t trying to play hard to get. It wasn’t as though I was encouraging him, far from it. In fact, the more unpleasant I was to him, the more he seemed to enjoy it.
I loved my husband, and I should never have been unfaithful to him. The thought of what I’d done to Nathan turned my stomach. I still couldn’t believe I’d gone against my values in the first place. I never thought I’d betray Nathan’s trust. It was very out of character for me.
I should have seen the signs earlier. My unhappiness had put me in a vulnerable place, and I’d let Alfie take full advantage of that. But it couldn’t happen again. I didn’t realise I was going to cheat on Nathan until it was too late. At the time I’d blamed the alcohol, but I’d been making excuses because I didn’t want to face up to the truth. I wished I could say with complete confidence that I wasn’t falling for Alfie, but I couldn’t.
I was confused. My head was all over the place. I was a married woman, and I had no intention of reversing my vows. Nathan was the missing puzzle piece in my life. He completed me. So why was I being drawn towards Alfie? I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t help it. Much as I loved Nathan, his weakness where money was concerned had driven a wedge between us. Nobody could accuse Alfie of being weak. Was it N
athan’s lack of certain qualities that was driving me towards Alfie?
Although I’d done my best to hide it, recently I’d found myself mooning about Alfie. It was becoming a struggle to suppress my thoughts. Acknowledging the fact that I had started to develop feelings for him was the first step in dealing with the problem. I’d have to snuff them out, or they could easily destroy my marriage.
If I went to Alfie’s room, I knew it was likely he’d have a different agenda in mind other than storytelling. My mind was made up. It was probably too risky to be on my own with him. It wasn’t just Alfie I was worried about, I wasn’t sure I could trust myself.
68
Gemma
Tommy brought the car to a stop outside the Shangri-La Hotel, situated in one of the most exclusive and historic neighbourhoods, right in the centre of Paris. Our duplex suite was set over two levels and had an incredible unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower and the River Seine.
My main priority was to get some rest. I climbed into the huge bed fully clothed. The only thing on my mind was sleep, but Nathan had other ideas as he stripped off and got in beside me. He pulled me towards him, and his hands wandered all over my body. When I didn’t respond, he began nuzzling my neck.
‘What’s up?’ Nathan leant up on his elbow behind me and kissed the top of my head while he waited for me to speak.
‘I’m exhausted. I’ve been awake all night.’ I looked at him over my shoulder before I let my head drop back down on the pillow.
The look on his face said it all. My rejection had hurt him, and although I felt guilty, I was too tired to do anything about it. I hadn’t given Nathan what he wanted, so he turned his back on me and started sulking. He was acting like an attention-seeking child.
*
When I woke several hours later, I was alone in our room. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes before getting out of bed. Going up to the second level of our suite, I walked over to the full-length windows, opened them and stepped out onto the terrace. The view of the Eiffel Tower and Paris, the City of Light, was spectacular. Noticing Alfie on the adjoining balcony, dressed in an expensive suit with a crystal tumbler in his hand, I turned to go back inside, but it was too late, he’d already seen me.
‘Gemma,’ Alfie called, standing up from his chair.
I turned to face him and looked him in the eye.
‘Don’t go, we need to talk.’
‘About what?’
‘It’s story time.’ Alfie smiled, before lifting the tumbler to his lips. He finished his drink and walked through the French doors, closing them behind him.
I was desperate to hear the next instalment, so I banished my previous concerns from my mind. Before I had a chance to knock on Alfie’s door, he opened it. Pulling me inside, he shoved himself into me, slamming our bodies into the wall. Alfie bent his face towards mine, and the mellow scent of Jack Daniel’s filled my nostrils. Cupping my face, he went to kiss me, but before he could, I put my hand on his chest and pushed him away. I gave Alfie an exasperated look before taking a step backwards. My intuition had been right.
‘You’ve got to stop doing this. I told you before; I’m not going to sleep with you again. You need to accept it,’ I said, looking him straight in the eye. How many times did I have to tell him? Surely I wasn’t sending him mixed messages, was I?
Alfie looked startled at the knockback. ‘So why did you come to my room?’
‘You said you wanted to tell me the rest of the story.’
‘And you believed me?’ Alfie laughed.
His comment made my blood boil with rage. But I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of provoking a reaction from me. I needed some space, so I twisted the handle and was about to leave the room when he pushed the door closed.
Alfie took hold of my hand and led me across to the cream-coloured three-piece suite. ‘Take a seat while I fix us both a drink.’
‘I don’t want anything, thanks,’ I replied as I leant back on the gold cushions. I didn’t want alcohol fogging my brain.
Alfie turned towards me and raised his eyebrows. Then he refilled his glass before taking a seat next to me.
‘Now where did I get to?’ Alfie grinned. I saw his eyes slowly travel up my legs while he waited for me to reply.
‘You told me Jethro was in love with Rosa.’
A muscle in Alfie’s jaw twitched while he considered his next words. ‘My dear old dad wanted to be with her so badly he made sure the robbery didn’t go to plan. Dad tipped off the police and Gareth got caught and sent down.’
My mouth fell open after Alfie dropped the bombshell. I was shocked. It was all news to me. But I had a feeling I hadn’t heard the half of it. I hoped Alfie would reveal the rest. ‘You’re going to have to rewind a bit. I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
Alfie settled back against the cushions and took a sip of his Jack Daniel’s. ‘Whoops! Did I let the cat out of the bag? I assumed you knew Nathan’s dad had been in prison.’
‘I had no idea.’
‘He’s been released now, but he served a long sentence.’
My mind whirred as I tried to take in all the information. I wondered if Nathan knew about this.
‘With Gareth behind bars, my dad thought he’d be free to make a move on Rosa, but she wasn’t having any of it. Obviously, he didn’t take that too well – her rejection stung. I know how that feels.’ Alfie laughed, then leant forward and whispered in my ear. ‘I can’t get you out of my head, so putting an end to our affair isn’t an option.’
‘We’re not having an affair; we spent one night together.’ I couldn’t keep the frustration out of my voice.
I suddenly felt uncomfortable and needed to put an end to this conversation. Without saying another word, I stood up and walked across to the door. Turning the handle, I stepped out into the corridor and breathed a sigh of relief.
69
Alfie
Gemma was messing with my head. Things weren’t going the way I’d planned them. That was something I wasn’t accustomed to, and I didn’t like it. I was normally an excellent manipulator, but she was making it quite a challenge for me to win her over. She was a hard nut to crack. That wasn’t going to put me off though. In fact, the more unattainable she was, the more attractive that made her.
I’d underestimated the impact she was having on me. I couldn’t get her off my mind. I was intrigued by Gemma. She was never going to get in the queue to stroke my ego, and I loved that about her. She didn’t just go along with everything I said. She was a strong woman who knew her own mind. Gemma stood up to me, and I respected her for that. The problem was, it only made me want her more. I’d never met a woman like her. She was one of a kind.
Gemma was unavailable, and that made her incredibly attractive to me. She was like forbidden fruit. I was used to getting what I wanted, so I wasn’t going to lust after her from afar. I wanted her to be mine. I wouldn’t consider the possibility of letting Gemma go. I wasn’t just physically attracted to her. I was falling in love with her. I never thought I’d find a woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, until I met her. The fact that she was married to somebody else was a minor inconvenience. Nathan wasn’t going to stand in my way.
After we’d spent the night together, I knew I wasn’t imagining it, there was chemistry between us. No matter how much Gemma tried to deny it, we shared a connection. Every time I made eye contact with her, it sent shockwaves through my body. It was obvious she felt it too. Although she tried to play it cool, she was always the first to look away, more often than not with a distinct flush to her cheeks. Gemma’s words might be barbed, but her body language was sending me different signals. It was revealing what she was trying her best to hide. She was attracted to me, and that was the only encouragement I needed.
Gemma wouldn’t allow herself to believe we had a future together out of misplaced loyalty to the loser she was married to. Everyone could see Gemma and Nathan’s relationship was in trouble. Nathan only e
ver looked out for himself. If Gemma gave the situation some serious thought and stopped being stubborn for a minute, she’d realise she’d be much better off with me. For one thing, she’d never have to worry about money again.
If Gemma had been truly committed to Nathan, she would never have been unfaithful to him. We were meant to be together. I realised that when I first met her. It was time to take her away from Nathan. I knew that wouldn’t happen overnight, but I was prepared to be patient and happy to invest my energy into the challenge. I never could resist one, so I would give it my undivided attention. I was used to running the show. It wasn’t in my nature to shy away from difficult situations.
Gemma needed to understand, I wouldn’t take no for an answer.
70
Gemma
So here I was, at my wit’s end, sitting alone in our room, waiting for Nathan to come back. I hadn’t turned my phone on since I’d been to Alfie’s room. I stared at the dark screen and braced myself before I switched it on. When the phone lit up, I could see I’d missed several messages. I scrolled back through them until I came to the first one.
Stop playing games, Gemma. Come back to my room x
We were going round in circles, and I felt emotionally exhausted. Alfie wasn’t going to let me go until he was good and ready. I should have realised he’d see this as a challenge. Even though I’d spelt it out in black and white, Alfie was ignoring me. He was so used to being in control; this situation was alien to him.
What’s taking you so long? I’m still waiting… x
Alfie always called the shots and got his own way. He liked to be in charge and thought he could control everyone and everything, including me. But if there was one thing I knew about myself, it was that I was an independent woman, and I would never be with a man who kept telling me what to do. I thought about whether I should reply to his message but then decided to read the others.
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