Seductive Truths (Seductive Trilogy)

by Becky Cairns

  This is all Maggie’s fault. After what she said about someone watching her, well, now every wrong sensation is beginning to creep me out.

  Shaking my head I gaze across the expanse of the floral park trying to get rid of the horrible feeling that has started to seep into my bones. But the uplifting beauty is doing nothing for me. All I see are negative connotations. The park is no longer teeming with life but full of dead weight.

  The royal red of the roses remind me of the blood that’s been spilled staining my life forever. The wind brushing through the trees retain many secrets with harmful consequences. A dog’s bark, a child’s cry of glee is nothing more than an echo of the future I dreamt of. As the clouds roll in the garden becomes deserted and my soul darkens. The chill in the air pricks at my skin like a thousand knives hitting the place where it hurts the most.

  I wish I had brought my thicker coat.

  This place may not be heaven right now but it’s still my escape, my little piece of haven. I need it. I may not be able to find all the answers to my problems and complications that shroud me in their mass, but I may be able to see a clearer path or to use this time to take a step back to look at the bigger picture. Use it as a way to distance myself; if only for a moment. I cannot, must not allow it to weigh me down. I will not admit defeat. I need to carry on for the sake of Maggie and Bethany, for the sake of Thomas, for Gareth and especially for…no, can’t think of that now, it’s too soon.

  Answers are not found at the bottom of a bottle of wine or pint after pint of beer, so why attempt to look. Granted, it may dull the pain or sweep everything to one side temporarily, but it won’t put things into retrospective. More like blur the edges. Trust me, I have been there many times and all I ended up gaining is one massive hangover to last all hangovers.

  Nor am I saying sitting on a park bench would be more beneficial in sorting out jumbled thoughts and emotions, but it is better to think things through with a clear head.

  A rustling of leaves and a crunch of a stick alerts me someone’s presence, but it isn’t until a shadow falls across me do I begin to look up.

  What if it’s that Thomas look-alike?

  I pause.

  Well there’s only one way to find out!

  Navy blue denim jeans cling to muscular thighs, slim waist accentuated with the tucked in shirt, a blue top hidden underneath it hugging the torso, collar open. Strong neck and jawline with little prickles of hair forming, firm nose, almond eyes all topped off with styled jet black hair.

  Detective Sergeant Derek Peters.

  Great! This is all I need.

  ‘What do you want?’ I snap.

  ‘Is that any way to speak to a police officer?’ he smirks, hands in pockets, all self-assured confidence.

  ‘Well, you’re not in uniform and I use the term officer loosely in regards to you so yeah, I’ll speak to you however I wish.’

  Eyes narrow and the smile is wiped from his face, hands clench inside the material of his trousers.

  ‘I’d like a word if you don’t mind?’

  ‘I do mind in actual fact, but it appears I have no choice in the matter,’ I say shuffling over when Peters moves to take the seat next to me. The cold fear grips my heart and my body reacts by squeezing in on itself.

  ‘I hope I haven’t disrupted your pleasant reverie.’

  ‘Oh no, not at all. In fact, you’ve just enhanced it with your sunny disposition.’

  ‘You’re too kind.’

  My eyes remain fixed on the ground, tracking a small spider as it makes its way around the obstacles crossing its path to its disappearance through the brown, crispy leaves.

  ‘What do you want Peters? I’m in no mood for your nonsense.’

  ‘And there’s me thinking you’d welcome my company.’

  ‘Far from it, I grant you.’

  ‘Are you really in any position to be picking enemies, Alex?’

  ‘Are you?’

  My head snaps sideways catching his eye, but swiftly returns. His cold heart shines through chilling me to the bone. Everything about this man freaks me out making my skin crawl with each word that passes his lips.

  ‘Yes, quite,’ he says looking away sheepishly. ‘Anyway, I didn’t come here to take in the scenery,’

  ‘Whatever the reason for you being here I wish you would hurry up and get it over with. The sooner you’re gone the better. You’ve destroyed enough lives as it is.’

  ‘Not as half as many as your precious Gareth. He’s a killer through and through, he can’t help it. It’s second nature to him.’ He shifts. ‘You are playing with fire Alex, and I don’t just mean myself. Gareth is a very dangerous person.’

  ‘Is that why you visibly shudder every time you mention his name?’

  ‘And have good reason to do so. He has connections you wouldn’t believe. One wrong word and he can have you hunted down and killed with one click of his fingers. You cross him and there is no going back.’

  ‘Your words don’t scare me. He’s told me what he has done and he is ashamed of it but it’s not his fault. He was forced into it. I know what type of man Gareth is.’

  ‘Do you? Do you honestly know everything about the man you admire so much? Did you know he killed his own brother?’

  ‘Yes, I know that.’ Peters’ eyes widen at seeing the frank truth behind my words. ‘I also know you take back handers to look the other way. I know that, a while back, you helped cover up a murder and instead of reporting it to your colleagues or head of the force, you decided to keep stum and save your own skin. Well done. Very noble of you – exactly what the public want in a police officer.’

  ‘I do what is necessary.’

  ‘You do it because you’re a crook. You’re selfish and only look out for yourself.’

  ‘I’m trying to protect you, can’t you see that? How’s that being selfish?’

  ‘Protect me! Protect me! I’ve been put through hell these past few weeks. Found out things that have turned my life upside down. Discovered feelings I never knew myself capable of. Been tied up, dodged bullets and watched the man I love get shot, but somehow, amongst all that crap I managed to come out fighting and you think I need looking after?’

  ‘You wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place if it weren’t for Gareth. Why can’t you get it into your thick skull that he’s the bad thing out of all this!’

  ‘He’s the only good that’s come from it!’

  ‘You’re obviously more deluded than I thought.’

  ‘Me deluded? I’m not the one trying to paint myself as the good guy or believing it to be working! I can see through your games. Not for one second do I believe anything you say. Gareth has told me all about you, warned me off you even! I know this might sound crazy, it sounds completely bonkers to my ears, but I would trust that man with my life!’

  ‘Then you must want a short one. No one remotely connected to Gareth in some shape or form will have a long lifespan. You are far from safe Alex. I just hope you realise that before it is too late.’

  ‘He tries his best and I believe he’d do anything to make sure those he loves are out of harm’s way.’

  ‘Like that did a lot for his brother, or the woman he knocked up. He couldn’t even keep the fruit of his loins safe from being shot in the head. Yes Alex, I can see he’s the safest guy to be around.’

  ‘They weren’t his fault! It was out of his control! It was all out of his control!’

  ‘He chose to kill his brother. It was his finger that pulled the trigger. Not his father’s, not the criminals they were doing a deal with. It was Gareth’s, all Gareth’s.’

  ‘So what’s stopping you from grassing him up? You know the truth. I bet you can find evidence to back it up, so why not dub him in? I’ll tell you why! You won’t say anything because you know if you breathe a single word, he’d come for you. You’re a disgrace to the male population. You are nothing but a weasel. You talk the tough guy but you are nothing but a bully. At the first sign of tr
ouble you turn tail and scarper. You have no backbone! You’re worse than William and that’s saying something!’

  ‘Okay, I may not be as white as white, I grant you, but who is these days? You’ve entered a world that is completely out of your comfort zone. You’ve seen things you thought only possible in your nightmares. He will run. He did it before when he found himself in deep shit and I can assure you he’ll do it again. I’m not the only one who turns tail when in trouble. He’ll leave you Alex. He’ll leave when you need him most.’

  ‘He won’t do that, he won’t,’ but the seed of doubt has been planted and I leap from my seat, turning to stare down at him. Even from this position Peters is an imposing figure. ‘He’s not like that. He would never abandon me.’

  ‘Gareth won’t be safe forever, Alex. Every evil scum gets their comeuppance eventually.’

  A spark of spite kicks in at his words and I take a step towards him and sneer, ‘You better watch your back then, Sir, we wouldn’t want anything bad happening to you now, would we.’

  With a sweet smile I turn on my toes and walk in the opposite direction, as far away from him as possible. However, my bittersweet revenge doesn’t last long his hand clutches my upper arm and he spins me back round to face him, chest to chest, face to face. My hands spring naturally up in defence, landing on his firm chest. They tremble at the touch.

  I may despise him and the very thought of Peters anywhere near me makes me want to vomit, but his physical presence is undeniable. The rippling of his muscles under the shirt, the haughtiness of his jaw, and the fragrance of his aftershave all grips me while alternatively repulses.

  Hot air escapes my lungs, chest rises and falls with each rapid beat of my heart. My eyes can’t stop drifting to his full lips.

  I can’t seriously be thinking this can I? I have completely lost my mind!

  I try struggling to free myself but it only succeeds in his tightening.

  ‘His time will come, you’ll see,’ Peters grinds out through his teeth, his head tilting marginally towards mine. ‘Let’s just hope he doesn’t bring you down with him. Then who will be left to save you?’

  And just like that he drops me like a ragdoll and swiftly departs around the shrubbery and out of view, leaving me to crumble to the floor. The mud smears along the side of my jeans and the palm of my hands, the dirt grinding under my fingernails making me feel dirty and used.

  A crack of thunder and a flash of lightening, the clouds finally unleashes its wrath and the raindrops rapidly soak into my coat and swamp my hair causing it to stick against my cold cheek.

  This just tops it off!

  With the threat of a continuous downpour I heave myself to my feet and amble my way out of the park, slight limp accompanying it from where I twisted my ankle when I went down.

  Sore head, sore heart and now a sore ankle, my life just keeps on getting better and better!

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  A flash of lightening stings my eyes as it lights up the darkened sky, which is swiftly followed by a roll of thunder that reaches deep inside my soul bringing all the hatred and fear to the surface. My coat weighs me down with its water retention making each step feel like the last. I knew I should have brought a waterproof one.

  I abounded the umbrella ages ago. It was more of a hindrance than a help what with the gale of wind thrashing by every time I opened it causing it to turn inside out, so instead it lies limp and useless at my side.

  My body is cold but too numb to feel. My feet are damp due to the leak in my shoes which have soaked my socks straight through. Hair sticks to my skin like glue with drips gliding off to follow a trail down my neck and disappear between my breasts. I shiver as the chill takes control, but I ignore it.

  People rush by to find the nearest shelter. Lonely umbrellas swirl in the wind’s current after their owners gave up hope taming the objects. Cars dominate the roads and splash through each and every puddle, the occasional unfortunate pedestrian gets caught in the blast. All this is nothing but background action.

  My mind is preoccupied with the recent turn of events. Peters. Peters and his implications. What did he think he would achieve by threatening me? How dare he judge what I am and am not capable of? I know what I am getting myself into. Maybe I didn’t at first, but being with Gareth, to feel his arms around me, to hear the comfort of his scratchy voice, the smell of him, it all feels so right. There is no easy way to describe it, it simply exists. He’s more toxic than any drug, but he’s my choice of addiction.

  Lost in thought I walk past a shop window when the display catches my eye and I stop. Retracing my steps back I stand staring at the glistening objects dazzling with the aim to entice as many of the public into the building as they can. Sparkles, that’s the name. It’s a gorgeous little shop full of endless selections of jewellery to choose from for any occasion. William brought me here to select my engagement ring.

  I remember standing here as I am now; face almost plastered to the window, massive smile on my face that I couldn’t remove even if I wanted to. He stood behind me, arms wrapped around my waist as he whispered in my ear, ‘This is our future. Somewhere in there is a ring with your name on it. Find it, choose it and it’s yours, Mrs Jones.’ It’s now nothing more than a tainted memory.

  I know life with Gareth will not create bittersweet memories, I’ve experienced too much already to expect otherwise, but what I can’t bear thinking about is not having the chance to create something! That thought alone is enough to swell the emotions and I feel them clogging my throat.

  A honking of a car horn jolts me back to here and now and it is only then do I really take in my surroundings. The bank that went up in flames several years ago, the corner shop I remember running to after school to fill myself up on sweets and the quaint nursery I used to love going to. I remember my mum telling me that I would always leave that place with a smile on my face. If only life was as simple as then.

  Maggie’s place is not a couple of minutes’ walk away after heading around that corner. I look down at my watch.

  Five to one! Think I should head back.

  I begin to walk in the direction of Maggie’s house when a sudden tingle shoots up my spine. It’s the feeling you get when you think somebody is watching you. Instantly I turn behind me to investigate, but no one is there. Well, no one out of the ordinary, just a group of teenagers out on their lunch break enjoying a chat and a bite to eat. There’s also a man in his business suit, phone plastered to his ear and shoving coffee down his neck. Over the other side of the road are more people of no consequence. No one stands out.

  Shrugging it off as nothing more than jitters, I carry onwards but picking up my pace. However, the feeling follows my every step, but this time I swear I hear footsteps, which speeds up along with mine.

  Clip-clop.

  Clip-clop.

  Clip-clop, clip-clop.

  Clip-clop, clip-clop.

  Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.

  Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.

  Just when the panic is about to take hold of me I see Maggie’s house and sprint the rest of the distance, not stopping till I reach her door. The pulse in my neck echoes in my ear drowning out everything but my heavy footsteps pounding the pavement and the crashing of my heart against my ribs.

  I almost collide with the front door, too consumed with getting away from whatever is chasing me I forget to slow down.

  Panting, hand clutching my chest, I ring the doorbell repeatedly, occasionally giving a brief glance over my shoulder to make sure no one is near. Though I do not see anyone my conscience is still pricked.

  A screaming child makes me jump on the spot and I increase my ringing, my finger becoming sore with the force of my presses.

  ‘I’m coming, I’m coming! No need to damage my bell!’ I hear Maggie’s irritation leak through the door.

  ‘Ye…’ but I don’t give her chance to finish.

  Instead I come bounding into the house, chuck the umbre
lla on the floor and then swiftly slam the door and bolt lock it, all in one rushed movement.

  ‘What the…what the hell is wrong with you?’

  I can’t breathe for lack of oxygen, back slumping against the door, the only thing keeping me from falling to my knees. I am by no means an unfit person, but that spurt of exercise and the adrenaline powering around my bloodstream leaves me winded.

  ‘Ju-just give m-me a mi-minute,’ I say holding a finger up briefly, the other hand clutching my side, eyes closed with head tilting forward slightly.

  ‘Have you been running? Why have you been running?’ Her tone goes an octave higher and I hear the underlining fear in her last question.

  ‘It’s okay, everything is fine.’ I step away from the door to comfort Maggie. ‘I thought someone was…’

  Click-clack.

  The clanging sound of the letter box freezes me to the bone and causes me to jump back, my hand clutching Maggie’s. Spinning around I see a slip of paper float to the carpet.

  Not another one!

  Cautiously I bend down to retrieve it. The paper is still warm from the person’s touch, like whomever it is from held it in their hand for a reasonable amount of time. Maybe they were in indecision whether or not to go through with posting it.

  ‘What is it?’ Maggie whispers behind me.

  Turning the paper over I carefully read the printed text in the centre, which doesn’t take long considering it consists of only four words.

  You are not alone

  What does that mean? How am I not alone? Who’s not alone? Maggie? Bethany? Me? I don’t get it! They could still be out there and with that in mind I quickly yank the front door open, dart out and rapidly look up and down the road, attempting to pick out anyone who looks out of place. No luck. The street is deserted but for the occasional car driving past.

  ‘Alex?’

  Turning back round I see Maggie standing in the doorway, anxiety and confusion shining in her eyes, hands clutching the piece of paper I must have dropped in my haste.

  ‘This has gone too far now Alex, we need to call the police.’