Connor drives the car up to the house. I stare out the window blankly, not looking at what is usually a beautiful sight. I gasp. Tears fill my eyes as I take in the mess that has been made. All the windows downstairs at the front of the house have been smashed, and I can take a guess that the back of the house is the same.
Callum is standing just inside the front door and he’s in deep conversation with two officers. Why? Just why? Donovan might owe people money, but that has nothing to do with me. Why have I been dragged into the disaster that is his life? There’s no reason for someone to be frightening me. I won’t be bullied into paying a debt that isn’t mine.
I get out of the car and stand, surveying all the damage that has been caused. It’s a mess. My eyes roam the house and I already know whoever was here has been inside. Callum stops talking, looks in my direction, and I see a deep sadness in his face, which confirms that someone has been inside. Connor takes my hand in his, offering me security, but I’m not feeling safe. Not at all.
My dad is walking towards the garage. My eyes follow him and I gasp when I see my other car. I drop Connor’s hand and automatically start walking. What the hell? The windscreen and windows are all smashed and it looks like someone has gone to a lot of trouble painting words on the car.
I read the message out loud:
“He owes me. I want what I’m owed. You’ll be hearing from me.”
Everything is happening too quickly. Images flash through my head about what might have happened if I’d been at home. My body shakes uncontrollably as I read the message over and over. I stand, dazed, unsure what to do or say. My heart is racing and my legs are weakening. I mentally give myself a pep talk to stay on my feet. There are too many people here for me to go into panic mode. Although, at the moment, I want to jump in my car and race off. Away from here. Far away where no-one can find me.
I close my eyes briefly. This isn’t fair. I’ve not done anything wrong. Fear grips me. Right now, I’m also angry and I want to lash out.
“Ella! Please talk to me?” I open my eyes and Connor is standing before me. “What are you thinking?”
“Right now? That we can’t stay here tonight and that I’ll need to get the whole property secured.”
“Ella, come on. What else is going on in your mind?”
I shake my head. “I honestly don’t know. This is getting out of control. I’m not sure what or who I’m up against and it’s frightening me. And here I thought Donovan had fucked up before, but this . . . this takes it to a whole new level. I don’t know what to do. This isn’t a fight against Donovan.”
“Ella.” Callum calls my name and I turn to see him with my dad. They both share the same look of concern.
“I’m fine, but I just want an end to all this.” Connor pulls me into his arms and holds me tightly. Usually, this would have a soothing effect on me, but not tonight.
“What do I need to do before we can leave?” I ask, pulling back from his hold.
“Let’s go and ask.” He takes my hand in his and we walk back toward the front door. “Officers!”
We stand on the doorstep, speaking to the officers. I don’t pay much attention to what is being said. I just want to grab some clothes and leave. Get as far away from here as I can. Dad and Callum talk in hushed voices to the side. I catch them glancing in my direction. Callum keeps running his hand through his hair and his eyes dart around, not settling on anything for too long. My dad’s eyebrows are drawn close together as he listens to my brother.
I don’t even care enough to find out what they’re whispering about.
“Ella, we can go inside and grab some things,” Connor says, bringing my attention back to now.
“Okay.”
We follow an officer inside and I gasp at the mess and destruction. The lamp and vase on my sideboard are both lying on the floor in the hallway, smashed. Pictures that lined the walls are on the floor as well. Tears fill my eyes when I see a picture of me and my mum smashed. Why?
Why would they do this?
“Miss McGregor, I know this will be hard, but can you look around and tell us if anything is missing? Don’t worry if you don’t notice anything tonight. I know this must be a lot for you to take in.” I nod at the officer. In the living room, it’s the same. Pictures and ornaments smashed up all over the floor. Cushions from the couches scattered around the room, as though someone has been looking for something.
I wander around downstairs, and although lots of items are broken, it doesn’t look as though anything is missing. Although, I’m sure I won’t know exactly until I start cleaning up the mess that has been made.
That’s for another day.
The officer follows Connor and me upstairs. The main bedroom door is open and I glance inside; it’s a mess. I close my eyes and silently pray to myself that whoever was here is caught, and quickly. Connor enters his room and packs an overnight bag. I wander along the hall to the end bedroom. All the other rooms have also been turned upside down. The door is still closed, so I open it and step inside. Everything is where it should be. Looks as though whoever was in the house didn’t enter this room.
As I pack a bag, the officer stands in the doorway, watching me without saying a word. He must see this sort of thing on a daily basis, whereas, I don’t. I don’t even think I’ve played the victim of a criminal offence in any of my movies.
“Are you ready?” I turn, hearing Connor’s voice, and watch as his eyes glance around the room. “Well, at least they haven’t been in here.”
“Yes, I’m ready. Dad and Callum have both offered to have us stay with them.”
“I know, but what do you want?”
“Can we go to a hotel tonight, and then tomorrow we can think about everything else? I don’t think I’ll be good company and I don’t want them tip-toeing around me.”
“Of course we can,” he says, taking my bag from me.
We walk back downstairs and outside, where Dad and Callum are standing still talking to a police officer. “Sweetheart, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Dad. It’s just been a shock. Connor and I are going to stay at a hotel tonight. I hope neither of you mind. I just want some space tonight, and tomorrow we can analyse everything that’s happened.”
They glance at each other before shrugging their shoulders, as though in defeat. “Yes. You have to do what is right for you,” Dad says. I hear the sadness in his voice and I know he wishes I was going to his house. With the small crowd that had gathered at the gates, I don’t want to risk their privacy. “Okay, why don’t we meet up for lunch. Trevor has already cleared tomorrow for you both.”
“Lunch would be nice.”
“Officer, is there anything else you need from us?” Connor asks.
“I need to know where you’ll be staying, should we need to contact you.”
“Of course. And what about the property?”
“There will be someone here all night.”
“Thank you.”
“Ella, I’ve already been in touch with the insurance company,” Dad says. “I will come over first thing in the morning. The security company and the glazers will both be here at nine a.m.”
“Thank you.”
I walk over to the car, leaving Connor speaking to them. My head is all over the place. I don’t want to speak to anyone. I wait on him and nervously look around. This is meant to be my home. The one place I’ve always felt safe. But as my eyes travel as far as I can see, I’m now wondering if the intruder is still lurking somewhere, watching me.
This is no longer home.
“Come on. Let’s go. Is the Hilton in town okay?” Connor asks.
I nod and get into the car.
“THERE’S SOME BAD GUYS AND they’re going to come looking for me. I need your help. Please, don’t push me away now, not when I need you the most. You can make all my problems go away.”
He always has a story. Why should I believe him this time? “How?”
“Just pay them. Give
them what I owe them. I promise, Ella, I’ll make it up to you.” I stare at him. He looks like a little lost boy. Totally alone and unsure of what to do. But I know exactly what I’m going to do, or rather not do. There’s no way I’m paying off his debts. I don’t care who he owes money to this time. I won’t help him.
“You’re full of bullshit. I don’t care. You’re not getting so much as a penny from me.”
“Ella, you have to pay. They know we’re together. They’ll come after you.”
“But we’re not together and haven’t been for a long time. Go away. I don’t care about you anymore.”
“Don’t say things like that. You know I love you.”
I can’t help but laugh at his choice of words. “Love? You don’t know the meaning of the word.”
I stand by the window and he starts walking toward me, crossing his arms, holding onto his shoulders. There’s no smile on his face. An ache builds in my chest as I look at his sadness, but I have to remember this isn’t my fault. He’s brought all this on himself.
The room starts spinning. Everything seems to slow down as he approaches me. “Ella, please. I need your help?”
“I’m sorry,” I say quietly, turning away from him and looking out the window in time to see a van stopping and eight men jumping out. They see me. One guy has a huge dirty smirk on his face as they all rush toward the front door.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
The front door is forced open and I hear their footsteps coming toward us. “Ella, they will hurt us both,” he says, falling to his knees before me.
“Do you have what you owe me?” the guy who enters the room first shouts as he stalks toward us.
Donovan turns and shakes his head. He has tears running down his face. “Well, this pretty little thing will have to pay for you.” The guy reaches out, touching my face. He runs his fingers down my cheek before running them along my bottom lip. Bile rises.
“I’m not paying anything for this arsehole!” I yell.
“At least we can both agree on Donovan. But you see, pretty lady, you are his insurance. You were with him when he took out the debt and he promised me you would be good for it.” He pulls me into his hold and presses his lips to mine.
“No . . .”
“Ella!” I bolt upright in the bed, pulling the covers up around my body, even though sweat drips from me. My heart is racing and I can’t control it. Warm arms wrap around me and I try to push them away. “Ella, it’s me. I won’t hurt you. It was just a dream.”
I turn to him and my breathing starts to slow when I see him. It was just a dream. “There. That’s better. Are you okay now?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“I don’t need to ask who or what it was about.”
“No.” I snuggle into the warmth of his body.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really. I just want my life to be normal.”
“Your life has never been normal so why change it now?”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do, and everything will settle down, hopefully sooner rather than later. I messaged Alex when you fell asleep.”
“Oh.” As soon as we were here, I lay down and closed my eyes then nodded off to sleep. I had completely forgotten he and Libby had wanted me to let them know how everything was.
“They’re both concerned about you, and Alex wants to help. All you have to do is say and he’ll arrange someone to look into all this for you.”
“But isn’t that a job for the police?”
“Yes, but how long will it take before they get any answers? I’m not sure I’m prepared to wait that long. Especially when we don’t know who we’re dealing with. Donovan is one thing, but this is something else.”
“Can I think about it? I don’t want to rush into something and then regret it.”
“Of course. Now, come on. Let’s try and get a few more hours sleep.” He pulls me back down in the bed, wrapping his arms around me. I rest my head on his chest and allow myself to drift back to sleep, safe in the knowledge that he won’t let anything bad happen to me.
His soothing touch helped me to sleep, and now, it’s waking me up. My eyelids are no longer heavy as I open my eyes. I’m still in the same position I fell asleep in, resting against him. “Morning,” I say, looking up into his gorgeous face.
“Morning. You look better. Tell me you feel better.”
“I do. What about you? Did you get back to sleep?”
“Yeah, for a bit. Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“Ella . . .”
“Honestly, I’m not, but I’m sure by lunchtime I will be so don’t fuss. So what will we do to pass the time?” I ask, running my hand down his firm abs.
“Not what’s in your head,” he says, grabbing my hand and stopping me from continuing my exploration of his body. “We need to talk.”
“Really? You want to talk when I can think of so many more interesting things to do? Fine.” I huff. “Can it wait until I’ve soaked in a bath? Or better still, you could join me in the bath. Help me relax. I feel all the tension here.” I sit up and roll my shoulders, moving my neck from side to side.
“You do know you’re impossible at times?” I don’t turn around but I feel his warm, soft lips pressing lightly against the back of my neck. I close my eyes and moan. “Well, if you want a bath, woman, you had better go and run it and I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
I angle my head and kiss him before jumping out of bed. He laughs and I can’t help but smile. I need this. I need a distraction from all the crazy memories of my dream. It all seemed so real.
Connor is still laughing when I enter the bathroom. I shiver, thoughts about the men Donovan owes money to firmly in my head. Are they coming after me because he’s told them I’m good to cover his debt? Are they going to hurt me if they don’t get what they want? If I paid them, would that be an end to it, or would someone else come looking to me to pay off more debts?
I open a small bottle of bubble bath and pour it into the running water. I watch as bubbles form, filling the bath. After testing the water, I undress and climb in.
As I lean back, the bathroom door opens and Connor enters. With his eyes on me, he removes his boxers before climbing into the bath. I wriggle forward, allowing him room behind me. The warm water rises around us as he sits down behind me. He wraps his arms around my stomach and pulls me closer to him. “There. Is this what you were after?”
“No, but it’ll do. I’m in your arms so I’m happy.” I don’t have to look at him to know he’s smiling. I can feel it.
The warm water splashes around us. This is the perfect antidote for stress. A long and sensual bath for two, to bring us closer together. I wish I had some of my own toiletries with us instead of the hotel ones. We’d make good use of those, especially with a warm massage.
He gently rubs my stomach; slow circular movements. I close my eyes, enjoying the warm feelings spreading through my veins.
“Is that good?”
“Mmm, yes. I love your touch.”
“What else do you love?”
My eyes fly open and my chest tightens as I realise what I’ve said. I’ve been avoiding asking myself what he means to me because I’m not ready to admit my feelings. When the mess that is my life is sorted out, I will ask myself how I truly feel about him. But at the moment, there’s just too much going on.
I take a deep breath to steady my growing nerves. “I love the warmth of the water that surrounds us. It’s almost as soothing and comforting as your touch, which is also very distracting, in a good way.”
“So, you’re in a loving mood. That’s good to know.”
“I know what I am in the mood for.”
“You’re always in the mood for that.” He removes one hand from my stomach and I feel him adjust himself. I also hear the groan he makes as I push my arse closer to him, allowing me to feel what is making him so uncomfortable.
I stand up slowly and turn around; his deep eyes are watching me intently. I wait for a moment, silent and still. The only noise I can hear is the water splashing against the side of the bath. I take a step toward him and lower my body. His lips curve into a mischievous smile.
“This isn’t what I had in mind when I said I’d join you in the bath,” he says, moving his arms to rest on the side of the bath.
“It’s what I had in my mind.” I lower myself onto him. He groans, throwing his head back and closing his eyes.
I don’t move. I allow myself to adjust to the feel of him deep inside me. After a few moments, he opens his eyes and grabs hold of my hips. I smile as his expression changes. “Can I tell you what I love right now?”
I close my eyes for a split second, unsure of what he’s going to say next. “Tell me.”
“You taking control.”
I lean forward, wrapping my arms around his neck, and press my lips to his. It seems I’m all about taking control today.
“ELLA, HOW ARE YOU FEELING today?” my dad asks as we join him at the table in the hotel restaurant.
“Not too bad,” I tell him as I sit down. I have Connor to thank for that. He took my mind off everything earlier.
Connor and my dad greet each other, but my eyes scan the restaurant. An eerie feeling rushes over me and I’m not sure why. Goosebumps spread over my skin and the hair on the back of my neck stands. I run my fingers through my hair and shake it loosely in an attempt to calm myself down.
What the hell has got into me?
The last time I felt like this, Donovan had been following me in London.
Is he here now? Lurking somewhere? Watching? Or is it someone else? The person who caused all the damage at my home last night?
“Ella, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. Something doesn’t feel right. I feel as though someone is watching me,” I say without looking at either of them. My eyes are still scanning the restaurant, but there are so many people here, I don’t know where to look.
“Do you want to leave?” my dad asks and I finally look at him.
“No, it’s fine. I’m sure it’s just my overactive imagination playing tricks on me. So, how are things at the house?” I ask. I try not to look at Connor because I know he’s going to be concerned by what I’ve said, but I can’t help it.
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