His eyes softened. ‘And I can’t lose you either. Going out there without me is too dangerous. Can’t you see that?’
‘Let me do this my way,’ she pleaded. ‘Don’t make me feel weaker than I already do.’
He leaned in and placed a soft kiss at her temple. ‘Look, I’m not trying to make you feel weak or helpless, but we need to keep you safe.’
She was silent, resolute, and he caught her unwavering expression. ‘You’re determined to go without me?’
She nodded. ‘Yes, I am. This is my life we’re talking about. My uncle, my brother. I need to sort it out, and I won’t have the police sniffing around here.’
He sighed and took a moment, thought it through. ‘Okay, look, there is someone I trust. A friend of mine. Someone that can take care of himself as well as you. He can take you. Are you happy with that?’
‘Sounds great,’ she said. ‘And thank you for understanding.’
‘I’ll give him a call,’ he said as he grabbed his phone. ‘And you need to call Milo’s PA.’
‘I’m on it,’ she said, hurrying into action.
Elena managed to reach her brother’s PA, only to be informed that he was tied up in meetings all day with the Board of Directors. Elena thanked the PA and ended the call, satisfied that whatever he was up to, right now, he was busy with other things.
In the quiet of Ethan’s office, she heard the faint sounds of voices in the living room. Two to be precise. The familiar sounds of Ethan, and another. She left the office and made her way towards the living room.
‘You just need to take her where she needs to go, wait for her, and then bring her back to me,’ Ethan said.
‘Seems a little over the top, but if that’s what you want, I can do it.’
‘Good, because that is what I want.’
‘Can I ask you something?’ the unfamiliar voice asked.
‘Yeah.’
‘This is all a little intense, isn’t it? I don’t know what you’ve got yourself into here, buddy, even for you.’
He sighed. ‘I know, it’s complicated, but it’s real, and I need to protect her. And walking into a police station with me seems to be her hard limit. She doesn’t want me involved. I guess she’s had enough anxiety to deal with, so I’ve got to respect that. But it doesn’t alter the need to keep her safe. So, right now, it means someone staying with her, and if it can’t be me, I’d rather it be you. I still don’t know who’s out there, so I’m not taking any risks.’
The other man laughed. ‘Mate, we all know you’re one big risk.’
‘Yeah, whatever,’ Ethan said and laughed, comfortable in this person’s company, one of his friends.
‘But if this helps, I’m happy to assist.’
She walked into the room, and the conversation stopped as they both turned to her. It was unnerving. Conversations never stopped on account of her entering a room, and she didn’t know how to respond. The doors that overlooked the Thames were open, letting humid air drift in.
‘Hello.’
Ethan walked to her. ‘Elena, this is Jack,’ he said as he slid his arm around her waist. ‘He’s going to stay with you, make sure you’re safe.’
‘Hello, Jack,’ she said with a smile and held out her hand to shake his.
‘Hi, Elena.’ He shook her hand firmly and smiled back. He was tall, with short brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard; almost in the same league as Ethan as far as looks were concerned. Almost.
‘You know what you’re doing?’ Ethan said as he handed Jack a set of car keys.
‘Yes, absolutely. The police station. DS McAllister and straight back.’
‘I have one file to unscramble. It’s tied up with a fucking ribbon, but I’ll get it. It’ll be done by the time you get back.’
Ethan looked at Jack. ‘Better get going. Just keep a lookout; you know what it’s like.’
‘I do, and I will. She’ll be fine.’
Ethan went to Elena as she grabbed her bag. He wrapped his arms around her. ‘You have your tracker on you?’
‘Yes, right here.’
‘Good,’ he said and kissed her. ‘Get this done and get back here as soon as possible.’
‘I will.’
Elena followed Jack across the room and looked around at Ethan one last time before leaving his apartment, shutting the door behind her.
Chapter 27
‘Thanks for doing this,’ Elena said as they jumped into Jack’s car. ‘You must have more interesting things to do than ferry a stranger around.’
‘It’s no problem,’ Jack said. ‘And no, at the moment I don’t have anything more interesting to be doing, so it’s all good. Given myself a little break from the world of graphics and design – that’s what I do by the way – legitimate career, no off-grid stuff here. But when Ethan asked me to help you guys out, I have to admit to being a little intrigued.’
‘So, you know what happened, between me and Ethan?’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘Oh.’
Whatever self-esteem she was beginning to claw back was floored again at the fact that he was well aware of what she’d been through, yet still chose to be with Ethan. She’d fooled herself into thinking that she could remain in a private bubble, not having to explain her actions, but it was clear their secret was blown.
‘You probably think I’m a lunatic, doing this, being with him,’ she said as she looked out of the window, not wishing to see his expression. ‘And I guess I probably am.’
There was a pause and both were silent. This was not going to plan. She glanced at him and took in his contemplative expression and then settled on the cars ahead of them, sure this conversation was over.
‘No, actually I don’t think that at all,’ he said. ‘Yes, this is all a little strange,’ he looked at her and smiled. ‘Actually, it’s one of the strangest situations I’ve ever known, but I’ve never seen Ethan like this either; kind of free and content. It’s good.’
She smiled. ‘Have you known him for a long time?’
He nodded. ‘Since we were kids,’ he said as he worked his way easily through the light traffic. ‘There’s a group of us, and we’ve always been around for each other. Grown up together. Been there and done it all – some of it a blast, and some of it we’d probably rather forget,’ he said with a wink. ‘Most of the time we’re all in touch, but there are times when he disappears, no contact at all, and then he’s suddenly available again. It was to be expected when he was in the Marines, but with what he’s doing now, well, I’ve learned not to ask too many questions. I guess you might want to do the same.’
‘Maybe,’ she said. ‘But right now, I need to know who would have wanted to do this to me, and he’s helping me with that.’
‘Did you know his parents well too?’ she asked, tentatively steering the conversation to where she wanted it to be.
‘Yes, I did. They were good, straight-down-the-line kind of people who worked hard and paid their dues, and I think Ethan would have been a very different person had they not died.’
‘He said it was a car accident but didn’t elaborate. Do you know what happened?’
He sighed at the memory. ‘It was all the clichés; bad storm, heavy rain. They were driving home from somewhere, I can’t remember where, and didn’t see the drunk driver swerving towards them. Suddenly, bam, their lives were lost and Ethan and Oliver’s changed forever. Happens all the time, I guess, but the devastation it causes…’
She looked out of the window. Tears pricked her eyes. She wanted to go back to him. Tell him she’d never leave, but she had a job to do first.
‘Are you okay, Elena?’
‘Yes, I’m fine. It’s just so sad. But it’s helping me to understand him more, and I need that if I’m going to make sense of what we’ve done. And his need for control.’
‘Hmm, that,’ he said and smiled. It was enough for her to see that his friends were probably very familiar with that aspect of Ethan’s personality.
He
glanced at her. ‘Can I ask you something now?’
‘Yes, if you’d like.’
‘How was it, you know, when you were captive? What was he like?’
She sighed. No words would effectively convey the full horror of what she went through, but she told her story anyway, enjoying how cathartic it was to be able to talk freely, sharing her and Ethan’s bond that developed during her captivity, and how he protected her from the other violent man.
Jack looked quietly horrified, shocked that a close friend had been involved in something so appalling. ‘Jesus Christ, what was he thinking?’ he muttered, as much a spoken thought as responding to what she had said.
‘You know why he was there, don’t you? Why he had to do it?’
‘Yes, although the details he shared with me were very sketchy. He didn’t want to discuss it. Hurt pride, I guess. He’d pissed someone off big time, yes? Had to settle the debt? That’s all I know. Like I said, I’ve learned not to ask too many questions.’
‘Yes, that’s right. He was in charge of it, and I thank my few lucky stars that he was there. It would have been very different otherwise.’
He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. ‘I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry you had to go through all that.’
She shrugged. ‘It was life-changing, for both of us, I think. And I guess people bond in those moments, don’t they?’
He nodded. ‘Yes, I guess they do.’
‘It’s hard to explain why I chose to be with him, and I suppose it’s harder still for anyone to understand the connection we share.’
‘Well, you don’t have to explain anything to me,’ he said sincerely. ‘I can’t imagine what you went through.’
She nodded. ‘He always tells me that he’s–’
‘A bad person?’ Jack said, surprising her by finishing the sentence. ‘Yeah, I know. It’s not just a line though, I think he believes it.’
‘Do you believe it?’ she asked, silently hoping on his answer.
‘No, I don’t, and in all the years I’ve known him, he’s never left anyone behind, so to speak. He makes sure anyone he cares about is suitably looked after, and that’s all I can tell you. That actions speak louder than words.’
She felt love swirl inside her, as if it was a physical presence in her body, for the man who was at the centre of her world. And who wanted nothing but her.
She smiled, relieved. ‘Thank you, Jack.’
He smiled back at her. ‘Not a problem.’
She was grateful for their discussion and understood why Ethan trusted Jack as he did. It gave her new strength. Her self-esteem even managed an elevation from rock bottom.
***
Elena and Jack spent over an hour at the police station, handing over a flash drive containing details of Milo’s transactions and her uncle’s loan request, carefully avoiding the exact specifics of how she obtained the information. It wasn’t much to go on, DS McAllister admitted that, but he assured her he’d look into it and get back to her.
As they made the journey back to Ethan’s, Elena remembered that there were some things she needed from her apartment. A few more of her toiletries and some clothes. She suggested it to Jack, who was happy to oblige, and he called Ethan, who was not so happy, but agreed when she said she’d check in with Milo’s PA and return immediately afterwards. Jack drove to the end of her road, turned the car around, and found a space just a few strides from her building.
‘Right,’ he said with playful determination. ‘I have my orders,’ he said as he switched off the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt.
He smiled at her confused expression. ‘I will come up with you. I’m not to leave your side, remember?’
She smiled. ‘Of course. His control knows no bounds, clearly.’
‘With you? No. But I’m happy to assist.’ He grinned. ‘Today, I am Jack the Protector.’
She smiled. ‘Do you have a superhero outfit to reveal under there?’
‘No, but if I did, it would have a JP on the front in big red letters in the middle of a yellow circle, edged in blue. What do you think? Sound good?’
‘Okay, that was a lot of detail, Jack,’ she said. ‘And a lot of thought. Is that the graphic designer in you, or would you really like to be a superhero?’
He considered it. ‘Both, I think.’
‘Well, I now know you a little better than before,’ she said. ‘Now, let’s get this done. We both have our orders.’
They got out of the car, and Jack followed her into her building and closed the door firmly behind him. She grabbed the pile of post on the table in the lobby and they made their way to her apartment. Once inside, she sorted through her post, mainly junk mail, and grabbed some clothes and toiletries, packing them into a bag. As they made their way down to the main entrance, she remembered her phone.
‘Damn it,’ she muttered and paused on the stairs.
‘What’s up?’ he asked a little ahead of her.
‘I’ve left my phone up there.’ She mocked hitting the side of her head with the heel of her hand. ‘If I had a brain. You go to the car, I’ll only be a second,’ she said, already running back up the stairs.
She opened her apartment door as the thud of the front door closing sounded in the hallway, and grabbed the phone from the table. She locked up but as she made her way back down the stairs, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She was alone, for the first time.
Caution made her pause as she opened the main front door.
She glanced at Jack’s car only a few steps away, a few steps to safety. But she couldn’t do it. Fear meant she couldn’t move. She couldn’t see him either, but that was because the driver’s side was just beyond her field of vision. ‘Just stop,’ she said to herself. ‘You can do this. There’s nothing to fear.’
She peered out to her left and her right as she walked down the steps to the pavement. The street was clear, and she made her move, belting across the road to the car. Any sense of relief at being with Jack again was quickly replaced by ice-cold horror at the sight of him lying across the two front seats, his phone on the floor, playing music to deaf ears. He was out cold with a large welt covering the side of his face; sprung upon without warning while looking at his phone, waiting, and only moments ago joking around with her.
‘Oh no, Jack!’ she cried out as she pulled hard on the door handle and reached in, leaning over him. ‘Jack, Jack, can you hear me?’ she shouted, part in fear and part to be heard. Carefully, she put her shaking fingers against his neck, and, after a few adjustments, she felt the steady beat of his pulse. He was out for the count but alive.
Thank God.
‘Hang on, Jack. I’m going to get help,’ she said and turned and pushed the door shut. She checked up and down the street and ran across the road, up the steps to her front door. She needed to get to the safety of her building and call for an ambulance. And the police. This wasn’t a random attack, her instincts told her that. Someone had come for her, and they were terrifyingly close. She rammed her hand into her bag and frantically searched for the cold sharp metal of her keys. Finding them deep at the bottom, she grabbed them, and hurriedly jabbed the key in the lock. But her shaking fingers made it an impossible task. ‘Come on. Come on. Damn it,’ she muttered as she worked.
‘Hello, Elena,’ a voice said from behind.
Chapter 28
She shrieked and turned, fear ready to take over. It took a moment to recall the familiar face looking up at her from the pavement.
‘Adam,’ she cried as she ran back down to him, peculiarly happy to see him; a familiar face. ‘You’ve got to help. It’s Jack. He’s been attacked. He’s over there in that car. He’s unconscious.’
‘Really? That sounds terrible,’ Adam said with concern as he looked at the car and then to Elena. ‘Who is he?’
‘He’s a friend,’ she said quickly, trying to focus her mind. ‘I’m scared, Adam. They’re coming back for me. I’m not safe. I need to call an ambula
nce… I need to call…’ The insidious feeling of panic crept up on her. ‘Oh God, oh God. Please don’t lose it now,’ she muttered through forced gasps. Now was not the time for a panic attack. She calmed her breathing and held on to the railings that ran alongside the steps to her building.
‘Hey, hey, it’s not a problem, I’ll help. Calm down,’ he said with a smile as he rubbed her back. ‘You go up and get a blanket for your friend, and I’ll call for an ambulance.’
‘Great, thank you,’ she said, relieved, and after turning the key in the lock on the first attempt, she dashed back up to her apartment. Once there, she reached into her bag and grabbed her phone, ready to make a call as she swiped the throw from the back of the sofa. There was only one person she wanted here with her now and, as if fate was stepping in, Ethan’s number appeared on the screen.
‘Elena. Thank God,’ he said when she answered, his voice raised and urgent. ‘I’m coming to get you,’ he said over the sound of movement and keys rustling. ‘Right now.’
‘Ethan,’ she cried. ‘Ethan, come quickly. Jack’s been attacked. I think they’re coming for me.’
‘Jesus,’ he snapped. ‘Are you in your apartment? Are you safe?’
‘Yes,’ she said as she rushed to the living room window.
‘Elena, listen to me,’ he ordered. ‘I know who was behind your abduction. I got into the encrypted file.’
She closed her eyes and held her hand against her forehead. ‘Oh God. Who was it? It was my brother, wasn’t it?’ She looked down at the car. It was just as she had left it, with Jack still slumped in the chair. But there was no Adam.
‘No. It wasn’t your brother.’
‘What? Then who?’ she cried, desperate.
Ethan sighed. ‘It was Adam,’ he said as he revved his car into action. ‘Adam organised your kidnapping. He wanted your father’s money. He was the one behind it.’
‘Adam?’ she whispered. ‘No, that’s not possible.’ Her body tensed. Cold tendrils of fear wrapped themselves around her legs, like ivy to a tree, rooting her to the spot.
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