His eyelids fluttered as her hair brushed his cheek. His poor, bruised cheek. Jade’s fingers strayed to his face, her lips following in their wake. A hair’s breadth from his, she could almost taste his tongue searching for hers, probing deep into her mouth.
Slowly.
She registered a shift in his position, a stirring in his groin as she allowed herself the sweet taste of him, tracing the thin film of sweat at the base of his neck. Moving downwards, she paused to gently caress a nipple with her lips, the taut muscles of his stomach, his hips; finally reaching her prize. She felt him move as she took him into her mouth, heard him utter a throaty expletive as she worked on him expertly with her tongue.
‘Shit.’ She heard him groan again.
Jade increased her efforts, ignoring the question on his lips – ‘Mel?’ – and the sound of feet stumbling towards the bathroom overhead. Why was he whispering her name? Why wouldn’t he let her go?
She couldn’t ignore the hand he wove through her hair, the violent expletive that exploded from him as he yanked her sharply up.
‘What the fucking hell are you doing?’ Seizing her shoulders, his fingers digging hard into her flesh, Mark shoved her away and scrambled to his feet.
Shaken, Jade crossed her hands over her breasts, watching, stunned, as he hastily rearranged his tracksuit bottoms and reached for his top. ‘I… I was lying with you. I—’
‘Why?’ Mark stared incredulously at her.
Seeing an unmistakeable flash of fury spark in his eyes, Jade shook her head, bewildered. ‘Because… we’re meant to be together. We… You said. You said you needed me. That you wouldn’t know what to do without me. You promised. The first time you held me, you said you would always—’
‘You need to go,’ Mark interrupted, pulling his furious gaze away.
But he looked towards the stairs, Jade noticed, relief washing through her. He was worried about being caught. ‘It’s all right,’ she whispered reassuringly, getting to her feet and moving towards him. ‘I understand. It doesn’t matter. We have the rest of our lives to—’
‘What?’ Mark turned back to her, his expression now one of astonishment.
‘To be together,’ Jade finished, her mouth going dry. ‘To—’
‘I don’t want to be with you.’ Mark was looking at her now as if she were something abhorrent. ‘I want to be with my wife!’
No, he didn’t. Jade stared at him, confounded. She’d felt his body stirring, his heart beating. He was confused, tired. The alcohol—
‘I love my wife, Jade. I don’t want anyone else. I never will.’
Liar! Anger rose like liquid bile in Jade’s chest. ‘You wanted me!’ She pointed out this all too obvious fact. ‘You wanted to make love to me. You can’t deny that.’
‘Jesus.’ Mark shook his head, pressed his fingers hard against his temples. ‘I was practically fucking unconscious!’
‘But not too out of it to lie back and enjoy a free blow job!’ Jade retorted, fury now burning like acid inside her.
Mark’s studied her, his eyes darkening dangerously, and then he moved suddenly past her. Jade flinched. ‘I thought you were Mel. It was Mel I wanted.’
Retrieving her shirt from the floor, he shoved it at her, barely looking at her as he did.
He’s lying. Jade’s heart stopped beating. He’s lying.
Desperate to rescue the situation, she stepped closer. She’d got her timing wrong. Moved too fast. He was scared. ‘It’s all right, Mark. I understand, really I do.’ Arranging her face into a seductive smile, she reached to graze a hand across his cheek, and then leaned closer, attempting to press her lips against his.
Mark stopped her, roughly grabbing hold of her wrist. ‘You’re fucking insane. I want you out. Get your things and go.’
He meant it. Shocked, Jade searched his eyes. Eyes that were no longer kind and caring, but cruel, contemptuous and cold. Humiliation and hurt churned inside her. It wasn’t her timing she’d got wrong, it was her estimation of him, a man she’d imagined to be strong, to be her saviour. But he wasn’t strong. He was weak, weaker than his pathetic wife. A user, an abuser, just like all the others. The absolute bastard.
Swallowing back her rage, pushing it down to that deep, dark place where so much hurt already festered, she told herself to bide her time until she had more suitable opportunity to vent. ‘It’s the middle of the night,’ she said, composing her features and looking tearfully back at him. Her nakedness, she was aware, would add to her obvious vulnerability. He wouldn’t send her out now, a woman on her own in the dark.
Breathing hard, Mark appeared to debate with himself, and then picked up his mobile from the coffee table and selected a number.
Jade watched in disbelief as he spoke to the taxi firm.
‘You have ten minutes,’ he said, his gaze flicking back to hers as he ended the call. ‘Get dressed.’
Jade felt her heart settle like a stone in her chest. ‘What about my things?’ she asked, notching her chin high.
‘I’ll send them on,’ Mark said impassively.
Noting the unflinching look in his eyes, his utter indifference to her feelings, Jade nodded slowly. He’d shown himself in his true colours. They all did, eventually. So be it. He would live to regret this. She would make damn sure of it. Peeling her eyes away from him, she wrapped the shirt tightly about herself and turned to walk to the door.
She stopped as she realised he was actually following her. Clearly, he was going to make sure she left with nothing other than the clothes on her back. Without her baby. Her baby, who she’d loved and nurtured far more than his useless bitch of a wife ever had. She wouldn’t abandon her, and DI Mark-bastard-Cain had badly underestimated her if he imagined she would. If he imagined for one second he wouldn’t suffer for feeding her empty promises, keeping his options open and then callously abandoning her.
Hush, little baby, don’t say a word. Jade hummed silently as she walked past the nursery ahead of him. Daddy loves you, and so do I… Mummy will be back, my sweet Angel.
Sixty-Three
MELISSA
Mel had debated whether to take her medication. She was feeling woozy, again, as she had every morning in what seemed liked forever, but she’d set the alarm and dragged herself out of bed, determined to get some control back over her life, her emotions, for the sake of the children. She would take the tablets, she’d decided, but later, once Poppy was at school. She would speak to the doctor again too. If she hadn’t needed counselling before, she thought she might need it now, to help her through the break-up of her marriage.
Willing herself not to go there, not to think about any of it, for fear she might never stop falling, she was stepping into the shower when Mark came into the room. She reached hurriedly to close the door, wishing she could close the door so easily on her emotions, the memory that immediately sprang to her mind causing her stomach to clench painfully: the last time they’d made love. Right here, in the shower. Such meaningful love, she’d thought then. Mark being so gentle, so caring of her needs. She’d thought she’d known him, all of him, every inch, inside and out. But she hadn’t. She hadn’t known him at all. Mel lifted her face, allowing the cool water to wash the tears from her cheeks.
He was sitting on the bed when she came out, his hands hanging loosely between his knees, looking utterly dejected, so exhausted, Mel’s heart would have bled for him, once.
‘Where’s Poppy?’ she asked, noticing the empty space in the bed as she looked past him.
Mark looked at her, his expression one of tired despair. ‘Playing in her room,’ he said quietly.
Mel nodded, relieved, her gaze flicking to the cot, where Evie was still sleeping.
‘I’m not going to take them, Mel.’ Following her gaze, Mark sighed hopelessly. ‘I just don’t want to leave them.’
‘With a mad woman?’ Mel added facetiously.
‘You’re not mad, Mel.’ Mark rubbed a hand tiredly over his eyes. ‘You’re depressed.
’
‘So I’m told. Don’t worry, I’m taking the tablets,’ Mel retorted, walking across to the dressing table to brush her hair and at least put some foundation on. She had no intention of walking around looking how she felt. Not any more.
‘Did you want something?’ she asked him. ‘It’s just that I need to get dressed.’
Mark obviously got the message that she’d no intention of getting dressed in front of him. But he didn’t move. ‘It’s Jade,’ he said after a second. ‘She’s gone.’
‘Gone?’ Confused, Mel turned to face him. ‘Gone where?’
‘To her friend’s in London.’ Mark looked up at her, his expression now uncomfortable. ‘She, er, won’t be coming back.’
Won’t be… Mel stared at him, stunned for a second, and then her anger, her sheer bloody fury with this man she’d thought was her rock, unleashed. ‘You know, I’m really not surprised,’ she said, her voice loaded with contempt. ‘Learning that the man she’s working for, the respectable Detective Inspector Cain, is a serial-shagging bastard is enough to drive any vulnerable young woman away!’
‘Oh, for fu…’ Mark heaved himself to his feet. ‘Can we not do this now, Mel?’ he said, his voice tight with anger. ‘The kids,’ he added, glancing towards Evie.
Using the fact that she was prepared to argue in front of them against her? Mel looked him over, scarcely able to believe that this was the man she’d once trusted implicitly.
‘I came to see if there was anything I could do to help.’ Mark shrugged, pushing his hands in his pockets and dropping his gaze, clearly unable to meet hers.
Mel was about to tell him there was; he could collect his things and leave, when Poppy spoke timidly from the door. ‘Daddy, are you still annoyed with me?’
Sixty-Four
MARK
Mark snapped his gaze towards where Poppy stood on the landing, looking warily at him over her Bedtime Peppa clutched to her chin, and his heart sank to a whole new level. He looked questioningly at Mel, who looked as confused as he felt.
‘Poppet,’ he said, walking across to her and crouching down to her level, ‘I’m not angry with you. Why do you think I would be?’
Poppy didn’t answer, merely pushed her chin further into her soft toy, her huge uncertain eyes searching his – right down to his soul, it seemed to Mark.
‘Poppy?’
‘Are you going to send me to prison?’ she asked, her brow knitted worriedly.
‘To prison?’ Mark laughed incredulously. ‘Why on earth would I do that?’
‘Because of the chocolate,’ Poppy said, her voice barely a whisper, her eyes now welling with tears.
Was that all? Mark’s laugh this time was one of sheer bloody relief.
‘I don’t want to go to prison, Daddy. It’s dark and cold. And they don’t let you take any toys, or play, or anything.’ Poppy’s voice quavered and her face crumpled, and Mark reached out for her.
‘You don’t go to prison for something like that, sweetheart.’ He squeezed her tight; felt like crying with her. ‘You shouldn’t have done it, but I’m guessing you’ve already figured that out. I’m not angry with you.’
A sob shaking her small shoulders, Poppy didn’t answer.
Mark reached to wipe the tears from her cheek with his thumb. ‘I love you, Poppy,’ he said firmly. ‘More than all the stars and all the fish in the sea. Got that? I will never stop loving you, no matter what.’
Poppy flung herself at him, almost knocking Mark backwards. ‘I love you bigger than a whole whale,’ she snuffled into his neck, locking her arms firmly around him.
‘That’s a lot.’ Mark hugged her hard. ‘Come on, sweetpops. Let’s go and get you ready for school.’
Taking her small hand in his as he got to his feet, he turned to Mel. ‘Shall I drive her there?’ he asked hopefully.
Sixty-Five
JADE
It was enough to melt hearts, it really was. Under cover of the trees on the opposite side of the lane, Jade watched Poppy skipping happily to the car alongside her precious daddy, her Bedtime Peppa clutched to her chest. Obviously he’d won her over with his false kindness and oh-so-caring persona. Lies. Little did his precious little Poppet know it, but he would hurt her too, abuse her, lie to her, just as he had Jade.
Naively, her body not yet grown, her emotions so vulnerable, Jade had forgiven him for abandoning her that first time, despite the initial doubt that had niggled inside her. She’d dismissed it. Made excuses for him, as women did for the despicable, abusive men in their lives. And she’d waited for him. Remade herself for him. Offered herself to him on a plate, and he’d rejected her. The bastard, as if he hadn’t enjoyed her going down on him. As if he wouldn’t have taken full advantage of what was on offer and fucked her senseless if needy Melissa hadn’t stumbled to the bathroom overhead. He was a user. An abuser of the worst kind. Jade’s humiliation simmered furiously inside her. It was time Mark Cain realised the grave consequences of using his position to exploit vulnerable young women.
He thought he could just walk away from it. Get away with leading her on and then crushing her under his feet, all the while hiding his deviant nature behind his family, his career, his respectability. He had no idea what the word respect meant. Now it was time to strip away his veneer and show the world what a deceitful, manipulative excuse for a man he was. The public weren’t safe with him. His children weren’t safe with him. Her baby wasn’t safe – vulnerable to his twisted whimsies, his wife’s mental instability. It was time to redress the balance, turn the tables. To have Mark Cain disgraced and removed to a place where he’d have a lifetime to ponder all that he’d lost. It was time to take back what he’d stolen, to ruin him as surely as he’d ruined her.
She sneered as she watched Poppy the spoiled brat chatting to her podgy-faced little pig, her fingers intertwined with her father’s.
Time to put away childish things, my lovely.
Mark would never hold his daughter’s hand again.
Sixty-Six
MARK
Coming back from a jog, which he’d hoped would clear his mind, Mark was turning into his lane when his heart slammed into his ribcage. What the…? His gut twisting violently inside him, he didn’t hesitate, sprinting towards the house.
‘Sorry, sir, I can’t allow you through access.’ A uniform barred his way as he approached the sea of blue lights. ‘There’s been an incident. We need to cordon off—’
‘Fuck off, this is my house,’ Mark shouted, attempting to push his way past the man.
The guy pushed back hard, sending Mark staggering.
‘Let him through! It’s DI Cain!’ Lisa shouted, emerging from his front door. Mark righted himself, his head reeling, blind panic almost choking him.
‘Who?’ The uniform glanced confusedly back at her.
‘Mark Cain!’ Lisa bellowed. ‘The baby’s father! Let him through.’
Evie? No! Feeling something break inside him, Mark scrambled past the officer. His baby. Christ, please not his baby.
‘Sorry, Mark, he’s the new probationer,’ Lisa said, looking him over apprehensively as she ran to meet him on the drive.
Mark nodded tightly. ‘What’s happening?’ he asked, his tone short as he desperately tried to keep a rein on his spiralling emotions.
‘I’m sorry, Mark… It’s Evie. She’s been taken.’
Lisa moved quickly forwards as his legs almost failed him. ‘Take your time,’ she said sympathetically, moving to wrap an arm firmly around him as Mark bent, clutching his thighs and attempting to draw air into his lungs.
Nodding again, Mark straightened up. ‘When?’ he asked, barely able to get the word past the hard knot in his throat.
‘Ten fifteen, give or take a minute,’ Lisa said, her tone quiet and measured – a hopeless attempt to reassure him.
Mark reeled inwardly. He’d forgotten to take his mobile with him. He’d been five minutes into his run when he realised, and had debated going back for
it, but had decided against it. He’d been out, running, without his mobile while his child was being abducted.
‘Melissa fastened Evie into her seat and then went back inside to pick up a box,’ Lisa explained.
‘A box?’
‘A sculpture. She was taking it to the university to be fired,’ Lisa clarified, as Mark frantically tried to make sense where there was none. ‘She’d left the boot open, so the car was unlocked. When she came back…’ Lisa stopped, her voice catching.
Their child had gone. Nausea churning his stomach, Mark closed his eyes, feeling every one of Mel’s emotions, every second of the agony she would have gone through. ‘Witnesses?’ he asked gutturally.
Lisa shook her head. Mark guessed there wouldn’t be. The lane wasn’t a useful through road to anywhere, providing access only to the local farm and a few houses.
Mark half-turned away, no clue what to do at a crime scene that involved his own family.
‘We’ve been trying to locate Jade.’ Lisa cut through his deliberations. ‘I asked Mel, but she’s not making much sense. Any ideas?’
‘Jade,’ Mark repeated, cold foreboding washing through him. Could she…? Would she? ‘She’s gone.’
‘Gone?’
‘Fired,’ Mark said tersely. ‘Find her.’
‘I’m on it,’ Lisa assured him. ‘Do you have any details? Previous employers, addresses? Relatives we can start with?’
Mark’s heart nosedived into the pit of his stomach.
‘You did run a background check, right?’
Hopelessly, Mark shook his head. ‘Mel said she would. I… didn’t push it.’
Lisa drew in a sharp breath, but didn’t comment. ‘I’ll get everyone I can on it,’ she said. ‘Don’t worry, Mark. We’ll find Evie.’
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