“This is because of me, isn’t it?”
“This is because of both of us,” she corrected. “If I get busted scamming people - and trust me, it’s coming because the more we befriend people, the more they know about us, the more readings I refuse to do - I won’t get any business. We’ll have to leave.”
His head jerked up. “Leave?”
“What other option would we have?”
He pushed to his feet. “Shea-”
“Sit.” She yanked him back down to the sofa, kept a grip on his hand when he attempted to yank away from her. “Cole.”
His mouth was tight when he looked at her, a muscle in his jaw flickering as he ground his teeth. He glanced away.
“Talk to me,” she said softly.
He shook his head.
“Cole.” Reaching out, she cupped his cheek.
The difference in years between them was never more evident than now. She’d brought him up from the age of six, taught him right from wrong, in some ways he was more her son than her brother, in other ways most definitely her little brother.
His eyes filled with tears that he angrily blinked back. “I wish I was older.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I should have been able to protect you. Like you did me.” He pushed to his feet. “I need to go for a walk.”
“Cole.” Feeling awful, Shea followed him to the back door. “Cole, please. This is not your fault. I promise.”
“I know.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “It’s not yours either, is it? But it happened.”
“We can get a new business to work. Together we can do it.” She felt like crying when he continued through the door.
About to follow him, she stopped when he said gruffly, “Its okay. I just need some time, all right? I’m going for a walk.”
Knowing when to push and when to pull back, she didn’t follow him. Worry dragging at her, she watched him pass the window .
It hadn’t gone well. She should have planned the approach better. But the only way with Cole was to be upfront. She just hadn’t realised how hard he’d take it. All she could do now was wait.
Going through into the bathroom, she began the process of peeling away the Stella persona - makeup, clothes and jewellery. Almost mechanically she showered, washed her hair, dried and dressed in loose cotton pants and t-shirt.
Feeding the cats, she watched the hands on the kitchen clock tick past, grew more worried as the summer sun lowered in the sky to dip behind the horizon, darkness taking over the world beyond.
It didn’t help that Cole had left his mobile lying on the sofa.
Time ticked past, moved on, and her worry increased. She was just contemplating whether to call Aaron or get in the car and drive around the streets to find Cole, when the phone rang.
She snatched it off the wall. “Cole?”
“Hi, Shea,” Harris Wells greeted her. “Your brother’s here.”
Relieved, she sagged against the wall. “He’s all right?”
“Fine. We had a little chat.”
Her fingers twisted around the cord. “A chat?”
“Come over, Shea.”
Her breath caught in her throat. What had Cole told him? Had he told the big, gut-wrenchingly honest man everything?
“Mr Wells…” Her voice trembled.
“Come over.” The kindness in his tone was threaded through with quiet firmness.
She bit her lip.
Voices in the background. Her gut tightened.
“Aaron’s coming to get you.”
“No!” She swallowed. “No, I’ll drive myself.”
Another murmur of voices.
“We’ll see you soon.” Mr Wells rang off.
Slowly, she hung up the phone. Why didn’t Aaron bring Cole home? Why did Mr Wells want her to come and pick Cole up? Worse - how much did he know about her? And worse than that - who else of the Wells family knew?
Couldn’t be helped now.
Straightening her shoulders, she grabbed the car keys, automatically checking the cats were okay before leaving.
She was just putting the key into the old lock on the garage door when lights came down the driveway. Shading her eyes, she glanced over her shoulder but was unable to make anything out beyond the headlights.
The lights dipped to low beam, the car door opened, and a tall, broad-shouldered figure got out and moved towards her. “I’m here to take you to Mr Wells’s.”
“Ryan?” Bewildered, Shea watched him approach.
He was dressed in the Wells Security uniform of navy blue pants and short-sleeved polo shirt bearing Aaron’s security logo on the breast pocket. Black boots shod his feet, yet his tread was light, soundless.
He stopped in front of her.
“I’m driving over now,” she said.
“Aaron asked me to bring you.”
“Aaron?” Puzzled, she glanced at the car. Now her eyes were becoming more used to the low headlight beams, she saw the Wells Security logo on the open driver’s door. “You’re working?”
He took her elbow.
“Aaron called you in from work to get me?”
“No problem.” He steered her towards the car.
“I can drive myself.”
“Aaron sent me to get you.”
She had the feeling that whatever Aaron asked him to do, Ryan would do, even if that meant tying her up and tossing her into the back seat.
Feeling awkward, she let him settle her into the passenger seat, watching as he silently walked around the front and back into the driver’s seat. Closing the door, he put the car into reverse and backed out of the driveway.
Worried about Cole, Shea was nevertheless aware of the darkly brooding air of the man beside her. Between her teenage brother and this silent, dangerous man, her nerves were wearing thin.
It was a relief when they pulled up in Harris Wells’s driveway. When she made to open the door, Ryan cut his eyes to her and she instinctively pulled her hand away. He got out, walked around the car, opened her door and waited. Silently.
Silence was loud, Shea was discovering.
Then the front door of the house opened, Aaron’s silhouette filling the doorway as he waited.
Standing there with Ryan silently holding the door, Aaron silently standing on the veranda, both men waiting for her, she had the distinct impression of danger in the air, more evident in Ryan than Aaron, both lethal in their own way.
“Shea.” Aaron’s voice soothed through her, drawing her forward.
Remembering her manners even when troubled, she looked at Ryan. “Thank you for the lift.”
He inclined his head, said nothing, watched intently as she crossed the lawn to climb the steps. Only when Aaron moved forward to gather her against him did Ryan leave.
At the sound of voices inside the house, her mouth went dry with trepidation. Not just male voices but also female. Now she became aware that parked beside Aaron’s black SUV on one side of the driveway was a small red car.
Mikki? Izzy? Please God, let it be Lora’s. The thought of the younger women knowing she’d conned them made her sick.
“It’s okay.” Aaron kissed her forehead gently. “Cole’s inside.”
Worry for her brother drove her own fears down. “He’s okay?”
“He’s fine.” Aaron drew her inside the hallway.
At once the comfort of the big old house seemed to wrap itself around her, the smell of stew in the air, the warmth of old furniture, the ticking of a grandfather clock from the lounge room.
Mr Wells’s deep voice came from the kitchen, Cole’s answering.
At his voice, Shea relaxed a little though her nerves were still strung taut. “You were wrong, he didn’t take it well.”
His arm around her waist tightened, drew her close against his side. “He only needed to talk.”
She swallowed. “He couldn’t talk to me.”
“Sometimes, honey, a boy needs to talk to another man.” At her glance,
Aaron smiled reassuringly. “Take me to task for it afterwards, but right now I know you understand.”
Yeah, she did. It still hurt a little, but she could understand. She’d talked to Aaron, hadn’t she, without telling Cole? Fair was fair. Sometimes you just needed someone else to talk to.
Steeling herself, she entered the kitchen. One sweep of her eyes showed Mr Wells sitting at the head of the table with a mug in front of him, a big Bible at his elbow. Sitting beside him with shoulders hunched and his hand around an identical mug was Cole.
Mr Wells looked at Shea, his eyes kind, his smile gentle. “Good to see you.”
Cole looked around, his eyes red. He’d been crying.
She hadn’t seen him cry since he’d outgrown getting upset over scraped knees and elbows. Her heart clenched. “Oh, Cole.”
Abruptly, he shoved his chair back. “Shea, I…” In a sudden move he ran forward, almost throwing himself at her, wrapping his arms around her as Aaron stepped back.
“Hey.” Closing her arms around him, Shea rocked him. “Hey, boyo, it’s okay.”
He just held her tighter. “I’m sorry, sis.”
“None of that.” She rubbed his back. “Sometimes we all need space, right?”
He gave her a squeeze before pulling back out of her arms. His eyes were red-rimmed but he didn’t seem particularly upset. Or angry, thank goodness.
“I understand, sis. I do. If you want to finish this, do something different, its okay.”
“Really?” Even though she was glad to hear it, she studied him closely.
“Yes.” He swallowed, straightened his shoulders. “This is about both of us.”
“It is.”
“Nothing wrong with changing direction when needed. I know what we both went through. I know what you did for me, for us after it all. I’m right here with you, Shea. You think this is the right thing to do, we’ll do it.”
Relief filling her, Shea hugged him close. Over his shoulder she met Mr Wells’s eyes, mouthed ‘thank you’. Lowering her lashes against the sudden spring of tears, she hugged Cole harder.
He stood it for about six seconds before starting to wriggle. “Uh…sis. I can’t breath.”
“I’m not hugging you that hard.” She let him go.
“You’re not crying, are you?”
“No.” She blinked her eyes. “Are you?”
“You are crying.”
“Don’t make me hurt you.” She lightly punched him on the bicep.
“There are witnesses to your abuse.” He grinned at her.
“Poor baby. Come on, let’s go home.” She started to turn only to stop when Mr Wells cleared his throat.
She glanced at him.
He looked at the chair Cole had vacated then back at her.
Oh crap.
Aaron laid a hand on Cole’s shoulder. “Luke’s waiting in the lounge, reckons he’s going to kick your backside at chess.”
Cole looked from Mr Wells to Shea. It was clear in his eyes that he liked the older man, but his loyalties lay with his sister.
“I’ll be fine.” She smiled reassuringly. “Go wipe the floor with Luke.”
When Cole hesitated uncertainly, she gave him a little push. He left with Aaron. As Shea walked across the kitchen to sit in the chair vacated by Cole, she could hear Luke’s voice, a laugh, light banter. Then her blood went cold as she recognised Elspeth’s voice.
“Don’t look so worried, Shea,” Mr Wells’s voice rumbled comfortingly.
Fiddling with the car keys, she cast him a shame-faced look. “I guess now you know.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Okay.”
Silence filled the kitchen as she concentrated on the car keys, the ticking of the kitchen clock loud.
Getting up, Mr Wells moved across the room, the sound of pouring water and then a steaming mug of tea was placed in front of her before he resumed his seat.
“Thanks.” Though she wasn’t sure it wouldn’t choke her.
“Tea fixes almost everything.” He smiled slightly. “Or so Jenny always said.”
“Jenny?”
“My wife.”
“Oh.” Not sure what to say, Shea added, “I know she died a long time ago. I’m sorry.”
“So am I,” he replied unexpectedly. “But she’s always here.” A big, work-roughened hand touched his chest where his heart lay. “And I’ll see her again one day.”
“Yes.”
“Life goes on.”
Shea nodded.
“Cole told us what happened.”
Her gut tightened again. “Us?”
“Us,” Elspeth said from behind her.
Shea’s fingers clenched around the keys as dread slithered through her. “Mrs Arkwell…”
“Elspeth, sweetie.” Sitting opposite, she regarded Shea thoughtfully. “I know about the whistleblowing, it was in the report Aaron made when he did a background check. I didn’t, however, think about the personal affect it had on you both.”
Elspeth Arkwell had the gift of making people think she was exactly as she dressed - light, airy, a bit of an airhead perhaps, when really she was sharp, keen-witted, intelligent and a shark when it came to business. Most people found out way too late.
Right now she was studying Shea, weighing her opinion.
“I’m sorry,” was all Shea could say.
This woman could destroy her. One word from her to her friends, the well-to-do community, and it would spread like wildfire. Any chance of starting anew would be dashed before it even started.
Worse, Elspeth’s opinion mattered to Shea. She genuinely liked her, liked Mikki and Izzy, the Wells brothers, Jason, Mr Wells, even Lora and Jim. Over the last few months their friendship had deepened.
But they hadn’t known her secret.
Until now.
It could all come crashing down.
Shea felt like she was teetering on the edge of a cliff waiting to be pushed off or pulled back.
Elspeth’s eyes softened. “Do you know how much that boy loves and admires you?”
“He’s a good kid. He stood by me.”
“He saw the effect that horrible time had on you. He saw what we didn’t, but Shea, when he described hearing you cry late at night, the way you smiled at him in the morning, telling him everything was great when your eyes were red, he saw it all.”
“He wasn’t supposed to see,” Shea whispered. “I couldn’t hide everything.”
“He saw every tear, heard every sob. He heard the phone calls, saw you standing tall when around you everything was falling apart. He knew you were protecting him. He’s a good kid, a wise kid, and even though in some ways he’s so young, in other ways he’s much older.”
“I protected him as much as I could but I couldn’t be with him 24/7. He copped a lot of flak at school. Did he tell you the times he came home with a black eye or torn shirt? Some friends stayed by his side, others walked away. But the sons and daughters of those who lost their jobs through me being a whistleblower? They beat the crap out of him several times. I couldn’t stop that because I wasn’t there.” Even now the memories had her clenching her hands around the keys, the cold metal biting into her palms.
“You both suffered.” Elspeth folded her arms on the table, the relaxed pose looking incongruous when combined with her expensive dress. “He always wished he could have done more for you.”
“He did everything,” Shea said almost fiercely. “He stood by me, had my back.”
“I can imagine that. He still has your back. In fact, you have each other’s back. Good to see.” Elspeth smiled slightly before growing serious once more. “After Cole explained everything, after Aaron filled in the blanks, I understand why you did what you did. Gut instinct is to retaliate when your back is against the wall, find an opening and take it. You found that opening and you ran with it.”
Shea looked from Elspeth to Mr Wells. “It was an easy way to make money, to hide in the open. No o
ne would hire me, my career was kaput, no one wants a whistleblower in the ranks. I had a kid brother, three cats and a mortgage. Easy money.” Shame crept through her again. “Cole was smart and I let him find information and give it to me. I’ve done it with every reading for large groups, including yours at the Willock Mansion Hotel.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I conned you, Elspeth. I conned you, I conned Mikki and Izzy, your friends. I’m sorry.”
“Yes, well,” Elspeth said a touch coolly. “While I’m not happy about that, I can understand. Luckily for you, missy,” she added sternly, “because otherwise I’d kick your arse.” Her eyes switched to Mr Wells. “Sorry, Harris. Just stating a fact.”
“You’re at my table,” he said simply.
“Duly noted. I apologise.” Elspeth’s gaze swung back to Shea.
“Everyone deserves a second chance,” Mr Wells said. “If needed, a third.”
“You and your turning the other cheek,” Elspeth huffed.
“I don’t suffer fools,” he replied tranquilly. “I know a person who has what it takes to grab a second chance and turn their life around.”
She rolled her eyes.
“So you’re not going to reveal what you know to anyone?” Shea asked Elspeth.
“No, I’m not.”
Relief spread through Shea.
“But we’re going to have to have a chat about your future.”
“My future? I told you, I want to change business-”
“Good. Expect me tomorrow morning.” She stood up.
“Wait. What?” Shea gaped up at her. “Tomorrow morning?”
“Yes. And not for a reading. In fact,” she tapped the table with one perfectly manicured nail, “I hear you open that shop again for even one reading and all bets are off.”
Mr Wells sat quietly, his gaze going from Shea to Elspeth.
“You need to prove that you’re worthy of Harris’s faith in you.” Elspeth’s eyes narrowed. “Aaron’s faith in you. Both these men have a lot of faith in you. Don’t let them down. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, nine o’clock on the dot.” She swept from the room.
Shea turned her bemused expression to Mr Wells.
“Woman knows how to make an exit.”
“Do you know what she wants to see me about?”
The Wells Brothers: Aaron Page 29