Runaway Lies

by Shannon Curtis

  Alex burst through the glass doors and jogged down the stairs towards his car. ‘It’s a guest bathroom window,’ he said, as they climbed inside the vehicle. He showed Dom the screen on his phone while they buckled their seatbelts.

  It looked like some sort of building schematic, and it took him a moment to recognise the outline of his own home. A pulsing dot on a small window drew his attention.

  ‘The sensors have picked up through traffic.’ Alex threw the car into reverse, then sped out of the car park, ignoring the frowns as two uniformed police officers walked down the path to the station. They took off running for one of the squad cars.

  ‘Through traffic? What does that mean?’ Dom reached for his own phone and dialled home.

  ‘The sensors are triggered when the beams are interrupted. Something – or someone – has gone through that window.’

  Dom put his phone on speaker, and they listened to the regular beep signifying a busy line. He couldn’t get through. Damn. Gertrude would already be in Bowral. There was no one else to call.

  ‘The line is busy, damn it.’

  Alex manoeuvred the car down Mowbray Road like a rally driver on a mission, a police car with sirens blazing in pursuit. Dom twisted in his seat to look out the rear window. ‘Are they chasing us, or trying to get to the house, too?’

  Alex smiled grimly. ‘I’m not stopping, so either way, we’ll all be at the house soon enough.’

  Dom grabbed the handle above the passenger seat as Alex took a corner with the smooth finesse of someone who knew his vehicle’s capabilities. His bicep bunched as he stabilised himself. His whole body was wired tight. Jonah and Julia – what was happening? And Darcy? This was hell.

  Alex swerved as a police car exited a street in front of them, and there was a screech of tyres as the car braked suddenly and skidded. Dom glanced out the rear window as the police car reversed and started to pursue them.

  Grim faced, Dom twisted back in his seat, his gaze searching the road ahead. He didn’t want them to get pulled over, didn’t want to be stopped until he held his kids in his arms, and knew his family was safe.

  And that family included Darcy. The thought of her in danger again – again! – made his blood run cold. They had everyone in custody – well, everyone they knew of, anyway. He still couldn’t believe that Ava had an enemy who would actually take such action against her.

  Scenery whizzed past, and Dom winced as they narrowly missed vehicles in their race to get home.

  Alex steered the car down his street, and Dom dialled the code into his phone, not for the first time appreciating Alex’s security setup that linked everything to their phones. He could see the gate beginning to slide open, and his grip on his phone tightened when he realised Alex wasn’t slowing down.

  In a move that took Dom’s breath away, Alex spun the wheel and jerked up the handbrake, making the car turn and catapult into the drive, the force pressing Dom against the passenger door. Alex slammed on the brakes and the car skidded to a halt. Dom stared out of the windscreen in horror. Jonah and Julia were huddled on the roof, looking pale and scared, tears rolling down their faces.

  Dom climbed out of the car, ignoring the sounds of sirens and vehicles behind him. He ran over to the side of the house, trying to cover his worried expression with a smile meant to reassure his scared-as-hell kids.

  ‘Hey, Jonah, Julia. How’re you doing?’ He kept his voice calm, his arms out in a gesture meant to soothe.

  ‘Daddy!’ Julia sobbed, and started to move towards him.

  Darcy’s head appeared in the window, her expression relieved at the sight of him. He looked up at her, frowning in confusion.

  ‘What’s going on?’

  Darcy started to climb out of the window, then screamed as she was hauled back inside.

  The blood drained from his face. Oh God. Someone was up there.

  ‘It’s okay, Jonah. Julia, honey, it’s going to be fine,’ he told his children, trying to placate them with his voice, with his hands. God, what the hell was going on?

  ‘Come to the edge, Julia,’ he told her, his voice low and urgent, beckoning his daughter to creep to the guttering. ‘Daddy will catch you, sweetie.’

  Julia shook her head, crying. Jonah shuffled closer to his sister, and Dom’s heart broke at the sight of his son putting a reassuring, protective arm around his sister.

  ‘Come on, sweetheart, it will be fine.’

  There were more screams from inside, and the sound of glass breaking. Oh, Christ. Darcy.

  ‘Hey, Julia, we’re all here to catch you, honey. See? Me, and all these police officers,’ Alex said from his side. Dom glanced at him briefly, and noticed one of the officers drawing his weapon as he entered the front door.

  ‘Come on, darling.’

  Julia bit her bottom lip, and edged closer to the guttering.

  ‘That’s it, you can do it, hon.’ He wanted to reach up and scoop his poor darling up, he wanted her to move her butt, but he needed to take the fear out of her, and get her out of that dangerous position. The awful sounds of fighting continued in the bathroom, and he wanted to bellow, to rage. Instead, he smiled at his daughter, and sensed two more police officers joining him there on the drive.

  ‘Look at me, Julia. Just keep your eyes on mine, and jump.’

  Time yawned like a chasm between him and his kids. Julia’s movements were slow, hesitant, but he kept the smile on his face, the encouragement in his voice, as he coaxed her forwards. The police officers did likewise, praising her and coaxing her along.

  And then she jumped, screaming in fright, eyes wide and arms open, and he caught her to his chest, hugging her tight, his heart pounding as he held his daughter’s body safe against his.

  ‘Come on, Jonah, your turn,’ Alex said to his son, and Dom set Julia down, despite her protests.

  ‘We have to get Jonah,’ he told her, and she looked up at her brother. A police officer bent down to grasp her hand.

  ‘Hurry up, Jonah,’ Julia called out, her voice impatient. Apparently his daughter didn’t like having to wait for her cuddles.

  Jonah didn’t need any urging. He launched himself forwards, and Dom caught him easily, laughing as he tried not to cry into his son’s hair.

  There was more shouting upstairs, and he heard the police officer yell instructions. He glanced over at Alex, who nodded. His friend bent down and scooped up the children, and took off down the drive with them. Dom grimaced as they screamed in protest, their arms stretching out for their daddy. He blew them kisses, then ran inside.

  CHAPTER

  35

  Darcy whirled at the sound of a deep voice bellowing, and dropped the remains of the ceramic lid from the toilet cistern when she saw the police officer.

  Thank Christ.

  She sagged, the fight draining out of her as she glanced at the dazed woman leaning against the tiled wall of the shower. Her chest heaved as she tried to calm her breaths.

  The clear shower screen was smashed, jagged pieces of glass scattered on the floor. Darcy hissed as she tried to turn to the police officer, feeling a splinter in her foot – but that was the least of her injuries. She had a cut on her arm and her ribs were sore where she’d fallen against the edge of the vanity, but she’d managed to hold her own against Ava. The knife she’d carried was on the floor near the door – right where Darcy had knocked it out of her hand after she’d managed to flick the lock. The police officer kicked it gently, and it skittered away out of Ava’s reach.

  ‘Don’t move!’ the officer bellowed, his gun drawn. His eyes took in the scene, confusion entering his expression. ‘Slowly, put your hands up over your head.’ She realised he had no idea who was who or what was going on. Quite simply, they looked like two chicks in a scrag fight over a guy.

  She nodded, wincing as she raised her arms. Damn, she hurt. She could feel something warm and wet trickle down the side of her face and neck. She was sure she had a bruise on her cheek – Ava got a lucky strike in. Her
breath felt harsh in her throat, as though she’d run a marathon, and her arms and legs trembled with fatigue.

  ‘She started it,’ Darcy said, indicating Ava with her head. She knew she felt bad, but Ava looked worse, with blood streaming down her face, her right eye swollen shut, and bruises beginning to mottle her flesh.

  Ava wobbled on her feet as she righted herself from the wall, but even from here Darcy could see the rebellious glint in the woman’s eye. She shook her head in disbelief, reading her intent as the woman ignored the cop’s bellowed instructions and launched herself at Darcy.

  Darcy tried to dodge, but in the enclosed space there wasn’t anywhere to go, and Ava grabbed at her, pulling her in close and pressing a shard of broken shower screen to her throat.

  ‘Back off,’ the deranged woman snarled at the cop, who had approached in an attempt to stop her. He reared back, his hands facing out to placate the agitated woman.

  ‘Calm down,’ he said.

  Darcy winced as the sharp glass scratched her throat. She was afraid to swallow, to move her neck in any way. She grabbed at Ava’s arm, but desperation gave the woman added strength.

  Sweat dripped into her eyes as she gazed at the cop and saw the disbelief on his face at the sudden turn in events.

  ‘Put it down,’ he said calmly.

  ‘Back off!’ Ava yelled.

  Darcy’s spirit soared as Dom skidded to a stop at the doorway, his eyes wide with shock.

  ‘Ava?’ His voice came out in a whisper.

  ‘Oh, hi, Dom,’ Ava responded automatically, and Darcy blinked at the instant change in the woman’s voice. Lighter, feminine and almost flirtatious. She felt the woman’s hair brush her face, as though she was shaking the lank strands out of her eyes.

  ‘What are you doing, Ava?’ Dom’s tone was cautious but conversational.

  ‘I’m fixing us, putting it back the way it was.’

  His broad shoulders sagged. ‘Oh, hon. This isn’t the way.’ He kept his eyes on Ava, and Darcy wished he would meet hers, just once.

  ‘Yes, yes it is. She ruined everything, Dom, don’t you see?’

  Dom took a step closer, shrugging off the police officer’s restraining hand. ‘I’m not sure I do, Ava. Darcy has only tried to do right by everyone.’

  The pressure to her throat increased, and Darcy’s eyelids fluttered as she tried to breathe past the constriction.

  ‘We used to be so good together, Dom. And then the kids came along.’

  Darcy noticed the slight tensing in Dom’s broad shoulders, the narrowing of his eyes. ‘What went wrong with us, Ava, had nothing to do with Jonah and Julia.’

  ‘Yes, it did! We didn’t have time, not anymore.’

  Dom’s shoulders sagged as realisation dawned, and he shook his head. ‘No. Tell me the car accident wasn’t you.’ His voice was low, urgent.

  ‘Everything started to go bad after they were born, Dom. You changed. You wanted to spend so much time with them…’

  His jaw moved as though he was struggling to find the right words. ‘We were parents, Ava,’ he said finally. ‘We had newborns at home – twins! We couldn’t keep going to all those parties and events. We had a family to look after.’

  ‘You and your damned family. That’s all that mattered to you, wasn’t it? What about me, Dom? Didn’t I matter?’

  Sadness added a bleakness to his expression. ‘Of course you mattered, Ava. You were my wife, the mother of my children. I loved you.’

  Ava sniffled. ‘But I wasn’t your number one anymore, was I? I wasn’t anyone’s number one. Everyone wanted to talk about the babies. Nobody cared about me anymore. How are the twins sleeping? How are they feeding? Well, what about me? How was I sleeping?’

  Dom shuffled closer. ‘From what I remember, Ava, you were sleeping pretty damned well. What was his name? Evan? Eric?’

  ‘That was a mistake, and I apologised for that!’

  He nodded, his arm raised in placation. ‘You did, and I appreciate it. But, honey, you need help.’

  Darcy felt a stillness enter the woman’s body, and almost cried with relief as the pressure on her neck eased.

  ‘You don’t mean that,’ Ava whispered.

  ‘Why don’t you let Darcy go, and we’ll talk some more. Just like we did last time.’

  Last time? This had happened before?

  ‘I said I was sorry for that, too.’

  Dom nodded, stepping even closer. Darcy could feel the warmth of his body, his male fragrance that spoke of strength and comfort.

  ‘I know, and you did really well after that, remember? We got you to a doctor, and you started to get better – we can do that again. We can get you some medicine.’

  ‘I don’t want that medicine. It makes me think all funny. I can’t feel.’

  Dom tilted his head. ‘Then let’s find better medicine for you. Come on, Ava. Let Darcy go.’

  The woman’s grip tightened. ‘No,’ Ava cried. ‘You think I don’t know what you’ve been doing? You think I don’t know that you love her?’

  Dom’s expression remained composed. ‘You’re right. I do love her, and I love the kids. But I love you, too, Ava, and I want to help you.’

  ‘You – you love me?’ Ava’s voice was timid, yet full of hope.

  ‘Of course I do, hon. Our relationship is…unique. I will never feel about another woman the way I feel about you.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Really. Come on, give me the glass, and let’s look after you.’

  ‘You want to look after me?’ There was a definite easing of her muscles as Dom nodded.

  ‘Always.’ He raised his hand to her, a gentle smile masking the seriousness of his gaze. ‘Let’s go.’

  Very slowly, the glass was removed from her throat, and Darcy jerked away from the woman. The police officer beckoned her over, and she ran to him as Ava handed the glass to Dom.

  ‘I love you, baby. I do everything for you.’

  Darcy looked over her shoulder.

  He nodded, but this time his smile didn’t reach his eyes. ‘I know, Ava. I know.’

  She turned back to find a roomful of cops. One officer stepped forwards and clasped her arm, pulling her into the protective wall of blue, and she was urged along until she was being walked briskly down the hall to the stairwell, hearing the quietly spoken commands for Ava to put her hands up.

  Tears pricked Darcy’s eyes, as she was hustled out to a waiting ambulance.

  It was over.

  She moved like an automaton, responding to instructions to climb into the back of the ambulance, and sat mutely as the paramedics looked her over. Someone mentioned hospital, but she couldn’t dredge up the energy to argue. She baulked at the instruction to lie down on the gurney, but even that was less than half-hearted and easily overridden by the paramedics. The interior of the vehicle darkened as they began to close the doors.

  ‘Wait!’ Dom bounded up into the vehicle. He sat down opposite her and reached over to grasp her hand. ‘I’m coming with you.’

  ‘The kids,’ Darcy rasped, her hand at her throat. ‘Are they all right?’ She’d left them on the roof, for heaven’s sake. They must be petrified. The ambulance started to move.

  ‘They’re fine. I just called Alex, they’re already at the hospital. Let’s get you out of here.’

  She placed her hand on his arm. ‘Wait – Gertrude, Roland – I haven’t seen either of them,’ she whispered, tears glimmering in her eyes. With all the ruckus, they hadn’t appeared, and she had grave fears for their safety.

  ‘They left when I did. Gertrude wanted to go home and see Patrick back at Jirralee. I’d intended to be back before you and the kids woke up.’

  Darcy sagged in relief against the gurney, and he leaned over to give her a quick, hard kiss. ‘Stop trying to look after everyone. We’re all fine.’

  ‘What about Ava?’

  Dom enfolded her hand in both of his. ‘She needs help, Darcy. She’s not well. I didn’t realise just how il
l she was.’

  Darcy frowned. ‘You mentioned something about this happening before?’

  Dom winced. ‘I came home early one day from the office, to give her a hand with the babies. She’d left them in the bath while she chatted to her friends on Facebook.’ He sighed. ‘She said she’d got distracted, but we knew there was something wrong. There were other incidents – she couldn’t remember feeding them, she left them in their cots… I thought it was post-natal depression. Her parents and I organised for her to get the best care, and we thought she was improving. She seemed a different person when she came back from the clinic. This goes way beyond post-natal depression, though. This is something else entirely.’ He shook his head, his mouth drawn.

  And now he knew his ex-wife had tried to kill his children.

  ‘I’m so sorry.’

  He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her gently. ‘You have to stop apologising for what other people do. I should say I’m sorry that you were drawn into all of this.’

  She blinked. ‘You’re not?’

  He kissed her gently, smoothly, ignoring the paramedic beside him who was clearing his throat. He eventually eased back.

  ‘No, because then I would never have met you.’

  Warmth flooded her at his words, at the fierce look in his blue eyes.

  ‘No more letting you out of my sight,’ he said. She could see he’d been worried – frightened, even. She could relate, but she was also grateful for his strength, for his support, for his protection. She loved him for it.

  She pressed a hand to his cheek and he met her gaze. ‘Okay, Dom.’

  He tilted his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, his lashes dark against his cheeks. ‘God, Darcy, I thought I’d lost you – again. I was so scared for you and the kids. I don’t want to go through that again.’

  She smiled. ‘Oh, I don’t want to repeat the experience, trust me.’

  He opened his eyes, and she met his intent blue gaze. ‘You and the kids – you’re my family. From now on, we’ll stick together, okay? No more doing things on our own. This court case – we’ll be with you, every step of the way.’

  She shook her head. What if Mark hired someone else? She couldn’t risk it – couldn’t risk the family she’d grown to love and vowed to protect. ‘But—’