NICK (Carsonbrothers Book 3)

by S R Dyble

  Once I reached the second floor, the floor that Nick's room was on, I saw the cleaner’s mop bucket on the carpet. She had to have been around here somewhere cleaning the house, at least so I thought. I noticed then the strange noises coming from inside of Nick's room and I made small steps towards his door before gently nudging it open.

  Once I did, I stood gobsmacked and frozen in my steps. To the edge of Nick's bed, a cleaner I'd never seen before bounced energetically, half-naked, on top of Nick. Moaning dramatically as she gripped onto his shoulder and fucked him harder. I couldn't contain myself and spoke out loud.

  "What the fuck," I said, almost a whisper until Nick's bright eyes landed on mine.

  "Lil'," he breathed before practically throwing the cleaner off of his body.

  She made a commotion and I stared at her, noticing she looked no older than I was. I didn't stay longer to allow much thought. As Nick quickly did up his jeans, I pelted back across the landing and down the stairs, cursing my fucking shoes for not allowing me to go faster. In a bid to go faster I ripped them off of my feet as I landed on the halfway landing.

  "Lilly!" Nick yelled after me and I stared back up the stairs, seeing him coming after me.

  Hell no.

  I carried on running downstairs until I saw the lit-up kitchen from the last few steps. I didn't wait for Jason to speak, instead, I ran for the front door, feeling tears on my cheek as my chest ached with unspeakable pain. I had to tackle the fifty or so locks barricading the front door like a fucking escorts' house on lockdown. If I wasn't so heartbroken I'd have maybe snorted at the fact that this very much now resembled an escorts' house. Nick had escorted the temporary cleaner into his bedroom.

  "Lilly!" Nick grabbed a hold of me, spinning me around so he could see my drenched cheeks.

  He looked at me confused, wondering why I was crying. I already knew why. He had no idea I was in love with him.

  "Wha—why are…"

  He couldn't bring words and he stood stuttering, getting closer to assess my face. I knew why he was confused. To him, we were just two people using each other for sex because that was what we had agreed on. I wasn't even sure he considered us friends.

  "The agreement is over," I said simply and he stared at me, holding my body close so I couldn't leave.

  I pushed him off of me then and quickly opened the front door, leaving him stunned and staring at me as I legged it down the beck, my heels in hand.

  Present day

  The flight was long, and I spent most of my time staring out of the window without moving a muscle. Eventually, I must have nodded off because it took gentle shakes to wake me up. I shifted my body, then stared up at Nick and to his hand still gently against my hip. He saw the look on my face just as I felt the awkwardness overtaking my body. Having his hand on my body made my insides feel strange things.

  "Lilly?"

  He stared into my eyes until we heard someone clearing their throat.

  "I need to ask you both to take your seats for landing, sir," the flight attendant said.

  He nodded before heading back to his seat.

  Once his scent had left my personal space, I sat up straight and shifted my hair back into position. I had no idea how I'd fallen asleep. I made quick work of placing my seat back in an upright position, then buckled myself in without giving Nick a second look. I planned to avoid his eyes just like I had the last nine months. I closed my eyes as the jet started descending to the ground, my breath hitching as I gripped tightly onto my seat.

  I fucking hated this.

  Once safe on the ground, I took a deep breath and tried relaxing my stomach of the knots formed from the flight. I watched as the lady in front opened the side door and I shot up as quickly as possible to grab my bag and head that way. The second I did, the warmth hit my face making my eyebrows raise as I stared out onto the sun lowering in the sky. I wasn't expecting for us to arrive in the evening, which led me to believe I had missed even more of our journey here than I'd first thought. I was ushered down the steps and onto the airport runway where I could see the back of the huge airport. I followed after Nick like a child, and for the first time, I was thankful he was here because I had no clue what I was doing. After passing through the airport, and Nick speaking with someone that looked highly ranked, we were free to go.

  Once outside again, I followed Nick to the side of the curb where we awaited the car he'd just hired.

  I wouldn't have thought to hire a car, I planned on just taking a taxi. I stood with my rucksack on my back, staring at the car that pulled up. The guy from within it approached Nick and handed him the keys for the blue, beach-style, open-top jeep. It looked so damn cool. I blinked cluelessly shortly after Nick took my rucksack and placed it in the backseat along with his own.

  "Get in," he said shortly after and I managed to shift my body to get in.

  I couldn't believe I was here in Australia. I'd been so consumed by finding my parents that I hadn't given much thought about actually coming here. I'd never been anywhere like it.

  As Nick drove, I absorbed everything the best I could, the sickness of worry still consuming my body, knowing my parents were lost somewhere here.

  There was so much to take in and the warm fresh air lifted my hair meaning I had to tie it back.

  "Where are we going?" I asked.

  "A safehouse. It's a rented beach house for us to stay at while we're here."

  "Delta hired a beach house? Surely this protecting thing is a bit dramatised."

  "No, I did. And your protection isn't dramatised, you are an ideal target to use as bait or barter in the wrong hands," Nick replied.

  I narrowed my eyes in question.

  "You?" I asked.

  "Yes, Lilly. Me. Is that so hard to believe?"

  "Why aren't we just staying at a hotel? A hotel I'm going to be paying for."

  "Well, I'm escorting you and I wanna stay at the beach. This is the first time I've been home since we left. The bay your parents were last sighted at is about an hour away from where we'll be staying."

  "What? Take me there now, I don't wanna go anywhere else but there."

  Shaking his head, Nick tried to persuade me otherwise.

  "Nicholas, you either escort me there or I'll get out of this car and I'll take myself. I'm here for my parents."

  "You're on the motorway, Lilly. You gonna tuck and roll?"

  "Don't do that."

  He looked at me in question.

  "My fucking parents are missing, you really think I'm in the mood for your attitude right now?"

  "You're right. I'll take you there now, but promise me you won't go there expecting to see anything. The search parties are only out at sea during the day and it's dark."

  "I know that, I just need to be there. I can't describe it, I just have to be as close as I possibly can be..."

  He stared at me the best he could, then nodded. We didn't speak again for another hour until we reached a beautiful seaside town.

  "God, this is so perfect." I allowed a second to appreciate the surroundings and out of the corner of my eye, I could see Nick with his thumb and index finger tracing his lips, glancing at me.

  Once I looked at him, his eyes became more alluring. It had only been a second because he had to look back to the road, but a second was enough. I snapped out of it and avoided his eyes. Instead, I turned my attention onto a long row of lights hanging from one lamp post to another along the seafront and along the pier. Once Nick had parked, I started walking down the wooden beams and gripped a hold of the metal bars—the sea and dozens of boats beyond it. I froze, hearing the lapping of the waves, knowing my parents had been taken by this very sea. I felt closest to them here and I prayed with my eyes closed, that they were alive.

  "We should go, Lill'. There's nothing we can do here."

  Although I knew he was right, anger burned in my veins at the sound of his voice.

  I glared back at him and ignored his suggestions to leave. Instead, I moved
over to a bulletin board on the outer edges of the pier. It was well-lit and I focused on a section explaining the recent bad weather. A huge beware sign had been plastered below because of the treacherous conditions. Conditions my parents had knowingly sailed into.

  What the hell had they been thinking?

  I knew what they had been thinking. They had needed that story. It was always about a news report. I wondered if perhaps they had planned only to sail to the edges of the bay to film, but had been swept out by the sea. The thought made my chest hurt and I read on further, stories of survivors saved during the recent storm, and of rescuers who had risked themselves to help. Unfortunately, my parents hadn't been part of those who had been rescued.

  "Lilly, sweetheart, please."

  Without looking at him, I marched back to the jeep and climbed in. Every ounce of my body felt pained driving away as if I was leaving them there.

  "They'll carry on the search and let us know as soon as they know something."

  We drove for about another hour until we reached a long stretch of beach houses. The further we drove down the road—beach houses to one side and blackness to the other—the more lavish the houses became until Nick pulled the car up behind one of the beach houses. I stared at him, not making a move from my seat.

  "You coming?" he asked.

  "You can't have rented this one, surely? Have you seen this place?"

  "Actually, I've only seen it online, so I hope it's as good as the pictures," he commented.

  "Excuse me, Kanye West, have you not seen this damn house?"

  "Are you coming or not?"

  "Jesus Christ, who the hell owns this thing? Is this a Delta house?"

  I'd gotten out of the car and stared at the back wall of the house, there were only small circular windows on the back which gave me the impression that all the main architecture was to the front. The house was sea facing.

  "Lilly, I rented this house, okay? This is where we'll be staying. Now, let me grab your bag."

  I carried on stuttering until Nick waited impatiently for me to shift down the path down the side of the house. It led along to the side door, a dark wooden double door that had long metal handles. Instead of trying to open it, I left Nick with our luggage to seek out the rest of the property. I wasn't left disappointed and with my mouth very much agape, I stared at the large and brightly lit swimming pool that sat to the front of the house. The front of the house had large floor to ceiling windows looking out onto the pool and beach.

  "Holy shit," I muttered under my breath.

  This place was utterly crazy. I frowned then as reality sank in.

  How the hell had Nick paid for this?

  Once inside, I didn't take much notice of anything. I placed my bag on the floor and sat on the couch looking out onto the beach. It was getting darker outside but I didn't shift from that spot, even though I knew Nick was lingering around me, and I was thankful that he didn't try to talk to me. He placed a cup of tea on the coffee table shortly after but I didn't bother to thank him. Once I knew he was out of sight, my eyes began to grow heavier, I drank the tea and closed my eyes as the sweetness of the sugar met my tongue. Despite everything, Nick knew how I liked my tea…

  I heard the sounds of water trickling and realised Nick was taking a shower. I laid down onto the couch, the cushions engulfing me the second I did. I allowed my eyes to close and drifted into a disturbed sleep.

  The second I closed my eyes, I could see her. I could see Maddie looming over Eve. It was a nightmare, I knew that. Because every time I had a nightmare about her, my mind would create a new scenario in which I would have to murder her in order to save my pregnant best friend. Only this time, Eve wasn't pregnant and a cot suddenly appeared. Looming beside it, Maddie stood with her gun facing towards it.

  I screamed and jumped forward, pulling Maddie to the floor. Then my eyes shot open and I stared around my new surroundings. I quickly had to gather my thoughts so I could figure out where I was. Then as I turned to take in the rest of the room, I gasped. Nick was standing not far away in his towel—water still dripping down his body.

  "You were having a nightmare..." he concluded.

  "No shit." I sat up straight.

  "I thought you were being attacked," he said, more calmly.

  "Just by my mind," I answered bitterly. "Go on, go finish your shower. I'm fine," I said, getting up and wandering outside.

  I found a table and chairs beside the pool and sat there with my legs crossed and up onto the table. I stared out at sea, pulling my hood over my head and crossing my arms over my chest. Tomorrow, I had to find my parents if it killed me.

  I sat there until the sun came up and the fresh air swept over my head, pushing my hood down. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air before getting up and marching down the beach. I glanced behind me to make sure Nick hadn't followed after me. Then I legged it to the road and was thankful to see a taxi passing. I quickly flagged it down and got inside. I cursed when I realised I'd left my phone back at the beach house. Perhaps that was a good thing, at least Nick wouldn't be able to call me, demanding for me to come back. I remembered the name of the pier Nick had taken me to and told it to the driver. It would take an hour to get there, and in that time I had to figure out how I was gonna pay this driver.

  "Do you accept online payment?" I asked him and he tapped on the screen between us, showing me the little logos stickers. One of them clearly said PayPal.

  "Great, I'm sorry but I've left my phone at home. If you let me use yours, I'll pay you now."

  The driver scoffed. "Do you want me to pay it for you as well? Anything else you need?"

  "Yeah, I need a McDonalds and a return trip home. That works for you?" I answered him back, matching his sarcasm.

  I wasn't expecting him to laugh.

  "Here." He handed me his phone through the divider and I thanked him.

  He told me how much it would be and I took his word for it.

  "Paid." I handed him his phone back and stared out of the window as we neared signs pointing to the pier.

  Once he pulled up just outside the pier, I thanked him and got out.

  "You want me to wait?" he asked and I shook my head. If my plan was going to go the way I wanted, I wasn't going to go back for a long time. I waved him goodbye and stared at the pier full of boats.

  Everywhere that I turned, I could see damage that the storm had left. I couldn't see it the night before. It had to have been much worse, and I was impressed with how quickly the surroundings had been made safe again.

  As I walked through the many boats lined along the pier, I did my best to find someone to try and speak with. Then I neared a battered-looking boat that still looked strong despite the hit it had obviously taken. There was a man on board and he was pulling a long rope with him.

  "Excuse me?" I waited for the man to turn around and swept my hair out of my face. I recognised him instantly from the bulletin board I'd seen by the beginning of the pier. He was the legend of the bay. He'd saved three people and had tackled the biggest storm yet recorded—the storm that had taken my parents.

  "I'm wanting to hire a boat, can you help me?"

  Shaking his head, the man continued tying various parts of the boat to the metal poles on the dock.

  "Not on your nelly, sweetheart. There's a storm coming. They say it's meant to be pretty bad."

  Another storm?

  "Please, I'll pay you anything you want," I begged.

  He gave me another look, seeing the desperation on my face. I turned around then to search for any other boats still occupied when I saw Nick edging the start of the pier. He was searching for me, by the looks of it and thankfully hadn't seen me yet. I wished he would just quit and leave me alone.

  "Please," I begged him again.

  "Why do you need to go out there in a crazy storm like this, anyway?"

  "I saw your face on the bulletin board, if anyone can help me find my parents, it's you."

  "
Your parents?" He stared at me longer. "Your parents are the reporters that were lost in the storm?"

  I nodded. "Please, I just need to be out there. I need to do something."

  He looked at me a little longer.

  "Sweetheart, there's not much chance…" He stopped speaking and I knew what he was about to say. He was about to tell me that my search was futile. That it was pointless. I looked away, not wanting to believe it. I had to do something.

  "Help me untie these ropes," he said and I nodded, smiling and thanking him.

  "I'll take you out for a short while but we're not going out too far and if the storm gets any worse we're heading straight back," he said sternly.

  I nodded fast before helping him to undo the ropes.

  "Your name is Dixon, right?" I remembered his name from the article on the board.

  He nodded. "And you?"

  "Thank you, Dixon. I'm Lilly."

  He gave me a tight smile before leaving me. I watched as he headed into the cabin and shortly after, I heard the engine start. The boat was an impressive size, but it was worn and I could tell it had tackled a fair few storms in its lifetime. Just as the boat pulled away from the pier, Nick neared and saw me leaving on it. His face was a picture, and time seemed to stand still as he stared at me passing him by. To my shock, he began running at full pelt, shouting at me and telling me to get off of the boat. I ignored his shouts and thankfully Dixon hadn't heard him.

  "Lilly!" Nick roared and I shook my head at him. No way was I getting off of this boat. I gave him the finger and it angered him more. I frowned then, watching as he looked to his feet and then back at the boat. I wasn't expecting him to pelt backwards, only to race down the wooden beams, jumping and flying across the gap between the pier and the boat. He landed hard on the rear of the boat like bloody James Bond without the suit, glaring at me. Then he stalked towards me, making me feel nervous.

  "Who the hell are you?" Dixon marched from within the cabin. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"