Double Betrayal (Surviving Book 3)

by Frost, Ada

  I opened my mouth to – I'm not sure what I was going to say. Whether I would protest, agree, or cry. But when his mouth pressed softly against my forehead, I knew in that moment, he would never be Will. My heart no longer belonged there with Jack. My American giant had stolen it. I closed my eyes tightly, because I was trying to forget those feelings; I wanted to be the old Emily, the one who could fuck and walk away. I needed to be that Emily to survive. I wrapped my arms around Jack’s neck and buried my face against his shoulder and cried.

  “I’m sorry, so, so sorry, Jack,” I sobbed. Shame blanketed me.

  “What happened?” he asked softly, rubbing his hands up my back, his warm comfort wrapping around me like a fluffy blanket. I sucked in a deep breath and leaned my head against his shoulder and gave him all the sordid details. I told him how we met, about Marissa, and the night I had my heart ripped out. The only time Jack was anything but sweet and understanding was when I explained how much Izzy missed him.

  “This has your sister written all over it,” Jack said resolutely.

  “No, I’d like to blame her, but not this time. I think I just got played by the ultimate player.”

  Jack laughed, shaking me with the movement. “Em, the bloke was with his wife for twenty years. I’d say he’s a commitment type, if ever there was one.”

  “She was his first love –”

  “Doesn’t mean he can’t love someone else, given time. Not many men would put up with proposing three times and the selfish attitude before they fucked off.”

  I sighed, staring out of the lounge window as Jack sat silently holding me. It felt safe and nice to be in his arms, like my best friend had returned. But he was right to stop what was happening earlier; we weren’t those people anymore and it was unfair to break something special. It wasn’t fair to Izzy.

  “I’ve been thinking about something – for quite some time, actually.” He drew in an anxious breath. My skin prickled, fearing the words I hoped weren’t going to come out of his mouth.

  “I want to petition for full custody of Izzy,” he said quietly. I pulled away from him and clasped my hands together in front of him.

  “Please don’t. This is just me feeling sorry for myself –”

  “I meant so we can keep Rhea away from Izzy. Nothing would change. That is, if you wanted it to stay the same. But I can’t keep seeing my babygirl terrified when Rhea is around. I know she’s your sister, but she isn’t good for Izzy. And this obsession she has with punishing you by using her is beyond fucking ridiculous.”

  “But –”

  “Think about it. I swear, nothing other than limited visitation with Rhea would change. It may be a case of Rhea and I having shared custody, but at least it will be set in stone and she cannot just turn up and take Izzy if and when she feels like it. Izzy sees you as her mum; you’re amazing for her and she needs that stability, not these stupid games your sister is playing. She needs you, and I can’t stand by and see you both hurting. I should have stood up to her years ago. But enough is enough.”

  “The courts will side with Rhea; she’s her mum.”

  “Like I said, I will look into it.”

  “And you promise I still get to see Izzy?”

  “I will even have a solicitor draw an official contract. Maybe we could change it around a little, say – you get to have every third weekend with her and I’ll do the school run that week. I can’t do pick up because – ooff.”

  I threw myself at him, knocking the wind out of his lungs as I hugged him tightly. “You swear it?”

  “Yes,” he chuckled, holding me tightly against him.

  New Year’s Eve

  “Oh, crap! Come on, sugar; I got kids to feed.”

  “Sorry, Lori, but you know the law better than I do,” I said, taking her by the elbow and escorting her to the car.

  “It’s New Year’s Eve; surely you’ve got bad guys to lock up. What about the prick who messed up my girlfriend, Jenny? She’s just a kid; she hasn’t been on the street long. Why don’t you use the taxpayers’ money more beneficially and get scum like him off of the streets?”

  “I’ll be sure to mention it to my superior, but I have to either arrest you or take you home to your kids. Your choice, Lori; you know the score. I can’t let you turn tricks out here.”

  “Baby –” she ran her finger down my vest; I cocked an eyebrow at her, making her release a throaty chuckle. “Oh, if I was twenty years younger.” She patted my cheek affectionately. I’d been pulling Lori from the streets since I was a rookie. She’d been a prostitute since her parents kicked her out when she fell pregnant at the age of fourteen and had been living rough before a pimp exploited her. Her story is pretty tragic, and that’s why I didn’t arrest her when I should have. Plus, it wouldn’t help her three kids at home if their mum was held in police custody. Don’t get me wrong, what she did was illegal, and I guessed morally unacceptable, but she provided for her family. There wasn’t a dad at home; she was alone, but her kids were sweet and she did everything in her power to keep them away from the life she led at night.

  “Just get in the car,” I chuckled, holding the door open for her. My partner sat in the car laughing at me, prick.

  “Sugar, I love it when you’re all forceful.”

  I shook my head with a grin. She was harmless and, hopefully, once we took her home she would stay home. I heard the dispatcher bring in a call of a car driving erratically down the M62 westbound. I’d turned my radio low, so I heard the call over my partner’s radio.

  I didn’t pay it much attention at first; traffic would be dealing with it.

  I closed the door and got inside the car.

  “You know, officer, you can cuff me anytime –”She continued, but I ignored her when my attention shot to dispatch.

  “Calling all units, a silver golf GTI, Charlie foxtrot zero nine alpha whisky delta, two occupants, white female driver mid-twenties and what appears to be a child in the passenger seat, failing to stop, no deviation, whisky four eight in pursuit. Standby.”

  I jumped out of the car and ran around to release Lori from the back. She stared at me in confusion. “You can go, Lori –”

  “Driver has left the motorway and heading down Front Street northbound, failing to stop at lights. Female driver is driving on the wrong side of the carriageway as she heads north.”

  “Delta five four in position,” called in another patrol. They were standing in position to close down the pursuit.

  “Lori, get out,” I snapped as the vehicle pursuit continued.

  “Ace, man, there’s a traffic unit behind it.”

  Lori got out of the car, looking at me like I’d lost my ever loving mind. I slammed the door and ran around the car.

  I sat in the driver’s side and listened to the radio.

  “Approaching the roundabout at Parkway, driver refusing to slow down. Third exit, heading north of Front Street, speed seventy-eight miles per hour. Delta five four are you in position to head her off?”

  “Delta five four, that is a go.”

  I put my lights on and headed toward the chase. “Three five two responding.”

  “What the hell?” asked my partner.

  “Three five two, stand by.”

  “Fuck that idea,” I muttered and sped through town with the blues going.

  “Acis, what the fuck, man?”

  “It’s my sister they are chasing, and my niece is the kid in the car. And if I know my fucking sister, she is either tanked up or high. Threefive two to dispatch. Female driver is Rhea Richards, twenty-four, blonde, five-four, and more than likely intoxicated or under the influence of narcotics. Front passenger is Isabelle Stark, white female, six years old, three-six and deaf. It is my sister and niece.”

  “Stand down, three five two,” came the call from the dispatch sergeant.

  “In pursuit.”

  “Stand down, three five two.”

  I ignored the order and headed toward the radio instructions.
r />   “Delta five four, female has veered onto southbound side, heading the wrong way into oncoming traffic.”

  “Motherfucker! Rhea!” I screamed and banged my hand against the steering wheel.

  “Ace –”

  “Driver has lost control of the car and is swerving over two lanes. Speed sixty sev—driver has collided with oncoming HGV. Fire and ambulance unit needed. Front passenger, the suspected child, has been ejected out the front windscreen, and landed on the opposite side of the road. Driver still in the car –”

  The radio went dead. I turned to glare at my partner. “What the –”

  “You don’t need to hear this, Acis. Slow the fuck down.”

  “That’s –”

  “I know who it is, and we will get to them, but at this rate you’re going to kill us, too.”

  “She isn’t fucking dead!” I roared. He held up his hands in surrender.

  “Ace, slow down. We will get there, we’ll respond, okay? But you gotta calm down.”

  “I’ll fucking kill her.” I lifted my foot slowly from the accelerator. Rick let out a sigh and turned the radio back on.

  “ – suspect detained. She removed herself from the car and headed away from the accident. She doesn’t appear to understand what has happened; she’s disoriented. There’s alcohol on her breath. When the car was secured my partner found a bag of what appears to be amphetamine. When the driver pulled herself from the car, she was also clutching her phone saying she lost connection to her call.” The officer reporting sounded disbelieving, but to be honest, it was Rhea. Selfish fucking Rhea; well, the bitch had gone too far this time.

  “The child is being attended to by paramedics; she is critical.”

  “Fuck!” I screamed. My heart was hitting my rib cage so hard I could barely breathe. My little princess. I made a left onto the carriageway and immediately saw the flashing lights of the other response units. The road was blocked off from other motorists. When I saw the crushed mesh of silver metal against the massive HGV lorry, I nearly vomited. I jumped out of the car quickly, followed by my partner. There were three paramedic units, two fire engines, and countless traffic response units. I frantically looked around the area. When I spotted the fucking bitch staggering about giving the officer shit, I started running.

  “Oh, shit! Ace –”

  I hurdled the central reservation that she must have crashed through at some point and ran at full speed toward her. She caught sight of me and bloody relief crossed her features.

  “Look, I said my brother was a copper. He’s –”

  “Whoa, whoa, son. Calm down.” The officer detaining her turned in time to stop me ripping her apart. He was one of the older officers in the force, nearing retirement, and he’d seen so much shit he could write a book about his experiences.

  “Acis, he won’t let me go home. I said it was an accident. I’ve got a party to go to,” she slurred, hugging her arms around herself. I glanced at the cop holding me. He shrugged as if to say ‘tell me about it’.

  “Are you fucking serious?”

  “Yes, it started at seven and because of that little freak I was running late.” She pointed toward the car and frowned. “Where is she, anyway?”

  The officer’s arms tightened around me. Obviously word had spread this was my family.

  “Son, don’t look.” But it was too late. I turned my head to see a group of people gathered around the tiny prone body of my gorgeous niece. I glanced at the car and at her body.

  “How –”

  “She wasn’t wearing a seatbelt; upon impact she was catapulted –”

  “Jesus,” I gasped. She was at least thirty metres away from the car. “Is she –”

  “Acis, I’m cold. I want to go home.” I turned my head toward the whining cow and glared at her. In that moment, I truly and honestly hated her.

  “She been breathalysed?”

  “Refuses.”

  “Take the fucking breathalyser, Rhea.”

  “I’m not drunk; I don’t need it.” I wriggled out of his hold and stepped toward her, taking out my breathalysing kit. “Breathe into it until I tell you to stop. Failure to provide a breathalysing sample will result in your arrest.”

  She huffed and stumbled to the side. I refused to catch her fall and let her hit the wall beside her. I held out the kit to her. “Breathe into it until I tell you to stop,” I growled. If I had to, I would pin her down and force the breath out of her.

  She glanced at the other officers and then at me, pleading with her eyes. I shook my head; there was no way she was getting out of this. She placed her lips to the tube and started blowing.

  “Keep going, keep going, keep going.” When the light turned red, I told her to stop. I turned to PC Alfred and handed him the reading.

  “Point-one-eight. You will want to get a blood sample, too; she’s high,” I said solemnly. He nodded because he already knew that. The female officer behind me cuffed my sister as she wailed and whined for me to stop them. I kept my back to her.

  Rick came into sight. He glanced at Alfred. “They are taking the kid to LGI.” My heart sank at his words.

  I willed myself to look over in Izzy’s direction. I willed myself not to react, not to fall apart, but when I lifted my eyes to see her tiny little body on a gurney and the paramedics pumping oxygen into her little helpless frame, I staggered back. My knees buckled, and without the assistance of my partner, I would have fallen. Slowly, we walked across the crash site toward her. Rick held me up like a frigging baby.

  I covered my mouth to stop a pained gasp escaping when I caught full sight of my precious little girl. She was unrecognisable.

  “Ace –”

  I stepped out of his arms and stood beside the gurney holding my little niece. It felt like hours standing there, staring at her broken body, but in reality, it was seconds before she was whipped away in an ambulance.

  “Richards.” I heard my name, but my attention was fixed on the closed doors of the ambulance as they prepared to take my niece away. “Richards!” My superior officer’s voice penetrated through my haze. I turned my head, slowly bringing my gaze away from the ambulance. “I understand the girl is a family member.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Emily,” I gasped and stepped back. “Shit! Oh, God, I need to go tell Em.”

  “She’s his other sister; she’s the little girl’s guardian,” Rick kindly explained to my confused sergeant.

  “I’m placing you on a week’s compassionate leave, effective immediately. Go see to your family, Richards.”

  I bobbed my head, hearing the words, but they didn’t sink in. My mind was racing; how the hell did I tell Emily her baby girl was being taken to LGI in critical condition? I’d been to my fair share of families to break bad news to them; it was the worst part of the job, telling a loved one their son, daughter, wife, or husband wouldn’t be home anymore. But to tell Emily Izzy may never –

  I closed my eyes and shook my head; bile rose in my throat, threatening to choke me.

  “Ace, we gotta go. Izzy needs her family to be at the hospital waiting.”

  I turned blankly, staring into his concerned face.

  “She needs Emily. We have to go get her,” he said slowly. The world went on around me, the lights, the noise, the constant chatter between dispatch and officers. The sounds of engines running and metal crunching.

  “We got this, pal; let’s go get Emily.” I nodded blindly and followed.

  I pulled my mobile out of my pocket and dialled my backup. “I need you at Emily’s, now.” I didn’t wait for an answer or explain. Rick drove me to my sister’s house and when we pulled the patrol car beside her car on the drive, I suddenly needed to vomit. I opened the door and rolled from the car as I spewed my fear onto the grass. Rick’s meaty hand whacked me on the back; I could see his black boots in the corner of my eye.

  “You’ve got to get it together, Ace; she’s going to fucking need you.�
�� I wiped my hand across my mouth, the smell of burnt rubber, sound of squealing metal, and the sight of blood taking my senses hostage. I stood up straight just as Castor’s car pulled to a stop at the curb. He got out of the car and signed furiously.

  “Rhea had a car accident. Izzy was a passenger –”He reached out and grabbed my bicep. I shook my head slowly. “She’s in a really bad way, Cas. I need you. She’s going to fall apart.” I pointed a thumb over my shoulder. Cas bent double as if I’d punched him in the gut. I gave him a few moments to gather himself and turned to walk up to the porch. I blew out a breath before knocking.

  When the door opened, my sister’s smile spread. “Hello, officer,” she chuckled. I couldn’t help it, tears sprang to my eyes. I’d done this countless times and held it together, but I couldn’t get the sight of little Izzy on that gurney out of my head.

  Her face fell and she started wringing her hands together.

  “Acis?” One word, one word, but so much pleading in her voice, I was almost on my knees.

  “Rhea’s had a car accident –”

  “No!” She staggered back, her hand covering her mouth. “Acis, take that back. Take it –”

  “Izzy wasn’t wearing a seatbelt –”

  “Take it back, Acis.” She covered her ears and kept repeating the word no over and over again. I stood motionless, watching as her world crumbled. I was in the place of the officer who delivered the news our father and Castor had been in a fatal car accident; fatal for dad, at least. I was that guy.

  “Em –”

  “Take it back!” she screamed and flew at me, slapping and punching my chest. I let her; I didn’t stop her. I needed something to take the pain away. “Take it back!” she sobbed, burying her face in my vest. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed so tightly the breath whooshed out of her.

  “She’ll be okay. She has to be okay.”

  Emily made no sound as she cried. She was hysterical in my arms. Her body was a quivering mass of emotion. I turned to look at eyes identical to mine. He was staring at our sister with a gut-wrenching look of pain on his face.