by Jack Stroke
“Everyone is different.”
Ben managed to stop moving for a moment.
“He was, like, seriously going to kill her, wasn’t he?”
“Not just kill, torture. Worse than we could possibly imagine.”
“How would we have coped?”
“If we survived and she didn’t?” Amber shrugged. “Somehow.”
“Yeah, but —”
“We did our best. Often that is all you can do. Sometimes things don’t go your way. When they don’t, the idea you did your best has to be enough.”
Ben paced back and forth, processing what Amber had said. “I don’t, you know, think this is a game or anything.”
“I know.”
He shook his head. “I just keep thinking… I so nearly messed all this up, didn’t I? I mean, I did mess it up. Can’t believe I fell off the boat. So stupid. It was my bad arm, you know? At least, I think it was. Maybe it was just because I was wet or…”
“Doesn’t matter.”
He cringed. “Yeah, but it almost did matter. Like, really mattered. What if Joan had —”
“It’s not the right way to think. ’What-ifs’ are pointless.”
“I know, but what if —”
She held up a hand. “Sometimes things go wrong. Very wrong. When they do, you just have to deal with it. Move on. Be glad in this case it didn’t. You acted bravely, and you saved my life and Joan’s life. If you want to focus on anything, focus on that.”
That at least brought some life back to his face.
“I’m serious. I had no idea about the flare gun. You saved the day. Without that, all three of us would be dead by now.”
“Thanks, Amber.” He moved for the door. “Hey, did you want to come back up to the cottage with me? I’m going to play some Xbox.”
“No. Thanks for the offer though.”
“You sure? It’s pretty mindless. Good for killing time. Oh well, just come up if you can’t sleep and change your mind.”
“Thanks, Ben.”
Amber intended to do something, but it wasn’t Xbox.
The young man gave her a quick smile as he headed out the door.
“Hey, Ben.”
He stopped.
“You’re going to make a great agent. I never doubted that.”
He nodded and left her to it.
Amber waited for another twenty minutes or so and then headed out into the night.
She still had important things to do.
76
The night remained dark and quiet, the moon still hiding.
Amber made her way on foot, in no hurry. Her legs quivered, not wanting to support her weight. She would call Mother in the morning. Brief her on what went down. She could do it now, except there was no rush. It could wait until tomorrow, no problem.
She would also ask Mother for a favour. A signed poster of the actor Chris Steele. What was that film he had been in? Firebrand? Tony should be able to organise that for Amber. Get him to send it to Danni with an ‘i’, the estate agent, with an apology letter that the film Amber had been ‘scouting’ for wasn’t going to go ahead at Port Simmons. Danni’s dreams of stardom up in smoke. A signed picture from Chris Steele would hopefully soften the blow somewhat.
Following a short stroll, Amber found herself at Vaughan’s boat. It was dark. No sign of life.
“Hey! Hey, Vaughan!”
No response. She continued yelling, not giving him any hope of ignoring her. Finally, he emerged. He was only in his boxer shorts and looked fine, his perfectly proportioned, wiry body gleaming in the light drifting up from inside his boat.
“I thought you don’t drink,” he said sleepily.
“I’m not drunk.”
“You sure? Do you own a watch?”
“I’m coming aboard, so if you don’t want me to do so uninvited, you better invite me now.”
He shrugged, swinging his arm out. It was invitation enough.
“What’s up?”
“You’re wrong,” Amber said, following him down below deck.
“I am?”
“I don’t think I’m better than you. I don’t think I’m better than Megan.”
“Okay.”
He grabbed a shirt from the floor and slid it on. There wasn’t a whole lot of room for two people, a bed and the mess of clothes.
“It might be how I come across, but it’s not how I think. It’s… The problem is that I’m a liar. I have to lie, every day of my life.”
He nodded, processing. “Why?”
“It’s complicated. It’s who I am. My job. Everything. It makes it hard to… I don’t know. It makes everything hard.”
He nodded again. Amber could tell he didn’t fully understand. That was all right. The most important thing was she was saying it.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No, I don’t want to talk about it. I mean… I’m not good at this stuff.”
“What stuff?”
“This talking. I’m not good at being a regular person. That’s all I’m saying.”
She attempted to reorder her thoughts.
“That business with you and Megan at the Half, that was stupid. I get that. It was a dumb mistake. But I’m just doing my best, okay?” She sighed. “I try to control stuff. All the time. It’s an issue I have. I’m going to change though. Be less controlling. Or at least make an effort to be.”
“Of what?”
“What?” She was flustered, increasingly aware just how small the space was.
“Less controlling of what?”
“Everything. Life. Everyone. I’m going to be less controlling and go with the flow. A new me. Chill Amber.”
And then Vaughan was kissing her. She had been aware of him moving closer, without really processing it. More focused on the garble of words tumbling from her lips.
The first kiss was light, his mouth barely brushing hers before he pulled back to make sure it was okay.
“I… I didn’t come here for this.”
“You just came here to tell me you don’t think you’re better than me?”
“Yes. And if you don’t want to be friends, that’s your problem. Deal with it.”
“Noted.”
Amber initiated the second kiss. It was a little more firm. More purposeful. Amber had to fight the urge to run away. At least, part of her did. Another part wanted to devour him. She pulled him close, Vaughan’s body wiry and taut against her own.
The kiss was nice. She couldn’t recall the last person she had kissed like this. Occasionally, she had to kiss people for Diamond Logistics. The mind works differently if you are about to kill the person you’re kissing. Or if your aim is to distract them or whatever the particular job might entail. In those situations, the mind is always focused on whatever comes next.
Pulling off his shirt, she ran her hands up his tight chest and down his sublime forearms, the soft hair on his arms tickling her fingertips.
Quickly Amber found herself lost. The kiss. The warmth of his body. His soft touch. Sure, she couldn’t help but worry, telling herself this was a bad idea. Then everything got good, Vaughan knowing precisely what he should do. How to get to her. Amber lost her breath completely. By that point, she wasn’t thinking at all.
A short time later she lay still beside Vaughan’s naked body, his boat rocking gently underneath them. It was hard to believe she was back on the boat again at all, especially so quickly after everything that happened with Ted.
Vaughan’s breathing remained steady. If she had to guess, she would have suspected he was dozing, although she didn’t know him well enough to know for sure. What sort of conversation would the two of them have about this in the morning? She had no idea, and thinking about it seemed too much like trying to have control over the situation, so she left it.
Chill Amber. The new her.
Time passed. As it became clear she wasn’t going to be able to sleep on the boat, Amber rose silently and assembled her clothes. She got herself on the pier
without saying a word to Vaughan or bothering to look back.
If he was aware she was leaving, he didn’t say anything.
77
Any difficulties Amber may have had falling asleep on Vaughan’s boat disappeared the instant she was back in her cabin. She was out the moment her head hit the pillow - the physical encounter with Vaughan countering the adrenaline of almost dying on Ted’s boat. The perfect distraction. How long had it taken Ben to get to sleep?
The sun was higher in the sky than usual when Amber emerged the following morning, stretching the kinks from her body.
A new day, a new beginning. A new Amber. Chill Amber. Not be so controlling. Not let things phase her. It was exciting.
Without much thought, she found herself headed for the owner’s cottage. The misshaped paving stones were cold under her feet, the warmth from the sun yet to reach them.
As she approached, the door swung open, and a dishevelled figure came stomping out. Even upright and walking, his posture was terrible.
“Hey, Grubs.”
Grubby jumped, not expecting anyone to be there.
“Oh, hey. Hello. Hi.”
“What’s going on?”
His eyes darted about like she had caught him out. “What you mean? Nothin’. Just came to… to say hi to Megan. Not a crime, is it?”
“Cool, no worries.” She gave a smile she hoped would help him relax a little. “Listen. I’m glad I ran into you. I wanted to say sorry.”
“About almost bustin’ me arm?”
“About bursting in like that last night. It wasn’t cool. I hope I wasn’t rude and didn’t embarrass you. I was a bit stressed. About… stuff.”
He gave her a curt little nod. “Arm’s still sore. Lucky I don’t sue.”
“Yes, very lucky,” Amber said, attempting to curtail the sarcasm. “Listen, I hope we can be friends.”
He snorted. “Friends, sure. Your specialty.”
Grubby hurried away before Amber could ask what he meant.
Megan was grinning at a text message when Amber appeared. She quickly turned her phone, placing it facedown on the table. Not a move Amber had seen Megan do before. Was she hiding her phone? Why?
“Hi, Megan,” Amber said, forcing a smile.
“Speak of the devil… look at you, Amber. You’re glowing.”
Glowing?
“Ben about?”
Megan shook her head. “Bed still. Think he was up all night on that stupid Xbox.”
Amber glanced about to see if Megan had a beer handy. She couldn’t help but look. Yes, it was early. There had to be something to explain Megan’s almost jolly mood.
“What about Joan?”
“Out.”
Out? Was Joan okay? Hopefully. Hopefully she wasn’t just blocking everything out. That would cause problems down the line. She considered asking Megan how Joan seemed but knew there was little point.
Silence surrounded the two women, tugging at their skin.
“Listen, sorry if I was rude last night. I said some things —”
“Nah. You were just being honest. Made a nice change. But you can spare me the rest of the song and dance routine.” Megan narrowed her eyes. “Pretty lucky though nothing happened, hey? With me and Vaughan.”
“Why’s that?” Amber asked, blood running cold.
“It would have made this morning even more awkward.”
Amber furrowed her brow.
“How was he anyway? Did he rock your world?”
Megan grinned, enjoying herself. Enjoying having something over Amber.
“If this boat’s a rockin’…” she went on, gyrating in her seat.
For her part, Amber opened her mouth. Sounds came out but no words.
78
Amber was paralysed, staring at Megan.
“Oh, sorry, Amber,” Megan said, decidedly not sorry. “Was it a secret? Was no one supposed to know about you and Vaughan getting it on?”
Grubby.
He must have seen Amber going to Vaughan’s boat last night. Or from. Or both. Amber had noticed the light on above the bait shop as she passed, but she hadn’t thought anything of it.
And so this morning, the little worm came slithering up to Megan. Jilted from Amber’s visit to Vaughan, he sought out a similarly jilted person to share his gossip with. Misery loves company.
“You need to sort yourself out, Amber. I can’t figure if you’re lying to us or lying to yourself. Why try and set me up with a bloke you clearly want to get with? I don’t care, but I think you broke poor Grubby’s heart.”
Amber tried to think of something to say. There didn’t seem to be anything.
“Oh well. Maybe now you’ll leave me alone. The last thing I need is your pity. I’m doing just fine by myself, thank you.”
There was something decidedly unpleasant in the way Megan smiled at her. A smile that prickled Amber’s spine.
“Megan, are you saying you’ve met someone? That’s great if you are. Why would I… I just want you to be happy.”
That smile could strip paint. “Sure about that?”
“Yes, of course. I mean… Sure.”
“Whatever. We’ll see.”
Amber should have said something else, but she didn’t. Megan’s happiness was unsettling her. Especially the fact Megan seemed to be wielding it like some sort of blunt weapon. Plus the revelations about her and Vaughan being thrown in her face like that. She left without a word.
Outside Amber found Lion. The cat at least looked pleased to see her. She gave him a long pat.
“Things are fine. Good even,” she told Lion. “So why do I feel concerned?”
It took her a good five minutes with Lion to even remember Chill Amber.
“This is going to be harder than I thought,” she said to the cat.
As she spoke an unusual sensation struck her. Cold. Unusual for Paradise Cove, at least.
Amber glanced up. A cloud passed in front of the sun - the first time it had happened since Amber’s return, at least that she could recall. The cloud was only a tiny thing, and yet it sapped all the sun’s warmth, everything suddenly appearing drab.
Amber stole a look at the horizon. The cloud had an army of friends tailing it. No doubt about it.
There was a storm coming.
Amber Storm will return
Amber, Ben and the gang will return in Jealous Storm.
Out April 2021
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Also by Jack Stroke
Blockhouse Blues and the Elmore Beast
Scam
The Other Hotel
18 Hours to Die
18 Hours More
Amber Storm
Have you read The Other Hotel?
A night to remember in a place to forget.
True* tales from Melbourne’s fifth-worst hotel.
(*Well, true-ish. True tales from a post-truth world)
It should have been simple. Go in and steal the cash. But no job is simple when the two guys named Lenny and their buddy Hot Sauce are involved.
Sprinkle in a backpacker who is not what she seems, some cashed-up tourists who don’t speak English, a couple enduring the night from hell, not to mention the mysterious Jack the problem solver and you have a night full of sex, drugs and misadventure.
If you love hilarious stories that will keep you laughing and guessing all the way to the end, you’ll love Jack Stroke’s The Other Hotel.
Get it now.
Have you read Blockhouse Blues?
Two crims. One schoolgirl. Someone's in trouble.
Blockh
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Grab it now here at Amazon or get it for FREE by signing up to my mailing list.
Have you read Scam?
If you’re gonna steal something… Best to know what you’re stealing and who you’re stealing from.
When wannabe crim Jonathan hears about a life-changing amount of unprotected cash just begging to be stolen, the opportunity is too good to pass up.
So he ropes in a couple of low rent potheads to help, kicking off a whole bunch of trouble.
Can Nuke, a gangster with an explosive temper and marital difficulties, sort out the mess?
All while balancing his psychotic bosses, some dodgy cops, his bored wife and of course Jonathan, the man with the plan?
SCAM is an exciting romp full of dumb criminals, harebrained schemes, formidable femme fatales and even a sweet love story, all told with a distinctly Australian sensibility.
You'll love this gritty crime thriller because the twists and turns will keep you guessing (and laughing) until the very last second.
Get it today.
Copyright © 2021 by Jack Stroke
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