Fool's Paradise (Cartwright Brothers Book 5)

by Lilliana Anderson

  After dropping me off at a motel where he paid cash for our room, he left me to my own devices and told me he’d be back in an hour.

  Not one for idleness, I used the Blackberry to contact Nick and find out who was watching the Cartwrights and why.

  “Seems they’ve got trouble all round,” Nick said when I reached him.

  “What kind of trouble?” I leaned back on the bed, my body feeling less achy as the day wore on.

  “Cops are keepin’ tabs on them, the Grim Order has a man in their house—think the mother is his woman—and your smuggler problem is also the entire family’s smuggler problem. Brendan Grey has men watchin’ there too. Seems there’s some kind of stalemate goin’ on between them all. Not sure if they’re watchin’ for your guy to turn up or if there’s more to it. Either way, it’s a mess back there. Be careful when you get close. You don’t wanna get exploded again.”

  “Speaking of, is our bombing duo still there?” My eyes lifted to the wall-mounted TV, flickering silently as I pressed the phone to my ear. There was some fishing show on, and I caught myself wondering if Toby liked watching this kind of stuff. Since when did I care about what a guy liked to watch on TV? Shutting it off, I rolled my eyes. He was in my head and it’d barely been a day. That wasn’t normal. But then, our circumstances weren’t normal either.

  “Yep. Still watchin’ the marina. Don’t know what they reckon they’re gonna find now that the search is called off. I’ll fill you in if there are any changes though.”

  “Thanks, Nick. Don’t let them out of your sight, OK?”

  “Sure, Blair. I’m on it like a rash on sweaty balls.”

  “That is so gross,” I said with a laugh.

  “Ah, I live to serve. How are you doin’ anyway? That Toby guy OK around you?”

  “Yeah. He’s not giving me any trouble.”

  “Still escortin’ him home? He cooperatin’?”

  “Everything’s fine, Nick. We’re heading back, but you’ve heard what Grey’s like. He doesn’t like loose ends, us showing up alive will really piss him off.”

  “Then at least stay hidden until you get to Torquay. Maybe I can try to meet you there.”

  “So you can collect half my finder’s fee?” I asked with a smile.

  “No, Blair—but I deserve some compensation for all this work—it’s so you have backup. This Cartwright guy has a big family, and it seems the family has the backin’ of the bikers. I’ll tail Grey’s guys wherever they go, but he doesn’t command a two-man army. There might be more out there. Just keep your head down. You’ve got a lot of ground to cover, and I don’t want you disappearin’ somewhere out on those desert roads. I’ll never find you out there.”

  “Worried about l’il ole me, Jennings?”

  He grunted in response. “Crazy, I know. Just keep in touch.”

  “I will. Goodbye, Nick and thanks.”

  “See ya, toots.”

  Disconnecting, I smiled, resting the phone on my chest as I looked up at the ceiling. Despite the fact we didn’t work out as lovers, Nick was a great colleague, and possibly the closest thing I had to a friend. We gave each other shit a lot of the time, but when the going got tough, he kept showing up to help me out. But I had no idea what help he could truly be against Grey in the long run. Grey was the biggest name in crime Australia had seen since the Moran family. Getting to him wouldn’t be easy, even with my parentage.

  I’ll teach you a lesson you’ll never forget.

  A cold shudder jittered down my spine, giving me a reason to shift my focus.

  No. Stop.

  Sliding off the bed, I hefted my bag from the floor and opened it wide, sifting through until I found my envelop of cash and a fake ID. Peeling off a couple of fifties, I shoved it all in the back pocket of my jeans and set off in search of sustenance.

  Returning thirty minutes later with some sandwiches, bottled water and a bottle of vodka—that I hid inside my bag because old habits died hard—I set up a small picnic on the bed then settled back against the pillows, flipping through TV channels while I waited on Toby. Tick, tick, tick. He was taking forever.

  Startled by the opening door, my hand immediately flew to my face where I could feel a trickle of drool sliding out my open mouth. “Wha? Huh?”

  “Aw, honey. You cooked,” Toby said as he closed and locked the door, placing a large black duffel on the floor inside.

  Pushing up on my elbows, I looked around, disorientated. “I fell asleep?” With a frown, I moved to sitting and rubbed my eyes. “What time is it?”

  “Almost five.”

  “You were only supposed to be gone an hour.”

  Pulling his shoes off, he kicked them to the side before he sat on the end of the bed.

  “Miss me?” he asked, picking up the sandwich packets and looking inside.

  “I might have if I hadn’t fallen asleep. I never nap.”

  “Can’t imagine what got you so tired.” He grinned, a knowing glint in his eye as he held out the mayo, chicken, and salad sandwich for me. “Keep your energy up.”

  “Is that a command or a request?”

  “A suggestion. But, take it as you will.”

  Rolling my eyes, I took the food then tore into it ravenously, my empty stomach cheering at its reward. “I love sandwiches. They are the best invention ever.”

  “I’m partial to burgers, myself. An entire meal stuffed into an easy to consume bun. Makes life on the road easy.”

  My cheek stuffed with food, I gave a thoughtful nod. “Burgers are basically just hot sandwiches.”

  He chuckled, taking a healthy bite out of his corned beef and coleslaw on white bread. “I suppose you’re right.”

  We ate quietly for a moment, strangely content in each other’s company for two people who shouldn’t get along. The hunter and the hunted, coming together over a common foe. It was movie worthy stuff.

  “I spoke to Nick,” I ventured, speaking around my full mouth.

  “And?” Toby did the same, holding his hand up to cover his lips. Much more polite than me.

  “He said everyone is watching your family. Cops. Grey. Grim Order.”

  “The MC is of no consequence . They’re allies.”

  “OK. But Grey and the cops are watching. That’s a cause for concern, right?”

  He rubbed his fingers against his forehead, closing his eyes before he nodded. “Yeah. We must be careful as we get close. I’ll need to reach out before we see them.”

  When I slid the last corner of my bread into my mouth, Toby picked up a water and handed it to me with an unscrewed lid.

  “Thanks.” I had to admit that I liked this. Him taking care of me. It would be easy to get used to, possibly frightening if we’d met in any normal kind of way. But since we were committed to travelling back to Torquay together, it was… nice, comfortable. I liked being around him.

  “What’s in the bag?” I asked, needing to shift my mind back to the task ahead of us before it got carried away feeling things then twisting them into something I didn’t want.

  He glanced at the black duffle. “Supplies,” he stated, like he wasn’t planning on elaborating beyond that.

  I narrowed my eyes. “What kind of supplies?”

  “Things we’ll need over the coming days.”

  “Days. So, that’s the plan? Drive straight through to Melbourne?” He took a drink of water and nodded. “I hate to break it to you, buddy. But that’s almost two days on the road if we drive non-stop. That old Datsun won’t make it under those kinds of conditions—the desert heat, the shitty roads. Hell, a new car would struggle with that run time. And since we’re supposed to be dead, getting stranded in the desert in need of rescuing isn’t going to keep us off the radar.”

  “You have a better suggestion?” He opened the extra sandwich—egg salad—and offered me half.

  Waving it off for him to eat, I got up to get my iPad from my bag. “Actually, I do.”

  “I thought I told you to get rid of
that thing.”

  “Relax, I turned off the location and took out the SIM. It’s using the motel’s free Wi-Fi.” Sliding back onto the bed next to him, I brought up the browser. “I’ve driven to almost anywhere you can think of in the country over the years, and the best and safest route from Perth to Melbourne is along the coast. Lots of tourists sightseeing across the Nullarbor and Great Ocean Road. It’ll take us at least a week with stops, but there are plenty of places along the way to rest. I see families and couples doing it all the time. They take their four-wheel drives or camper vans and hit the road, we’ll blend right in.”

  “In the Datsun?”

  “No. A four-wheel drive or a camper van; keep up. I can rent one with this ID.” I pulled my fake one from my back pocket. “Hell, I’ll buy one if that’s what you want.”

  “And this way takes a whole week?”

  I nodded. “At least. Driving straight there is insanity. This is about limiting our risk of breaking down, getting run off the road at night by a truck, or smashing into a kangaroo we can’t see coming in the low light. We travel during the day with the tourists and rest amongst them at night. Look at this, there’s even a tourist website dedicated to this route.” I showed him the website I’d pulled up.

  “This says two weeks,” he pointed out, scrolling through the webpage.

  “Yes, but we aren’t really going to stop and sightsee at all these places. I figure we stop at every second location to cut the time in half.”

  He kept scrolling through the page, stopping to read the little blurb under each photograph. “You know, I’ve barely seen half this stuff.” He paused on a stunning image of a bubblegum pink lake. “This actually exists?”

  Leaning in to peer closer to the screen, I nodded. “It’s literally called Pink Lake. I’ve seen the signs for it before when I’ve driven through Esperance. Wild, huh?”

  Taking a breath that was deep enough to lift his broad shoulders, he studied the screen. “Yeah. Wild.” Distracted, he flicked his finger, scrolling through dozens of images featuring our country’s natural wonders. “I haven’t seen any of this.” He paused on the picture of the twelve Apostles. “How is it I can live in a country my entire life and never take the time to see it?” He stopped on the picture of a man holding a board under his arm while looking out over Bells Beach and just stared.

  “You grew up there, right?” I said, watching the way he seemed to disappear from my vision and slide into a memory so vivid that even I heard the roaring waves.

  Shutting off the iPad screen, he nodded, handing the device back. “Been surfing Bells since I was a kid. Dad taught me and Nate. Nate and I taught the rest. Probably the only time we got along with the man was when we were on the water.” The shift in his demeanour was swift as he stood and collected our rubbish, throwing it in the bin. Suddenly he was business again, checking his watch with a straight back and tight jaw, that light happiness I’d found in his eyes that first day in Wannanup already fading. What will he be once I get him all the way back to Torquay? “It’s nearing six. I say we call it a day and search for a new vehicle in the morning. I’m in no rush to get out of here.”

  Uncurling myself from the bed, I stood with my iPad in hand, slipping it back into my bag as I smiled to myself. “Ready for bed this early?” I teased.

  He ran a hand through his hair back and forth then placed his hands on his hips, cracking a smile again, his shoulders relaxing. “Maybe. If your uterus has gone back to where it belongs.”

  I grinned. “From what my lady parts tell me, everything is fine.”

  With a soft burst of amusement, he moved in front of me, one large hand sliding around my waist and pulling me close. “Thank god for unicorn pussies.”

  I wanted to laugh at his words, but when his hungry eyes met mine, I couldn’t. The heat simmering inside them gave me such a jolt of excitement that I pressed into his body, my hand resting on his massive chest. I liked seeing him like this. I liked being the reason those broad shoulders relaxed. It wasn’t a normal feeling. Normally, I couldn’t wait to get away from the men I’d been intimate with. Before the Adelaide job, I’d had a handful of flings that lasted longer than a night. But ever since, I’d limited my connections to strangers in bars, no names needed.

  Until now.

  Maybe that’s because this too has an expiry date.

  The thought hurt my heart.

  It was too soon to feel this way.

  Running his fingers across my cheekbone, he brushed my hair behind my ear then cupped the back of my head, bringing our lips closer, closer.

  Emotions I didn’t have names for flitted about in my chest, tightening my airways and twisting my stomach. I wanted him to kiss me, to feel his hands on my naked skin while he ravaged my body. I wanted that more than anything. But I couldn’t do it like this. I was too raw.

  No. Don’t.

  Turning my head just before our mouths collided, I pushed back on his chest and forced myself to inhale a calm lungful of air. “Not yet,” I said, smiling, forcing my face into an expression that told him everything was fine.

  “Are you OK?”

  Most men said, ‘what’s your problem?’, ‘I thought you wanted this’, or ‘why’d we stop?’.

  Toby asked if I was OK. Toby looked genuinely concerned. Who is this man?

  “I’m fine,” I whispered, pressing my fingers into his chest, wishing I could latch on there, absorb his calm. “I need to freshen up first. Use the bathroom. Brush my teeth.”

  “I don’t give a fuck about brushed teeth, Blair.”

  “Well, I do. Give me a few minutes, OK. I feel gross from travelling.”

  Untangling his fingers from my hair, he lowered his hand to rest on my shoulder and kept those inquisitive eyes of his on mine. “We don’t have to do anything.”

  My fist tightened, pulling at the fabric of his shirt. “No. I want to. Just… give me a minute, OK?”

  He dropped a kiss on my forehead. “Sure.”

  He dropped a kiss on my forehead… My heart jumped into my throat. I’m convenient, just a fuck, a cure for sleepless nights. Why is he being so nice, no, sweet towards me?

  The man confused me.

  I killed a bunch of his men. Until I had so much blood on my hands, I couldn’t see my own skin anymore.

  I should be terrified. Toby Cartwright could ruthlessly kill an enemy that got in his way.

  I should be wary.

  I wasn’t.

  I think… I think I understand him—his pain. Does he understand me too?

  The thought felt tight in my throat. No one understands me. What a foolish thought.

  Flashing him a smile that was a confident mask to my noisy mind, I picked up my bag and went into the small bathroom attached to the room, locking the door behind me. With shaking hands, I placed my bag on the vanity, tearing open the zip and diving my hand in, sweet relief flooding my mind as my hand connected with glass. Blissfully numb.

  Grasping the aluminium lid, I cracked the seal, gulping vodka down until my lungs forced me to breathe, the burn in my throat causing me to hiss through my teeth. “You’re OK,” I whispered, grabbing my toothbrush and coating it with a thick layer of minty paste. “You’re OK… stressed because of Grey and the explosion and…” I shook my head, brushing vigorously at my teeth as I spoke to myself with mumbled words. “You’re OK.” Spitting the paste out into the basin, I rinsed my mouth then washed my face, meeting my eyes in the mirror. “These aren’t feelings.”

  Feeling the effects of the alcohol creep through my body, I changed out of my jeans and fitted singlet, slipping into a silk and lace negligee before fluffing my hair. “No one steals your enjoyment,” I said to my reflection, relaxing as the gentle haze settled itself into my brain. “You are in control.”

  I opened the door with a dramatic sweep of my arm, spotting Toby over at the tea area wiping a hand towel across his face, a small toiletry bag sitting open with his toothbrush and toothpaste out. A smile crept
across my features. He brushed. He’s different to other men.

  “Wow,” he said, mouth dropping open as his eyes swept over my body.

  I rested my hand on the door frame and posed against it. “You like?” I asked, running the tip of my finger along my neckline.

  Placing the towel on the side of the basin, he moved towards me. “I have never…” He shook his head a little, a bewildered expression taking over his features as he held a hand out. “You look beautiful. Good enough to eat. I feel like I should wine and dine you first.”

  I took his hand then he lifted it high above my head, so I spun, landing pressed to his chest. “Just spank me and tell me I’m dirty. Keep all that mushy stuff for the regular girls.”

  He chuckled as his hand slid down to my arse then landed with a clap. I jolted against him and grinned, almost purring while he rubbed at the sting with a tender touch.

  “Filthy,” he murmured, just before his mouth connected with mine.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  LET’S PRETEND

  “GOD HELP anyone who takes a black light to this room after that,” I gasped, brushing my hair from my face as I rolled onto my back, trying to catch my breath from the sexual gymnastics Toby just put me through.

  With a chuckle, he got off the bed and filled up two glasses of water, handing me one before drinking his while watching me over the rim of his glass. I smiled and did the same, never one to shy away from direct eye contact. Especially when the eyes I was watching always seemed so hungry. They did wonderful things to my insides without needing a lot of words spoken.

  Once I drained my glass, he took it back then returned it to the sink where he rinsed it and placed it on the sideboard to dry. I stared at his naked arse the entire time, watched his panther-like body move across the room, his cock a pendulum swaying in time with his steps. It’d been a long time since I’d met a man so mesmerising. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Lucky for me, I could keep him for an entire week.

  One week. It didn’t feel like enough.

  “I want to take the full fourteen days to get back to Torquay,” he burst out with.