Lying in Shadows

by Sofia Grey

  He explained to Kate and Louisa about the photographer on the beach and how nervous Alex was that his hideaway had been discovered. The news would break soon about the Event Horizon charity reunion, and he feared his privacy would be destroyed. Having guards around wasn’t much different from having the security cameras and lights installed around his own house, and he assured them the men would not get in the way.

  He waited, anticipating a slew of questions that didn’t come, and then stressed it was also to shield Kate, Louisa, and the children from a potential invasion of the media. They seemed to buy it.

  It was gentler than the truth—that they were being targeted by a stranger, for no obvious reason. A shiver ran down his spine when he thought how lucky he was to have stolen the images, otherwise they’d know nothing about it. And that was scary.

  * * * *

  Marcus didn’t think Marianne would take his invitation seriously, but he wasn’t giving up. Jordan had a client dinner, and this was the only chance Marcus had for a little time away from his friend’s sharp eyes. He needed to see Marianne. Longed for the comfort of her arms. Marcus wasn’t used to being afraid, and this situation with the photographer was scaring him to death.

  Under the pretence of going to the gym, he strolled away from the office, sports bag in his hand. As soon as he left, he ducked into a quiet street and called Marianne.

  “Hey, you.” She sounded tired. “What’s up?”

  “You never replied to my message. Dinner. Remember?”

  “What about Jordan?”

  “I don’t want to invite him, and he’s busy anyway. I’ve only got an hour. What are you doing now?”

  “I’m still at my desk. Are you going to tell me why you met AJ today?”

  “Meet me, and I will.”

  “My apartment? I can be there in ten minutes.”

  “Perfect. I’ll call for a takeaway, and meet you there.”

  There was a risk they’d be seen by Rico or Aiden, or any of the other TM-Tech people in the apartment block, but it was worth it. Their affair was so far out in the open now, it could have flashing lights and bells to guide the way. He ordered a Thai curry to be delivered and waited in the lobby of her building.

  She was soon there, and her face broke into a weary smile. “We shouldn’t—”

  He placed a finger over her lips. “Don’t say it. I need to talk to you; that’s all.” It was true, he realised with a jolt of awareness. It was her company he wanted, not her body tonight.

  They sat together on her sofa, and Marcus cast around for a way to broach the subject. “How’s it going? With AJ?” Damn. That made him sound jealous. “Does he make you happy?” Now he sounded petty. He wanted to kick himself.

  “We’re taking it slow.” Marianne fiddled with the button on her cuff, sliding it back and forth between her fingers.

  “You’re seeing him this weekend?”

  She glanced at him, her lively face unreadable. “Why did you meet him today? And what the hell was Jordan doing there?”

  Marcus was amazed she didn’t know. Didn’t the guy tell her? “You didn’t see him today? AJ, I mean?”

  “Yes, but he didn’t say much. Just that he was going back to Rhosneigr tonight.”

  “He came to see Jordan, not me. Some fucker’s been taking photos on the beach near Jordan’s house. Photos of Louisa and Ted.” He had to pause, to get his anger under control. “Alex, AJ, whatever you call him, told us about it.”

  “That’s weird. Do you think it’s connected to the pictures of us?”

  Marcus shrugged and sank back into the sofa cushions. He was sick of the stress. “You have to wonder. The sooner they go back to Houston, the better.”

  Marianne toed off her shoes, before curling up beside him. “You must be worried. I can see how tense you are from here.”

  He gazed into her eyes, spellbound. “Yeah, you could say that. I love Ted, and I care for them both. The thought of someone targeting them freaks me the fuck out.”

  “So what are you doing about it?”

  “Jordan’s hiring a security team, to keep an eye on things up there. They’re probably safer than anywhere else, apart from back home, and he’s gonna persuade her to get back to Houston.” He studied Marianne’s face and noted the shadows under her eyes. “Now you tell me. Are you seeing AJ this weekend?” It would crucify him to know, but he had to ask.

  She opened her mouth to reply, as someone knocked on the door. “That must be the food.” She got up from the sofa.

  They devoured green chicken curry and stir-fried vegetables, mopping up the juices with soft roti, and Marcus braced himself to ask again about AJ. She ducked the question twice so far, but he could be persistent.

  Marianne put her empty plate on the coffee table and sighed. “Before you ask again, the answer is no. I’m not seeing AJ this weekend. He wanted me to go back to Rhosneigr, but after last time, I couldn’t face it.”

  Okay. This was a step in the right direction. His heart lifted a fraction. “And how are things between you?” If she said things were every kind of wonderful, and she’d never been more in love, it would hurt. It already felt as though he was being ripped apart, inch by fucking inch.

  Her fingernails needed her attention. “We’re friends at the moment, but planning to be more.”

  Did that mean what he thought? Hope flooded through his veins. “You haven’t fucked yet?”

  “Marcus.” She jerked her head up, her cheeks lined with pink. “There’s no need to be coarse.”

  He couldn’t help a satisfied smile. “I’m not hearing an answer,” he drawled and lifted a hand to cup her cheek. “You’re not fucking him, because you can’t get me out of your head. Tell me I’m wrong.”

  “I’m not fucking him, because we’re taking it slow.” The flush on her cheeks deepened.

  Relief burned hot and energising through Marcus. He slid his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her the tiniest amount towards him. Enough to feel her reaction.

  She didn’t hesitate. She leaned forwards, grabbed his shirt with both fists, and kissed him.

  * * * *

  Alex was up early. He felt refreshed after seeing Kate and Louisa. He’d rebuilt his bridges with them, and that gave him hope for fixing his friendship with Sylvie. That was what he wanted, to be her friend again. He knew she didn’t mean to kiss him on the lips, and that was his fault for moving. He wouldn’t ever mention it.

  The obvious step was to ask Jordan where Sylvie was, and he’d do that later today, but there was something else he needed to do first.

  It was bitterly cold outside, enough to steal the breath from his lungs, but the beach called to him. He picked his way carefully down the garden, climbed over the crumbling wall, and headed up the dune.

  Standing at the highest point, he was no longer sheltered from the wind. It howled along the length of the sand and tugged at his long, waxed coat, chilled fingers sneaking down his neck. Rain threatened, judging by the heavy, grey clouds amassing. Before he went any further, the first icy drops hit his face.

  He scanned the beach from one horizon to the other, looking for the photographer again. There was no sign of him. Either the police picked him up, or Alex scared him off. He hoped it was the former. He sucked in a deep breath and tasted salt on his tongue. The tide was halfway in, the wind whipping the waves into foam. Jeez, it was wild. Alex laughed aloud with the sheer exhilaration of being alive. Days like today, battling the elements to stay upright was a humbling experience. How could he think of staying in London after living here? If he and Maz made it as a couple, it wouldn’t be living in the city.

  He strode across the damp sand with no destination in mind. It was enough to simply be. He thought again of Sam, the pain still raw. He’d love it here. Alex paused at the water’s edge and watched as the foam stuck to his boots. A new riff teased at the back of his thoughts. He turned on his heel and faced the dunes, and then saw someone sitting on the rocky outcrop further along.


  A young woman in a dark jacket.

  He squinted through the mist and spray. It looked like Sylvie. Surely not.

  She sat on the rocks, where Alex had been days ago. He hurried closer and wiped his eyes, to see her better.

  Her back was to him, and she looked out to the sea. Head bent over. Long dark hair tied back. Black biker jacket, jeans, and bare feet tucked under her body.

  Happiness flooded his chest, and he knew he grinned like an idiot. He spent half the night wondering where Rico might have hidden her, and here she was. He jogged faster, covering the distance in seconds, and shouted her name as he drew close.

  She didn’t respond. A few feet away, he saw the buds in her ears and the wire trailing to her pocket. He paused. She looked like a sea sprite, at home in the elements. And maybe there were some lyrics to go with his new riff.

  “Sylvie,” he called again, but she didn’t move. The wind noise and her music must be drowning him out. He stepped forwards, hesitated, then tentatively placed one hand on her arm.

  Mistake.

  She shrieked. A heartbeat later he lay face down in the sand, one arm twisted up behind his back. Every molecule of air had been driven from his lungs, and a searing pain blazed in his groin. He could only curl in the foetal position, gasp for oxygen, and wait for it to subside. Christ. Even thinking hurt.

  He was dimly aware of Sylvie kneeling beside him. “Alex? Are you okay? Oh my God. I’m so sorry.”

  He took a shuddering breath, then another, and found his voice. “Fuck.” It came out as a croak.

  She took his arm and hauled him to a sitting position. He tried to smile despite the pain jolting through his body. “Still mad at me, huh? Where the fuck did you learn to do that?”

  “Rico. I do kick boxing anyway, but that’s one move he taught me.”

  Alex groaned and cupped his aching balls. “I think you neutered me.”

  She sat back on the sand, a smile dancing across her face. “What are you doing here?”

  “I could ask you the same question.”

  “I’m staying in a holiday rental in the village. For the moment.”

  “And live in the house over the dune.”

  She pulled a face at his deliberate misunderstanding. “I mean, what are you doing in Rhosneigr? I thought you went back to London.”

  “I did. I came back.”

  “Well, duh. Thanks for that, Captain Obvious.”

  The pain had receded to a dull ache, and Alex figured he could stand again. He pushed to his feet and gazed down at the impish smile on her face. “I’d love to sit on the wet sand and chat, in a force-eight gale, but I’ve a few things to do today.”

  “Oh.” Her face shuttered, and she looked away. “I should be going too.”

  “Syl, I was kinda hoping you might like to come back for a coffee? If you brew it, that is.”

  She looked up at him. With her hair escaping its tie and blowing across her face, she looked wild and beautiful, and his heart contracted.

  “Deal.” She scrambled to her feet. He had to wonder how she managed to keep them warm.

  He pointed down at her toes, the nails painted in bright rainbow colours. “Aren’t your feet frozen?”

  “I’m frozen.” She laughed, and he realised she wasn’t joking. She bent down beside the rocks, picked up a pair of spike heeled boots, completely unsuitable for the sand, and walked easily beside him. She shivered. Her hands were almost purple with the cold.

  “Don’t you have any sensible clothes?” He stripped off the waxed coat and draped it around her shoulders. She laughed and tried to fend him off, but he insisted.

  It was too noisy with the gale and the surf to hold any kind of conversation until they reached his wall. The wind dropped as they moved into the shelter from the dune, and they looked at each other and laughed. It felt good. It felt right.

  There was something he had to say before he lost his nerve. “Syl, I want to apologise. I was out of order, yelling at you the other day. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you, and I’m sorry.”

  Her cheeks flushed, and she waved his words away. “You were right; I was poking my nose in matters that don’t concern me. I’m always doing that. Your love life is none of my business, and I should have kept my gob shut.” She gave him a little smile. “We’re still friends?”

  He pulled a mock-worried face. “Fuck. I don’t know. After the way you beat me up?”

  “I thought you were some pervert, attacking me.”

  Her peal of laughter made him warm inside.

  “Come here.” Alex scooped her in his arms and carried her across the muddy stretch until they reached the path. She weighed hardly anything.

  “Thank you.” She dropped to the ground, and brushed the sand off her feet before stuffing them into the boots. She wriggled free of the waxed coat and handed it back to Alex.

  “Your jacket’s cool, and that slash looks authentic, but it’s not really designed for this weather.” Alex grinned. “Tell me I sound like your dad, but it’s fucking freezing out here.”

  She rolled her eyes. “It’s a long story.” She hopped around, fastening the zip on one boot while rearranging her foot in the other. “I’ve only got a handful of clothes. My place was torched, and I lost almost everything. And then we came dashing up here. I’m like a bag lady, only without the bags.” She fastened the second boot and stood squarely. She glanced at the tear in her jacket sleeve and pulled a face. “And yeah, the cut is authentic. Rico was in a knife fight.”

  “Shit. I remember you saying that. But how did you get involved?”

  “I thought he was being attacked, so I went to help him. Turns out he could have handled them both with one hand tied behind his back, but I didn’t know. And I got cut.” Her voice was soft. “That’s when Rico and I got involved.” She smiled again and blushed.

  Alex stared, awestruck. And envious again of Rico.

  Back in the house, she brewed a huge pot of coffee while Alex made toast, the one thing he could cook safely.

  She asked about Marianne.

  “She’s still in London. You worked for her, so I guess you know the kind of hours she does. I couldn’t stand being cooped up while she was out all day, so I came back last night.” He’d tell her about the photographer later. “I’m hoping she might join me on weekends.”

  They sat at the table to eat. He had a question for her, which he mulled over for a minute first. “You said you’re staying in the village for the moment. Is Rico moving you again?”

  She shrugged. “Probably. I don’t know. I don’t feel safe in the village though. It’s so isolated.” She played with a crust of toast. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I’m thinking of going back to London. I can’t stand being apart from Rico. I’ve got this horrible fear that something is going to happen to him, and if it does, I don’t want to be hundreds of miles away.”

  “Could you move back here? Is it worth asking Rico? Like I said, I’m planning to stay here indefinitely.”

  Sylvie looked up, a thoughtful expression on her face. “It’s a nice offer, and thank you. But I don’t think it’s a great idea for me and Marianne to be under one roof. I know she’s your girlfriend, but... well, it’s awkward.” She paused. “I don’t think she particularly likes Rico, either. It’d be uncomfortable for all of us, especially you. And I don’t want to put you in that situation.”

  Wow. Someone else whose friendship he valued, who didn’t like his girlfriend. Didn’t want to see her. Was he so wrong about Maz? He covered his confusion with a shrug. “If you change your mind, the offer is still there.”

  * * * *

  Any plans Marianne had to finish things with Marcus—half-hearted to start with—were now non-existent. They existed together in a strange limbo-land. His wife knew about the affair but forced no action, neither threatening divorce nor wanting to reconcile. And as long as Marianne was only friends with AJ, it made it easier to justify continuing with Marcus.

>   On Thursday morning, on the pretext of Marcus having an early meeting, they’d shagged hard and fast in her apartment, then gone to work separately. He coaxed her to states of physical bliss she previously thought impossible. The subterfuge added an element of risk that turned both of them on.

  AJ sent her a text, asking if she planned to go up to Rhosneigr for the weekend. She considered how to reply. There was enough work to keep her busy in the office, but he’d only buy that story for a short while. Being pursued by two men was flattering, but she needed to decide what she wanted.

  Despite his words, she wasn’t convinced Marcus would leave Louisa and Ted. Right now he was probably backed into a corner, but given time, when the first flush of passion with Marianne faded, he might make up with his wife. Or try to. There was no guarantee Louisa would forgive him. She may even kick him out.

  What about AJ? Marianne had been passionate with him at one time, and still loved him. There was potential there for a solid, long-term relationship with her first love. She’d thought them to be soulmates, and surely that counted for something? She needed more time with him, to figure out if it could work again.

  It was so freaking difficult making a decision of this magnitude. It wasn’t something she could do with a snap of her fingers.

  One thing was clear. She couldn’t have them both.

  She found a quiet meeting room and phoned AJ, to apologise for needing to work over the weekend. He didn’t sound disappointed, so she moved on. She had a long weekend coming up. TM-Tech closed all their offices to celebrate Thanksgiving, though it wasn’t a holiday outside the U.S.A. The head office would be closed from Thursday until Monday, so maybe AJ would like the chance of a city mini-break somewhere? He didn’t sound enthusiastic. He wanted her to travel up to Rhosneigr. The prospect of spending four days in the middle of nowhere made her shudder, but she promised to think about it.

  Sitting at her desk, she overheard Aiden talking to Jordan. It sounded as though his team were no further along with the worm virus. What was it called again? She checked her notes. Thanks.a. The spooks said this virus might be date activated, but surely it wasn’t that simple?