Hiding the Past

by Sofia Grey

She smiled against his skin. “I dropped it down the front of my bra. You’ll have to find it.”

  He growled and nipped her lobe again, harder this time. “Are you sure about that?”

  “Yes.” She lifted her head, seeking his lips. There was the slightest hesitation, before he claimed them. Soft, warm, tender—he was everything she remembered. Every summer day, rolled into one scorching, branding kiss. He slanted his mouth against hers, deepening the pressure, his tongue seeking entrance.

  She gazed into his eyes, the colour of the sea on a stormy day. This was what she’d waited for. What she dreamed of, night after night.

  Slowly, with infinite precision, his free hand spilt across her body, five separate points of pleasure searing a trail across her flesh. He teased beneath her lacy camisole, and growled again when he reached the curve of her breast. His lips followed, moving across the base of her throat and exciting her beyond any previous frame of reference.

  “Here?” he whispered against her collarbone.

  “Lower.” She was losing the power of speech.

  “Here?” Teasing, he nuzzled lower. His nimble fingers extracted the key, and the cuff released, with a click.

  “You’re so god damn beautiful.” Tanner pushed her camisole up to her neck, trapping her upper arms. Any moment now, and he’d touch her breasts. She ached for him.

  There was a snap. The noise of a cuff locking. He’d fastened the free end to the cabinet handles.

  Dazed, sluggish with desire, she looked into his eyes.

  He responded with another punishing kiss on the lips.

  She felt marked. Branded.

  Fooled.

  The key was cool when he gently pushed it down the back of her skirt, sliding it underneath the waistband.

  “You won’t catch me like that again, Sweet-Cheeks.” The smile he gave was triumphant, arrogant, and utterly intoxicating. One hundred and fifty percent Tanner. Untamed.

  “You bastard.” Her voice was choked. “And don’t call me Sweet-Cheeks.” She yelled, watching helpless as he left. As he walked away from her for the second time.

  *

  Jack had no idea what Yanni was saying, but just his mentioning Caroline and Madrid in the same sentence was bad. The little sound of horror from Juli made Jack’s heart ache. Her shocked stare told him everything.

  She and Yanni carried on talking in French, with Juli glancing up at Jack every now and then. He knew Yanni would try to twist her mind.

  Jack realised, with a start that Juli was standing and beckoning to him to leave the room with her. Yanni lay back, his eyes closed. Sleeping? Just like that?

  Aiden sat in the lounge, raising his eyebrows in a silent question.

  Juli sank onto the opposite sofa, rubbing her eyes and gazing at Jack. Any thoughts of playing in bed were clearly on hold. She flinched when Jack walked up to stand beside her. Man, did that hurt.

  “Did you learn anything?” Aiden’s voice broke the silence.

  There was a long, telling pause as Juli stared at her hands. “He didn’t tell me anything more about Papa. Nothing I believed, anyway.” Her voice was sharp. She sounded more angry than upset. “He talked about Tesla’s work, said Papa was interested in following up his research and Yanni had some contacts, but there’s nothing in the journal to suggest that.” Her gaze flicked to Jack. “I can always tell when someone is lying. Always.” She emphasised the last word. Her hair looked rumpled, and with her eyes flashing fire, she looked dangerous, feline, and desirable. And so unapproachable.

  Aiden frowned. “If you take the journal out of the equation, does it seem plausible? Was Yves interested in Tesla? We know from past experience that Yanni has experimented with his inventions. Could there be something else he’s trying to use?”

  Juli’s lips formed a thin, angry line. “Tesla patented hundreds of ideas, and there were hundreds more that he abandoned unfinished. He was into everything, from electrical current to weather control. I just don’t buy it.”

  Jack’s phone chirruped. It was Tanner, ready to be let in. The discussion was temporarily on hold.

  Tanner burst into the apartment, stalking back and forth, his muscles bunched and tense. Without speaking, he picked up the little bean cat and tossed it from one hand to the other a few times, while staring out into the night. Turning around, he spoke to Jack. “Assuming there’s no more intel on Gloria’s, why don’t we go check it out?” He glanced at Aiden. “You okay to stand guard here for a couple of hours?”

  Aiden nodded, but Juli wasn’t happy. “Excuse me, but I thought we were going to stay away from Gloria’s.”

  Tanner’s stare was unreadable, and Jack felt a stirring of unease. The guy was seriously pissed at something. “You are staying away,” said Tanner. “Jack and I are going.”

  “It’s a lap-dancing club.” She spat the words out.

  His eyebrows rose a fraction. “Your point being?”

  “Yanni warned us it was dangerous.”

  Okay. Jack had fucked up here, sending Tanner home with Maria. If his buddy now wanted to exorcise some demons, Jack would go along with it.

  He smiled at Juli. “You already said you think he’s lying. He may want us to stay away so we don’t do any digging.”

  Tanner nodded and dropped the bean cat back onto the windowsill. “We’re gonna pose as a couple of loaded American tourists, looking for a good time. Who knows what we’ll find?”

  Juli’s stare turned icy, a kitten starting to unsheathe her claws. “Just remember,” she said. “You’re only looking.”

  *

  It was after one in the morning, but Gloria’s was jumping, and busier than Jack expected. “Everything okay, bud?” he asked Tanner, as they waited to be assigned a hostess.

  His jaw set, Tanner drawled back, “I can’t decide if I wanna get laid or wasted, or both.” He glanced at Jack, his eyes glittering. “What I do know is I wanna get this crock of shit cleared up and get the hell outta Dodge. London sucks.”

  Yeah. Sending Tanner home with Maria was not one of Jack’s best ideas.

  They had to share a table with a group of suited businessmen, who were celebrating some corporate coup or other. The guys welcomed them into their circle, especially since Jack and Tanner had no problem buying the ludicrously overpriced drinks and stuffing twenty-pound notes into girls’ pants.

  Jack pretended to be wasted. Tanner less so. It meant he could sprawl back in his chair, nursing a beer, without having to take part in the activities. And there were plenty of those—underfed girls, gyrating together on a miniscule stage; girls performing individual dances; and when money crossed hands, private dances in the back rooms. Jack declined, slurring into his drink. Tanner said he might do later.

  It seemed their businessmen were looking for something else. Jack listened to disjointed conversations about girls. The hostess was trying to persuade them to take a look, to choose which they wanted. Jack pricked his ears up. This sounded like more than just a private dance. Two guys disappeared, broad, drunken grins on their faces, and returned within the hour, looking cocky and satisfied.

  The hostess made another attempt at persuading them. “Go on,” she said. “Take a look. If there’s nothing to your taste, come back tomorrow. We have new merchandise arriving.”

  Jack leaned over to one of the Suits and pulled a puzzled face. “What’s she talkin’ ’bout?”

  The guy squinted at his beer. “Gloria’s has the highest turnover of girls around here, with new ones coming twice a week. Always young, and usually foreign.” He winked. “Can’t beat ’em, man. Best choice in town.”

  Maybe for this guy, but Jack wasn’t interested in lap dancers. Not when he had Juli waiting for him.

  Thursday 20 May

  Chapter Nine

  Nathan loved the quiet of the early mornings the best. He was up at five, mucking out the stalls, and by seven o’clock his jobs were done. He should be exercising Samson, but instead, he perched on the wooden fence and gazed in
to the distance.

  The offer from Anita demanded attention. God. He wanted to grab it with both hands and turn his life around, but his inner critic was harsh. Even with more horses and another instructor, there was no guarantee he’d attract extra clients.

  What if it was a success? He’d be able to go further afield, to compete. Yeah, right. He hadn’t won anything this year so far. Had he lost his nerve? Or just been unlucky in the competitions he’d entered? Samson had great potential, but if Nathan wanted to compete at the highest levels again, he needed a second horse.

  It all came back to money. He sighed. Make a fucking decision, before Anita changes her mind.

  Samson lifted his head, ears pricked, and Nathan looked over his shoulder. It was Daisy.

  She paused a few yards away and stuffed her hands in her pockets, a cautious smile on her face, as though she was unsure about her reception. Damn, but she was pretty, especially with that hint of colour in her cheeks.

  Nathan smiled a welcome. “Good morning. I wondered if you’d be here.” Was that why he’d waited? Possibly. But she was engaged. He wasn’t hitting on her. “Congratulations, by the way. Your engagement ring is… er… unusual.” As in, the pink plastic ring looked like part of a Barbie play set.

  Her blush intensified “It makes quite a talking point, doesn’t it?” She held out her hand, and he pretended to admire it.

  “Where did he get it, your fiancé? Did it fall out of a Christmas cracker?”

  She pouted. “You don’t like it? It was a bit of a joke, but now the bloody thing won’t come off.”

  Wait—what? “You’re not engaged?”

  “Yes, we are. It’s just… he was messing around at first, when he gave me this ring. Then, later, he asked me properly.” She covered her face with her hands, but then peeked through her fingers. “You had to be there—you know—to get the joke.”

  Christ, she looked adorable. Her fiancé was a lucky sod. “I see.” Nathan had to be careful. He could crush on her so easily.

  “I’ve tried soap, vegetable oil, and Vaseline. Nothing will move it. Do you have any bright ideas?”

  He chuckled. “I’ve plenty of bright ideas, but I’m not sure you’d appreciate all of them.” Shit. He shouldn’t make it sound like he was flirting with her.

  He dropped easily from the fence, covered the distance to her, and caught hold of her hand. The ring was tacky beyond belief and wedged tight on her finger. “I’ve got something in the tack room that’s worth a try. Only thing—if you take off your ring, does that mean the engagement is over?”

  Her eyes opened wide, but then she laughed and wagged a finger at him. “Not at all. It means that Charlie has to buy me a proper one.”

  “Come on.” He walked with her up the track and back to the yard, slowing his pace for her shorter legs.

  “I’ve never been here before. How many grooms do you have? Is it just the two?” she asked.

  Huh? “There’s just me and Shaz. And before you ask, she’s not my girlfriend. Kate seemed to think she was.”

  “That’s Kate, for you. She likes to play the matchmaker.”

  They reached the tack room, and Nathan turned to his store cupboard, to search for a little tin he knew was in there.

  Daisy wandered around, and he wondered how it looked to her. The framed photos were of his students at shows, but the rosettes were his. He couldn’t bear to get rid of them.

  “Why did you think I had two grooms?” he asked.

  “Shaz is the girl with the dreads, right?”

  “Yep.” He turned around, opening the tin of Slick in his hand. “Who else have you seen here?”

  “The other girl? The one with the white-blonde hair?”

  “Are you sure it wasn’t someone here for a lesson?”

  “I saw her this morning, on my way to the field. And a few days ago, last time I was here.” Daisy held out her hand, the pink ring taunting him. “Do your worst.”

  “This is something I picked up in Ireland. It looks evil, but it might work.” Nathan dug one finger into the gloop and smeared it over the ring. Did he take longer than necessary, in order to hold her hand? He was such a loser.

  The plastic gave a little but refused to come off. Daisy stared at it, frustration in her eyes. “Bloody thing.”

  “Looks like you’re stuck with it.” Nathan put the lid back on the Slick, and then grabbed a bunch of tissues from the box on the bench. “Better wipe off the excess.” He cleaned his hand, his mind jumping back to Daisy’s earlier words. What girl was she talking about? Why had he never seen her?

  “I had a thought,” said Daisy. “The girl I saw. You don’t suppose the yard is haunted, do you?”

  Nathan wanted to slap himself for not figuring it out earlier. Of course the yard wasn’t haunted. Food, milk, and a blanket going missing, and a strange girl seen in the early morning. It meant Nathan had someone who’d taken up residence, probably in the loft of the hay barn, since he rarely ventured up there.

  Daisy smiled. “Thanks for trying to shift this.” She frowned. “Is everything okay?”

  *

  Jack crawled into bed just as Juli contemplated getting up. God only knew what time he came back from Gloria’s. Was he trying to avoid Juli? Or to piss her off? By the time she’d finished in the shower, he was fast asleep, face down into the pillow.

  Now she’d slept, her head was clearer. And she was annoyed.

  Yanni was first on her shit-list, for his attempts at undermining her relationship with Jack. Next was Tanner, for dragging Jack to a bloody lap-dancing club, and then at Jack, for going along.

  There was no reason to ignore Yanni’s warning about Gloria’s, and Aiden’s intel advised it could be a trouble spot. She failed to see why Jack and Tanner would go there on the flimsiest of pretexts.

  Then there was that little dig about Caroline. Juli wanted to ignore it, but she had to raise it with Jack, to give him the opportunity to tell the real story behind it. As far as she was concerned, they were no further forward with anything.

  Armed with a fresh coffee, she curled up on the sofa and carried on working through Papa’s notebook. Aiden joined her, sitting nearby, his gun holstered. There was no sign of Tanner, but he was probably sleeping too.

  She scowled at Aiden. “Do you really need that in here? How much danger do you think he presents?” Her voice was probably sharper than usual.

  “We don’t know how dangerous this situation is. That’s why we’re prepared for the worst.”

  For once, his calm voice failed to reassure her. “He says he needs to leave here by Saturday. That a girl’s life is in danger. You’re not just going to let him go, are you?”

  “What do you think?”

  “I don’t know what to think any more.”

  “So, this girl in danger—what did he say about her?”

  “That was all.” She thought back to the conversation and shrugged. “The trouble is”—she spoke slowly as she worked through it in her head—“I don’t know whether or not he’s trying to manipulate me. Again.”

  Aiden nodded. “It’s a consideration.”

  “But what if he’s telling the truth?” She wrapped her arms around herself, longing for Jack’s arms around her. “How much longer are you going to keep him here? This can’t go on indefinitely. Can it?”

  He looked thoughtful. “You’re right. He’s not giving us anything, so we can’t justify what we’re doing. We’ve agreed that we hand him over to the authorities on Friday. Tomorrow.”

  A chill ran down her spine. “When were you going to tell me?”

  He held her gaze. “That’s not my call.”

  Another prickle of anger dug at her. “Jack made that decision.” It wasn’t a question.

  Aiden inclined his head. “Don’t lose sight of the fact that Yanni is dangerous. He’s a fugitive for a reason.”

  “Dangerous. But unarmed, unlike you.” She felt icy with purpose. “Tell me, Aiden, have you ever killed anyon
e?”

  “Whoa. That is not up for discussion.”

  “That means yes. And I suppose, because it was in the line of duty, that makes it okay?” She bunched her fists at her sides. “Yanni says that Jack is a killer. Jack was in the US marines, and so was Tanner, so it’s pretty likely that he’s killed people. The difference is that he’ll have done it on someone else’s orders, so does that make it more acceptable?”

  Aiden sighed. “Please don’t take offence, but you’re tired and stressed. And probably angry at Jack. If you want to let off steam, I don’t mind. But I really don’t think your argument is with me.”

  “Maybe not. Why tomorrow? I mean, why wait?”

  “Technically I’m taking sick leave at the moment, so this arrangement is completely unsanctioned. But we decided on tomorrow, because Tanner thinks Yanni will be fit enough by then.”

  “Fit for interrogation?” Aiden didn’t answer, and she knew she was right.

  Rightly or wrongly, Yanni came to her for help. He saved Papa’s life, and Juli promised he’d go free.

  This was how they were repaying him. She wanted to throw up.

  *

  “I think I’ve got a squatter,” said Nathan. “I’d better go check. I don’t want to end up with a horde of tramps, living on the yard.”

  “The blonde girl?” Daisy’s eyes opened wide. “Should I come too?”

  “As long as you don’t mind ladders. I think she’s probably in the loft.” The prospect of a random drug addict moving into the barn was not appealing. He’d seen it before at his previous yard. They were attracted to the dry warmth of the hay bales, and weren’t too careful about lighting cigarettes. The last thing he wanted was to lose his entire straw and hay stock to a fire.

  Nathan set off, Daisy following behind. He glanced up at the house as they walked past. Shaz’s bedroom curtains were still closed.

  All was quiet in the hay barn. He led Daisy to the ladder at the back, and they started to climb. The loft was huge, a shadowy, dry space usually only occupied by hunting cats and nesting birds. Today though, he saw recent footsteps on the dusty floor. He pointed them out to Daisy and placed one finger against his lips in a warning. The hay and straw stocks were in the main barn beneath, and this area was only used for overflow storage.