When We Break

by Cheryl Phipps

  “Crystal clear, boss. We’re checking out the beach around the clock starting from now, and the rest of the guys arrive tomorrow, so we’ll have all angles covered when the time comes.”

  “That better be the case.” He poked the man in his chest. “There have been too many stuff-ups lately, and I don’t like it one bit. Someone’s leaking information, and when I find out who, they won’t know what hit them, and trust me, I will find out.”

  Nick knew Randall did not make idle threats. Men associated with him had been disappearing from day one. Still, each time they’d brought him in for questioning, he’d pleaded innocence, producing alibis while looking like the devil incarnate. They needed to catch Randall red-handed to make it stick.

  When Jack drove slowly by, Nick motioned for him to follow the car on his own. He waited until the rest of the goons went back into the house before retracing his steps.

  ~~~

  Nick arrived back at the cottage in a foul mood. If only they’d managed to plant a bug, they would know what was going on in there. But the security had been so tight that Emma couldn’t take a gun in when she’d infiltrated the compound. The phone taps had proved useless, as Randall was too clever to talk about anything significant on an open line. He regularly changed pre-paid mobiles, using different names and addresses to purchase them.

  The sight of Talia in the kitchen doing the dishes made him force a calmness he didn’t feel. He didn’t want to alarm her, but now it was even more crucial to get her off the island. It would be so easy if he didn’t care about her so damn much.

  “Hey, you don’t have to do that.” He picked up a tea towel and began to dry the dishes.

  “Of course I do. You do the cooking, so it’s only fair. Besides, it gives me something else to do other than reading. Where did you two race off to this morning? I heard raised voices, the door slamming, and then silence.”

  He could have kicked himself for the oversight. “I’m sorry about that. One of us should have told you we were going so you were prepared in case something went wrong and we had to get out of here quickly.”

  “That would make me a lot happier. I know you don’t feel able to tell me everything, but I don’t want to be left so far in the dark that I’m a sitting duck.”

  He dropped the tea towel, suddenly appreciating that Talia wasn’t the same person he’d built a file on over the last few years. She was tougher, willing to risk everything, and eager to begin the showdown—all traits that could put her in more danger.

  “You’re right, and you need to know there have been some unexpected developments.”

  “What’s happened? Are you leaving?”

  It was hard to tell by her sudden stillness if that would please her or not. “One of our team infiltrated Randall’s gang, but they’ve just been kicked out of his compound, and because they’re not going to be of any help in the future, it means we have to make some adjustments.”

  “So, what do we do now?” She leaned across to get more dishes and brushed against him.

  They both froze for a second, so Nick knew it wasn’t just him feeling the electricity between them. Nothing more had been said about the trip to the festival, and they’d tried hard to avoid each other ever since. Talia had washed her hair and was letting it dry naturally. Curls had replaced the straight style she’d adopted, and she looked even younger. She smelled fabulous - like apples and flowers. A white t-shirt, damp from the sink, clung to her firm stomach and pulled tautly across the generous breasts he was unable to ignore. Jeans that should have made her look more ordinary merely enhanced her long legs and completed the enticing package.

  When he got back to the green eyes watching him note her attributes, they were wide with surprise. He needed to get himself together; this was the worst time to be acting like a horny teenager.

  “We wait and see what happens next.” He wanted to kick himself as soon as the words came out, and her cheeks flushed as she, too, grasped the innuendo. It was time for a change of subject. He needed some safe ground while he waited for Jack to return, hopefully very soon. “So, you said you used to sail around here with your father.”

  “Yes, but that was a long time ago,” she said huskily.

  “But you would know the coves around here quite well?’

  “Of course. Up until the day they died, I was my Dad’s, first mate.”

  “May I ask what happened that day?” It wasn’t right to dredge up her painful memories, but he had his suspicions about what they’d been told regarding the accident, and what the truth was.

  She was silent for such a long time, and he thought she wasn’t going to answer him.

  “They were out on a fishing trip, even though they knew the weather wasn’t going to be perfect. My brother, as usual, badgered them into it. He always preferred the boat to dry land.” She smiled. “I was supposed to go with them, but something else came up at the last minute. Anyway, the weather affected their equipment, and they were dragged out to sea, where their boat capsized. At least, that’s what I was told.”

  She pushed her hair back and frowned. “I struggle every day to comprehend what happened because they were always so careful and such experienced sailors. They had the best equipment and lifejackets, which they weren’t wearing. Sure, the weather wasn’t great, but it should have been nothing they couldn’t handle, and there was no call for help, which is strange in itself. Lastly, no other boat suffered that night or even reported any problems.”

  She took several deep breaths before she could continue. “Mom and Dad had been knocked unconscious and were found in the capsized boat. My brother’s body was never found. In the days after, I wished I’d been on board. Yet, I can’t imagine what I could have done that they wouldn’t have thought of. I have all these unanswered questions, but it’s been too long now, so I guess I’ll never know what really happened.”

  “Losing a loved one is hard enough to deal with, but losing your whole family must be devastating. Let alone so tragically.” He squeezed her shoulder gently.

  “Yes, but then, lots of horrific things happen to people all the time.”

  He cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her head, wishing he could erase the sadness. “Nice things can happen, too.” He bent his head and gently pressed his lips to hers. “Often, you seem to be waiting forever for one thing to make it all seem worthwhile, and you might almost give up hope, then someone comes into your life, and everything can change in a very short space of time.”

  Her eyes closed and, encouraged by her response; Nick deepened the kiss. Slipping a hand behind her head, he pulled her closer. The feel of her along the length of his body flamed his desire instantly. With his other hand, he began a slow exploration of her back and hips. When he reached around to cup her breast, she began to tremble. He wanted her right now. The thought of waiting until the case was resolved was momentarily driven from his mind, as was Jack’s imminent arrival. Then she was pulling away. A hand lifted to hold him back, and her words stopped him cold.

  “I used to believe in those sorts of fairy tales, but things like that don’t happen to me. They haven’t for a very long time. All I need from life is Chloe. Well, these are all finished.” She gestured to the clean dishes. “I think I’ll get some fresh air.”

  Nick watched her go with disbelief, and then it hit him how crazy he was behaving. Talia had unknowingly bewitched him, no doubt about it! He had to pull himself together and not forget his priorities. It was more than his life at stake here. Hadn’t he just witnessed Emma, his ex-wife, on the receiving end of Randall’s brutality? The man had to be stopped, and this was their chance.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The reunion, an hour later, was not pleasant. Nick was in the garden watching the path when Jack arrived, and he all but exploded when he saw Emma.

  “What the hell is she doing here? I told you if you were compromised, you had to leave straight away.” He glared first at Jack, then at Emma.

  She shrugged her shou
lders. “Yes, you did say that, but I didn’t agree, did I? Besides, they don’t know who I am, they just think I’m an addict who got too nosey.”

  Nick didn’t appreciate the wild look in her eyes. As Sarah, Randall’s IT person, it suited her profile to act like she was slightly stoned. As Emma, the detective, it wasn’t necessary.

  “This is not a game, Emma. I saw what happened and look at what he did to your face. Isn’t that bad enough? He’ll kill you when he finds out you’re the mole.”

  “I know, I know. But I’ll be safer here, where Randall least expects me to be. Plus there’s a score to settle, which I can’t do if I’m on the mainland. You know what I’ve had to put up with to get this involved. I deserve to see it through, so just back off and let me do my job, okay? And who the hell is this?”

  Talia stood in the doorway. “I live here,” she managed bravely.

  Nick went to her intending to offer reassurance, but she moved back into the house. Actually, it wasn’t a bad idea since this conversation shouldn’t be overheard. He motioned the other two to follow her inside. The four of them ended up in the lounge in a circle, animosity spreading its tendrils over them.

  “Emma, this is Talia, who rented the cottage for a few months and is kindly allowing us to stay here,” he said firmly.

  “That’s lovely of her, I’m sure. Hello, Talia. I’m Nick’s wife.” There was a look of distinct pleasure on her face at Talia’s confusion.

  “His wife? I don’t understand.” Talia turned to Nick with a hurt look. “If this really is a stakeout, then why would you bring your wife?”

  Before Nick could reply, Emma interjected. “Straight to the point, I see. But it seems fair he hasn’t told you about me, since I didn’t have a clue about you, either. Perhaps you’d care to enlighten us both, Nick, darling?”

  Nick didn’t acknowledge the way Emma was holding his arm possessively. She’d always been volatile, but over the last year or so, she’d gotten worse, and he didn’t want the situation get out of hand. He’d speak to her later about her attitude—it wouldn’t be the first time.

  “Talia, Emma’s my ex-wife, but she’s also a detective, and has been undercover on this case since the beginning. Emma, there was no way to let you know we’d stuffed up, so we decided to carry on as per our arrangements.”

  “Arrangements that don’t include her. Does she have any idea how dangerous this is?”

  “I assure you I’ve tried to explain, but for the moment, she’s staying.”

  Anybody who knew Nick would have heard the determination in his voice and left it at that, but Emma rarely backed down from anyone and especially him. Now she turned to Talia.

  “You’re being a bit stupid, aren’t you? Not to mention the danger that you’re putting us all in. Or are you some rich tart looking for a bit of excitement?”

  Talia seemed to grow a few inches, anger written on her face. “Look, I didn’t ask for this, but I’m staying put. I don’t want you here, any of you, so if you have a problem, then you leave.”

  Emma took a couple of steps towards her. “We could have you removed.”

  “You could try, but I wouldn’t if I were you.” Talia stood her ground with hands planted firmly on her hips.

  Nick didn’t like the way the women were squaring up. They were both trained—admittedly, Emma had many more years under her belt—but Talia had been privileged to have Kirk as her trainer. A fight would not be pretty, and certainly wasn’t necessary. “Ladies, please. A decision’s been made. We’ve decided to try this Talia’s way for now.”

  Seeing the mutinous look on Emma’s face, Jack interjected. “Or until she chooses to leave.”

  Emma rounded on him. “You’re such a pushover. When are you going to stand up to him?”

  This was more than enough for Nick. He’d be in control here if he had to knock their damn heads together. “If you’ve all quite finished, I’d like to get back to business. Jack, Emma, let’s take this into the garden. Talia, we’ll discuss everything later.” He marched through the kitchen and out onto a small patio screened from the rest of the garden by a bougainvillea-covered fence. The other two followed. Jack looked unhappy to be caught in the middle, while Emma was still furious about the turn of events.

  “Right. You’d better give me the details.” Judging by their faces, Nick knew it wasn’t likely to be good news.

  Jack started first. “I followed the car to the ferry car park where Emma and the goon got out and made their way to the main building. They went to the ticket window, where they proceeded to argue.”

  Emma took his cue. “I told Dave it was going to be cold on the ferry. I could do with my jacket and my handbag. It had everything I needed in it - money and the keys to my house. I asked him to go back there and get them for me and told him that I’d be very grateful if he knew what I meant.” Emma smirked at Nick’s disgusted look. “Dave told me he couldn’t do it. Randall would kill him if he found out Dave hadn’t followed his orders. He paid for my ticket, gave me some money and saw me on board. He told me to go straight home and stay there until Randall contacted me.”

  “Anything else?” Nick asked.

  Jack looked at Emma with concern. “I heard him say Randall’s furious at having an informer within his ranks, and that by listening in on their conversation this morning, she’d sealed her fate.”

  Nick sighed. “This is probably for the best, Emma. I’m sorry you were hurt, but it wouldn’t have been long before you were discovered, anyway. You’re going to have to keep a low profile until we can bring Randall down. It might be better if you take the ferry anyway. If someone’s watching you, they need to know you did leave, even if it was on a later boat.”

  “You don’t seriously expect me to go home and hide, do you? This is just as much my case, and I intend to be there when you nail that scum.”

  “I suppose you have a right,” Nick said grudgingly. “By the way, how did you get away from Dave?”

  “Jack slipped me a note while we were in the queue and told me he’d be waiting in the dinghy sheds. I climbed over the rail just as the ferry left. Dave was already on his way to his car, so he’d have had no idea—he’s not one of Randall’s smartest.”

  “Okay, it sounds like you’ve covered your tracks, but from now on, we do things by the book, and I’m deadly serious about that. We can’t involve Talia in any more of this.”

  “I agree,” Emma said enthusiastically.

  Jack nodded but was looking at Emma strangely like he expected her to argue more. Nick would have to be stupid not to know they had some history, but they’d all pretended ignorance. He’d heard through the grapevine that they’d had a brief affair, and maybe it was still going on. It was hard to tell, and Nick didn’t really want to know. But there was definitely an underlying conflict, and it frustrated him nearly as much as having Talia to worry about.

  Nick sighed again. His perfect case was turning into a nightmare, and the people he needed to have focus all seemed to have hidden agendas. Speaking to Talia was a priority so she didn’t take matters into her own hands. Whatever was going on between Jack and Emma would have to wait.

  Chapter Nineteen

  As the evening had turned quite balmy, Talia decided to venture outside. The other three had disappeared, which was a good thing. Still furious with Nick, she needed exercise right now. Otherwise, she would explode.

  Exiting the house via the back door, she headed down the track for a walk along the beach. No doubt the others would have objected had they known her intentions, but she certainly wasn’t going to ask their permission.

  How dare he order her around that way!

  Dismissing Talia from the conversation like that was rude. Obviously, they were about to discuss her, Chloe, or that rat, Randall. Therefore, she was entitled to hear what was said. Okay, so maybe not entitled. But how could it possibly have hurt? Nick knew how desperate she was for information about Chloe. He was just playing his macho card to show who the top
dog was.

  Typical of a man that he would make out like he was interested and already be attached. And not just with another woman—his ex-wife! You’d need to be blind not to see how Emma felt about Nick. With her history, Talia should have known that if she liked him, there had to be something wrong with the man. Clearly, honesty wasn’t one of his finer qualities. Talia mentally shook herself.

  She couldn’t, and wouldn’t care that Nick’s wife - correction, ex-wife - was on the scene. None of it should matter to her. It wasn’t as if they were involved, after all. She was in no position to be looking for a romance, anyway. Not that she wanted one.

  As she got to the edge of the property, she slipped off her sandals and walked barefoot onto the sand. It was such a great feeling to be outside and to have a little freedom, so she jogged down to the water’s edge. Involuntarily, a squeal escaped her as her feet touched the cold ocean water. It swirled up around her ankles and tried to pull her out with the receding tide. Her toes flicked the water high in the air, and she couldn’t help a small smile as it was thrown back in her face by the gentle breeze.

  Chloe would love this. Talia stilled, picturing Chloe’s smile and seeing the love and trust in her eyes.

  It was wrong to enjoy herself while her child waited to be rescued. The guilt of doing so with Nick at the market still lingered.

  The tide grabbed her ankles once more, and her toes sank further into the sand. Until Kirk had everything in place, she had to bide her time, and her body screamed for action. Besides, she needed the distraction from thinking about Nick and his deception.

  Long before she’d walked out on Randall, she’d dreamed of finding a small piece of happiness again. That dream hadn’t extended to involving a man, but Nick had made it seem possible for a moment or two.

  She kicked the water in anger. Talia was no home-wrecker and never contemplated that Nick was the sort of man who cheated. This was laughable since her past told her she was not a good judge of character.