Partners (Fire & Lies - One) (10 page)

But hindsight
is twenty-twenty. It astounds me that by doing what I thought was
the right thing, I set in motion events that caused irreparable
damage to those around me. If I had a time machine, I’d go back in
time and tell myself to be selfish–to answer all of Aiden’s calls,
and to run to him every chance I got. I’d spend every moment in his
arms and figure out whether everything I’ve ever felt for him was
real, or if it was just the fancy of a girl who felt like she
couldn’t have what she wanted. But it didn’t matter. I chose to put
my family promises and the business first.

And I
failed.

When I realise
I’ve been staring for a while, I drop my eyes, realising that Aiden
has been staring at me too. I can’t go there. I can’t keep thinking
over this. Our time has passed us by. Now, all we can do is try to
make some of the wrongs right. Even though, at the end of it, it’s
quite possible that I’ll be a wanted criminal myself. They say that
two wrongs don’t make a right. But I tried doing it the right way.
All I have left is the wrong…

“So,” I start,
clearing my throat before I look back up at Aiden. “Do you think
you’ll be able to teach me how to do this?”

He lets out a
sigh and looks at me with what looks like sadness in his eyes. “Are
you sure you want to do it this way, Chloe? I know you want to
clear your dad’s name, but your intentions won’t matter if you get
caught. And you understand what will happen if you get caught,
right?”

“Of course, I
do. But what they did took everything – from me, from you, from
everyone. The right people need to be behind bars.”

“And what have
the cops had to say about this? Have you at least gone to
them?”

“Of course I
have. But they thought the same that you did. It’s all speculative
and circumstantial. Without the hard proof, I won’t be able to do
anything.”

He walks
toward me and pauses right in front of me. I hold my breath, not
knowing what the hell he’s doing but I keep my eyes on his, keeping
myself as strong as I can. I don’t want him to think there’s any
weakness in me. After the disaster that was last night, I need to
stand my ground and show him that I can handle my emotions.

“This plan of
yours…it’s…complicated,” he states.

“I know,” I
whisper, tilting my head up to look at him.

His eyes move
between mine as if he’s searching for something inside me. “And
you’re positive the documents are where you think they are.”

“One hundred
percent.”

He assesses me
for a moment before taking a step back and chuckling, his hand
wiping over his face like it’s become stiff. “Jesus, sugar, I never
would have pegged you with the guts to do something like this. And
your friend in there, he’s even more insane than you are.”

“That part is
our business. We know what we’re doing and we both have our
reasons. All we need is your know–how to tell us how to get in and
out the best way possible.”

“I always
hated Goldsmith,” he states.

“I’m not
surprised.”

“And what
about his fuckwit of a son–was he involved too?”

The question
feels like a slap in the face. I knew the topic would come up. But
I’d hoped we could avoid any talk of Sebastian Goldsmith for
now.

It takes me a
moment to answer. “In a way.”

He nods in
reply, his brow furrowing as his eyes drop from my face for a
moment. A discomfort settles between us, and I feel like I should
explain but I doubt he’d understand. His priorities have always
been different to mine.

“Listen, I’m
not saying that I’m going to help you. But I will seriously
consider it. But this is going to cost you big, Chloe, and from
what I can tell, you can’t afford what you were promising.”

“Help with the
job and the contents of those boxes is all yours. I just want the
documents. I don’t give a damn about the rest of it.”

“Maybe I don’t
want money anymore.”

“Then what do
you want?”

That half grin
of his that I always loved, curves up the side of his face and my
fingers itch to reach out and touch the scar that runs down his
cheek.

“I’ll do
anything to make this work, Aiden. Name your price and I’ll pay it
gladly.”

“I’ll remember
that,” he says with a nod as he heads toward the door. “I’ll check
out my schedule and call you with my definitive answer in a few
days. Can you wait that long?”

“Of course,” I
say, as I watch him open the door and leave. The moment the front
door clicks shut, Leah reappears at the bathroom door. I’m sure
he’s been listening in.

“So how did
you get him interested? You obviously didn’t go around there and
fuck him last night. He’s still looking at you like a man
starved.”

“I didn’t need
to,” I reply, reaching down to put the lid back on the archive box
before I lift it up. “The facts speak for themselves.”

He narrows his
eyes at me. “You cried in front of him, didn’t you? Fuck you’re
good, Chloe.”

Shaking my
head, I roll my eyes and return the box to my cupboard for
safekeeping and Leah follows behind me. “I didn’t cry and I didn’t
fuck. He agreed to listen and I told him what he needs to
know.”

“If you say
so,” he says like he doesn’t believe me. “He’s in love with you,
you know.”

I push my
cupboard doors closed as a heaviness lands in my chest and I turn
to face him.
I love him too.
“I know.”

“Just be
careful, girlie. Love can just as easily become hate. I doubt Aiden
is the kind of guy you want gunning for you. You know where we’re
headed with this.”

“I know!” I
snap, immediately regretting my tone and softening my voice. “I
know. Nothing changes. I know what I’m doing, ok?”

He nods once
and leaves my room, pulling my door closed behind him. The moment
I’m alone, I lean against my cupboard and slide down to the floor,
burying my face in my hands as I allow myself to sob quietly,
hating that my life has never been mine. Hating that I was groomed
for a destiny I didn’t want. Hating that all of my work and all of
my sacrifices ended up being for nothing.

But most of
all, I hate myself for not being strong enough to go my own
way.

JULY,
three years ago

STRONG BUT
gentle fingers slide up the length of Chloe’s back, sending chills
through her body as the fingers pause at her shoulders and make
their way back down, sliding over the curve of her backside and
then all the way back up again. It was soothing and exciting at the
same time.

“
Are you
feeling tired yet?” Aiden asked, lying beside her, gloriously naked
and propped on his side as he continued the gentle movement over
her skin. She pressed herself against his body, feeling sated and
sore, a gentle throbbing between her legs from their night of
passion. Aiden was an aggressive lover, and she’d revelled in his
strength, and possessiveness, and the ache of her flesh from where
he’d gripped her with his need to consume her. And she felt
thoroughly consumed.

“
Yes. But I
don’t want to sleep. I want to stay right here and never
move.”

He kissed her
forehead, his hand coming to rest on her arse as he pulled her just
that little bit closer.

“
That could
definitely be arranged. I don’t want you in any bed other than
mine.”

She lifted her
head, brushing her lips over the rough stubble of his chin as he
moved his head down a touch and kissed her softly, sleepily.

“
I want to
fall asleep inside you. I want to wake up, still fucking you. And I
want to do that, over and over, and over again,” he growled between
his kisses. His hand slid along her thigh, lifting it over his hip
as he slid himself inside her warm, wet core. They’d dispensed with
condoms after they’d gone through them all. Chloe was on the pill,
and it was the first time Aiden had ever forgone protection so they
knew they were safe, and could please each other over and over
again without pause.

“
I want
that too,” she whispered, her body stretching to accommodate his
length and girth as he serviced her with lazy strokes, pushing and
pulling at her insides, hitting every glorious nerve with his
tender friction. “Oh.” The gasp escaped her lips as his mouth moved
to suck gently on her neck and his teeth pulled at her skin,
tasting her, marking her. His fingers curled and pressed into
flesh, holding her tight as he pushed inside knowing that he was
never going to get enough of this woman.

“
You feel
so fucking amazing wrapped around my cock,” he growled, thrusting
and pulling her against him, as if they could somehow merge and
stay within their bliss for eternity.

This was the
first union between them that wasn’t absolutely frantic and he
spoke to her softly, moving within her as she spoke to him. They
spoke of their need for each other. Of how they’d never felt
anything greater than what they felt together. Something bigger
than both of them was pulling them together and they promised each
other that this was it. This was everything they ever wanted or
needed. They had found their place in the world, and it was with
each other. The rest would work itself out later.

And as they
shuddered together, gasping out words of love and sacrifice, they
sealed their promises with a slow and tender kiss. Eventually
falling asleep, joined as they had wished.

At the time,
every whispered promise they’d made to each other had been true.
But unfortunately, life doesn’t always let you have what you want.
Broken rules have a consequence. A consequence that Chloe was going
to discover before the afterglow of true lovemaking had even left
her cheeks.

***

Walking into
work the next morning, Chloe couldn’t stop the grin that continued
to spread across her face. She bowed her head, trying to conceal it
so she didn’t appear foolish. But she couldn’t contain it. That
morning was the first when despite barely sleeping the night
before, she had woken up full of energy, full of hope, full of
direction. She was going to go her own way. Make her own choices.
Something special had happened between her and Aiden. Something
bigger than her father’s plans.

She knew that
what she was doing would anger her father. But she also hoped that
he loved her enough to want her to be happy. As it was, she wasn’t
happy at all. She didn’t want the life she had been given. She
wanted another life all together, one filled with love and emotion.
She wanted to love Aiden. She wanted to fight with him, struggle
with him, then make up and do it all over again. That to her,
seemed like it would be heaven.

Letting out a
happy sigh, she placed her bag beside her desk then shook off her
jacket, hanging it over the back of her chair before she turned to
look out the window at the city beneath her, bathed in sunshine,
the sky clear and blue–it seemed to reflect the joy in her
heart.

Turning toward
the soft tapping on her office door, Chloe’s eyes met those of
Audrey Sargent, her father’s personal assistant.

“
Good
morning, Audrey,” she practically sang, as she smiled at the woman
who was the wall between the world and her father, controlling his
appointment book to the second.

“
Your
father would like to see you,” she said, her expression devoid of
any light. It caused Chloe’s smile to falter as she realised that
Audrey was most likely camped out and waiting for her to arrive.
Audrey pursed her lips. “He’s been waiting quite a while for you to
get in.” She raised her eyebrows at Chloe before she turned and
flounced off, letting her know that they had all noticed her
tardiness that morning.

Following her
out, Chloe rolled her eyes, thinking that it was nice that they all
noticed the one day that she was late, but they never seemed to
notice all the nights she stayed late.

“
Chloe.
We’re glad you could make it,” Terry Donovan said when she entered
his office. And the word ‘we’re’ caused her to look to the couches
that sat in the large windowed alcove of his office. He rarely saw
clients in there, but when he did, they were always very important
people who were treated to the best services the company had to
offer. It was then that her heart stopped and the light and happy
feeling she’d been revelling in all morning plummeted and formed a
pit of darkness in her stomach. Sitting on the couches were Michael
and Sebastian Goldsmith. Her father-in-law and husband to
be…

“
Chloe,”
Michael said as he stood up. “I trust you’ve been well. We haven’t
had the pleasure of a visit from you at the house lately.”

She swallowed
the lump in her throat as her eyes dropped to the iPad in his hands
before she glanced at each man in turn. What was going on here?

“
I’ve been
working a lot,” she tried to explain although, truthfully, the
moment she had met Aiden, she’d barely seen any of them. She didn’t
want to be reminded of her obligation.

“
Working. I
see,” he stated, lifting the tablet and activating the screen. “I
find this all very interesting…work,” he said, holding the screen
out for her to see.

On it, was
security footage of her with Aiden. She swallowed again, her mouth
feeling so dry that she struggled with the motion. “What is this?”
she asked, watching the different clips of Aiden in her office
talking to her, of them standing close in the elevator, of them
disappearing briefly into a security blind spot before re-emerging
moments later. Then it showed them again, going into that blind
spot, but only the next time, the cameras had been adjusted and
they were recorded. It showed her pulling on Aiden’s tie,
whispering in his ear–teasing him.