Sting (22 page)

“Anytime you need coffee, or a fix of cookies, you’re welcome in the café. On the house.”

“If I were a stronger man I’d knock it back, but you know, this sweet tooth won’t take no for an answer.” He stands. “I’d better get going.”

“Of course. Thanks for coming.”

I assemble the last two jumbo-sized cookies into a plastic zip-lock bag, hand them to him and show him out.

I close my front door and breathe a sigh of relief. It looks like this girl is getting her happily-ever-after, after all.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

RYAN

After reviewing the file and reading the statement sent to me by Detective Lee, my brain couldn’t handle any more intel. To try and unwind, I sit around and watch shit on TV for the next couple of hours. Willow must be rubbing off on me, because I can’t stand to watch the news. She’s right. This shit is depressing.

Cass would laugh her arse off if she knew that I was turning into a homebody. All I want to do at the end of the day is snuggle up with Willow, more often than not after I’ve had my way with her. She seems to melt the stress away.

I just want my girl.
Knowing she is home alone just doesn’t sit right with me. What if she has another nightmare? Does she have them all the time, or was the one she had the other night a one-off? Perhaps I should ask her. I just don’t know whether I should be worried about what she cried out.

Why would she wanna be alone tonight? Any spare chance we get, we’ve been inseparable. I’m not gonna try and understand what goes on inside a woman’s head, but one thing I do know is that chicks dig surprises. Hell, look where her garden got me.
It got me the girl.

I run down the stairs to my Ute, and drive to the supermarket on the way to Willow’s. A tub of Death by Chocolate for dessert will do nicely.

I’d bet my last dollar that between the sweets and giving her a good rogering, it’ll melt Willow’s stress away.

****

Indicating to turn into her drive, I spot a black Ford sedan parked behind Willow’s car.
Odd.

I drive further down the street and do a U-turn. Stopping a couple of houses down across the street, I turn off my lights and park where I have plain sight of her front door.

Am I just being paranoid? Have I spent too long on the job suspecting others? I don’t recognise the car. Gabby has a silver SUV, and Sarah doesn’t have her licence yet. Who else could it be? Should I just go in anyway?

Fuck. I’m being a douche.

Convinced I need to get over myself and go over there, I take a last glance at her front door. I flinch as it opens, and a guy walks out. Judging by his proximity to the doorframe, I’m guessing he’s about six-foot-four. He’s built like a brick shithouse, with dark hair shaved military short.

Willow steps out onto the front doormat. She’s all smiles.

With some kind of plastic bag in his hand—I can’t quite make it out—he gets into his car. Willow waves goodbye, and goes back inside.

What the fuck?

I grab my phone and dial.

“Mick, I need you to run some plates for me.” I start driving in the direction the car left, and feed Mick the details of the plates when it’s in sight.

I know she wouldn’t cheat on me. That I know for a fact, but she lied to me. Told me she wanted to be alone, and now this? A guy in her house?

There’s got to be a simple explanation for it. Do I confront her, or just let it slide?

I follow the car at a distance for a few streets. He pulls into a service station. I park in the customer parking to the side. He re-fuels and then takes long marches inside the shop.

I get out of my car, and follow him. Once inside, I grab a PowerAde from the fridge and line up behind him.

“You gonna help me out of that ticket, Cuz?” the acne-riddled teenager with blond scruffy hair covering his eyes says, as he hands the guy a receipt and pen.

What kind of ticket? A parking ticket? I scan over him—black suit trousers, black shoes and a navy blue-polo shirt. Certainly not a parking inspector uniform.

“You blokes think you can speed through a school zone and not get your arse kicked? You know I can’t do that, mate.” His voice is gruff, familiar somehow.

The man subject to my attention messily signs on the dotted line, and slips the card and receipt into his back pocket. He swings around, and runs fair into me.

“Fuck. Sorry, mate. I’m on a mission,” he says, and continues around me and outside.

The hair prickles on the back of my neck.
Motherfucker
. It’s him.

I hand over a five-dollar note for the drink. “Keep the change.”

I take long strides in the direction of his car. I’m not letting him get away without some fucking answers. “Are you Lee?” I ask, lifting my chin towards him. I lean my hip against the bonnet on the driver’s side and cross my arms under my chest, puffing it out.

He closes the car door. His dark brows bunch together. “Yeah,” he growls low in his throat. “Who’s askin’?” Lee moves closer, attempting to use his large frame to intimidate me.

“Ryan. We spoke on the phone a few weeks back.”

His eyes widen as realisation dawns. The deep lines across his brow slowly fade. “Guess I never thought I’d run into you.”

“You and me both. Can we talk?”

His eyes dart around, but his head remains still. “Follow me,” he orders.

A few minutes later, I pull up beside his car in a deserted office car park.

He gets out of his vehicle and walks around to my driver’s side door. I get out and lean against my Ute.

“You makin’ any headway?” he asks, with a lift of his square jaw.

“We’re placing some bugs around the location.”

What I don’t divulge is that Saturday night we’re gonna try to make contact with our
friend
at the pub. Based on Lee’s intel, we’ve set up cameras in the laneway and had the guys on the state taskforce check with the pub owner that the cameras inside are in working order. If we manage to do a deal, I just hope I can get out of sampling the goods. I’ve alerted Pete that it could be a possibility. I’ll just have to talk my way out of it if the time comes.

“Good work. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you. I really hope you nail these sons of bitches.”

“Actually, there is something. Excuse me for being blunt, but what’s your business with Willow?”

The ridges across his forehead deepen once more. “Sorry?” he spits out.

“Willow Asher. You just came from her house.”

“You followed me?”

“I was in the neighbourhood.”

His jaw clenches, yet he doesn’t respond.

“I thought my girlfriend was having a night at home alone, so when I drop by and find
you
leaving her place, surely you can understand my concern.”

“I’m not involved with her, if that’s what you’re insinuating. I’m married.”

“I wasn’t, man, but I’m sure you can appreciate that I might be confused as to why a cop is paying her a visit.”

He crosses his arms under his broad chest, flexing his biceps for good measure.
I could take you if I wanted to, dipshit.

“I can’t discuss the nature of my relationship with Ms Asher.”
How formal of him to call her that.

“Can’t, or won’t?”

“Both.” He narrows his hazel eyes at me. “Do you love her?”

What?
His words hit me right between the eyes.
Do I love Willow?

If I do, then this bloke isn’t gonna be the first to know. Willow gets this information firsthand, when I’m ready to acknowledge how deep my feelings run.
Right to the bone, it would seem.

“I guess something like that,” I admit.

“You should know not to get involved while you’re on the job. Hell, I can’t stop you, but you need to be careful.”

This just gets deeper. The pieces are coming together. This guy is on an organised crime taskforce. He’s trusted enough to be assisting in our operation, and he won’t talk. Whatever his involvement with Willow is, it’s some serious shit.

“Can you at least give me something? Is she gonna be alright?”

His shoulders sag, just a touch. “She will be.”

He walks to the driver’s side of the black sedan. I guess we’re done here.

Lee opens the door, and leans one arm on the doorframe. “You just need to ask yourself if you’re really being fair to her,” he says.

What the fuck would he know about being fair? I’ve done nothing but be fair to Willow. I screw my hands into fists at my sides. My nails dig into my palms.

“My personal life is none of your concern,” I say through clenched teeth.

“It’s not your personal life. It’s the job.”

A moment later he starts his car and screams off down the road, leaving me dumbfounded.

I hate to admit it, but for the most part, he’s right.

I get back into my car and slam the door shut. My head lands with a thud against the headrest. A second later my phone rings, echoing loudly in the confines of the vehicle.

“Yeah, Mick,” I grunt, answering the call.

“The plates belong to an unmarked police car. I’m assuming one of the locals.”

I resist the urge to scream ‘thanks dipshit’ into the phone.

“Yeah, I got that,” I bark, and disconnect the call.

I’m done talking for the day.
 

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

WILLOW

“Lolo!” Sienna screams, racing up to the counter. Gabs’ mother in law, Jane, is, as usual, hot on her tail. Thankfully it’s ten minutes from closing time, so there is no risk of Sienna bowling anyone over.

I lean my elbows onto the counter, although it probably looks more like I’ve slumped from exhaustion. A loud sigh leaves my lips as I reach to take her small hand, which is laden with plastic pink and purple rings.

“How’s my beautiful princess today?”

“Good. We went to the park,” she says.

I glance up. “Hi, Jane. Did you both have fun at the park?”

“We sure did¸’ Jane says and brushes the loose platinum strands from her face.

“Why don’t you go and surprise Mummy out back?” I challenge Sienna.

She rushes off, her rainbow bangles clattering with each step.
Won’t be much of a surprise.

“Can I get you something, Jane?” I widen my eyes in expectation. An ache shoots behind my eyes and I rub two fingers across my eyebrow to try and soothe it.

“No, no. We just popped in to say hello on our way home to make sure
Mummy
won’t be far behind us.”

“Well, it’s lovely to see you both. Gabs is just finishing up, so I promise she won’t be late.”

“Do you have any spares of today’s newspapers? I was going to sink my teeth into the crosswords on my day off tomorrow.”

“Sorry, we had a problem with the delivery this morning,” I lie with a shrug and a half-smile. I had cancelled the delivery the moment Hayden left last night. I couldn’t bear to see the headlines while trying to work today. Yes, it’s a victory, but just seeing his face again was sure to bring back awful memories. Today was hard enough as it was. I also didn’t know if there’d be mention of me, well, Witness A.

Jane cocks her head to the side and runs her finger over her chin. “What are you doing tonight, love?”

Passing out sounds pretty attractive.

“Um, ah, I haven’t thought about it. Nothing, I think, although I’ve got to order more stock, pay a few suppliers and call such-and-such … ah, what’s his name?” I can’t think straight. I really need to focus on my paperwork, and seeing’s Ryan is busy tonight, it’s the perfect opportunity.

She reaches her hand over the counter and places it over mine. “Willow,” she says, her voice low and soft. It has an instant calming effect. Her warmth and supportive presence always has a way of seeping into my consciousness.

“Yes?”

“You and Gabrielle are working too hard. You both need to take a breath. How about I take you through a meditation session tonight? I don’t have my usual class at the Senior Citizen’s club. We can get started once Sienna is asleep?”

“No wonder Gabs thinks you hung the moon. That’d be wonderful.”

“That’s settled then. Come by after work. I’ll cook dinner, and then you can de-stress.”

“Will you tuck me in, Lolo?” Sienna chirps from behind me, pulling a very weary Gabs by the arm.

“Of course. Why don’t you take Mummy home, and get some spunky jammies on. I just have to make a few phone calls and then I’ll be there with bells on.”

She scrunches up her face. “Bells? Why would you have bells on, Lolo?”

I laugh, and lean down to kiss her forehead.

“I’ll be there soon.”

I check the bathrooms and dining room, ensuring all our customers have left. Now alone, I lock the front door. I print out a tally of today’s takings, take the till from the register and head out the back. Once I’ve balanced the till and put money in the safe, I open my order book and prepare to place some orders with my local suppliers. I tug the band from my ponytail, shake my hair loose and snap my neck from side to side.

There’s just something I need to do first. I feel guilty for blowing Ryan off last night. I must admit, it was strange not seeing him today. I guess he’s been out on the water.

I dial his number.

“How’s my girl doin’?” he answers, after I’m certain the phone was about to ring out. The reception is choppy, wind whistling into the phone.

“I’m okay. Just doing a bit of paperwork and then I’ll finish up. Sorry, I was going to call you this morning, but things were pretty hectic here. How about you?”

“We’re just coming into the docks now, but we’ve got a bit of cleaning up to do. You still in the café?”

“Yeah,” I say on an exhale.

“Gabs there with you?”

“No. I’m here alone.”

I wait curiously for a response, the pause in conversation longer than I expect. Did the phone drop out?

“You okay? Do you need me to come over?” he finally says.
How sweet
.

“No, you’re busy. I’m fine—well, a bit more stressed than usual. Jane is going to run Gabs and I through a meditation session after dinner.”