The Predator (11 page)

She laughed and Alex laughed with her, their nervousness easing. She didn’t know what she’d been so worked up about. Lily was as lovely and gracious as she’d always been. Alex should have known she’d be far too well mannered to pry into matters that were none of her business.

Sam tugged at her arm and Alex leaned down. “What is it, Sam?”

“Where are all the kids, Mom?”

Lily smiled down at him. “They’re outside, sweetheart. How about we go out the back and see if we can find them?”

She turned to Alex. “I’m afraid Cassie’s in bed with the flu. She’s really upset to be missing the party. She was beyond excited to hear that you were coming.”

“She must be so grown up now. I wondered if she’d even remember me,” Alex murmured.

“Of course she remembered you. She was nearly nine when you and Brandon separated and it hasn’t been
that
long.”

Alex’s smile was strained. “No, I guess not.”

“She’d love it if you went upstairs and said hello. I’m sure she’s past the infectious stage; she just wasn’t feeling up to getting out of bed and with the night air getting chillier, I thought it was probably best if she stayed there.”

“Of course,” Alex said. “It would be great to see her again.”

“Brandon’s her favorite uncle. She’d be thrilled to see the two of you back together again.”

Panic gripped Alex’s belly and she had to swallow against a throat that was suddenly dry. “We—we’re not getting back together, Lily. I’m not sure what Brandon told you, but we’re work colleagues, that’s all. When he asked me to come over, I thought it would be nice to see you all again, but please, don’t read any more into it than that.”

Lily eyed her solemnly. “I was so sad when it didn’t work out for the two of you, but that’s life, isn’t it? Some things just don’t go to plan, no matter how we wish it could be different.” She moved closer and clasped Alex’s arms, forcing Alex to look at her.

“It’s none of my business what happened between the two of you or what is going on with you now. I’m just so glad to see you and I really hope we can be friends again. I’ve missed you.”

That simple admission almost did Alex in. Tears pricked her eyes and her lip wobbled when she tried to smile.

“Thanks, Lily. I-I’d like that. I missed you, too.”

Lily put her arms around Alex and gave her a hug. “Let’s go outside and I’ll introduce you around. I’m sure Tom and Brandon are wondering what’s happened to you.”

With arms linked together, they stepped through the double French doors and onto a large, paved outdoor area. Sam trailed behind them.

Stylish outdoor furniture had been arranged to encourage conversation and Alex glimpsed an in-ground swimming pool behind some low green shrubbery.

The size of the backyard was just as generous as the house and Alex could see why Lily preferred it to a cramped unit in Bondi.

“Aunty Alex! Aunty Alex!”

A young boy of about ten came hurtling toward her, almost knocking her over in his enthusiasm.

“Hey, Joe. Wow, look at you. I can’t believe how tall you are!”

“It’s so cool to see you again, Aunty Alex.” Joe turned to Sam. “Who are you?”

“I’m Sam. Who are you?”

Joe stuck out his hand. “I’m Joe.” Sam looked at the outstretched hand for a few seconds and then shook it solemnly.

“Nice to meet you, Sam. Do you want to come and take a look at my bike? I got a new BMX for my birthday last month. It’s got pegs and everything. It’s really cool. You coming?”

Sam looked up at Alex, his eyes shining. “Can I, Mom? Can I?”

She laughed and bent down to give him a hug. “Of course you can, sweetheart.”

His answering smile lit up her heart. “Just be careful,” she called out to his retreating back.

“Don’t worry, Aunty Alex,” Joe called back to her. “I’ll look after him.”

“It looks like they’re friends already.” Lily smiled.

“Mm,”
Alex replied over the lump that had lodged itself in her throat.

“Oh, I just remembered I’ve left the garlic bread in the oven,” Lily exclaimed. “I’ll be back in a minute. Make yourself at home.”

She dashed back toward the house. Alex wandered into the garden and admired the pots of colorful daisies and geraniums that sprang from an artful display. A man with his back to her was talking on a cell phone. She began to move away, but he turned and offered her a smile, shaking his head in silent apology.

She acknowledged him with a nod and wandered off a short distance to admire a beautiful glazed urn that stood almost as tall as she, and was filled with sweet-smelling jasmine that cascaded down the side.

“I’m sorry; that was very rude of me. I’m at a party and I shouldn’t be on the phone.”

Alex turned and laughed, taking in the man’s short, graying hair and lithe athletic build. He was only about her height, but the cut and cost of his clothing and the glint of humor in his dark eyes gave him an air of confidence and authority that belied his medium stature.

He held out his hand and smiled again, showing a set of even, white teeth.

“I’m Jim, by the way.”

Alex returned his warm handshake. His brown eyes, glinting with curiosity, crinkled behind his wire-rimmed glasses.

“Alex. I’m a…friend of the family.”

A nicely shaped eyebrow arched. “You say that like you’re not quite sure.”

Alex blushed and looked at her feet. “No, no, I’m sure. I’m an old friend of Tom and Lily.”

“Funny, I haven’t seen you around here before.”

“Well, um…it’s been awhile.”

Although the curiosity in his eyes flared brighter, he didn’t push. She breathed a silent sigh of relief when he changed the subject.

“It’s been awhile for me, too. My work often takes me out of town. Every now and then, Lily sends me an invitation that happens to coincide with when I’m around.”

“How do you know Lily?”

“We’re related by marriage,” Jim answered with a smile. “My father married her mother when we were kids. I was nearly sixteen and I think she was about nine. I left home not long after, so we didn’t have much to do with each other, but Lily makes an effort at keeping in touch.” He shrugged and grinned ruefully. “She’s better at it than I am.”

Alex smiled back. “What do you do? You said you’re often out of town? Are you in sa—”

“There you are. I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show.”

The low drawl behind her sent a rush of butterflies through her stomach. Alex turned and found Brandon much too close for her equilibrium. She snatched a quick breath and did her best to still her racing heart.

“Brandon. Hi. Have you met Jim? He’s Lily’s—”

“Stepbrother. Yes, we’ve met.”

Alex frowned at Brandon’s brusqueness, but Jim seemed to take it in stride.

“I’d better go and mingle or Lily will have my head. She’s always saying I spend far too much time working. Nice to meet you, Alex.”

He wended his way through the garden in the direction of the crowd that had gathered around the barbeque. Alex followed his progress with her eyes, trying to delay the moment when she’d have to talk to Brandon.

“How did you get caught with that jerk?”

She looked at him, surprised by his rancor. “I’m not sure what you mean. He seemed perfectly civilized to me.”

“Humph.
Don’t fall for the smooth tongue. There’s something I don’t trust about him. Ask Tom.”

Alex shook her head. “Yes, well…thank you for warning me. I’ll keep that in mind next time I happen across a handsome stranger.”

Brandon frowned again, his expression dark. “Stay away from him, Alex. There’s something about that man I’ve never liked.”

“How long have you known him?”

“Long enough.” He made an impatient sound. “Forget about him. I’d rather talk about you.” He ran an appreciative gaze over her simple white blouse and denim jeans. She’d topped it with a black leather jacket. “You look great, by the way. Thank you for coming.”

Thank you for inviting me. Us. It’s lovely to see everyone again.”

“Where’s Sam? I hope he’s not too overwhelmed by all the attention. Joe’s been nagging me every five minutes, wondering when he was going to arrive.”

She smiled and turned to look in the direction her son had disappeared. “Sam’s probably loving every minute of it. He’s never had a cousin to play with.”

Brandon eyed her askance. “Not exactly cousins, but who’s quibbling?”

Heat stole up Alex’s neck. She bit her lip. “Y-you know what I mean,” she stammered.

“Do I?”

The question hung between them. Panicked by her slip, she fished around for a suitable reply, but could think of nothing.

“Here you are, Alex. It’s good to see you again.”

Her legs nearly collapsed with relief when she caught sight of Tom. She turned to greet him with a smile firmly in place. “Hello, Tom. It’s lovely to see you, too. You have a beautiful home. Thank you for inviting me.”

“Oh, that was all Lily’s idea. Once she heard you and Brandon were working together, she insisted on having you over.”

Alex ducked her head in embarrassment. Brandon frowned at Tom.

“We’ve all missed you, Alex,” Brandon said. “Cassie and Joe were beyond excited when I told them you were coming and Lily’s been cooking up a storm since yesterday. It’s great that you could come.” He shot another look toward his brother. “Right, Tom?”

Tom sent her a tight smile. “Of course. Can I get you something to drink?”

“A glass of red would be lovely, thank you,” she replied, relieved when Tom moved off in the direction of the house.

“Don’t mind him,” Brandon said. “He’s just doing the protective big brother thing. I was a bit of a mess after we separated.”

Anger pumped through her. “What do you mean,
you
were a bit of a mess?
You
were the one who made the decision to end it.”

Brandon glanced around them and then drew her closer toward the shrubbery. “Okay, okay. I know
.
” He bit his lip and then met her gaze again. “I only told Tom the truth about what happened about a month ago.”

Surprise shot through her. “Do you mean to tell me all these years they didn’t know it was
you
who left our marriage?”

Brandon shifted his weight and averted his eyes, a flush staining his cheeks.

Alex frowned in disbelief. “Don’t tell me they think
I
was the one who walked out? That it was
me
who gave up on our marriage?”

The look on his face and his continued silence confirmed it. Her anger burned hotter. “You let
me
take the blame for it? How could you?” She shook her head in disgust. “No wonder Tom’s less than friendly. For the last four years he’s probably hated me.”

“Alex, no. It wasn’t like that. I didn’t tell Tom about Jakarta. I didn’t tell him about any of it. We were having problems in our marriage long before that happened and the fact was, we were over. What good would it have done to drag up all our dirty laundry with the family?”

She scoffed. “It certainly worked out well for you. You didn’t have to admit to the people who cared most about you that you’d given up on your marriage without a word of explanation. That you weren’t as perfect as they thought. Your family have always looked at you as some sort of super hero. Good looking, great body, slayer of dragons, righter of wrongs. They have no idea it’s an illusion—that you’re fallible, like the rest of us.”

Pain darkened the blue of his eyes. He stared at her beseechingly. “No, Alex. Please. That’s not the way it was. It wasn’t any of their business. They were upset because I was hurting, but they’re smarter than you give them credit for. They knew there were two sides to the story, but they respected and loved me enough not to pry.”

“
You
were hurting!” she shouted. “You were the one who’d ended it!”

“You’re right. I came home on leave and quit our marriage. I did it because I didn’t think I had a choice. It was either my career or my marriage—I could no longer do both.” He heaved a heavy sigh. “I still had three months to run on my term. I couldn’t abandon my men or throw away the months of hard, dangerous work collecting intelligence, infiltrating terrorist cells, gaining the trust of people who thought nothing of committing suicide for their cause.”

He dragged a hand through his hair. “When I left our apartment that night, I ended up at Tom and Lily’s. Despite what you might think, I was a mess. They could see I was in no condition to be interrogated and I made it quite clear that I wouldn’t tolerate their interference, no matter how well meaning. This was between me and you and I wasn’t going to sully the memory of us—the memory of our marriage—with sordid stories of who was to blame.”

He looked so genuinely distraught, Alex softened. Yes, he’d walked out on her, but this was the closest he’d come to providing an explanation and what he’d said was true: The cracks in their marriage had already started to appear long before he arrived home from Jakarta and she was just as responsible for those as he was. She was the one who’d assumed they’d have children somewhere down the track.

It was true that when they’d first married, babies were the farthest thing from her mind. She’d been happy to pursue her career in the AFP and carve out a name for herself. She’d put her hand up for every dangerous assignment that came her way and had thrived on the thrill of it. She’d been young and strong and bulletproof. Brandon had supported her every step of the way.

But then things had changed. She’d crept toward thirty and suddenly her exciting career hadn’t seemed quite so satisfying. She began to find fault in the people and places around her and Brandon had borne the brunt of her discontent. His emotions had ranged from surprise and bewilderment to plain old anger when she’d raised the subject of having children and couldn’t let it go. For over a year and a half, they’d argued about it. Then Brandon had been posted to Jakarta.

It was a twelve-month posting and they’d both breathed a little sigh of relief when he’d come home with the news. It was normal for spouses to accompany the agent to the posting, but Alex had been involved in her own investigation and they’d both agreed it was better if she stayed home.