The Predator (16 page)

A spurt of hope rushed through him. What if her declaration she was involved with someone else had been merely a smokescreen? A blockade to buy herself time to adjust to the sudden change in their relationship? Was it possible she felt more for him than she’d admitted? Could he be that lucky?

Slowing his steps, Brandon jogged around a young couple and their dog. He was on the downhill run. Along the pavement, past the cafes and shops fronting the beach and up the final hill to his apartment and he’d be done. His legs were tired and his T-shirt was soaked, but he felt good. He felt strong and alive and ready for whatever might be thrown at him. He savored the moment.

And then he saw her.

He stopped short and doubled over, feeling as though he’d just taken a fist to his gut. People behind him stepped around him, muttering their annoyance. He stumbled and tried to get out of the way, dragging in desperate breaths.

She sat with her back to him, but he’d have known her anywhere. The man sitting opposite her laughed at something she said, displaying a set of even white teeth that could have come straight out of a Colgate advertisement. There were plates half-filled with breakfast food on the table between them and coffee mugs off to one side. An air of calm intimacy surrounded them.

Alex nodded and responded to something the man said and the million-dollar grin flashed again.

Brandon’s gut clenched. Christ, he was such an idiot. She hadn’t been lying. She
was
seeing someone—a good-looking, successful someone, from the look of him. Designer sunglasses hid the man’s eyes and impressive shoulders filled out a five-hundred-dollar jacket.

A shaft of jealousy speared through him and he had to look away. It was one thing to know she’d been with another man since he’d left. It was quite another to be confronted with the proof smack bang in the middle of Bondi.

Did she still live around here? Was that why she was breakfasting on his turf? Or maybe her boyfriend did?

His mind rebelled against the word.
Boyfriend
. It jeered him, reminding him of all he’d lost. A surge of helpless anger nearly bent him over. She was still his wife, dammit. She had no right parading around with a boyfriend.

The anger dissolved as quickly as it had ignited and the tension left his frame. He was deceiving himself. She wasn’t his wife really. In name, maybe, but that was all. And everyone knew that amounted to zilch. What was in a piece of paper, anyway?

Veering off the pavement, Brandon jogged across the crowded car park and made his way back to his apartment via a circuitous route. He climbed the final hill toward home. His heart still beat a furious tattoo against his chest, despite the fact he’d slowed his pace.

How could he have been such a fool? He’d almost convinced himself Alex had been lying about her boyfriend, but it was obvious she’d been telling the truth.

She
did
have a boyfriend. And one she was very chummy with if sharing breakfast was any indication. It was closer to lunchtime than breakfast, but maybe they’d had a late night, slept in and finally went in search of food.

Images of her lying naked and sprawled across the toned limbs of her mystery man sent a shudder of pain through his heart. God, what he’d give to turn back the hands of time, to choose differently, to be the man she deserved, the man she’d loved.

He came to a halt outside the entrance to his apartment block and dragged in some huge breaths. His eyes burned with pent-up emotion and his body had begun to shake.

Fitting the key inside the lock on the gate, he jogged up the final few steps and opened the door to his unit. Closing it behind him, he strode across the carpeted living room and collapsed onto the couch.

The leather was cold on his damp skin and he shivered at the impact. Leaning forward with his head in his hands, he gritted his teeth against the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. For so long, he’d held it back, pushed it to the far recesses of his mind. Apart from the few times he’d released the tension by getting good and drunk with Tom or his other brother, Declan, he’d resisted the urge to wallow in his self-pity or waste time reliving his lifetime of regrets.

But he’d never given up hope that one day they would reconcile. That he’d tell her the reason he left. That she would forgive him. That she’d remember what they’d meant to each other and how much they’d loved each other. How they’d promised themselves to each other. ’Till death.

In the first few years after their separation, he hadn’t kept tabs on her. It had been too painful to even think about her, let alone know anything about her life without him.

But, gradually, the pain had faded and in its place hope had taken root. He’d brought an end to his career as a covert agent taking on high-risk operations and had applied for a transfer. He’d tracked down Alex and had yearned for the day when he would see her again. His first day in the CPU had been filled with equal parts excitement and fear. He hadn’t been surprised to find her in a role that had some involvement with children. In the months before their marriage ended, having a child had been all she’d talked about. And argued about.

He shook his head with regret. His reasons for not wanting a child hardly seemed to matter now. If he could have his time over, he’d agree to a hundred kids. However many she wanted. Anything to keep the smile on her face. Her much-loved face. A face he’d adored.

And one he now had to yearn for from afar. Well, from at least the distance of a few desk spaces, but it might as well be another continent away. The thought of working with her, seeing her nearly every day, suddenly became claustrophobic. Panic tightened his chest. How could he bear to see her, be near her and know that she belonged to someone else?

He was trapped in a nightmare of his own making. He should never have tracked her down, requested a transfer. What the hell had he been thinking? That she’d be glad to see him? That she’d welcome him back with open arms, sweeping away the last four years like they’d never happened?

The idea was so fanciful he couldn’t believe he’d imagined it. And yet, he
had
imagined it. He might not have acknowledged the thought or given it voice, but there was no denying the secret hope he’d nurtured way down deep inside him that she’d react in just that way.

Brandon groaned and scrubbed at his face. It was too late. Even if he offered her the explanation for his actions when he’d announced they were over, it probably wouldn’t make a difference. He had to let it go. He had to let
her
go. It was way past time. He’d been in denial. But his hopes and dreams of any future with Alex had been smashed the minute he’d seen her with a man that made her smile.

* * *

Alex cast a surreptitious glance at her watch and tried not to groan. She was being a bitch. Phillip sat across from her finishing his coffee and all she could think about was how much longer she’d have to continue making polite conversation with a complete stranger.

It wasn’t as if he was ugly, or even unpleasant company. He looked better than his photo and she’d yet to uncover any nasty habits. Hundreds of girls would give their right arm to be sitting where she was, and given the number of admiring glances from the scores of female backpackers in tight denims and cute jackets that had sauntered past their table, there’d be someone only too happy to take her place if she happened to stand and leave.

But that would be rude and if there was anything her parents had drummed into her from the moment she could talk it was good old-fashioned manners.

Forcing a smile, she tried again to concentrate on what he was saying. They’d enjoyed a perfectly nice brunch with bacon and eggs and hot coffee and croissants and had managed to keep the conversation flowing at an even rate with only the occasional uncomfortable silence.

The problem was, there was no connection. No spark. That indefinable
something
was missing. No matter how hard she tried to find it. And she
was
trying.

He was smart and funny and knew how to dress. He was a little older than her—probably in his early forties, just as he’d stated in his profile. The fact he hadn’t lied about his age—or his looks—was another plus. He was honest. She, of all people, knew that was a rare commodity.

Thoughts of Brandon immediately filled her mind and she grimaced at the intrusion. She was on a
date
, for goodness sake. How dare her husband intrude? The whole purpose of the exercise was to move on with her life—without him.

Phillip fell silent and looked across at her expectantly. She froze, clueless about what he’d just said. She nodded and smiled and prayed it was enough.

With renewed determination, she forced thoughts of Brandon to the back of her mind. She owed it to Phillip—no, she owed it to
herself—
to give this a chance. It was a first date, after all. No one expected fireworks on a first date. It took time to get to know someone. That’s all she needed to do—give it time.

She reached over and touched his hand. His eyebrows flew up in surprise.

“I just wanted to say thank you for breakfast,” she said. “It’s been lovely.”

He smiled back at her a little warily. “Why do I hear a “but” coming?”

Alex shook her head. “No, there’s no “but.” It’s just that I have to collect my son. He has a soccer game this afternoon. But,” she smiled, “if it’s all right with you, I’d like to see you again.”

The words fell out of her mouth before she could stop them. She held her breath and waited for his reply, her gaze fixed on the table. If he turned her down, so be it. She’d tried. She really had. If he said yes—God, she didn’t know what she’d do if he said yes.

“You have a son?”

Her breath eased out. She looked up. “Yes, I do. Sam.”

“How old is he?”

She paused and then decided on the truth. “Um, he’s three and a half. Nearly four, I guess.”

“Wow, and he’s already playing soccer? That’s what I call commitment. Or is it something he does with his dad?”

Phillip’s voice held open curiosity and Alex couldn’t blame him. Of course he’d assume there was a Dad in the picture somewhere. She could understand him wanting to know more.

“No, it’s not really a soccer game. We get together with a few of the other parents and their kids in the neighborhood and play in the park. It’s kind of a long-standing Saturday afternoon ritual and one that I haven’t been able to join in for awhile. I’ve worked a lot of Saturdays recently.”

“I guess you do a lot of shift work in the police force?”

“Yes, yes I do. This is one of those rare occasions,” she replied hurriedly. She didn’t have the time or the inclination to get into a discussion on the intricacies of her job. It was definitely not first-date material.

“Well, then, I do feel special.”

She tried not to grimace at the warmth in his tone. Things were moving out of her control. It was time to call it quits.

Gathering her handbag from the empty chair beside her, she made to leave. Phillip stood and held out his hand.

“I’m sorry you have to rush off. It was really lovely to meet you, Alex. I hope we can see each other again.”

Alex shook his hand and forced another smile. “It was nice to meet you, too. I’ll check the roster and see when I’m off. I’ll send you an email.”

His answering smile should have weakened her knees, but left her sadly unaffected. “I’ll count the days,” he murmured.

* * *

James Gibbons adjusted the lens of his camera until the girl on the bed was perfectly framed. She was still half-drugged on the concoction of sleeping tablets and speed he’d given her on the way to his apartment.

He’d been heading over to see Lady G play netball when he’d spied little Veronica on the swings in the park not far from where he lived. He’d seen her before, of course. He’d seen many of them before, swinging and playing and running around. There were usually at least a couple of parents around and he’d never had the opportunity to do much more than smile hello or wave as he walked through the park.

Once, he’d managed to drop his glasses not far away from where Veronica had sat on the grass threading daisies and he’d used the excuse to ask her name. He’d told her about his new puppy.

That had been nearly a month ago and he hadn’t had another opportunity to get close. It didn’t do to spend too much time at the park. Mothers tended to get suspicious and fathers got downright aggressive. He’d been on the receiving end of more than one father who’d taken offence to him talking to their young daughters.

Veronica stirred on the bed and he frowned. The drugs were wearing off quicker than he expected. He’d have to work faster. He couldn’t risk her waking before he was through. That was only asking for trouble.

He’d already taken numerous shots of her asleep. Her fat, childish plaits were spread over his pillow, their blondness contrasting vividly with the black satin cover. Lying naked and spread-eagled across his sheets, her pale, youthful skin shone with an iridescence that had made him instantly hard. The pictures would be exquisite.

She was a little younger than the girls he usually went for, but that didn’t detract from her beauty and he knew there would be plenty of men willing to pay a good price for her image.

Working faster now, he arranged her thin limbs this way and that to capture the light and to show the artful beauty to its best advantage. Returning to his camera, he pressed the button to start the video.

His cock throbbed. Oh, God, he couldn’t wait. He was disappointed he hadn’t made contact with Lady G, but Veronica, dear, sweet little Veronica more than made up for it. Besides, fate had intervened. Veronica had literally fallen into his lap.

He’d spied her alone in the park and had stopped his car. He’d been walking across to talk to her when he’d seen her falling from the monkey bars. He’d dashed across and broken her fall, the two of them landing in the dirt below.

He’d told her he’d take her home. She’d asked about the puppy.

Veronica stirred again and his cock twitched. Sliding down the zipper of his jeans, he pulled out his engorged shaft and approached the bed.