Shattering the Trust

by Sofia Grey

  *

  Daisy sat in the kitchen, idly surfing the internet, when Kate took a call from her journalist friend.

  Kate finished on the phone and turned to Daisy. “Lily tells me a story about Charlie has broken in the UK papers. Have you got a news page open?”

  “Sure.” She pulled up the Daily Comet front page. And gasped. Beside her, Kate made a squeaking sound.

  Oh no. Not this. Anything but this.

  Who’s next on the (Event) Horizon for AJ?

  First he announces a foster son, and now it seems he has another brother! And none other than Charlie Jones, his long-time drinking and screwing buddy.

  The Daily Comet can exclusively reveal that AJ’s daddy (the late Trevor Hamilton) was a bit of a goer. His long-standing affair with Alice Jones resulted in her getting pregnant with Charlie. Her husband Rodney was fully aware of this indiscretion and apparently agreed to raise the child as his own.

  So maybe that’s where his sons get their skirt-chasing abilities from? Sam Hamilton, former bass player and drug addict, was widely known for his bedhopping activities, All-Night-Charlie bounces from one scandal to another, and—let’s face it—this is the quietest AJ’s ever been. It’s only a matter of time before he reverts to form. We feel sorry for Sexy Sizzle, but she knew what she was marrying into.

  “What are they saying this time?” Jordan sounded highly amused. Daisy didn’t hear him walking in behind them

  Daisy looked at him, Poppy clinging to his back like a tortoise shell. Her brain had short-circuited.

  Jordan grinned, bent down to let Poppy slither to the floor, and came to stand with his arms draped around Kate’s neck. “Is that it? Holy shit.”

  “It’s made up.” Kate sounded decisive. “It has to be.”

  Dear God, someone else knew about this. Poor Charlie, and poor Alex.

  Kate chattered on, but Daisy didn’t take much in. Kate had called Lucky and asked him to warn Sylvie before Alex saw this.

  What would Charlie do when he learned that his most private news had been splashed across the media? Daisy’s heart fragmented more. She longed to hold him, to protect him from this new pain. Even though he’d done his best to push her away.

  Her phone jangled. Without checking the caller ID, she swiped it to answer and murmured a greeting. For a moment there was silence on the other end.

  Then—“Daisy, it’s me. I need to know. Did you read my letter?”

  She froze.

  Kate and Jordan were scanning through the news pages, their focus on her laptop.

  She stood and moved away, just as Charlie yelled down the phone, “Did you read that fucking letter? Yes? Or No?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  She could almost feel the fury racing across the airwaves toward her. “You little bitch.”

  He yelled so loud, she had to hold the phone away from her ear.

  Jordan and Kate stared wide-eyed at Daisy.

  “I can’t believe you’d do this,” shouted Charlie. “You might want to hurt me, but what about AJ?”

  She no longer cared who heard her. She screamed down the phone, right back at him. “I didn’t tell anyone. It wasn’t me, you jerk.”

  The shocked silence behind her echoed the silence on the line.

  Did he hang up on her?

  “Fuck,” he whispered. And disconnected.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Aiden burst into the room, where Jack waited. “Got it,” he said, a satisfied smile on his face. “Scarab gave us an address in the Hutt Valley. Yanni must have had a backup vehicle waiting and driven straight over the hills.”

  Adrenaline surged. “Are we ready to go?”

  Aiden hesitated. “It might be best for you to stay here.”

  “Fuck that. Juli’s my girlfriend. If anyone’s going after her, it’s me.”

  “I wondered about that. I wanted to know if you planned to keep your cover story. If he sees you pulling Juli out, he might get suspicious.”

  “Too bad. So when are we going?”

  Jack joined the rest of the team in a rapidly convened planning session. Six vehicles. As many agents and police as could be summoned for a top priority raid. Yanni was identified as armed and potentially deadly. He’d holed up in the middle of a residential area. There would be civilians and all manner of passing traffic. It had to be handled with great care.

  After the fuckup at the airport, Jack hoped Casey wasn’t involved this time.

  It would take them half an hour to get there. They’d be arriving around six in the evening on the Saturday of a long public-holiday weekend. Not ideal. The alternative was to wait until nightfall, but they couldn’t wait.

  With every extra minute Juli was held, the risk grew that she wouldn’t come out alive.

  *

  Juli was preparing to leave the house with Yanni. As she fastened her seatbelt, he placed one hand over hers.

  “If I’m captured, you may need to lie low and then get to a safe place. If the police are involved, you can give yourself up. They’ll make sure you’re safe, and you can tell them you were kidnapped. But only the police. Got that?”

  She rubbed her eyes. They felt gritty with the start of a headache. “Who else might it be?”

  “The men who stormed the compound. You mustn’t let them take you, Juli.”

  She had no idea who could be trusted. Yanni was insane. Jack was lethal. Her best bet seemed to be to surrender to the police, if she got the opportunity.

  The rain started as Yanni backed out of the garage. Though it was only six in the evening, the light had begun to fade. It promised to be a stormy night.

  Nerves made her shiver, and she tugged the borrowed hoodie more tightly around her.

  Yanni drove a few yards and stopped. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath.

  Before Juli could ask, he swung the wheel around and booted the accelerator, the car fishtailing on the damp road.

  She grabbed the dashboard to brace herself. “What is it?” Her voice came out high and shrill.

  “We’ve got company.”

  *

  Jack’s team drove in a convoy, maintaining radio silence. He travelled with Aiden and Tanner in the third vehicle. The weather, grey earlier, had deteriorated further, but it might keep some of the innocent civilians indoors, as well as Yanni and Juli.

  The first two cars turned into a quiet avenue, to drive past the house and take up position. Tanner hung back.

  The radio crackled into life. “Tango on the move. Heading onto the highway. In pursuit.”

  Fuck. They only just got there in time. As they approached the junction, a black Mitsubishi lurched out onto the highway in front of them. Tanner had to brake hard, to avoid being rammed.

  He saw the driver—Yanni. With Juli looking terrified in the passenger seat.

  *

  Charlie wanted to throw up when he saw the news flashing across the internet. Please, no. Not that.

  He blinked and looked again. Nope, it was still there.

  The only people who knew were himself and Mum, the solicitor, and Daisy. It must have come from her.

  It was bad enough, learning of Mum’s deception. His world was rocked by that news. But this? His sweet Daisy turning his most private story over to the fucking gutter press?

  He’d trusted her.

  Dad—Rodney—was right. Women couldn’t be trusted. None of ’em.

  But when he rang Daisy, she said it wasn’t her.

  This only went to prove she was a better liar than he thought.

  One of the roadies bustled into his dressing room with the bottle of tequila he’d asked for.

  Charlie gazed blankly at him, and the roadie stared back, puzzled.

  “You okay, Charlie?”

  Was he? Would he ever be okay again? And Jesus Christ, how could he possibly face AJ?

  He grabbed the tequila and set off at a run. He had to get out of here.

  Shoving past a security guard, Charlie burs
t into the clammy air outside, his heart pounding and breathing ragged. Fuck, but it was humid this evening. It felt as though he’d run miles. This was eerily reminiscent of being back in Manchester, when Mum told him the truth. He tried to run then too. But where could he go?

  His phone rang. He checked the display. AJ. The absolute last person he wanted to talk to. It dropped to voicemail. Seconds later, it rang again. Sylvie. He ignored her as well.

  Christchurch was unfamiliar to him, apart from the way in and out of the stadium. What he needed was somewhere quiet, to sit and drink his tequila, while his life fell apart some more.

  *

  Daisy was shaken to her core. Her ears rang from Charlie’s yelling down the phone at her. Not only did everyone know his terrible secret, but he also thought she was responsible. It made her feel sick.

  Sylvie phoned. “Hey, Daisy. Charlie’s gone missing, and there’s this ludicrous story about him in the news. Do you think he knows?”

  It was a struggle to answer. “Yes, he does.”

  “It’s crazy. Some journo’s going to get their ass well and truly sued for this one. Do you have any idea where he might have gone?”

  “No,” Daisy whispered.

  “Alex heard Charlie was seen running out of the stadium. We’re worried, Daisy. If he calls you, will you please tell him to let us know he’s okay? We’ll all have a laugh about this stupid story later.”

  Kate and Jordan were staring at Daisy with a mixture of curiosity and concern. She was torn. Should she tell Sylvie the truth?

  No. It wasn’t her story to tell.

  Daisy might not have unleashed this horror, but she had an idea of the impact. She had to do something. “I could ring Charlie,” she said. “He might speak to me.”

  It wasn’t likely, but it was worth a try.

  She dialled his number, and listened as it rang out and connected to voicemail. Taking a deep breath, she tried again. And this time he picked up.

  She heard breathing down the line, and she clutched the phone tighter. “Charlie? Is that you?”

  The line was quiet for so long, she thought he’d hung up. She braced herself to redial, but then he spoke.

  “Yeah. What do you want, Daisy?”

  Fresh tears sprang to her eyes. She tried to control the tremor in her voice. “I didn’t do it. It wasn’t me. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

  “You read my letter.” His voice was flat and devoid of emotion.

  Had he gone on a bender already? “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have. I wish... I wish I could take it back. I can’t imagine how you must be feeling.”

  He said nothing.

  She waited, then spoke to fill the gaping silence. “I couldn’t do that. Even after everything, I still care for you.”

  He sighed. “I didn’t want to believe that of you. I didn’t think you were like that.”

  “I’m not.”

  “What can I do, Daisy? How can I face AJ now? He’s going to find out. I wanted to keep it a secret.”

  “It’s not your fault. You and Alex were both lied to.”

  Another long silence opened up.

  She swallowed hard. “Where are you, Charlie? Can I do anything to help?”

  “I’m sorry, Daisy. For everything.”

  He disconnected.

  *

  Yanni nearly collided with a car turning into the road, and now he tore up the highway, weaving in and out of the traffic.

  “We’re coming off in a minute,” he said. “Brace yourself.” He rounded a corner, cut across the inside lane of traffic, and dropped off the road, the car bouncing on the uneven surface. It looked like they were driving along a river footpath. The rain fell steadily. Mud and spray flashed over the windscreen, but Yanni drove hard, ignoring it.

  Juli twisted around in her seat. The black cars followed at a distance. She couldn’t tell if they were closing the gap.

  “Are they still there?” If he felt anxious, it wasn’t reflected in his voice.

  “Yes. Two... No, three cars. There might be more behind.”

  “It’s okay. We’re getting out soon,” said Yanni, his voice tight. “We’re going up that hill, ducking under cover, then going on foot. They won’t expect it.”

  She gazed outside. The rain fell steadily. The hill looked more like a mountain, with a narrow gravelled path spiralling upwards.

  “Get ready for a rapid exit.”

  Yanni’s car struggled to hold the narrow track he careered along. The tyres kept slipping on the muddy surface and losing traction on the hairpin bends.

  She daren’t look out of the window. The drop was terrifying. She clung to the seat with both hands. She’d never been so scared.

  One wrong move, and they were over the edge.

  A fleeting image of Jack appeared in her head. Jack, before she knew the truth about him. Her Jack. His eyes dark with desire, his body pleasuring her. She held onto the memory.

  The car swung to the right. Juli held back a shriek. Yanni nosed the vehicle into a section of undergrowth, and it jerked to a halt. He leaned behind the seat and retrieved the backpack, then released her seatbelt and sprang out of his door.

  “Come on.” He leapt out of the car.

  She scrambled out. The rain was freezing. It drenched her and stole her breath.

  Yanni tugged her behind him by the hand, then shoved the car hard. It lurched back on the track and gathered speed as it raced downhill backward, lights on and doors closed. The entire move had taken less than ten seconds.

  *

  Jack and the others were in pursuit, waiting for an opportunity to take Yanni down. The rescue strategy had to be quickly adapted.

  The crazy bastard was racing up the side of the hill, mindless of the conditions. The track grew steeper and narrower with every yard, and as they rounded a tight corner, Jack saw the sheer drop opening up on the left. Fuck. It was hundreds of feet down the side, to a densely wooded gully. The track was slippery as fuck, more like a skating rink.

  Tanner had to slow down, as did the cars ahead of them. Much as Jack wanted to urge him to drive faster, if they went over the edge, they were supremely fucked.

  Their radios squealed. Shouts sounded across the airways. “Incoming. Clear the way. Stay back.”

  What the fuck?

  Yanni’s car hurtled down the hill toward them. The lead car in their convoy swerved to the right, the second one squeezing beside it.

  Tanner reacted immediately. Years of defensive driving experience meant he knew what to do. He slammed the car into reverse and shot back down, yelling over the radio for the cars behind them to move out of the way. They only had to travel a few yards to a wider area, and he veered off the track with feet to spare, coming to a halt and cramming the car against the side of the hill.

  The Mitsubishi slid past them, its wheels slipping on the muddy gravel.

  Jack swung his head around, trying to see Yanni. He couldn’t believe even he would be so reckless.

  When the Mitsu jarred against a rock and spun sideways, Jack nearly died. He watched helplessly as it yawed and slipped to the edge, before diving nose first down the cliff face.

  Jack didn’t hesitate. He leapt out of the car and ran to the cliff edge. Tanner and Aiden were right there with him. Tanner grabbed his arm and stopped him before he could scramble down the cliff face after Juli.

  “Stop.” Tanner refused to let Jack go.

  “Juli... She was in there...” Jack’s knees buckled, and he slumped to the ground, heedless of the mud and the rain soaking him. “Oh Jesus, she was in there...”

  The world seemed to stop around him. The Mitsubishi bounced majestically once, twice, against the cliff face before smashing into the gully at the bottom.

  In the movies, falling cars burst into flames. This one didn’t. But this wasn’t a movie.

  It was real. The woman he loved had just fallen to her death.

  His despair was absolute. Tanner held his arm in a tight grip. Did he think
Jack intended to throw himself over the edge to follow her?

  The sight of her terrified face was imprinted on Jack’s retinas. He couldn’t shake it. Why the hell couldn’t they have arrived five minutes earlier, in time to prevent Yanni’s wild flight up the highway?

  Five minutes.

  If Scarab had given up the address earlier... If the raid on the compound had been scheduled sooner...

  Jack’s mind rewound to the last point where he knew she was safe. In bed with him.

  His vision blurred. He had to get a grip. They needed to retrieve the bodies. Jack would have to identify her.

  Voices yelled over the radio again, and Tanner snapped to attention. He released Jack, and then barked into his radio. Leaning down to Jack’s level, Tanner grinned. “The car was empty. It was a decoy.”

  Jack processed the words. “Empty? You’re sure?”

  “Yep. Car Four got a good look before it baled over the edge. They must be on foot.”

  *

  Yanni held Juli by his side, and led her up the hill.

  Cars screeched, and horns blared further down the track. Was he hoping to knock them off the road? She wanted to close her ears to the sounds. Those men were chasing Yanni, and maybe they did want to kill him, but they didn’t want to get pushed over the cliff edge.

  Yanni glanced at her. “It’s them or us, Juli.” His voice was grim.

  She blinked away her tears and tried to concentrate on staying upright.

  They scrambled up the muddy track, their feet squishing through the puddles, as Yanni lead her firmly by the hand. The rain hammered down. There was no place to shelter from it. Her hair was plastered to her face, and her arms were chilled through the hoodie.

  Yanni ignored everything. He focused on getting up the hill.

  “Where are we going?” Juli yelled, wanting to be heard over the sound of the rain and their wet slapping footsteps. “How far do we have to go?”

  “Not far.” He kept a tight hold of her hand.

  She skittered behind him. “How far is not far?”

  He glanced at her. He looked exasperated. “Not far. There’s a path along here, and it leads down to some houses.”