Shattering the Trust

by Sofia Grey

  Charlie was so cold, he could barely think straight, but at least his feet were on solid ground again. Cal howled, where Lucky had fastened him into the back of the Merc, with AJ and Joni sprawled next to him. Joni appeared to be unconscious.

  “Come on. We need to move.” Lucky dragged Charlie’s frozen body and shoved him into the front seat. The heater vents blasted at full strength, but Charlie couldn’t feel it.

  “Other guy,” said AJ.

  Lucky glanced at him in the rear-view mirror. “What guy? Tanner’s gone back to the helo.”

  “Guy in the water. He spoke to me.”

  “Yeah, that was Tanner.”

  “No.” AJ coughed. “He was in the water with us, before Tanner came down. He pulled my head out of the water.” He paused a moment and drew a shaky breath. “That’s when I saw Charlie face down. We need to go back for him.”

  Lucky glanced at him again. “There wasn’t anybody with you, Alex. I could see the whole thing from the bank. The floodlights showed you clearly. There was only you and Charlie in the water.”

  AJ’s teeth were chattering, making it hard to understand him. “He called me Rock God,” he mumbled. “Wasn’t a dream.”

  What else could it be? Whatever the reason, Charlie was glad AJ woke up when he did.

  A short drive later, Lucky bumped the Merc along an uneven stretch of ground. They headed across a field, toward a helicopter, probably the one that pulled them out of the water.

  Charlie was so wet and cold, he didn’t think he had the energy to move again. Thankfully, he didn’t have to. A stranger half-carried, half-dragged him, still dripping stinking river water, and pushed him onto a bench seat, AJ slumped next to him.

  Seconds later they were in the air.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  It felt crowded inside the helicopter, and Juli helped make space for the new arrivals. Alex and Charlie were soaking wet and covered in mud. There was an unconscious woman, the bright-eyed toddler, and Jean-Luc. She gave him a hug.

  She didn’t pay attention to Tanner’s issuing orders to the others. The guys started stripping off their clothes, and she stared open mouthed.

  Jack laughed at her astonished expression and explained, as he carefully tugged off his ripped jeans. “Alex and Charlie are suffering from hypothermia, and we need to raise their body heat. The easiest way is with other warm bodies. Can you help get them out of their wet clothes? This is no time for embarrassment. It’s standard operating practice for us.”

  “Umm... Okay.” She turned to Charlie, the nearest to her, and tackled his sodden T-shirt. He moaned when she tugged it over his head, and his eyes flickered open. He muttered something, but she didn’t catch it.

  Next were his jeans, cold, muddy, and heavy with water. Her fingers slipped on the button fastening, and she cursed under her breath.

  Charlie coughed. “Not tonight, sweetheart,” he whispered. “I have a girlfriend.”

  Smiling, she yanked the denim past his knees, dragged off his filthy boots and socks, and then pulled away his jeans, to drop them on the floor. By this time, Jack had stripped Alex, and the co-pilot had produced blankets. She watched as they all huddled on the floor, wrapped around each other and cracking increasingly coarse jokes as they did so.

  Sitting back on her heels, she grinned down at them. “Oh for a camera... So this is how the Marines behave when they meet a couple of rock stars.”

  “There’s room for you as well, darlin’,” Darcy drawled with an exaggerated leer.

  Juli reached for Callum and pulled him onto her lap, holding him close and shushing his cries. As long as he could see Alex, he seemed to be okay. The woman wasn’t so wet, and she lay across one of the bench seats cocooned inside another blanket.

  What on earth happened to them tonight? They were supposed to be on a flight with Jordan.

  Everyone was safe. Nothing else mattered.

  *

  From one hospital to another. It all became chaotic when they disembarked at Palmerston North. Trolleys and wheelchairs waited, and one by one the injured people were whisked away.

  They wanted to examine Jack too, but he declined. With Juli in his arms, he didn’t need any other attention.

  Lucky carried Callum as they loaded Alex and Charlie—both of whom now looking a little more human—onto trolleys.

  Several phones started ringing at once. They must have come into contact with a cell-phone tower.

  Lucky picked up a voicemail, then dialled a number and held a brief conversation.

  “That was Jordan,” he said when he hung up. “They diverted to Auckland. It’s fine up there, and now they’re going to fly down to join us. They have a small airport here too.” He glanced at Jack’s leg. “You should get them to check your stitches. I can wait with Juli.”

  Having finally found her, Jack had no intention of letting her out of his sight. “I’m good. Thanks. You go with Alex. We’ll wait here for the others to arrive.”

  The reception was small, but the seating area was clean and tidy, and the coffee was strong. He sank into his seat, Juli beside him. She swivelled around to put her feet up and lean back against his chest. He’d pieced together most of tonight’s events. How Callum was kidnapped by Joni. The mad dash to Plimmerton from the airport, and how Alex and Charlie ended up in the river. The earthquake machine, and what might have happened if the oscillator had functioned as expected.

  The initial quake was measured at 4.1 in Wellington, followed by a 5.1, and a 5.8, then a series of weaker aftershocks. The last tremor was timed at half-past midnight. Either the oscillator had run out of power, or Yanni had configured it to stop at a certain point. Either way, the danger was over, and with little reported damage.

  It was quiet and peaceful in the deserted reception area, and Callum slept in an armchair, snuggled into a blanket. Jack made the most of it. The others would be arriving any time now, and it would soon get crazy again.

  Lucky had news. Charlie had a fractured sternum and collarbone, and Alex a mild concussion, but the hypothermia was prevented, and they should both make a full recovery. Darcy had indeed dislocated his shoulder and that was being reset. Aiden had fractured his kneecap—ouch. Joni, the stalker-turned-kidnapper, was also suffering concussion, and a few knocks and bangs, but nothing serious. Casey came off the worst. Four broken ribs, a punctured lung, ruptured spleen, and broken arm. He’d be out of action for some time, but alive and with a chance of good recovery, thanks in part to Aiden’s initial triage and Tanner’s medic skills.

  When Juli spoke, her voice was soft and uncertain. “I feel so guilty about everything. If I’d tried to get away from Yanni, I might have prevented all this from happening.” She turned around and pressed her face into Jack’s chest.

  “I can’t believe I shot you, Jack,” she said. “Can you ever forgive me? I was so caught up in what Yanni had been telling me, I didn’t know what to believe.”

  He tightened his arm around her and pressed little kisses on her temple, but before he could reply, Lucky jumped in.

  “Actually, Juli, it might be a good thing that you shot O’Donnell.”

  They both stared at him. “What the fuck do you mean?” Jack expected him to crack a joke, but Lucky looked serious.

  “You shot O’Donnell, which meant he had to be rushed to hospital, which is why you went to him. It was you who called Alex, asking for him to be airlifted away. Right?”

  She nodded.

  “If you hadn’t needed a helo, you couldn’t have rescued Tanner’s group, and Casey might have died in the Botanic Gardens.” Lucky paused and offered a smile. “And without the helo, there was no way to rescue Alex and Charlie. My rope was too short. I couldn’t get to them. They’d both be dead by now.”

  Jack absorbed his words.

  Juli pushed herself upright and kissed Jack hard on the lips before facing Lucky again. “Everything happens for a reason,” she said. “I’ve always believed that. Even if you can’t always see what th
e reason is.” She hugged Lucky and kissed his cheek. “Merci à mon très cher ami.”

  Jack’s French was weak. He understood merci to mean thank you, but that was about all. Juli moved back into his arms and smiled, before stealing another kiss.

  “Before you get jealous,” she said, “I just thanked Jean-Luc for being such a dear and special friend. I have something else to say to you.” She eased closer, kissed him again, and then whispered. “Je t’aime.”

  Aha. He knew what that meant. She loved him.

  The sound of doors banging and feet clattering interrupted their little moment, and he looked up to see Sylvie, Daisy, Jordan, and Kate pouring into the reception area. He was right. It all went crazy again.

  *

  While Sylvie was swept away to see Alex, Daisy stood her ground with the nurse on Reception. “Charlie Jones is my boyfriend, and I’d like to see him, please.” She expected a refusal, but instead she received a smile.

  “You must be Daisy? He’s not stopped talking about you. Come with me.”

  She followed the nurse down a corridor and into a cubicle. Charlie lay on a bed, swathed in blankets, his eyes closed. His hair was damp and stuck to his head, and his face was paler than she’d ever seen it before. A drip snaked under the covers.

  “He won’t be in here much longer. We’re moving him to a private room soon.” The nurse was brisk. She leaned over Charlie. “Mr Jones? Your girlfriend is here.”

  His eyelids flickered, and then lifted, his gaze unfocused until it locked onto Daisy.

  “Babe,” he said, a crooked smile breaking over his face. He squinted at the nurse. “She’s my girl,” he said to her, his words slurring. “My girlfriend.”

  Daisy’s heart just about melted. She claimed the seat by his side, and tried to wipe her eyes without him noticing, but he saw her.

  “Babe,” he croaked. “Please don’t. I didn’t do it. Honest. I didn’t.” There was movement under the blankets, and then his right hand emerged, and groped in Daisy’s direction.

  She tangled their fingers together, and held tight. “Are you doped up?”

  “Meh. Little bit. I didn’t do it, though.”

  “Didn’t do what? Callum’s safe. You rescued him.”

  “The chicks.”

  His gaze implored her to understand, but she had nothing. “Chicks?”

  “At the stadium. I didn’t do anything. I changed my mind, because I wanted you. Not them. And I was an ass. A giant ass, and I never got chance to tell you.”

  Christ. She’d managed to forget that humiliating incident. Her cheeks burned and she caught the nurse’s amused glance.

  “I’ll give you a few minutes,” said the nurse, and exited the cubicle.

  “I’m sorry, Daisy. So sorry.” Charlie was still riding the apology train, his face stricken.

  She replayed his words in her head. Maybe they needed to talk about this after all, and then she could consign it to the Never-To-Be-Opened box in her memories. He didn’t do anything with the Barbie clones? “You changed your mind about them? The girls at the stadium?”

  He nodded.

  Okay. This was going to kill her, but better that she knew now. “Why? Why did you change your mind?”

  “Because of you.” He made it sound obvious. “Because that’s not me anymore. Because I want you more than all the blondes in the world.” He tugged her closer. “I was scared,” he whispered. “Scared shitless. I’ve never wanted anyone like I want you.”

  Why didn’t he tell her at the time? “Charlie.” She stopped, unsure what to say. Unsure how to speak without crying.

  “I’m an ass,” he said. “But I’m your ass. Do you still want me?”

  “Yes,” she said, through her tears. “Of course I do.”

  “S’okay, then.” His lop-sided smile was the most beautiful thing in the world.

  *

  It was daylight by the time Juli finally left the hospital with Jack and escaped to a nearby hotel. They were both exhausted, and the prospect of a two-hour drive to Plimmerton was more than either could cope with. Juli needed sleep. And some private time with Jack. She wanted to stay in bed for at least a week, preferably in the arms of this brave, wonderful man.

  The phone Aiden gave her jangled as she undressed. Could she ignore it? Jack was naked and waiting in bed for her. The heat in his gaze was unmistakeable.

  She glanced at the display. It was Tanner. She couldn’t leave it. “Hello?”

  “Sorry to interrupt, but this is something you need to know.” He hesitated, and she felt a stirring of alarm. After the horrors of the past few days, what else could be wrong now? “I’m not sure if you know, but when the plane you were on went missing, your family was notified of your death. In all the confusion about the kidnapping, and then when you went missing with Yanni, nobody’s told them you’re actually okay.” His voice softened. “I thought maybe you’d like to do so yourself.”

  She groped for her voice. “Yes, I would. Thank you, Tanner. I’ll call them now.” Her knees were weak, and she sat on the edge of the bed. Holy shit. How could she have forgotten her mum and dad?

  Juli knew her parents’ home number by heart, and she dialled as quickly as she could. She forgot to add the UK prefix at first, swore softly and redialled. She glanced at Jack. “My parents think I’m dead. I need to tell them. I’m sorry. I won’t be long.”

  Christ. Philip would have been told as well.

  He had been. And he was there with her parents when she called. Philip answered the phone for them.

  She swallowed hard at the sound of his voice, looked back at Jack—darling Jack—waiting patiently for her, and climbed slowly off the bed. She needed privacy for this.

  *

  Juli emerged from the bathroom, phone clutched in her hand, and tears drying on her face.

  That must have been some conversation. Jack smiled and reached up to pull her into his arms. “I bet you just made them very happy,” he said.

  “You could say that.” Her tone was off, and she freed herself from his embrace, before walking to the window. “They’d booked flights over here—you know—to see where it all happened. They’ll be here the day after tomorrow. I just caught them in time.”

  He was missing something. “They’re still coming?”

  “Yes.” She stared out of the window. Why wasn’t she looking at him? “And not just Mum and Dad. Philip’s coming with them.”

  “Philip?”

  She swallowed, wiped her eyes, and turned to look at him. “Philip is my fiancé.”

  Her fiancé.

  Fuck.

  Jack found his voice. “I’m not sure what the appropriate response is in this situation. Congratulations?” He hated the cruel tone he adopted. Hated even more the look of pain on her beautiful face.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. With her standing by the window, the physical gap between them was only a few feet. It felt more like miles.

  This was so unfair. Jack couldn’t even beat a hasty and dignified retreat. He lay naked, while she was dressed. And even though she planned to marry someone else, he still wanted her. Badly.

  His mind spun. Bounced back and forth over everything he knew about her. Her vague admission of a boyfriend-that-wasn’t-a-boyfriend, her indecision when choosing which flavour ice cream, the little noises she made just before she came, her courage when she was kidnapped, the softness of her hair lying across his pillow...

  And the supreme irony of it. He’d finally found the woman he wanted to marry, and hoo ya, she was about to marry someone else.

  Shock and hurt were rapidly being pushed out of the way by anger—a searing, pulsing red wave of fury. He had to get out of here.

  Pulling together the shards of his dignity, he tugged on the ripped and bloodied jeans, shoved his feet into boots, and hauled the grubby T-shirt over his head. He wanted to kiss her senseless. He wanted to bury himself in her, hold her while she sobbed his name as she came, and bind her to him forever.
>
  Not this.

  “Jack,” she said, a note of pleading in her voice, but he ignored her.

  He slammed the door on his way out. Petty—he probably woke everyone else asleep on that floor—but necessary.

  Any thoughts of sleep were gone. He limped down the hallway. Where should he go? He’d been so focused on finding and rescuing Juli. What else was left to be done?

  Only one thing came to mind.

  Finding Yanni and making him pay.

  TUESDAY 23 JANUARY

  Chapter Forty

  Charlie wasn’t looking forward to the conversation looming with AJ. They had to talk about Trevor and Rodney at some point. The story ran constantly in the media, with new details and speculation every day. How much longer until the press were sick of it and moved onto some other scandal? Not soon enough.

  Charlie figured out it was the taxi driver who leaked the story. Especially when he learned the guy peppered his mum with a dozen more questions, and she was too stressed and upset to think about being careful.

  There were many things Charlie had to apologise to Daisy for, and he intended to spend the rest of the tour making it up to her. She was too good for him, and that would never change, but he’d enjoy things while they lasted. And who knew? Maybe he was capable of long term after all?

  The house in Plimmerton had been checked over and declared to be fine. There was some minor damage, with things falling off shelves, but the cleaning staff tidied everything, and it was hard to believe there’d ever been an earthquake.

  Charlie sprawled in a reclining chair on the sunny deck, a beer at his side. With his chest and shoulder strapped up, his movements were restricted, but it just meant he had to be creative in bed with Daisy. Everything else worked fine.

  There were two weeks until the next concert, and that was plenty of time to rest up. Life was pretty good at the moment, and he was thankful for every day.

  “Hey.” AJ dropped into the recliner next to him. “Got a minute?”

  “Going nowhere, mate. s’Sup?”

  AJ took a swig of his own beer. “It’s going to be busy later, with the barbecue Jordan’s planned, so I wanted to catch you while it was quiet.” He paused and examined the label on the bottle in his hand. “I haven’t come to terms with what Dad did. I don’t know if I ever will.”