SHELTER

by Boston, Claire

  She’d be quick, ask him about the winery and what time the workers left Henk’s place and then leave. A few older men sat by the bar, chatting and then another group of men walked in, Henk in the lead. She slid further into the booth, not wanting him to see her.

  He sat at a long table not far from her, but didn’t look in her direction. They spoke about today’s game and Henk sounded unhappy they’d lost.

  Jeremy chatted to an old man sitting on one of the bar stools. He had their two drinks in front of him, but he didn’t look to be in a rush.

  That was one of the differences between a big city like Melbourne and this little country town. Everything took longer because everyone knew each other.

  “Sorry.” Jeremy slid into the booth and placed her pint of ginger ale in front of her. “When Mr Corson gets talking, it’s hard to get away.”

  “It’s fine.” She sipped her drink. The ginger ale had just the right amount of bite. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t sweat it. Did you enjoy the game?”

  She nodded, her thumb tracing the raised lettering on her pendant. She could manage simple conversation. “You’ve got some good players.”

  Jeremy grinned. “We do all right for a small town. What did you get up to this morning?”

  “I went to the bakery and then out to the Vale winery.” Which was a good segue.

  “So, you’ve had plenty of good food then,” Jeremy said. “I was going to ask you to share a bowl of chips.”

  She shook her head. “I’ve eaten way too much today.”

  Silence fell between them as Jeremy studied her. The intensity of his gaze made her body flush. No man had ever given her such singular focus before.

  “What did you want to ask me?” He sipped his beer.

  She blinked and her face heated. Of course. The reason she was here. “When I was at the winery today, I saw some Asian workers,” she said. “I wondered whether they might be from Henk’s.”

  Jeremy raised his eyebrows. “Could be. Kim thought a couple worked there.”

  She would have to go back. “A woman told me off for taking photos. Do you think she knows what Henk is doing?”

  He frowned. “Short, curly brown hair, permanent scowl on her face?”

  She smiled at his apt description. “Yes.”

  “That’d be Kay. She’s taken over running the place since her father got dementia. She’s always like that.”

  Oh. A parent with dementia couldn’t be easy.

  “Any other questions?” he asked.

  He probably wanted to get back to his friends. “I might go back tomorrow. Find out if their situation is like Annisa’s.”

  He pursed his lips. “You might not be able to talk to them. The Pattons don’t let people into the winery area. They had a small fire up there last spring. When we arrived, they told us they had handled it and we weren’t needed. Wouldn’t even let us ensure they’d put it out properly.”

  “That’s odd.”

  “Richard — that’s Kay’s father — has always been slightly paranoid. Believes everyone wants to steal their wine-making secrets.”

  “I didn’t realise there was so much involved.”

  “Me neither.”

  A waitress brought over a basket of chips with a few bottles of different sauces. “Thanks, Dee.” Jeremy popped a chip into his mouth, hissing a bit at the heat. When he swallowed, he said, “Help yourself.”

  Zamira took a chip to be polite though she wasn’t hungry. “Do you know what time the workers usually leave Henk’s place in the morning?”

  “I sometimes see the bus go out when I leave for jobs around seven.”

  She sipped her drink working up the courage to ask her next question. She cleared her throat. “Would you mind if I waited on your driveway in the morning for it to go past?”

  He frowned. “What are you going to do?”

  “I thought I could follow it and find out where Annisa is working.”

  “I don’t know. It might be safer if I ask around some more. Someone might know.”

  “But how long will that take?”

  Jeremy shrugged. “I’m seeing one of the biggest gossips in town tomorrow.”

  Maybe that was the most sensible way. If she changed her mind, she could wait on the road near the fire break. “All right. Thank you.” The silence dragged out between them. She should have thought of other things to say. “Ah, were you born in Blackbridge?”

  “Moved here from Albany about five years ago.”

  “Why?”

  He shrugged. “It’s a nice town and the local builder wasn’t the best. The guy I worked for kept getting called out here and he preferred to work in Albany and avoid the drive. So I decided to branch out to my own business here.”

  “Did you build your own house?”

  He nodded. “Haven’t quite finished the inside the way I want it yet.”

  “It’s really beautiful.”

  His smile was wide. “Thanks.”

  She gasped. His eyes sparkled when he smiled like that. Her heart raced and she couldn’t look away even though she was staring.

  Someone came up to the table and Zamira ripped her gaze from Jeremy and her eyes widened. Henk.

  A large man, like a rugby player, he’d been a little too friendly when she’d stopped to ask for directions and had treated her like she was a complete ditz. She’d been partially relieved when Jeremy had arrived.

  “Annisa should be home by now,” he said to Jeremy. “You can drop by if you want.” He smirked at Zamira. “You found the retreat?”

  She nodded, her mind whirling. She couldn’t miss the opportunity to see Annisa, but how to convince Jeremy to take her? Only one thing came to mind and her mother-sounding alarms shrieked at her not to be stupid. She gritted her teeth. She could do this. She narrowed her eyes, tried to look suspicious. “Who’s Annisa?”

  Jeremy sat back at her change in tone. “She’s a woman I rescued from a fire the other day.”

  “Oh.” She sat straighter. If Henk already believed she was a ditz, she would act like one. She tried for breathless. “How brave!”

  “Not really.” He bit his lip. “I wanted to see if Annisa was recovering.”

  She hesitated. Modern women took control of their own wants and desires all the time. Hopefully Jeremy wouldn’t get the wrong impression. “You should go.” She glanced at Henk and then leaned closer to Jeremy, lowered her voice, her chest tight. Men like Henk would take this at face value. This had to work. “Perhaps we could visit her on our way back to your place?” She fluttered her eyelashes and pictured her mother having a heart attack.

  Jeremy’s eyebrows raised and he stuttered, “Sure.” He winked at Henk. “How about we go now?”

  Crap. He realised she was acting, didn’t he? Zamira left her half full drink there and forced herself to take the hand Jeremy held out to her. “I’d love to.” Her smile felt fake.

  Henk scowled. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “You’re not. I was going to suggest we go somewhere quieter.” Jeremy grinned at her. “Shall we?”

  She nodded, nausea welling in her stomach. All the way out of the pub she felt Henk’s gaze on her. Could she trust Jeremy? He had to know she wasn’t serious.

  She let out a deep breath as the door shut behind her.

  Jeremy’s low chuckle stirred something in her belly. “That was quick thinking.”

  Relief filled her, but as she went to pull her hand out of his, his grip tightened. “Just in case Henk follows us.”

  She nodded. His firm, slightly calloused grip made her feel safe and she missed his touch when they got into his ute.

  He didn’t start the car immediately. “You switched to breathless airhead in a blink of an eye.” He glanced at her. “Should I be worried everything you say is an act?”

  She frowned. “Was I that convincing?”

  He nodded.

  She grinned. “Wow. I nearly failed drama in high school.” She clic
ked her seatbelt into place. Jeremy still waited for an answer. Guilt hit her. She hadn’t considered the situation from his point of view. He was trusting her word, like she had to trust his. And at least when this was over, she could go home. He lived here, would need to answer to his community. She touched his hand. “Back there in the pub was an act, but everything else I’ve told you is the truth. I’m here to help my cousin.”

  He stared at her a moment longer before he started the car. “All right. Let’s get out there before Henk heads home.”

  He wasn’t convinced, but seeing Annisa would prove her story.

  The sun sat low in the sky and shadows stretched over the road. It would be dark soon and the kangaroos would be out looking for a meal. Jeremy drove confidently and it wasn’t long before they turned down his road.

  “Better let me do the talking when we get there,” he said. “We don’t know who to trust and it will look odd if you talk to her first.”

  Zamira gripped her pendant, rubbing the raised inscription for calm. This was it. If she could get enough information, she could call Border Force in the morning and report it.

  Jeremy drove past the house towards the tents. Men stood around in groups talking, but they watched as Jeremy drove up and got out. Zamira followed him.

  “G’day. I’m looking for Annisa,” he called to the group.

  One of the men pointed to the last tent in the row. Zamira’s heart raced and she moved forward, only to be stopped by Jeremy taking her hand. “Me first,” he murmured. “You’re not supposed to know her.”

  “Sorry.”

  They walked over to the tent and Jeremy called, “Annisa, are you there?”

  No response.

  “Annisa, saya… ah… bapak api.”

  Zamira swallowed her laugh. “Try ahli bomba.”

  Annisa stuck her head out of the tent. She looked at Jeremy first and then her mouth dropped open. “Miri?” she whispered.

  Tears sprang to Zamira’s eyes and she nodded. Annisa leapt out of the tent but before Zamira could hug her, Jeremy stepped in front, hugging Annisa. “People are watching,” he hissed.

  Annisa was no longer the lanky, awkward child Zamira remembered. Instead she’d matured, grown into her limbs and was tall and elegant, her wide brown eyes drawing attention.

  Quickly Zamira explained what was going on. Annisa stepped back from Jeremy, brushing a tear from her eye. “Come into my tent,” she said in Malaysian and gestured.

  Jeremy shook his head. “Tell her it’s too easy for people to listen in. Can we go for a walk?”

  Zamira repeated what he said, itching to hug Annisa. She hadn’t seen her for six years.

  Annisa nodded and led them towards the back of the property, away from the men. It was almost dark and hopefully they wouldn’t be able to tell who was talking.

  “Are you all right?” Zamira asked quietly.

  “I am healthy. This man rescued me.” She smiled at Jeremy and switched to English. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “How did you get to Australia?” Zamira asked.

  “A man came to our village. He said he could get a work visa for me and I didn’t have to pay much up front. He said I could pay the rest from my earnings in Australia.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “I wanted the same opportunities you had, so I agreed without telling ibu and ayah. Henk and a woman picked me up from the airport. They drove me here and told me to give them my passport for safe-keeping. I trusted them.”

  Without her passport she had little other identification. “Then what happened?”

  “I started work as a cleaner. Henk told me he would pay me every fortnight, but when the first fortnight arrived, he only gave me twenty dollars.” She glanced at Zamira. “I knew it should be more, but when I asked him about it, he said the rest was for food, board and the visa.”

  It was all too common a story.

  “He wouldn’t let me call anyone or go into town. When I told him I wanted to leave, he said I would be arrested, that my visa wasn’t real and I would be deported.” She gripped Zamira’s hand. “I didn’t think I was doing the wrong thing.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll get you out of here.” She squeezed Annisa’s hand and released it. “Are you safe?”

  Annisa shook her head. “I lit the fire, hoping to escape in the confusion but the doors outside were locked. It wasn’t until the fire alarm went off that someone let us out. I hid upstairs waiting for the firemen to arrive, but they took so long and I got confused.”

  “What about the men? Are they in the same situation?”

  Annisa shrugged. “No one will talk about it. One man did tell me women never stayed more than a couple of months, but I don’t know why.”

  Zamira tensed. She needed to call the Task Force. Annisa’s statement had to be enough to get them to put a stop to this.

  “We need to go.” Jeremy’s deep voice made her jump. “Henk’s car is coming up the drive.”

  Goosebumps leapt to her skin as she spun around and saw the headlights of a dark four-wheel drive coming towards them. Jeremy moved back towards the tents.

  It was too soon.

  Annisa clutched her arm. “He’s coming. Take me with you.”

  Zamira’s heart clenched. She couldn’t take Annisa without a damn good excuse. Not without blowing Border Force’s mission. “I will get you out of here,” she said. “But I can’t take you now.”

  She clung to Zamira. “Why not?”

  “I need to help everyone. If Henk knows why I’m here, he might move the men somewhere else.” She shivered in the cold and her eyes widened. “Jeremy, can you suggest to Henk that Annisa stays with you? It’s freezing tonight and she shouldn’t be in a tent.” The light from the four-wheel drive illuminated his face. She was asking a lot of him.

  Jeremy moved in front of them to block them from the vehicle and gently separated their hands. He sighed. “I’ll try. Tell her where I live and warn her about the electric fence. If this doesn’t work, she can come over at any time.”

  “Thank you.” He was truly amazing. Zamira translated and nodded towards Jeremy’s property.

  “OK, now remember you’re totally hot for me,” he said.

  She nodded. “If this doesn’t work, I’ll get you out of here as soon as I can,” she said quietly to her cousin.

  Annisa stepped back from them as Henk wandered over.

  “Didn’t think you’d still be here.”

  Jeremy rubbed his beard. “Turns out my dodgy Indonesian is worse than I thought. It’s kind of hard to translate what she’s saying.”

  Henk laughed. “Yeah, I get that too.”

  Zamira tugged on Jeremy’s hand, accidentally pressing her breasts into his side. “It’s so cold out here. Surely she doesn’t have to stay in this little tent.”

  His sharp intake of breath made her body warm. She went to step away, but he wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping her close. “You’re right.” He glanced at Henk. “My offer still stands. I’m happy for Annisa to stay at my place until the dorm is fixed. She won’t want to share with one of the men.”

  Henk studied them. “I’d imagine she might cramp your style.” His grin was lewd.

  Zamira’s skin crawled. Think bimbo. “Oh, well, I can be quiet.” She giggled, hating herself.

  Henk frowned. “No, I can’t allow it,” he said. “Duty of care. I can’t let her stay with a single man. You understand.”

  They were so close. “I’ll be there.”

  “Sorry, missy. I don’t know you from a bar of soap and Annisa shouldn’t be exposed to what you two will be getting up to.”

  She opened her mouth to disagree and Jeremy squeezed her butt, making her jump.

  “Yeah, good point.” He grinned at Henk. “I’ll see you later.” With his arm firmly around Zamira, he steered her towards his car, his hand caressing her side. “Sorry,” he whispered. “I’ll stop when we get into the car, but we have to make this convincing.”
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br />   She said nothing. His gentle touch on her skin sent her whole body into a tizz, clamouring for attention.

  Then as she got into the car, she saw Annisa’s forlorn face. Jeremy’s touch had been an act, a way of supporting her, helping her save her cousin. There was nothing sexual in it.

  Her only goal was to rescue Annisa. She needed to remember that.

  Chapter 6

  Jeremy missed Zamira’s warmth against his side as he got into his ute. She fit so nicely against him and it wasn’t a hardship to pretend they had a thing going on. If only it was true. She smelled like peppermint and when she’d pressed her breasts into his side, he’d forgotten to think for a moment. He was almost glad Henk had refused to let Annisa go with them — it gave him more time alone with Zamira. He rolled his eyes. Talk about selfish.

  It had been too long since his last date.

  Now with a little distance from her, his brain started working again. He drove towards the road. “We’d better stop at my house, in case Henk’s watching.”

  “That’s fine.”

  He glanced at her, but couldn’t read her expression. “What did Annisa say?”

  Zamira sighed. “She’s trapped here. Henk has her passport, takes most of her pay and she’s not allowed to leave.”

  Jeremy’s chest tightened. He hadn’t wanted confirmation his neighbour was a bastard. “So what now?”

  “I hope she can escape to your place tonight.” She wrapped her pendant around her finger. “I’ll call work in the morning. See if I can talk to someone from the Task Force.” She stared out the window and he squeezed her hand.

  Then he frowned. “Aren’t you on the Task Force?”

  She sucked in a breath and he removed his hand, turning into his own drive. “Of course. I meant I had no phone reception last night out here.”

  “There’s reception at my place.” Shouldn’t she be keen to call them in?

  “I’ll wait until tomorrow. There’s nothing they can do tonight.” She smiled.

  Yeah, something like this probably shouldn’t be rushed.

  What should he do about her? His body couldn’t tell she was acting and really wanted to explore the apparent spark between them. But she’d made it clear that it had been an act.