‘Don’t strain yourself,’ Lila frowned at him. ‘Last thing we need is you ripping open your stitches.’
‘Yes, Mom.’
‘Oh god, I need to call your parents,’ she started to stand up but he pulled her back.
‘In a while. For now, I just need it to be you and me for a minute.’
She cupped his cheek with her palm and smiled as she kissed him. ‘That’s all I ever want from now on,’ she said softly, ‘all I ever want.’
The sight of Harry’s face made Tinsley want to break down and cry and as soon as he wrapped his arms around her, that’s exactly what she did. Harry just held her close, his lips at her temple as people looked curiously at them as they hurried past.
He drove her rental car out to a diner he knew outside the city and they ate breakfast together, Harry gently asking her to go over everything again. He held her hand the whole time she was speaking, his thumb stroking a rhythm across her skin. Tinsley felt safe for the first time in…. ‘Months,’ she said with a half-smile. ‘I’ve been on edge ever since the - well, you know.’
Harry nodded somberly. ‘Again, I – ‘
‘Don’t apologize any more,’ she said, ‘you’re here now and I’ve never been so glad to see anyone in my life.’
Harry smiled. ‘When I went back to Oz, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I know what we said, no strings, no commitment and I respected that. So I didn’t call, didn’t get in touch often. But I never stopped thinking about you. I did hear you were back with Charlie Sherman.’
Tinsley met his gaze. ‘This isn’t some mad ex-girlfriend thing I’ve got going on, Harry, I swear to god it isn’t. I was relieved when he left. He seemed to change on a dime.’
Harry put his hands up. ‘Hey, hey. I believe every word. Never liked the guy.’ He drained his coffee and signaled to the waitress for a refill, thanking her with a smile.
‘Tins, let’s get this out in the open. What’s your maddest, most wild theory about all this?’
So she told him everything she suspected, in minute detail and Harry listened to it. When she was finished, his eyes were fixed on hers. ‘First thing we’re going to do is go get your stuff and you’re coming to stay with me at the Four Seasons. I’ll get extra security.’
Tinsley didn’t protest. ‘Thank you, Harry, I mean it.’
‘Don’t mention it, it’s the least I can do. Then, we’re going to go see Lauren Shannon.’
Tinsley’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Why?’
Harry looked grim. ‘Because if your theory is right, I think she wasn’t the only one involved in the shooting of Noah Applebaum.’
Halston put his arm around Lila’s shoulders. ‘Lila, I’m sure you’re the reason my boy fought so hard to recover.’
Lila blushed red but Noah grinned. ‘You bet she is.’
Hal’s smile faded. ‘Now, what are we going to do about Lauren? I assume you’re pressing charges.’
‘Yes, we are,’ Lila’s tone was hard. ‘I want that bitch locked up for good.’ She clenched her hands into fists and Molly hugged her.
‘My daughter will pay for what she has done.’ They all turned around. Lila had never met Derek Shannon before but the look of sorrow and guilt on his face said it all. Derek looked at Noah.
‘Noah, I’m so happy to see you alive. May I please speak to you for a moment, I promise, I won’t stay long.’
Noah half-smiled. ‘Of course.’ He gave a sharp look at his father who was about to protest. Derek introduced himself to all of them then sat down by Noah’s bed.
‘Lauren will spend the rest of her life in prison. She will have to rely on the county’s charity for her defense because in my eyes, she has no defense. I came here to apologize on her behalf, and to tell you that I am no longer in contact with her. She has gone too far this time.’
Lila couldn’t help give a cynical laugh. ‘Yep, because killing an unborn child wasn’t ‘far enough’.’ She left the room, disgusted, having heard enough. Molly and Quilla followed her out and took her down to the cafeteria. Molly shooed her into a seat while Quilla brought over a tray heaving with food. ‘Eat,’ she ordered Lila, ‘and then Jakob is going to take you to our place and you’re going to get some sleep. We’ll all sit with Noah.’
Lila had to admit it was tempting, although she was loath to leave Noah now he was awake. She was aware, however, that she looked atrocious. Quilla and Molly chatted easily to her as she scarfed down the meal gratefully, knowing they were distracting her from what must be going on upstairs.
Later, she kissed Noah goodbye, and left with Jakob. He drove her back to his and Quilla’s home on Bainbridge Island. ‘God, this place is beautiful,’ Lila gaped at the stunning house, all white and Zen. Jakob, who she had discovered, wasn’t nearly as stern as he looked, grinned at her.
‘All Quilla’s doing,’ he said proudly, ‘would you like a drink?’
‘Love one, something cold would be nice.’
‘Iced tea?’
‘Perfect.’ She followed him into a vast kitchen – from the homely mess of it, she guessed it was the heart of their home. Out of the French windows she saw a large garden where a tall, blonde girl was playing with two small boys. Jakob stuck his head out of the door. ‘Hey guys, we’re back.’
‘Daddy!’ As the two boys greeted him, he swept them up into his arms and kissed them. Lila grinned as they shrieked with joy. ‘Come and say hello to our friend Lila.’
The two boys weren’t shy at all, climbing onto Lila’s lap and studying her closely. They were gorgeous, and she couldn’t help but hug them. The blonde girl grinned merrily at her.
‘Hey there, I’m Hayley, these two monster's aunt. Well, actually, technically, I’m their cousin. It’s complicated. It’s nice to see you, Quilla talks about you all the time.’
Lila relaxed in their company, enjoying the tea and playing with the boys. God, it felt good to do something normal but she had to admit, seeing the two boys playing and enjoying the company of their father and cousin, she ached for little Matty. She had never thought she would be a mother until she’d actually gotten pregnant and now she couldn’t imagine not being one.
Hayley showed her to the guest room as Lila began to flag and Lila sank gratefully into a dreamless sleep.
When she woke it was dark and she saw that someone, possibly Hayley, had put a few clothes on the end of the bed, new underwear. In the en-suite bathroom, she found toiletries and a new toothbrush laid out. She smiled; the thoughtfulness and kindness of these people was unlimited; Noah knew how to pick his friends. Her thoughts flashed to Charlie and her stomach clenched. Would they ever get back to how it had been? She hoped so, but a small part of her also considered that life without him, with these friends, with Noah, might not be such a bad thing. Maybe they had been wrapped around each other’s lives long enough.
Showered and dressed in jeans and a sweater that fit her perfectly, she went downstairs to find Quilla was cooking. Her friend waved a wooden spoon at her in greeting. ‘Hey, how did you sleep?’
‘Wonderfully, thank you, and thanks for the clothes and things, it was very kind and much appreciated.’
Quilla grinned, her lovely face lit up. ‘Noah threw me out, said I should come home and feed you. His dad and step-mom are with him but I think he was hoping for some peace to get some sleep. He did look exhausted when I left but unbelievably good.’
Lila sat down at the huge kitchen table, watching Quilla cook an enormous pan of chili. Quilla crushed some garlic and put it into the pan with chopped onions. ‘I thought I’d make just a ton of comfort food,’ she said, ‘I’ve sent Jakob and the boys out to get some ice cream for dessert, so we can girl-talk if we want.’
‘The boys are adorable,’ Lila grinned, ‘and I know they’re adopted but they look so much like Jakob.’
Quilla laughed. ‘I know. When we went to the children’s home to meet all the kids, I took one look at them and said ‘they are our children’. Jakob agreed and that was
that. Well, not quite but you know what I mean.’
Lila smiled. ‘I do. I spent my whole childhood in a home. I would have loved for some people like you and Jakob to come along.’
‘We could always adopted you now,’ Quilla joked and Lila liked it that she didn’t say ‘oh poor thing’. Lila had never felt that loneliness…because of Charlie, she thought and she suddenly felt bad for how she had been treating him lately.
She would call him, she decided, now Noah was out of immediate danger, and try and get their friendship back on track, albeit with new boundaries. Decided, she went to help Quilla prepare the dinner and they chatted easily until Jakob and the boys returned.
Tinsley and Harry were in his hotel suite, planning their visit to the prison where Lauren Shannon was being held. ‘Do we do good cop/bad cop?’ She asked Harry who grinned.
‘No we just offer her the thing she loves the most – money. Money to get the best lawyer possible.’
‘Surely her dad would have given her that?’
Harry shook his head. ‘I did some digging. Daddy Shannon has disowned her; she has to rely on the state.’
‘Woah,’ Tinsley’s eyes were wide, ‘that’s cold.’
Harry shrugged. ‘From what I’ve found out, it’s long overdue. I don’t blame the man; even familial love can only go so far when someone behaves like that.’
Tinsley nodded. ‘How do we stop her hiring the best lawyers with our money and getting off?’
Harry grinned wickedly. ‘Easy. By hiring them first ourselves but she doesn’t need to know that does she?’
‘Harry…this all takes money and I know how generous you are but really, this isn’t your fight?’
‘Isn’t it? Just because Noah Applebaum isn’t my family, all of this leads back to Lila’s stabbing and Richard’s murder. It is my fight. Plus, anyone who tries to hurt you immediately makes my shit list.’
She smiled and touched his cheek. He covered her hand with his, holding her to his skin, his eyes on her. ‘Remind me again how I could have been so dumb as to go back to Australia without you?’
Tinsley flushed with pleasure. ‘It wasn’t the right time for us.’
He nodded and they gazed at each other in silence for a long moment. ‘And now?’ He said softly then without waiting for a reply, leaned forward and brushed her lips with his. Tinsley’s hands came up automatically and slid into his short hair. As they kissed, Harry pulled her onto his lap, his mouth hungry on hers, and his hands under her t-shirt, sliding it over her head.
Soon naked, they tumbled onto the floor and Tinsley moved down his body to take him into her mouth, sweeping her lips over the wide crest of his pulsing cock. The silky skin felt so good on her tongue as she traced the blue veins, and she tasted the salty tang of his pre-cum. Harry moaned as she teased him, and soon he was pulling her upwards so he could thrust inside her. Tinsley straddled him, his hands on her breasts as they moved together, both smiling and loving. This was so different to the dead serious sex that she and Charlie had and even though it was good, this was love-making, not just sex. She and Harry bonded as friends first then lovers and the combination left her feeling complete.
Afterward they ordered room service and ate it in front of the TV., chatting idly about Australia. ‘Do you think you’ll go back, ever? Long term, I mean.’ Harry asked her as he scooped some apple pie into his mouth.
‘Ask me that a few months ago and I would have said no. But now? I can see it.’ She hoped she wasn’t blushing too much but Harry grinned at her.
‘That is very good to know, Miss Chang. That is very good to know.’ And he kissed her again and they started where they had left off.
Noah waited for the doctor – his colleague Doug Halpern – to check him over. Doug was a cardio-god, one of the best in the world. He nodded at Noah now. ‘If all my patients were in as good physical condition as you, Applebaum, my life would be easier. Don’t get me wrong, you have a long way to go yet, but your wounds are healing, your heart trace showed no problems and even with one lung, you’ll be able to function pretty much the same. Maybe not too many marathons anymore, but even that isn’t out of the realms of possibility.’
Noah grinned. ‘You know me, Doug, I get antsy if I don’t exercise.’
‘Yup, he’s weird like that, me, I prefer sloth,’ Lila walked into the room and smiled at them both. She studied Noah. ‘You do look good, baby.’
She went to kiss his cheek and sit by him. Doug nodded at them.
‘Well, just be careful you two. Don’t put too much stress on his heart by being too gorgeous, Lila.’
‘Dude, are you hitting on my fiancée?’ Noah was laughing as Lila flushed.
Doug grinned. ‘Hell yes. Perks of having saved your damn life.’
Noah nodded. ‘Fair enough.’
‘When you two have stopped objectifying me…’ but Lila laughed along with them. It felt so good to be relaxed again, to know that they would be okay after everything. Doug left them alone and Lila snuggled into Noah’s side.
‘Hey handsome.’
‘You look refreshed,’ he noted, brushing his lips against her. ‘That’s good, I was worried.’
‘You were worried about me?’ Lila rolled her eyes. ‘Quilla and Jakob spoiled me. I really do have to commend you on your choice of friends, I adore them, and their kids. So cute.’
‘Making you broody?’
‘Oh yes but we need to get you back to fighting fit before we even consider that again.’
She kissed his jawbone, smoothed the hair at his temples. ‘Thank god you’re okay.’
‘Between us we have nine lives, we must have,’ he nodded, twirling a lock of her hair – freshly washed that morning – between his finger and thumb.
She studied him. ‘Do you have this feeling of what’s next? I mean, we’ve been through the mill these last eighteen months but I still feel, there’s more to come. Am I being pessimistic?’
Noah considered. ‘No…and I think it’s that we still don’t know for sure who kicked this whole thing off. Who it was who stabbed you – or hired someone to do it. We’ve – you’ve – had no closure on that.’
‘I think you’re right but it could be we’ll never know.’ She sighed. ‘Is it wrong I want to lock you away somewhere safe where no-one can touch you?’
‘Nope, that’s exactly how I feel about you.’
‘It sucks.’
‘Yep.’
She nuzzled closer to him, careful not to tug on any of the tubes and wires which stuck of out him. ‘A day at a time.’
‘A day at a time,’ he agreed and held her close.
Tinsley hadn’t stepped two feet inside the prison when she decided she never, ever wanted to do it again. The sense of hopelessness was palpable. She slipped her hand into Harry’s feeling him squeeze her fingers reassuringly. The Carnegie name had gotten them in to interview Lauren Shannon, they had sent their offer of money in advance. As expected, Lauren had jumped at the chance and Tinsley felt no guilt about the way they were fooling her.
Lauren’s hair was shoved into a greasy ponytail and she barely made eye cotact with them both as she was led into the interview room. She flicked her eyes dismissively at Tinsley and Tinsley glared back.
Harry did all the talking and he got straight to the point. ‘Lauren, did someone tell you, or pay you to shoot Noah Applebaum?’
Lauren smirked. ‘You don’t think a woman could come up with and execute – so to speak – a plan like that?’
‘Oh I do…I just don’t believe it in this case. So, tell me, did someone hire you? Or perhaps a better description would be ‘encourage’?’
Lauren looked out of the window. ‘I called a lawyer, one of my dad’s friends, told him you were stumping up the money to hire me good representation. He told me no.’
‘Not my problem. Answer the question.’
Lauren smiled. ‘Perhaps. Perhaps someone with a vested interest in seeing Noah dead was…supportive. Perhaps they
found the gun for me.’
Tinsley was getting irritated. ‘Was it Charlie Sherman?’
Harry cleared his throat – a warning and Tinsley got his meaning – leading the witness.
Lauren’s eyes were twinkling – she was enjoying the game. ‘He didn’t give me his name.’
Progress. Harry glanced at Tinsley. ‘Lauren, are you able to describe this man?’
‘I never met him. He called me.’
Tinsley made a disgusted sound. ‘Motherfucker.’
Lauren laughed softly. ‘So you see…I can’t even use that as a defense. Who’s going to believe that? A man told me to do it.’
Harry too was frustrated. ‘Is there anything, anything distinguishing about his voice, the way he spoke, accent?’
She shook her head. ‘I got the impression he was disguising his voice.’
‘Fuck,’ Tinsley hissed then looked back at Lauren. ‘Just tell us what he said, his exact words.’
‘He asked me if I wanted to get back at Noah and told me he could help me. He said he’d pay two-hundred grand to shoot Noah but I had to do it in public and in front of his girlfriend.’
‘Did the man ask you to shoot Lila as well?’
Lauren shook her head. ‘No, that was just something I said to the cops when I was arrested. He was very specific – I was only to kill Noah.’
‘Did he give a reason for that?’
‘Yes.’ She smiled nastily. ‘He told me that he wanted to be the one to kill Lila – said he’d tried before but next time, he would take his time and make sure she was dead.’
Tinsley felt sick and she felt Harry slip his arm around her waist. ‘Is there anything else you can tell us?’ She asked Lauren, who chuckled darkly.
‘Yeah. I wouldn’t want to be Lila Tierney when he gets hold of her.’
‘She told us nothing,’ Tinsley groaned as they got back into the car and Harry looked at her in amazement.
‘Are you kidding? She told us so much.’
‘Like what?’
‘For one thing….Lila’s attacker is still out there. Another – we know now it can’t have been Riley – which means Riley was probably killed and framed. Another – if the killer was able to manipulate Lauren, what makes us think he won’t have done it to others. There’s one more person I think we have to see before we really double-down on this and go to Lila and Noah.’
Nightclub Sins: A Billionaire Romance Series Page 118
