Inescapable Fate: Hanleigh's London (The Fate Series Book 1)

by Hanleigh Bradley

  If things had ended better, we’d still be friends but that isn’t an option now.

  “I just… I thought I would check you’re okay.”

  “I’m fine,” I say with a bitter coldness.

  “You always say that,” he says with a lilt that suggests he thinks it’s funny.

  “Why are you here?” I ask because quite frankly I have no patience for him.

  He destroyed our friendship and I want nothing to do with him.

  He looks stricken as if I’ve just slapped him across the cheek.

  “I needed to know you were okay.”

  “No, you didn’t. It’s nothing to do with you. Nothing in my life has anything to do with you.”

  “We were friends…” he starts.

  “But you ruined that.” My words are harsh, intentionally so. I’m leaving him no room for negotiation. I want him to realise I want nothing from him; not marriage, not kids, not a relationship, not even friendship. The only thing I want is for him to leave.

  “I think you should go,” my dad cuts through the strange atmosphere that follows my word.

  His face marred by an ugly grimace, Darren nods his head.

  “I am sorry, Georgia. I never meant to hurt you.”

  I have no response.

  Words won’t fix this. Words mean jack shit right now.

  He turns his back when I fail to respond and then walks out the room without saying another word. My father drops his hand to my shoulder, giving it an encouraging squeeze.

  I’m stood by the window when Trent comes through my door. I train the expression on my face. I don’t want him to think I’m anything less than glowingly happy.

  “Finally come to visit me have you, husband?” I wink at him mockingly.

  “Why are you out of bed, wife?”

  The expression on his face as he makes quick work of crossing the room, is anything but sweet. This is the Trent I’ve missed, the one who seems to constantly be pissed at me for seemingly no reason at all.

  He forces me back into my bed and although I complain, I don’t resist.

  Although the lads have all visited me, they’ve all refused to tell me anything about work. However, I’m convinced that if anyone is going to give me some juicy info about work, it’s him. He’s as much of a workaholic as I am.

  “So… tell me. Did they find that Christmas thief?”

  “Yeah,” he says disinterestedly.

  “And?” I struggle not to roll my eyes at him.

  “And… he was stealing presents for his kids. It’s pretty sad actually. He lost his job and felt bad he couldn’t get his four kids the presents they wanted so he robbed them.”

  “No way.” I want more. “Any new cases?”

  “Not really…”

  “Oh, come on!” I protest with evident frustration. “You have to tell me. I’m going stir crazy in here.”

  He teases me, as if he wouldn’t be equally irritated being stuck in a hospital bed. All I want is to go back to work.

  Is that really an unreasonable thing to want?

  Eventually he agrees to read to me and my entire body relaxes as he sits beside me, the gentle sound of his voice lulling me to sleep.

  Sometime later I wake to the sound of my father’s voice. He’s talking to Trent about work. Awkwardly, Trent is still next to me.

  My head resting on his chest, I can hear his heartbeat. Somehow, it’s steady. Mine is racing a mile a minute. I don’t open my eyes. There are two reasons why. One, they’re talking about work and I can totally eavesdrop if my eyes are closed. Two, I just can’t face the awkwardness.

  How has Trent explained our position to my father?

  I mean, it’s innocent enough. Except, my parents will probably read into it because that’s what they do.

  My attention is diverted from their conversation when the arm that Trent has wrapped around me tightens slightly and his hand strokes the exposed skin on my neck. It’s probably an involuntary, completely accidental action, and yet it seems so completely natural while also feeling so completely surreal. My breath catches in my throat and his fingers stop tracing their pattern.

  He knows I’m awake. Now I’m going to actually have to sit up and face the drama.

  Just as I’m about to get up, he pulls me closer and I’m left wondering what I should do.

  Minutes pass, they discuss the robberies and some new cases that neither one of them have told me anything about, much to my irritation. I find myself grateful that Trent is giving me this new flow of information.

  After twenty minutes my heart has settled, and I feel quite at ease. He’s still running his fingers across my neck soothingly. I’m drifting in and out of consciousness, barely paying their conversation much attention at all. Trent is apparently talking my dad into going home and resting.

  “I’ll look after her,” he says with a sincerity that sounds almost unnatural.

  “Are you sure?” I can almost picture my dad checking his watch. “There’s still a couple of hours of visiting time left.”

  “It’s fine. She’s asleep anyway.”

  There is quiet and then I hear my father’s chair scrape on the floor as he gets to his feet. He says his goodnights to Trent and then he’s gone. My heart speeds up again and the awkwardness from when I first woke up returns.

  We’re alone now. I’m still in his arms.

  He’s still stroking my neck. And he knows I’m awake.

  I should sit up. I should move out of his grasp. I’m surprised he hasn’t pulled away himself. I open my eyes but all I can see from my position leaning against his chest is the navy shirt he’s wearing. I watch as his chest rises and falls with his breaths. I go to say something but just as I open my mouth, I realise I have no idea what to say.

  He beats me to it.

  “Just rest, little Bint.”

  “Stop calling me a Bint,” I say more out of habit than irritation.

  “Shh,” I don’t need to see his face to know he’s smirking. “Sleep.”

  “I’m not working right now,” I argue, “you can’t boss me around.”

  I sound like a child, arguing with her parents, much to my own frustration.

  He chuckles dryly. “I can always boss you around.”

  “How do you work that out?”

  I go to pull away from him so I can actually look at him, but he pulls me back into position and refuses to let me up.

  “It’s just a fact.”

  “Misogynistic Pig!” I huff out angrily.

  “Yeah, yeah, Bint. I’m tired. Go to sleep.”

  He pulls me closer as if I’m not close enough already and rests his head back on my pillow.

  “Are you staying?” I ask because I really can’t understand anything he does or says.

  “Do you want me to leave?”

  I don’t respond. There’s no correct answer to that question. No. I don’t want him to go. He should go, but no matter how much I don’t want to like the misogynist that isn’t as awful as I first imagined, I can’t help myself.

  Chapter Fourteen – Walker

  I know this isn’t wise. I know I should have left, letting her father stay to watch over her instead of me. I’m breaking about a million boundaries – well maybe not a million – but enough that it’s bound to come back to bite me in the arse.

  Fortunately, I’d still been reading when the DCS walked into the hospital room, earlier this evening. Otherwise, I hate to think what he might have thought.

  It was bad enough that his eyebrow had gone sky high, his facial expression asking the questions his mouth refused to. He hadn’t looked unhappy or angry, just surprised so I’d tried to act like it wasn’t odd that I’d basically been found in his daughter’s bed.

  “Kentley wanted me to read to her,” I began in an attempt to clear up any confusion, “but she fell asleep.”

  “Good,” my boss said in a tone that gave nothing away. “She’s not been sleeping,” and with that he changed the subjec
t.

  Moving into a hushed yet polite conversation, he asked after my mother. We talked about work and about what I have been doing since we last worked together. We talked about our families and we talked about the girl that was still asleep in my arms.

  He took me by surprise when he opened up to me about Kentley’s injuries. I hadn’t anticipated that. He had never shared his emotions with me before and I couldn’t be sure what had made that moment different, what had inspired the shift in our relationship.

  Perhaps it was simply a response to the fact that I had had my arm wrapped around one of the most prized things in his life, at the time.

  “Every day I worry something will happen to her,” he told me, his usually stoic face troubled. “Every day without fail… I’ve nearly lost her too many times.”

  I nodded my head like an idiot, unsure how to respond to his sudden confession.

  “When she told me she wanted to join the force I tried to talk her out of it.” He was smiling, reminiscing. “No. That’s a lie. I tried to forbid it.”

  “I bet she didn’t like that.” I chuckled quietly, careful not to wake the sleeping girl in my arms.

  “Like hell she did. She gave me a stern look and told me that if she couldn’t, neither could I.” He frowned. “She said that my career was just as big a danger to her security as her own could be. She wasn’t wrong. Before even signing up…” He paused as if it would cost him too much to continue.

  “I know. I know about the kidnapping.” I took pity on him.

  “She told you?” He was surprised. Amazed, in fact.

  “No. John did. But she knows I know. We’ve talked about it.”

  He nodded his head.

  “She doesn’t talk about it. I think that’s part of the reason her and her ex didn’t work out.”

  He was quiet for a moment before he continued, “he just couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t open up.”

  “Somethings are just too hard to share.”

  “Yeah,” his eyes were shrewd as they considered me, “he didn’t get that. He tried to force it. Damn well nearly broke her too. That’s when I insisted she see a counsellor.”

  I nodded because what could I say? Thumbs up? That was a good call?

  “Darren came to see her today.”

  I wasn’t sure why he was telling me. It was not exactly any of my business.

  “She told him to leave…” I wasn’t sure if he was hinting at something or just rambling.

  He looked at me, his eyes sincere.

  “I haven’t seen her so calm in a long time.”

  I glanced down at the little lioness in my arms.

  “She’s normally a restless sleeper.”

  Definitely hinting.

  “She must really trust you.”

  “I hope so,” I replied before I could think about what he would read into my words.

  “No doubt about it. My daughter isn’t the most trusting. She wouldn’t let just anyone sit with her while she sleeps.”

  “We got to know each other quite well while we were undercover,” I said because for some reason, I felt the need to explain myself.

  “I’m glad.” He had smiled a hopeful smile. “You’re exactly the sort of person she needs in her life.”

  Hours later and his words are still running through my mind on a loop. You’re exactly the sort of person she needs in her life. Well if that isn’t a blessing, I don’t know what is.

  It’s not that I want to date Kentley, but I’ve got to admit that it’s nice to know that I have her father’s support if I choose to pursue her.

  Not that I will, mind you.

  However I look at it, she’s still a member of my team and I’m supposed to be responsible for her life. I can’t risk her life by caring too much for her.

  No matter how tempting it might be.

  Witnessing her get hurt the other day knocked me for six. It wasn’t until I had her in my arms that I realised how badly I had reacted to it either. The calm that had washed over me as I pulled her against myself was the only way I could tell just how frazzled my nerves had been without her beside me.

  The knowledge is disconcerting.

  I know that I can’t stay yet there’s no way in hell I’m leaving. It’s the first time I’ve slept while she’s slept, the thought crosses my mind just as I feel my eyelids droop. Every other night we’ve spent together, one of us has had to be awake.

  But not tonight.

  Tonight there is no one trying to harm us, no danger for us to face… for one night we can sleep peacefully.

  I can’t stop the smile that crosses my face at the idea.

  A nurse pops her head in, frowns at my position on the bed, but doesn’t comment. She does a few checks. Somehow my little lioness sleeps right through it all.

  I expect her to remind me that visiting hours are over, but she doesn’t. She leaves without a word.

  Georgia turns slightly in my arms so that she’s pretty much lying on top of me, wrapped around me. I can feel her heart as it beats in her chest and its gentle rhythm lulls me to sleep.

  Chapter Fifteen – Georgia

  He’s gone. The bed beside me is empty. My hand instinctively reaches out for him as if it he’s just out of reach, except he’s not.

  The hospital around me is bustling with energy. It’s morning and light is streaming in through the window. Logic says its morning and he’s probably gone to work.

  I rub my hand across my eyes as I look around the room for any clues at all, hoping against my common sense that he might not have left after all. On the side table there is a note:

  Kentley, Had to go to the yard. I picked you up some breakfast before I went. I’ll be back later, after work. Trent.

  Beside the note is a bag. The smell emanating from it is mouth-wateringly good. Next to the bag is a disposable coffee cup. I grab for the cup and pull it to my nose, taking in its aroma. Just what I need first thing in the morning. I make quick work of the Salmon and Cream Cheese Bagel that is waiting for me inside the bag.

  My mum arrives just as I’m finishing off the last of my coffee.

  “Morning,” she says as she drops her stuff on her chair, before she leans over to kiss my cheek. “Sleep well?”

  “Great. Thanks.”

  Her hawk eyes don’t miss the bag.

  “Did Trent get you breakfast?”

  I can’t outright lie. Well, I could but I won’t. So, I simply nod my head once.

  “He seems nice…” Mum is prying.

  “He is.”

  “Did he stay all night?”

  “What’s with the twenty questions?”

  “Just wondering, is all…” she says with mock disinterest. “What should we do today? Perhaps they’ll let you come home today.”

  I don’t miss the home reference. She doesn’t mean my home. She means hers. She wants me to come back home and let them look after me. That’s not happening.

  “It would be nice to get back to the flat,” I say pointedly.

  “I was thinking you might like to come visit, take a break from work, rest a bit…”

  “The second I get out of the hospital, I’m going back to work,” I respond with conviction.

  “Are you sure that’s wise?”

  I shrug my shoulders. I don’t care if it’s wise. I’m bored beyond belief.

  “Besides it’s not like Trent will let me do too much. He’s bossier than you are.”

  Mum sniggers slightly.

  “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

  The day passes just as slowly as the one before but at least today I have something to look forward to. As I walk around the hospital’s garden with my mum my mind returns to last night and how comfortable I had felt with Trent.

  As the doctor tells me it will be at least another day before she agrees to release me, I don’t mind too much because I remember that Trent has promised to come back tonight.

  When mum tells me off for pushing myself too muc
h, I ignore the irritation that bubbles up inside me because I’m counting down the hours before she’ll go home and Trent will arrive.

  I’m probably reading too much into what happened last night. It’s not like we like each other, in fact until recently I’d had the distinct impression he really didn’t like me at all. I try my best not to think about him but the idleness of my day leaves me with far too much time free for daydreaming.

  When he finally appears at the end of his work day, he’s looking more fresh than he should after a hard day’s graft. He walks in brandishing three large pizza boxes.

  “Alright Bint?” he asks, his eyes lighting up when he sees what he’s looking for in my expression – most likely irritation.

  I don’t bother to correct him. He plonks himself down on the side of my bed.

  “How’s the infection?” He reaches for my forehead. “You’re still hot.”

  There is a wolf whistle from the doorway.

  “Hot are you, Kentley?” Alvin teases as he and the rest of the team make their way into my room.

  “Piss off,” I respond, eyes narrowed.

  I struggle to hide the disappointment I feel at their arrival. It’s not that I don’t love their company. I do. Any other day I’d have been delighted to have them visit. I’d had the idea in my head that I’d get to spend the evening with Trent… I’d been surprisingly excited about it… and now that excitement dissipates, leaving me subdued.

  Trent tells Alvin to shut up and eat some pizza before turning back to me.

  “What did the doctor say?”

  “I have to stay at least another day.” Even I can hear the disappointment in my voice. I want to go home already.

  Trent settles in next to me on the bed. I notice the glances that come our way but I ignore them. After all, Trent seems perfectly content to let them think whatever they want. He grabs one of the pizza boxes and offers me a slice.

  “Thanks,” I mumble.

  “You’re welcome, Bint.”

  I breathe in and count to five before elbowing him in the side.

  “Hey!” He pokes my elbow. “That’s pointy.”

  “Stop calling me a Bint!” I say through gritted teeth.