by Juanita Kees
‘Yes,’ she whispered.
‘Why?’
He moved his hand to her arm. Was she feeling the connection too? He wanted…no, needed her to trust him, to believe he would protect her and her son while they searched for the truth. Mark could almost hear the gears turning in her head as she churned her dilemma over in her thoughts. Yes, the lovely Lily Bennetti was definitely hiding something.
‘Nic was involved as deeply as Gino was in money laundering and drug smuggling. They used innocent kids as runners. Kids like Tiny Watts. Luke and Tiny were mates. I’m afraid that…Nic thinks Luke knows more than he does. Nic Albero will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Nobody dares stand in his way.’
The anger in her tone faded as panic rolled over it. She shifted in her seat and picked at the hem of her skirt with fingers that bore the cuts and broken nails to prove she had a reason to be frightened. He watched her face, noting that she didn’t look at him. Her eyes flickered to the left. Not quite the truth, then. Was she protecting Luke or Albero? No, they were clearly scared of the man. It had to be Luke.
‘Lily, I know you’re not telling me the whole truth. I understand you have concerns for Luke. I won’t push you for answers right now, but know this…you can trust me when you’re ready to tell the whole story. I won’t let anything happen to you or Luke, that’s a promise. Not a cop’s promise, but mine.’
‘I trusted once and here I am, the widow of a drug dealer.’
Her chin quivered and he reached out his free hand to cup it gently. He turned her face towards him and looked deep into her eyes. He felt the impact of the desperation he saw there. It twisted and churned through him until it tugged at his heart.
‘Will you at least tell me if Albero causes you any more trouble?’
She held his gaze for a long moment until desperation turned to hope. ‘Yes.’
‘Then go inside, get Luke’s things and we’ll take this one step at a time.’
She nodded. ‘Thank you.’
He let go of her chin while he still could. The temptation to pull her into his arms was strong and he cursed the timing again. Getting out of the car, he stepped around the hood to open the door and help her out. She stood close to him and took a deep breath as she looked up at the three-storey building.
‘Would you like me to come inside with you?’ His gaze followed hers. The elaborate Tuscan style house sprawled across a double-sized block of land and towered over the neighbouring houses. Imposing, with wrought iron bars covering the windows, Mark thought it reminded him of a prison, one that had since seen murder and was no stranger to violence. It would always house the ghost of the man who’d ruled it. What other secrets did it hide?
‘Please.’ The word whispered out as she released her breath on a nervous sigh.
He held out his hand for the key, taking note of the video surveillance cameras overlooking the front door and down the front path. Gino Bennetti had certainly had a thing about high security.
She slipped it out of her pocket and handed it over. ‘Thanks.’
‘You’re welcome,’ he said, brushing a finger across her cheek to wipe away a tear. ‘Let’s go.’
He held her hand and led her up the path to the front door. Bloody Fort Knox, he thought as he inserted the key into the lock on the heavy front door. The weight of it suggested reinforcement of some kind. To keep his family in or to keep his enemies out? Pushing it open, they stepped over the threshold onto cold, white marble tiles. No warmth, no homeliness filled the vast, almost clinical entrance hall. Where was the personality, the woman’s touch he’d expect from a woman like Lily? His gaze caught on the hall table where shards of coloured glass scattered the wooden surface, and fell to the hideous Murano sculptures that now lay smashed on the floor. Mark looked around at the damage. Someone had trashed the house looking for something. What hadn’t been torn to shreds was smashed or slashed. The nauseating smell of gas drifted towards them and instinct kicked in. Mark grabbed Lily’s hand.
‘Run!’
An explosion from the kitchen in the rear rocked the mansion and it shuddered around them. Flames stretched through the doorway. Without hesitation, Mark swept Lily into his arms and ran as windows exploded behind them. As he sprinted across the road, he heard the crash of bricks as the rear wing of the house crumbled under the weight of the roof, showering them in a cloud of grey ash and mortar. Lily shivered against his chest as shock set in.
‘You okay?’
‘Yes.’ She clung to his shoulders and buried her head against the comfort of his neck.
‘No.’
He held her tightly, taking in the smell of her hair and the sweet perfume she wore. His heart pounded against his chest in time with hers.
‘Jesus!’ he muttered against her hair. ‘That was close.’
Lily said nothing as she burrowed deeper for a moment before pushing at his chest.
‘Put me down…please.’
With one last hug, he lowered her to the pavement where she collapsed on the grass and stared at the blaze that now engulfed what was left of the mansion.
Lily let out a breath, shaking, afraid to move. When would this nightmare be over? She jumped as her phone vibrated. Albero’s number came up. She ignored it as Mark dialled emergency services on his phone, listening to the comfort of his voice directing them to the site. He hung up and dialled again.
‘Harold, get to the Bennetti place as fast as you can. There’s been an incident…a gas explosion.’ He snapped his phone shut and put it in his pocket before dropping onto the grass next to her. ‘Lily, I’m offering you and Luke witness protection in exchange for your testimony against Albero and anyone else working with Gino.’
Lily shivered but remained silent. No amount of protection in the world could save them from Albero’s wrath.
Sirens blared as emergency vehicles rounded the corner into the street and came to a halt. A flurry of activity materialised around them as firemen charged their hoses and police ran yellow tape around the area to cordon it off. Crowd control officers urged bystanders to stay away as they poured onto the street for a sticky beak.
Lily took a deep breath as Mark moved closer and put an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into the warmth and comfort he offered.
‘What the hell happened? Now will you tell me what it is you’re hiding, Lily? Someone was in your house. They trashed the place and turned on the gas.’
And destroyed any evidence that might prove Luke innocent, she thought. Her phone vibrated in her hand. She looked at the screen. Call 321, you have one new message. Ice spread through her veins and tears stung her eyes. Albero wouldn’t give up until they were dead. With a shaking finger, she dialled in to her message bank.
‘You’re making it hard for yourself, Liliana. There’s nowhere to run. You were lucky the detective got you out in time. I’ll make sure you don’t get that chance again. You’re nothing but a pain in my arse right now.’ Impatience rang in Albero’s recorded voice message.
Her teeth worried her lower lip as she hung up. She looked around, trying to spot him in the crowd. The roar of a familiar engine reached her ears as his black sedan rounded the corner and disappeared. He was right. There was nowhere to run, no-one she could trust, unless…
Mark’s hand rested gently on her shoulder. ‘What’s going on? And make it the truth this time.’
Lily refused to meet his eyes as fear nudged shock aside. She couldn’t. He’d see too much. Fight or flight? The instinct to run and hide burned in her mind. Did she and Luke have the strength to keep running?
‘Mark?’
A voice called out and Lily sagged with relief at the interruption. Maybe Mark wouldn’t have time to press for answers. She couldn’t reveal their secret, she wouldn’t subject her son to the torture of prison. The alternatives weren’t looking promising either.
Without taking his eyes off her, Mark called, ‘All clear…Lily, what more can I do to earn your trust?’
Lily kep
t her eyes on his booted feet and remained silent as Harold approached with a paramedic. Mark stood and helped Lily to her feet.
‘I’m going to leave you with the paramedics while I fill Harold in,’ he said. ‘Will you be okay?’
Lily nodded as the paramedic placed a medical kit next to her. ‘I’ll be fine.’
Mark released her hand and she missed the warmth and reassurance of it immediately. As she watched him walk away with Harold, she wished with all her heart she could trust him, that her nightmare would end, and she and Luke could be free.
Wrapped in a thermal blanket, Lily looked on as the paramedic cleaned the cuts and grazes on her arms and legs. She cooperated as he listened to her chest and lungs, looking for signs of smoke inhalation, her movements mechanical. Across the road, fire-fighters battled to save what was left of her home from the monstrous flames. A struggle that failed when the walls crashed to the ground and sent embers sizzling upwards into the steady stream of water pouring from their hoses. There was no going back now.
* * *
‘I can’t leave you alone for five minutes without you getting into trouble,’ said Harold as he walked beside his partner.
‘Not the sort of trouble I was looking for,’ Mark replied. He stopped walking and looked at Harold. ‘I think we have another attempted murder on our hands.’
‘You think?’ Harold stood beside him and flicked at the ash on his shoulder. ‘I thought maybe you just like getting dirty.’
‘Something like that.’ His partner knew him too well. Fifteen years as a team did that. ‘I think our widow is hiding something. My gut is telling me it has something to do with Tiny Watts.’
Harold shrugged. ‘Your gut’s been right before. You’ve been studying his notes. Besides the gang connection, did Tiny mention anything else in his notebook about Luke Bennetti?’
‘Not much. He seemed to hang out more with Marty.’
‘He’s the one staying up at the refuge with Scott and TJ, right?’
‘Yep.’ Mark rubbed the nape of his neck tiredly. ‘I might go and study the notes some more after I’ve dropped Lily off at TJ’s. Want to come around for a beer?’
‘Nah, I’m going to get some sleep after I clear up the mess you’ve made here. You’re the super-sleuth. I’m just your sidekick. Catch ya later.’
Mark grinned. ‘Lazy fat cat. Go on then, go and get your beauty sleep. God knows you need it.’
Harold punched his shoulder. ‘We can’t all be pretty boys. You reckon that Albero bloke will give the widow any more trouble? Can’t say I like him much.’
‘At least we agree on one thing. Someone went to a lot of trouble searching the Bennetti house before blowing it up. I wonder what they were looking for.’
Harold shrugged. ‘Whatever it was they couldn’t have found it. Why else would they blow up the house?’
‘Here’s the weird bit. Right after the explosion, Lily’s phone rang. It struck the fear of God into her and I suspect it was Albero. He knew she and Luke were heading home today and when.’
‘You think he might have something to do with the explosion and was ringing in to see if she survived.’
Harold had the knack of turning Mark’s questions into statements. ‘I’m thinking he’s in way deeper than we think and I doubt it’s on the right side of the law.’ Mark sighed as he waved a hand at where Lily’s house lay in a pile of smoking rubble. ‘I think we have enough evidence to support putting them in witness protection. I’ve made the offer.’
‘We have to find that missing link. I thought Bennetti was the kingpin in the drug operation but now I’m wondering if he was just the brawn.’ Harold frowned and scratched his head.
‘I think you may be right and I believe our answers lie in the drawings and notes Tiny Watts left behind. That’s why I want to go through them again.’ He hitched his keys from his pocket and handed them to Harold. ‘You take my car, I’ll take yours and I’ll see you in the morning.’
Harold looked across the road at where Mark’s car stood parked in Lily’s driveway, now a battered wreck under the rubble of what used to be the garage. ‘Thanks for parking it under cover for me.’ He swapped keys with Mark. ‘The boss is going to be pissed at you! Bring coffee. That crap they have in the office is worse than donkey pee.’
Mark chuckled as he walked away and dialled TJ’s number. Harold may be as rough as guts but he had a heart of gold.
TJ picked up. ‘Hello?’
‘Hey, TJ. Mark here. Have you got room for one more? There’s been a little accident at the Bennetti home.’
‘Oh my God, Mark! Was anyone hurt?’
‘Only the house. We got out in time.’
‘Shit! What happened?’
‘A little trouble with a gas leak. I’ll fill you in when I bring Lily up.’
TJ sighed. ‘As long as you’re both okay. I’ll open one of the cabins up for Lily and Luke. I’m guessing it will be long term?’
‘It’s looking that way. You’re a gem, TJ.’
‘You’re welcome,’ she said and hung up.
Reaching Lily, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder where she now sat inside the doors at the rear of the ambulance.
‘They finished patching you up?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’ve spoken to TJ. She’s offered you one of the cabins at the refuge for as long as you need it.’
‘Thank you.’
She had no choice but to accept, he mused. Where else could she go? ‘I’ll drive you up there now. We need to talk.’
Lily nodded. He held out a hand to help her down as he watched the expressions flit across her face. Sadness, defeat and hopelessness tugged her mouth. Exhaustion added to the grey of her face. She swayed and leaned into his touch.
Mark realised he was in trouble as he watched tears form on her grubby cheeks. The sight of them hurt. The thought of what had brought her to this point seared his gut. Right now, he didn’t want to ponder on why he felt that way. All he was prepared to acknowledge was that falling for Lily Bennetti right now would be a big mistake. The feel of her body against his, the rightness of it and this godforsaken need to protect her placed him way out of his league. Yet he couldn’t deny her the comfort, nor could he deny himself the pleasure of giving it.
His arm slipped around her shoulders to hug her close for a brief moment before guiding her away from the ruins of her life.
Chapter 3
Mark didn’t push Lily for answers as they drove up the hill to Karalee. He’d give her the time she needed to process the events of the day. The sinking afternoon sun shone through the window, bathing her in its golden glow. Her bruises bloomed and the cut on her cheek would leave a small scar. Lily Bennetti was still a battered angel.
Perhaps the destruction of her house was a good thing. He suspected that without the force of Gino Bennetti’s mean personality, Lily would blossom once again. There was no argument, she was one tough lady. What was in the house that had prompted someone to ransack it and blow it to Hell? Had they destroyed evidence that might prove Luke innocent? Or were they after something else? Lily and Luke were in danger, of that he was certain but unless she accepted his offer of witness protection…
‘Think about my offer, Lily.’
She straightened in her seat as they pulled up the driveway of the refuge, her white-knuckled hands in her lap the only indication of her distress. Mark pulled the car into the clearing that served as parking and cut the engine. He placed a hand over her clenched fists.
‘Trust me, Lily. I’ll do everything I can to help you and Luke.’
‘I know.’ She sighed as she met his searching look. ‘But that doesn’t make it any easier.’
The defeat in Lily’s voice tugged at his heart. She met his gaze bravely, yet he read uncertainty, mistrust and deep sadness in eyes the colour of blue violets. He imagined how they could sparkle with laughter, with the happiness she deserved. His gaze dropped to her lips. He wanted to see those soft, full lips
widen in a smile and hear her laughter. What did her laugh sound like? Her lips parted as she drew in a breath and he wondered how she’d taste.
‘Mum!’
Luke’s voice broke the spell. Mark dragged his gaze away from temptation as the passenger door of the car was thrown open and Luke peered in. His eyes were immediately drawn to the fresh scrapes and sooty clothes.
‘What happened, Mum?’
‘The house…it’s gone.’ Lily choked back fresh tears. ‘There was a fire…gas explosion.’
Terror lit in Luke’s eyes as he glanced Mark’s way. He looked at Lily and said, ‘It will never be over, will it?’
‘No, Luke, it won’t. Not unless…’
Luke held her gaze as a silent message passed between them, the air thick with tension. Mark opened his door and got out. Luke retreated, pushed his hands deep in his pockets and walked away to stand next to Marty. It seemed his gut feeling was spot on again. There was no doubt in his mind now that it was Luke she was protecting. He just needed to find out why. Reaching the passenger side of the car, he held out a hand to help Lily out.
‘Thank you,’ she said.
His chest brushed against her shoulder as he closed the door. The heat he felt every time he saw or touched her, rushed through him. It had to stop. She was a victim, a new widow, a case for God’s sake. He had no business being attracted to her, at least not until they’d settled this case. If nothing else, he had to solve this case and he would do nothing to compromise the outcome. That included becoming personally involved with the family of the victim. Even when they were victims themselves.
The door slammed a little harder than necessary. With a hand on her arm, he guided her to where Scott and TJ waited with the boys.
‘Nice to see you again, mate,’ said Scott, shaking Mark’s hand then turning to Lily.
‘Welcome to the refuge. Marty, Luke and I were about to go and toss a football down near the creek. Want to join in, Mark?’ He waved a hand to where Luke and Marty had already set off to the clearing, talking animatedly.
