Explicit Memory

by Scarlett Finn

  ‘Yeah but, you know, he was...’

  ‘He was what?’ Flick asked, but Eric’s expression relaxed.

  ‘You guys were into each other, right? If it hadn’t been for Rushe I’m sure you guys would’ve hooked up.’

  ‘It was never like that,’ Flick gaped. ‘Liam is my friend, and I’m happy for him. I just hope he doesn’t get hurt.’

  ‘You think she’s gonna hurt him? Don’t think she’s been working at all since they’ve been together. He’s got enough money to support her, I guess.’

  Eric guessed a lot, and it made Flick grin that despite all this time they’d spent with each other and all the things they’d done together, it hadn’t occurred to the men to get the truth of their relationships set with each other.

  ‘How is Gracie?’

  ‘Haven’t seen her in a while,’ Eric said, losing all of his calm and ease. ‘Figured it was best to stay away while all of this was happening.’

  ‘I’m sorry you got drawn into it,’ Flick said, reaching over to take his hand. ‘You’re a really good guy, Eric. You didn’t need to help us, but you did. You’re a friend. If you ever need anything from Rushe—‘

  ‘You offering out my services?’

  Turning in the direction of his voice, Flick saw Rushe coming down the stairs toward them. ‘I don’t have any of my own to offer,’ she said.

  ‘None that you’re offering any guy, that’s for sure.’

  Eric shifted when Rushe opened the car door and pushed her inside. The men backed away from the vehicle and spoke in mumbles for a couple of minutes, and then Rushe was in the car at her side.

  ‘We’re going to my parents’?’ Flick asked, as he reversed out.

  ‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘Time for you to take me home to Daddy, Kit.’

  Convincing her parents of who Antoine really was would be difficult, though perhaps not as difficult as it would be convincing them that Rushe was a good guy. But Flick had confidence that if they could get through the first hour without anyone calling the police, progress would be made, and they would come around eventually, she hoped.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  About halfway between Silver’s pad and her parents’ home, they stopped and spent a few hours together in a motel. Flick had been reluctant to delay their journey, but as Rushe pointed out, it would only make things worse, and more dramatic, if both of them were harried. So they stopped, ate, made love, and slept for a couple of hours.

  Now they were parked outside the back entrance to the Hughes’ house, and Flick had never been so nervous in all of her life. The reception they would receive was unknown, so when they exited the vehicle, the duffel was left in the trunk. A quick departure could still be warranted. Flick took Rushe to the rear gate, typed in the private code on the sealed keypad, and let them into the grounds.

  As soon as they were around the perimeter hedges, Rushe took her hand and pulled her to a halt. ‘You have to be honest with them,’ Rushe said. ‘About everything.’

  ‘I will be,’ she said, shuffling in close, because she still relished the re-discovered novelty of their proximity.

  ‘It’s not gonna be easy, but you can’t fudge the details. Start at the beginning and get it all out.’

  ‘Surely we can—‘

  ‘No,’ he said. ‘Lay it out, just like you did on paper in that timeline for Hutten. If your family thinks you’re making anything up, or leaving out information, they’ll be less likely to believe the story. We don’t need them questioning our motivation.’

  ‘Our world isn’t like theirs,’ she muttered.

  ‘Right,’ he agreed, picking up the ends of her hair and running it through his fingers. ‘I’m with you, Kit, whatever happens in there. I belong to you.’

  ‘I know,’ she said, driving her hands slowly down into his pockets. ‘I love you. You didn’t have to come or be with me here—‘

  ‘I’m not leaving you alone again. If they call the police—‘

  ‘We bail,’ she said. ‘Together. I won’t let you go down for this.’

  ‘I’m not sure that would satisfy the Merciers anymore. Antoine is gonna want you. We all screwed him over, but you...’

  ‘Yeah,’ Flick said, aware of how personal the injury she’d inflicted was. ‘I lost my knife.’

  ‘It’s in the duffel,’ Rushe said. ‘I stuck it in my pocket. I wasn’t gonna leave the weapon on the scene.’

  ‘We have to find Jansen. Did any of you speak to him?’

  ‘No,’ Rushe said. ‘He’s been in the hospital, and the cops have been all over him.’

  ‘They’re accusing him of something?’ Flick asked. ‘Does that mean he’s on the run right now?’

  ‘We’re not sure,’ Rushe said. ‘There’s no charges out on him, and no warrant, so we think the guarding has been unofficial.’

  ‘The Merciers exercising their control?’ Flick said. ‘They don’t want us near him.’

  ‘It’s likely that he has something incriminating. They went after him first, and they went after him hard.’

  ‘Why did they pick that time to go after him?’

  ‘We’re gonna find out when we find Jansen.’

  ‘We should go inside before the grounds-men spot us and panic,’ Flick said, aware of the evening drifting in toward them.

  Rushe nodded once and ducked to touch his lips to hers. In that kiss she felt his own gratification that they were together and his firm resolution that he wouldn’t let her go again. Then after tucking her hand into his pocket, Rushe led her to the house and through the front door without any announcement.

  The head steward came into the lobby and paused at the sight of them.

  ‘Are my parents home?’ Flick asked.

  ‘Your mother and sisters are taking tea,’ the steward said. ‘Your father and brothers are in the drawing room.’

  ‘Thank you,’ she said.

  ‘Will Mr. Mercier be joining you?’ the steward asked, while eyeing Rushe.

  ‘No,’ Flick said, and stepped up into her role, appropriate or not. ‘Mr. Mercier and I are no longer engaged. He assaulted me last night, and he is not to be allowed onto the premises again.’

  ‘But—‘

  ‘Please notify all staff members that anyone who does not comply with this, or who attempts to contact Mr. Mercier in any way, will lose their job here, do you understand?’

  ‘Yes, Miss Hughes.’

  Flick linked her fingers between Rushe’s and began to lead him toward the hall that would take them to the men’s location.

  ‘Sexy, watching you give out orders in that fancy little voice,’ Rushe muttered. ‘Where’s my dirty little kitten? You gonna bring that voice to bed later?’

  Glancing back at him, she smiled at his stoic expression because although he didn’t convey it explicitly, he was kidding with her. The light-hearted moment was appreciated because she knew what tension was to come, and it wouldn’t be short-lived.

  Entering the formal drawing room without knocking or declaration was against the rules, so when she strode in with Rushe the three males present were stunned into silence.

  ‘I need to tell you a story, Father. We have to get Mother here, Lucia and Vivian too. You all need to hear this.’

  ‘This is the man who stormed in here,’ Charles said, nodding at Rushe. ‘Where is Antoine?’

  ‘He assaulted me,’ Flick said. ‘I injured him in defence of myself, and we are no longer engaged.’

  ‘Now, whatever—‘

  ‘No, Father, nothing you can say will change that. He’s a fraud, as was our relationship. I’m going to tell you everything. If, when I’m finished, you never wish to see me again, I’ll accept that.’

  ‘You have disgraced us?’

  ‘Maybe,’ Flick said.

  ‘Then why did you return now, when we had previously been estranged for so long?’ Charles asked, sneering at Rushe. ‘Clearly, you have chosen your suitor, and you cannot expect us to accept—‘

  ‘Rus
he has been mine since the moment we met,’ she said. ‘Nothing has changed since then. In these last five weeks I have been committed to him as fully as I have always been, and he me.’

  ‘You were engaged—‘

  ‘It was a lie,’ Flick said. ‘A fabrication. A fraud. I was being blackmailed, coerced by Antoine. He is a criminal who wanted access to our intimate network.’

  ‘I don’t believe it.’

  ‘You’re all in danger,’ Flick said. ‘That is why I am here, why I returned... why we returned, to warn you and do our best to protect you. Right now I’m requesting that you listen to the facts I’m going to lay out for you. When I’m finished all I’ll ask is that you protect yourselves. If you choose, you will never have to see Rushe or me again for as long as you live.’

  Charles glared at them both in turn, but then conceded with a nod. ‘Tell us your story.’

  The steward was summoned to retrieve the women as Flick took Rushe to the couch and prepared to settle in. Already she was second guessing their decision to return here, but with her family in danger they’d had little choice, so there was no avoiding it – the story had to be told.

  ‘I don’t believe it,’ Lucia said.

  After they’d all gathered in the drawing room, Flick had told the story and fielded all the questions. Now she braced for the reaction. Her mother said nothing, her brothers in-law seemed blank, and Vivian couldn’t close her mouth.

  Rushe had remained with Flick throughout the discussion. She’d begun by sitting at his side, but during a particularly heated exchange between her and her father about the truth of Antoine’s identity, Rushe had scooped her onto his knee, which actually helped to calm her.

  It was possible he’d sensed her imminent urge to get up and leave the room, because she’d been on the edge of her seat, bouncing, getting herself more and more worked up. At that point, Rushe had seized her hips, put her on his knee, and she’d been perched there ever since. Any initial surprise from the others in the room about this manoeuvre had long since subsided.

  ‘I know that it’s difficult to wrap your head around,’ Flick said. ‘But—‘

  ‘I’m not an idiot,’ Lucia snapped. ‘Antoine is a good man.’

  ‘Tell me one good thing he did,’ Flick said. The three couches in the room were arranged around the grand, gilded fireplace. She and Rushe occupied one, while the other two accommodated her parents and siblings, who each sat with their respective partners. ‘Just because he was smug and charming—‘

  ‘He knows his stuff,’ Roger piped up. ‘He understood the figures, the business contracts—‘

  ‘You’ve never heard of a crook who can read?’ Flick asked. ‘He’s dangerous.’

  ‘If he is dangerous,’ Lucia said. ‘Why didn’t you tell us this when you got here?’

  ‘I knew you wouldn’t want to believe me,’ Flick said. ‘I don’t exactly have a lot of credibility with you. We’ve never seen eye to eye. I didn’t know what his intention was. If I’d come to you with this tale while he was here calling me a liar, I’d never have been heard. You wanted him to be part of the company, but he’s not honest, Father. You have to trust me.’

  Rushe hadn’t said a word yet, not one single word. His hands slid around her hips and back to their previous position, which was his way of reassuring her and letting her know that she wasn’t alone.

  ‘This requires consideration,’ her father said with a deliberating look.

  ‘Charles,’ Beverly scolded, but he didn’t flinch.

  ‘These accusations are serious. Felicity can’t know all the details. There could be some sort of misunderstanding here. I can make some calls.’

  His eternal arrogance may actually be Flick’s friend now. Her father hadn’t outright dismissed her, or called her a liar, but he wouldn’t take her word for this. No doubt he thought she was being an irrational female and questioned the veracity of her claims, but the concept of being made a fool of would mortify him.

  Now that he’d had this brought to his attention, he couldn’t take the risk of ignoring it. If any of Flick’s accusations later turned out to be true, his youngest daughter couldn’t show him up. She couldn’t have known something that he didn’t. So Charles Hughes would do his investigating, Flick just wasn’t sure what that would show up.

  ‘You can’t be listening to this,’ Lucia said. ‘Antoine has been our friend, part of our family.’

  ‘What am I?’ Flick asked. ‘What would be my motivation for lying?’

  ‘Drama,’ Lucia sniped.

  Rushe’s fingers dug into her and Flick slid a hand down to cover his, hopefully soothing him.

  ‘If I wanted drama I could’ve taken off with this guy and never bothered any of you again.

  ‘You gave up Antoine to be with that guy?’ Lucia asked.

  ‘Actually, I gave up Rushe because Antoine forced me to. But I was always Rushe’s woman, and I always will be.’

  ‘What do you know about this man you are with now?’ Charles asked.

  She wished his question was out of fatherly concern, but Flick doubted that it was. ‘Everything I need to,’ Flick said. ‘Rushe is no threat to this family. He wants nothing from you.’

  ‘Except our youngest daughter,’ Beverly said, giving very little away.

  ‘I don’t belong to you,’ Flick said. ‘You cast me out, I wasn’t a daughter of this family when I met Rushe. This family was not a factor in his decision to be with me, unlike every single other man from my past.’

  ‘You apparently attract men with ulterior motives,’ Beverly said. ‘If your story is accurate.’

  ‘Like Robert,’ Flick said. ‘You wanted me to marry him because of what he could do for you.’

  ‘Is this your attempt at revenge?’ her mother asked.

  ‘No, I did as you wanted with Antoine, but I would not be violated. He wanted to manipulate all of you. We have to be united now, or he could hurt us, physically, he could attack us.’

  ‘You’re being dramatic again,’ Charles exhaled, displaying his impatience.

  ‘I’m trying to impress upon you how serious this is.’

  ‘The most volatile factor here, from what I have seen, is the man that you brought with you today,’ Charles said. ‘Why should we trust him?’

  ‘Rushe loves me, and he’d do anything to keep me safe and to keep me happy. It’s the only reason we’re here now, because he knows I value your safety.’

  ‘We cannot be sure he is reliable,’ Charles said. ‘That he will prioritise this family, or your wellbeing—‘

  ‘You owe him five million dollars, then,’ Flick said, silencing the room. ‘He paid the ransom that you refused to.’

  ‘He’s the guy who paid for your safety even after you were safe?’ Vivian recalled. As understanding settled over the room, even her mother loosened.

  Rushe’s hand pressed into her lower back, and then while maintaining the compression it ascended her spine. Flick pushed back in response against the heavy pressure of his possessive, yet calming, action.

  Charles would never understand Rushe’s logic, but Roger and Martin were piqued and almost seemed to lean as though to try and gape at her concealed lover.

  ‘Rushe isn’t on trial here, no one is,’ Flick said, when Rushe’s hand returned to her hip. ‘All I’m asking you to do is be on guard. Do your investigation, Father. But don’t trust Antoine, none of you, not Simone, or Jerome. Rushe and I will stay a day or two. We’ll answer your questions and be here in case there are any developments.’

  Flick would appreciate the chance to learn what her father found out, and if Antoine got back in touch she wanted to be here to defend her family, because they couldn’t possibly be prepared for what may come.

  Whatever investigation or plan Rushe had going on, Flick hoped that they could play their part from here. She didn’t want to be separated from her love, not when so much was at stake. While Jansen was out there, a variable hung in the air, but there was hope too. If he h
ad something that the Merciers were afraid of, then it could bust the case open.

  Flick was protected, Tawny too, but Serendipity was vulnerable, and Flick hoped that her actions hadn’t endangered the woman’s life. Serendipity had already endured so much.

  ‘Bed,’ Rushe said.

  It was still early and not yet time for bed. But Flick knew they had a lot to talk about, and Rushe probably wouldn’t be keen on the idea of them staying put here. Her family could use the time to process what she’d revealed, so it was best for her and her love to give them some space.

  ‘We’re going to rest,’ Flick said, taking hold of both of his hands. She stood and Rushe came to his feet behind her. ‘It’s been a long couple of days. You should all talk, come to terms with this change. Rushe and I aren’t going anywhere yet. If you have a problem or want us to leave, then say so now. Rushe and I are a package deal, we will not be parted. But we will not inconvenience you if we are not welcome.’

  Standing together, Flick and Rushe waited while all of their audience examined each other and then the couple.

  ‘Problem?’ Rushe’s word came at the same time he brought their still joined hands up and wrapped their arms around the front of her shoulders.

  ‘No,’ Charles said, making eye contact with Rushe for many lingering seconds.

  When her father looked to his glass, Rushe took Flick’s hand to his pocket, and led her out of the room.

  ‘I’ll get our things,’ he said when they reached the lobby, but Flick snatched his hand when he tried to go for the door.

  ‘Eight, two, five, eight,’ she said. ‘That’s the security code for the gate, but...’

  ‘But what?’

  Slinking in close, she encircled him in her arms. ‘Give the key to the steward, they’ll bring in the car and our things. Don’t leave me, Rushe.’

  ‘Ok, but business first,’ he said, reading her mind, because all she could think about was re-learning his mouth.

  ‘As long as we’re together, I’ll do anything, Lover.’