“Time for a coffee?” Dominic smiled.
“Yeah, we may as well. Once the women start gassing we could be here all day.”
“Don’t you think you’d better get dressed first?” Dominic smirked.
Nathan chuckled. “Summer was going to wear it home,” he explained, holding up the bag of dirty clothes.
Dominic nodded. “The car’s just outside. I’ll go put these in the trunk while you go in.”
“Cheers, buddy.” Nathan handed back the keys and the two bags.
He knocked on the side room door before going in. He could hear them chattering away from outside.
“Hey, I thought you might have finished with my shirt.” He was pleased to see that Summer looked a little sad to return it to him.
“Thanks anyway,” she said with a small smile.
“We’re just going to grab a coffee while you finish up,” he told them.
“We won’t be long. They can follow you down,” the nurse said. Nathan noticed that she had another of those counseling leaflets in her hand and retreated gratefully.
“I’ve got some news,” Dominic confided as they sat in the hospital cafeteria drinking coffee. It was midmorning and the place was jumping. “That club Summer was working at was a strip joint.”
Nathan stared at him as a cold lump sank in his stomach. “What in hell was she doing there?” He hardly dared ask.
Dominic shook his head. “It’s all very hush-hush. No one will tell me.”
Nathan sighed. “Well, I’ll have to ask her then.” He took another sip of his coffee.
“I presume that must have been what the asshole was trying to threaten her about. He hoped she’d lose her job once we found out.” Dominic sat back casually in his chair, frowning at a dirty mark on his cup.
“Heh! He doesn’t know us, does he?” Nathan smirked.
Dominic grinned. “If the sight of a naked woman was going to shock us we’d have no dang staff.”
Nathan chuckled, recalling the sight of Summer naked. She was absolutely gorgeous.
“Hey, they’re here.” Dominic drank the rest of his coffee as he stood up.
“All ready,” Heaven announced with a smile.
Summer looked a little nervous and very fragile. She had obviously just taken a shower, as she looked refreshed and her hair was still damp. Nathan stood up and put an arm around her. He felt her warm body snuggle into his and grinned.
“Time to get you home, sugar.”
She looked up at him and nodded gratefully.
“Well, thanks for all your help, you two. I really appreciate it.” Nathan shook Dominic’s hand and gave Heaven a small peck on the cheek as they went their separate ways.
The journey home was quiet, and Nathan noticed Summer’s big, sad eyes gazing out of the window.
“You OK, sugar?”
She turned back to him, and he noticed her eyes looked watery. “I’m fine,” she told him with a weak smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“Tired?”
“A little.”
“Too tired to talk?”
The atmosphere in the car suddenly turned to ice. Summer’s eyes shot back to the road, and her muscles tensed instantly.
“The cops’re coming over later to talk to you,” he told her slowly.
“I’m not a whore,” she blurted out as tears streamed down her pale cheeks.
“I know that, sugar.” Nathan placed a hand on hers and felt her shivering. She was dressed in jeans and a shirt, and it was quite a warm day, but the poor girl was like an iceberg.
She looked up at him gratefully, her eyes wide. “Really? You didn’t believe him?”
Nathan shook his head. “He’s an asshole.”
He watched her snigger and noticed the relief sweep across her face as her body began to relax.
He pulled up on the drive and quickly went around to help her out of the car. He grabbed her stuff from the trunk and went inside. He went to make lunch as Summer went straight to the utility to wash her clothes. The poor thing seemed so embarrassed about being sick. Nathan reckoned she must have been terrified to throw up like that.
She came back into the kitchen as he placed some ham-filled baguettes and salad on the table.
“Heaven and Dominic even got the food in,” Nathan said as they sat down.
“They’ve brought everything over from my apartment,” Summer said in a small voice.
Nathan felt his stomach churn. “Are you OK with that? We thought you wouldn’t want to go back there after what happened, and it’s not secure anyhow.” He took a bite of his bread as he studied her. He could almost see the cogs turning in her head as she considered what he said.
“That’s real kind.” She smiled and helped herself to salad.
“Summer, if you want to go back there you can, but I’d like to get a few security measures in place first. The doc reckons you need looking after for a few days, so I thought it best to bring you back here, for a while at least. You can take your time and consider what to do next.” He placed a hand on hers and felt her relax a little more.
“It’s real nice of you to let me stay here, but I still need to get to work. Will I be able to get a bus from here?” She frowned, and he could see that she was working everything through in her head.
“You won’t be working for a few days, sugar. You need to rest. After that we’ll figure something out.” He felt his jaw clench as he watched her expression, half expecting her to object. She didn’t disappoint.
“I’m fine, really. I don’t have another shift until tomorrow anyway, and I’ll have had a good rest by then. I need this job, Nathan. I’m relying on the income.”
“Why do you need it so badly?” He took another drink of his coffee, studying her face.
She sighed, as if weighing up whether or not to tell him. “I have debts to pay.”
“Your debts or Cromer’s?”
“That’s debatable, but actually they’re in my name so legally they’re mine. I’ve tried arguing about it, but it’s no good.” She bit her lip. “If I can just get a few more shifts at the restaurant it’ll enable me to cover my current rent and bills as well as make inroads into the other stuff. It’s accruing interest, so I’ve got to get it paid off as soon as possible.”
He could see that she had it all sorted out in her head and wouldn’t welcome any interference, but he was going to have to try.
“What sort of debts are they? Bank? Credit cards? Loans?” He stared at her face as a myriad of emotions passed over it. She clearly didn’t want to tell him.
“There’s various ones. I’m hoping I won’t have to pay Ross now that the police have got him, although it’s possible he’ll have friends who might come looking for the payment.”
“You bought drugs off the guy?” Nathan had a sick feeling in his gut. He knew she was no junkie, but Alex Ross was a well-known dealer even in these parts.
She shook her head. “No, Colin Cromer bought the drugs. He started off working for the guy and then ended up using the stuff himself. When he couldn’t pay up he told Ross that I’d pay.”
Nathan felt a wrench in his stomach. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I wanted to live. Colin was a real violent bastard. I couldn’t exactly refuse. That’s why I worked four jobs at once, just trying to keep him happy while I figured out a way out of there.” She took another drink of her coffee, and Nathan could see that she was fighting back tears.
“And one of those jobs was in a strip joint?”
He watched as sadness cloaked her face, and she blushed slightly. “Yes. I was a pole dancer. I didn’t do lap dances or private shows or have sex with the clients; I just danced on a podium. I needed the money.” She sighed.
Nathan squeezed her hand gently. “Why didn’t you just leave him?”
“I did. It made things ten times worse. He’s got contacts everywhere—or Ross has. When he caught up with me he beat me black and blue. He told me I owed him.”
Just then the doorbell rang and Summer jumped, panic spreading across her face. Nathan rubbed her hand with his. “That’ll be the cops. Finish your lunch.”
He was pleased to see Steve Ratner standing on his doorstep, along with one of his colleagues.
“Come on in. We’re just finishing up lunch,” Nathan told them with a smile. “She’s a little fragile, so go easy, buddy.” He murmured into Steve’s ear, and the big cop nodded with a smile.
“We won’t take long. Those bastards were singing like blue jays down at the station. It’s amazing what they’ll do when they’re desperate for their next fix.” Steve shook his head as they went into the kitchen.
Nathan made the introductions and offered the cops some coffee while they all sat around the table.
“Summer’s worried that Ross is going to send his heavies around to collect payment for Cromer’s debts,” Nathan announced as he piled up the plates.
Steve shook his head, smiling. “You’ve got nothing to worry about there, darlin’,” he assured her. “We had a good look through the contacts on that phone you gave us. I’d be surprised if there’s any of Ross’s gang not in a cell as we speak. Oh, and talking of Cromer’s debts, here’s the ten dollars he took from your bank account.”
Summer sighed and smiled gratefully at the cop. “Thank you.”
“Hey, we’ve been after that load of scum for a while now. Thought they’d made their way up the coast. You managed to hand them to us on a plate, so it’s us who need to be thanking you.” Steve gave her a shit-eating grin and a wink.
“So, am I safe now?” Summer’s voice was small and weak, and Nathan couldn’t resist placing his hand over hers again. She looked so vulnerable and scared, it made his gut twist.
“You’re with me now, sugar. Of course you’re safe.” He watched her give him a shy smile and felt a glow inside his stomach.
Steve nodded. “You need to listen to him, darlin’. They’re out of the way now. You can get on and enjoy your life without looking over your shoulder.”
She nodded.
“There’s just one or two questions the officer needs to ask you about Cromer, if that’s all right?” Steve asked with a reassuring smile.
“Of course.” Summer managed a weak smile back while Nathan and Steve left them at the table.
“What do you think?” Nathan murmured once they were at the far end of the large kitchen.
“That bastard’s given her a hell of a ride. Threatened her with all sorts of shit. No wonder she was scared sick of him,” Steve confided.
Nathan gritted his teeth. “Just give me two minutes alone with him, buddy.”
Steve smirked, and Nathan knew he felt the same way. “Wish I could, bud. Heck, I’d give you a hand.”
They both sniggered.
“Is she in any danger now?” Nathan murmured.
Steve sighed. “I don’t think so, but best be vigilant for a while, just in case any more scum come crawling out of the woodwork. We’ve got the ringleaders, anyhow.”
The police officer gestured to his boss, and he and Nathan went back to the table.
“Miss Marsden’s concerned about how they came to find her. Apparently a female at the club was seeing one of Ross’s associates and tipped them off.”
Nathan felt his blood run cold. “A member of the staff?” He stared at Summer. She looked nervous.
“That’s what Colin said.”
“That’s interesting. Have they hired any other new staff lately?” Steve asked Nathan.
Searching his brain, Nathan could come up with nothing. He would know of any changes in staff because of the wages, but he couldn’t recall anyone. He shook his head. “We always check out new staff thoroughly. We’d know if they had any unsavory connections.”
Summer stared at him. “You check out who staff hang out with? Is that legal?” She looked horrified, and he couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for her. She must have been feeling betrayed.
“We don’t stalk them or anything. We just have inside information about who staff associate with. It’s a security measure for the club. If one of the staff is seeing one of Ross’s men they’ve either just started a new relationship or they’ve done a damn good job in hiding it.” He frowned. Nathan didn’t like to think of any of the staff being dishonest, especially in this sort of matter.
“So how come you didn’t know about me?” Summer’s chin jutted out, and she appeared a little defiant and annoyed.
“It takes us a short while to get that sort of information together,” Nathan explained. “We know who the local undesirables are and who they hang out with. We didn’t expect Ross to be back in the area. He obviously wasn’t until they followed you here. Dominic Ray’s a shrewd judge of character though. He can usually tell straight away if someone’s trouble or not. He had a good feeling about you. You wouldn’t have got the job otherwise.”
He was surprised to see a flash of anger in Summer’s eyes, which she quickly averted.
“We’ll get over to the club now,” Steve said, tucking his notebook into his breast pocket. “HR should know if there’s been any change in anyone’s circumstances. I’ll keep my ear to the ground.”
Nathan saw them out while Summer tidied the kitchen.
“Are you OK, sugar?” Nathan wandered back into the kitchen to find Summer staring out of the window.
She jumped when she heard him, and he cursed himself for frightening her. He walked over slowly and put his arms around her waist. “You look tired. Why don’t you go take a nap?” he murmured into her ear as the smell of her honey shampoo wafted delicately into his face.
“I think the counselor’s coming by today,” she said quietly.
“OK. I’ll be here,” he assured her.
“You don’t have to go to work today?” She frowned.
“I might drop by the office later. But I won’t be leaving you on your own, so don’t you worry about that.”
Summer nodded and went to the bedroom.
Nathan felt his stomach churn. She was still in danger, and she obviously realized it, despite what Steve Ratner had said. He seethed. Hadn’t she been through enough already?
CHAPTER TEN
The next few days passed really slowly for Summer. Nathan lavished lots of care on her and held her every night when they were in bed together. She was surprised how easy he was to talk to, and she felt relieved to explain about her past and her terrifying relationship with Colin Cromer. She could tell Nathan was seething when she told him what it had been like, and he held her even tighter and assured her that it was all over now.
She had met a counselor, Becky Truman, who had been to visit her every day, and had told her how Colin had made her feel and the horrors she had been threatened with for not complying with his wishes. It helped, a little.
Nathan had even got a lawyer friend of his to come and take details about the credit card Colin had run up in her name. He was confident that she wasn’t liable for the debt and had assured her that Colin Cromer would be facing up to his own responsibility. And facing charges for fraud at the same time.
“Heaven’s here,” Nathan told her as she sat in the garden, enjoying the late afternoon sun.
Summer smiled. Heaven had been to see her every day since she had come home and was great company. She was full of funny stories about the club and had Summer in stitches most of the time. It had enabled Nathan to go into work for a few hours at a time, as he kept his promise of never leaving her alone.
“Hi, you’re looking better,” Heaven told her with a big smile.
“I am. I’ll be going back to work, soon.” Summer was feeling really buoyant today. “And guess what? Nathan’s got me an interview with the finance director for the clerk’s job. Apparently the guy’s really flexible and is happy to see me as soon as I’m up to it.” She beamed.
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“That’s great,” Heaven said, smiling first at her and then at Nathan.
“Beats that crummy grocery store anyway,” Nathan murmured. “By the way, where was that place, again?”
Summer giggled. She had told them both the story of her dreadful induction into the life of a shelf-stacker, and they’d had a good laugh about it. “It was a Ms. Powell, and it was just near the bus stop in Clifford Street. It’s filthy though. Don’t buy anything from there whatever you do!”
Nathan snorted. “Don’t worry about that, sugar. I don’t intend to.”
“Oh, but I heard the floor’s really clean,” Heaven piped up, and they all burst out laughing.
Nathan went to answer the phone while the girls chatted.
“Do you know when you’ll be coming back to the restaurant? We could do with some excitement around the place,” Heaven asked, slumping into the rattan chair next to Summer.
“Tomorrow, I hope. Nathan said I might be able to see about the finance job and just pop my head in to see you all. I’m not allowed to start in the restaurant for a day or two though. Dominic doesn’t want me working near the food so soon after being sick.”
“Yeah, Dominic’s a bit of a stickler for the rules,” Heaven said, thoughtfully.
“You like him, don’t you?” Summer narrowed her eyes while she studied her friend.
Heaven grinned. “Not in the way you mean. He’s more like a brother to me than anything else. We’ve known each other for a quite a while.”
Summer pouted. She had hoped for some romantic gossip about the two of them.
“But at least he’s not married!” Heaven pointed out, setting them both off into fits of giggles again.
“Good news.” Nathan returned with a tray of cold drinks. “Master Steve said they’ve made eleven arrests so far, and they expect to make even more when they’ve followed up a few more leads.”
Waiting on Summer Page 12
