Absolute Betrayal

by Ronni Meyrick

  Gabby could see Stella was holding something in her arms and she was talking to someone. When Helen moved, she saw who it was and gasped as Stella briefly kissed her daughter on the lips. Carly was being held so delicately in Stella's arms and the little one was snuggled into them both.

  “Good afternoon, ladies.”

  Stella and Carly jumped at the sound of her voice and stared at the source. They both smiled at each other, and Stella placed another quick a kiss on Carly’s lips before patting George’s backside to get him to move.

  “Hi, Gabby, I'll leave you and Carly to talk in private.” She rose from the chair and took a step away.

  Gabby chuckled and rubbed her hands together. “I’d rather you stayed as I think there’s something you and Carly need to tell me.”

  Helen handed the tablet to Stella then took George’s hand and dragged him into the kitchen with her.

  Reclaiming her seat, Stella took Carly back into her arms, relishing the feel of her against her chest.

  George zoomed back into the room and jumped in front of them. He cutely waved at the screen. “Sorry, I forgot to say hi. My name is George.” He pointed cutely at Stella and nearly managed to poke her in the eye. “She’s my mum.”

  Gabby chuckled at his antics. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, George. I hope we can see you all when we arrive in a couple of weeks.”

  Carly sat up quickly. “You’re coming home?”

  Gabby’s gaze flicked between them as she tilted her head and grinned. “I’m sorry, I guess there are some things I’ve neglected to tell you. This is quite new to us both, I didn’t want to jinx anything by telling the world and her daughter about us.”

  “You haven’t told her anything about us?” Stella leaned closer and whispered to her.

  Carly shook her head. “I haven’t even mentioned my new job.”

  “What new job?” Gabby leant away from her computer screen. “Carly Louise, you’ve been keeping secrets again, and I don’t like it!”

  They heard a deep baritone voice behind Gabby, and soon a tall man with greying hair moved into the picture.

  Carly brightened and blew a kiss at the screen. “Hi, Dad.”

  At the sound of her voice, Russell Martin grinned and put his hands on his hips. “Hey, baby girl, I think you’ve some explaining to do.”

  Carly took a deep breath and snuggled closer to Stella, George jumped off them and ran back to join his grandma in the kitchen.

  It took Carly and Stella nearly half an hour to tell her parents everything that had changed in Carly’s life.

  Stella sat mesmerised as she saw a myriad of emotions change Carly’s parents’ features. That must be where she got the ability to drop into different emotions so quickly. Russell is a master of it and must have taught her everything.

  Gabby seemed to brighten with the news of their relationship and bounced a little in her chair as she watched George rush around behind them, stopping often to hug or kiss either of them. “I take it we have a new daughter and a precious grandson to welcome into the family?”

  Carly and Stella’s eyes widened, they locked, and held for several seconds of silence. “I…We…Mum…” Sighing heavily, Carly rubbed her right cheek. She leaned closer to Stella and put her mouth to her ear. “Mum is going to go mad with George, and they’ll spoil him rotten. I’m sorry.”

  “That’s okay.” Stella stroked Carly’s face with her fingertips before returning her attention to Carly’s parents. “I’d be honoured for you and Russell to think of George and me that way.”

  Carly’s mouth dropped open and her eyes bulged at Stella’s words.

  “I like Carly very much, and I want to explore everything with her at my side. I’d never deliberately hurt her, she’s a special woman with a wonderful heart and soul, and I promise to take good care of her.”

  Russell stared into Stella’s eyes through their devices to gauge her sincerity. “Thank God! Someone has finally realised what a catch she is.”

  Stella’s body sagged with relief as she settled back into the seat. “Yes, sir, and I’ll do everything in my power to ensure she knows how special she is.”

  Carly kissed her cheek and laid a hand over Stella’s heart. Stella covered her hand and was about to kiss her back when Gabby cleared her throat loudly.

  “Okay, ladies, we’ll see you in a week. Kiss George for us and tell him his new grandma and grandpa can’t wait to meet him, and we’re bringing him lots of presents from Spain.” Gabby’s eyes sparkled as she rubbed her hands together.

  Before the call was disconnected, George landed on top of Carly and placed both of his hands gently on her cheeks and kissed her on the nose. When she looked up, Carly could see the tears in her parents’ eyes.

  George waved manically at the screen. “Bye!”

  Once the device was turned off and George had returned to the kitchen, Stella hugged Carly to her chest and kissed her. Happiness filtered through Stella’s whole being, something about the dynamic, strong, redhead, melted her and broke down all her walls and inhibitions.

  The screen on Stella’s phone lit up with a picture of Claudia. Snagging it from the coffee table, she answered the call. “Hey, how are you and Trish today?”

  Carly felt Stella’s body jerk, the muscles underneath her grew tense, and Stella’s face became devoid of any colour. Her jaw tightened causing her teeth to grind against each other.

  “What’s going on?” She rubbed Stella’s jaw to lessen the tension.

  “Claudia, repeat that, I’m sure I misheard you.” Stella sat forward with Carly still in her arms. “Was anyone hurt?”

  Carly heard a muffled reply from the top end of the phone as Stella’s head fell into her hands and her shoulders slumped forward. “Okay, Mum is here with George. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  She disconnected the call and tossed her phone with all her might into the sofa cushions a few metres away across the room.

  “What’s going on now?” Carly rubbed the back of Stella’s neck, attempting to massage some of the new tension out of them.

  “I need to get to Birmingham as soon as I can. Claudia went up to meet with the office in charge of the narcotics division, and while she was at the station…” She gulped and shook her head from side to side. I can’t believe this! “There was an incident at the club. It’s gone…there’s only rubble and the foundation left.”

  Carly surged from Stella’s lap and grabbed at her head as a sharp pain shot through it. “Fucking hell! What happened?”

  Stella’s eyes darkened as she surged to her feet. “I’m not sure.” She ran into the kitchen and grabbed her mother’s arm. “Mum, I need you to stay here with George.”

  Helen placed a calming hand on her shoulder. “I heard you on the phone. Go. He’s safe here with me.”

  Carly finally caught up to Stella; she had both of their jackets in her hands and was stomping her feet into a pair of Stella’s oversized trainers. “I’m coming with you.”

  Stella opened her mouth to protest, but Carly held a hand up stopping her.

  “Don’t argue with me. I’m coming with you. If you don’t take me with you, I’ll only find my own way there!”

  Stella’s shoulders fell. “Okay, you win.”

  Carly tossed Stella her car keys. “If we leave now, we can be there in a couple of hours. Let’s go.”

  Stella slipped her arms into her jacket and kissed George on the head. “We’ll be back as soon as we can. Be good for grandma.”

  Carly walked briskly back into the room and kissed him. “Lego time this weekend, buddy.”

  His squeal rang in their ears as they hurried outside and jumped into the car. The tyres spun on the gravel as Stella threw it into gear and they tore out of the driveway.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Stella pulled the car to a stop a street away from the club. She’d tried to get them closer, but the whole area had been sealed off while the emergency crews still worked. She jumped from the car
and ran around to help Carly out.

  “Go.” Carly waved her off with her hand. “I’ll catch you up.”

  Stella placed a soft kiss on her lips before running down the road they’d just driven up. As she rounded the corner onto Broad Street, she saw Claudia’s tall frame and long blonde hair above the spectators gathered. “Claudia!” She ran towards her best friend but was stopped at a police cordon. “I own the club. Let me through.”

  “She’s fine.” Claudia tapped the young police officer on the arm.

  Stella turned back to him as she crossed to Claudia’s side. “My business manager will be here in a couple of minutes, her name is Carly Martin, please let her through.” Stella tugged Claudia into her arms and hugged her hard. “I’m glad you’re okay, and I’ve been thanking the maker that you weren’t in there.” Tears slid down her cheeks as the relief of holding Claudia broke her bravado.

  “Trust me…I’ve been thanking her, too.” Claudia slipped her arm into Stella’s and guided her closer to the carnage.

  Stella’s mouth fell open as what was left of the club came into view. The ground was littered with pieces of metal, splinters of wood, and shards of glass. Soot still filtered in the air around them. As Stella tip-toed her way through the debris, she covered her face with the sleeve of her jacket. “Can they tell what happened yet?”

  “Yes, but there’s a lot more you need to know as well.” Claudia pointed to the fire chief who was in full protective gear with a white helmet perched on his head. She glanced up as she saw Carly at the police line and raised her hand to wave at the officer preventing her from entering. “Damn she looks rough.”

  “Please don’t mention that to her. She knows how bad she looks already and could do without hearing it again.” Stella turned in time to take Carly into her arms.

  “Bloody hell, it looks like a fucking warzone.” Carly took Stella’s hand then leant over and kissed Claudia on the cheek. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

  “Thanks, honey.” Claudia sniffed back a tear as she turned and motioned the fire chief over with her hand. “Chief Ramsey, this is the owner Stella Williams and her business manager, Carly Martin.”

  The chief held his hand out to Stella. “Thank you for getting here so quickly.” He shook Carly’s hand and recoiled as he saw her injury.

  Stella stepped in quickly before he could ask any questions. “Can you tell us what happened here?”

  He sighed as he watched another body bag being loaded into the back of an ambulance. “From eyewitness reports, a woman in an SUV drove straight through the glass doors, and the explosion followed a few seconds afterwards. We’re gathering as much evidence as we can, the foundation stinks of petrol, and we found a cigarette butt next to the burnt-out wreck of the car, so we think the explosion was intentional. The petrol along with the pressurised kegs and boxes of spirits in the stock room was the cause of the explosion.”

  Stella felt Carly’s legs weaken at the news, wrapped her arm around her shoulders, and held her close to her side. “How many people have been injured?”

  “So far, we have fifteen injured and eighteen people dead. The fatalities were people gawking at the club when the car entered, and they were caught by large flying pieces of debris. The driver of the car also died.” He shuddered and glanced at the burnt out wreck.

  A fireman jogged over to them and handed Chief Ramsey a clipboard. “Sir, we’ve got a result from the partial vin plate we found.”

  Chief Ramsey eyed the paperwork in front of him. “Okay, it looks like the car was registered to a Ms. Delia Wilkinson. Is that name familiar with any of you?”

  Claudia and Carly reached out and steadied Stella as she wobbled on her legs and was lowered to sit on the kerbside.

  “We know her. She was the manager of the club until yesterday when she was fired. The police arrested her after an altercation here. How the hell did she get out? “Hang on, I’ll get some answers.” Carly turned on her heals and approached the familiar police officer who controlled the crowd of people behind a corden.

  Claudia waited with Stella and the chief as Carly strode purposefully over to the tall officer that was holding the crowd back. “Oh, lord, she’d going to rip him a new butthole.”

  The conversation was heated, and Carly’s arms moved manically through the air as she stared the officer down. When he shrugged his shoulder, she threw her hands in the air and stormed back to them. “Apparently she made bail late last night.”

  Stella put her head in her hands. “Why weren’t we informed?”

  Claudia groaned and hung her head. “I rejected a call on my mobile at two o’clock this morning. I wonder if that was them, but surely they would’ve phoned back.” Her shoulders straightened, and she squeezed Stella’s hand hard before releasing it. “I’ve got this, and I’ll have an answer from the police by tonight.”

  Chief Ramsey took Claudia’s place and helped Stella to her feet. “Until the investigation teams are finished there’s nothing else I can tell you. We’ve brought in lights so we can continue to sift through the remainder of the carnage, and I’ll hopefully have an answer for you by tomorrow afternoon.”

  Stella kept shaking her head, her eyes were unfocused and her pallor grey. Carly took her arm and slipped it over her shoulders. “Okay, what do you need from us?”

  He sighed and rubbed his chin. “There’s nothing at the moment. However, I suggest that neither of you drive, you’re not in any fit state. Book into a hotel for the night, and by tomorrow, I’ll have a report written up for you with the findings your insurance company is going to want to see.”

  “Thank you, Chief.” Carly held her hand out for him to shake and then stumbled away to find Claudia while still supporting Stella.

  Claudia slipped in on Stella’s other side. “Someone at the police station dropped the ball last night and forgot to make another call to me this morning. What did Chief Ramsey say?”

  “Help me get Stella to the car, and I’ll explain while we walk.” Carly tightened her hold on Stella’s hips and told Claudia what he’d said. “I need to get us booked in somewhere for the night and pick some clothes and things up for us. There’s no way she can drive home tonight, and I’m operating on one eye, which rules me out driving anything but small routes. Besides, we’re going to have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”

  “Stella isn’t going to be able to do anything today. I think the best thing we can do is find a hotel and get her to lie down. We can brainstorm about how to proceed, and I’ll go out and get you both some clothes while you stay with her.” Claudia reached into the back pocket of Stella’s jeans and pulled out her car keys.

  After Stella was secured into the front passenger seat, they loaded into the car, and Claudia drove them to the nearest hotel.

  Carly’s tired sigh filled the car, and she growled out in exasperation. “I want to rub my face, but I can’t!” Her head jerked up, and her gaze met Claudia’s in the rear-view mirror. “I need to call Helen as soon as we’ve found somewhere to stay. She’ll only worry about us until we check in, and I need to ask her to have George for the night on Stella’s behalf.”

  She snatched a bottle of water from the seat next to her and reached into her small backpack for some pain killers.

  “My head is throbbing, but there’s too much to do for me to give in. I’ll rest later when we have everything in place.”

  ***

  Several bags from a few different clothing stores lay strewn in a corner of Stella’s and Carly’s room. Stella slept soundly on the bed as Carly and Claudia sat at the table with their phones at their ears and pieces of papers littering the top in front of them.

  “Oh, okay, I’m sorry you feel that way, but if you feel you can no longer work for us, then I wish you well in whatever your future holds for you.” Carly put the phone down and sighed, and her head lolled back and she groaned. “That was the fourth member of staff to quit. If we were not offering to support them while the club is rebuilt, I could u
nderstand them jumping ship. But this is utter madness.”

  Claudia winked as she continued with her own call. “That’s fantastic, we can meet you on site tomorrow morning to go through everything we’ll need. Yes, thank you once again, Mr. Fellows.”

  Carly’s eyebrow rose, and she winced in pain. “Damn it, I keep forgetting I can’t do that. I take it you’ve fared better than I have?”

  Carly rose from her chair and crossed to the mini-fridge and retrieved two bottles of water. “Chief Ramsey said the investigation is going to take longer as the police have been to Delia’s flat and found other evidence that’ll need to be considered in his final report. The contractor Stella used on her last property development up here is going to meet us onsite in the morning. I hope Stella’s recovered enough to talk to him.”

  “It was the shock of hearing everything all at once.” The rustle of the duvet drew their attention to then bed. “After something to eat, a good stiff drink, and more sleep, I’ll be back to normal.”

  Carly flew from her chair and ran across the room. When she reached the bed, she lay down with Stella and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “Glad you could join us. Claudia and I have been busy while you’ve slept.”

  Stella’s arms wrapped around Carly, and she buried her nose into the comforting scent of her hair. “I heard, and whatever is left to be done can be sorted from London the day after tomorrow. We’ll meet the builder then head home. We both need to rest, you more than me. I haven’t forgotten you’ve still got a head injury.”

  Carly’s smile was sheepish as she rubbed her uninjured cheek on Stella’s t-shirt. “I called your mum, and she was eager that we get home as soon as we can. She’s worried about us all. She’s staying at your house tonight to look after George.”

  “Thanks, I’m sure she would’ve driven my dad mad until one of us called.” With a final kiss to Carly’s forehead, she untangled the smaller woman from her arms and sat up in bed. Her gaze instantly settled on the amused smirk on Claudia’s face. “What?”