by Lily Harlem
“But?”
He reached for his rucksack and shrugged it on. His movements were swift and purposeful as he pulled on his black gloves.
I suppressed a cry of desperation. He was leaving. He was leaving me in this state.
How could he?
He suddenly stilled and turned, his face softening. “You fill my thoughts, Penny. My body wants you like I’ve never wanted anyone else. But you know how I feel about James and finding him justice. That has to take priority over our physical satisfaction.”
“But, but I would still help you and James if you untied me and fucked me.”
He tensed his jaw and shoved his hand through his floppy hair. “I’m sure you would, but let’s just say this is an extra little guarantee I’m giving myself, and James.”
He reached for the curtains and flung them open. With a flick of his wrist the window was wide too.
“Make it happen, Penny,” he said, a cocky smile dancing on his handsome face. “Make it happen so when I see you next I can make you fly as high as a bird. I promise it will be worth the effort and the wait.” He blew a kiss my way.
I jerked my shoulders and banged my body against the chair. For a brief second I thought about screaming and summoning Roger. Dobbing Ty in, the arrogant bastard. But only for a second, because the sight of Ty’s long, athletic body ducking out the window and jumping onto a thick branch through the darkness did funny things to my insides.
Is he real or is this another dream after all?
No, despite his superhero stunts, the ache in my clit and the moisture seeping onto the gusset of my knickers let me know he’d really been there. He’d teased me in the most cruel of ways and left me hanging on a precipice that no amount of masturbation would cure.
I hated him, I loved him. I needed him so bad and I wished he would fall out of the tree and break his damn legs.
Because tomorrow, tomorrow when my father saw that photo, sparks would fly. And if I wanted what I was due, I was going to have to do everything in my power to get Dad to stop off in Thailand.
My sanity depended upon it.
Even if it was for all the wrong reasons.
Chapter Five
I gave Ty half an hour to get away before I shouted for Roger. I called for five minutes until Tara banged on the wall to see what was going on.
“Get the policeman, get Roger,” I bellowed, trying to instill a suitable amount of panic into my voice.
“Oh shit,” she shouted back. I heard the thud of footsteps and doors slamming.
Roger didn’t even bother knocking, he just shouldered his way in. Splintering the door from its hinges and sending the lock pinging across the room.
“Ah, fuck,” he said, his face paling when he saw me tied to the chair in my underwear.
“What on earth?” Tara said as Nat and Jane joined her in the doorway.
“Oh shit, has he been here?” Nat gasped.
I’d had to explain Roger’s presence so they all knew about my crazy stalker.
“Yes, yes,” I said and started to cry. But not out of fear or upset, out of sheer frustration. “He’s gone, he threatened me.” I looked at Roger through bleary eyes. “I couldn’t shout for you until I was sure he’d left. He said if he heard my voice he would come back and…” My voice dissolved into sobs.
Nat rushed forward, arms outstretched.
“No.” Roger’s voice was loud and firm. “This is a crime scene, get out.”
“But look at her, she’s been stripped to her underwear and she’s terrified,” Jane said, pointing at me. Her eyes were wide and her normally neat hair sticking up wildly.
Roger stepped behind me, undid the binding at my wrists, then went to the open window, cell phone at his ear.
I stood and rushed to the girls, who wrapped me in their arms and within seconds had a robe around me and were steering me into Nat’s room. I was upset and teary but didn’t trust myself to say much about Ty for fear I would slip up. Reveal something that would give a clue to the fact that my kidnapper had become my obsession, and whenever he left there was a big gaping hole in my world.
A hole that no one else could fill.
*
“How the hell could this have happened?” Dad’s voice raged from his office.
Mum passed me another cup of extra-sweet tea as Roger answered, his voice muffled through the drawing room wall. He wasn’t shouting the way Dad was.
“I’ll tell you, heads will roll for this, your head. I only let her go because I thought you would be watching her 24/7, and then just like that he shimmies in through her window. What is he, some kind of bloody Spider-Man?”
There was a pause.
“And this sick fucking photo.”
Mum pursed her lips as Dad’s bad language vibrated through the house. I cast my eyes downward and wriggled my toes in my stripy socks. Dad had been ranting for over an hour. Ever since the police had delivered me home.
The photograph had already been in the outside mailbox, and Dad was shown it at the same time I walked through the door so he knew I was okay despite the shocking state of me on the picture.
With thick, gray duct tape over my mouth, my chopped hair mussed and wearing just my bra and knickers, I looked every bit the kidnap victim tied to the chair in my small, dimly lit room. The newspaper headline was easy to read; easier to read than my eyes, I hoped, because my eyes contained a mixture of lust, frustration and longing. I could only pray that people would see the heightened intensity of my gaze and believe it to be terror, not that I was looking at the man who was the center of all my erotic fantasies and the focus of every beat of my heart.
“Biscuit?” Mum asked, offering forward a plate of custard creams.
I shook my head and put my tea on the low table, pulled my black sweater over my hands and folded my arms across my chest. I knew what I had to do but I didn’t fancy my chances with the mood Dad was in. Persuading him to stop over in Thailand to look into James’ case didn’t seem likely.
The office door swung open and Dad stormed into the hallway. Roger and two uniformed officers trailed behind him.
“And don’t come back and tell me forensics can’t find any prints,” Dad said with an impatient flick of his hand. “He must have slipped up and touched something. There must be some DNA we can find to nail the bastard.”
I swallowed tightly and a tremble invaded my spine. Ty certainly had touched something without his gloves on. But unless they dusted my pussy for prints or swabbed my clit for drops of his saliva, they weren’t likely to come up with anything.
The front door opened and closed as the policemen let themselves out. Dad strode into the drawing room, headed straight over to the drinks cabinet and poured a generous whiskey.
“Richard, it is really rather early,” Mum said, scowling at the tumbler of amber liquid.
“I couldn’t give a flying…monkeys,” Dad said, knocking back half of his drink in one go.
“Dad,” I said. “I’m okay, really. It was horrible but I’m fine.”
“I said this would happen, didn’t I? This was why I didn’t want you to go back to Oxford while he was still on the loose. I had a bad feeling about it and my feelings were right, weren’t they? You should have stayed here, with us, where you’re safe.”
He sat on the sofa opposite Mum and rested his forearms on his knees. His brow was creased with worry and there was a rise of color on his cheekbones. “There is only one thing for it, Penny. You will have to stay here and do your studies. Clearly I cannot let you out of my sight.”
Mum placed her hand on my back and rubbed a gentle circle.
Slowly and resignedly, I nodded. “Okay,” I said quietly. “I’ll stay here.”
Dad knocked back the rest of his whiskey. “Yes, yes you will.”
*
I didn’t mind being at home now that it was part of a grand plan. A plan Ty had come up with. And the more I hung around, studying, eating Mum’s wholesome food and watching the so
aps, the easier it was to judge Dad’s moods as he came and went between home and Westminster, which meant the easier it was to judge the best moment to bring up the subject of James again.
On the fifth day, three days after Dad had the news there’d been no fingerprints left in my room and exploded again, I found an opportunity to broach the subject.
Poking my head around the door to his study, I saw him sitting on his long, brown leather sofa with several files spread at his side. “I’m off to bed now,” I said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
He slipped off his glasses and glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner. “Goodness, is it that time already?”
I nodded.
“Come in, sweetheart. I’m afraid I’ve been too busy today to even have a minute with you.” He scooped his paperwork into a pile, dropped it on the floor and laid his glasses on the occasional table next to him.
I walked in and sat close. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and hugged me. He’d been extra affectionate these last few days. I enjoyed it. His time had always been limited—the hours, minutes and even seconds in his life scheduled for important things, things that didn’t include me.
“Are you feeling okay?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“No nightmares or anything?”
“No, I’m sleeping well. I feel safe here.”
“You are.”
We were quiet for a moment, just the self-important ticking of the clock invading the silence.
“Are you still going away next week?” I asked.
“Yes, Beijing and then on to Tokyo. I’ll only be gone five nights though.”
“Oh.”
“Why? Is there a problem, Penny?”
“Well, you know this case. James Hill?”
He tensed and his fingertips pressed into my arm. “Yes.”
“It was just that I was thinking earlier that there could be a way to bring an end to this awful situation.”
“Go on.” His voice was an octave lower than a few seconds ago. I’d shaken him from his relaxed state by bringing up the subject of James Hill.
“I thought that maybe if you…” I pushed myself up so I could see his face. “If you looked into the case, perhaps even stopped off in Thailand, then maybe this, this thug who keeps harassing me will get off my back and I can get on with my life.”
He tensed his jaw and lowered his brows. “That’s out of the question, Penny, and well you know it.”
“No, Dad, I don’t know it. All I know is it feels like I’m being punished for something I haven’t done. I want to be at university, studying and having fun like all the other girls are doing.”
“I will not be held to ransom.”
“Not even for me?”
“He hasn’t got you, you’re here. At present he has nothing to hold to ransom, he has no bargaining power and I intend for it to stay that way.”
“But how long will this go on? I can’t remain indoors forever and these trials and sentences can go on for decades.”
“The police will catch up with him eventually.”
“No, they won’t, they have no clues, none whatsoever. How will they find him?”
Dad sighed and pulled me to him again. I settled my ear on his chest and listened to the thudding of his heart. I hated putting him through this, but if it hadn’t been for his position in the cabinet then Ty never would have hunted me down in the first place.
“This man is no more than a terrorist,” Dad said in a low voice. “A violent, immoral thug, and I can’t bow to that kind of intimidation. It sets a precedent for a hundred thousand other scenarios.”
“But what if you did it on the quiet, so the media weren’t involved?”
“How can I do that? How can I look into just one case?”
“If you stopped in Thailand and spoke to their foreign minister, explained the UK’s different classification of drugs and offered them something in return.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know, you’re the politician.”
He rubbed his palm up my arm. “I’m not sure, Penny. It’s an abuse of power.”
“But it’s that very power that has put us in this situation, Dad. How can it be an abuse to use it to sort this out?”
He swallowed tightly, making a small gulping sound. I sensed he was thinking about what I was saying. It was time for the cherry on the top of my suggestion. I sat forward and took his hand. “Perhaps we could all go, make it a family trip. Haven’t you always wanted to go to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok? It would be fun, you, me and Mum, together.”
He tightened his lips. “Mmm.”
“When did we last take a family trip? Nice meals, sightseeing. Mum and I can shop while you’re in meetings and to top it all off, a quick stopover in Thailand will mean when we come back this could all be over.”
“It’s very short notice for your mother. You know how she gets about packing.”
“It’s fine, I’m here to help her.” I grinned. “It would be just what we need, real quality time after the awfulness we’ve been through.”
His face softened and my heart swelled with hope.
“I’ll think about,” he said.
“Oh Dad, thanks. You won’t regret it.”
“I haven’t said yes yet.”
I pressed a kiss to his cheek and grinned. “No, but you will.” I stood with renewed bounce and went toward the door. “Love you, see you in the morning,” I said over my shoulder.
He chuckled. “Penny…”
I paused and turned, my hand resting on the doorframe. “Yes.”
“You’ll make one hell of a lawyer one day, you know that.”
Chapter Six
We flew first class but it was still exhausting. By the time we reached the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok all I wanted to do was fall into a deep sleep even though it was just gone midday.
At seven o’clock, Mum called from their room two doors away and told me to get up and dressed for dinner.
I shuffled around the opulent bathroom in a bleary state, sorting through revive and refresh lotions that had been handed out on the flight. After rooting through my suitcase, I settled on a short black dress with thin shoulder straps, high black sandals and a long silver chain that looped several times around my neck. My eyes didn’t look too bloodshot after I’d treated them to “miraculously awake eye drops”.
Five minutes later I was tapping over the marble floor of the lobby feeling just about human and decidedly hungry.
“Oh darling, you look lovely,” Mum said, rising from the long, low sofa she was sitting on with Dad and his longtime protection officer, Phil.
“Thanks.”
She kissed my cheek and I smiled at Dad, who was chatting on his cell, and Phil, who was sipping a glass of orange juice. It was all he ever drank. He’d been around for years, was the same age as my father and could probably do Dad’s job if need be, he’d sat in on so many conversations and meetings. I liked him. He was quiet and unobtrusive, kind of like a piece of the furniture.
“Shall we go?” Dad asked, clicking shut his cell and standing. “We have reservations at a restaurant two doors down. I thought we would eat somewhere other than the hotel tonight. Get a feel for the real Bangkok.”
“Sounds great,” I said, glancing out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the busy street. Darkness was falling and the constant stream of cars and bikes lit the shadowed road. The pavement bulged with people laden with bags and briefcases. Everyone was rushing. Everyone going somewhere—fast.
We left the hotel and by the time we reached the Shangri-La restaurant, my head was spinning. I was jostled twice and Phil pulled me close as he maneuvered Mum and Dad through the crowd. I could see only shoulders and chests, and the humidity closed in on me oppressively.
It was a relief to step into the restaurant’s cool and pleasant air-conditioning. Waiting to be seated, I breathed in the rich scent of herbs and glanced around. Most
of the candlelit tables were occupied. Large, softly glowing chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The walls were decorated with a rich scarlet-and-gold paper and opposite the huge expanse of windows stood a long, well-stocked bar dotted with customers.
“This way, please,” the maître d’ said.
We followed and Mum, Dad and I took a table together. Phil was seated alone, two tables from us. This was often his way. It meant we could have private family time but still be under his protection. He usually did a crossword as he ate his meal and as he sat tonight, he pulled out a small book and pen from the inside pocket of his jacket.
We had one of the best tables, giving us a clear view out of the window and across the street. After wine had been poured and we’d ordered the chef’s special tasting menu, Mum asked Dad about his plans for the next day.
“I’m hoping to be free by early afternoon so we can go to the temple,” he said.
“Do you have everything set up for the morning?” I asked.
“Yes, I’m meeting the new human rights lawyer assigned to the Hill case at eleven thirty. A bright chap apparently, had a lot of success in various locations around the world. Then I’m seeing Kasit Yong at twelve thirty.”
“Good, because I really want to get as much time at the temple as possible,” Mum said.
A waiter came over carrying a large tray. He set down several sizzling dishes and we all dug in. The food was spicy and tasty, a maelstrom of unusual flavors and textures that zinged over my taste buds and palate.
A brilliant flash and a sudden clattering against the windowpane caught my attention. I looked outside. It was raining—hard. Pelting the glass like a million tiny stones. Car headlights highlighted the downpour and fat raindrops bounced off the path. People rushed with bags, newspapers and briefcases over their heads, trying to escape the torrent.
Staring at the deluge and the frenzy it had caused, I suddenly froze, my loaded fork halfway to my mouth.
Oh my bloody god.
A wild clap of thunder rumbled into the room, so loud it vibrated through the soles of my feet and deep into my chest.
I barely noticed.
