Fool's Paradise (Cartwright Brothers Book 5)

by Lilliana Anderson

  I grinned, happy because not only was I going to get more time with the delicious Toby, but I would also get the chance to kill Grey. It sounded horrible, a daughter wanting to commit patricide, but I had dreamt of ridding the world of the scourge of a man who fathered me for years.

  FaceTime popped up on my iPad with its bopping-popping tune, Nick’s name listed as the identifying number.

  “Hey,” I said as I held it in front of me, brightening my smile for the camera. “What’s up?”

  Nick’s face appeared on screen, slightly glitchy before clearing. “I’m thinkin’ it’s not a good idea for you two to come back here,” he said.

  “Are they watching?” I asked.

  “Not the house. But they’re watchin’ the marina. Here”—he switched the camera to rear facing—“see that grey sedan with the dark windows? That’s them. I spotted Irish gettin’ some food at the café down there a while back. I’ve no idea if they’re lookin’ this way, but I reckon you two stay out of sight and get out of town ASAP. You might wanna ditch your car, too.”

  “OK. But I’ll need my stuff,” I said to him. “Can you get it to me?”

  “Don’t you have a grab bag in your car?”

  “Of course I do. But my computer…”

  “Then use what you have. I’ll get your stuff back to you when it’s safer. I’ll stick around and keep an eye on things, keep you appraised on the situation. Just, I don’t know, stay dead I guess. I reckon it’d be safer for you both until we know what’s what.”

  “You’re probably right. Thanks, Nick.”

  “No probs, toots.”

  He disconnected, and I turned to Toby. “Looks like we’re ghosts for a while.”

  “Obviously. Does Nick know Grey’s your—”

  “My father? No. You are literally the only person I’ve ever told. I’m trusting you to keep it between us.”

  “I thought we hadn’t built any trust yet.”

  I shrugged. “Well, I know your longest kept secret. It’s only fair you know mine.”

  “So that makes us even then?”

  “We’ll be even when you save my life.”

  He frowned. “Um… I’m pretty sure you’re the reason my life was in danger.”

  “Uh. No. I accept that Grey’s men might have followed me here, but you got in his crosshairs all on your own, buddy.”

  He rolled his eyes. “There’s no such thing as a coincidence. If you aren’t in on this, your boss is.”

  “Big Jim would never. And I swear on my life I’m not in on any of this. I almost got blown up as well. If I was in on it, I’d have sat in that house and watched you explode.”

  He grunted.

  “Don’t sulk just because I’m right, it ruins the whole hot tough guy thing you have going on.”

  He glared at me, unimpressed.

  I rolled my eyes. “Why don’t we go see your daughter while we know for sure they’re at the marina?”

  “You are not coming in.”

  I scrunched up my face a little. “Yeah, actually, I am. This talk, and the sharing and shit, has been great and all, but we’re gonna be joined at the hip until this thing is sorted out. Get used to seeing this face.” I used my index finger to draw a circle in the air around mine.

  He shook his head, rolled his eyes then got out of the car with me following hot on his heels. “Let me do the talking.”

  Lifting my hand to my forehead, I saluted him and smiled. “Sure thing, daddy.”

  “Don’t call me daddy.” He frowned, and I giggled.

  “OK, daddy.”

  With an unimpressed growl, he shot me an unamused look. “Shut the fuck up.”

  “Daddy,” I whispered, deciding that riling him up was my new favourite thing to do.

  CHAPTER NINE

  BABE?

  "HE'S ACTUALLY HILARIOUS," I said, swallowing the last mouthful of tea in my mug while reaching for a fourth biscuit. "You wouldn't think it with that scowl he always has on his face, but he really is. Aren't you, sweetheart?" I smiled and turned to Toby, placing my hand on his knee. He sat on the couch beside me with his arms crossed and a grimace on his face. This guy didn’t understand how to have fun with a good cover story. He was way too serious.

  "I don't think I'm funny at all," he grunted. My point exactly.

  Lucy giggled and covered her mouth with one hand to make sure the shortbread she'd just bitten into didn't spit out. "I have to agree with Nikki, dad. You can be pretty funny when you let your guard down a bit."

  I’d told her my name was Nikki since Toby had called me the Black Widow. It had made me think of La Femme Nikita, making it seem like the perfect nome de plume for this particular personality.

  "See," I said, gesturing towards Lucy. "She agrees with me. We obviously know you better than you know yourself, Tom." At least I remembered to give him the right name this time. I was still kicking myself for fucking that up.

  “Seems that way,” he said with a doubtful press of his lips as he took my empty mug and placed it on the coffee table.

  Lucy’s eyes shone happily as she looked between us. “I really like you two together,” she said. I beamed happily while Toby suppressed an eye roll.

  All her life, she’d been told that her father's name was Tom Clancy (ridiculous, I know). Although, instead of being the famous writer, he was an officer in the navy, off to sea for long stretches at a time. It gave credence to his extended absences and gave Lucy a cool story about a father who was fighting for our freedom, instead of one who was stealing shit for his own family's gain while killing off a few smugglers on the side.

  I was pretty into his cover story and couldn't help insert myself into it, giving myself the character of the girlfriend who was currently on leave, wanting to take him on a romantic getaway to Melbourne. I told her we planned to set sail that evening. Lucy thought it was a fabulous idea.

  I wasn't sure what Toby thought, but he'd thank me later. The stuff coming out of my mouth was pure gold.

  “I like us together too,” I said, nudging Toby. “I also think you’re pretty great. Every bit as beautiful as your pictures.”

  “Oh, thank you. That’s so kind,” she said, smiling as she touched a hand to her chest. Her eyes and smile were so similar to her father's it was uncanny. Sitting this close to her, I couldn't believe I didn't pick them as relatives when I watched them dine the night before.

  “You kept her a secret for so long.” She directed that at Toby. "I've been sitting here feeling bad for you living all alone on that boat." When she shook her head and laughed, it was musical, happy, innocent and free. I was jealous of her when I thought her a woman Toby was interested in. But now I was jealous because she was the embodiment of the perfect life. Such a thing didn't really exist, but growing up in a beautiful seaside town with a mother and father who protected you from the evil of the world sounded pretty close to me.

  “Well, I, uh—” Toby started, stuttering a little over his words.

  "He's never been one to kiss and tell," I finished for him as I threaded my fingers through his, holding onto his hand while I smiled and met his eyes. His seemed to say, 'I'm going to kill you for this.' So I winked at him. This story was so much better than his 'I've got to go away for a while to take care of some stuff' version.

  "How long are you planning to spend in Melbourne?" Lucy asked. "Oh, do you want me to look after Rogue for you? I can keep him in the backyard."

  Oh dear. Poor Rogue.

  With a frown, Toby looked down then cleared this throat. "Rogue, ah, he passed, Luc. He was old, had a great life, and uh, it was quick."

  "Oh no. It wasn't the fright from that explosion at the marina was it? It’s all over the news. I was going to call you just before you showed up, actually. I was worried about you."

  "No." He cleared his throat again. "It was in his sleep."

  I gave Toby's hand a reassuring squeeze. The one thing I felt horrible about during this whole ordeal was the loss of his beloved
dog. It didn't seem fair he had to lose his life for being nothing more than a loyal companion.

  "I'm sorry, dad. That's... that's horrible news. He seemed so happy last night. Puppy like, even."

  Toby just nodded, and I reached over and placed my other hand on top of our already joined ones. He squeezed mine back. "It's partially why we decided to get away for a while, give Tom the chance to get his mind off things."

  “Of course,” Lucy said, pressing her lips together and twisting them downward as she leaned forward and placed a hand on her father's shoulder. “Make sure you do something Rogue would have liked to honour him.”

  With his eyes shining, I watched Toby’s Adam’s apple bob before he nodded. "I will. But, uh, we should get going. Right, um, babe?" It seemed to hurt him calling me that. I smiled wider.

  "Yes. That ship isn't going to sail itself." I released his hand and stood up, holding my arms out to Lucy. "I'll make sure he calls you while we're down there. It was lovely to finally meet you."

  "Oh, same to you." She stepped into my arms and gave me a brief hug. "I'm so excited that you even exist. I really hope we'll see more of each other."

  "Maybe when my next tour is up," I told her, another easy lie falling from my tongue. "Your father's been hinting at me to leave the navy and settle down with him, but, I don't know. These legs are made to live on the sea." I sighed and shrugged.

  "Well, if you can get the time off, I'd love it if you were dad's date for my wedding. It's in November next year, so there's plenty of time to decide."

  “I'll do my best,” I said with a smile, stepping back so Toby could say a proper goodbye. I moved into the background as he held her for a little too long, knowing this could well be the last time he saw her. The reality of this mission we were now on was that it may be the last thing either of us did in this world. And I was OK with that. Toby, on the other hand, had more to live for than I did. Despite his insistence we ‘find another way’, I wasn’t kidding myself by thinking we’d walk out of this alive.

  "Talk soon, kiddo," he said when they parted, his voice a little thicker than it was before.

  Lucy didn’t seem to notice. "Have a wonderful time, you two," she said as she walked us to the door. "Take lots of pictures. I can't wait to hear all about it."

  With a wave and a fake smile, we both got back into my car and drove away, not saying a word until we hit the next town over.

  CHAPTER TEN

  ALWAYS IN CHARGE

  “MY GIRLFRIEND NIKKI?” Toby asked with a shake of his head when he stopped at a set of lights.

  “Your commitment phobic girlfriend Nikki. There’s an important distinction. Without that, we would have had a bunch of questions about why she doesn’t know more about me.”

  “I told you to let me do the talking.”

  “Stuttering isn’t talking, sweetheart,” I teased.

  He clenched his teeth together. “I’m not your sweetheart. And I don’t like her thinking you and I were together all this time.”

  “Get fucked, Toby. I gave you a believable story. Live with it.” I wanted to punch him in the nose. “I’ll have you know I’m a fucking catch and extremely hard to pin down. You should be honoured I’d even consider having a fake relationship with you.”

  “She’ll think you and I were a thing before her mother passed away,” he said in a quiet tone.

  “Oh.” I closed my eyes. I kept messing up with this guy. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I also didn’t realise she thought you two were together all those years.”

  “She didn’t. But… I don’t know. I never wanted her to have the impression there was anyone else.”

  “Did she think you had no one?”

  “No. Maybe. I don’t know. I always stayed with them when I was in town and we... her mother and I enjoyed each other during those times.”

  “And she never married?”

  He shook his head as he indicated to pull off the main road. “Maybe there were other guys during the time in between, but I don’t know. She liked to sell the happy family story to Luc.”

  Reaching across the console, I placed my hand on his forearm. “It was a good story, Toby. You did the right thing protecting her.”

  He almost flinched away from my touch. “She’ll think I abandoned her if we don’t come back.”

  Pressing my palms together in my lap, I tried to ignore the burn that tingled beneath my skin from our connection. “Then we organise a safeguard that will tell her we died at sea. Surely you had something like that in place before.”

  “I did.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  Shaking his head, he blew out his breath. “I’m… I’m just… I’m tired.”

  Tired.

  We were all tired.

  All tired and faking it.

  We drove for another thirty minutes in silence before he slowed in front of a rundown looking house, manoeuvring the car down the driveway until he tucked it next to a shed.

  "What's this?" I asked, unclipping my seatbelt when he cut the engine.

  "Safe house," he stated, his hand still on the wheel, gripping tight.

  "Are we going in?"

  With his brow pinched, he focused on nothing as he spoke. "This thing we're doing. Are you dead serious?"

  "Absolutely," I said without hesitation.

  "The man is your father. You're willing to kill, or least help to end his life? He's part of you."

  "Yes. But he's the very worst part of me. His death..." I snuck my tongue out and licked my lips. "Have you ever watched the Princess Bride?"

  "I have."

  "Well, you know that character, Inigo? He always talks about the six-fingered man and how he won't rest until that man is dead."

  "I remember."

  "Well, Grey is my six-fingered man.”

  “He killed your mother?”

  “He played a big part in her ending her life, and he played an even bigger part in robbing me of mine. When he's dead, maybe I'll find my peace too.”

  “What if he kills you first?”

  “Then at least I tried.”

  Turning to meet my eyes, Toby studied my expression, my sincerity. I had nothing in my life except work and a hope that one day I’d get the chance exact my vengeance. This mission with Toby, it was the first time I’d felt true purpose in years. I needed this.

  "OK," he said, nodding slowly.

  Gathering my things, I opened my car door then went to the boot, taking out my grab bag as well as the handful of weapons I had inside hidden compartments. "We need to ditch this car somewhere," I said. "If we're staying here overnight, I don't think we should leave it out in the open."

  "How do you feel about torching it?" Toby said, holding his hand out to help carry my things.

  "Uh, won't that draw attention? I was more so thinking about parking it inside the shed instead of next to it so no one could see it." I pointed over my shoulder as we walked towards the rear door of the house.

  "There's already a car in there. I figure we get that started then drive out to this gully about an hour away from here, dump your car then rest here for the night. We've got a fair way to travel back to Torquay, so we'll need sleep, and I don’t want to worry about someone tracking your car to us while we do that."

  “Torquay? You think it’s wise to go directly back to your family? They’re under watch.”

  He slid a key in the door and jiggled it before it turned, tossing a frown over his shoulder as he said, “By who? Cops or Grey?”

  “The file didn’t say, but maybe I can get Nick to find out?”

  “Do that. And get rid of your iPad. I have an old Blackberry here that’s untraceable, you can call him on that.” Pushing the door open, it scraped against the linoleum floor and kicked up dust.

  I waved my hand in front of my face and coughed as I stepped inside. “I take it you haven’t been keeping tabs on whatever is going on back home?”

  “I wasn’t planning on ever going back
there," he said, pulling dusty sheets off the lounge room furniture and rolling them up into a ball. “I didn’t see the point since it would only make things harder.”

  “Harder on you, or on them?”

  He stood motionless for a moment. “If I knew they were struggling, I would have gone back.”

  “Strong sense of duty. I dig it,” I said, helping remove the sheet from a side table and testing if the lamp worked. “Hey, there’s electricity.”

  “I’d hope so,” he said, throwing the sheets on the floor in the corner of the room. “I pay enough every month to keep all the utilities on.” Clearing his throat from the dirty air, he pulled open a desk drawer and dug around until he came out with a set of keys.

  “Reckon I can risk opening a window or the front door to clear this funky air out?” I asked.

  “Yeah. For a bit so we can at least breathe. I haven’t been out here in forever to air it out.”

  Pulling the front curtains open, late afternoon sunlight spilled into the house like a tractor beam in a sci-fi movie, the floating dust defining it perfectly.

  Waving my hand in front of my face again, I pushed past the horizontal blinds and found the lever for the windows, spinning it rapidly until they were open as far as they would go. Then I opened the front door and made sure the screen door was locked, taking a moment to look out at the street before I headed out back after Toby.

  “Seems quiet out front,” I said when I found him in the shed leaning over a yellow Datsun with the bonnet open.

  “There’s no reason to think anyone would be watching. No one followed us or even knows we’re alive.” He was confident in that assumption. I was overly cautious though, knowing how easily I’d tracked him down the first time. If it was all the same to him, I would keep making sure we were alone.

  "Can you even fit inside that thing?" I asked, moving closer to look at the tiny 1980s car. "Does it go?"

  "Yes," he said, using a little contraption to check if the battery had any charge. "And once I jump this battery, it should go just fine." Moving to a storage cabinet at the back of the shed, he grabbed a portable jump box and handed me the extension cord. "Can you plug this in at the house for me?"