by Sofia Grey
There was a hint of a smile. “And I owe you this.” He leaned forward, used his free hand to stroke her hair back, and dropped a series of tiny kisses along her forehead. Across her eyelids. Down her cheeks. And finally, on her lips.
*
Nathan had been stitched and patched, had lights flashed in his eyes, and a needle stuck in his arse. He’d been concussed before. He knew what he had to look out for. And he had no intention of staying in hospital a minute longer than actually necessary. He gave a statement of sorts to the police, promised them more later, and discharged himself at the earliest opportunity.
His watch had been broken along the way, but he guessed from the height of the sun that it was around noon.
And now he stood wobbly on his legs in the fresh air outside the main entrance to Warrington Hospital. At least he knew where he was, even if he didn’t have a fucking clue how to get home.
Some wise soul had placed a broad wooden bench seat here, probably for the smokers, but Nathan claimed a position on one end and slowly reviewed his options. He had no money and no phone. He had to find out if Daisy was okay. Neither the nursing staff nor the police were able to give him any information, and he was going crazy with worry. Nobody was picking up his home or office numbers, and he couldn’t place a reverse-charged call to Kate, as he didn’t have her phone number.
His best option would be to hail a taxi and pay the driver at the other end—if he could persuade one to drive the hundred-odd miles to Rhosneigr.
He dug deep into his energy reserves and slowly eased himself upright, when he heard his name called.
No. He must have made a mistake. Raising his head and trying to ignore the daggers of pain pressing into it, he took a shaky step forward.
“Nathan Miller. It is you.”
He turned his head and stared at the vaguely familiar guy smiling at him. “I know you, but where do I know you from?”
The stranger stuck out a hand and grasped his firmly. “Alex Hamilton. Daisy’s employer. I said I’d pick you up. How are you feeling?”
Daisy’s boss? “Is she okay? Did they rescue her? What about Irina?” The questions poured out of him, rapid and urgent.
Alex smiled, took a firm hold of Nathan’s elbow, and steered him out to a nearby SUV. “Daisy’s safe. Jack rescued her. You know they wanted to do a trade for Irina? Well Juli, his wife, pretended to be Irina and they fell for it. And it’s all over. Daisy’s at home, and Irina’s gone to Jordan’s for the time being, while she figures out what to do.”
His words swept over Nathan like balm and he sagged with relief. “Thank God,” he whispered. “I was…” His half-formed sentence trailed away.
“And Anita is looking after your horses. They’re all fine too.”
“Thank you. It’s… ah… good of you to come get me. I’ll… um… pay you—”
“You’ll pay me nothing. Come on.” Alex guided him into the car, helping his feeble hands with the seatbelt. “Feel free to sleep on the way back.”
The gentle movements of the car and the quiet music playing lulled Nathan into a comfortable doze. Daisy was safe. Thank fuck for that. She’d be leaving for New York with Charlie, soon. But if Nathan was lucky, he’d get to say goodbye to her first.
Sunday 23 May
Chapter Twenty-Five
Nathan couldn’t imagine feeling less sociable, but he had to go to the christening party Kate organised. It was his last chance to see Daisy.
For his sanity’s sake, it had to be.
He walked up the gravelled drive slowly, his head thumping and his legs aching. Scratch that. Every part of him ached, including his heart.
He was here today, to draw a line under his… whatever it was with Daisy. They didn’t have a relationship. It was too awkward to become a friendship.
He’d say hello, ask how she was, and then say goodbye and walk away. Easy, right?
He saw Daisy without looking for her. She stood on the freshly cut lawn, a champagne glass in one hand, while she clung to Charlie with the other.
“Nathan.”
He dragged his attention from Daisy, to see Alex walking toward him, a cluster of beer bottles in hand and a smile on his face.
“Glad you could make it, man,” said Alex. “Beer? Kate took baby Grace inside to change her, and Jordan’s around somewhere. How are you doing?”
Nathan took one of the ice-cold bottles and forced a smile he didn’t feel. “Thanks. Yeah, I’m good.”
Okay, so he was a shitty liar.
Alex didn’t believe him, if his raised eyebrows were any measure. “I want to thank you, for looking after Daisy.” His tone was serious. “This was hard on all of us—Charlie especially. She means everything to him.”
Was Alex giving him a subtle warning? Probably. Nathan was deathly tired and not able to cope with mental gymnastics. “I like her,” he blurted. “As a friend. I want her to be happy.”
Alex gave him a measured look, and then the smile returned. “That’s all right, then. Come and say hi to Sylvie. And Anita was looking for you.”
“Sure.” Nathan didn’t move. Fuck being sociable. “I need a minute.”
He straightened his back and walked to where Daisy stood. He was limping, but he didn’t care. He had to speak to her, and then he’d leave.
She looked over her shoulder, and he met her gaze.
Look at that. She knew he was here, without him saying her name. No. It was stupid to think like that. He pushed down the rising tide of emotions and pasted on a smile. “Hey,” he said.
Daisy’s cheeks coloured and her lips curved, her smile lighting up her face.
“Hey,” she echoed. “I’m so pleased you’re here. Is your arm okay?”
“It’ll be fine.” Eight stitches, and they stung like a bastard. “Can we talk? Alone?” He glanced at Charlie, who frowned, and then back at Daisy.
Daisy turned to her fiancé and pressed a kiss on his lips. “I won’t be long. Go find Alex.”
“I’m not a fucking dog,” he grumbled, but he turned around and ambled toward the house.
Nathan let out a sigh. He needed to sit down, but he’d be damned if he showed her how weak he was. Now the time had come, he’d no idea what to say. The pretty words he wanted were nowhere to be found. He meant to say good luck in New York, and then bye, and then walk away.
That was what he should say, but Nathan wasn’t very good at doing what he was supposed to.
Besides, he needed to tell her something else.
Daisy lifted her drink to her lips, and he saw bruises across the back of her hand.
“That looks painful,” he said.
She shrugged. “I think I banged it against the side of the van, when they picked me up. That’s when my ring broke. Charlie found the pieces in the stable yard.”
“I’m glad you’re okay,” said Nathan.
“Me too—that you’re okay. I was so scared, Nathan. You kept me sane. You looked after me, and I can never pay you back for that. And they cut you so bad.” Her eyes shone with tears.
He didn’t want her gratitude or her guilt. He wanted her love, but that was as impossible as an Olympic medal. “I’ll survive,” he said. He always did.
“I’m travelling to London with Charlie tomorrow,” she said, “and then we fly out to New York in a few days.”
Nathan would survive that, too. “This is goodbye. And if you ever need a friend, Daisy, I’ll be here for you.”
“Thank you. Good luck with the stables. If Anita invests in the business, it’ll be brilliant.”
“Thanks. And good luck in New York.”
She nodded.
He wanted to soak up these last moments and lock them away in his memories. Daisy, with her wet eyes and wobbly smile, her hair smelling of coconut. What he’d give to hear her dirty laugh one more time and see the dimples high in her cheeks…
“Bye, Daisy.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss on her cheek. It was a poor substitute for what he wanted, but t
hat was the theme of his life.
He turned around and walked away.
Saturday 29 May
Chapter Twenty-Six
Juli needed to get back to work in Houston soon, and so did Jack. His security company demanded his attention. Tanner would not be back for a few weeks as he was determined to stay with Maria while she recovered.
Her injuries were healing quickly, and she’d be discharged in a few days and probably return to her apartment in London to convalesce. She’d talked about her exciting news—the year she planned to spend in Australia—but it was a double-edged sword. Tanner had to return to Houston.
Juli understood why he wanted to spend every spare minute with Maria. Pretty soon, he’d be losing her again.
Papa was discharged from the hospital in Eastbourne a few days ago, and was currently in Switzerland with Mum, resting in a quiet health spa resort.
Juli and Jack were back at the hospital today, though. To say goodbye to Yanni.
Aiden met them at the entrance to the hospital, and led them down corridors and into a small waiting room. He briefed them as they walked. The official story was that Yanni died during surgery, following a violent shootout in the quiet Anglesey village. As far as the world was concerned, Yanni the arms’ dealer was dead.
Yanni’d already provided an incredible amount of information. They’d be able to crack that particular sex trafficking ring and take down the MP Henry Tuttle, his fingers dirty from so many sordid deals and multiple dodgy connections to the Russian Amirov.
Yanni wasn’t exactly going free. In exchange for staying out of jail, he had to work for Aiden’s organisation. Aiden was sketchy about the details, but Juli was fine with that. The less she knew, the better.
Aiden led her and Jack into a sunny room, left, and closed the door behind him.
Yanni stood by the window. He turned to smile as they walked in. His injuries were more severe than Maria’s, and he leaned heavily on a stick, but he looked comfortable and otherwise in good shape.
Jack didn’t hesitate in his greeting. He walked straight up and shook Yanni’s free hand. “I wanna thank you for saving Maria. She means a lot to us.”
Yanni nodded. “I don’t have any reason to like you, Serenity—Jack—but I had a great respect for Rico.” He flashed a smile at Juli. “And I’m very fond of your wife, but you know that.”
It was Juli’s turn to speak. She stepped forward and held his wallet out to him. “This is yours. I wanted to make sure you got it back.” It held the photo of his wife.
“Thank you.” Yanni smiled at Juli—that dangerous, feline smile—and held out his arms.
Mindful of his injuries, she hugged him gently, then stepped back and took Jack’s hand.
“In a roundabout way,” said Yanni, “I’ve reached the point I wanted to get to. I must thank you—both of you.” There was a hint of a teasing smile, tugging at his lips. “Your hospitality sucks; it must be said. But under the circumstances… I’m still glad I came to you, Juli.”
He took her hand, pressed a hot kiss on the back of it, and then released her.
They stood in an uncomfortable little group, until Aiden came back to collect them. Jack’s arm was reassuring around her shoulders, and they walked in silence down the corridors.
“Do you have time for a coffee?” Aiden asked. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.” He led them into a small coffee bar, organized drinks and settled them in a private booth.
Jack sprawled in his seat and cocked his head to one side. “What’s up?”
Aiden looked down at his drink, currently untouched. “I’m being pressured to resign. Delivering Yanni meant that I get to keep my pension, but they weren’t happy at me getting involved while I was supposed to be off sick.”
“Aiden.” Juli was shocked. “What will you do now?”
He shrugged. “My knee is pretty well fucked, so it seems unlikely I could continue as a field agent anyway. And the idea of a desk job makes me cringe. Bottom line—I don’t know. I’ve another bout of surgery in a couple of months. I guess I’ll take some time out and rethink my future.”
Jack looked horrified. “Jeez, I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry. I should never have asked you to get involved.”
Aiden glanced up. “Hey, don’t think that. I’ve had a few problems here, recently. You know I suspected a leak in the police—someone feeding information to the Russians about Yanni’s whereabouts? I think the leak is closer to home.” His grey eyes stared at Juli, then Jack. “When Maria claimed to tip off the police for her Holyhead rendezvous, I made a few discreet enquiries. It seems her call came after they’d already been warned of the meet.” He paused. “The only people that knew about the rendezvous were those in my team.”
“Shit.” Jack frowned.
Juli could almost see his brain whirring, as it processed the information.
“You’re sure?” Jack asked.
Aiden nodded. “Resigning seems like a sensible option.”
“There is an easy solution, you know.” Jack smiled lazily. “You could come work for us. It wouldn’t be a desk job, but I’d make sure we didn’t throw you into anything too strenuous.”
Aiden huffed a laugh. “I didn’t come to you looking for a job, you know.”
“The offer’s there, and there’s no expiry date on it.” They shook hands, and Aiden promised to consider it.
“It’s time for us to go. We have to catch a flight from Heathrow this evening,” Juli explained. There was so much she wanted to say, but so little time. “Thank you, Aiden, for everything.” It would have to do.
With Jack securely at her side, where he belonged, she headed back to her real life.
Epilogue
A quiet office in Whitehall, London
The two men in suits stared at each other for a moment. The one behind the desk flipped through a thin dossier, scanning through the photographs and pausing to read the headlines. “Aiden Bradley’s definitely resigned?” He sounded cautious.
His subordinate nodded, deferential to the core. “He’s claimed ill health. He does have more surgery scheduled, and he would have been off work for another six months, so it is plausible.”
The man behind the desk tapped his pen against his teeth. “He got too close. He nearly caused a breach.”
His subordinate nodded again. “Would you like to me to take action?”
The chief thought some more and pulled a face. “He has friends in high circles. In his position, I’d make sure that, if I died unexpectedly—or disappeared—I’d have certain information released. We can’t take that risk.”
The subordinate lifted his head and raised his chin. “I have a suggestion, sir.” He waited for approval to continue. “Discredit him. Leak information and trace it back, charge him, then release him again. Make him look an idiot. He’ll be busy, fighting to clear his name. And then, if he does release anything, it will be written off as sour grapes.”
The man behind the desk considered the suggestion. He liked the idea. “Do it.” He paused and gave a cold smile. “And then bury him.”
~ * ~
Thank you so much for reading Hiding the Past. I hope you enjoyed it. I’d appreciate if you have time to leave an honest review on Amazon.
Event Horizon series
~ * ~ Read the series FREE in Kindle Unlimited ~ * ~
Lying in Shadows (Event Horizon #1)
Good people sometimes do bad things
Marianne needs to find who's leaking secrets from her company, before they lose another major contract. What she doesn't need is an affair with her married boss. Even worse, to fall in love with him.
She discovers the security leak is more than a case of commercial espionage: someone is lying in the shadows, playing games with them. Now more than her heart and career are at stake--her life is on the line.
Two Nights in Houston (Event Horizon #1.5)
Rock God Alex is in love with Sylvie, the bass guitarist in his band
. Alex longs to tell her how he feels, but with the change and tragedy that have shaken her world, it never feels like the right time.
Event Horizon's two-night layover in Houston could either be the perfect opportunity, or the mistake that pushes her away.
Covering the Lies (Event Horizon #2)
Too many secrets, and some can be deadly
Adele is looking for a fresh start. A change of scenery sounds like the perfect solution, in this case a transfer overseas to the London office.
An embezzlement scandal coming from the upper ranks of her employer’s company isn’t what she had in mind. Especially when the Chief Financial Officer is found dead on the train tracks.
One of her oldest friends is accused of the fraud. The guy she’s falling for is being investigated for the murder. And someone is working overtime to make sure Adele doesn’t uncover the real story.
Everyone is keeping secrets. Can Adele pick her way through the web of lies to find the truth before she becomes the next victim?
** PLEASE NOTE, this book contains sensitive material such as the aftermath of sexual assault (off the page). Reader discretion is advised. **
Shattering the Trust (Event Horizon #3)
If she trusts the wrong man she could wind up dead
Juli’s business trip to New Zealand should be awesome. Throw in front row tickets to see her favourite band while she’s there? Perfect. That’s before she learns she’s in danger from a terrorist splinter cell. She has information on a new technology, and they want it, at any cost.
Falling for one of the band’s bodyguards should make her feel safer. But the one man she needs to trust hasn’t been honest about who he’s really working for.
