Nick forced himself to relax. He won’t get any answers if he beat the living shit out of Brad Gallagher. He might feel better but the man wasn’t worth it. Besides Riley had already gotten her justice. Nick glanced at the cane.
“Yeah, she did this to me. Shot out my fucking kneecap.”
“You didn’t mention that fact to the police.” Nick had read the arrest report. Gallagher had let on his business partners had wounded him as retribution for their impending arrests. Ironic. Since that had been why Riley had defended herself.
Brad snorted. “Hell no. She’d already cost me my freedom. She wasn’t taking my men’s respect. I never heard from her again. Always imagined she got what was coming to her though. But I’m guessing since you’re here and all asking questions she’s still alive out there somewhere?”
Nick nodded, wondering what Brad might do with this information. Would he try and reconnect? In today’s society, it wouldn’t be hard to track Riley. A simple web search would find her and suddenly he was regretting his decision on seeking Brad out. The man had already proven he was the kind to pursue retribution.
He hadn’t been out of prison long, but so far showed no indication he had considered going after Riley, or that he’d thought about her in the recent past. Not if the shock he’d displayed upon hearing her name had been genuine.
Unless he was the Novel Killer.
Now that he’d met the man, Nick dismissed it as unlikely. The man he was looking for was smart, methodical. Brad didn’t appear to have any of those qualities.
Still, he was here now. Best to cross him off the list and call it a day.
“Have you been out of town recently Mr. Gallagher?”
Brad’s face reddened. “What the hell? You’ll not point your finger at me for some trumped up charges. Whatever the red-headed bitch said I swear she’s lying and I have proof.”
He leaned across the couch to the small table beside it, a mountain of paper stacked high. After flicking through a few pieces, he held out his hand to Nick wavering his alibi in front of him.
Nick took the small scraps of paper from Brad and glanced down. A mechanic’s receipt for the week Olivia Charles had been murdered. His car had been off the road awaiting a part. Nick’s first glance around Brad’s residence said he didn’t have the funds to bankroll a lease car. He may have borrowed one but it was unlikely. It didn’t make sense for Brad, a man with a full-time job who spent most of his time at the local pub would travel to Harbour Bay and murder women he didn’t know.
Possible. But extremely unlikely.
As much as he wanted to find the killer and close the case, a part of him was thankful the man wasn’t guilty. Riley had been hurt enough by him.
He thanked Gallagher for his time and left the caravan without a backward glance. So if not Gallagher who else would have a reason to see Riley O’Neill dead?
Chapter 27
Riley stepped out of Cade Watson’s car and together walked across the street. Now Cade was the perfect gentleman, unlike someone who will remain nameless. All the while she was at B&G attempting to calm Michelle down and waddle through the mass error that had brought her brilliant assistant to her knees, he’d been quiet and allowed her to work. Even assisted whenever she needed an extra pair of hands. She had spent the first hour comforting Michelle in the fact that mistakes happen and it wasn’t as if Riley hadn’t made her fair share of them in the past. That alone seemed to calm her down the most. Michelle was desperate to be just as good as Riley, if not better, and knowing her idol had had a few bad days too made the world of difference.
Now hours later, one crisis adverted, Riley was dead on her feet. Cade wasn’t only calm and patient but also helped her rein in her assistant and set things in motion. The young man had been besotted with Michelle and had desperately tried to make everything right for her big launch tonight. After wishing her luck, Riley had grabbed Cade and disappeared out the back door before anybody had recognised her.
While youthful looking in his appearance, he was nothing if not vigilant, his gaze checking for danger, his hand hovering at her elbow, a slight pressure. She appreciated his efforts at keeping her safe, checking for signs of being followed. Her safety was only as good as no one outside of the Harbour Bay family knowing where she was. She agreed with him but wasn’t about to admit that to his face. Much too cloak and dagger for her. Riley was tired of being confined to a two-bedroom apartment, unable to live her life, to go to work and see her friends without worrying that he will follow her home and kill her. She was well past being bored, her nerves frayed and her anger bubbling just below the surface, waiting for the right moment to erupt, and unfortunately for Nick, he was in firing range.
She’ll have to do something nice for him when this was all over. She wasn’t sure what, maybe a season pass to the see the Tigers play maybe. She looked down at the beanie in her hands, having removed it from her head in the car.
Cade stopped outside the apartment door and waited for her to unlock the barrier between vulnerability and safety. Riley thanked him and having done his duty in watching Riley and seeing her safely home, disappeared down the hall. Pushing open the door, the scents of food cooking assaulted Riley, empty stomach rumbling like thunder in the sky.
She shivered as she closed the apartment door, the feeling something was wrong washing over her.
“Nick?”
Footsteps sounded. Not Nick’s, her mind whispered. She would recognise his anywhere. Riley stepped back instinctively as the owner moved into view.
“Vanessa. What are you doing here?” She searched the room. “Where’s Nick?”
Vanessa, wearing an apron and brandishing a spatula glared at her. “You should know. You’re the one who seems joined at the hip with him.” The woman didn’t attempt to hide the venom and contempt in her voice.
“How did you get in?”
The other woman grinned. “I was here when the man put the system in. He was only happy to hand over a set of keys to the lady of the house.” Her voice hardened. “And I will be that again. I just need to show Nick I can be what he wants.”
The woman’s blonde hair had been dyed red and styled like Riley’s. The hairs on the back of Riley’s neck lifted as she recalled the things Nick had told her about his ex-girlfriend. The lengths she had gone to possess him, and how she’d been unable to move on.
She’d have to be careful how she dealt with Vanessa. Obsession often made people do crazy things.
“I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you two, really I am.”
She felt for her phone in her back pocket. Could she get it out without Vanessa seeing? How long would it take for Cade or Nick to get back here?
“Sure you are, Riley.” Any semblance of civility left as she spat out her words. “Nick is mine. He’ll always be mine.”
Raising her hands in surrender, Riley lied. “And you’re welcome to him. I don’t want him.”
She didn’t bother to argue about being Nick’s cousin. Vanessa had seen through that, or simply didn’t care, seeing all women no matter what their relationship with Nick as a threat.
“You’re not a good liar, Riley. And I’m not stupid. All those other women. I knew they were nothing. A kiss here and there but he never took it further. But you. You’re different.”
“Vanessa—”
“Shut up! You’re not worthy of him.” She grabbed her hair roughly, tears causing her eyes to sparkle. Or was that madness? “Look at my hair. This is how much I love him.”
A shiver raced the length of her spine. Vanessa was quickly losing it. Which didn’t bode well for the object of her anger. Her. She glanced around the room, searching for something she could use as a weapon.
“When you’re gone, he’ll turn to me. He’ll love me like he did before you came into the picture.”
Riley took a step forward toward Vanessa, who stood beside the kitchen bench. She wasn’t worried about the spatula. Even if Vanessa decided to use it as a weapon
it wasn’t likely to do much damage. “Listen, Vanessa. You’re a beautiful woman. There’s plenty of fish in the sea as they say, why would you want someone who clearly doesn’t want you?”
Hmm good question, Riley. Ever thought about asking yourself that question?
She figured she’d try reasoning before resorting to violence. Though she wasn’t sure how much good it’ll do. Crazy simply wasn’t reasonable.
“He does want me,” Vanessa screeched. “He was only temporarily blinded by you, drawn away from his true love. But I’ll make him see the light again once I get rid of you—permanently.”
“Honey, I’m a Capricorn with an Irish temper. You don’t want to piss me off.”
Damn, now she was doing it. Damn Nick and his mother. She didn’t want to become another of those generic endearment givers, although in Jackie’s case it was more a term of affection.
It didn’t bother her as it once had, and hadn’t made a deal of it when the occasional one slipped past Nick’s lips.
“Yeah, well I’m a crazy bitch with a gun. Your gun if I’m not mistaken.” Riley’s Glock appeared from behind Vanessa’s back, the other woman’s retort ringing in her ears as the spatula was placed on the bench.
Okay, now Riley was pissed. No one and she meant no one touched her gun. She moved discreetly, putting her body on an angle, making herself a smaller target. With any hope, she would less likely to be hit should the gun accidentally…or even purposely go off.
Hurry up Nick, if ever you were due home, now would be the time.
“But do you know how to use it?” Fear crept up her spine in icy tendrils. Not of Vanessa, but of an untrained person holding the gun. Vanessa could be easily neutralised. A gun was dangerous for so many reasons, the least of which an innocent person could be shot.
“I’m not as sweet as I look.”
Of that Riley had no doubt. She held Vanessa’s gaze, not backing down. Watching. Waiting for the perfect time to strike. “You’re about as sweet as a lemon and twice as dumb.”
“Hey!” Vanessa’s blue eyes flashed anger and she took a bold step forward, smiling viciously when Riley stepped back. “You stole him from me.”
Vanessa moved again, but this time Riley sidestepped her giving Vanessa a karate chop to the wrist, sending the gun flying out of her hand and across the room. Before Vanessa could re-evaluate the situation, Riley caught hold of the other woman’s arm twisting it hard and high behind her back in a move Megan told her was extremely effective, and she would know having once been on the receiving end.
Vanessa cried out in pain, but Riley didn’t ease up. She slammed her foot down onto the back of Vanessa’s calf. The woman’s legs buckled and she went crashing to the floor, where Riley immediately placed her knee on Vanessa’s back, subduing her. She snatched Nick’s orange and black Tigers scarf from the backrest of the nearest stool and roped Vanessa like a prize winner at a rodeo, tying her wrists and ankles together until her back was bowed, giving an impression of a cockroach on its back. The woman struggled uselessly against Riley and the bounds.
She stood, considering the virtues of rending Vanessa unconscious but decided against it. After ensuring Vanessa couldn’t get out of her binds, Riley removed her mobile from her back pocket and located Nick’s entry.
He picked up before the second ring.
Forcing her voice to be nonchalant, Riley moved into the kitchen and turned off the various burners Vanessa had going. “Hey, what time will you be home?”
“Soon. Why?” His voice held a layer of suspicion.
“Oh, no reason. I just have something for you but no rush. It’ll still be here whenever you get here.”
Pouring herself a glass of wine from the bottle of Moscato Nick had picked up especially for her when he’d finally managed to get to the supermarket, Riley took the glass into the family room where she promptly collapsed onto the soft couch, adrenaline leaving her. She leaned her back against the cushion, thankful Vanessa didn’t speak. Only an occasional whimper left the woman’s lips which considering her position was understandable.
Riley was halfway through chapter three of a manuscript titled Runaway Desperado when Nick walked through the door. The book—the third in the Runaway series her client Genevieve Hennessy had penned—was a delightful romantic tale with Gennie’s unique sense of humour embedded deep within the pages that would no doubt enchant readers from start to finish. It certainly did for her. Riley calmly put down the novel and started towards him, stopping just a few feet away when he pointed at her. “Okay, what is going on?”
Riley pointed to the area behind his couch which was out of view. Nick walked over, stopping short when he saw Vanessa hog-tied. He ran his long, stiff fingers through his dark mass of hair. “Jesus, Riley what happened?”
“She broke in.”
Nick sent her a look that she couldn’t quite discern. “Why didn’t you call me straight away?”
“I handled it and I didn’t want to worry you.”
He caught sight of her gun laying on the floor and stuffed it into the waistband of his pants.
“Hey!”
Nick turned on her with a glare. “You want to own a gun? Go live in America. It could’ve gotten you killed.”
He undid Vanessa’s binds, lifting her off the floor and replaced the scarf with his handcuffs. “You should’ve called me.”
“I took care of it.” She waved off his apprehension. “Besides I’m more concerned about the actual threat—the man out there bringing his book to life.”
“Lock the door behind me,” he ordered, ignoring her last statement. Dragging Vanessa to the door, he opened it and without a glance back to see if she’d followed him, slammed it behind him.
Riley bit her lip to stop the tears from coming. She wasn’t sure why Nick being mad at her sent her off onto a tearful bender, but she didn’t like it. She could feel the space between them grow larger and a piece of her heart chipped away.
She would not cry. There was no reason to cry. She’d handled the situation the best way she knew how. She’d also been the victor. Surely that accounted for something?
Screw Nick. She wasn’t about to stop being who she was. Soon, she’d be gone from his life and back to her own where she could only rely on herself.
Nick would go back to being an acquaintance she only saw a handful of times a year.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Chapter 28
Riley wrapped a towel around her damp body, tucking one end between her breasts. After squirting moisturiser into her palm, she began rubbing the lotion into her skin. She’d just finished one leg and was about to start on the other when her mobile rang. She checked the caller ID, smiling when Megan’s name appeared on the screen. She hit the green answer button.
“So, you and Nick?” Megan began, foregoing all normal types of greetings and going for the kill shot.
“No.” Riley lathered up the moisturiser between her palms and added liberally to her leg. She didn’t want to talk about Nick, not now not ever. Especially not now when her heart was still hurting over Vanessa’s visit.
Her throat ached and her voice still croaked from crying. Riley did not cry. Except she did.
“No, what? You like him, I know you do. How could you not? He’s gorgeous and virile.” Megan made a sound that was conspicuously like a moan.
“Dean’s not there, is he?”
“Well?” Megan persisted.
Riley let out a deep breath. There was no need to bother Megan about her problems with Nick’s treatment of her this evening. Her friend was extremely protective and she didn’t want Megan coming over here to give Nick a piece of her mind. Not only were they friends, but Nick worked with her husband, and Riley could imagine all sorts of things going wrong in that scenario. She decided to skip over the hurt she was feeling and went to the main root of her problem, the one that bothered her the most. “He treats me like a sister—an annoying one at that.”
Even to her ow
n ears, she could hear her frustration.
“He may treat you like one of his sisters, but trust me he’s not thinking of you like that.”
“Yeah well, let me just say none of us are getting any.”
“I think you two would be good together. Dean agrees.”
Riley stopped mid-rub, her leg still sporting several white lotion patches. “You’ve been discussing us?” Riley quickly finished off her leg and donned on a pair of clean jeans. She hit the speaker button so she could hook on her bra and pull on a black shirt.
“Of course.”
“Huh. I never saw Dean as the gossiping type.”
“I know. I’ve trained him well.” Riley heard the smile in her friend’s voice.
“Yes, you have. Unfortunately, the rest of us are not so lucky with our males.”
Not that Nick was hers. Or would ever be. She wanted him. Her body wanted him. Unfortunately, the rest was up to Nick and he clearly, undoubtedly, didn’t want her. Did Nick still have feelings for Vanessa? He’d said he didn’t. Except for the feelings of betrayal, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Maybe Jackie, Megan, and Nick’s sisters were all wrong and are seeing something that just isn’t there.
If his mother hadn’t of interrupted would he have kissed her?
She’d faced down plenty of hard arsed men. Stood toe to toe and argued her case, never backing down. Only Nick had ever made her uncertain.
“Don’t give up hope just yet, Riley. Think, why do men push us away or lash out? Usually, because they’re scared of what they’re feeling, or of failing. Look at Dean. It took me getting kidnapped before he admitted to himself how he felt about me.”
Megan had a point. As did Aimee who’d told her something similar her last visit. Nick’s mother had also mentioned it. Maybe they all had a point? She sighed loudly. Riley used to think men were simple creatures. That all you had to do was feed them and give them sex. Now she was discovering Nick was more complicated than a trigonometry equation. She really hated math.
Fatal Fiction (Harbour Bay Book 5) Page 17
