A Stormy Spring (31 page)

‘So what’s up?

‘It’s just a feeling I have that everything is going too smoothly.’ Becca shrugged and gave a little laugh. ‘Which sounds a crazy thing to say after everything we’ve gone through, but I can’t help it.’

Bronte sat beside her. ‘It’s called nerves. I suspect that’s all it is. If you need to talk to someone, I’m here.’

‘I appreciate it. We’re due a scan next week and I think I’ll feel better when I know they have ten fingers and ten toes.’

‘It’s natural to be anxious. Just take it one day at a time and do as the medics say. You have a wonderful man who worships the ground you walk on. Don’t go looking to borrow trouble.’

Which was good advice and Becca decided to get a grip and take it.

Later, while the guys were getting stuck into pepperoni pizza and arguing the management skills, or lack of them, of a certain premier league football team, Becca tuned out the conversation while her eye scanned the news headlines.

With a gasp she bolted from the sofa and grabbed the remote to turn up the volume.

On the screen was a link from the United States, California, and there was Justin being arrested live on television. He was struggling in handcuffs as two huge men with black vests with FBI printed in yellow on the back hustled him into the back of a blacked out SUV.

With wide eyes Becca sank to a leather dining chair.

She rested her elbow on the table and clasped a hand over her mouth. Good God.

The ticker tape at the bottom of the screen said LiveBreaking News:The FBI have arrested a British man, Justin Cope, for blackmail. In a sting operation he’d been caught demanding monies with menaces from superstar Marcus Kennedy. A statement is expected from the film star shortly.

Since the feed was live, the British newsreader was racing to catch up and listening to a voice in his ear.

‘Let me interrupt to bring you breaking news. It appears film star Marcus Kennedy is about to make a personal statement. We can join our colleagues live in California now.’

The camera focused on the devastatingly handsome Marcus Kennedy taking a seat at a narrow table along with his beautiful dark haired wife of five years, Imogen Kennedy, who looked too pale and was visibly shaking. Marcus took her hand in his and whispered something in her ear. She nodded her head and took a deep breath.

On the other side of Marcus was Tobin Gillespie, Lucas’s business partner.

Lucas moved to stand behind her and Becca glanced up at his face. His eyes were riveted on the screen, they were cold and hard and utterly ruthless. Becca knew immediately that he’d known about this. He had his Blackberry in his hand and turned away to take a call without looking at her.

She turned to listen to Marcus feeling the ice of betrayal ball in her gut.

Tobin Gillespie spoke first.

‘This is the end of a three month ordeal for Marcus and his family. He will make a short statement. We will not take any questions. I ask that you respect his privacy and his family’s privacy at this difficult time. A man had been arrested for blackmail. Therefore speculation may be harmful to the case as it proceeds and the eventual outcome of said case. I respectfully ask the press to refrain from speculation. I believe the FBI will be making a statement at the end.’

Marcus cleared his throat. He was one of the biggest action heroes in the world, lusted after by women on every continent and Becca knew in her heart what was coming.

For God’s sake, Justin. What the hell have you done?

‘I had a sexual relationship with a man who subsequently blackmailed me to keep it secret. I paid him money. I am bi-sexual. However, the worst thing is that I have betrayed and hurt a person who did not deserve the betrayal or hurt. My wife, Imogen. I have begged her forgiveness.’ He paused and took a deep breath. ‘I confessed to Imogen over three months ago and it is with her support and permission that I am making this statement. Please give us the time and the privacy to heal our marriage.’ He looked his wife dead in the eye before he continued, ‘I love this woman more than life. She has never wavered while the world has imploded around us. I could not have done this without her. I pray each day that she will find it in her heart to forgive me. I would not blame her if she walked away and never looked back. I am sorry, my darling, for the hurt and the pain I have caused you.’

Tears poured down Imogen Kennedy’s agonised white face. She was heartbroken but she never let go of her husband’s hand. They rose as one and left. Tobin flanked the woman on one side and her husband on the other.

Staring at the screen, Becca felt physically ill. An innocent hurt, betrayed and destroyed by an act of unutterable selfishness.

Becca stood and realised that Bronte appeared totally confused by the heightened emotions, the searing tension now swirling around her beautiful home.

Lucas was talking to Margo. But what shocked Becca anew was that Nico was talking in clipped tones on his Smartphone, issuing instructions to have a jet and security team assembled because the ‘package’ was ready to leave for an island in the Bahamas. Becca wasn’t stupid. She knew he was talking about the actor and his wife.

Becca turned to Bronte, her tone cold, ‘Did you know about this too?’

Bronte turned wide green eyes to her and slowly shook her head.

‘No, I have absolutely no idea what this is all about. Who is the man they arrested?’

‘My ex-dance partner. He’s been like a brother to me for over ten years.’

Bronte’s fingers covered her mouth as her eyes went huge. ‘Good God.’

‘I’m getting out of here. Will you drive me back to the annexe please, Bronte?’

‘Of course.’

Nico was still firing instructions in his phone. Bronte gave her husband a vicious look before she swept out to get her jacket and car keys. Becca collected her bag and shrugged on her jacket. She checked her cell. There were voice messages from her mother and Burt Lindstrom. And so the circus begins. She might have known everything was too good to be true.

Lucas was still speaking to Margo but his eyes were on Becca. She couldn’t, wouldn’t look at him.

Bronte hustled her out to her car and Lucas came tearing after them.

He grabbed Becca’s arm and she pulled away to turn on him like a snarling tiger.

‘Don’t even think about laying a finger on me. I don’t want you near me.’

Dark eyes bored into hers. ‘I could not tell you,
querida
. The secrecy was air tight.’

‘What? You think I’d tip him off?

‘No. But ...’

She jabbed a finger into his chest and went nose to nose with him.

‘Tell me one thing. Was this your idea?’

He swallowed audibly and went too pale.

She narrowed her eyes and nodded. ‘Revenge? Right? I hope it’s going to be worth it.’

Fury rose in those dark eyes now. ‘How can you say that? The man is an animal. He hurt Marcus and his wife. Are you saying blackmail is okay?’

She stepped into his face and he stepped back. ‘No. I am not saying that so don’t even think about putting words in my mouth, big boy. Marcus hurt himself and his wife the day he betrayed her. Justin has a mother, a father, a sister and a sick grandmother. Tell me, do they deserve their hearts broken? Are their lives to be held up for public ridicule too? Not to mention all the unwanted attention I’m about to get thanks to
you
.’

His temper blew. ‘You are fucking unbelievable. The man almost destroyed you. He hurt you. He stole from you. He caused chaos in the life of a good man and an innocent wife and it is all my fault?’ He stepped into her now absolutely furious. ‘I would do it again in a heartbeat because I protect what is mine.’

Becca turned and got in the car with Bronte before she did something she’d regret like give him a black eye.

As Bronte drove them out the driveway, Becca tried to make sense of everything that had happened.

She didn’t know how she felt as her emotions took her on yet another wild ride. Oh, Justin, Justin. You stupid, stupid man. What the hell were you thinking? What on earth is
wrong
with you? She just couldn’t get her head around it. Justin wasn’t a fool. He’d had a fabulous career and brilliant future ahead of him. Why was he behaving like this? It simply did not make sense. Where was the lovely young guy she’d met at the Royal Ballet? So talented and full of big ideas and dreams? The thought of him turning into some sort of wretched parasite sucking the energy and blood from others just didn’t fit with what she thought she knew about him.

And his poor family would be totally devastated. They were the ones who needed support now.

The SUV parked outside the annexe and Bronte turned to her.

‘I’m coming in with you and you’re going to tell me what the hell is going on and we’re going to try and make some sort of sense out of all this. Okay?’

‘What about the babies?’

‘The babies will be perfectly fine with their daddy and Lucas. Your needs are greater.’

They got out the car and Becca opened the door of the annexe and shrugged off her coat.

Bronte went over to the jazzy stainless steel log burner hanging from the cavernous ceiling and added another couple of logs before she turned to Becca.

‘Sit down before you fall down and I’ll make us tea. I’ll order a selection of sandwiches and cakes from The Hall. We need sugar.’

When she sat down on the long couch opposite Becca with tea and plates of sandwiches and cakes on the table between them, Bronte’s vivid green eyes met hers.

‘Hit me with it. Start right at the beginning. Miss nothing out. If things get complicated we’ll call in re-enforcements. Rosie’s brilliant at cutting straight to the chase.’

Becca told her.

Actually it helped enormously to verbalise what had happened to her in the last four months.

Bronte didn’t speak but did shed a few tears with her. And Becca realised that sharing an issue seemed to make it appear more manageable.

‘I could kill him. Why couldn’t he leave well alone? I’d finished with Justin. I’d even helped Tabitha Hersheson see the light. Not that she needed much persuading. Apparently I’m the only one with blinkers on in my relationship with Justin.’ She sighed and picked up her Smartphone. ‘I need to call his parents.’

‘You do that and I’ll sit here.’

‘I feel awful that you’ve had to leave your home and family to be with me.’

Bronte waved away the objection. ‘You need me here. I’ll phone Nico and tell him I’m staying the night.’

In spite of all protestations, Bronte would not be moved.

Becca spoke to Justin’s father who was indeed desperate. He told her things that helped her make some sort of sense of Justin’s extreme behaviour. He’d been bi-polar since his late teens and hidden it too well. There was no doubt in his father’s mind his son was in a manic phase, if not actually in the throes of a psychotic break.

Bronte and Becca hit the phones.

By the time they eventually came off the phone hours later, Becca had organised a lawyer in the United States via Bronte’s father Carl Terlezki who made things happen at warp speed. The American lawyer he found for Becca promised that Justin would receive immediate attention from a psychiatric practitioner.

All this was going to cost serious money, but Carl put up the retainer and Becca was going to pay him back as soon as the bank opened. She had plenty of money sitting there doing nothing and she was happy to help. Poor Justin’s parents were in pieces and Becca promised to get them to their son. She explained her medical situation which meant she couldn’t fly assuring them she’d have gone with them if she could.

There wasn’t anything more she could do tonight.

Lucas had phoned but she refused to speak to him.

‘God, I could do with a stiff drink.’ Becca told Bronte as she slumped back into the couch.

‘I think you could have half a glass of wine. Do you have a headache?’

Becca shook her head. ‘Strangely enough, I feel fine.’

‘I think we’ll risk it.’

They sat lost in their own thoughts as they sipped a full bodied red.

Bronte stared unseeing into the glowing wood smouldering in the log burner.

‘I was attacked in my home by a guy I’d had a blind date with weeks earlier. He’d been stalking me. If Nico hadn’t arrived... well...’

Becca went white. ‘Did he...?’

Bronte shook her head. ‘No. But he would have raped me. I was unconscious by the time Nico found me. He tried to escape but Nico broke his kneecap. He’ll never have full use of the leg again. And I’m not sorry. I used to feel guilty because we learned later he was sick too. Drugs.’

‘I get the feeling you’re trying to tell me something.’

‘We’re married, or in your case nearly married, to men who will not stand idly by and let the one they love be hurt. It’s hard-wired into their DNA to be overprotective and I’m not saying that because they’re Latin. It wouldn’t matter if they were from Mars they would still be the same. My father is cut from the same cloth.

‘I put good money on it that when Lucas found you in the shower it scared the bejesus out of him. He’d have felt totally helpless and guilty that he hadn’t been there to protect and care for you. Don’t forget it happened in his home, on his territory. No way would he turn away from that.

‘Nico and Lucas are highly successful alpha males who’ve fought hard for everything they have in life. In business I know neither takes any prisoners. All I’m saying is that this shouldn’t be enough to derail your love.’

Shocked, Becca stared at her. ‘It hasn’t derailed my love for him. I could kill him for keeping secrets, but of course I still love him.’

Bronte continued as if she’d never spoken. ‘Lucas did it for the best of reasons in my humble opinion. You might not like
how
he did it, how he kept you out of the loop and didn’t discuss it with you. But these men are like that. They want us itty bitty women to stay nice and safe in the kitchen while they beat their strong manly chests with their fists and go out and slay anything that threatens us.’

Becca found herself grinning at the picture and knew intellectually that Bronte was perfectly correct.