I'Ve Got You (20 page)

‘
Mia bella
,' Mario said, ‘every man wants to look after his own affairs, if you don't let him, it's like cutting off his … never mind.'

‘His balls,' Marilyn stated matter-of-factly, then laughed.

‘Uh-huh, I was goin' to say his manhood.' Mario chuckled.

‘Pop, I have a suggestion,' Belle put in. ‘To some degree, the island needs to pay its way. At Starfish Inlet , I saw a large patch of Morning Glory and we know how invasive that climbing weed is.' Looking grim, her grandfather nodded. ‘You could apply for a Queensland Government Landcare Grant. You could employ a ranger and earmark an area for backpackers on a Workstay program. Only allowing … say … twenty people at a time. What do you think?'

Pop stared at her without blinking. And when the possibilities slowly dawned, a big grin wrinkled his weather-beaten face. ‘Ha!' he shouted and slapped his knees. ‘I reckon that's a great idea!' He stood and, reaching for Belle, hugged her tightly. Not leaving Lexie out, he hugged her too.

Excited chatter erupted around the table. Belle smiled and felt the tension in her body ease.

‘This will work in so many ways,' Marilyn sounded enthusiastic. ‘I can set up all the legal work and get the ball rolling, just give me the word to go ahead.'

Mario moved in to kiss both her cheeks. ‘Please … go do your lawyer magic.'

‘We have to find out how Greg got his hands on the old house plans
and
changed the date,' Marilyn said. ‘Who's in on this at Luna Bay council and what does Eagle Ray have to do with it?' While everyone else was talking, sometimes over each other, Belle thought hard about what Marilyn had said. She couldn't come up with anything that would help.

‘I need to walk, it'll help me think.' Belle pushed her chair back and so did Kabe.

‘I'll come with you,' he said.

‘Okay, just as long as you're quiet.'

‘I can do that,' Kabe said and grinned. They left the others behind, nattering about all the possible solutions to her pop's problem, the voices fading with every step they took further away from the cottage.

Belle strode along the cool wet sand, sometimes stopping to stare at the water, thinking, sometimes marching back and forth, muttering.

* * *

It frustrated Kabe that he couldn't help Belle. He couldn't interrupt; he didn't want to say anything in case he messed up her thought process.

Abruptly, Belle stopped, serious face lifted to his, index finger pointing. ‘There's a password to get into Greg's computer files at his Luna Bay office. I probably need help hacking it. There's a safe in the director's office that I need to crack. And there's—'

‘It's all illegal,' Kabe cut in, and couldn't help smiling as he watched her golden eyes grow big..

‘I know, but damn it, I can't think of anything other than talking to the press.'

‘Relax,' he told her. He slid his hands around to the back of her neck and massaged at the tension knotting her muscles. Leaning back, Belle closed her eyes and sighed. ‘Mum will come up with something. It will probably involve the local paper and the Mackay TV station.'

‘Really?' Belle tilted her head to look at him. ‘But you both hate the press. Brace yourself, you said.'

‘Yeah, we'll get the info we need and don't worry, it'll be their turn to brace. We'll use dickhead's and Eagle Ray's methods to bring them down. The press will lap it up. They'll want to do a deal. I'm not interested until they retract their lies.'

Staring at him, Belle straightened. ‘Do you think they care? Because I don't think so.'

‘They'll care, no big business wants bad publicity. Especially if the fraud squad gets involved.'

‘Gosh!' Belle stood on tip-toe, flung her arms around his neck and murmured, ‘It's only been a few days since we came over from Starfish Inlet, but so much has happened it feels like months. I miss what we had at Starfish Inlet,' she said longingly.

Kabe curved his arm around her waist and held her close; his hand cupped the side of her beautiful face. ‘If I could turn back time, knowing what I know now, I'd take you back to our last year in high school and I'd definitely get into your undies. What a waste those fucked-up years were.' He watched her eyes pool with tears. ‘I'll tell you something else, we'd still be together, right here, right now.'

‘Yeah, but think about all the fun you would've missed ferrying tourists around on your boat. That wouldn't have happened with me around. Then again, maybe it would've and …'

Kabe leaned back; he knew his expression tightened just like the rest of his body, and there was no way he could stop that. Belle's eyes widened and she sucked in her bottom lip.
Yeah, damn it, Belle,
he thought,
you've said the wrong thing—and you know it.

‘And what, Belle?' he pressed.

Her hand came up to cover her mouth and she tried to step away from him.

In a blink, the air between them changed. He let her go and tried not to show his annoyance, but judging by the way Belle was trying to avoid meeting his eyes, it hadn't worked.

‘I thought we were done with that?' Kabe said, his voice low with an edge he also couldn't control. Yeah, he was disappointed and try as he might, he couldn't hide that either. It was way too important. ‘Why do you feel inadequate? It's self-destructive. Why keep doing that to us, to what we have? Is your self-esteem so damaged, you need to say this shit in order to hear what you mean to me?' Kabe waited, while Belle stared at him, panic in her eyes. ‘That arsehole sure did a number on you—you know what that means?' He watched as she slowly shook her head. ‘He still
controls
your life and you're letting him. You're the only one who can put that shit where it belongs.'

‘I … I don't want him anywhere near me … let alone inside my head,' she stammered, hands coming up as if to protect either side of her head.

‘He's in there, Belle. You whimper at night. You struggle against me. What did he do to you?'

Her beautiful face paled.

‘Fuck!' he growled, his expression fierce. ‘What the hell did he do, Belle? Tell me!' Eyes riveted on her distraught face, he waited, because he knew the answer. Fists clenched, jaw tight, he knew all right. And though every muscle in his body wanted to take her in his arms and make it better, Belle needed to remember—
and
say it out loud.

He watched as desperation took over Belle's face. She looked everywhere, except at him. Her body stiffened, she wrapped her arms around herself, hands clutching at her shoulders, and she began to tremble. He moved in to take her in his arms, but she moaned and stepped back, away from him. He searched her face. What the hell was going on in her head? ‘Belle—talk to me!'

He stepped forward again, placed his hands on either side of her pale face near her jaw and penetrated her eyes with an intensity he hoped would force or trigger a memory of a night with Greg Travers.

Nothing happened so Kabe urged, ‘Open the doors, Belle. Open all those dark little boxes where you've hidden that crap. I'm right here and nothing bad is going to happen, no one's going to hurt you.'

Belle's eyes squeezed shut, but almost instantly, they flew open again. Kabe watched as memories flickered behind her big, golden eyes that were overcome with fear. Then he saw a flash of recognition, and finally rage took over.

Helpless in the face of Belle's overwhelming emotion, Kabe reached for her; he could feel her body shaking and whispered, ‘Belle please!'

‘No—no! I didn't ask him in.' She shook her head, back and forth. ‘I didn't—I know I didn't! I didn't want anyone to know, least of all you, how stupid I was!' she screamed at him, then her hand came up to cover her mouth and tears welled in her eyes. She shook herself free, turned away from him and ran back towards Mario's. Stunned and unable to move, he watched Belle as she sprinted away. It had shocked him to see her pain; he felt it like a stab to his heart. His gut was right, the memory that triggered her reaction was as bad as he thought it would be. He needed to get to Belle, make her understand he was there for her. He took off and ran as fast as the wet sand would allow. He saw her veer off, heading straight for the jetty; he thought she was merely trying to avoid everyone's questions. Then she did something he knew was out of sheer desperation and he regretted everything he
didn't
do and should've done to stop her. ‘Belle! No!'

Chapter 11

Knowing her grandfather always left the keys to his boat in the ignition, Belle released the mooring rope, quickly climbed on board the small launch and started it up. Within seconds, she'd manoeuvred the boat away from the jetty and headed down the inlet to open water. Over the roar of the engine, Belle could just make out Kabe shouting for her to stop, something she was incapable of doing. In a blind rage, she gripped the wheel, sobbing as she sped through the mouth of the inlet and out into the vast expanse of the Coral Sea.

She hated Greg; he'd used her and abused her in the worst possible way. Kabe was right, she'd been carrying this ugly memory in her subconscious far too long. Just thinking about it made her burn with shame and embarrassment, which was wrong. How dare Greg, and what he'd done, make her feel this way? Filled with all-encompassing rage, fuelled by adrenalin, she was hell bent on revenge, and she would bloody well get it. First, Greg had to admit the truth and the only way she was going to get that out of him was to confront the arsehole.

Her grandfather's launch slammed against the swells, giving her the mother of all headaches. She dared to glance over her shoulder, and saw Kabe's ocean-going launch following in the distance. Well, what did she think, no one was going to chase after her? Determined to get to Greg before her anyone else, Belle pushed the throttle forward to increase her speed.

Closing in on Luna Bay, Belle could see boats dotting the harbour and the buildings surrounded by tropical greenery beyond. As she motored closer, she took care to avoid debris left over from the storm. With the engine rumbling softly, she carefully manoeuvred the launch into the marina, and found a place to moor, guiding her grandfather's boat into the narrow space between two yachts.

Seeing a weather-beaten sailor cleaning out his yacht on the opposite side of the pier, she cut the engine and called out, ‘Excuse me!' The man peered at her over his shoulder, did a double take, straightened and eyed Belle with a bemused expression. ‘Oh, Mr Johnson, would you mind giving me a hand, please?' she asked politely.

‘Sure, Belle, only if you call me Trev,' he smiled, ‘I saw your photo on the news the other night and in this mornin's paper.'

Oh God
, Belle silently groaned. He caught the line she threw and secured it to a mooring pile.

‘Mario's boat looks in good nick after that big blow. He's damned lucky.'

‘Um … yeah, lucky. Thanks for your help.'

He eyed her appreciatively and grinned, grey eyes sparkling in his brown wrinkled face. ‘Any time, darlin'. It's not just because Kabe Hunter put the word out around town to treat you and Lexie with respect either. But we didn't need remindin'; we've known you all too long. And despite what they've read in the damn paper, most folk around town reckon Greg's a moron and someone should've kicked his skinny arse out of town long ago. Shifty little shit, if you'll excuse me language.'

Something akin to pride surged through Belle. ‘Wait a minute, you're saying Kabe told people in town that Lexie and I were coming in to shop and could they please be civil?'

‘Look, we would've done it anyway. We're nice people in this town … mostly.' His leathery face crinkled with a wide grin, then he turned his gnarly hands back to the task of sorting rope and tackle. ‘Good bloke, Kabe, to be doin' that. Don'tcha reckon?'

All Belle could manage was a nod and a weak smile. Despite her wrath, a warm feeling curled through her belly, the result of Kabe's thoughtfulness, one of the many reasons she loved him. She heaved a sigh, tucked the launch keys in her pocket and clambered off the boat onto the timber jetty.

‘Thanks, Trev.'

‘Anytime, sweetheart.' He waved and she strode towards the town centre.

Head up, Belle hurried to the small regional office of Eagle Ray Resorts. The moment she saw their logo, her stomach knotted. Before entering, she programmed her phone to record and slipped it in the pocket of her shorts. Hand cupped over her eyes, Belle could see the empty reception area through the shopfront windows. Heart thumping, she pushed the heavy door open and headed straight for Greg's office. Seeing his arrogant face and posture, her rage returned like a thunderstorm. She didn't miss Greg's shocked expression, which faded almost as quickly as it had appeared. In a blink, his look became crafty. He lifted his feet off the desk and quickly ended his phone call.

‘Hello, Belle, what brings you here? Lost your way, or finally come to your senses?'

She couldn't stop the growl in her throat. Her eyes narrowed in on him and she hoped they reflected what she thought of him. The lowlife piece of scum.

‘I'm here to tell you that if you don't get the papers to retract what they said about Kabe and me, I will give them a statement about what really happened between us. You know what I'm talking about, you scheming cockroach!'

He gave her a smarmy grin. ‘You're distraught. I keep saying you're not well. You should see someone.'

‘That won't work anymore, you bastard!' she hissed. ‘You put something in my drink—the wine was a lot stronger, it tasted stronger. Somehow you added more alcohol to get me drunk—fast!'

‘That's your word against mine and seeing as you're not of sound mind …' She reached across the desk and slapped him so hard his head flipped sideways and her fingers stung with the impact.