Shadow of Suspicion (Haunted by the Past) (25 page)

“It’s too late now, isn’t it? I can’t
fix it anymore. It’s all broken.” Trish glanced down into the hole and then at
Max. “Everyone will know the truth now, won’t they? I won’t be able to hide it
any longer.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore. Please
Trish, give me the gun.” Max held his hand out to her again, his expression
grim.

She stared at Max. She reminded Jason
of a trapped animal. He could see the realisation of the ramifications of her
actions dancing in her terrified eyes. “It does matter. I can’t go to jail. I
can’t see the pain in Mitch’s face when he finds out what we’ve hidden from
him.” Her face became strangely resigned and her shoulders sagged. “Please tell
Mitch that I’m sorry.”

Max and Jason ran forward with a
shout, but Trish had already placed the gun in her mouth and pulled the
trigger. The bang echoed through the air. The loud flapping of terrified wings
filled the area…………then silence.

Callie slowly awakened with a groan.
Pain lanced through the back of her head like a red hot poker. She raised her
hand to inspect the area, but she hit her elbow and fingers against something
solid above her. Confused, she carefully opened her eyes. Complete darkness
reigned. Not even the tiniest splinter of light penetrated the blackness all
around her. The strong scent of wood and earth filled her nose.

Panic engulfed her. The image of the
wooden box lying in a hole in the ground filled her mind. Vaguely, she recalled
falling backwards into it after Trish had struck her. Horror filled her entire
being. Hyperventilating, Callie pummelled the wood above her with her fists.
She kicked out with her legs and heaved with all her might, but she couldn’t remove
the obstruction.

Callie’s head swam. Had Trish already
covered her over with the mound of dirt that had been at the side of the hole?
Terror threatened to overwhelm her and for a second she thought she would pass
out again. There didn’t seem to be enough air inside the box. The dull sound of
a yell reached her ears. She froze, straining hard. What was that?

She could hear the murmur of a voice
speaking. Hope filled her heart. If she could hear outside sounds, Trish
couldn’t have buried her yet. It was enough hope to stave off the panic attack
she could feel hovering in the background. She banged against the lid of the
box for all she was worth. Callie desperately wanted to scream, but she
couldn’t seem to breathe to make a sound. Fear clogged her throat as
effectively as a cork and all that escaped her were whimpers.

More sounds rose from above her. She
could definitely hear a male voice, possibly two. Who was it? Had walkers
stumbled across them or had Sophie reached help. Callie didn’t care. She had to
make them realise she was alive and in desperate need of help. She hit the lid
again and again, sobbing hysterically. She lost all sense of time. How long had
it been since she’d heard the voices? Were they still out there?

A loud blast reverberated through the
darkness. Callie froze. Was that a gunshot? Her teeth chattered together. Had
her rescuer been hurt or was it Trish? Tears streamed from her eyes and sobs
stuck in her throat. She shook so badly she wondered if she’d fly into a
thousand pieces. What if there was no one left up there to help her? Her body
went icy cold.

Suddenly the lid above her split
open. Fresh air and daylight streamed in. Callie squeezed her eyes shut against
the blinding glare. Strong arms closed around her and pulled her upwards.

“It’s okay, Callie. I’m here.”
Jason’s wonderful voice filled her ears.

Crying hysterically, she clung onto
him as he pulled her into his lap. She buried her face in his neck and gripped
his t-shirt in her fists. She was sure she would never be able to let him go
ever again. He held her in his tight embrace and she let the sense of safety
envelope her. Slowly, her panic began to ease.

“Oh Jason, I thought I’d never see
you again.” She could barely speak through her sobs. “What happened? However
did you find me? Where’s Trish?”

She moved away from him, suddenly
fearful the woman would sneak up on them and attack. Jason grabbed the side of her
head and shoved her back against his chest. He covered her eyes with one hand.

“Don’t look, sweetheart. It’s not
pretty.” His voice held a note of sorrow.

“Jason, please tell me what happened.
I thought I heard a gunshot.” Callie clung to his t-shirt, her fingers curled
into the material.

“You did. Trish killed herself,
Callie,” Jason informed her quietly.

Callie gasped and pressed a hand to
her mouth. “Oh, no. This is all my fault. I should never have come here.”

Jason grasped her face with one warm
palm. He lifted her gaze to his. “This is not your fault. You can’t blame
yourself.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Come on. I think it’s best if we move
away from here.”

Jason climbed to his feet and pulled
her up. He swung her into his strong arms. Callie squeezed her eyes shut and
buried her face in his warm neck. She didn’t want to see Trish’s body. She had
been through more than enough to give her nightmares for years to come as it
was. She breathed in the masculine scent of Jason deep into her lungs, trying
to block out the smell of earth and wood.

Nausea welled up inside her and she trembled.
Jason carried her with swift strides from the area. She snuck a peek from
between her lashes. They were back at the lake. Jason sat down on the tree
stump that she’d occupied earlier, before Trish had pushed her into the trees.
He settled Callie into his lap and hugged her tight.

It was so strange and surreal to be
back where she’d been only a short time ago. It seemed like a lifetime ago to
her. Callie stared out at the lake, hardly able to believe she was alive. The
warmth of Jason’s embrace settled over her and her heart swelled. She licked
her lips and closed her eyes in bliss. He threaded his hand through her hair.
Callie winced and bit back a cry.

Jason jerked. “What is it?” He
grabbed her head before she could reply and examined it carefully. Callie
hissed with pain as his fingers passed gently over her injury.

“You’ve got a goose egg here.” Jason
sounded as mad as hell. “We need to get you checked out.”

“Fine, but not yet, please.” Callie
clung onto him. “I just need a little time before I’m ready to deal with the
rest of the world.”

“Okay, but then I’m driving you
straight to a doctor.” He pulled away from her and gazed deeply into her eyes.

Callie’s breath caught in her throat
at the love and concern she could see shining from his deep brown orbs. Surely
she was mistaken. Jason didn’t feel that way about her, he’d made that clear.
Her heart thundered in her ears, so that she had to strain to hear his words.

“I won’t take chances with you,
Callie. I thought I’d lost you today and I can’t bear to go through that ever
again.” His voice broke as he cupped her face with his warm hands. His thumb
traced her jawline. “I was so afraid I would never get the chance to tell you
how I feel. I have been a fool, pushing you away to protect my heart when I
should have been honest with you. I won’t make that mistake again. I want you
to know…………I love you, Callie.”

Callie gasped, hardly daring to believe
her ears. Tears welled up in her eyes and her vision blurred. “Do you mean it,
Jason? Don’t say it if you don’t. I would never survive it.”

“I do mean it. With every beat of my
heart, with every breath that I take, I mean it,” he whispered passionately.

Callie’s heart soared to the heavens
as his lips descended on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and drank
in the taste of him on her tongue. Tears choked her. She ran her fingers
through his short hair, loving the feel of the silky texture against her skin.

A horrible thought reared in her
head. She wanted so much to block it out, but it persisted. Her stomach lurched
sickeningly. She pulled back and stared down at her hands.

“You may not feel the same way when
you learn the truth about me,” she whispered. “The reason Trish did all
this…………it’s too awful for words. I really don’t know how to tell you.”

She glanced at him, devastation
clouding her heart. She would lose him now, she just knew it. Tears filled her
eyes. Part of her never wanted him to know, but she’d seen the damage done when
a secret was left to fester. She couldn’t do it. If they had any chance of a
future together, she had to tell him.

Jason smiled at her and threaded his
fingers through hers. “Don’t look so worried love. I already know.” He lifted
her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her knuckles.

Callie sucked in a deep breath. “You
know? How? Doesn’t it bother you?”

“Why would it? You can’t help who
you’re parents are any more than I can.” He squeezed her hand. “You are a
wonderful, loving person. That doesn’t change because of what Sandra and Max
did. That is their sickness, not yours.”

She closed her eyes briefly. “But I’m
a product of that sickness. I’m a child born of two siblings. How can you be
okay with that? I sure as hell am not.”

“I’m horrified by what they’ve done,
I won’t lie to you.” He sighed and glanced out over the lake. “But you and
Sophie are two of the most beautiful souls I have ever encountered. How two
such innocent and wonderful people were born from such ugliness, I’ll never
know. Maybe the Divine decided something magnificent had to come from something
so wrong.”

His words washed away all her doubts
and fears. Callie wrapped her arms around his neck. Tears slipped silently down
her cheeks. “I love you, Jason Hawkes. With everything in me, I love you. You
are a very special man.”

He pulled her close and kissed her
again. Callie drank him in deeply. His love soothed some of the raw wounds that
lay bleeding at the surface of her consciousness. How had she got so lucky? She
didn’t know, but she’d spend the rest of her life appreciating the incredible
man she’d found. Meeting Jason was the one thing that made her happy she’d come
to Devon…………the only thing.

Something he’d said flittered through
her mind. Callie frowned and pulled back. She gazed at Jason, puzzled. “Hang
on, you said me and Sophie are two of the most beautiful souls you’ve ever
encountered. How would you know that Sophie is? You’ve never seen her.”

“Oh, yes I have.” Jason grinned. “How
do you think I found you?”

“You saw her?” Callie gasped.
Wonderment filled her entire being.

“I sure did.” Jason hugged her
tightly. “It was quite a shock, I can tell you. But that little girl was
determined that I got the message that you needed me. She warned me you were in
danger. She saved your life, Callie.”

Callie closed her eyes, love flooding
her heart to bursting point. Somehow her sister had done it. She’d made someone
hear her. Callie would never be able to repay such a debt.

“How I wish someone had been there
for her,” she whispered, her mind conjuring up the small helpless girl that had
died alone and afraid. It was more than she could bear. She would never be able
to forgive Trish for that. She’d stolen away someone precious and that could never
be forgotten.

“I wish that too.” Jason kissed her
knuckles. “We can’t change what’s happened, but we can make a wonderful future.
I want to plan that future together. What do you say?”

Callie sniffled. “I say it’s a
resounding yes.”

A throat cleared behind them. Callie
jerked in Jason’s arms and glanced over his shoulder. She stiffened. Max stood
several feet away, his face as white as a sheet. What the hell was he doing
here? How had she not seen him before now?

She glanced at Jason, suddenly realising
how he’d found out about her parentage. She’d assumed it was Trish, but
apparently not. Jason mouthed an apology. Callie closed her eyes briefly and her
stomach clenched tight. The last thing she needed right now was to deal with
Max!

 “I’ve phoned the police,” he
informed them quietly. “They are on their way.” He ran his eyes over Callie.
“I’m so glad that you’re okay, sweetheart.”

Callie threw up a hand. Fury surged
through her like a tsunami. “Don’t call me that! Don’t speak to me! Don’t even
look at me!” She turned to Jason. “Get me out of here, please. I don’t want to
deal with him right now.”

“Sure.” Jason cast a dark glare at
Max. Her body shook as he helped her to her feet. Callie leaned heavily on
Jason’s arm, unsure her legs would hold her up by herself.

Max stepped forward, his expression
shocked and hurt. He held a hand out to her. “Callie, please. You have to let
me explain. I’m sure whatever Trish told you was put in the most terrible
light. I don’t want you to go away with her version of the truth in your head.”

Callie couldn’t believe her ears.
“And what could you possibly say that would make your version okay?” She glared
at him. “Unless Trish had it wrong or was lying? Tell me you’re not my father
and maybe we have something to discuss.”

He hesitated and shook his head. “I
can’t say that. I am your father.”

“Then we have nothing more to say to
each other.” Callie struggled to keep her voice steady. “Please, Jason, just
get me out of here now.”

They turned to leave, but Max swiftly
darted around them and stepped into their path. “I have to talk with you,
Callie. We can’t avoid this forever. You are my daughter. I led Jason here. I
am part of the reason you’re alive right now. Doesn’t that mean anything to
you?”

Callie stared at him incredulously.
“My life wouldn’t have been in danger in the first place, if it wasn’t for
you.” She pointed back the way they’d come. “Your wife is lying dead back there
because of what you’ve done. Your son has no idea about any of this. Don’t you
think you should be concerned for him? He’s lost his mother today.” Her voice
broke and caught in a sob. “You can’t stand there and act like my father. It’s
wrong on every level.”

“I will tell Mitch everything. I
guess I have no choice now.” Max held his hands out to her. “I know today has
been awful, but I want us all to try and be a family. Shouldn’t something good
come out of all of this? I lost one daughter, Callie, I don’t want to lose you
too.”