Spike (19 page)

We drive towards Yass, just over the Canberra border.

When we get to Maccas, we order a couple of value meals for dinner, and wait for Ryan. I scoff down my burger, having hardly eaten all day.

I don’t notice him arrive until Ryan rocks up to our table, while I’ve got my mouth stuffed full with a Big Mac. This guy continues to catch me at my worst.

“Hi, guys,” he says, putting a black backpack on the seat beside him, and a takeaway coffee cup on the table.

“Hey,” Aidan says, and nods while I finish my mouthful and wipe the sauce from my face.

“Hi, Ryan,” I say. He watches me intently as I lick my fingers.

“Do you think you were followed?” Ryan asks, shifting his gaze to Aidan.

“Nah, I drove like a madman. They wouldn’t have had a chance.”

“Good. We haven’t got long to talk, so I’ll get right to it. Eevie, did he say anything about the money?”

“Yeah. Not to forget it.”

“Okay, well I assume he’s gonna want to meet you first for the cash.”

“I don’t have a good feelin’ about you meeting him, Eevie,” Aidan says, his face tortured with emotion.

Not helping, Aidan.

“Aidan, I have to do this myself. I have to keep up the pretence that you know nothing about the blackmail. It’s the only way I see this working,” I say, not wanting to take no for an answer. I’m going to take charge of what I can.

“I can’t fuckin’ stand the thought of him being near you,” Aidan says, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I can see your concern, Aidan. This
is
dangerous, but Eevie’s right. It’ll be more believable if he’s under the impression she hasn’t told you about the blackmail. After all, he was clear that she wasn’t to tell anyone, including you. If we move in too early without the drop-off as directed, he could get suspicious and run, and we could lose our golden opportunity to take him.”

Ryan pats the bag next to him. “There are two bulletproof vests in the bag. I want you to both wear them. We’ll have armed officers in place in case things go bad. He’s dealt with illegal firearms, so we consider him to be armed and dangerous.” Ryan takes a sip of his coffee. “On top of the outstanding charges, we wanna nail him for extortion. Depending on where he sets up the meet, Eevie, you’re gonna have to hand him the envelope in plain sight. We’ll have eyes on you for evidence.”

I exhale heavily. When I take a breath in, the smell of burgers and fries isn’t as appealing as it was a moment ago. Aidan places his hand over my hands, which are in knots on the table.

“Are you sure you can handle this, Eevie?” Ryan says, eyeing Aidan’s hands now entangled in mine.

I can do this. I know I can.

I nod. “Yes. I don’t want him to be able to do this to anyone else.” My mouth curls up at the sides, but my eyes stay cold. It’s the only kind of reassurance I can give him.

Ryan looks towards Aidan, his forehead creasing. “Once we know where he wants to meet you, we’ll keep Eevie out of it. I’ll make sure she’s safe.”

“Good,” Aidan says, his tone as rigid as his body.

Ryan runs his fingers over his forehead, as if trying to smooth it. “Aidan, this is the best way to play it. If Eevie doesn’t get the tape, then we’ll move to plan B, but let’s not go into that just yet.”

Plan B?

What the hell is plan B? I’m too terrified to ask.

For a second, I forget to breathe. This is hard enough as it is without imagining it all turning to shit.

Ryan hands Aidan a cheap-looking phone. “Once you get there, use this. I’ll get in touch with the local cops and give them a heads up. There’s a GPS tracker in the bag, so fit it to your car so we’ve got your location. If you think you’re being followed, you need to ring me immediately. We don’t want him to know where you are before the drop-off. We just wanna be prepared for every scenario, but trust me, you’re in good hands. We’ve got some of the country’s top cops working on this. He won’t evade us this time. Any questions?”

There are so many, Ryan, I don’t know where to start.
“Where are we going to stay there? We’ll have to book a hotel.”

“I’ve already had one of the officers make some arrangements. We thought the most secure option was to stay at the Grand Hotel. I’ve booked you a room under the name Smith. Original, I know, but we don’t know who he might have contacts with.”

A young fair-haired girl with piggy-tails, probably only three years old, runs squealing past our table, her mother in fast pursuit as she escapes into the kids’ playroom.

“Only one of you go into reception. The room’s already paid for, and we’ve sorted the credit card so they won’t need any personal information from you,” Ryan continues.

“Thanks, Ryan. We appreciate that.”

“We’ll be staying close by as we don’t want to raise suspicion. I’ll leave with one of the other detectives shortly, so we’ll see you up there tomorrow. Any contact with him, call me immediately.”

“Will do,” Aidan says, his voice strong. We can do this. Just those two words, and I know he’s in this. He’s not backing down.

“Get as much sleep as you can, huh?” Ryan says, nodding “See ya tomorrow.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

* EEVIE *

Around eleven o’clock we arrive at the hotel, carrying a single black backpack, and heavy hearts. We hardly spoke on the way. Aidan insisted I get some sleep while he drove, but I barely got a wink. How could I?

The room is modern, with an inviting king-sized bed. Any other time and I’d be admiring staying in such a nice place, but tonight it’s simply a room with a bed. A means to an end. This is no holiday.

We freshen up for bed. I’m grateful that Aidan was able to get some travel toothpaste and toothbrushes from reception. I switch on the dim bedside lamp, and we undress and slip in under the heavy white sheets and comforter.

Aidan pulls me into his arms and holds me tight, tension radiating from him.

My fingers trace a line from his hip, up to his chest. His heart pumps hard beneath my hand. My muddled head swims with a thousand scenarios. What if this … What if that… it’s torture.

“If something were to happen to you tomorrow,” I say softly, my eyes welling up. “I want you to know how much you mean to me. I—”

“Nothing’s gonna happen, okay? When we get through this—and we will, Eevie—anything else we have to face will be a walk in the fuckin’ park. I’m sorry about this mess. It cuts me up, but we’re strong, and together we’re unstoppable.”

“How do you always know what to say?” I reply, my voice raspy.

Aidan takes my face in his hands, sweeping my tears away with his thumbs. “Because I know you, Eevie, and I love you. You’re everything I’d ever hoped for. I know there’s my work and racing, but you … you’re the one person that understands me. You’re a part of me now. Forever. Everything else is just … trimmings.”

I kiss him as if it was our last. I know it won’t be, but I need this kiss like I need to breathe. We lose ourselves, deep in an all-consuming kiss. The longer it lasts, the more I want him, need to feel him inside me. In this hotel room, we’ll create a memory for just the two of us …
alone
. I writhe beside him as his erection rubs against my stomach, desire pooling where I want him most. I want it slow and fast, and hot and sweet, like I may never have it again. My heart aches knowing this will be one to remember. No one can take this away from us.

I slowly pull my lips away from his. “Make love to me, Aidan,” I whisper.

“Anything … Anything for you. I just don’t think I’ll be able to stop.”

He lays me on my back and kneels between my legs, his hands gliding over my breasts, squeezing hard. His eyes burn a trail down my torso to between my thighs, before he slips his finger inside me.

I groan with his touch, my insides threatening to liquefy as he moves slowly in and out. I shut my eyes tight.
Don’t worry about tomorrow. This is now.

“I need you, Aidan,” I beg, pulling his head down to me and sucking his bottom lip. He withdraws from me, and takes my hands above my head, linking our fingers as he positions himself between my thighs. He teases with small movements at first, gradually pushing inside me deeper as our tongues dance together in time with his deliberately controlled strokes.

Slow movements soon become frantic as we both become desperate for release. It’s as if it’s the last time we’ll ever be together. Neither of us say it, but I know that’s what we‘re thinking. Thinking about what tomorrow will bring. Our future—
our lives
hang in the balance.

I move my legs to his shoulders, taking him deeper. Aidan’s chest labours as he takes in a ragged breath. He slips his hands between my legs, rubbing my clit hard. I explode beneath his fingers, not afraid this time to call out his name as I scream with release. He grips my hips tight, driving into me a few more times before he grunts as he spills inside me. Aidan leans down and takes me in his arms, holding me close as his hips slow to a stop.

Feeling him pulse deep inside me, in the pinnacle of our lovemaking, I never wanna lose this feeling—the tingling in my body, and in the depths of my heart that only Aidan has warmed. This is what we’re fighting for.
Love.
A love like no other. And it’s definitely worth the fight. A hundred times over.

Tears carrying the weight of our world slide down my face as I hold fast to the love of my life with all my might.

Now it’s time to be strong.

“Can we sleep like this?” I ask, breaking the silence. I grip his firm arse with both hands, and squeeze.

“You might have trouble breathing,” he says with a low chuckle and moves onto his side.

“I wish we could stay like this forever.” I sweep my hand through his fresh sex hair.

He kisses me, feather-light on the lips. “Me too. This is my kinda heaven.”

****

I toss and turn, barely sleeping all night. I thought having sex would have helped, but it was different to normal. I was desperate, not knowing what was ahead of us today.

When sunlight breaks through the curtains, I know I have to get up. I want to at least be showered, and feel half-human before I have to face this. I want to be ready.

Aidan is open-mouthed and drooling on the pillow next to me, still as adorable and sexy as ever. After all the wriggling around he did last night, I’m glad he finally got some rest, but I don’t have the heart to wake him. What’s ahead of him today …
fuck
. Today he meets his father, after all this time. I hope to God this guy is decent to him. I know he’s a criminal, but surely he has some paternal instincts.

Unfazed by my getting out of bed, Aidan continues to sleep. I step into a hot shower, and drown myself in the steam. Once my skin is suitably pink, I turn it off and dry myself, slipping on my jeans and jumper from yesterday.

I boil the kettle and make myself an instant coffee. I steal a look at my reflection in the mirror, and tie my hair up in a messy bun. I clean the lenses of my glasses on my shirt, and put them on. I don’t normally wear much makeup, but today I don’t give a shit how I look. Today is business. A simple exchange. I get what I want, he gets what he wants, and the cops get their man.

I drink the rest of my gag-worthy coffee, and snuggle next to Aidan.

Yawning, he wraps his arms around me, and buries his prickly jaw into the crook of my neck. “Mmm, good morning,” he says, his chest rising as he takes in a deep breath.

“Do you want me to make you a coffee?” I ask.

“What time is it?” he asks, scanning the room for a clock.

“It’s just gone seven-thirty. I couldn’t sleep anymore.”

“Nah, I’ll get in the shower.” He kisses me on the lips and springs out of bed. My eyes follow his sexy arse cheeks all the way to the bathroom. I just wish I could drag him back under the covers.
What I’d give right now to be like any other ordinary couple …

I sit down on the edge of the bed and literally twiddle my thumbs. After going crazy doing that, I pick up the remote and flick through the Foxtel channels. I desperately need the distraction.

My phone buzzes on the bedside table. My heart races with the sound, and I lean over and pick it up. It’s a text from a number I don’t recognise. It must be
him
.

Meet me at Dolce Dolce Café on the main
street in 15 minutes. Come alone and bring the $$$

Shit. It’s him.

I fumble with the phone, and eventually forward the text to Ryan.

He replies straight away.

We’ll be set

I poke my head into the bathroom, allowing the steam to billow out. Aidan’s head swings in my direction and he raises his eyebrows.

I nod. “It’s time.”

He shuts off the water and quickly runs a towel over himself. “Are you sure you wanna do this, baby?” Taking long strides, he picks up his clothes off the bed and put his jeans on. I slip the bulletproof vest beneath my coat, adding to the emotional burden I’m already carrying. I’m grateful that thanks to the cold weather, the vest can be hidden discreetly under my clothing.

“Yes. I’m doing this.” I can barely steady my shaking hands, so I slip them in my jeans pockets. I’ve never been more scared in my life. I’m meeting a wanted man. A dangerous, unpredictable man. I just have to think of him as Aidan’s father, otherwise I might lose my mind. I’m knowingly putting myself in the path of danger.
I should get my head read.

Aidan slips on his wrinkled shirt, and pulls me in tight. “You’re one helluva a tough cookie. I’m so proud of you.”

I exhale loudly, and bite down on the inside of my cheek.

Aidan picks up his phone from the bedside table, and dials. “Ryan, pick me up. I wanna be close by.” He pauses, taking in Ryan’s words. “See ya then.”

“I’ll be watching you. We’re all working to get you in and out. This shit is almost over. Ryan said to park a hundred metres or so down the street from the café. On your way back, take your time. Drive around in circles if you have to, to make sure you’re not followed back to the hotel. And don’t forget to give him the envelope in plain sight.”