The Saddler Boys (25 page)

Lifting her chin, she walked past Gary and into the night.

NAT
felt terror slowly working its way through her veins. Gary's face was set like marble, except his eyes, which darkened further and further as they drove home. Instead of calming down as she'd hoped, he seemed to be getting angrier. She could feel tension radiating from his body as he sat ramrod straight, muscles bunched in his white office shirt. Nat resisted the urge to press herself against the passenger-side door but in her mind she was turning to liquid and pouring into the gap between the seat and door.

The streetlights flashed past. ‘Gary, we need to talk this through,' she said as calmly as she could, but it came out a little strained and jumpy due to the fact that her heart was in her throat. Should she reach over and hold his hand, reassure him? She was so uncertain about how he would react. Second chances were scary.

He didn't say anything at all until he pulled into his parking spot and shut off the car.

‘Come inside and we'll talk,' he said gruffly.

Nat opened her door with a shaking hand and moved slower than a turtle. Her mind was going faster than a rabbit, trying to guess what was to come and figure out how to explain what Gary had seen. She was torn between hope that he had changed and fear that he hadn't. Her belly was a jumble of twisted barbed wire as she walked behind him on the lit pebbled pathway. Inside, Gary strode to the large glass wall and looked out over the city lights. He stood there with his hands clenched by his sides.

‘Gary, you need to calm down. There was no need to insist I come home without saying goodbye to Uncle Kent. He was right there with Billy. Nothing sordid was going on.' She stood behind a chair, using it for balance, using it to hide her shaking body, using it as a shield and wondering if it would be enough.

Gary turned and the force of his gaze hit her like a slap. ‘Nothing going on? His hands were all over you. You were draped over him,' he said angrily. ‘What else have you been doing?' he said, stepping towards her and locking his hands onto her arms. He dragged her from behind the chair, putting her firmly in front of him.

‘Gary, this is your second chance. You promised me you'd never lose control again. Please. I need you to be the Gary I said I would marry.'

A hand snapped up and clenched her jaw hard, dragging her face close to his. Her teeth ached from the pressure.

‘Second chance? What about your second chance? For all I know, you're sleeping in his bed.'

Nat tried to pull back. ‘No, I'm not. Gary, let me go. You're hurting me,' she begged. ‘You promised me you'd never hurt me again.'

‘You wouldn't know what real pain is,' he said, letting her jaw go but gripping her neck instead. He pushed her back towards the bedroom while she struggled for breath. She tripped over a rug and fell to the ground, getting a brief reprieve as she slipped from his grasp. She crawled along the floor, trying to get away, when she felt a blinding pain in her ribs. Curling into a ball, she cried out as he kicked her again, his shoe hard and unforgiving. Tears sprang forth, her world going blurry.

‘Gary, no, please,' she whimpered. ‘You promised me. You promised.'

‘When are you going to learn that I don't share? I will not be humiliated. I promised to behave but you were all over him. It was . . . disgusting. I will not have you doing it behind my back and making me a laughing stock.' Gary reached down and dragged her up by her neck, both hands tight.

Natalie feared her windpipe was being crushed as he pulled her to the bed. Could her lungs collapse? Each breath was a struggle.

As her world grew dark, she wondered how she could have let this happen to her. Again. Gary had blown his second chance. He was not the man she wanted to marry. Not by a long shot. The shame was so intense she wanted to die from it. She didn't even know who Gary was, and as she finally passed out into darkness she felt a moment of relief that it was over.

DREW
paced around Kent's house like a caged lion. On his tenth lap Kent stepped into his path.

‘Drew, what's going on? Where's Nat?'

‘It's a mess. Nat and I had cleared the air, we were friends again and having a hug when Gary walked in,' he said, struggling to keep the fire from his voice.

Kent stood there as if waiting for the punchline. ‘And? What's wrong with that?'

‘I'm worried I've made it worse for Nat.'

‘Why? With Gary? Was he upset? Didn't you just explain?'

‘You don't get it. Gary's a hothead. He can't think clearly when he's jealous. He all but dragged her home.' Drew so badly wanted to tell him that Gary had been hurting Nat, but that would mean breaking a promise. ‘Can you call her, please?'

Kent frowned. ‘What do you mean? What aren't you telling me, Drew?'

Drew didn't reply but Kent pulled out his mobile and rang Nat. He glanced at Drew. ‘No answer, but that's not surprising, is it, if they're talking things over?'

Drew ground his teeth together.

‘Is there something going on between you and Nat?'

Drew shot his hands up as if under arrest. ‘No, of course not. We're just good friends.'

‘I can see that,' said Kent. He glanced back to check Billy was still occupied. ‘And I can also see how much she means to you.'

His words seemed to hang in the air like a thick morning fog. Drew didn't know how to reply, but couldn't bring himself to deny it. It felt like a shootout in a Western as they eyeballed each other.

‘Do you love her?' Kent asked softly.

Again Drew didn't know what to say. Could he admit to Kent that he loved his niece, the one who was engaged to be married to another man? After everything Kent had done for him and Billy, Drew owed him the truth. ‘Yes. Yes, I do.'

A smile grew on Kent's face, completely confusing Drew. ‘I knew it. They say men don't notice stuff, but I noticed.'

Drew bit the inside of his cheek. ‘I haven't done anything about it,' he eventually said, but then he remembered the kiss.

‘You don't want to tell her?' Kent asked. ‘You should.'

Why did everyone keep saying that? Would telling her really change anything? Gary was abusive and she still hadn't left him. Why would she leave him for Drew and live a plain life in the middle of nowhere, away from everything she knew?

‘I'm not sure it would work between us,' Drew said truthfully. He didn't want to try it and then be devastated when she went back to the city. It had happened to a few of the guys in the district. But then again, others were still happily married to their city gals. ‘She shouldn't marry Gary regardless. He's bad news.'

‘Well, that we can agree on. I think he's too selfish, doesn't put Nat first. And I have a feeling she's doing it more out of family duty than anything. She's always wanted to please everyone. But I want her to please herself. I've tried to tell her that I think she's trapping herself by getting married but she won't listen. Just thinks it's an old man's mumblings.'

Drew agreed with Kent but was too afraid to say so.

‘Can we play Monomoney now?' Billy asked, appearing in the doorway. He still couldn't pronounce Monopoly correctly.

‘Um, not just yet, can you watch some TV instead, or play with the Lego? Thanks, buddy.' Drew was relieved for the distraction from his conversation with Kent as he was scared he was close to spilling Nat's secret. What a world of trouble he'd be in then. And they'd just fixed their relationship; he didn't want to bust it up again. He was so torn. He wanted to drive to Gary's and see for himself if she was all right. But what if she was fine and he just made it worse? He could call the police but he knew Nat would hate that.

Try as he might, Monopoly couldn't hold his interest. He kept looking at his phone, wondering if Nat would call him, if Gary might be hurting her, wondering whether he should text her and see if she was all right. But if Gary was hovering over her phone . . . Damn it. Images of Nat with bad bruises swam through his mind like thick globs of poisonous algae.

‘
Daaaad
, it's your go again,' Billy whined, holding the dice out for him.

Kent squinted at Drew, no doubt trying to read his mind. ‘I'm sorry, mate. I'm going to have to call it a night. I'm tired,' Drew said.

They packed up and all went to bed, but Drew couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned, looked at his phone, then tossed and turned some more. Maybe he could get Kent to ring her in the morning, just to see she was okay. At some ungodly hour Drew fell asleep, only to wake early and start fretting all over again.

Kent found him sitting at the kitchen bench at seven o'clock, staring at his strong black coffee. It was his third cup.

‘Morning. You look hung-over,' said Kent, scratching his belly through his royal-blue robe. He wore matching slippers.

‘I didn't sleep that well. Um, Kent,' he started while Kent fixed himself a coffee. ‘Is there any chance you could call Nat this morning and see how she is?'

Kent's eyes narrowed. ‘Why are you so worried about her? What are you not telling me?'

‘I can't call because the last time I did, Gary saw and went ballistic. Please, Kent. Just give her a quick call and see if she sounds all right.'

After studying him for a few seconds, Kent picked up his mobile and dialled Nat. ‘Voicemail again. She's probably still asleep.'

Drew made him try again at eight, and when there was still no answer, Drew begged him to try Gary's home phone.

Kent went looking for the number, as he'd never needed to call it before. Drew waited anxiously as Kent dialled the numbers.

‘Hi, Gary, it's Kent. Just chasing Natalie. Can I speak to her, please?'

Drew had to resist pressing his ear up to Kent's phone and was relieved when he could hear that she had answered.

‘Hi, possum. Is your phone off? I've been trying to call. Are you okay? You sound raspy, are you getting a cold?'

Drew froze. Raspy? He saw red as he instantly imagined Gary's hands pressed around Nat's throat. Breathing heavily, Drew got up and paced the kitchen. He wanted to hit something, mainly Gary's face.

Kent touched his shoulder and he just about hit the roof.

‘Sorry, Drew. Didn't mean to scare you. It's okay, she seems fine.'

‘No, you don't get it,' he said, going back to pacing. ‘She's not going to say anything different while he's there. And her throat, I bet that bastard's hurt her again. I'll bloody kill him,' he growled.

Kent gripped his shoulders and shook him a little. ‘What do you mean, hurt her again? Drew?'

He couldn't hold it in any more. He felt like a boiling kettle, whistle going mad with the steam. If he wasn't taken off the heat he was going to blow. ‘Nat doesn't want anyone to know, but Gary is abusive.' There, he'd said it. He felt his body start to deflate. ‘I'm going against her wishes but I will not sit back while he keeps hurting her, Kent, and she won't get help. It's time to make her.'

‘Are you sure? She would have said something, she would have come to me,' he said, looking hurt.

‘She doesn't want anyone to know; she made me promise not to tell. But I can't hide it, not if it means she'll keep getting hurt. I threatened to tell if she didn't do something about it. She wanted time, but I don't think he's going to get any better, Kent, I really don't.'

‘How can you be so sure? Gary's been a family friend for years. His dad and my brother have been best friends since childhood.'

‘Trust me, the bruises on her neck were real. He wants to own her, not marry her. We have to do something,' he pleaded.

Kent looked as if he wanted to trust him but it was hard to believe something you hadn't seen with your own eyes. Drew understood why Natalie hadn't told her parents. If Kent was struggling to believe it, how would her parents react? Maybe knowing that Drew loved Natalie didn't help either. Maybe Kent thought he was just trying to break them up.

‘It's okay. I believe you, Drew. I can see your worry and even though I find it hard to wrap my head around, I believe you. What shall we do?'

‘We go get her.'

Within minutes they had Billy packed up in the car. The drive to Gary's apartment felt like a three-hour trip and Drew's nails were not going to last. Every red light made him feel like getting out and running, except he didn't know which way to go.

‘Is this Natty's house?' said Billy as they pulled up in a park bay.

‘It's Gary's place,' said Drew.

‘Look, you stay here, I'll go in first, in case seeing you makes things worse,' said Kent.

Drew didn't like it but he nodded. He wanted to run in there and tear strips off Gary. His heart was pounding in his mouth as he waited, and all too soon Kent was back.

‘Well?'

‘They're not here.'

Drew thought the worst and felt panic start to strangle his airway. Where could they be? His mind went straight to the worst-case scenarios.

‘Don't stress. I rang Nat and she said they're on their way to her parents'. She had something important to tell them. And that is where we're going now too.'

So then Drew had to contain himself for the drive to Nat's parents' place. More nails chewed.

Kent parked behind a shiny Mercedes while Drew and Billy gawked out the car window like open-mouthed clowns in a sideshow alley.

‘It's massive,' said Drew. The house was a grand two-storey mix of stone and rendering. It had tall pillars at the entry, making it look like some fancy American plantation house. The lawn out the front was immaculately maintained with shaped bushes and hedges. Perfectly pruned shrubs sat like lollipops down the side of the circular driveway, which was paved in colours that matched the house. Recently planted flowers gave a burst of colour to the green of the larger established trees and maples. ‘I've never seen anything like it.'

‘It's just a house,' said Kent. ‘And a cold one at that. Let's go.'

Billy got out of the car and clung to Drew's leg, no doubt feeling like he'd landed on a movie set.

One of the massive double jarrah doors was still open and they all marched straight in.

‘Kent, what are you doing here?' said a tall man wearing a suit.

It took Drew a moment to adjust to his white marble surroundings and to focus on the man by the door. He could see the resemblance to Nat, and where she got her height. He suddenly felt very underdressed in jeans and his best Target T-shirt. His mum had always bought his clothes from the Target Country store in Narrogin or Big W when she went to the city. Now Drew would have to do his own clothes shopping. It was something that filled him with dread.

‘Vince, I'd like you to meet Drew and Billy, friends of mine.'

Vincent didn't bat an eyelid as he shook their hands. Maybe Kent often brought strays over.

‘Nice to meet you, come in. I'm Vincent. How are you, young man?' Vincent said to Billy.

‘Your house is . . .' Billy walked in and saw the grand staircase. ‘Wow.'

Drew could tell by the look on his face that he was itching to go up the stairs. For a country boy, stairs were a thing of wonder, as were escalators and elevators.

‘You can go and have a look around, if you like. Climb the stairs?' said Vincent.

Billy glanced at Drew for his approval. ‘Sure, buddy, it's okay. I'll be right here.'

As Billy headed up the stairs, a woman came towards them, her heels clicking on the floor, her figure wrapped in a dark-green pants suit with a soft-pink silk scarf. ‘Who is it, darling? Oh, hi, Kent.' She stood beside Vincent.

Uncomfortable, out of place and awkward were words that came to mind as Drew stood there in the mansion alongside Nat's parents.

‘Darling, this is Drew, and that's Billy heading up the stairs. The people Kent's been helping.'

‘Right,' said Jennifer vaguely. She didn't seem to know who they were and probably didn't care, but Drew was surprised that Vincent knew of them. He seemed like a very smart, clued-in man. Not surprising, really, when you saw what he'd made of his life.

‘We came to see Natalie,' said Kent.

Vincent frowned. ‘Oh, she's just arrived. We were about to sit down.'

Jennifer and Vincent guided them into the massive sitting room off to the side. Gary and Nat were seated inside, Nat looking at a picture on the wall while Gary was using his phone. She was all dressed up in heels, grey linen slacks and her button-up red coat with a thick grey scarf. She was mesmerisingly beautiful and then she turned and Drew saw the pain on her face. It left him breathless.

‘What are you doing here?' said Gary, the lines on his face doubling as he caught sight of them. He shot a glance at Natalie, obviously thinking she had something to do with this arrangement.

All Drew saw was an angry man who was looking cornered. It spelled danger.

‘We came to see Natalie,' said Kent, standing beside Drew.

‘I think we should go home, Nat. I'm not feeling well,' said Gary, reaching for his jacket.

‘No, I need to tell my parents something,' said Nat softly.

‘Yes, stay,' said Kent, playing the game. He stepped towards Nat and held out his hands. ‘Here, let me take your coat, Natty.'

Nat was like a fox in the spotlight. She undid her coat while Kent waited with his hand outstretched.

‘And the scarf,' said Kent. ‘It's much too warm for that in here.'

Nat's eyes flicked to Drew and he knew what she was thinking.

‘Nat, it's time we went,' said Gary again, reaching for her arm. She flinched.

‘How about you just back off, mate?' said Drew, louder than he intended.

‘I beg your pardon? This is none of your business.' Gary puffed up his chest and snatched her coat from Kent's hands.