Worlds Apart (20 page)

“Maybe her husband isn’t dead. Maybe he embezzled money from Dorsey’s and he’s hiding and she and the kids are running to him. They couldn’t take the dog because…they’re going abroad so the mother had to sell him and lie to the kids. Alternatively, her husband stole the money, he’s in the freezer and she’s running to Rio.”

Taylor waited.

“What?” Roo frowned.

“Maybe she couldn’t cope with the dog and misguidedly thought it was kinder to pretend it was missing than tell the kids she’d sold it. Maybe she’s going for a holiday because her husband has walked out and left her with a mountain of problems.”

Taylor started when there was a knock on the window. He turned and exhaled when he saw the face of Dan Newlyn, a police detective he’d had dealings with before. Not good ones. Taylor let the window down.

“Like to tell me what the hell you’re doing here?” Dan asked.

“Returning a missing dog,” Roo said.

Dan laughed and then glared. “Bugger off, you’re interfering with police business.”

“Okay,” Taylor muttered.

“Check the freezer,” Roo called as Taylor put the window up.

In the rearview mirror, he saw Dan stare after them as they drove off.

Roo let out a heavy sigh. “I just solved my first case and got paid. Why do I feel bad?”

“Because it was ICU’s case and that twenty quid isn’t yours?”

“I didn’t want to take it.”

“I know. You can keep it as a reminder not to take jobs where kids are involved. I warned you.”

“Sorry. Thanks for taking me away from that house. I’ll be fine in the tent, but could I pitch it closer to the hall?”

Taylor pulled over the bridge and up the hill. “You’re not sleeping in the tent. There are plenty of bedrooms.”

He’d been mulling the idea over for a while and hoped he’d not just made a stupid mistake.

Niall took a deep breath before he walked into the pub. He didn’t mind the noise and the smell and the mass of humanity when he was with Taylor, but he wasn’t with Taylor. Not only that, his reason for coming here was not to be sociable and have a drink, but to find someone to kiss.

He’d asked the cab driver to wait for him, and the guy insisted on being paid up front. Niall hoped this didn’t take too long. He bought a glass of wine and leaned back against the bar, looking around the room.

A group of four women sat at a table near the window. Niall didn’t fancy any of them, so one of them would be fine. No point hanging about, he might as well act fast. He bought a bottle of Prosecco, asked for four glasses and carried them over to the table.

“I’ve had the day from hell and looking at you four cheered me up,” Niall said with a smile. “I bought you some sparkling wine. I hope you don’t mind.”

No, he didn’t think they would. A chair was dragged over for him. Another glass brought from the bar so he could drink with them and four women were soon commiserating about his slave-driver boss. Niall didn’t have to say much. The women were quite happy to chat, particularly when he told them he didn’t have a wife or a girlfriend. Only then he got stuck, wondering how to proceed.

Easy enough in a club once you were dancing, but kissing one of these women suddenly seemed impossible. He couldn’t just launch himself at the nearest one. And for that matter, why one of them? Why not all of them?

“Want to play a game?” Niall asked.

The woman on his right smiled. “What sort of game?”

“I guess one fact about each of you and if I’m right, I get a kiss.”

“Okay.” The word sprang from four mouths at the same time and they laughed.

Niall turned to the blonde on his left. “Melody, you crashed your parents’ car.”

She gasped. “How the hell did you know?”

He didn’t.

She pulled him into her arms.

“Hold on.
I
get to kiss
you
,” Niall said and pressed his lips to hers.

Nothing happened. No searing pain, no twinge, nothing. He waited until he felt her tongue run along the seam of his lips and then he tugged free.

“Wow,” Melody whispered.

Niall made three more random guesses. All three declared him correct and he gave three more kisses.
Nothing happened.

“You’re amazing,” Grace said.

“Sure you don’t have a girlfriend?” Donna asked.

“Want me?” Sheena whispered.

Please don’t fall for me.

Niall stood. “I have to be going. I promised my mother I’d go and see her.” Over his dead body.

But when he stepped outside the pub, Melody went with him.

“Kiss me again,” she whispered. “Something…I just want to see…please.”

Maybe that wasn’t a bad idea. A proper kiss, in case he hadn’t gone far enough. A kiss like the one he’d given Roo.
Don’t think about Roo.
Niall eased Melody into his arms and pressed his mouth against hers. Her lips opened and he slid his tongue into her mouth. Her hands slipped down to his backside and pulled him closer.

Hands yanked him away and Niall found himself heading for the pavement.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing with my girlfriend?”

As Niall pushed himself up, a foot landed in his ribs and he groaned. Hands hauled him upright and a fist slammed into his stomach, another caught his cheek. Niall fought back and managed to land a couple of blows, but this far away from Sutton Hall he was weak. He fell again and more blows rained down on him until he heard voices yelling, “Stop.” Which was great. And “Police.” Which was not.

Niall staggered to his feet and headed to where he’d asked the taxi to wait, only to find the driver wouldn’t take him.

“I don’t want blood in my cab.”

“Phone my friend, please.” Niall gave him Taylor’s number and collapsed.

Chapter Thirteen

Taylor skidded to a halt on the gravel in front of Sutton Hall and switched off the engine.
Say something nice.

He unclipped his seat belt, turned to Roo and sighed. “I knew you were going to be trouble.”
Oh Christ. Kill me now.

But to his relief, she smiled. “My chicken costume tip you off?”

“That and those long legs that seem to walk you straight into problems. What the hell possessed you to go to Dorsey’s?”

“I wanted to find Jason’s dog. And I did.”

She looked so pleased with herself, Taylor melted.
I want to kiss her.

“But you were right,” she said.

He widened his eyes. “Tell me more. I don’t think a woman has ever said those words to me before.”

Roo grinned and Taylor’s cock tented his pants. He shifted position to try and disguise it.

“I mean right to avoid cases involving kids. What if we hadn’t found Arthur? I’d have felt so bad. It was a miracle really, not even good detective work.”

“I don’t object to miracles. I need all the help I can get.” He edged a little closer. “This is Make Your Boss Happy Day. How else am I right?”

“That I couldn’t stay in that house in Guiseley. The guys were having a belching competition when I arrived. I don’t think it would have been long before they set fire to their farts. The kitchen looked like the aftermath of Armageddon and the bathroom…” She shuddered. “I’ve lived in some bad places but that was
bad.
Even my university—” Roo pressed her lips together.

“It didn’t say you’d been to university on your application.”

“It was preventing me getting interviews.”

Taylor slid his arm over the back of her seat, his fingers inches away from her hair. “How?”

“Because I have academic qualifications but no experience of graduate jobs. Better to pretend I don’t have a degree and at least I get work. I desperately wanted to find a job in an advertising agency and I thought, once I’m in I’ll be able to show them what I can do, how far I can go. Only when I finally landed my dream job, my boss had something else in mind when he wanted to see what I could do and how far I’d go.” She gave a rueful smile.

Taylor’s fingers paused as they were about to stroke her hair.
Was that a warning?
“What did you do for your degree?”

“Russian.”

He gaped at her.

Roo grinned. “What were you expecting? Media studies? Tourism and Leisure? Golf Course Management?” She sucked in a breath. “Sorry. Did you do one of those?”

Taylor laughed. “No I didn’t, you little…” His phone buzzed and he ignored it.
No use. I can’t wait any longer.
“Roo…”

“That’s your phone.”

Of course it was.
Damn thing.
Taylor didn’t recognize the number, considered ignoring the call and instead thought about Roo’s comment about her former boss coming on to her, sighed and pressed the button. “Yes.”

“Is this Taylor?” asked a man.

“Yes.”

“I’m calling about your pal Niall. There’s been a bit of an incident.”

Taylor felt his stomach launch into freefall and he shot upright in his seat. “What sort of incident?”

“A fight. He’s outside the Three Horseshoes in Ilkley.”

“Christ, is he okay?”

“No, but he won’t let me call an ambulance.”

“Give me five minutes.”

Taylor ended the call. What the hell was Niall up to? Taylor couldn’t believe he’d gone into town alone, nor that he’d get into a bar fight.

“Niall’s in trouble. Do you want to get out?”

“Drive,” Roo said, looking as worried as Taylor felt.

His heart banged in his chest as he shot out of the drive onto Thorpe Lane. Had whoever was looking for Niall found him?
Fuck it.
Why the hell hadn’t he pushed Niall harder to confide in him?

“I’m not sure what the situation is,” he said to Roo, “but do exactly as I tell you when we get there.”

“Okay.”

“If I have to get Niall out fast, I need to know you’re safe.”

She gasped. “Why would you have to get Niall out fast?”

Taylor glanced at her. “When I moved in here, he told me he was hiding from someone. It’s why he rarely leaves the house. This is the first time I’ve known him to go out on his own. Jesus, I hope he’s okay.”

“Oh wow. Who’s he hiding from?”

“I don’t know. He won’t say except the trouble he’s in is some sort of family thing.” Taylor braked. “Damn lights.”

“Can’t you help him?” Roo asked. “I mean find out what it’s about and sort it out?”

“Not if he doesn’t want to be helped,” Taylor snapped, guilt winding its fingers around his heart. What the hell had Niall done that he had to keep himself hidden away? Was anything so unforgiveable? A shiver of unease trickled down Taylor’s spine. Some things were.
I should have pushed harder.

Taylor pulled up outside the pub and unclipped his belt. “Stay in the car.”

“I can see him.” Roo scrambled out her door. “He’s up there.”

Taylor called her back but she ignored him.
Little idiot.
He spotted Niall sitting on the path with his back to a garden wall, blood all over his face, a couple of guys leaning over him.
Oh shit.
Taylor drove farther up the road and parked next to Niall. Roo was already by his side, holding his hand. Taylor sprang out and left the door open.

“Get me home,” Niall muttered. “Home. Please.”

“Someone’s hit you? What’s happened?” Taylor was filled with fury and worry. “Who did it? I’ll fucking kill them.” He glared at the two guys with Niall.

“Nothing to do with us,” one of them said, holding up his hands.

“We were trying to help,” said the other.

“Taylor,” Roo snapped. “Home. Now.”

Niall groaned as they helped him to his feet.

“You need to go to the hospital,” Taylor said.

Niall looked straight at him. “No.” His voice was weak, his conviction strong.

Roo scrambled into the back with Niall, and Taylor passed her a box of tissues and a bottle of water. As Taylor pulled back onto the main road, a police car turned onto the road they’d come down and he slowed.

“No,” Niall said. “No police.”

“Okay, okay,” Taylor muttered and sped up again.

“What hurts?” Roo said. “Have you broken anything important?”

“No.”

Taylor braked to let a pedestrian cross and Niall gasped as the car lurched.

“If this isn’t a good enough reason to get a mobile phone, I don’t know what is,” Taylor barked. “You could have been lying in a ditch. How would I have known? Christ, Niall. A fight?”

In the mirror, he could see Roo wiping the blood from Niall’s pale face.

“Don’t worry. You haven’t lost your good looks,” she said. “I’m sure they’ll be able to straighten your nose and your lips won’t always look like bananas.”

“What?” Taylor checked again in his mirror.

“Don’t worry, he’s fine,” Roo said.

“He could have internal bleeding. He ought to see a doctor.”