Ridge Creek (31 page)

He slams the car boot shut and leads me to a door near the
front of the garage.  Pausing to punch an access code into a security panel
beside the door, I find myself chuckling.  “You’ve got security on your own
home, but none at the shop?”

Jake grunts and shrugs.  “It was only installed today.  They
start work on the shop tomorrow.  Emma organised it.  We are adding camera’s
next week.  Code here is 298374.  Hit the code and then this button to disarm,”
he points to a button with a small picture on it.  “Hit the code and this
button to arm it fully,” he points to another button.  “Hit the code and this
button to arm just the windows, doors and external buildings if you are home
alone or we are going to bed.”  He points to a third button.  “I’m going to
have the number reversed as the code for the shop.  Don’t tell anyone this
number, ever.  The only six people who will know this code are Zane, you, me,
Emma, Ma and Luke.  Got it?” 

He turns to me, a serious look on his face.  A small chill
of fear spirals down my spine as my body reacts to something I can see in his
eyes.  Something he is not telling me.  I realize he is being very serious
about the alarm system on his home.

“Um.  Yeah,” I respond softly.  He nods and turns back to
insert a key and unlocks the door.  Swinging it wide, he points me through
ahead of him.

We step into a large open living area with two dark gray
double-seater couches and a large flat screen mounted on the wall.    A wooden
magazine table sits in the center of the room between the couches and the flat
screen.   The room is painted out in pale gray tones.  Highly polished
floorboards sparkle up at me while paneled windows spill light into the room. 
The pale walls and sunlight also highlight the enormous pictures of Harley
Davidson’s in wooden frames on two of the walls.

“Wow,” I mumble as my eyes graze the room.  “It’s
beautiful.”

“Thanks,” Jake murmurs back as he guides me across the room
to a hallway.   Without stopping to point out other rooms along the way, we
pass by another roomy open dining area adjoining with a gleaming white open
plan kitchen with shiny stainless steel appliances.  We also pass by a few
other closed doors.  Which doors lead to rooms and which doors lead to
cupboards, I have no idea.   Arriving at the end of the hallway, he flicks a
door open and we step into a large master bedroom. 

Without hesitating, he lets go of my hand and strides over
to throw my suitcase on the bed.  The bed itself is solid timber with thick
posts at each corner.  It is flanked by two matching bedside-tables.  There is
also a large matching tallboy on one of the side walls.  Above the bed head is
yet another timber framed picture of a Harley Davidson.

Jake points to a door.  “En suite.  Unpack.  Just put your
shit wherever you want it.  Move mine if you want to.  I’ve got some calls to
make and I’ll be right back.”  Flicking me a glance to confirm that I am
listening, he then walks past me and out the door.

Strange.

Jake seems aloof.  Detached.  Something is
definitely
wrong.

I stand staring at my suitcase while I wonder if Jake is
unhappy because I smoked pot this afternoon or is it something else?  I can’t
think of anything else I have done to upset him.  With a shrug, I make a snap
decision to never smoke pot again and start unpacking.  Problem solved.

Opening the suitcase, I grab out the last thing I see Emma
packed for me.  Toiletries.  I wander to the en suite to put them on the sink. 
The en suite is another oversized room complete with a sparkling double shower
on one wall and two individual vanity basins that look like they have never
been used.  There is also a large white spa in one corner that is peppered with
many shiny silver jets.  I shake my head with confusion again.  The house seems
spotless. 
So not Jake.

How can this be?  Jake is a slob.

I set my toilet bag next to a basin and head back to the
bedroom to examine the other items Emma packed for me.  Emptying everything on
to the bed, I see she has done a decent job of setting me up with jeans and
t-shirts, plus she has even thrown in a little black dress with matching red
high heels.  Clearly she has planned for all scenarios.

Wondering where to hang my dress, I look around the room and
spy another door leading off to the side near the tallboy.  Walking over to
open it, I find a large walk in robe with vast expanses of empty hanging
space.  Apart from a couple of black suits and some collared shirts, Jake has
very little hanging in there.

I hang my dress and spot some empty space on the built in
shelves so return for the rest of my clothes.  With my clothes unpacked, I look
around and instantly decide I could shop every day for a month and still be
hard pushed to fill all the space in this wardrobe.  It’s a woman’s dream. 

I make one last run back to the bedroom, to bring back the
high heels as well as some thongs and jiffy shoes Emma thoughtfully packed as
well.  Zipping the suitcase closed, I carry it and the shoes to the walk in
robe and stack them all away neatly.  I then head back to the bedroom and sit
on the bed.

Unpacking done.

Now what?

Jake still hasn’t returned and I feel like a fish out of
water in his unfamiliar home.  Should I wait or go looking for him?  It feels
rude to just make myself at home by wandering around so I dig my phone out of
my pocket and send Emma a text to thank her for packing me some clothes.

She replies: 

No wuz.  Stay
safe.

 Stay safe?

Another strange chill spirals down the back of my neck as I
realize that Jake made such a point of showing me how to set the alarm system. 
His insistence that I not tell anyone else the code was a little strange too.

Why are we here?  Why aren’t we at the shop?

I send Emma another text.

Is there something
I should know?

 Her instant reply raises the hair on the back of my neck.

Talk to Jake.

Oh my God.

They’ve found me?

How the hell did they find me?  I thought everyone promised
me I was safe.  What went wrong?

I send Emma another text.

Do they know where
I am?

No reply. 

I stare at the phone horrified for a few beats before
quickly keying another message.

How did they find
me?

Still no reply.

Emma?

She finally replies.

Talk to Jake.

Oh my God.

I feel a trickle of sweat run down my temple as I stare
shocked at the screen on my phone.

They found me?

Still staring at my phone, I startle when Jake appears in
the doorway holding his phone loosely in his hand.  “You’ve been talking to
Emma,” he says quietly, his eyes watching me carefully.

“Not really.  She told me to talk to you,” I reply returning
my eyes to stare blankly at my screen as if the answer to how they found me is
going to launch out and make itself known.

“You’re still safe,” he says softly as he crosses the room and
drops down to sit on the bed next to me.  “He won’t get to you.”

I twist my head to look into his beautiful green, concerned
eyes.  “Who won’t get to me Jake?”

“Vincent Altieri.”  I watch as he slouches forward to rest
his elbows on his knees.  He suddenly looks tired.  I can see no traces of his
trademark smirk and shiny green mischievous eyes.

“Who is Vincent Altieri?” I ask as I toss my phone on the
bed behind us.

Jake sighs and slumps further forward to place his elbows
onto his knees.  “Tony’s boss.”

 “Why are we here Jake?  Why aren’t we at the shop?” I ask,
my voice starting to sound pitchy as the stress of this conversation wreaks
havoc on my vocal chords.  I once again feel the familiar tightening of fear as
it starts to ball in my stomach.  I can feel my blood coursing through my veins
as it begins to thicken in response to the rise in my adrenaline levels.  My
body is preparing for fight or flight. 

Jake shakes his head and stares at the floor between his
feet.  It is starting to irk me that he is not looking me in the face while he
delivers all this bad news. 

Why won’t he look at me?

“Because he knows about the shop.  He knows about me.  He
even fucking knows about my fucking business.  Seemingly he now knows more
about me than I do.”

Oh my God.

They
know
where I am.  As in not only the location,
but who I am spending my days with.  My mind starts to race as I stare at Jake
who is still not looking me in the eye. 

Is there more?  Is he mad because I might put his business
in jeopardy?  Does he want me to go?

Flight.  I need to go.

I need to run so this does not affect anyone but me.  It’s
all my own fault anyway.  Jake, Zane, Emma, everyone else shouldn’t
have
to look after me. 

As if sensing my inner turmoil, Jake moves suddenly.  In one
powerful motion, he swings, pushes me back and rolls to hover above me on the
bed.  I stare up into his concerned green eyes silently as he speaks with harsh
clarity.  “You are still safe Ari.”

I blink. 

I wish I could believe you.

He moves his face closer to mine.  So close I can feel his
hot breath whispering across my lips as he speaks.  “You have to believe me. 
Zane has already started negotiations with Vincent.  We’ll work something out. 
I think he’ll accept a cut of our business in exchange for your immunity.  We
both think he doesn’t realize it was me who did Tony.  At this point he is
still only chasing you.  Only Luke, Zane and Ma know where this house is.  It
was built recently and I have always kept it separated from the shop.  The
title is under Ma’s birth name.  Emma is working on shifting it to another name
as we speak.  They won’t find you here.”

“I was so stupid to think they wouldn’t find me…” I mumble
as I feel my body start to tremble. 

They found me.

After all that’s happened over the past few weeks, I’m going
to die anyway.  And even though Jake doesn’t mind, he is willing to take a hit
for me too.  He is offering up part of his business for me.  It’s too much.

“I’m sorry baby,” Jake murmurs as he lowers his lips softly
to mine.  “We’ll sort this out.  Don’t stress.  I won’t let them get to you.”

“You don’t have to do this.” I feel the tears prickling at
my eyes as I continue to stare up at him.  He shouldn’t have to do this.  Even
worse, deep down in my heart I know there is nothing he can do.   Even if he
tries to buy my immunity, they will still come for me.  It’s the way they
work.  They are going to come for me and I am going to die for what I did. 
“I’d be better giving myself up to them and saving you the effort of trying to
protect me.”

“No fuckin’ way!” Jake growls angrily, his hot breath
beating against my face in his fury.  His eyes flash as a hint of fear races
through them.  He looks genuinely scared that I will leave.

“We’ve got this Ari.  You are
not
going back to
them.   Ever.  You hear me?  You belong here now.”

God I wish I did…

“I can’t do this to you.  I can’t do this to Zane, Luke and
Emma.  They’re heartless bastards Jake.  I used to hear the stories when Tony
was in the kitchen talking to his so called friends.  At the time I thought
they were all bullshit, but now I know better.”

Feebly trying to shove him off me, my mind racing to
thoughts of flight, Jake pins me down harshly with his hands.

“Settle woman,” Jake growls.  “There’s no need to run. 
We’ve
got
this.  There’s more than one way to skin a cat and Emma’s
working her ass off trying to find something useful on Altieri to bargain
with.  I’ve only known your girl a short time but from what I’ve seen, she’s
good.  Give her some time.  She’ll find something.  Meanwhile, Zane’s
negotiating.  We’ve just got to sit tight and wait this out.”

Staring up at the earnest look in his eyes, I wish I could
believe him.  But I know I can’t. 

Jake’s watches me thoughtfully for a while before he starts
to relax above me and his eyes start to twinkle and soften.  “I can see you
don’t believe me.  I see you need more convincing.”

Instantly I feel my own body relaxing in response to his and
I sigh.  His lips twitch and he grins.  I don’t feel like grinning so I roll my
eyes at him.  This appears to amuse him even more because I barely have time to
register what is happening when he swoops down, pecks me on the lips, and then
launches up off the bed.  Bending back, he grabs me by the hips, lifts me,
stands me on my feet in front of him and announces, “C’mon, I’ve got something
to show you.”

I stare up at him, shocked at the speed with which he had me
on my feet.  He grins again, grabs my hand and tows me towards the door.

Body Shots

Jake leads me down the hallway, through a side door and
through his laundry to an external door where we exit into his backyard.  A
gravel path stretches before us.  The path leads to a set of sliding glass
doors on the side of his large outhouse. 

As we approach the sliding doors, Jake announces that this
is his shed.  I smile and chuckle softly.  Jake’s shed looks more like a second
house than a shed.

Still holding my hand, he stops me in front of the sliding
glass door and turns to grin at me.  His eyes are twinkling and he looks excited. 
Letting go of my hand, he reaches up and places both hands on my shoulders
before gently spinning me around to face back towards the house announcing,
“Wait here for a second.  I’ll yell out when you can come in.  I just want to
make sure there are no nasty surprises.”

Huh?