Ridge Creek Reunited (Ridge Creek Duology) (24 page)

Pinning my eyes angrily on Stephen, I continue. “You fucking started this. Why didn’t you think of this shit
before
you came and wrestled your way into my life? Why couldn’t you have left me in blissful ignorance living life under the threat of just one idiot mobster? You clearly didn’t think this one out very well did you? No, you had to go and add another psycho woman to my list of known wannabe killers and give me something else to lose sleep over. What. The. Fuck. Tell me, is there any possible way I can just scrub you, Elizabeth and fucking Patricia out of my life so I can get on with my own?”

I watch as Stephen and Jake
exchange a look. Jake’s hand then moves to take one of mine and I feel his thumb rubbing slow circles over my palm. “Time to go,” he murmurs softly twisting his head to capture my eyes with his.

“It’s time to fucking go alright,” I growl as I push my seat back and stand up. “Stephen, nice knowing you but stay the fuck away from me. I mean it in the nicest possible way.”

“Arianna,” the word strangles from Stephen’s throat. “Please don’t leave like this. I was hopeful we could work around these…
issues.”

Slamming my hand down on the table I lean forward and with venomous tone snarl. “They’re more than fucking issues and you know it. Just by allowing me inside your house you’ve put me at risk. I’m not fucking stupid. I’m starting to realize the power of technology and the dangers of loose tongues, untrustworthy associates. By letting me get this close, by bringing me into your home, you deliberately put me at risk, why? Please enlighten me, I’d love to know.”

“Because you’re my daughter and I love you,” Stephen responds, his voice deep and echoing pain. “I’ve searched for you for most of my life.”

“Not my fucking problem. I don’t know you. I don’t remember you. All you’ve done is
cause grief, pain and stress so far. Please do not continue to rub salt into the wounds of my life by trying to keep contact with me. Please forget I ever existed and get on with your own life. There is no need to meddle in my life a moment longer. Stay the fuck
away
.”

And with that I’m done. Nodding to Jake, I turn and walk towards the French doors. Hearing a chair slide behind me, I realize that Jake’s not far behind me. Without looking back, I storm my way back through Stephen Bradford’s house and out to his garage. Making a beeline for the passenger side of our car, I snatch the door open and throw myself in.

Seconds later Jake slides in beside me and I hear the car engine start. Vaguely aware that he’s staring at something, I look up to see Stephen standing in the doorway, his face solemn. His eyes look blank and lonely. Hearing the roller door lifting behind us, I close my eyes and throw myself back against the headrest of my seat as Jake backs us quickly out of the garage. Turning the car around, he rockets us straight through the open gates and onto the street. It’s not until we are at least five minutes away from Stephen Bradford’s house that I realize I’m crying.

Christmas Card List

Arianna…

“Why am I crying?” I grumble as I reach for my handbag and start scrounging inside for a tissue. Interestingly I don’t even feel like I’m crying. My eyes are running, but it’s like the tears are streaming out without all the emotion that normally goes with them.

Weird.

“It’s not like I care whether I see Stephen Bradford ever again. Sure he’s got a nice house, he appears to like dogs and the view from his patio is kickass but really?”

“Adrenalin,” Jake explains as his concerned eyes fall on mine. “You fired up back there and your system’s taking the backlash now.

“I did fire up didn’t I?” I smirk at him as I wipe the tears from my eyes and cheeks. “Fuck him is all I have to say. I’ve had it right up to here,” I announce angrily as I throw my hand over the top of my head. “Everybody wants something from me and I’m sick to death of it. With Stephen it seems he just wants his daughter back, which I can probably understand, but really? What sort of father would put his daughter at such a risk unless he had a motive? I’ve decided I don’t trust him and he’s off my Christmas card list. Not that my list is very long anymore. Being a fugitive limits one’s list but I recently added Towball to it because he’s being nice enough to deal with Patricia for me. Although writing a Christmas card, ‘Dear Towball, thanks for your help gathering DNA this year’,
is
a bit sad. I think I’m going to need to find something else to thank him for.”

Distracted by the thought of writing Christmas cards, it takes me a few moments to realize that Jake’s phone is ringing in his pocket. Reaching to lift it out, he looks at the screen before handing the phone to me. “It’s Zane. Take a message.”

Not hesitating, I slide to accept the call and greet Zane straight up, “Hey Zane.”

“Arianna?” I hear Zane’s now familiar voice rumble into my ear sounding slightly confused. I doubt he’s used to Jake letting
anyone
answer his phone.

“Jake’s driving, we’re in Sydney,” I explain.

“What you doing there?” Zane asks sounding genuinely interested. For some reason I’d automatically assumed he would know where we were and what we’ve been doing.

“Visiting Stephen,” I explain. “Which didn’t go so well and something I don’t plan doing ever again.”

“Right,” Zane responds slowly. “You okay with that?”

“Yep,” I respond as the car slows so Jake can pull into the valet parking area of a hotel. “You want me to pass a message onto Jake?”

“Yeah,” his voice rumbles against the handset again. “Tell him I’m walkabout for a few weeks. Got something I need to do.”

Barely managing to get the word, “Okay,” out of my mouth, Zane finishes with a quick, “Thanks,” and then he hangs up.

Staring at the phone for a moment, I wonder what Zane means by walkabout but assume Jake will know. “Zane says he’s walkabout for a few weeks. He’s got something he needs to do.”

“Or someone,” Jake chuckles. “Situation normal. That’s code for don’t bother ringing him, he’s off the air. He’ll be holed up with a new love interest somewhere.”

Surprised that Jake thinks nothing of this after the conversation we had just a few days ago, I feel a moment of remorse for Emma. And then it’s over because I realize this is for the best. Those two getting involved seems to create predictions of a train wreck from
everyone.

Jake turns the car engine off and pulls the keys from the ignition. I hand him back his phone as I look around and realize we’re in the front entrance to a high-rise hotel. “Where are we?”

“I’m supposed to be meeting Jim at the restaurant here tonight. We may as well get a room. If you wanna head home after I’ve met with Jim, we can. If you wanna stay, we’ll make good use of the room.”

Watching the valet arrive at Jake’s door ready to take the car keys, I shift my eyes to the luxurious entrance to the reception area of the hotel and realize it
’s a high-end hotel. “Let’s stay,” I decide instantly. Why not? There’s no rush. I don’t plan to come back to Sydney in the immediate future so I may as well make the most of at least one night here.

Jake’s eyes suddenly soften and he reaches out his hand to rub his thumb across my left cheekbone and then straight away he moves on and does the same to the other. “You okay, my little raccoon.”

Fuck.

“I have raccoon eyes?” I ask annoyed that I’ve been sitting here and hadn’t even thought about the fact that my make-up has been running all over the place.

“Yeah,” Jake says softly. “They’re so fuckin’ beautiful though.”

Batting his hand away, I reach for the rear vision mirror as I knit my brows. “Raccoon eyes are not beautiful,” I snarl. “The valet’s gunna know I’ve been crying.”

Grabbing my hand on its way to the mirror, Jake tugs me towards him. Flopping me across the center console of the car, he slides his other hand around my back and pulls me to him. “Who cares what the valet thinks? I don’t. The only thing I care about right now is setting your world straight again. I’m gunna fix this
.
You’re done with all this shit. It ends this weekend. There will be no more shit with your family. There will be no more shit with your past. You don’t need any of it, you only need me.”

Tipping my head back, I find myself staring into his bright green eyes. His brows knit and I can see he’s focused fully on me. He’s not looking out the window, he’s not looking anywhere except straight at me. I realize that he’s so focused he can be nothing but
dead serious
.

“I only need you?” I whisper.

Jake nods. “I may not be perfect, and I’m most likely gunna attract my own brand of trouble just doing what I do, but there’s one thing I can promise you. I won’t use you as a fucking pawn like all the others have. What you see with me is what you get and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. Are you clear on that?”

God I love him.

The words echo through my head and if the look in Jake’s eyes is an indicator, the words must have fleeted across my eyes as well. I realize this because he nods and lowers his lips to mine. Pressing them firmly to mine, he murmurs, “Valet’s looking pissed. Let’s take this conversation to a room.”

Stuck for words, I can only nod to agree as he pulls away and turns to open his car door.

*****

Jake checks us into the Hotel and hurries us to our room. We arrive to find our bags from the car already waiting for us inside our suite. Ignoring our luggage, Jake tows me straight across the suite and towards the bedroom.

Glancing around as we cross the main room of the suite, I take in the luxurious furnishings surrounding us. Decorated in dark browns and pale cream shades, there’s a large leather couch facing a huge flat screen television on one side of the room. The television is at right angles to the wall-to-wall glass windows that offer a stunning view of Sydney Harbor. Knowing we’re about twenty stories up, I wonder if I we can see the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House from our view.

Something to check out
later.

Entering the bedroom, I round my eyes at the massive king-sized bed crowded with huge pillows and the tastefully set furniture around the room. Not slowing for even a second, Jake continues to tow me straight through the bedroom and direct to the en suite.

Stepping through the double doorway that joins the bedroom to the en suite, my eyes bulge at the sheer size of the bathtub centered in the room. Already full to the brim with water, rose petals lie scattered across the water surface. Another huge flat screen television is mounted on a wall facing the bath. Another wall of the room consists of glass doors enclosing a double shower setup with more showerheads in it than my local swim center change room.

“It’s beautiful,” I murmur pulling my hand from Jake’s to walk over and dip my fingers into the bathwater. Still warm from having only recently filled, I turn to Jake. “Spoiled, much.”

“Nowhere near enough,” Jake announces moving towards me, his eyes locked on mine. Moving with intent, he crosses the room and slides his hand around the back of my neck before twisting his fingers into my hair and tipping me towards him. Pressing another firm kiss to my lips, he snakes his tongue out and seeks entrance to my mouth. Softening instantly, I let him in.

Overwhelmed by all that is Jake, I buckle at the knees and plaster my front against his. Responding with all I have, we’re suddenly a storm of hands, tongues and fingers. That is, until with a loud groan, Jake pulls away.

“I have to make a couple of calls. One of them to Jim,” Jake murmurs tilting his head to watch me with molten green eyes and a look of regret on his face. “I’ll only be a few minutes, but he needs to know we’re here.”

Pouting and rolling my eyes at him, I reluctantly let him go. “Go ahead and get in,” he says pointing to the bathtub. “I’ll only be a couple of minutes.”

Leaning across to press a button on a panel, the bathtub starts to bubble and froth. Grinning at me, he pecks me on the lips once more and moves towards the door. Stopping in the doorway, he turns to watch as I undress and slide into the water. His eyes black as ink, I can see his reluctance to leave painted all over his face. “Hurry up and make your calls, I’ll be waiting.”

Nodding solemnly, he pulls the doors closed and disappears.

*****

Thirty seconds later, Jake…

Walking back through the bedroom, I enter the living room and cross straight to the far side of the room. Cocking my hip and leaning up against one of the massive windows, I turn my eyes back towards the bedroom and the double doors that are now firmly closed so Arianna can’t hear my conversations.

Scrolling quickly through my contacts, I find the number I’m looking for and hit send. A few short seconds later Stephen Bradford’s voice sounds in my ear. “It worked. She put herself straight on a plane to Melbourne.”

“Good,” I find myself smiling as Stephen’s words ring like music in my ears. “Now you just need to send the flight details and some pictures to the mobile number I gave you earlier and the guys will take care of the rest.”

“Promise me this is going to fuckin’ work,” Stephen growls into my ear. “I’ve been trying to solve the problem of my sister for over thirty fucking years and I’d hate to think that after all this time, I finally find my daughter only to lose her again because of that warped bitch.”

“If Elizabeth Bradford does exactly what you think she’s gunna do, it’ll work. Cross your fingers, sit tight and send the details to the number provided. I’ll call you tomorrow night.” Taking the phone from my ear, I’m about to hit end on the call when I think better of it. Putting it back to my ear I add, “Oh, and for the record
Stephen,
don’t for even one second think I’m doing this to help solve
your
Elizabeth Bradford problem. I am
only
doing this to help solve
Arianna’s
Elizabeth Bradford problem. We clear?”

“Very,” Stephens voice echo’s down the phone at me. “Now I must go. I have a staff member to fire and some unwanted surveillance
cameras to remove from my patio.” Not waiting for me to reply he ends the call.

Staring intently at the double doors, I will them to stay closed as I pray that Arianna is still in the bath and can’t hear a fucking thing.
Scrolling through my contacts again, I find the listing for Towball and hit send. He answers my call within two rings. “She’s on her way,” I inform him straight up. “Pictures to show what she’s wearing and who she’s traveling with, along with the flight details are on their way too.”

“Gotcha,” Towball’s raspy voice scratches back through the phone to me. “The mother’s a skank.”

“I figured as much,” I muse with my eyes still pinned firmly on the doors across the room. “Even if we’re missing something here and she turns out to be her biological mother, it’ll be no loss.”

“Fuck no,” Towball agrees instantly and I hear the sound of a cigarette lighter clicking and the crackle of a cigarette lighting before he inhales deeply.

“Call me when you’re done.”

“Gotcha,” Towball rasps back and the connection goes dead.

Pushing away from the window, I scroll through my contacts one more time. Finding the number I’m looking for, I hit send as I start walking back towards the bathroom.

“We’re here,” I announce as soon as I hear the call connect.

“Excellent, dinner at seven?” Jim responds. “I’ll book the table and send you a suit.”

“See you tonight,” I reply as I hit the end button on this call too. It’s high time I took a break from all this shit to get back into that bathroom where I plan to spend the next three hours fucking my woman senseless.

*****

Five hours later, Arianna…

Leaning in close to the mirror I swipe one more brush full of mascara onto my eyelash before shoving the tiny brush back in its holster.

Swaying back to survey my work, even I have to admit I look
hot.
With heavily smoked eyelids, thick, black eyelashes and my hair flowing down in soft curls around my face, I’ve put in my best effort.