Seductive Truths (Seductive Trilogy) (43 page)

    
This is all Maggie’s fault.  After what she said about someone watching her, well, now every wrong sensation is beginning to creep me out
. 

     Shaking my head I gaze across the expanse of the floral park trying to get rid of the horrible feeling that has started to seep into my bones.  But the uplifting beauty is doing nothing for me.  All I see are negative connotations.  The park is no longer teeming with life but full of dead weight. 

     The royal red of the roses remind me of the blood that’s been spilled staining my life forever.  The wind brushing through the trees retain many secrets with harmful consequences.  A dog’s bark, a child’s cry of glee is nothing more than an echo of the future I dreamt of.  As the clouds roll in the garden becomes deserted and my soul darkens.  The chill in the air pricks at my skin like a thousand knives hitting the place where it hurts the most.

    
I wish I had brought my thicker coat.

     This place may not be heaven right now but it’s still my escape, my little piece of haven.  I need it.  I may not be able to find all the answers to my problems and complications that shroud me in their mass, but I may be able to see a clearer path or to use this time to take a step back to look at the bigger picture.  Use it as a way to distance myself; if only for a moment.  I cannot,
must not
allow it to weigh me down.  I will not admit defeat.  I need to carry on for the sake of Maggie and Bethany, for the sake of Thomas, for Gareth and especially for…
no, can’t think of that now, it’s too soon
. 

     Answers are not found at the bottom of a bottle of wine or pint after pint of beer, so why attempt to look.  Granted, it may dull the pain or sweep everything to one side temporarily, but it won’t put things into retrospective.  More like blur the edges.  Trust me, I have been there many times and all I ended up gaining is one massive hangover to last all hangovers. 

     Nor am I saying sitting on a park bench would be more beneficial in sorting out jumbled thoughts and emotions, but it is better to think things through with a clear head. 

     A rustling of leaves and a crunch of a stick alerts me someone’s presence, but it isn’t until a shadow falls across me do I begin to look up.

    
What if it’s that Thomas look-alike?

     I pause.

    
Well there’s only one way to find out!

     Navy blue denim jeans cling to muscular thighs, slim waist accentuated with the tucked in shirt, a blue top hidden underneath it hugging the torso, collar open.  Strong neck and jawline with little prickles of hair forming, firm nose, almond eyes all topped off with styled jet black hair. 

     Detective Sergeant Derek Peters. 

    
Great!  This is all I need.

    
‘
What do you want?
’
I snap.

    
‘
Is that any way to speak to a
police
officer?
’
he smirks, hands in pockets, all self-assured confidence.

    
‘
Well, you’re not in uniform and I use the term officer loosely in regards to you so yeah, I’ll speak to you however I wish.
’

     Eyes narrow and the smile is wiped from his face, hands clench inside the material of his trousers.

    
‘
I’d like a word if you don’t mind?
’

    
‘
I do mind in actual fact, but it appears I have no choice in the matter,
’
I say shuffling over when Peters moves to take the seat next to me.  The cold fear grips my heart and my body reacts by squeezing in on itself.

    
‘
I hope I haven’t disrupted your pleasant reverie.
’

    
‘
Oh no, not at all.  In fact, you’ve just enhanced it with your sunny disposition.
’

    
‘
You’re too kind.
’

     My eyes remain fixed on the ground, tracking a small spider as it makes its way around the obstacles crossing its path to its disappearance through the brown, crispy leaves.

    
‘
What do you want Peters?  I’m in no mood for your nonsense.
’

    
‘
And there’s me thinking you
’d
welcome my company.
’

    
‘
Far from it, I grant you.
’

    
‘
Are you really in any position to be picking enemies, Alex?
’

    
‘
Are you?
’
 

     My head snaps sideways catching his eye, but swiftly returns.  His cold heart shines through chilling me to the bone.  Everything about this man freaks me out making my skin crawl with each word that passes his lips. 

    
‘
Yes, quite,
’
he says looking away sheepishly. 
‘
Anyway, I didn’t come here to take in the scenery,
’

    
‘
Whatever the reason for you being here I wish you would hurry up and get it over with.  The sooner you’re gone the better.  You’ve destroyed enough lives as it is.
’

    
‘
Not as half as many as your precious Gareth.  He’s a killer through and through, he can’t help it.  It’s second nature to him.
’
  He shifts. 
‘
You are playing with fire Alex, and I don’t just mean myself.  Gareth is a very dangerous person.
’

    
‘
Is that why you visibly shudder every time you mention his name?
’

    
‘
And have good reason to do so.  He has connections you wouldn’t believe.  One wrong word and he can have you hunted down and killed with one click of his fingers.  You cross him and there is no going back.
’

    
‘
Your words don’t scare me.  He’s told me what he has done and he is ashamed of it but it’s not his fault.  He was forced into it.  I know what type of man Gareth is.
’

    
‘
Do you?  Do you honestly know everything about the man you admire so much?  Did you know he killed his own brother?
’

    
‘
Yes, I know that.
’
  Peters’ eyes widen at seeing the frank truth behind my words. 
‘
I also know you take back handers to look the other way.  I know that, a while back, you helped cover up a murder and instead of reporting it to your colleagues or head of the force, you decided to keep stum and save your own skin.  Well done.  Very noble of you – exactly what the public want in a police officer.
’
 

    
‘
I do what is necessary.
’

    
‘
You do it because you’re a crook.  You’re selfish and only look out for yourself.
’

    
‘
I’m trying to protect you, can’t you see that?  How’s that being selfish?
’

    
‘
Protect me!  Protect me!  I’ve been put through hell these past few weeks.  Found out things that have turned my life upside down.  Discovered feelings I never knew myself capable of.  Been tied up, dodged bullets and watched the man I love get shot, but somehow, amongst all that crap I managed to come out fighting and you think
I
need looking after?
’

    
‘
You wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place if it weren’t for Gareth.  Why can’t you get it into your thick skull that he’s the bad thing out of all this!
’

    
‘
He’s the only good that’s come from it!
’

    
‘
You’re obviously more deluded than I thought.
’

    
‘
Me deluded?  I’m not the one trying to paint myself as the good guy or believing it to be working!  I can see through your games.  Not for one second do I believe anything you say.  Gareth has told me all about you, warn
ed
me off you even!  I know this might sound crazy, it sounds completely bonkers to my ears, but I would trust that man with my life!
’

    
‘
Then you must want a short one.  No one remotely connected to Gareth in some shape or form will have a long lifespan.  You are far from safe Alex.  I just hope you realise that before it is too late.
’

    
‘
He tries his best and I believe he’d do anything to make sure those he loves are out of harm’s way.
’

    
‘
Like that did a lot for his brother, or the woman he knocked up.  He couldn’t even keep the fruit of his loins safe from being shot in the head.  Yes Alex, I can see he’s the safest guy to be around.
’

    
‘
They weren’t his fault!  It was out of his control!  It was all out of his control!
’

    
‘
He chose to kill his brother.  It was his finger that pulled the trigger.  Not his father
’
s, not the criminals they were doing a deal with.  It was Gareth’s, all Gareth’s.
’

    
‘
So what’s stopping you from grassing him up?  You know the truth.  I bet you can find evidence to back it up, so why not dub him in?  I’ll tell you why!  You won’t say anything because you know if you breathe a single word, he’d come for you.  You’re a disgrace to the male population.  You are nothing but a weasel.  You talk the tough guy but you are nothing but a bully.  At the first sign of trouble you turn
tail
and scarper.  You have no backbone!  You’re worse than William and that’s saying something!
’

    
‘
Okay, I may not be as white as white, I grant you, but who is these days?  You’ve entered a world that is completely out of your comfort zone.  You’ve seen things you thought only possible in your nightmares.  He will run.  He did it before when he found himself in deep shit and I can assure you he’ll do it again.  I’m not the only one who turns
tail
when in trouble.  He’ll leave you Alex.  He’ll leave when you need him most.
’

    
‘
He won’t do that, he won’t,
’
but the seed of doubt has been planted and I leap from my seat, turning to stare down at him.  Even from this position Peters is an imposing figure. 
‘
He’s not like that.  He would
never
abandon me.
’
           

   
‘
Gareth won’t be safe forever, Alex.  Every evil scum gets their comeuppance eventually.
’

     A spark of spite kicks in at his words and I take a step towards him and sneer,
‘
You better watch your back then,
Sir
, we wouldn’t want anything bad happening to you now, would we.
’
 

     With a sweet smile I turn on my toes and walk in the opposite direction, as far away from him as possible.  However, my bittersweet revenge doesn’t last long his hand clutches my upper arm and he spins me back round to face him, chest to chest, face to face.  My hands spring naturally up in defence, landing on his firm chest.  They tremble at the touch.

     I may despise him and the very thought of Peters anywhere near me makes me want to vomit, but his physical presence is undeniable.  The rippling of his muscles under the shirt, the haughtiness of his jaw, and the fragrance of his aftershave all grips me while alternatively repulses.

     Hot air escapes my lungs, chest rises and falls with each rapid beat of my heart.  My eyes can’t stop drifting to his full lips.

    
I can’t seriously be thinking this can I?  I have completely lost my mind!

     I try struggling to free myself but it only succeeds in his tightening. 

    
‘
His time will come, you’ll see,
’
Peters grinds out through his teeth, his head tilting marginally towards mine. 
‘
Let’s just hope he doesn’t bring you down with him.  Then who will be left to save you?
’

     And just like that he drops me like a ragdoll and swiftly departs around the shrubbery and out of view, leaving me to crumble to the floor.  The mud
smears along the side of
my jeans and
the palm of my
hands, the dirt grinding under my
finger
nails making me feel dirty and used.