Treacherous (9 page)

“
I found him. And he’s
not working alone.”

“
Whoa. Slow down,
Champ. Your suspect?”

“
Yes. He’s going by
the name Franklin James Scott. Frankie for short.”

I could hear him typing away. “Okay,
got it. Do you have a photo?”

“
Yeah, hang on.” I
switched the call to loudspeaker and clicked into my email. I
searched through my camera roll until I found the correct photo and
sent it to Mark. “Got it?”

“
Yep. I’ll run that
through the database and get back to you.”

“
Thanks, man. I owe
you.”

“
Yeah, yeah. You just
catch that creep and get your girl.”

“
She’s not…” Mark’s
way of telling me he didn’t believe me was to hang up.

“
Dickhead,” I muttered
to the handset.

I knew the facial
recognition software took anywhere between minutes and hours to do
its thing, so while I waited, I called Susan Jayne. She answered
after two rings.

“
Nathan, so nice of
you to call.”

“
Mrs Jayne, Susan. I’m
afraid this isn’t a social call. I have some news.”

“
Oh? Is Charlotte
okay?”

“
Um… that’s the thing.
The suspect I was after before this job… while I don’t know for
certain, but I think he’s here.”

“
The one who’s been
conning rich young girls to fall in love with him then going after
their family’s money?”

“
That’s the one. I
don’t want to think the worst in case it’s not true. I’m running an
image search now on his photo. But if my suspicions are
true…”

“
No! Please don’t say
it.”

“
I’m sorry. I don’t
want you to think its him when it might not be, but I wanted to
warn you.”

I could hear Charli’s
mother sniffling, and I knew she was crying.

“
Mrs
Jayne…”

“
How sure are
you?”

“
What?”

“
How sure are you that
this is the right guy?”

I swallowed and took my time to say
it.

“
Ninety-five per
cent.”

Susan began sobbing uncontrollably now.
“Do what you have to do, Officer Wright. Keep my baby safe.”

“
I will, Susan. I
will.” As I hung up, I knew I would stay true to my word. I never
broke it.

Charli

“
It was him. Wasn’t
it?” Frankie asked as soon as he re-entered the room.

“
What?”

“
At
the door. It was him.” The way he said
him
... the word
was poison in his mouth. He hated Nathan with a passion.
But why?

“
Yes. But Frankie…” I sauntered over to him and ran my hands
up and down his chest. He was standing bare-chested in his bedroom
and oh
, how I wanted him on
the bed at that moment. “You have no reason to be jealous.” I
kissed the muscles that stretched taught over his
breastbone.

“
But that guy has an
obsession with you,” He spat.

“
Ssh, baby,” I said
into his mouth as I kissed him. I would’ve pushed him back onto the
bed, but my phone interrupted me.

“
Crap. Sorry. I have
to get that. Its probably one of my parents.” I hurried to find my
phone where it lay buried under my jeans on the floor of the lounge
room. I pulled it out and studied the display. Sure enough, it was
my mother.

“
Yes?”

“
Charlotte, thank
goodness. Are you okay?”

“
Yes, Mum. Why
wouldn’t I be?”

“
Your father and I are
concerned, that’s all. How’s the studying going?”

“
Yeah, it’s…” I
glanced back at Frankie, who was sitting on the bed watching me. I
couldn’t tell my mother I had been studying the human anatomy for
the past few hours. “Coming,” I finally said, looking away. He was
too much of a distraction.

“
Good. I just wanted
to make sure you were still up to coming home this weekend for your
birthday.”

How could I forget? It was my
twenty-first birthday this weekend and I knew my parents had
something big planned. After all, they had been planning all my
milestones since before I was born. But Mia also had something else
planned.

“
Uh… sure, Mum. But
only if I can invite my friends.”

“
Of
course, honey. It is
your
birthday, after
all. But they have to behave.” I cringed at her tone. I could
almost picture her pointing an accusing finger at the
phone.

“
They will,
Mum.”

“
I mean it, Charlotte.
No crazy antics from that Mia girl.”

“
Of course,
Mum.”

“
Okay, great. We’ll
see you Saturday.”

“
Okay. See you.” I
hung up and turned to face Frankie.

“
Looks like you just
scored an invitation to the hottest event of the year,” I teased as
I straddled his lap and kissed him.

“
I’m looking forward
to it,” he groaned and pulled me back onto the bed.

Chapter
Sixteen

Charli

When telling Mia
about my party this weekend she screamed, almost shattering my
eardrums. Obviously, she was coming. When I suggested that Frankie,
Mia, and I all ride together to my parent’s place, at first Frankie
was uncomfortable. But after numerous seductively slow teasing
kisses later, he caved. As we packed some over night bags in my
shiny red Audi convertible, my mind betrayed me and searched for
memories of Nathan. No, I hadn’t invited Nathan for a reason. I was
with Frankie, not him and he needed to see that. As I was about to
climb into the driver’s seat, Frankie tapped me on the shoulder.
“Here, let me drive.”

I smiled at him. “Are you sure?”

“
Yes. This is a sweet
ride.” I nodded and handed him the keys with an added kiss and
walked around to the passenger side.

“
I hope you two aren’t
going to grope each other with me in the backseat.” Mia
stated.

“
Then you better be
ready to cover your eyes, Mia,” Frankie teased, flashing Mia a grin
while starting the ignition.

“
Gah! Just drive.” I
giggled and buckled my seat belt.

“
My address is in the
Navman,” I told Frankie.

“
Got it.”

* * * *

When we turned onto
my street, I heard Mia gasp. “
This
is where you
grew up?”

“
Pretty
much.”

“
It’s amazing!” she
squealed. “I can’t wait to see your old bedroom.”

“
Me either,” Frankie
added. His hand found my thigh and made its way up towards my
groin, touching me there. I gasped and quickly made sure Mia wasn’t
watching. Luckily, she was already out of the car.

“
You
do
know you’re at my parent’s place,
right?” I warned.

“
I know very well.”
Before getting out of the car, he kissed me. It was a hungry, needy
kiss, and I sighed. I hoped we could get some alone time tonight. I
climbed out of my car and walked with my friends up the steep drive
to my childhood home.

After introducing my
friends to my parents and trying to dodge their raised eyebrows, I
showed Frankie and Mia to my room. Mia and I had to be primped for
tonight, after all.

“
Wow.
This
is your room?” exclaimed Mia,
turning in circles in the middle of my bedroom.

“
Yeah. It’s not that
great.”

“
Are you kidding me?
I’d kill to have a room like this!” She squealed and jumped up on
my bed, flopping backwards onto her back. I laughed and shook my
head. Frankie leaned casually on the doorframe and observed the
scene, or so I thought. When I glanced over at him, I saw he wasn’t
observing the scene. He was observing me.

“
Do you have to do
anything before tonight?” I asked, sauntering towards him. The way
he was staring at me was unsettling.

“
Nope. I’m right.
Although…” he nodded towards the bed where Mia was still laying,
waving her arms up and down making a ‘doona angel’. I glanced at
the bed, then back at him, confused. His next action spoke a
thousand words. He crushed his lips against mine and pulled me in
tight against his body.

“
Frankie…”

“
Ssh.” He silenced my
protests by placing a finger over my lips. “Mia? Do you think we
could maybe have a moment of privacy?”

“
Huh?” Mia said as she
sat up. Frankie raised an eyebrow to emphasise the
question.

“
Oh, right. You two
want to be alone…. well, why didn’t you just say so.” She jumped
down off my bed and went to grab one of the garment bags by the
door. “I’ll use one of the other bathrooms to get ready.” As soon
as she shut the door behind her, Frankie claimed me by lifting my
body up onto his.

“
Mm, Frankie… my
parents are here.”

“
I know. And don’t
worry—this is just a little tease for what I’ve planned for next
week.”

“
Next
week?”

“
I might as well tell
you.” He walked us backwards until my legs hit the edge of the bed
I fell backwards. Frankie climbed on so he was hovering over me. Oh
God, was he going to do it? I could feel my nerves taking over. I
began shaking uncontrollably.

“
You’re shaking,
Charli.”

“
I… am I?”

“
Yes. Am I making you
nervous?”

“
A little,” I
admitted.

“
You have no need to
be nervous. This is only a little tease.” He leaned forward and his
lips grazed my neck.

“
So, what are we doing
next week?” I asked as his hands found the patch of skin where my
jeans and top met. I shivered.

“
I want to take you on
a little getaway. Just us.”

“
Really? Gee, you must
be really keen on me.” I kissed him as his hands found their way
under my shirt and to the edge of my bra. My heart rate was now
beating so hard I could hear it in my ears.

“
I am. So how about
it?”

“
Yes. Sure.” He
smiled. In a few minutes, my top was being pulled over my head, and
his warm hands were on my breasts. I felt his fingers find the
catch behind my back and my bra loosened. Then it was off. Now my
heart rate was reaching record speed. His fingers began massaging
my breasts as I moaned, arching my back. The next thing I felt was
his lips over one of my nipples. I gasped.

“
Frankie…”

“
I know. As I said a
tease.” He reached for my bra after giving my chest a few more
delicate kisses. I didn’t want to move. I couldn’t move. He had
paralysed me. He left me soon after, saying he would be outside
mingling while I got dressed. I didn’t bother putting my bra and
long sleeved shirt back on as I had to get changed into my
strapless dress for tonight. I found the garment bag where I had
left it draped over a chair near the door and walked into my en
suite. I stared at my flushed cheeks and naked torso in the mirror
wondering if I liked the new Charli before hopping in the shower.
As I allowed the hot water to run over the contours of my body, I
decided that I did like the new Charli. She was shameless,
rebellious, and all things in between. I smiled as I dried myself
and slipped into my party dress.

I had chosen a salmon
pink and white strapless cocktail dress that Mia said matched my
complexion. She was right. I twisted and turned, admiring the girl
in the mirror who I didn’t recognise. A soft knock at my bedroom
door broke my reverie.

“
Charlotte?”

“
Yes? I’m almost
done.” I quickly slipped on my ballet flats and popped some
strawberry lip-gloss on.

“
Charlotte, all the
guests have arrived.”

“
I’ll be out in a
minute.” As the last word slipped out of my mouth, my mother’s
reflection joined mine in the bathroom mirror.

“
You look beautiful.”
A sense of déjà vu washed over me as I remembered the last time my
mother had told me I was beautiful—the night of my senior
formal.

“
Mum, you’re not
crying, are you?” I smirked as I turned to face her.

“
No.”

“
Liar.” I knew she was
trying not to cry. She was proud I had reached another milestone in
my life.

“
Come on. There’s
someone I would like you to meet downstairs.”

“
Coming.” As I
followed her down the stairs I wondered just who it could
be.

* * * *

The ground floor of
my childhood home, the Jayne mansion, was packed with party guests
when I finally joined them. As I reached the bottom of the stairs,
many turned to stare at me—the girl they had come to see. I didn’t
recognise half of them. I wasn’t surprised when I saw waiters and
waitresses walking around with drink-filled trays. My parents had
gone all out. I grabbed a champagne flute and sipped. I needed the
alcohol tonight to calm my nerves. As I made my way towards the
glass doors leading onto the balcony, I saw a familiar
face.