Running scared, p.3
Running Scared, page 3
She pulled her gaze away. She knew what he was trying to do, and it almost worked. Almost.
She turned back to him, tears brimming in her eyes, but she had to be strong. It was the wrong time for a relationship. The wrong place. The wrong universe.
She would be strong.
Emma mustered all her strength, then spoke curtly. “Please, go home.” She swallowed hard. This would have to be the hardest thing she’d done for a long time.
She started to walk away from him, leaving Gary standing at the open door, but he caught her around the waist. “I won’t walk out of your life. I’ve waited so long to find you.” His voice was a gentle whisper. Was he trying to sooth her with his words? “Tell me what the problem is.”
Emma squirmed in his arms, trying to free herself from his grip.
“I—can’t. And I simply cannot see you again. Ever.” There, she couldn’t get it any clearer than that, could she?
Gary leaned forward, kissing her neck tentatively. A tiny shiver went through her.
He gently ran his fingers along her bare arm. From her shoulder to her wrist, then slowly rubbed the tips of his fingers over the back of her hand.
She shivered again.
He lifted her hand to his mouth, and kissing each fingertip, one by one.
“When you touch me, my whole body sings,” she told him quietly, as he gently pressed his warm lips against her shoulder.
“Then why are you telling me to go? We’re over? Hell, we haven’t even started yet!”
Emma could hear his frustration, but more, she sensed his confusion. What was she going to do? She couldn’t tell him the truth—no way. She wouldn’t pull him into her ring of danger. What if they found out, then killed him? Tears began to well behind her eyes again. Damn it, don’t cry! She silently demanded of herself.
She sighed, the kind of sigh that makes you feel better for all of five seconds, then leaves you right back where you started. “I can’t tell you much, but I will tell you this – if you continue to see me, it could change your life forever.”
He reached out and stroked her cheek with his fingers. “I want you, Emma.” His statement was almost a sigh.
What had she done? Had their relationship already gone too far? Well, it was too damned bad. She had to save his life. There was no other way.
“Damn you! You don’t know me, or anything about me,” she snapped, pounding her fists against his chest. “You could get yourself killed just seeing me!” Damn! She hadn’t meant to blurt that out.
“What the...?”
She looked up at him as he stared back at her, looking into her eyes. What did he see? Did her sadness show? What about her fondness for him, perhaps that seeped just a little?
He frowned at her. “You’re joking, right?”
She prayed her expression didn’t give anything away. Gary watched her closely. She licked her lips as he spoke quietly. “What’s going on, Emma?”
She screamed inwardly—would he never give up? “I already told you, I can’t say.”
Gary took a deep breath, tightening his grip on her. “Okay, let’s start from the beginning.”
“Don’t you understand anything? If I tell you, you’re as good as dead.” Emma brushed at the trickle of tears slowly rolling down her cheeks, at the same time trying to wrench herself out of Gary’s hold.
He took another deep breath, and pushed her head against his chest. “It’s okay to cry,” he told her.
It’s okay to cry? Damn you, Gary Bedford!
He regarded her closely as she forced back her composure, brushing impatiently at her tears. “I’m fine. Just go home.”
Gary reached down, lifting her into his arms.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she snapped at him, trying to wriggle out of his grip.
“We’re going to sit down and talk this through.” He strode across the room and dropped her on the sofa.
Emma sat defiantly with her arms across her chest. Who the hell does he think he is? This was her house, and no one could come in here and tell her what to do. There was no way she was going to spill her guts. And if he thought she was, he had another damned thing coming. Humph!
They sat in silence for almost five minutes, until suddenly Gary began his interrogation. “Where were you living before? Did something happen there to upset you like this?”
She stared straight ahead. He had no right making these demands.
Gary gripped her chin and turned Emma to face him.
“Melbourne. We were living in Melbourne,” she almost whispered. So much for being defiant.
“And?”
“Okay! Something happened. Only I don’t know what.” Now she was getting real testy. Damn the man!
Their eyes locked.
“You don’t know what. Come on, of course you do.” His lips lifted in a sardonic smile.
Seemed like the only way to get him to go away was to tell him the truth. Emma licked her lips, took a deep breath, and sat tall on the sofa as her resistance swayed. “Okay. Okay. I’ll tell you what I know, which isn’t much.” Emma felt tears trickling down her face, and swiped at them. “Ed—that was my husband’s name,” She swiped at her errant tears again. “...was a financial controller for a large corporation. According to the police, he got involved with some very unsavory characters and was embezzling money for them.
“The police said he got greedy, kept more than he should have for himself, and they, The Mob, the underworld or whoever it was, found out and murdered him.”
Finally her ordeal was over, and Emma straightened her back, waiting for Gary’s reaction.
He sat in stunned disbelief. What the hell was he thinking? Emma wondered.
Finally he spoke. “Why didn’t you just tell me all this?”
She stared into her lap at her twisting hands. “Because I was afraid.”
“Afraid? Of me?”
She looked up at him. “Of what you’d think of me.”
“Oh, Emma!”
She jumped, startled, as he began to massage her shoulders from behind the sofa.
“Mmmm, that’s good.” She leaned back, relaxing slightly.
“So tell me, where’s the danger? I mean, if he’s dead, surely the problem ends there?”
He couldn’t let it go, could he? As if she hadn’t already told him too much. “I wish it were that easy. It seems ‘they’—who ever ‘they’ are—think I know where their money is, which I don’t.”
He stopped massaging.
What now? Emma wondered.
“What makes you think that? Has someone been harassing you? Tell me who, and I’ll fix the sons-of-b...”
She was trying to relax, really she was. This was the best massage she’d ever had. It was the only one, come to think of it.
“No one has harassed me, but I’ve had lots of breakins. You know the sort of thing; ransacking I think they call it. Nothing taken, just a heap of mess. We arrived home a few times to find someone in the house, and the police suggested we move away and hope it stops.”
She heard Gary’s intake of breath, but continued. “Well, here we are, many moves later, and hopefully that’s the end of it.” She looked up, trying to fathom Gary’s reaction. “I don’t want you involved. It’s bad enough Sal’s involved in this mess.”
Emma felt her strong side move in again. She was washed out, totally drained of all the strength she’d upheld for the last two years, but she vowed to continue on the track of self-preservation. “God, if anything happens to her...” As her voice broke, Gary came around and sat beside her on the sofa, draping his arm around her shoulders, but she pushed him away. “No! I won’t let anything happen to her. I’m her mother, and I’ll look out for her.” Her heart was breaking, but her resolve was rock solid.
“That’s right, because you’re both coming home with me.” Gary sat resolutely on Emma’s sofa, obviously pleased with the decision he’d made.
“No!” She stared into those mesmerizing brown eyes, full of conviction about how he was going to run her life. “No way. Apart from the fact we’ve known each other for next to no time, you have no idea what you’re getting into.”
“The hell I don’t, you just told me, and it’s very clear to me that you shouldn’t be staying here without protection. You go pack a bag, I’ll get the Squirt.”
“Hey you, stop bossing me around. We’re not going anywhere. This is our home, and this is where we’re staying.”
“Damn it, Emma, after what you’ve told me, you still want to stay here, alone?”
His eyes were flaring and his lips firmly set, determined to sway her.
Emma sighed, reached out and touched his cheek, running her fingers along the slight stubble on his chin. Gary reached up and caught her fingers with his own.
“What do you think I’ve been doing for the past two years?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve survived so far. Besides, they’ve never hurt me, or even attempted to. They’re there, in the background, watching, searching. Waiting I guess, in case something turns up.”
“That does it.” A muscle in his neck twitched. “If you won’t come with me, I’m staying here. No argument, no discussion.” He settled back into the sofa, arms across his chest, legs spread out in front of him, obviously proud of what he’d decided.
“That’s what you think! Go home. You’re not staying and that’s final.”
Emma jumped up off the sofa and headed for the front door. Before he could stop her, Emma opened the door and waited impatiently for Gary to leave.
“Okay, I’m not stupid. I know when I’m beat. See you bright and early tomorrow.” He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.
“No, we decided...”
“No, you decided, but I didn’t agree. ’Til tomorrow.”
Gary was behind the wheel before Emma could protest again. She watched as his black Cherokee four-wheel-drive disappeared into the night.
*
Finally out of Emma’s sight, Gary pulled to the side of the road, trying to come to terms with the fact that Emma was Edward Larkin’s widow. Larkin, alleged crime boss—but how many murders had he actually carried out himself? Did Emma know who her husband really was? Surely not—she didn’t seem that kind of woman.
Gary stepped out of the Cherokee still shaking his head. He paced the gravel road, lit a cigarette, then promptly ground it out. As he sat back on the driver’s seat, he punched in the familiar number on his mobile phone.
“Lawson,” Gary’s superior snapped.
“Detective Inspector Gary Bedford speaking, Sir.” Gary was tense, anticipating the reception he would get at this hour of the night.
“You do know what time it is, don’t you, Inspector?”
“Yes, Sir, I do. And I apologize if I woke you...” Gary pulled a cigarette out of its packet, then decided against lighting it. He was in enough hot water already for calling so late, without sounding distracted.
“All right, all right, this better be good. What’s your problem, Bedford?”
Gary cleared his throat. “Do you remember a case in Melbourne about two years ago, believed to be linked to the underworld...”
“Which one, Bedford?” Lawson interrupted. “There are so many.”
For Christ’s sake listen, Gary thought impatiently, then you’d find out.
“The Larkin case, Sir. Edward Joseph Larkin.” He kept his voice distant, matter of fact.
“Larkin? Yes, yes, I remember.” Gary heard a spark of interest filter down the line.
“I have a strong lead on it, Sir, and would like to put together a team and get cracking immediately.”
“Immediately? Do you mean tonight, Bedford?”
“Yes, Sir, tonight.” Gary paused briefly then added, “And Sir, I’m going to need some outside help on this.” He heard a resigned sigh on the other end of the line.
“All right, Bedford—whatever it takes. Can I go back to bed now?”
Gary stepped back out of the Cherokee. Pacing the dry, dusty road once more, he watched the trees as they moved slightly in the gentle breeze, silhouetted against the blackness that surrounded him. He listened to the hooting of the owls, their familiar call helped calm him, albeit just a little. Gary looked up at the sky, at the stars sprinkled throughout, and the half moon providing what limited light there was.
He sketched out a plan in his head as he continued to pace the familiar back road, and took a deep draw on yet another cigarette.
Making his decision at last, he ground out the barely smoked butt on the road. Gary pulled out his mobile phone again and waited impatiently for an answer. “Come on... pick up the damned phone.”
“Speak to me.” The voice was sleepy, barely audible.
“Did I wake you?”
“Tell me this is pleasure and not business.” Detective Senior Sergeant Peter Carson was much more alert this time.
“Sorry, mate, official business.”
Pete groaned down the line.
“I can’t tell you much over the phone, Pete, but it involves Emma.”
“Emma—the Emma? The secret girlfriend, Emma?” Gary could hear the concern in Pete’s voice. Pete Carson was the only person he’d told about the new woman in his life.
“Yeah, the Emma. My Emma.” Gary heard the click of Pete’s cigarette lighter, then the inevitable exhalation of that first puff. “There’ll be a meeting of the team at seven-thirty tomorrow morning at my place. Tonight though, I need you for surveillance—at Emma’s place.”
“Sounds serious.”
Gary arranged to meet Pete not far from Emma’s house to fill him in on the details, then added, “I know it’s a given, but make sure you take your weapon. And Pete, watch your back.”
Chapter 2
Walking up the path to the front door, Gary noticed Sally staring out the window.
She opened the door just as Gary was about to ring the bell, calling to her mother at the same time. “He’s here! Mummy! Mr. Bedford is here!”
It concerned him greatly that Sally had readily opened the door to him, particularly given their circumstances.
Gary looked down as he felt that familiar tugging on his comfortable black jeans.
“G’day, Squirt. Ready to go?” He swung her high up into his arms, and Sally reached her little arms around his neck and hugged him tight. She stretched up and grabbed the Akubra from his head, looking it over.
“Gee whiz, Sal. That’s a nice welcome. I wonder if your Mummy might do the same?” He placed his hat on the child’s head.
Sally looked up at him with innocent eyes and whispered in his ear, “I don’t think so. She doesn’t give hugs to anyone but me.” She gave him a big sloppy kiss on the cheek.
Gary leaned down and placed the tot back on the floor. “You’ll need your coat, Squirt. It gets mighty cold when that wind comes up.”
As Sally ran off to collect her coat, Gary strode purposefully toward the kitchen looking for Emma, then stopped himself. Emma was on the run—who knew what she would do if she thought someone was in the house without her knowledge.
Backing up, he called out from the front door. “Emma, I’m here!”
“I’m in the kitchen,” she called back, walking toward the front door, tea-towel in her hands.
“Cup of tea, coffee?” She looked happy this morning, and was obviously going to pretend like nothing had happened to upset the equilibrium.
“Thanks, but no thanks. There is something I want though,” he said, putting his arms around her.
Emma slumped against him.
Gary didn’t waste any time, or opportunity. He turned Emma around in his arms and began a slow, sensuous kiss, at the same time his fingers strolled gently up and down her spine.
Emma gave a little shiver. Her lips parted, and her wet hands slid around his waist.
Gary looked down as he felt that tugging again.
“Looks like you were wrong, Squirt.” He took a step back as Sally looked up at them open-mouthed.
Emma’s expression revealed she was puzzled, and Gary explained the earlier exchange. Emma glared at him and insisted it was time to leave.
Gary looked her up and down, and he couldn’t help but smile. “By the way, lose the skirt.”
“I beg your pardon!” she shrieked, her eyes wide in astonishment.
“You heard. Lose the skirt...” He looked down at her and laughed. “Unless you want to freeze to death. Take a leaf out of Sally’s book, jeans are the go on a farm, but please yourself.” He shrugged his shoulders casually and walked toward the door.
“Wait! I’m, uh, sorry, I obviously misunderstood. I’ll go change.”
Gary chuckled as he watched the color creep up Emma’s cheeks.
*
Gary placed Sally’s booster seat into the Cherokee, and Emma came up behind him.
“Wait.” She touched Gary on the arm as he leaned into the vehicle.
Gary stepped back and turned to look at her.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” She licked her lips and looked him straight in the eye. “I’ve changed my mind. We’re not coming with you.”
Gary stretched to his full height, towering above her.
Emma stood her ground.
“Do you think I might be dangerous, Em?” Gary said with a grin. When she didn’t answer, he lifted his arms and extended them beyond his body. “Frisk me if you like. Go on, check for concealed weapons.”
“I, uh,” Emma didn’t know what to say.
“Go on, I insist.”
“All right, I will.” If he could be stubborn, then so could she.
Emma stretched up on her toes and felt along his arms, then ran her hands over his chest and back. Her heart was beating so fast she could hardly hear herself think. Of course the adrenaline rush was because she could find a gun. There was absolutely no other reason for it!
She bent over and ran her hands down his legs, she even felt inside his ankle high boots. She stood up, again looking him straight in the eye.
“Okay, you were right. Nothing.”
