Nightclub Sins: A Billionaire Romance Series by Michelle Love (16)

When she was dressed, she was gazing unenthusiastically in the fridge when the intercom buzzed. ‘Hey, sweetcheeks, it’s me.’

Charlie presented her with a bunch of flowers. ‘Cheesy, I know, but what the hell?’

She grinned and kissed him. ‘They’re gorgeous, thanks, Charlie. You not working?’

He shrugged. ‘Yeah, kinda, but I wanted to see you.

‘Because?’

His grin was crooked. ‘Do I need a reason?’

Lila relaxed and hugged him. ‘Of course not. Just seems every time lately, there’s been a reason. It’s good that you just want to hang out with your oldest buddy.’

‘Word, sister. Where’s the good doc?’

‘Meeting. He’s thinking of quitting the hospital and setting up somewhere else, his own practice so he’s meeting with some insiders, get some advice.’

Charlie made a face. ‘God, business meetings.’

Lila nodded, grinning. ‘Which is why you’re a cop and I’m an artist. Not that you would know, I’ve been ‘resting’ for way too long.’

‘Time to get back into it?’

‘God, yes, I’ve been drifting for a few years now. So much for my independent woman stance; first Richard, now Noah – they both supported me financially whether I like it or not.’ She sighed. ‘I have to do something, Charlie. Maybe I could go back and retrain as an art teacher.’ She suddenly looked excited. ‘God, why didn’t I think of that before?’

Charlie was watching her, a small smile on his face. ‘You just keep making plans over there. You staying in Seattle?’

She nodded. ‘I am. It’s where Noah is, where I want to be. Only one thing missing and that’s you.’

‘Yeah.’ Charlie’s smile faded. ‘Well, when things go bad here, I’ll come home.’

Lila studied him. He looked tired and drawn. ‘You okay?’

He nodded. ‘Just a lot on my mind. They’re going to partner me up with someone new next week and I don’t know how I feel about the guy. Or the job. Or New York.’

‘What about Tinsley?’

‘The one good thing.’

Lila smiled. ‘I’m glad.’ She chewed her lip then sighed. ‘Charlie, I have something to tell you and I don’t want you to blow up and get crazy. This is me asking you as a friend, not a cop.’

‘Go for it, shorty.’

‘It’s about the attack on Tinsley. I know who it was.’

Charlie sat up, his face hard. ‘What the fuck?’

‘It was Cora,’ Lila hurried on, seeing the anger in his eyes. ‘She admitted it to me a few days ago. I didn’t know what to do so I talked things over with Noah and went back to see Cora yesterday to get her to go to Tinsley herself.’

‘And?’

‘She’s denying she ever admitted it to me. You should have seen her, Charlie. She was stone-cold. I’ve never seen her like that before.’

Charlie dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling. ‘You should have come to me,’ he said in a low, angry voice and Lila flushed.

‘I know, I’m sorry. But I was caught between…’

‘Cora tried to have Tinsley killed. Stabbed to death, Lila. Does that sound familiar to you?’

The blood drained from Lila’s face. ‘No…no way, Charlie. Cora and I were so close before the wedding, she was excited about it.’

‘Was she? Or is she just a better actress than we give her credit for? She’s always been troubled, on a knife-edge – sorry, that was a bad metaphor. But, Lila, really…she was really close to Richard. Isn’t it possible she got jealous, worried she’d lose her brother? If she knew who to go to hire a killer – why not Cora? Maybe it was the same guy who stabbed you. Jesus, Lila…’

He got up, pulling his phone out of his pocket and Lila knew he would swing into action now.

‘What are you going to do?’

Charlie, phone to ear, looked down at her, his face set and grim. ‘I’m going to arrest Cora Carnegie on suspicion of attempted murder,’ he said, ‘two counts.’

Lila put her head in her hands and hoped she’d done the right thing.

Hawaiian Islands

A month later…

Lila stretched luxuriously on the sun lounger on the terrace of their villa. In the distance, she could see the red gleam of the erupting volcanoes on the other islands. They had been here for a day, a villa borrowed from one of Noah’s friends, and they’d walked along the beach, swam in the clear water and gorged themselves on the amazing food they’d bought in town; fresh fruit, cheese, bread and wine.

Lila looked up as Noah came out onto the terrace, a new bottle of champagne in his hand. He was wearing grey marl shorts and nothing else and she delighted in his firm body, broad shoulders, firm stomach and thick, muscled arms. Damn, it had been too long…

Noah, seeing her blatant lust, grinned…and dropped an ice cube on her bare belly. She shrieked with laughter. ‘You ruined the moment, doofus,’ she grumbled. Noah plucked the ice cube up with his mouth, and then ran it around the soft mound of her belly. Lila sighed happily. Noah, grinning, undid the halter neck of her bikini top, freeing her breasts, already faintly tanned – her olive skin soaked up the sun. She watched, smiling, as he took her nipple into his mouth and she gasped as the remnants of the ice cube touched her sensitive bud.

‘Noah…’

His hand slipped up the inside of her thigh, stroking and kneading the soft flesh there, until his fingers crept under the cotton of her shorts and began to stroke her sex. Lila moaned softly, her own fingers knotting in his short dark curls. Noah moved to tease her other nipple as his long forefinger slipped inside her and began to seek the spot that made her groan and cry out.

His head came up and he grinned, kissing her mouth, his intentions clear. He slid her shorts down her long legs then stood to push his own shorts down. His cock, so big and thick, stood proudly against his belly and he fisted the root of it as he came to her again. She held out her arms to him and he went into them, both of them sighing at the feel of skin against skin.

‘I love you, Noah Applebaum,’ she whispered as she wrapped her legs around his waist and he smiled as he slid into her, groaning softly at the feel of her soft, wet cunt enveloping him as he filled her.

‘God, Lila…’

They moved together, completely focused on each other, enjoying every sensation as they fucked for the first time in weeks. They loved and laughed, made each other come over and over long into the night then finally, exhausted and sated, lay together, limbs entwined, watching the distant light show of the volcanoes.

‘This place is unreal,’ Lila said, her head resting against his chest. ‘Your friend’s very generous to lend this place out to you.’

‘He is,’ Noah agreed, his hands gently stroking her bare skin. ‘When we get back to Seattle, we should double date with Jakob and Quilla – you and she have a lot in common. A lot.’

‘Do they have kids?’

‘Twins, adopted. Girls, Maika and Nell, I think their names are.’

They lay in silence for a long time the Lila sighed. ‘Do you think we’ll have a lot of kids?’

‘We already have one. Just because she’s no longer here…I still feel like a father.’

She smiled up at him. ‘I know, I feel like a mom. You think we’ll have more?’

He pressed his lips to her forehead. ‘I think so, I hope so. We have time though, baby. Let’s just enjoy us, for now.’

‘Agreed.’ She snuggled closer, tracing a line down his chest with her finger. ‘Noah?’

‘’Sup?’

‘I’m thinking about going back to school, retraining as a teacher.’

Noah looked down at her in surprise. ‘Really?’

‘Yup. I haven’t painted anything new for years now and I can’t live off your goodwill forever.’

Noah hissed in frustration. ‘Baby…I wish you’d stop worrying about that. It’s just money. What’s mine is yours; I thought you would have realized that by now.’

‘Easy for you to say; you’re not the one being called a gold-digger. Besides, I am realistic – even teaching, I’ll never match your wealth but I can at least contribute. I need that.’

Noah sighed, clearly not satisfied. ‘Fine.’

She nuzzled his chin. ‘Don’t be mad, Applebum.’

He chuckled, kissing her softly. ‘I’m not mad, just…I want to look after you.’

‘And you do. All the time. But money isn’t a part of that, you care for me in far more important ways.’

‘Mushy.’

She laughed. ‘If you like.’

They held each other in silence for a while before Lila untangled herself from him. ‘Where are you going?’ Noah grumbled as she got up. She grinned.

‘Just to pee, be right back.’

She padded barefoot and naked through the dark villa to the bathroom. God, she could happily live here forever, just the two of them. She had a slight headache and she leaned her hot forehead against the cool tile as she used the toilet.

Here, she could forget about the mess in New York. Cora had been arrested and bailed and the DA was considering the charges against her. She had confessed to hiring someone to kill Tinsley - during a psychotic break, Cora claimed, driven made by jealousy. Tinsley had been shocked to the core that Cora was behind the attack and hadn’t taken the news that Lila had known and not told her well. Not well at all and for the past couple of weeks, before they had come to the island, Lila and Tinsley’s relationship had cooled.

Cora, however, vehemently denied that she was behind Lila’s attempted murder. Lila somehow believed her but Charlie was so convinced they had at last found the answers they were looking for that she kept her beliefs to herself. Charlie wasn’t an irrational man, she figured, if he was so convinced, there must be a reason.

Lila, on Charlie’s recommendation, hadn’t contacted the Carnegies and it was killing her not to know how Delphine and Richard Sr. were doing. For so long, they had been her family and now…she couldn’t ever imagine a way back for their relationship. That part of her life was over and if Cora really was responsible for the horrific stabbing Lila had endured and somehow survived, then the silver lining was that she could truly move on.

With Noah. She washed her hands and smiled to herself. God, she loved that man. Every time she saw him it was like the first time; her heart would race, her breath would catch in her throat. When he put his hands on her – god, his hands – her skin would vibrate with pleasure, the pulse between her legs would start to pound.

Thinking about that, she went back to the terrace to find him asleep. She grinned and straddled him, her hands slipping between his legs to cup his balls, stroke his cock into tumescence.

She chuckled as he pretended to be asleep then as a wide smile spread across his face and his eyes opened as she spread her labia and guided him into her slick cunt.

‘Well, hello again to you,’ he murmured, his hands splaying out over her bare back as she rode him gently. His lips found hers, his tongue teasing hers. ‘God, you taste so good, Miss Lila.’

She smiled, her lips curving up against his. ‘Glad you think so.’ She slammed her hips hard against him, taking him in deep and he groaned. His fingers clamped onto the soft flesh of her waist, keeping her impaled on his cock. He looked up at her, his clear green eyes amused, loving, and intense.

‘I love you, Miss Lila Tierney, more than anything else in this godforsaken world.’

‘Glad to hear it.’

He grinned widely. ‘Then, seeing as my cock is deep inside your beautiful cunt, I think this is the exact right time to say, Lila Tierney, would you do me the honor of marrying me?’

Lila thrust hard onto his cock as he reached down to rub her clit and she moaned with pleasure. ‘Yes…yes, god, yes Noah…I will marry you….as long as you promise to keep doing…that…yes…yes…’

Manhattan

Tinsley rolled over in bed and sighed. Sleep was eluding her yet again and next to her, the bed was empty. Charlie was working a case that took him into Brooklyn most nights – at least that was the official story. Tinsley knew he was searching out any and every place that Riley might be. Now that Cora was on the hook for the attempted murders, Charlie had grown quiet and restless, wanting to find his partner and friend. Tinsley knew it was because he felt guilty about being convinced of Riley’s guilt and not listening to any other theory than ‘Riley tried to kill Lila’.

God, what a mess. When Lila had told her that Cora had confessed to Tinsley’s attack, the shock had made her lash out at her friend, accuse of her of putting Cora first. Lila had taken her tongue-lashing stoically.

‘I know it seems that way,’ she had softly, ‘after Tinsley had ranted at her, ‘but it’s not the truth. I love you so much and I wanted to be sure. I want Cora to come to you herself but she turned on me too.’

That last line haunted Tinsley. She turned on me too…jesus, if Tinsley thought she’d had it bad over the last few months, it was nothing to what Lila had endured. Tinsley remembered the pain of the knife slicing into her body and her cuts weren’t even serious. Imagine having a knife plunged deep in your belly, repeatedly…Tinsley shuddered. She couldn’t fathom it.

She got out of bed to get some water. A cigar box sat on the kitchen counter, half-open. Tinsley couldn’t resist. She sipped her water and flipped open the lid to the box. She saw, straight away, the photo of Charlie and Lila – god, how sweet, she though. They were teenagers; Charlie must have been about nineteen, twenty, Lila a little younger, maybe not even in her teens. Charlie had his heavy arm around her neck and they were both laughing as they play-wrestled.

Tinsley guiltily looked through the rest of the box. Receipts from movies – some really old, she noticed – tickets from the Staten Island ferries, from the Washington State ferries, museum leaflets, concert ticket stubs. A life, she thought, a whole life documented in memories. She had never thought that Charlie could be so sentimental.

She found the letter at the bottom and recognised Lila’s handwriting immediately. The envelope was a heavy, expensive paper and Tinsley picked it up. She hesitated before sliding the notepaper out and opening it.

My dearest, oldest friend,

I have no words to say I’m sorry for leaving like this – just know I would not do so unless it was absolutely necessary.

Charlie, you are my brother, my friend, my guide and knowing I won’t be able to see you, at least not in the near future, is killing me. I have to do this, Charlie, and please, please, don’t come looking for me. Please. I really need to be alone in this.

If you can, or are willing, please give this other letter to the Carnegies and tell them I’m so sorry to do this so soon after Richard’s death.

I’m sorry, Charlie. I’ll miss you and I love you,

Lila.

Tinsley felt tears prick the backs of her eyes. God, what a shitstorm the whole thing was. She wasn’t surprised that Charlie had kept this letter – the bond between them and the love that Lila felt for him was in every line.

‘Enjoying that?’

Tinsley gasped and spun around, dropping the letter to the floor. Charlie, his face half in shadow, waited. She picked the letter up and put it back in the box.

‘Charlie, I’m so sorry, I have no excuse.’

There was a long silence then he stepped forward into the light and she couldn’t read his expression. ‘Don’t worry about it.’

She watched him pick the box up and shove it into a drawer before finally standing. The tension in the air was heavy.

‘Shit, Charlie,’ she went to him and tried to put her hand on his chest but he ducked away.

‘I said, don’t worry about it. I’m heading for a shower, I’m pretty gross.’

He walked away. ‘I could join you,’ she called out, hopefully, but when he didn’t answer, she felt even worse. She debated following him but instead, went back to bed and waited.

He was toweling his hair dry roughly as he walked back into their bedroom. Their bedroom. Huh. They’d been living here less than two weeks and Tinsley couldn’t get used to the fact she was living with a guy. It just wasn’t her and now she found herself wondering if it had been worth the risk. This right here was why she needed her own space, needed somewhere she could absolutely relax. She hated confrontation at the best of times but when it was with the person you were sharing a bed with…

Charlie got into bed and pulled her into his arms. He smelled of shower gel and fresh laundry. Tinsley snuggled up to him gratefully, felt his erection against her thigh and wrapped a leg around him.

‘Forgive me?’

He kissed her roughly. ‘Nothing to forgive.’ he took her, thrusting deep inside her, pressing her back onto the bed as he fucked her. Tinsley, her hands pinned by his, stared up at him as he moved. Something wasn’t right, something was off, she realized sadly.

She didn’t come although she pretended to and when he was in the bathroom afterward, she tried to figure out why. It was only later, when he was snoring gently beside her that she realized what it was. He hadn’t looked directly at her the whole time they’d made love.

The next day she got home to find all his possessions gone, a note on the table.

I can’t do this. I’m sorry. Tinsley re-read the note and then crumpled it in her hand.

She felt strangely relieved.

Seattle

Mr. Halston Applebaum would like to announce the engagement of his son, Dr. Noah Alexander Applebaum of King County, Seattle, Washington State to Miss Lila Tierney of San Juan Island, Washington State.

Lila nodded approvingly. ‘Nice. Short and sweet.’

Noah grinned. ‘Only my Dad would insist on placing an engagement notice nowadays.’

‘Meh,’ Lila shrugged. ‘There’s no harm in it. I’m just glad he likes me, is all.’

On return from the island, Noah and Lila had been busy, out with his father and his step-mother, getting to know some of his friends. She especially liked Jakob and Quilla Mallory and she and Quilla had met up a few times on their own since. She liked the other woman a great deal; she was sassy, and funny and beautiful and more than anything, a survivor. Quilla had been raped and stabbed by a vengeful ex-colleague of Jakob’s and still carried the scars of that attack. Her two young sons, she told Lila, made everything worthwhile.

‘Even though they are exhausting,’ she grinned at Lila. Lila adored the two boys; their mischievous grins and rambunctious personalities were encouraged by their mother – much to Jakob’s chagrin.

‘You’d think she would want them quiet at the end of the day but no,’ he grinned fondly at his wife, ‘I get home and there they are, all three of them, yelling at me, singing at me.’

Lila could picture the scene now and felt a pang of sadness. Would she and Matty have been as bonded as Quilla and her boys? She hoped so.

Quilla nudged her, seeing her contemplation. ‘I know what you’re thinking,’ she said, ‘and yes, I think you and Matty would have had a great time together.’

Lila smiled at her, tears in her eyes. ‘Thank you. I miss her. I know that sounds strange, but I do.’

‘Of course you do.’

Lila sighed. ‘I keep thinking maybe the stabbing did something to me, made it so I couldn’t carry to full term.’

Quilla’s eyes were kind. ‘I can’t tell you the answer to that, only that when it happened to me, it destroyed my uterus. Hence…’

‘God, I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be. It’s just one of those things. We didn’t ask for that, did we? We have to make the best of the fact we survived, Lila. We survived.’

Lila was still thinking of Quilla’s words later when she and Noah were alone. ‘Quilla told me that the arts foundation she runs is thinking about branching out to help survivors of violence get back on their feet. She asked me if I would be interested in leading some groups and doing some work around that. I’m not sure what…maybe art therapy?’

She was excited by the prospect and Noah grinned. ‘Look at you, all excited. You look like a kid with a new toy.’

‘Whatever, Grandpa.’ She giggled at his face then. Noah tugged on a lock of her hair.

‘So, I’m thinking we should mark our engagement somehow?’

Lila gave him a look. ‘I told you, I don’t do rings. Wedding yes, engagement…’

‘You wore an engagement ring for Richard.’

Lila swallowed. ‘Noah…this time’s it’s different. Richard kept on and on and on at me to wear one; in the end I just gave in. You know me better than he ever did. You get me.’

Noah sat back in his chair, grinning. ‘Nicely done, Tierney.’

Lila was going to protest but then thought the better of it. ‘Thank you.’ She yawned and crawled into his lap. ‘If you want me tonight, you’ll have to be quick.’

Noah burst out laughing. ‘My god, has the romance gone already?’ He tickled her until she begged him to stop. They made love slowly and leisurely then fell asleep wrapped around each other.

The phone woke them at four in the morning. Noah scrambled for his cell phone and checked it. ‘Yours,’ he said, somewhat smugly and Lila groaned, not even bothering to open her eyes as she groped for her phone on the nightstand.

‘Yeah?’ Her voice was muffled but then her head shot up, her eyes opened. ‘Charlie? Is everything okay?’

Noah was watching her now, his brow creased. Lila looked at him, and then said into the phone. ‘Okay. Okay then. Let me know. Yeah, you too, bub.’

She ended the call and looked at Noah for a long minute, her eyes full of confusion and sadness. ‘What? What is it, Lila?’

She shook her head in disbelief. ‘It’s all over,’ she said in stunned voice, ‘Riley’s body has been found.’

Manhattan

Woods Kinsayle was white-faced and trembling as he sat beside Charlie in the police cruiser. Charlie, to his credit, had insisted on going to tell the Kinsayles the news himself and Woods had volunteered to help identify the body.

Charlie looked over at him now. ‘Woods…I have to warn you. We pulled him out of the East River – and it looks like he’s been there for some time. There’s…god, Woods, are you sure?’

‘I’ll know if it’s my brother,’ Woods said stiffly. ‘I’ll know.’

Charlie sighed. The body had been discovered by kids who were no doubt telling the story of how they pulled the gross dead guy out of the water. They wouldn’t have to exaggerate much. Riley – if it was him – was bloated, half missing and naked. What they could tell was that there was a bullet hole in what was left of his skull, at the temple. Fish had been eating him, the elements not helping either; there wasn’t much left to identify.

At the mortuary, Woods gagged when he saw the remains. Charlie didn’t blame him. It was hard to think this had once been Riley – fun-loving Riley Kinsayle, with the charm and cuteness women adored. Riley Kinsayle who may or may not have been obsessed with Lila.

‘It’s him,’ Woods said eventually, his eyes locked on the bloated head. He pointed at it. ‘Behind that ear, he had a small ‘K’ tattooed. If it’s there, it’s him.’

The mortician looked at Charlie who nodded once and the mortician, gloved hands, lifted the ear gently. A part of it came away in his hands and Woods whirled around and threw up in the nearest trash can. The mortician – who had seen it all in his day – looked up and nodded. ‘A ‘K’ behind the left ear – confirmed.’

‘Fuck.’ Charlie hissed the word and Woods gave a strangled sob, pushing open the door and slamming out of the room. Charlie thanked the technician and went to find him.

Woods was outside, breathing in deep lungfuls of air to try and not throw up again. Charlie stood at his side and waited.

‘I knew it,’ said Woods eventually, wiping his mouth. ‘I knew he was dead. I could feel it.’

Charlie tried to keep the skepticism out of his tone. ‘Yeah?’

Woods nodded. ‘Okay, so we didn’t get along a lot of the time but he was my brother, you know?’

Charlie nodded, staying quiet. If Woods thought he could kid the world that he and Riley had been close…

‘I know what you’re thinking,’ Woods suddenly said, his expression fierce. ‘Yeah, I busted his chops. Yeah I kicked his ass. That’s what we did.’

Charlie couldn’t stop himself. ‘No, Woods, that’s what you did.’

The other man’s expression became sly then. ‘Have you considered that Riley might have killed himself when he found out the guy he trusted with his life every day was trying to lock him up? That you breaking into his apartment and going through his personal stuff was a violation of that trust? That you thinking he could have stabbed Lila in cold blood might have been the straw that broke the camel’s back?’

Charlie looked at him steadily. ‘Riley wasn’t suicidal. And having a wall plastered with photos that the subject didn’t know were being taken isn’t just ‘personal stuff’, Woods, it’s stalking. It’s obsession. Lila had no idea.’

Woods laughed then. ‘God, you poor deluded asshole. You don’t think Lila knew how Riley felt about her? They fucked, for Christ sakes.’

Charlie went very still. ‘You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.’

Woods’ smile was snaky. ‘Your precious little Lila screwed my brother on the floor of the bar. He told me as much himself. See, you can take the girl out of the trailer park but…’

Charlie slammed his fist into Woods’ jaw and the other man went down hard. He tried to defend himself but Charlie whaled on him with his fists, unrelenting until Woods was beaten bloody and two men from the mortuary were pulling Charlie off him.

His captain just shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, Charlie. Badge and gun. I wouldn’t be surprised if Woods presses charges. He’d just identified his brother’s for Christ’s sake. Now, look, I can talk to the powers that be, tell them you were distraught over Riley….you listening to me, Sherman?’

Charlie was staring out of the window at the white sky over Manhattan. He shifted his attention to his captain and stared at him, his face set. ‘Don’t bother,’ he said calmly. He stood, placed his gun and badge on the desk. ‘I quit.’

His captain sighed. ‘Sherman, don’t be an idiot.’

‘I’m not. Truly I’m not. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Now Riley’s gone and Tinsley and I have called it quits, there’s nothing left for me here. My family is in Seattle. Lila is in Seattle and I want to be with my family.’

His captain stared at him. ‘Well, you can’t leave until we know about Wood’s condition or whether charges will be brought.’

‘That’s fine. You know where to get a hold of me.’

Charlie walked out into the street and took a deep breath. Yeah, this was what he wanted. He’d had enough of this city; too many damn people. It was time.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed. When Lila answered, he smiled. ‘Hey kiddo, guess what? I’m coming home.’

Seattle

Lila was only half listening to Quilla as she showed her around the QCM Foundation’s offices. She couldn’t stop thinking about Riley, his merry face, his smile. His body the night they had made love. He had been exactly what she needed that night and now he was dead. Maybe because of her, because she used him. No, no, that night had been so…she had wanted him and he had wanted her. That was it; purely natural, purely instinctual.

But the men in her life kept winding up dead. God.

‘Lila?’ Quilla’s lovely face was concerned. ‘Are you okay?’

If anyone were to understand, it would be this woman but Lila couldn’t bring herself to talk about it. Shame. She felt ashamed. She tried to smile at Quilla. ‘No, sorry, bit of a headache. Where were we?’

‘This is where we interview the people who apply to the fund. It’s very informal but because we just can't give money out left and right, it is quite stringent. I do confess, it’s mostly gut instinct. If someone’s passionate about art, you can tell. If they love pastel chalk under their fingernails or smudged on their cheek, if they talk about a particular shade of a color, you know that person is genuine. If they’re in it for fame or just to impress, sorry, there’s the door.’

Lila considered. ‘I like that. College is great but it depends so much on results, on almost reducing artists to tick-lists instead of who they really are. ‘

Quilla smiled. ‘You get it.’

Lila nodded. ‘I do. What I don’t get is what you want me to do.’

‘Come with me,’ Quilla smiled. She led Lila down to a small office. A young blonde woman was talking to a small of group of females.

‘That’s Nan, she’s a teacher and helped set up this group. This group is for survivors of domestic violence. They can come here, to these offices and downstairs we have studios that they can use whenever they like to just express themselves. We also have some rooms with cots and facilities so that they can stay if they want to. It’s a safe space. Nan runs this workshop twice a week where they can discuss their work and get critiqued.’

Lila looked through the window to watch the women talking and laughing. ‘What a great idea.’

‘We’re very proud. Now, let’s go grab some coffee and I’ll tell you what I have in mind.’

In the spacious, clean cafeteria on the top floor, they sat in comfortable chairs with steaming cups of hot chocolate. Quilla sipped hers.

‘What I have in mind is a new group, for survivors like you and me. Woman – or men, but we may need to do separate groups to avoid triggering – people who have survived non-domestic violent crime. Rape, muggings, attempted murders, serious physical and mental harm. I am a huge believer in art therapy.’

‘Me too,’ Lila was getting excited now. ‘Wow. Wow.’

Quilla grinned. ‘That’s the spirit. What do you say? Want to come run it for us?’

Lila nodded enthusiastically. ‘Hell, yes. God, Quilla, I can’t thank you enough.’

‘No need for thanks, I know you’ll be perfect.’

Lila laughed. ‘You’re very confident in my ability.’

Quilla shrugged, chuckling. ‘Noah has been singing your praises since even before he reconnected with you.’

Lila flushed with pleasure. ‘He has?’

‘Oh yes. I’m probably breaking some sort of ‘bro-code’ here but there were many night of him talking about how he’d met the most perfect woman in the world and how he wished you hadn’t disappeared on him.’

‘There were?’

‘Lila Tierney, are you getting emotional?’

‘No,’ Lila protested but her eyes had teared up and she blinked them rapidly. Quilla laughed.

‘Well, he was a lost cause, Lila. That man is crazy about you.’

Lila grabbed a tissue from her bag. ‘And I about him. We’re getting married, you know.’

‘I do know, and I’m so happy for you.’

‘You’ll come to the wedding?’

‘Try and kept me away. Although I warn you, I’m a terrible drunk.’

Lila laughed. ‘Excellent, then there’ll be two of us.’

After saying goodbye to Quilla – who she was forming a little bit of a girl crush on – she went to a coffeehouse nearby. Even though she hated to admit it, the fact that Cora was practically under house arrest and poor Riley was dead at least gave her the freedom of knowing that whoever tried to kill her was out of action. She didn’t have to have Noah’s hired security following her around, scoping the place out. She could just be in the world, do whatever she wanted, go wherever she liked without checking in.

She ordered a tea and sat at a table in the window. It was late fall and already cold. Christmas decorations were starting to go up. Lila loved this time of year and for the first time in months, she felt content, safe, happy. She was marrying a wonderful man and now with this job…she called Noah, too excited to wait.

‘Hey sweetcheeks.’

‘Hey buddy – why do you sound all echoey?’

‘On speakerphone, so no dirty talk.’

‘I really love your huge, throbbing…’

‘Really am on speakerphone, babe,’ Noah said to a roomful of laughter and Lila chuckled.

‘Drill, I was going to say but that still sounds dirty.’

‘Yes, yes it does. Lila, I do have my hands inside a patient, so…’ But he was laughing too.

‘Okay, sorry, I just called to say I have a job and I want to take you out to dinner later, when you get off work.’

‘Sold, well done baby. Where you taking me?’

Lila thought quickly. ‘The Maison Rouge?’

‘Sounds perfect. I’ll come home first and we’ll go together.’

‘I’ll book a table.’

‘Splendid. See you later, then, love you.’

‘Love you too,’ Lila suppressed another laugh, ‘and your enormous cock.’

‘Oh dear God, woman,’ now there were cheers as Noah laughed and said goodbye.

Lila put her phone away and laughed to herself. She loved that she could be as cheeky and silly with him as she liked and he didn’t care. Even in front of his peers and subordinates, he had a sense of humor and total lack of arrogance because he was the best at his job so he didn’t feel the need to impress anyone else.

‘I love you so much Noah Applebaum,' she uttered to herself as she finished her tea and gathered her stuff. She walked out into the cold, crisp air and hailed a cab to take her home.

Manhattan

Tinsley felt she was sitting with a complete stranger. Charlie looked…odd. Almost gleeful, which for him and his classic ‘resting bitch face’, was very strange. She grinned at him. She had expected this meeting – the first since he’d left her – to be awkward; in fact it was almost jovial.

‘What’s up with you? You look weird. Why is your face making that shape?’

Charlie grinned. ‘What shape?’

‘That weird smiling thing. You’re freaking me out.’

Charlie shrugged good-naturedly. ‘I’m going home, Tins. I’m a west coast boy, I belong there.’

‘Is Lila excited?’

‘Think so. She’s scouting places for me and I’m staying with her and Noah until I get settled.’

Tinsley drank some beer. ‘So this is it, then?’

He took her hand. ‘Not forever, I hope.’

She smiled but pulled her hand away. ‘I hope not too. When do you leave?’

‘Saturday.’

She nodded, thinking how quickly life moved on. ‘Well, I hope you find your peace there, Charlie.’

‘You too, kiddo. Got any plans?’

Tinsley laughed softly. ‘Not a one.’

‘Will you come out to Seattle sometime?’

‘Of course. I’ll be there for the wedding, of course, whenever that is.’

Charlie smiled, relaxing back in his seat. ‘I’m glad you and Lila have made up. She really didn’t know what to do about Cora.’

Tinsley nodded. ‘I know. Speaking of whom, any news?’

‘Last I heard, D.A. pushing for the attempted murder of Lila to be dropped but to press ahead with your case.’

‘God, what a fucking mess,’ she muttered. ‘Look, Cora’s a messed up kid who needs proper mental health care and a stint away from the ivory tower. I don’t want her in prison.’

Charlie shrugged. ‘Sorry, I have no sympathy.’

‘Cold.’

‘In this case, yes.’

Tinsley blew out her cheeks. ‘Okay then. But I might go talk to someone, I really think…’

‘Stay out of it, Tinsley,’ Charlie said vehemently. ‘The girl tried to have you killed. End of story, she goes to jail.’

Tinsley found her palms were sweating, that her chest was tight. ‘Okay, if it’ll make you happy.’ She didn’t like the malicious gleam she suddenly saw in his eyes and she suddenly realized that it wasn’t her welfare he was concerned with.

‘You still think she had Lila stabbed?’

‘I think she’s more than capable.’

The rest of the evening passed quickly and Charlie, never one for long goodbyes, left early. Tinsley was relieved again – she had been feeling that around him for a while now, as if something was wrong, off kilter. God. She hoped Charlie didn’t intrude on Lila and Noah’s life too much. She went back to the bar and helped Mikey to close up even thought it was her night off.

Mikey looked at her amused. ‘You sure you wanna be doing this?’

‘I need to keep occupied or I’m going to come up with mad conspiracy theories about my ex.’

‘Which one?’

She grinned slightly. ‘The moody one.’

Mikey rolled his eyes. He’d never taken to Charlie. ‘Good riddance, if you ask me. There’s something off about that guy. I know Lila always said he’s a teddy bear…well, I reckon less teddy, more bear.’

Tinsley tried and failed to give her partner a disapproving look. ‘He’s okay, just…’

‘A douche?’

Tinsley laughed. ‘Oh come on now, he’s always looked after Lila.’

‘I’ll give him that, but I always thought –' He stopped when he saw Tinsley’s stricken face. She was staring at the TV. above the bar.

‘Mikey, turn the sound up. Turn the sound up now….oh god….oh god…’

Seattle

Lila was in the shower when Noah got home and he grinned as he pulled his clothes off and stepped into the cubicle with her. She started slightly as he touched her then turned, shampoo suds on her face. He laughed, brushing them away and kissed her. ‘You, Miss Tierney, are a very, very bad girl.’

With one swift movement, he turned her and pushed her against the cool tiles. Lila giggled, knowing what was coming next and as she spread her legs, he thrust into her. Gasping as his engorged cock plunged deep into her cunt, Lila moaned, leaning her head back on his shoulder as he fucked her, his hands pressing hers to the tile. His teeth nipped at her earlobe as he took her, releasing one hand so he could reach down to her clit and stroke it.

Lila gave a long gasp, tensed and came; moments later he followed, groaning and murmuring her name over and over as his cum pumped deep into her.

As they dressed he grinned. Lila smirked back. ‘What?’

‘I love the fact that you’re going to dinner with my seed still deep inside you.’

She laughed, half-shocked. ‘Well…yes. It makes me feel kind of sexy to know that, carrying a little bit of you with me.’

‘Actually, quite a lot…’

‘Don’t be gross,’ she was giggling furiously now, lobbing a towel at him. ‘God, how did you get the position you are being such a goofball?’

Noah slid his tie around his neck. ‘I blame you. I used to be so serious…’

‘Yeah, right. How do I look?’

She was wearing a white silk slip which hugged her curves and had cut outs at the waist, showing off her creamy olive skin. She pulled her hair into a messy ponytail on one side, and skipped all but the lightest make-up. Noah’s obvious admiration made her feel even sexier.

‘Are we going to make it to dinner?’ She said with an eyebrow raised. Noah grinned.

‘We’d better go now or we definitely won’t.’

At the restaurant, she told him all about the Quilla Chen Mallory Foundation and the role Quilla envisioned her playing. Noah was impressed.

‘I gotta say,’ he said, ‘that sounds amazing.’

Lila nodded. ‘Doesn’t it? And as much as I do not want to be defined by what happened to me, I think this is a positive thing. I can’t wait to get started.’

They chatted about it for a while then Noah reached into his pocket. ‘Now, before you give me a lecture, this is not an engagement ring. It’s not big or ostentatious but something to celebrate you and me. I had the idea a while back but it took me some time to design it and have it made, so…’

He opened the ring box and there was a small, delicate silver ring, with three interlocking rings on top of the band. It was beautiful and Lila’s chest got tight.

‘Oh Noah, it’s perfect…’ She touched the three tiny rings with her fingertip.

‘You, me and Matty,’ Noah said in a gruff voice. Lila covered her mouth, tears dripping down her cheeks.

‘Noah…’ She leaned over the table to kiss him. ‘Thank you. Thank you.’

He smiled, obviously as moved at her reaction as she was by his gift. ‘Do you want to try it on?’

Smiling she shook her head and he looked stung but she put her hand on his. ‘I would like to wear it as my wedding band…if that’s okay with you.’

His relief – and joy – was palpable. ‘Of course…god, of course, I never even thought of that.’

They both laughed, their fingers interlocking. Lila gazed at him then back at the ring and she grinned. ‘I suppose I ought to try it, you know, because of the fit.’

Noah laughed. ‘Oh, absolutely.’ He slid it onto her ring finger. ‘Wow’.

‘Wow is right. What an incredible man you are, Noah Applebaum. How the hell was I so lucky to meet you?’

She asked the question then they both remembered the circumstances. Lila gave a soft laugh. ‘If it meant not meeting you, I would happily take that knife over and over.’

Noah flinched. ‘Don’t say that.’

‘You know what I mean. My life began when I met you, Noah.’

Their food got cold and other diners kept casting amused glances in their direction but neither of them cared. Tonight was about them.

At a quarter of midnight, Noah helped her into her coat. She put her hands on his chest and gazed up at him, with soft eyes. ‘Noah, I want you to know…’

Noah pressed his lips to hers. ‘What, Lila?’

‘I want you to know…that I’m going to do very naughty things to you when we get back home.’

Noah chuckled. ‘Then let’s get there quicker.’

The Seattle night was cold and steam blew out of their mouths when they breathed. Lila hugged her coat closer and Noah grinned down at her.

Then all hell broke loose. Into Lila’s eye line stumbled a woman, long dirty blonde strewn across her face. Something glinted in her hand and then there was a loud popping sound. Screaming.

Noah staggered back and as Lila turned to look at him, her eyes widened in horror as blood started to bloom across the front of his shirt. He looked back at her confused, reached out and then collapsed.

All Lila could hear was the frantic beat of her heart. She didn’t care if the next bullet came her way, all she could think about was Noah, his big frame sprawled on the sidewalk. She dropped to her knees beside him, every sane thought in her head gone as she screamed his name over and over…

And he didn’t answer.

Tinsley yanked her suitcase from the luggage wheel and practically ran through SeaTac airport. She hailed a cab, jabbering the name of the hospital to the driver, who took one look at her stricken face and broke every speed limit in the city to get her there.

At the desk, she lied and said she was Lila’s cousin and they directed up to the emergency room waiting area.

Lila was pale, shaken, her white dress covered in blood. She sat with another woman Tinsley didn’t recognize, and a tall, handsome man who was taking to Charlie. When Charlie saw her, he came over.

‘How is he?’ Tinsley whispered and Charlie shook his head.

‘We won’t know for hours. He was shot in the chest, just once, but it’s bad.’

Tinsley peeked around Charlie to see Lila, her head down. ‘How’s Lila?’

‘In shock. She hasn’t said a word.’

Tinsley looked at Charlie’s closed face, and then ducked around him to go to her friend. ‘Lila?’

Lila looked up and the raw pain in her eyes was almost more than Tinsley could bear to look at. She frowned as if trying to place Tinsley and Tinsley crouched down in front of her.

‘Darling, I’m here for whatever you need.’ She took Lila’s hands and smiled at the woman next to her. ‘Hey, there, I’m Tinsley.’

The other woman smiled, touched her arm. ‘Quilla Mallory. It’s…’ She broke off and looked away and Tinsley nodded.

‘Yeah, I know.’ She got up and took the seat on the opposite side to Lila. Charlie was right, Lila was almost catatonic. She had a small black velvet box in her hand that she kept turning and turning around. She bent her head and Tinsley heard her whispering something over and over.

Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease….

Tinsley ached for her friend. So much pain, so much loss. Not Noah. Please let him live. She found herself echoing the mantra of her friend. She looked at Quilla over her friend’s head and the other woman looked as devastated as she did. They must be friends of Noah’s, she thought.

As if reading her mind, Quilla spoke. ‘This is my husband, Jakob. We’re old friend of Noah’s.’

Tinsley nodded to the other man, who spoke in a low voice. ‘It was Lauren, Noah’s ex. She was arrested, didn’t even put up a struggle. Said she wanted to kill them both but she never got off more than one shot before a passerby tackled her.’

‘God,’ Tinsley spoke before she could catch herself, ‘what the fuck is wrong with people?’

She leaned her head against Lila’s, felt her friend stiffen then Lila’s hand crept into hers.

‘Why can’t they just let us be?’ Her voice was gruff, broken. ‘All we want is to be happy, be together. What possible good comes of this?’

‘I know, sweetheart.’

The depths of Lila’s despair were searing. Tinsley felt tears coming and got up, not wanting Lila to see them. She went to Charlie who was staring out of the window. It was early morning but the city was still dark. Charlie didn’t turn to her, just kept his gaze fixed in front of him. It took Tinsley a moment to realize he was staring at Lila’s reflection in the glass. Her heart went out to him and she touched his arm. He started and turned to her, his eyes flat and cold.

‘Charlie, I’m here for whatever you two need…’

He jerked his head towards the corridor and she followed him out. He closed the door, before turning to her. ‘We’re fine. She’s fine, I’m here now.’

Tinsley was stung. ‘She’s my friend too, Charlie.’

‘We don’t need you here. Thank you for coming but we’re fine.’

Tinsley’s hands clenched into fists and her temper swelled. ‘Why are you being like this? Lila needs all the friends she can get right now.’

Charlie had stopped even looking at her directly. ‘You should go.’

‘I’m not going anywhere, asshole,’ she hissed at him. She took a deep breath in, trying to calm herself. Anger and confusion was giving way to something else now, something more tangible. Fear. Was Charlie losing it? Tinsley studied the man she had been so intimate with and saw nothing there that she recognized. Was he just in shock? No…it was something else.

‘Charlie, I am here for Lila and believe it or not, I don’t need your permission to stay with my friend.’ She tried to push past him to go back into the waiting area but he grabbed her wrist. Hard. She winced and pulled away just as she heard someone say Lila’s name. She turned to see an elderly, distinguished looking gentleman, his face etched in pain hurrying towards them. Noah’s father. The gentle looking woman to his right had tears flooding down her cheeks.

‘Charles,’ Mr. Applebaum looked at Charlie, ‘We came as soon as we could.’

‘We drove from Portland,’ the woman said, presumably Mrs. Applebaum.

Charlie greeted them warmly, much to Tinsley’s shock. He showed them into the waiting room and she heard them comforting Lila. Charlie stood at the door and looked at her icily.

‘Go back to New York, Tinsley, we’re fine here.’

Tinsley stood her ground. ‘No fucking way, Sherman. I’m here for Lila, not you.’

He stepped towards her and smiled. It did not reach his eyes. ‘Don’t be a little cunt. Get out of here.’ And he was gone, into the waiting room, closing the door firmly behind him.

Tinsley could barely believe what had happened. She stumbled down the corridor blindly and out into the frigid morning air. She stood there for a while then realized she had left her suitcase upstairs. God, she didn’t want to go back to that room now…for the first time, she was afraid of Charlie Sherman.

She sat on a small wall outside of the front entrance and tried to stop the trembling that wracked her body. ‘What the hell is going on?’ she whispered to herself then jumped as a voice behind her said, ‘Excuse me, are you Tinsley Chang?’

A young orderly was standing behind her – her suitcase at his side. She nodded and, smiling awkwardly, the orderly handed her the case and disappeared back into the hospital.

She had been banished. She took the case and wheeled it to where the cabs waited but before she got in, she looked up to the fourth floor where the waiting room was.

Charlie Sherman looked down at her – and straight through her as if she didn’t exist.

Lila sat at Noah’s bedside, her hand in his, watching the machines breathe for him. He had been out of surgery for just a couple of hours now but he looked so still, so pale that she couldn’t believe he was actually still alive.

The surgeon had come to find her just after ten am. and told her that they’d stabilized Noah but the bullet had destroyed one lung and clipped his heart. ‘I don’t want to give you false hope,’ he’d said.

Hope. That seemed like a ridiculous notion now and Lila was at her breaking point. Richard, Matty, Riley…now Noah. She put her head down onto the bed and sobbed silently, her fingers twisting in Noah’s. She cried all of her despair out and eventually fell asleep next to him.

There was someone stroking her hair and her head shot up eagerly – was he awake? Her heart thudded with disappointment when she saw Noah was still unconscious. Charlie was sitting beside her, his arm around her shoulders. She sat up and he pulled her into a hug. Lila, drained and exhausted, didn’t much feel like being held – by anyone other than Noah – and she pulled away after a second.

‘How long have you been here?’ She tubbed her face.

‘Long enough,’ Charlie said. ‘Any change?’

‘No.’ Lila sighed, stroking Noah’s hand. ‘Hey,’ she said looking back at Charlie. ‘Where did Tinsley go? She was there one minute, gone the next.’

Charlie smiled coolly. ‘She’s in town somewhere, I don’t know. I thought you had too many people around you last night so I sent her back to the hotel.’

Lila sighed. ‘You didn’t need to do that, Charlie, she could have stayed.’

‘Too many people.’

Lila couldn’t be bothered to argue but Charlie’s attitude was irritating her. Ever since she’d called him, hysterical, after Noah had been shot, he’d taken over, speaking to the doctors on her behalf without her consent, talking to Noah’s parents as if he’d known them for years. It shouldn’t irk her, she knew, he was only doing what was best but his attitude that she couldn’t handle things for herself was annoying.

It wasn’t just that…his entire manner was that of a consoling husband – not a friend. He was dismissive of any positive news about Noah’s condition – not that there was much – and he seemed to be ‘preparing’ her for the worst, as if it were a foregone conclusion that Noah would die.

Lila shook off Charlie’s hand on her shoulder. ‘Please, Charlie, I just want to be alone, right now.’

‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea.’

‘I wasn’t asking for your opinion.’ She snapped back at him. Charlie stared at her, and she looked away. ‘Please, Charlie, I want to be with Noah.’

Charlie said no more but the door to Noah’s room slammed after him. Lila sighed. Forget him, Noah is what’s important. She moved her chair closer and stroked his face. Already lean, he seemed to have lost even more weight overnight, his cheeks were hollow, his skin looked pinched.

He was still the most beautiful sight in the world to Lila though and she stood and bent over him, kissed him where she could. ‘I love you so much,’ she whispered, ‘Please come home to me.’

She imagined she felt a slight pressure on her hand from his fingers but it was so slight she knew she imagined it. There was a small tap on the door and Quilla Mallory poked her head around the door. Lila felt relieved, glad to see her friend. Quilla tiptoed in. ‘How is he?’

Her lovely dark eyes were full of sorrow and compassion. ‘The same,’ Lila said, ‘Which I’m looking at as good at the moment. His body needs to heal, rest. I’d rather he sleep and….well, we both know how it is, don’t we?’

‘We do,’ Quilla nodded. ‘May I stay with you a while?’

Lila nodded, smiling. ‘I would like that.’ She needed her friend’s gentle presence here; not only that, but she knew Quilla really understood what being a victim of violence meant to both the sufferer and their loved ones.

Quilla took the chair vacated by Charlie and placed her hand on Lila’s back gently. ‘I want you to know, you are not alone in this. Whatever you need, just ask, please.’

Lila felt tears spring up in her eyes. ‘Thank you, Quilla.’

‘I hope you don’t mind; I spoke to the staff and they’re going to bring a cot in here for you to sleep on. You need to rest as well.’

See, Charlie? This is the way to care for someone. ‘I will, I promise and thank you, Quilla.’

Quilla smiled at her, and then nodded at Noah. ‘I think he looks a little brighter, don’t you?’

Lila was grateful for her friend’s attempt to make Noah seem better but they both knew his life was hanging in the balance.

Lila thought about Lauren, about what she’d stolen from Lila – her child and now possibly her love – for what reason? Was she any different from Cora and her jealousy of Tinsley? Nope.

So much hatred, so much fucking entitlement, she thought angrily. Who the fuck do these people think they are?

She said as much to Quilla now and her friend nodded. ‘I know. It’s twisted and disgusting and sadly all too prevalent.’ Quilla sighed. ‘Gregor Fisk decided that I was his to decide who I fucked and when I died. But I survived, barely, but I’m still here. You’re still here, Lila, and Noah will get better.’

Lila looked her with hopeful eyes. ‘You promise?’

Quilla smiled. ‘Lila, this is a man who can run a half-marathon and not even break a sweat. Hell, even if he runs a marathon, he just says ‘woo, that was a tough one’ and jogs to the water stand.’

Lila laughed softly. ‘You’re right.’ She looked back at Noah. ‘It’s going to be okay.

He’s going to come back to me.’

Tinsley holed up in the motel for a couple of days. Because of the prominence of Noah’s family, the local news ran reports on his condition on every bulletin – critical but stable.

God. Tinsley, even forty-eight hours after the event was still seething about Charlie’s treatment of her. Angry and confused. Had their relationship deteriorated that much or was it because Charlie was stressed out?

Don’t be a little cunt.

Every time she thought of that and the look on Charlie’s face, she would stop, take in a sharp breath. It was so vicious, so spiteful, and so full of rage. When had they got to this?

The letter. It all began when I read that letter that night. It had been the catalyst she was sure but thinking back to its contents, she couldn’t figure out why he would take exception to her reading it. It was a simple goodbye letter from one friend to another.

Please don’t try to find me.

Well, Charlie had ignored that and…Tinsley sat up. Charlie had ignored Lila’s plea for privacy. He had found her. So what? Tinsley told herself, he’s a cop, he had connections and he was probably worried about her. Except…would he have been able to find her? He hardly had the cash to hire someone to do it for him, but if he had been watching her. An insane theory began to form in Tinsley's head and she closed her eyes trying to sort through the melee.

Why was Charlie upset about the letter? Because it proved Lila had asked him to stay away. So what? He was a friend anxious about another friend. Charlie had disliked Richard. Maybe he knew Rich cheated on Lila – Lila may well have confided in her oldest friend. Except she knew Lila hadn’t…

Jesus, Chang, what mad theory are you trying to come up with? Tinsley got up and went to grab a shower. She would go back to the hospital today and whether Charlie Sherman liked it or not, she would see Lila.

As Quilla had told her, the staff had brought in a cot for Lila to sleep on and she crawled gratefully into it when she could barely keep her eyes open. It was still afternoon and there was some noise from the other parts of the hospital but she soon fell into a deep but troubled sleep, wracked by nightmares…

They were on the island again, making love slowly in the huge king sized bed. Noah was kissing her as he drove his huge cock into her harder and deeper with every stroke. Lila was gasping, moaning with pleasure and when she came, a thousand stars exploded in her vision.

But then things turned darker as Noah, turning his head, seemed to say something to someone behind him. Are you ready? She’s yours…

What? Noah pulled out from her and stood to the side of the bed and then a figure stood before her….she couldn’t make out the face. She looked at Noah who smiled. It’s okay, baby, this is what I want. The figure had a knife and as Lila began to scream, he raised it above his head and brought to down…

Lila shuddered and half-opened her eyes. ‘Ssh, ssh, it’s okay baby, go back to sleep.’ Someone was stroking her hair, her face and she was so dog-tired she couldn’t be bothered to process what was happening. She gave in to the darkness again.

Tinsley walked down the corridor, her heart thudding heavily against her ribs. Despite her bravado she was nervous – Charlie was bound to be here and if he treated her like he did the first time…she didn’t know that she could keep her temper. She found Noah’s room by repeating her lie about being Lila’s cousin and as she approached the door, she could see the lighting was low. The door was open a crack and she peered in to see Noah still unconscious and hooked up to the machines. She bit her lip; she knew it had been ridiculous to hope for some sort of miraculous recovery. She stepped into the room a little and stopped.

At the far end of the room, Lila slept on a cot, Charlie crouched beside her. He was stroking her face and Tinsley couldn’t tear her eyes away from the tender way he was touching her friend. Jesus…

‘Lila?’ Charlie’s voice was a whisper, ‘Can you hear me, baby?’

Lila gave no reaction and to her horror, Tinsley watched Charlie run his hand gently down Lila’s body, cup her breast. He slid his hand under her sweater and stroked her belly. Tinsley couldn’t believe it. Charlie leaned in and kissed Lila’s mouth.

‘I’m so sorry, baby…I’ll take your pain away…’ His voice was a whisper. Tinsley couldn’t help the squeak of horror that escaped her and as his head shot up, she ran.

She stumbled down the hallway to the nearest exit and almost fell down the stairs. God, what the fuck was that? She staggered down two flights then stopped, breathing hard.

Above her the exit door crashed open. Tinsley looked up – she was hidden in shadow but she could clearly see Charlie, his face a mask of rage, descending the stairs at a pace. She ran, down, down, down, hearing him in pursuit, her chest tight, little sobs as her terror overtook her. She crashed out into the reception…people.

God. As she collapsed with relief into the arms of a security guard, she turned, expecting Charlie to crash out behind her.

Nothing. No-one. Ignoring the frantic questions of the security guard, she glanced around – had he come out another door? Was he waiting for her outside? Oh god…

Eventually she calmed herself enough to tell the security guard that someone had been chasing her but she could tell he didn’t believe her. She managed to persuade him to stay with her until she caught a cab and on the drive back to the motel, she had the cab driver stop at an ATM so she could withdraw some cash. She needed to change motels, she realized, now, tonight and perhaps every night as long as she was in Seattle.

Because she had no intention of leaving Lila at the mercy of Charlie. Her mad conspiracies didn’t seem so crazy now. If she was convinced more than ever of one thing, it was this.

Charlie was in love with Lila and Tinsley didn’t think there was anything that could stop him from taking what he wanted from her.

Even if it was her life.

Lila showered at the hospital – quickly, she didn’t want to miss a moment in case Noah woke and when she got back to the room, Charlie was waiting for her.

‘Hey, beauty.’

She half-smiled back at him. For the last two days, he hadn’t left her alone for a moment and as much as she appreciated the support, she wanted to be with Noah, wanted that moment of reunion when – not if, she told herself constantly – he woke up.

‘He’s looking better,’ Charlie said, picking up on her mood. She nodded, dumping her wash bag – hurriedly put together for her by Quilla in the hospital’s pharmacy. She combed out her wet hair, never taking her eyes from her love, so still in the bed. She felt strange, almost as if the other man in the room, the man she’d known since she was a child, was a stranger to her. An unwanted interloper. She supposed she should feel guilty but she didn’t.

‘Charlie, it’s good of you to come here every day but there’s no need. I’m okay. It might be days, weeks or…’ Her voice broke and Charlie moved to hug her but she stepped out of his way, smiling to ease the snub. ‘I’m sorry; I just don’t want to be touched. You understand, right?’

‘Of course.’

She went to sit by Noah’s bed and took his hand. ‘I was saying, maybe you should go home, get back to finding a place to live. When Noah comes home, I’d like it to be the two of us. You get that, right?’

Charlie nodded, smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes and she couldn’t read his expression. Hurt? Anger? ‘Lila, don’t worry. It’ll all work out for the best.’

She didn’t really know what he meant by that but she couldn’t be bothered to figure it out. Go away, go away. ‘I wonder when Tinsley will come visit again?’

She turned to look at Charlie then and saw, to her shock, his face crease with annoyance. ‘Charlie, what the hell is going on between the two of you?’

Charlie sighed. ‘Baby, she’s no friend of yours believe me. When we were in New York, she was obsessed with the fact that we ever were…intimate. I wish I had never told her.’

Lila shifted uncomfortably. ‘Charlie – that was one night, a hundred years ago. Why would you tell her?’

He shrugged. ‘We were having the talk, you know? When we cashed in our v-cards, who with. I didn’t think she’d take it so badly.’

‘I don’t believe it,’ Lila retorted. ‘Tinsley isn’t the jealous type.’

‘You don’t know her as well as you think.’

Lila sighed. ‘I don’t want to argue with you, Charlie; I just want to be with Noah. Alone.’

He left the room and she felt relieved. She didn’t need to hear about Charlie and Tinsley right now. Fuck, she felt alone. Quilla had told her to call when she needed a break and she was seriously considering it. She’d been living on snacks from the machine for the last four days and her gut felt heavy and sore from junk food. She stroked Noah’s hair. ‘Will you be okay for a while, my love? I need some hot food in me, so I can look after you properly.’

In the cafeteria, she sat alone in a corner, not wanting to speak to anyone. The vegetable soup made her feel much better, more awake and she ate some fruit, squirreling away some in her bag along with a couple of bottles of water. Before she went back up to Noah, she stepped outside to breath in some fresh air. She sat on the wall outside the hospital. It was cold but she didn’t mind that; the hospital rooms were always too warm for her. She closed her eyes, letting the fresh air swirl around her. It was nearly Christmas, she thought, and once again, her life was in turmoil. God, Noah, please fight this, please come back to me.

Lila knew that if Noah died, she wouldn’t survive it. No way. He was her soulmate, her reason to smile. She could not imagine life without him; it was unthinkable.

She opened her eyes and a movement caught her eye. Across the parking lot, a thicket of trees and now as she watched she saw something moving in them. Someone. Whoever it was stopped and she suddenly felt as if they were looking straight at her, watching her. Paranoia. She got up and walked quickly back into the hospital. Freaking out about nothing, she said to herself, as she jabbed the button for the elevator then changed her mind. She ran up the floor flights of stairs – four days of sitting and her muscles were about to atrophy. She felt the slight burn of her muscles as she pulled open the door to Noah’s floor and skidded to a stop. Doctors, nurses were rushing into his room, a loud alarm was sounding.

Code Blue….Code Blue…

Tinsley grabbed her bag and dumped it into the rental car. She had figured if she was going to be moving around a lot then it would be cheaper and easier. The motel she was at was cheap but clean and she was regretting having to leave but it was just safer. She wouldn’t put it past Charlie Sherman to come after her, shut her up. Now, more than ever, she was convinced that Charlie was at the root of everything, and she meant everything, that had happened over the last year or so.

She knew it would sound crazy to the cops if she went to them and she couldn’t risk discussing it with Lila - Charlie was her oldest friend. Shit, she thought now as she drove, what the hell am I going to do?

The answer came as she was unpacking at the next motel. Her cell phone buzzed and she was amazed when she saw who it was.

‘Harrison Carnegie?’

Harry laughed. ‘The same. Hey Tins, how’s it hanging?’

He sounded remarkably casual, she thought but she knew him better. ‘Harry….about Cora…’

‘I’m so sorry, Tins,’ Harry dropped the act immediately, ‘I should have called weeks ago. Look, on behalf of my whole family, I wanted to say…there’s no excuse for what Cora did and I for one am so, so happy that it…that you…’ He faltered and she smiled, glad of hearing a friendly voice.

‘Harry, it’s okay…really. That’s in the past…look, I know the D.A. wants to charge Cora but when I get back to New York, I’m going to the police and asking them to drop the charges.’

‘You don’t have to do that, Tinsley, she knows she did wrong.’

Tinsley smiled down the phone. God it was good to hear his voice. ‘I want to, truly. On the condition she gets some major psychiatric help.’

Harry gave a soft laugh. ‘I think Mom’s got you covered there. Where are you?’

‘Huh?’

‘You said ‘when I get back’?’

Tinsley hesitated for a moment. ‘Seattle. Have you heard about Noah Applebaum?’

‘Yeah, it’s all the news. How’s Lila?’

‘I wish I knew.’

It was Harry’s turn to be confused. ‘What?’

It all poured out of her then, the way Charlie had treated her, her suspicions. Harry listened to her in silence and as she came to a halt, she suddenly realized how mad she must sound. ‘Harry?’

‘What motel are you in?’

She told him. ‘Why?’

‘I’m coming to Seattle. I don’t want you there alone.’

She honestly wanted to tell him no…but she couldn’t.

Halston and Molly Applebaum, quickly followed by Quilla and Jakob Mallory, found Lila in the hallway outside Noah’s room. Tears were flooding down her face but she was smiling. ‘He’s awake.’

When she’d gotten back and heard the code blue, it had been as bad as it sounded. Noah had coded and during the fight to get him back, she was kept out of the room, listening to them fighting to get him back and when they did, Noah had opened his eyes and cursed loudly.

Lila, hearing this, had dissolved into tearful laughter and he’d heard her. ‘Lila Tierney, get your ass in here.’

The doctors were shaking their head in disbelief but Lila didn’t pay attention, just flew into Noah’s outstretched arms.

She kissed him with tears rolling down her cheeks, laughing. ‘Only you could make such a dramatic entrance to the land of the living.’

When they were alone, they talked about what had happened. The doctor examined him. ‘You’ve stabilized better than a guy an inch from death a few hours ago should have, superman, but take it easy. No sexy shenanigans.’

‘Come on, Will,’ Noah grinned at the doctor – a friend and colleague. ‘Have you seen my fiancé?’

Lila flushed and stuck her tongue out at him. As soon as the doctor left, Noah beckoned her over to him again and wrapped his arms around her, wincing a little.

‘Don’t strain yourself,’ Lila frowned at him. ‘Last thing we need is you ripping open your stitches.’

‘Yes, Mom.’

‘Oh god, I need to call your parents,’ she started to stand up but he pulled her back.

‘In a while. For now, I just need it to be you and me for a minute.’

She cupped his cheek with her palm and smiled as she kissed him. ‘That’s all I ever want from now on,’ she said softly, ‘all I ever want.’

The sight of Harry’s face made Tinsley want to break down and cry and as soon as he wrapped his arms around her, that’s exactly what she did. Harry just held her close, his lips at her temple as people looked curiously at them as they hurried past.

He drove her rental car out to a diner he knew outside the city and they ate breakfast together, Harry gently asking her to go over everything again. He held her hand the whole time she was speaking, his thumb stroking a rhythm across her skin. Tinsley felt safe for the first time in…. ‘Months,’ she said with a half-smile. ‘I’ve been on edge ever since the - well, you know.’

Harry nodded somberly. ‘Again, I – ‘

‘Don’t apologize any more,’ she said, ‘you’re here now and I’ve never been so glad to see anyone in my life.’

Harry smiled. ‘When I went back to Oz, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I know what we said, no strings, no commitment and I respected that. So I didn’t call, didn’t get in touch often. But I never stopped thinking about you. I did hear you were back with Charlie Sherman.’

Tinsley met his gaze. ‘This isn’t some mad ex-girlfriend thing I’ve got going on, Harry, I swear to god it isn’t. I was relieved when he left. He seemed to change on a dime.’

Harry put his hands up. ‘Hey, hey. I believe every word. Never liked the guy.’ He drained his coffee and signaled to the waitress for a refill, thanking her with a smile.

‘Tins, let’s get this out in the open. What’s your maddest, most wild theory about all this?’

So she told him everything she suspected, in minute detail and Harry listened to it. When she was finished, his eyes were fixed on hers. ‘First thing we’re going to do is go get your stuff and you’re coming to stay with me at the Four Seasons. I’ll get extra security.’

Tinsley didn’t protest. ‘Thank you, Harry, I mean it.’

‘Don’t mention it, it’s the least I can do. Then, we’re going to go see Lauren Shannon.’

Tinsley’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Why?’

Harry looked grim. ‘Because if your theory is right, I think she wasn’t the only one involved in the shooting of Noah Applebaum.’

Halston put his arm around Lila’s shoulders. ‘Lila, I’m sure you’re the reason my boy fought so hard to recover.’

Lila blushed red but Noah grinned. ‘You bet she is.’

Hal’s smile faded. ‘Now, what are we going to do about Lauren? I assume you’re pressing charges.’

‘Yes, we are,’ Lila’s tone was hard. ‘I want that bitch locked up for good.’ She clenched her hands into fists and Molly hugged her.

‘My daughter will pay for what she has done.’ They all turned around. Lila had never met Derek Shannon before but the look of sorrow and guilt on his face said it all. Derek looked at Noah.

‘Noah, I’m so happy to see you alive. May I please speak to you for a moment, I promise, I won’t stay long.’

Noah half-smiled. ‘Of course.’ He gave a sharp look at his father who was about to protest. Derek introduced himself to all of them then sat down by Noah’s bed.

‘Lauren will spend the rest of her life in prison. She will have to rely on the county’s charity for her defense because in my eyes, she has no defense. I came here to apologize on her behalf, and to tell you that I am no longer in contact with her. She has gone too far this time.’

Lila couldn’t help give a cynical laugh. ‘Yep, because killing an unborn child wasn’t ‘far enough’.’ She left the room, disgusted, having heard enough. Molly and Quilla followed her out and took her down to the cafeteria. Molly shooed her into a seat while Quilla brought over a tray heaving with food. ‘Eat,’ she ordered Lila, ‘and then Jakob is going to take you to our place and you’re going to get some sleep. We’ll all sit with Noah.’

Lila had to admit it was tempting, although she was loath to leave Noah now he was awake. She was aware, however, that she looked atrocious. Quilla and Molly chatted easily to her as she scarfed down the meal gratefully, knowing they were distracting her from what must be going on upstairs.

Later, she kissed Noah goodbye, and left with Jakob. He drove her back to his and Quilla’s home on Bainbridge Island. ‘God, this place is beautiful,’ Lila gaped at the stunning house, all white and Zen. Jakob, who she had discovered, wasn’t nearly as stern as he looked, grinned at her.

‘All Quilla’s doing,’ he said proudly, ‘would you like a drink?’

‘Love one, something cold would be nice.’

‘Iced tea?’

‘Perfect.’ She followed him into a vast kitchen – from the homely mess of it, she guessed it was the heart of their home. Out of the French windows she saw a large garden where a tall, blonde girl was playing with two small boys. Jakob stuck his head out of the door. ‘Hey guys, we’re back.’

‘Daddy!’ As the two boys greeted him, he swept them up into his arms and kissed them. Lila grinned as they shrieked with joy. ‘Come and say hello to our friend Lila.’

The two boys weren’t shy at all, climbing onto Lila’s lap and studying her closely. They were gorgeous, and she couldn’t help but hug them. The blonde girl grinned merrily at her.

‘Hey there, I’m Hayley, these two monster's aunt. Well, actually, technically, I’m their cousin. It’s complicated. It’s nice to see you, Quilla talks about you all the time.’

Lila relaxed in their company, enjoying the tea and playing with the boys. God, it felt good to do something normal but she had to admit, seeing the two boys playing and enjoying the company of their father and cousin, she ached for little Matty. She had never thought she would be a mother until she’d actually gotten pregnant and now she couldn’t imagine not being one.

Hayley showed her to the guest room as Lila began to flag and Lila sank gratefully into a dreamless sleep.

When she woke it was dark and she saw that someone, possibly Hayley, had put a few clothes on the end of the bed, new underwear. In the en-suite bathroom, she found toiletries and a new toothbrush laid out. She smiled; the thoughtfulness and kindness of these people was unlimited; Noah knew how to pick his friends. Her thoughts flashed to Charlie and her stomach clenched. Would they ever get back to how it had been? She hoped so, but a small part of her also considered that life without him, with these friends, with Noah, might not be such a bad thing. Maybe they had been wrapped around each other’s lives long enough.

Showered and dressed in jeans and a sweater that fit her perfectly, she went downstairs to find Quilla was cooking. Her friend waved a wooden spoon at her in greeting. ‘Hey, how did you sleep?’

‘Wonderfully, thank you, and thanks for the clothes and things, it was very kind and much appreciated.’

Quilla grinned, her lovely face lit up. ‘Noah threw me out, said I should come home and feed you. His dad and step-mom are with him but I think he was hoping for some peace to get some sleep. He did look exhausted when I left but unbelievably good.’

Lila sat down at the huge kitchen table, watching Quilla cook an enormous pan of chili. Quilla crushed some garlic and put it into the pan with chopped onions. ‘I thought I’d make just a ton of comfort food,’ she said, ‘I’ve sent Jakob and the boys out to get some ice cream for dessert, so we can girl-talk if we want.’

‘The boys are adorable,’ Lila grinned, ‘and I know they’re adopted but they look so much like Jakob.’

Quilla laughed. ‘I know. When we went to the children’s home to meet all the kids, I took one look at them and said ‘they are our children’. Jakob agreed and that was that. Well, not quite but you know what I mean.’

Lila smiled. ‘I do. I spent my whole childhood in a home. I would have loved for some people like you and Jakob to come along.’

‘We could always adopted you now,’ Quilla joked and Lila liked it that she didn’t say ‘oh poor thing’. Lila had never felt that loneliness…because of Charlie, she thought and she suddenly felt bad for how she had been treating him lately.

She would call him, she decided, now Noah was out of immediate danger, and try and get their friendship back on track, albeit with new boundaries. Decided, she went to help Quilla prepare the dinner and they chatted easily until Jakob and the boys returned.

Tinsley and Harry were in his hotel suite, planning their visit to the prison where Lauren Shannon was being held. ‘Do we do good cop/bad cop?’ She asked Harry who grinned.

‘No we just offer her the thing she loves the most – money. Money to get the best lawyer possible.’

‘Surely her dad would have given her that?’

Harry shook his head. ‘I did some digging. Daddy Shannon has disowned her; she has to rely on the state.’

‘Woah,’ Tinsley’s eyes were wide, ‘that’s cold.’

Harry shrugged. ‘From what I’ve found out, it’s long overdue. I don’t blame the man; even familial love can only go so far when someone behaves like that.’

Tinsley nodded. ‘How do we stop her hiring the best lawyers with our money and getting off?’

Harry grinned wickedly. ‘Easy. By hiring them first ourselves but she doesn’t need to know that does she?’

‘Harry…this all takes money and I know how generous you are but really, this isn’t your fight?’

‘Isn’t it? Just because Noah Applebaum isn’t my family, all of this leads back to Lila’s stabbing and Richard’s murder. It is my fight. Plus, anyone who tries to hurt you immediately makes my shit list.’

She smiled and touched his cheek. He covered her hand with his, holding her to his skin, his eyes on her. ‘Remind me again how I could have been so dumb as to go back to Australia without you?’

Tinsley flushed with pleasure. ‘It wasn’t the right time for us.’

He nodded and they gazed at each other in silence for a long moment. ‘And now?’ He said softly then without waiting for a reply, leaned forward and brushed her lips with his. Tinsley’s hands came up automatically and slid into his short hair. As they kissed, Harry pulled her onto his lap, his mouth hungry on hers, and his hands under her t-shirt, sliding it over her head.

Soon naked, they tumbled onto the floor and Tinsley moved down his body to take him into her mouth, sweeping her lips over the wide crest of his pulsing cock. The silky skin felt so good on her tongue as she traced the blue veins, and she tasted the salty tang of his pre-cum. Harry moaned as she teased him, and soon he was pulling her upwards so he could thrust inside her. Tinsley straddled him, his hands on her breasts as they moved together, both smiling and loving. This was so different to the dead serious sex that she and Charlie had and even though it was good, this was love-making, not just sex. She and Harry bonded as friends first then lovers and the combination left her feeling complete.

Afterward they ordered room service and ate it in front of the TV., chatting idly about Australia. ‘Do you think you’ll go back, ever? Long term, I mean.’ Harry asked her as he scooped some apple pie into his mouth.

‘Ask me that a few months ago and I would have said no. But now? I can see it.’ She hoped she wasn’t blushing too much but Harry grinned at her.

‘That is very good to know, Miss Chang. That is very good to know.’ And he kissed her again and they started where they had left off.

Noah waited for the doctor – his colleague Doug Halpern – to check him over. Doug was a cardio-god, one of the best in the world. He nodded at Noah now. ‘If all my patients were in as good physical condition as you, Applebaum, my life would be easier. Don’t get me wrong, you have a long way to go yet, but your wounds are healing, your heart trace showed no problems and even with one lung, you’ll be able to function pretty much the same. Maybe not too many marathons anymore, but even that isn’t out of the realms of possibility.’

Noah grinned. ‘You know me, Doug, I get antsy if I don’t exercise.’

‘Yup, he’s weird like that, me, I prefer sloth,’ Lila walked into the room and smiled at them both. She studied Noah. ‘You do look good, baby.’

She went to kiss his cheek and sit by him. Doug nodded at them.

‘Well, just be careful you two. Don’t put too much stress on his heart by being too gorgeous, Lila.’

‘Dude, are you hitting on my fiancée?’ Noah was laughing as Lila flushed.

Doug grinned. ‘Hell yes. Perks of having saved your damn life.’

Noah nodded. ‘Fair enough.’

‘When you two have stopped objectifying me…’ but Lila laughed along with them. It felt so good to be relaxed again, to know that they would be okay after everything. Doug left them alone and Lila snuggled into Noah’s side.

‘Hey handsome.’

‘You look refreshed,’ he noted, brushing his lips against her. ‘That’s good, I was worried.’

‘You were worried about me?’ Lila rolled her eyes. ‘Quilla and Jakob spoiled me. I really do have to commend you on your choice of friends, I adore them, and their kids. So cute.’

‘Making you broody?’

‘Oh yes but we need to get you back to fighting fit before we even consider that again.’

She kissed his jawbone, smoothed the hair at his temples. ‘Thank god you’re okay.’

‘Between us we have nine lives, we must have,’ he nodded, twirling a lock of her hair – freshly washed that morning – between his finger and thumb.

She studied him. ‘Do you have this feeling of what’s next? I mean, we’ve been through the mill these last eighteen months but I still feel, there’s more to come. Am I being pessimistic?’

Noah considered. ‘No…and I think it’s that we still don’t know for sure who kicked this whole thing off. Who it was who stabbed you – or hired someone to do it. We’ve – you’ve – had no closure on that.’

‘I think you’re right but it could be we’ll never know.’ She sighed. ‘Is it wrong I want to lock you away somewhere safe where no-one can touch you?’

‘Nope, that’s exactly how I feel about you.’

‘It sucks.’

‘Yep.’

She nuzzled closer to him, careful not to tug on any of the tubes and wires which stuck of out him. ‘A day at a time.’

‘A day at a time,’ he agreed and held her close.

Tinsley hadn’t stepped two feet inside the prison when she decided she never, ever wanted to do it again. The sense of hopelessness was palpable. She slipped her hand into Harry’s feeling him squeeze her fingers reassuringly. The Carnegie name had gotten them in to interview Lauren Shannon, they had sent their offer of money in advance. As expected, Lauren had jumped at the chance and Tinsley felt no guilt about the way they were fooling her.

Lauren’s hair was shoved into a greasy ponytail and she barely made eye cotact with them both as she was led into the interview room. She flicked her eyes dismissively at Tinsley and Tinsley glared back.

Harry did all the talking and he got straight to the point. ‘Lauren, did someone tell you, or pay you to shoot Noah Applebaum?’

Lauren smirked. ‘You don’t think a woman could come up with and execute – so to speak – a plan like that?’

‘Oh I do…I just don’t believe it in this case. So, tell me, did someone hire you? Or perhaps a better description would be ‘encourage’?’

Lauren looked out of the window. ‘I called a lawyer, one of my dad’s friends, told him you were stumping up the money to hire me good representation. He told me no.’

‘Not my problem. Answer the question.’

Lauren smiled. ‘Perhaps. Perhaps someone with a vested interest in seeing Noah dead was…supportive. Perhaps they found the gun for me.’

Tinsley was getting irritated. ‘Was it Charlie Sherman?’

Harry cleared his throat – a warning and Tinsley got his meaning – leading the witness.

Lauren’s eyes were twinkling – she was enjoying the game. ‘He didn’t give me his name.’

Progress. Harry glanced at Tinsley. ‘Lauren, are you able to describe this man?’

‘I never met him. He called me.’

Tinsley made a disgusted sound. ‘Motherfucker.’

Lauren laughed softly. ‘So you see…I can’t even use that as a defense. Who’s going to believe that? A man told me to do it.’

Harry too was frustrated. ‘Is there anything, anything distinguishing about his voice, the way he spoke, accent?’

She shook her head. ‘I got the impression he was disguising his voice.’

‘Fuck,’ Tinsley hissed then looked back at Lauren. ‘Just tell us what he said, his exact words.’

‘He asked me if I wanted to get back at Noah and told me he could help me. He said he’d pay two-hundred grand to shoot Noah but I had to do it in public and in front of his girlfriend.’

‘Did the man ask you to shoot Lila as well?’

Lauren shook her head. ‘No, that was just something I said to the cops when I was arrested. He was very specific – I was only to kill Noah.’

‘Did he give a reason for that?’

‘Yes.’ She smiled nastily. ‘He told me that he wanted to be the one to kill Lila – said he’d tried before but next time, he would take his time and make sure she was dead.’

Tinsley felt sick and she felt Harry slip his arm around her waist. ‘Is there anything else you can tell us?’ She asked Lauren, who chuckled darkly.

‘Yeah. I wouldn’t want to be Lila Tierney when he gets hold of her.’

‘She told us nothing,’ Tinsley groaned as they got back into the car and Harry looked at her in amazement.

‘Are you kidding? She told us so much.’

‘Like what?’

‘For one thing….Lila’s attacker is still out there. Another – we know now it can’t have been Riley – which means Riley was probably killed and framed. Another – if the killer was able to manipulate Lauren, what makes us think he won’t have done it to others. There’s one more person I think we have to see before we really double-down on this and go to Lila and Noah.’

‘Who?’

Harry smiled grimly. ‘The one person we know can be manipulated easily – especially as she was in love with the man we suspect. My sister. We’re going to see Cora.’

The cab stopped outside of the hospital entrance and Lila thanked the driver and tipped him well. ‘Could you come back about ten-thirty?’

The driver smiled. ‘Of course, Miss, see you then.’

Lila walked towards the entrance of the hospital. She’d spent the night at home. Getting things ready for Noah’s homecoming. Now he was out of bed and into a chair, the doctors had told him he could be released to rest at home in as few as two weeks. Lila couldn’t quite believe it. She grinned to herself now and her pace quickened.

‘Lila.’

She started violently and whirled around. Charlie smiled at her. ‘Sorry.’

‘Charlie…jesus.’ She put a hand on her chest to still her thumping heart. ‘Where have you been? I’ve been trying to call you.’

‘I know, honey, I’m sorry, had things I was doing. Found a place.’

‘Good. Look I was just going in to see Noah.’

‘How is he?’

She smiled. ‘Doing really well. Come in and say hello.’

Charlie looked up at the well-lit hospital. ‘I won’t today, I don’t want to intrude. I’ll come back another day.’

‘You sure?’

He nodded. ‘I would like us to sit and talk soon. Very soon. I think we need to get some stuff resolved.’

Lila nodded. ‘I think we do. Call me tomorrow, okay? And we’ll talk.’

‘Promise.’ And he was gone. Lila frowned after him. She wasn’t imagining it, their friendship had change drastically. There was awkwardness there.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow they would see if they could salvage anything from the mire of recent events and rejuvenate their friendship.

Tinsley had elected to stay in Seattle while Harry went to see his sister in New York. Harry had understood; whatever she had done, Cora had still instigated a ferocious attack on Tinsley.

‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be in the same room,’ she had told him and he agreed. Nothing good would come of that.

Harry had told her he would fly straight back to Seattle after speaking to Cora and so Tinsley was holed up at his hotel, mindlessly ordering room service and watching TV. to take her mind off what they were finding out. It didn’t work and she ended up with a yellow legal pad and pen making charts and flow diagrams and writing everything down. It didn’t take her long to make the connection and now she wondered how they hadn’t seen it months ago. Of course, if she was right, it meant she herself had fucked the killer – unwittingly of course – and that their whole relationship had been a lie. If Charlie was as dangerously obsessed with Lila as they thought…

‘He’ll never stop.’ God, she needed to warn Lila now. She would risk Lila not believing her, even if it lodged a tiny suspicion of doubt in her mind, it might protect her. Tinsley considered what to do next. Harry had asked her to stay in the room, keep safe, but if Lila was still in danger…

She could get a cab straight to the hospital and speak to Lila there; it would safe right? Probably safer than going to her home…

Mind made up, she grabbed her purse and head out of the door.

As far as she was concerned, there wasn’t a moment to lose.

It didn’t take long for Harry to extract a confession from Cora, who broke down in tears. ‘It wasn’t like that, he didn’t ask me to kill her but just said…while she was in the picture, we could never be together.’

‘Fucking asshole,’ Harry raged. His mother, Delphine sat on Cora’s other side, looked devastated but resigned.

‘Do you think Lila is in danger?’

Harry nodded. ‘The worst kind – and I don’t think we can wait any longer to tell her. I have to go back to Seattle. Right now.’

Lila and Noah were laughing together when Tinsley knocked softly at the door. Lila’s eyes widened when she saw her friend and she jumped up and pulled her into a hug.

‘Where the hell have you been?’

Tinsley realized her friend was crying and she hugged her back tightly. ‘I need to talk to you, alone,’ she whispered. ‘Meet me at the bottom of the stairs, the exit is next door.’

She pulled away from Lila’s curious stare and kissed Noah. ‘I’m so glad you’re looking so well.’

‘Thanks Tins…what’s going on?’

‘Nothing you should worry about. I’m sorry, I only have a few minutes, I have to go pick Harry up at the airport.’

‘Harry…Carnegie?’ Lila was shocked but Tinsley smiled.

‘The very one. He would like to come see you if you don’t mind.’

She stayed for another five minutes then nodded for Lila to follow her out. ‘Give me five minutes then come down.’

‘What’s with all the intrigue?’

‘I want to make sure I wasn’t followed.’

Lila stared at her. ‘You’re scaring me.’

Tinsley tried to smile. ‘I don’t mean to. Remember, five minutes.’

And she disappeared in to the stairwell. Lila shook her head – what the hell was going on?

Noah asked the same question and she shook her head. ‘I don’t know, I really don’t.’

Five minutes later, she stuck her cell phone in her pocket. ‘Be back in a few.’ She kissed him but he held onto her hand.

‘Lila…I’m worried.’

‘Let me just go find out what’s on Tinsley’s mind. Get some rest, I love you.’

He didn’t look happy. ‘Come back soon. Love you too.’

Lila smiled and went out into the corridor pushing open the door. It was pretty poorly lit and she walked down carefully so she didn’t trip.

‘Tins?’

No reply. Lila’s heart began to beat a little faster. She peered into the dark as she descended the final flight. ‘Tins.’

Her foot hit something soft and she heard a moan. Lila snagged her phone from her pocket and switched on the light. Tinsley lay on her back, her face contorted in such pain Lila gasped. Tinsley was covered in blood and the hilt of a knife protruded from her stomach.

‘Oh god, no, no, no…’ Lila dropped to her knees and Tinsley looked up at her with wide eyes.

‘Lila…no…he’s…’

A gloved hand was clamped over Lila’s face, and as she struggled, her attacker slammed her head against the wall and she was dumped, dazed to the floor. As she began to pass out, she saw the attacker rip the knife from Tinsley’s body and begin to stab her again as Tinsley, her voice weakening, cried ‘No, no, please, no…

Charlie, please no…’

Noah started to get panicky. Surely Lila should be back by now? He eased out of bed, thankful he no longer had wires and tubes attached, and shuffled to the door. All was quiet in the corridor but the nurse at the station looked up and smiled.

‘Look who’s out of bed.’

He tried to smile. ‘Have you see Lila?’

The nurse shook her head. ‘Not since earlier. Why?’

Noah just shook his head. ‘She as supposed to be back by – ‘

He turned sharp as the door to the stairwell opened and a breathless, panicked young man almost fell out of the door. ‘Please, I need help…there’s a girl down there…I think she’s been stabbed.’

‘No, no, no…’ The adrenaline coursed through Noah and he lurched towards the door just as the nurse, alarmed, both called for assistance and yelled at Noah to stop.

‘Noah, you’re not well enough…stop…’

He didn’t listening. He grabbed the rail and climb down the stairs as best as he could, desperate to get to her…not again, please, not again…

The lights flooded on and he heard people shouting behind him. As he made it to the top of the last flight, he saw her.

Tinsley. She was prone on the floor, in a pool of blood, her clothes soaked red. Noah’s heart began to pound out of his chest as he rushed down to her. ‘Tinsley, oh my god…’

Tinsley opened her eyes and looked up at him. ‘Noah…’ He could barely hear her. ‘Noah, he has Lila….Charlie has Lila…’

Everything in Noah’s world stopped. ‘Did Charlie do this to you?’

She nodded, gasping for air. ‘I’m sorry, Noah…I’m sorry…’ As the medics rushed in to help her, to help him, Tinsley’s head fell back and her last breath sighed from her lungs.

A medic listened to her chest and started to perform CPR but Noah knew it was too late. There was so much blood. Tinsley was dead.

And Lila was gone…

She had watched him stab her friend to death and now, as she started to regain consciousness, she wondered why she wasn’t dead too.

Charlie. She opened her eyes. She was laying on her back on the back seat of a moving car, her hands and feet bound. She turned her head to see him driving, his face set and grim. It was Charlie. It was Charlie. It didn’t take a genius to figure it all out now. As far as Charlie was concerned, Lila belonged to him. He’d stopped her wedding by stabbing her, framed Riley – had he known she and Riley had slept together? – and probably killed him, arranged Richard’s murder. Had he coerced Lauren into shooting Noah?

God. You should have finished me in that changing room, she thought angrily, then at least the others could have been saved. You bastard. You cowardly fucker.

Now she thought about it, it was so obvious. He’d called her that day….

Charlie Sherman smiled grimly to himself. She was at the bridal boutique. So easy…he’d checked it out a while back when she told him about the place. Security was minimal – yeah, they set an alarm at night, but during the day... The fire exit he could jimmy open in seconds…wasit really going to be this easy?

He could hardly wait. He’d dreamed of this day for years, ever since that night that she’d given her virginity to him. God the feel of her skin, her silky tight cunt as he’d thrust into her. She’d been so drunk that any inhibitions had fled and she’d enjoyed herself as much as he had. Then…nothing. ‘Let’s keep that one night special, I don’t want to ruin our friendship because of sex.’

Bitch. He’d agreed, of course, how else was he going to keep her close and he’d waited, and watched as her beauty, her warmth, her quick wit had brought the men flocking. His Lila wasn’t a whore though, she chose her lovers carefully. And then she’d met the billionaire and it had all gone to hell. Richard fucking Carnegie. When he’d found out that Carnegie had cheated on Lila, he was sure that she’d end it. She even knew about the cheating and stayed with him and then promised to marry the motherfucker.

But it was the night, a few days before the wedding when he’d known what he had to do. He’d gone to meet her at the bar, a little later than normal. The door was locked but he’d gone around the back and sure enough, the back door was open. He walked into the bar – and saw them. Lila and Riley. Fucking, right there on the floor. He watched them silently – well, he watched her, her face when she came, when Riley’s face was buried in her sex.

Bitch.

Slipping in the back door of the bridal boutique was easy. A quick check of the other fitting room and then he was there. She pulled back the curtain and he drove the knife into her soft belly. So easy, so beautiful. She barely had time to gasp; he stabbed her quickly, brutally, blood spattering then gushing from her wounds.

Afterward he made his escape but the adrenaline inside was raging what a rush, what a thrill…

Charlie looked back at Lila and smiled. ‘You’re awake. Good.’ His voice was almost tender.

Lila’s eyes filled with tears. ‘You murdered Tinsley.’

Charlie shrugged. ‘She got in my way.’

‘She used to be your girlfriend…I thought you loved her.’

Charlie laughed. ‘For a bright woman, Lila, you can be dense. The only woman I’ve ever loved is you.’

Hearing him say it out loud in such a matter of fact manner was terrifying. ‘You were the one who stabbed me.’

Charlie steered the car to a stop and turned to her. ‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

‘Richard.’

She shook her head. ‘What about him?’

‘Riley. And then Noah. And every other man you’ve fucked. Every one of them took something from me. And the only way I can think of to right that wrong is to take you.’

She stared at him and didn’t know the monster in front of her. ‘You’re going to kill me.’

‘Yes, Lila, of course I am.’

She felt strangely relieved. ‘And you won’t hurt anyone else?’

He smiled, a strange rictus. ‘No, Lila. I won’t be able to, because you and I will die together. Once I stab you, I’ll cut my own throat. I don’t want to live in a world without you.’

She closed her eyes. ‘You’re insane.’

‘And you’re going to die today. Now, lie still and quiet and it’ll all be over soon.’ Charlie started the car again and pulled out onto the highway.

Harry Carnegie stared at the police in disbelief. ‘No. No, she can’t be…oh god…’ He covered his mouth as if he were about to throw up. Tinsley dead? No, they must be mistaken.

When he’d got to the airport and she hadn’t met him, he’d called the suite and one of his security men had told him Tinsley had insisted on going to the hospital. He’d taken a cab there only to be greeted by reception full of police and shocked faces. He heard a whisper. Someone was murdered in the hospital. His chest had clenched tight but he brushed it away. He’d asked for Noah’s room at the desk which is when they’d called a policeman over and he’d been taken into a private room.

There, the detective in charge had told him gently that a Miss Tinsley Chang had been stabbed to death in a stairwell, and that a Miss Tierney had been abducted.

Tinsley was dead.

Harry turned away from the other men so they couldn’t see the raw grief in his face. I just found you again, baby. Why didn’t you wait for me to come here? ‘Can I see Mr Applebaum now, please?’

‘Of course…he wanted to tell you himself but we thought you two might be too close…’

Harry gave a humorless laugh. ‘We’ve never even met.’ And yet they were bonded in blood.

Noah Applebaum looked haunted. As Harry stepped into his hospital room, Noah turned and saw him. The two men stared at each other for a long moment then Noah unsteadily moved towards him. These two men, who had never met, embraced, hugged each other tightly.

‘I’m so sorry, Harry, I’m so sorry.’

‘Me too, Noah. There’s still hope, right?’

Noah pulled out of the hug and tried to smile. ‘You bet there is, Lila’s a fighter. If I wasn’t in this damn hospital, I’d be out hunting that son-of-a-bitch down, but they’re watching me like a hawk.’

Harry nodded. He studied Noah’s movement. ‘So you feel okay? You can walk?’

Noah half-smiled, knowing something else was coming. ‘Yeah, why?’

‘I can distract anyone that needs to be distracted.’

‘They took my clothes so I couldn’t sneak out.’

Harry sized him up. ‘Okay, so I’m about two inches shorter but we’re a similar build.’

Noah did grin then. ‘You sure?’

Harry nodded. ‘If the roles were reversed?’

‘You betcha, buddy. You could come if you want.’

‘I don’t want to leave Tinsley,’ Harry said simply, as he began to undress. Noah nodded, understanding.

‘Man, when this is over and Lila’s safe…’

‘Go,’ Harry brushed his gratitude away. ‘We’ll have all the time to talk after. You got any idea where he would take her?’

Noah shook his head. ‘But I know her history and I know how obsessed people think. If he’s going to kill her, he’ll want to do it somewhere significant. I’ll start where they first met – at the old children’s home in Puget Ridge.’

Harry nodded. ‘Good. Then I’ll give you a one hour start before I go to the police. Back up, you understand?’

Noah shook Harry’s hand gratefully. ‘I owe you big.’

Harry gripped his hand tightly. ‘If you can, kill the fucker. Please. For Lila. For Tinsley. For my brother.’

Noah sneaked out of the hospital easier than he expected. Everyone was just wrapped up in Tinsley’s murder. When he’d been trying to guess where Charlie would take her, he’d had to think back to the times he and Lila had talked about her childhood. That was back in the early days, when she was in rehab, before they’d even kissed, before that dream of a day when they’d made love – and made Matty. God, he wanted the chance to make babies with Lila, to build a house, a family with her. She was his heart and now his heart was being ripped from him and it was a million times more painful than the bullet Lauren had fired into him.

In spite of his bravado, his assurances to Harry, Noah’s body was screaming at him. His chest burned, his one remaining lung working overtime. Despite his calm exterior, Noah was in the worst agony of his life – physically and emotionally but the adrenaline, the need to get to Lila was all-encompassing.

Just be alive, sweetheart, please. Fight, Lila, fight…I’m coming for you.

Charlie parked the car behind the old children’s home and pulled Lila from the back seat. He’d taped her mouth so she couldn’t scream. After he’d taken her in and laid her on the floor of an empty room, he took the tape off.

‘Scream all you want, no-one will get to you before I kill you. There’s no point, there’s no hope now, Lila.’

He grabbed his backpack and pulled out a gun and a knife. The knife was stained with blood. ‘Whoops,’ he said, grinning nastily. ‘Better wipe Tinsley off of this before you get it.’

Lila’s temper exploded then. ‘You killed innocent people Charlie, and my whole life I’ve been defending you from people saying that you’re bad news, that you’re bad and mean and scary. I defended you!’ She started to cry now. ‘I loved you, Charlie, not as a lover, but as a friend, as a brother. You were my person.’

She was sobbing and to her amazement, he scooped her up and held her. ‘That’s all I’ve ever wanted to be, Lila, is yours. Yours alone.’

‘You stabbed me,’ she whispered and he nodded.

‘I did. And I’m going to again, Lila, you understand that now, right?’

Lila drew in a breath and when she pulled away and met his gaze, she smiled. ‘I know. I know, baby, it has to be this way.’

Charlie’s smile spread across his face. ‘It does.’ He wiped her tears from her cheeks.

You fucking deluded psycho…’Charlie, if we’re going to die today…then surely we should celebrate us before you cut me open.’

A frown crossed his face. ‘What do you mean?’

She smiled and leaned forward brushing her lips against his. Would he fall for this? Her heart was thudding madly. She looked up at him from beneath her lashes. ‘Fuck me, Charlie…let’s go out on a high. Fuck me good and then I promise, I won’t fight you.’

He stared at her and she couldn’t tell if he would go for it but then he reached for the knife. She held her breath then he severed the tape around her feet, around her hands. He tore open her dress and placed the tip of the knife against her belly.

‘I swear, if you’re messing with me, Lila, I’ll stab you so many times they won’t bother to count them…and then I’ll do the same to your fucking Doctor.’

Slowly, Lila lay back and spread her legs. ‘Fuck me, Charlie…please….’

With a growl he yanked the zipper on his jeans down and shoving her legs further apart. Playing along, she reached for his face. ‘Kiss me, baby.’

He ground his mouth down on hers and Lila kissed him back…and then clamped her teeth down on his tongue hard. Charlie screamed and rocked back, and Lila jammed her foot hard into his exposed groin, then kicked him in the face and rolled out of his way. She scrambled to her feet and went for his gun but he grabbed her leg and dragged her back toward him.

‘You fucking little bitch! I warned you, I warned you.’

God, he was strong but Lila, fear and anger raging through her, managed to fight him off again as he swiped at her with his knife. The tip of the blade caught the soft skin of her belly and she cried out.

‘You’ll scream for me again and again before I’m done, you whore,’ Charlie was getting the upper hand again as he grasped both of her wrists but she twisted away from him and ran through the old derelict house. The back door hung open and she headed toward that, would have made it too but she didn’t see the hole in the floorboards and her foot disappeared into it, her ankle snapping with a loud crack. Lila did scream then as loud as she could because she couldn’t move and Charlie was advancing on her, the knife glinting in his hand.

The pain in her ankle was making her light-headed but as Charlie dropped to his knees beside her, she tried to move. Charlie just laughed and to her horror, he pressed his face to the cut on her abdomen and lapped at the blood with his tongue.

‘Does your cunt taste as sweet as your blood, Lila?’

‘Fuck you, Charlie.’

‘My pleasure…’ He reached under her dress and yanked her delicate panties off with one motion. Lila rammed her legs together but he just grinned, his hand burrowing between them. Lila screamed as loud as she could, more out of desperation than hope.

The door, the front door, was kicked in and a whirlwind of fury threw himself at Charlie, knocking them both flying.

Noah. ‘Oh my god,’ Lila whispered as her lover wrestled and fought with Charlie. Charlie punched him hard against the chest, against the wound and Noah was winded. Lila dragged herself up on one foot and dived to help Noah, throwing herself bodily at Charlie while Noah recovered his composure. Noah roared as Charlie grabbed Lila by the throat and raised the knife to kill her; Noah grabbed Charlie by the back of the head and dragged him away. Lila scrambled for the knife Charlie had dropped and swiped at the man as he got away from Noah and went after her. Lila and Charlie tumbled to the floor and for a second, it looked all over.

The knife in Charlie’s hand was driven hard at her – just as Charlie’s throat exploded and covered Lila in blood. The knife dropped from his hand and he slumped, very, very dead to the floor, his eyes bulging from his head, staring straight into Lila’s.

Noah lowered the gun – the gun that Charlie had forgotten about – and dropped it to the floor. He came to Lila immediately and they held each other.

‘It’s over now, my darling Lila. It’s all over.’

And for once, she was glad to hear those words…

Epilogue

Lila and Noah stepped from the plane and took a limo back to their penthouse. The flight from Australia had been a long one but they’d enjoyed the luxury of business class and managed to sleep most of the way.

Tinsley’s funeral had been both sad and joyful. Her family had shared their memories of the lovely young woman and had embraced Lila, Noah and Harry as a part of their family.

Now, as they lay together in their bed, Lila and Noah finally believed they would be okay. Noah was still recovering and Lila’s broken ankle was in a cast, but they were healing. Noah stroked her face, drinking her in.

‘You are the love of my life, Lila Tierney.’

‘And you the love of mine, you wonderful, wonderful man.’

Noah smiled as she chuckled. ‘What?’

‘I’m thinking that before, I was always wondering what’s next, and it was in fear of the worst happening. Now I’m thinking, what’s next knowing it can only be good.’

Noah laughed too. ‘In that case,’ He rolled on top of her, his cock already hard against her thigh, ‘I only have one question, Miss Tierney.’

She gasped as he entered her slowly and smiled. ‘What’s that, Dr. Applebaum?’

Noah kissed her tenderly and grinned as they moved together. ‘Well, Miss Tierney…what’s next?...

The End.