Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Afew days later, Cece found herself face to face with Rich in the Eatery.

He’d finalised the wedding menus and was walking her through them.

At the start of their meeting, he’d been stiff and offhand. However, as the minutes flew by, he relaxed, and their stilted conversation soon turned into banter.

Her mood also lifted as she thought the chef would be a great friend if he gave her a chance.

‘The selections sound great, Rich.’

‘Glad you approve. I’ll start with a few tasting platters this week. I’ll call you in when I’ve something for you to try.’

She gave him a wide smile. ‘Can’t wait.’

Outside, the view from the Eatery’s balcony was Byron perfection. The sky was a bright blue, the air crisp, with just a hint of a breeze. A band of dark clouds loomed in the distance, but they were too far off to worry about.

Tanned bodies lay on the beach, soaking up the sun’s warmth. Ocean waves crashed against the sand, which surfers rode in. Scattered across the beach were toddlers building sand castles. Others jumped up and down on the water’s edge, laughing in delight.

They fell into silence before Rich spoke up. ‘About our date -,’

She lifted a hand to stay his roll. ‘We don’t have to.’

‘I want to,’ the sandy-haired man insisted. ‘The thing is, I like you, and I enjoyed spending time with you. If you’re ever interested in going out again, just let me know.’

Cece turned to face him, giving him a half smile as she served him the truth. ‘Hand on heart, Rich, I’m not ready for anything right now. While we get along real well, I’m not sure if we have that kind of connection.’

Rich nodded, his expression falling. ‘I understand. I just wanted you to know how I feel.’

Cece smiled, thinking he was a good man—just not the one her body, mind and soul yearned for.

‘I’ll keep that in mind,’ she said.

Her phone rang, interrupting the moment.

The number was unknown, so she hesitated, not wanting to deal with a scam caller. For some reason, though, she felt compelled to take it.

‘Hello?’

After a short pause, a man’s voice sounded out, clearing the throat, then a rasp. ‘Cece?’

A gut punch hit her as she absorbed the familiar voice. ‘Liam? Is that you?’

‘Sis, it’s me.’

‘My long lost, no-contact twin?’

‘Funny.’

She lifted an arm at Rich and waved at him, indicating the call was important. He nodded his understanding as she tracked fast towards an empty corner of the Eatery and sat in a leather-embossed booth.

‘How are you?’

‘I’m OK, sis.’

Cece exhaled in relief. Since they’d been kids, Liam struggled. He’d inherited an angry streak from their father, Malcolm, a soldier in the Australian army. A man who’d perpetrated violence on their mother until he’d OD’s, a victim of drugs and mental health issues.

Distraught, Samantha turned to Joseph Mirren, Malcolm’s fellow squad member and close mate.

She’d made a poor choice, falling from the arms of a physically abusive man into those of an emotional control freak.

Liam wore the full brunt of the fallout and lack of balanced fathering.

Over the years, he’d made violent decisions. Trigger-happy, he’d created enemies and ripped people off - in a hazardous and volatile drug dealing world. Caught in an exhausting cycle of believing that life was either an all-win or all-lose situation.

To hear he was on an even keel was good news.

‘What do you need?’

It was the only question Cece relied on. Knowing from experience that lectures, prying and insisting on soberness only served to push Liam away.

‘Nothing. Been clean for a week and a half, now, sis.’

She gasped. ‘What?’

‘Yep. I’m done, baby.’

Elation washed over her. ‘Oh my. What triggered the change? Not that I’m not over the moon about it.’

‘Had a chat to a mum some time back. The general was away, so she was able to be more open with me. She broke down, sis, and that killed me. She said how much my habit hurt her and how she hates that all the men in her life have let her down. I guess that was my moment of revelation. It got to me, so I cut back. I started snorting less every day, and after about three weeks, I was able to stop. The withdrawal is shit, though. I’m on edge, can’t sleep, keeping very little food down. Been fighting it for days now, but it’s improving.’

‘That’s such good news.’

A pulsating static, high-pitched humming interrupted her words. Cece thought the call had dropped out and checked her phone, which showed it was still on.

The static died away after a moment. ‘What was that?’

Liam was silent on the line for a moment.

‘Keep talking, babe.’ He sounded tight, stressed.

‘Why?’

There was a click and a soft beep as she uttered the question.

‘Not sure. Think there was something in the background.’

‘I got it too.’

‘You’ve heard this before?’

She gave his question some thought. ‘Sometimes. Also, some static.’

‘Starting when?’

‘It’s been recent, but I haven’t paid it any mind. I thought it was just a poor network connection.

‘Sis, just hold on for a moment. Going to try something.’

There was shuffling and a few taps. Followed by a series of loud beeps at a higher frequency than before.

Liam whistled. ‘Cece, I’ve just checked your device using a sound-bandwidth sensor detector app on a low frequency. One I use, given my line of work.’

‘Use for what?’

‘To check and measure sound on a potentially tapped device. Your iPhone may be under surveillance if it makes those sounds several times in one minute. Which it has in this case.’

‘What are you saying?’

‘Honey, someone’s listening in.’

Cece sat back in the booth in shock. ‘No way. Why?’

She wracked her mind.

‘Joseph!’

The twins said the word at the same time. Cece’s temperature rose as Liam’s breathing got ragged.

‘The fuckin’ investigation,’ Liam growled. ‘Another reason why I’ve gone clean. I can’t be caught up in his mess.’

‘Should we hang up?’

‘Too late, they already know we know, so let’s keep them on their toes. At least for the next three to five minutes before they can triangulate my location.’

Cece struggled to form words. ‘Who would be tapping me and how?’

‘Anyone, anywhere. Most likely, it’s an app masquerading as something else. A game, music, even corporate software.’

Cece froze. ‘The only one I’ve installed in recent weeks is an office collaboration one.’

‘Where are you working?’

‘At Falcon House. A hotel in Byron Bay.’

‘Your boss?’

‘A lady called Denise Mariani. She’s a sweetheart with zero IT knowledge. It took her ages to figure out her Zoom background settings last week. I had to help her. No way she’d be our suspect.’

‘Her boss?’

She thought about the man she hadn’t seen since their ‘moment’ in his office during the weekend. He’d gone MIA, keeping his office door closed, and she’d wondered whether she was to blame. Had her complexity scared him away, or was he avoiding post-coital awkwardness?

Liam needed an answer, so she dragged her mind back to the present. ‘Ash Falconer.’

Liam’s breath hitched, followed by a long, low whistle. ‘Boom, boom.’

Cece stiffened. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Retired Major Ash Falconer is your employer?

‘He is. What of it?’

Liam tutted. ‘He’s also one of Australia’s most decorated soldiers, recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal, one of the highest awards for bravery in the Australian honours system.’

‘How do you know this?’

‘I was in the military, sis. He was all most soldiers talked about. The commando they idolised and all wanted to be like. The man was and still is a legend in the special forces, a fact Joseph drilled into me for years. He held this man up as an example for me. I’ll send you a link to a Defence page if you don’t believe me.’

‘Do it.’

After a short pause, Liam continued. ‘Sent. Check your text.’

She did. She scrabbled for her phone and hit the link she found in her brother’s incoming message.

It led her to an ADF site, one not indexed by Google. In an instant, his face swum to sight, in full Defence dress uniform capped in a fawn-coloured elite Australian Special Air Service Regiment beret.

The accompanying bio was just as impressive. She read it aloud, her heart thumping.

‘Ash Falconer commanded a Sabre Squadron deployed on counter-terrorist operations. He led a Special Air Service Regiment on operations to East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq. During an ambush in Afghanistan, he drew enemy fire on himself several times. So that wounded soldiers could be moved to safety.’

She fell silent until Liam piped up. ‘He got shot. Yet he and his brother Cole kept protecting his troops in the same unit. Until all of them, but one, was safe, displaying exceptional courage.’

Cece paused for a moment.

‘He and his squad are mythical heroes, sis. They now run a legit security firm working for both private and government clientele.’

She sat back into the leather booth, shock coursing through her. ‘I’d no idea.’

‘Now you know.’

‘So why is he listening to my phone calls?’

‘Most likely, because he’s investigating Joseph and now you, because he might think you’re complicit.’

Her heart stopped.

Liam continued, unaware of her rising angst. ‘And if he’s hearing this, he needs to know that you’re not involved with our stepfather’s crimes.’

‘Damn right, I’m not!’

‘Sis, your phone is not the only way they’d listen in. You need to search your house for other wiretaps and mics. Use the encrypted link I sent to you to download the listening app. Sweep your house with it after deleting the rogue work software on your phone. If you find anything, confront him, sis, and ask him some hard questions. I, on the other hand, need to get off this call. In case it’s being recorded or they try to triangulate my position.’

Cece was consumed with anger as she realised the full impact of what her brother was sharing.

First, her privacy had been violated.

Second, her job was likely at risk. Third and most infuriating, she was being used to get to the man she loathed with a deep, unswerving hatred.

‘I’ll call you back when I’ve spoken to Ash. Or maybe not spoken to him at all because I don’t think I’ll be able to stop myself from attacking the man when I see him,’ she spoke through tight lips.

‘Stay calm. Speak to him. Should it get nasty, let me know, and I’ll come for you. Even though I’m weak as all fuck.’

‘Thanks, honey. I’ll keep you posted.’

Cece ended the call, her hands shaking in outrage.

Taking a deep breath, she turned her phone screen on. She swiped the tabs until she found the Falcon House app. Tapping on it with ferocity, she deleted it, watching it disappear into the nether.

She rose to her feet and charged out of the office block. Flying through the staff entrance and down the drive towards her house.

Her heart pounded in her ears in a crescendo. The tempo increased with each step, matching the loud calls of the cockatoos in the trees above.

Once inside the charming cottage, she downloaded the software from a text message link from Liam. She deployed it, searching every nook and cranny in the house for hidden listening devices.

She found two.

One hidden under a flower pot in the living area and the other behind an innocuous painting in the kitchen dining space.

The discovery threw her into overdrive.

She pulled the offending devices off the power, severing their cords, and stomped on them in the small back courtyard, smashing them into smithereens.

Raging, she rushed inside and threw her and Mason’s clothes in their suitcases, wanting to flee Falcon House as fast as possible.

She had no clue where she’d go but would not let herself be used this way. She’d had enough of men manipulating and humiliating her.

She was quitting. Ash Falconer could shove his fake, trust-busting job up his muscled, sexy ass.

‘Mate, you’ve got a problem.’

Ash sat at his desk at Falcon House. Pecking away at his laptop, he analysed a series of resourcing and logistics spreadsheets across all his properties. At the same time, he listened to Saint over Facetime.

‘What gives?’

The Sovereign CEO’s voice was stiff with tension. ‘My team just intercepted a call between Cece and Liam Mirren. The latter being her twin. During the call, the Falcon Work app glitched and beeped, alerting Liam that we were listening in. He made the fact known to Cece, and about ten minutes later, we lost the sound stream from her cottage. She’s on to us.’

Ash levered up straight in his chair. ‘She’s fucking what?’

‘She also suspects you’re the lead on the op. It would be best if you hunted her down stat. What she hasn’t managed to do is discover the hidden encrypted code. The one Jax sneaked in on the back of the FW app. She can’t see it. So, we still have voice access and tracking. You want me to tell you where she is?’

‘Is that even a question?’

‘Kill the snark, Falcon. She’s at her cottage. My take is that she’s about to light out. If she’s guilty, she’ll even run faster. So you’ve got a window. A slim one.’

‘Appreciated.’

Ash hung up the call, his mind and heart racing. He had to motor.

So he did, darting from behind his desk and taking long, urgent strides to the hotel’s staff entrance.

The sun shone overhead, unmoved by a band of gathering dark clouds. It gave off a blinding, bright, and harsh light, beating Ash down as he tracked across the hotel property.

The hot wind blowing from the sea didn’t help, depositing a fine layer of moisture across his skin.

The crickets, cicadas, and the natural world were eerily silent. Ash flicked his eyes to the sky. A storm was rolling in. He moved faster.

Soon, he found himself at Cottage Number 5. Three steps from the gate, and he was at her front door.

He raised a brow at the banging and slamming inside, punctuated by shouts of frustration. He even made out his name called once, the sheer rage in her voice causing him to step back.

Unable to handle the tension anymore, he banged on the door.

‘Who is it?’

She growled the words, and parts of his anatomy shrivelled.

If she understood the extent to which Sovereign had been bugging her comms, then she’d every right to be mad.

Why though? Was it the case she’d been caught out at her own game? Or was she innocent and feeling justified in having her privacy violated?

He wasn’t sure which it was, so he ploughed on.

‘Ash.’

A hush fell beyond the closed door.

The sound of stomping feet followed.

The door swung open with force, banging against the jambs.

She stood framed by the entrance, angry, wild-eyed, glorious. Her face was harsh, her brows furrowed, and her lips pursed.

Her dark curls fell over her shoulders, and a simple, loose jumpsuit accentuated her body’s curves and honey-coloured skin. She was gorgeous, she was magnificent, and she was hopping mad at him.

His heart stopped for a moment as they glared at each other. He wondered how much she was aware of his involvement in the surveillance.

‘How dare you.’

Oh, she was clued in all right.

Her voice was husky, a whisper of rage. Despite the ire contained in it, it sent jolts of desire through Ash’s traitorous body.

She leaned into him. A finger pointed at his face, her face in a snarl. ‘I knew it. That you’ve always had it out for me. Is this your slimy secret? That you’re investigating me? Using me to get to my stepfather?’

Ash closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, the answer was written all over his face.

She raged on, her voice breaking with emotion. ‘You’ve got the nerve. First, you treat me like shit, then sleep with me. Now I find out you’re invading my privacy and using me.’

‘Wait-,’ he interjected.

She cut him off. ‘You can burn in hell, Ash Falconer. One hotter than the sun itself. Before you do, tell me - why use me? Why up-end my life so you can get to the one man I can’t stand and hate so much? For all the shit he’s brought into our lives.’

Her words cut like a knife—every syllable razor-edge.

The words had a scalding effect on Ash, and he jerked at the level of acrimony dripping from her.

As their eyes clashed, his brain latched onto her last sentence. ‘You hate him?’

She glared at him like he was losing his marbles. ‘I despise Joseph Mirren with all my heart and soul. Yes. I’m human. There’s only so much emotional abuse one can take from one man. Before the little respect you have for them turns into rage.’

She stared at him, chest heaving, the finger she still pointed at him trembling.

The air between them crackled with rage, need, irritation and desire.

It mingled into a thick, heavy energy. Above them, the sky roiled, charged with a copper tinge. The squall was about to break.

‘So you and I feel the same about him.’ Ash let his words fall between them. He saw them percolate in her mind as he used the time to think. ‘I was wondering where you stood.’

The niggling suspicion he had that Cece was innocent came roaring to the forefront of his mind. He needed to know more.

She leaned in and whispered, ‘If you think I colluded with him on his crimes, then you’re mistaken and a sucky judge of character. I would never have anything to do with his dark.’

He didn’t make a sound. He studied her in silence. His jade eyes probed her soul, her heart and her intent. Cutting to whether she was telling the truth.

‘Can I come in? I need you to expand further on what you’ve just told me. Maybe we’re on the same team, but we don’t know it.’

She nailed him with a suspicious look. ‘What? You’re giving in just like that? After weeks of treating me like the enemy because I’m his stepdaughter?’

Her mouth was a closed, tight line of fury. Quivering with rage, her eyes were narrow and squinting, her body tense and shaking.

Ash shook his head. ‘We need to have it out, Cece. That’s obvious. You also don’t know how much I want to believe in you. Let me in and tell me what you can about him. Clear up a few inconsistencies for me. If I like what I hear, we’ll have something solid to work with. I’ll also share why we had to do what we did.’

He noted the wariness in her eye, which he longed to whisk away by any means possible. Whatever it took to undo the dog’s breakfast that his probe was turning to. He also wanted to believe her. To make sure she was legit and her story was credible.

‘Cece, please.’

‘First, before you enter the house, who’s we?’ She looked around him at the empty gardens beyond. ‘If I say the wrong thing, will an army of officers jump out of the trees and arrest me?’

He lifted his hands in mock surrender. ‘I’m alone. However, I have a task force working with me to try and take Joseph Mirren down. However, I need to caution you from a legal perspective. Now that you know he’s under covert surveillance, you can either work with us or choose not to. Should you make the last choice, I cannot guarantee your freedom or security until the operation is completed.’

Her eyes widened. ‘So on top of being listened in on, you’re now going to throw me to the dogs.’

‘Didn’t say that, Cece. It doesn’t have to get that serious. Can we talk? Get across each other’s truth? It’s the only way we’ll know how best to proceed.’

Her chest rose and fell with the emotion she was trying to contain. After a few long moments, she stepped back, stalking inside.

‘Mason is at school, so I guess there’s no time like the present.’

He walked in after her, into the cottage’s living area and stared at the sight of four large suitcases and another on the floor half packed.

He wheeled around and faced her. ‘Going somewhere?’

She crossed her arms over her body, defiant. ‘Oh yes. I’m done. After we speak, I’m quitting and going back to Sydney. I can’t live like this.’

His heart lurched. No way he’d let her go.

He tamped the unbidden reaction, stepping over the open bags to perch on a couch overflowing with half-folded clothes. ‘Sit down, Cece. Let’s talk. You can decide what to do once you’re across everything.’

She sat tentative and slow on the edge of a single-seater across from him. ‘What do you want to know?’

‘First, tell me what you can about your stepfather, and then I’ll tell you why we’re looking into him.’

Her face tightened with worry. ‘Will you use what I share with you against me?’

He shook his head and placed a hand over his chest. ‘I promise, soldiers’ honour, that whatever you tell me will be off the record. I’ll also remind you that we know most of it anyway. What we’re missing is who is complicit and who isn’t. I want to hear it from you, in your words.’

They fell into silence.

All the sound in the room was reduced to the soft rustling of the ceiling fan and the snap of Cece’s fingers as she squeezed her hand into a fist. To the deep inhales and exhales from the man sitting across from her.

The blow of finding out the Australian Defence Force was looking into her still coursed through her. That Ash was the one leading it was even more unnerving.

She flushed, caught in a warp between her embarrassment and shame and his betrayal.

Still reacting to the shock, her body shivered, her muscles tense.She gave him a long look, trying to assess his intentions.

All he returned was a calm, steady gaze. A coiled energy was behind it like he’d be ready to strike a moment’s notice.

He was dangerous. He was potent, and sharing her story with him was unquestionable.

She huffed, giving in to the inevitable.

‘My bio dad was a military soldier and an addict. One night on base, he overdosed on opioids. Joseph was his mate in the army, and he was a legend back then. A decorated war hero and a handsome man with a quick tongue, war stories, and slick style made everyone he met feel special. He was like a rock star to many, including my mum.’

She paused for a moment, turning her gaze to the storm brewing above the ocean.

‘When he appeared on the scene, Liam and I were nine, and he often visited us in our tiny apartment in Surry Hills. He’d whisk us to Bondi Beach and buy us ice cream and sandwiches. Soon after he and Mum married, he took us to a four-bedroom mansion in the Double Bay. It was a shock to us. Used to tiny, shoddy apartments, we now lived in a tree-lined street where houses had pools and fountains. Know what I mean?’

‘I know.’

Cece met Ash’s eyes for a moment before her gaze skittered away.

‘When Joseph came along, he took care of us. Mum didn’t have to work at the hair salon anymore and became a housewife. We soon found that while Joseph never laid a hand on us as our bio dad had, he used emotional abuse.’

She paused, the pain of long-forgotten memories rushing back.

‘He rose up the army ranks, but something changed after Afghanistan. He bought a flashy Mercedes. He brought home lobster and caviar. He got himself the latest, most expensive gadgets. He gave us money, but he never gave us love. We were torn into the smallest infraction, shouted at for the tiniest mistake, told off and humiliated, especially my brother Liam.’

‘Your twin?’

Cece nodded. ‘He struggled in high school with a stepdad who berated him daily. Liam’s misery found company with the wrong friends. They led him into a life of drugs.’

Ash sucked his lips as she ploughed on. ‘Tragic, hey? Joseph made Liam join the army to try and clean him out. He lasted for just six painful years before he quit the service and slid back into addiction. In a strange, misguided effort to help him, Joseph had somehow obtained the purest coke for Liam. Claiming he was an addict anyway, and instead of the low-grade street drugs, he’d keep him supplied with the most pristine snow.’

‘What the hell?’

‘It’s the truth. The result of this was that Liam turned into a drug dealer with a severe cocaine habit. His habit cost him thousands each week. The dealing continued to feed his addiction, which meant his company trended towards the unsavoury in society. Paranoia followed, causing fights and arguments with friends and, worse still, with myself and Mum. It was a downhill spiral that lurched, from Liam begging for forgiveness to sinking back into the habit he couldn’t live without.’

Concern leaked out of Ash’s eyes. ‘How did you cope with it all?’

‘I offered to help Liam many times. He refused all of it, so I had to let him be.’

‘How about you, Cece? How did Joseph treat you?’

‘Oh, he tried to control when I went out, the friends I made and my boyfriends. He also abused my mother from a financial standpoint and still does to this day. She only leaves the house without his permission. When he travels, he flies off his handle if she doesn’t report to him when he demands it. I want to get her out of that situation. I also want Liam to find peace once more. It won’t happen until Joseph is behind bars.’

She’d noted how Ash’s face hardened as she told her story, how his stance shifted into suppressed anger. A rage reflected in her as well.

‘So Joseph forced Liam into dealing?’

‘Yes.’

‘How about the money you deposited into the bank account for your mother? In cash?’

Her mouth gaped. Shocked at his revelation, she whispered, ‘You know about that?’

‘We know most of it, yes.’

She sighed. ‘It was Liam. He gave me money to put away for my mum’s future. In case everything went south. Also, because she has nothing to her name, Joseph owns everything. It’s all under his name. We were only trying to help her.’

Ash sagged back in relief. ‘Well, that’s one good thing.’

She caught onto his reaction. ‘You thought I was guilty? Because of the money?’

His nose flared. ‘We found it laced with traces of snow, so we knew the cash came from dealing. We didn’t know whether it was you or someone else. Now we know.’

He punctured the short silence with a clearing of his throat. ‘The baggie? The one that fell from your hand at work?’

She looked shocked. ‘Laila’s coke pack? I took it from her when I found her snorting in the ladies’ toilets.’

Ash pushed his head to the back of the chair, closing his eyes for a moment. ‘She was doing drugs in the office?’

‘Yup, that and the fact I didn’t let her slack off in her job was one reason she tried to set me up with the corporate credit card crap.’

Ash met Cece’s gaze, remorse written all over his face. ‘This means you’re in the clear.’

She rubbed a hand over her cheeks. ‘Well, colour me relieved. What about Liam?’

‘That remains to be seen. If he was forced or coerced by your stepdad into that world and is willing to speak to us as a witness, it would go a long way in exonerating him.’

‘I know he didn’t want a life of drug dealing. My stepdad pushed him into it. Taking advantage of his vulnerability as an addict.’

‘I hear you. Do you know more about who your stepfather did business with?’

She shook her head. ‘No. Do you?’

‘I do.’

‘Then tell me. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.’

Ash paused for a beat, running a hand through his hair as he searched for the right words.

After clearing his throat, he spoke. ‘The general is involved with a gang of hardcore Czech criminals. He first met them in Afghanistan and got up to no good subverting Allied efforts on the ground, which the Defence probe focuses on most. A few years ago, the Czech gang Red Adder started operating in Melbourne, getting their drugs through our docks and logistics companies. They spread north and have now infiltrated the local game. They’ve also hired staunch men, hit men, foot soldiers, and dealers. They’ve got a high-tech database of their customers, and their local business guys are running accounts for them. They don’t play. Mess with them, and they’ll wipe you off the fuckin’ Earth. This is why we’ll have to tread with extreme care in this investigation.’

Cece was speechless. She gaped at Ash, her eyes red, wide with disbelief and sorrow.

After a beat, her mouth trembled. ‘No matter how much I hear about this man, he still manages to shock and disgust me.’

At that moment, something shifted between them.

Ash’s eyes flicked over her face, and he softened. ‘I’m so sorry you had to live with him.’

That had the effect of almost breaking the dam she’d been working so hard to hold back. Determined not to weep, she turned from him. Taking deep, ragged breaths to try and maintain some level of dignity and control.

There was a touch on her shoulder, then the heat of his body. He crouched beside her and laid his hand on her back, stroking her with a gentle sweep of his hand.

He didn’t say a word, and she appreciated it, shivering as the heat of his hand touched her. Her arms and legs were covered with goosebumps, her body throbbing.

She wanted to fling herself into his arms, but that was not who they were.

Yet, at that moment, the unseen barrier between them melted. His unexpected compassion pierced her heart, causing her walls to melt.

From outside came a rush of wind. Followed by a wall of water as the storm that had been threatening all day fell.

Thunder was a distant rumble, but the ocean waves outside crashed with enough force to drown out the booming roars.

Cece looked out through wet tears as the curtains flew about to reveal a sky laced with dark clouds and flashes of lightning. Rain lashed the thick branches of trees. The wind whistled, bringing the smell of rich, wet soil.

Ash left her side to shut the open window.

Returning to his seat, crossing one foot over a knee, he took a moment before speaking again. ‘For me to rule you out in an official capacity, you’ll need to give me a formal report of what we just discussed. It’s required to comply with the formal aspects of the Defence contract. I’ll also need to corroborate your story with Liam.’

She leaned over for a tissue, wiped her eyes, and blew into it. ‘Makes sense. How?’

‘Call him back. Then patch me into the call. Tell him everything we just discussed. Then ask him whether he’d be open to speaking with me.’

‘Will he get arrested?’

‘We’ll need to interview him in a closed environment. That doesn’t count as an arrest unless ADFIS decides to place charges. But that’s a long way away from determination. My job will be to ensure he’s safe speaking to us. I’ll do everything in my legal power to keep him protected. So will you reach out to him, see if he’ll talk to me?’

She studied Ash, wondering whether she could trust him. His gaze was open, calm, and far removed from the ridicule she’d seen the last few weeks. She weighed her options and soon came to a conclusion.

‘I’ve no choice, do I?’

Ash’s jaw was set, and his stance was unwavering. At that moment, she glimpsed how formidable the man before her was. How he’d withstood enemy fire in battle and how he now led an investigation into a man as ruthless as her stepdad.

She reached for her phone on the table beside her, tapping on the number Liam had used to call her. It rang twice before the call was answered.

‘What happened?’

Her brother sounded worn out and exhausted. So she gave him a quick rundown of events so far.

‘He’s with you?’

‘Seated before me and Liam, he wants to speak with you.’

‘Fuck off, no!’

‘We’ve no choice. At least, I don’t. Given how close we are to Joseph, we must cooperate or be taken into custody until it’s over.’

‘The hell?’

‘It’s true.’

Liam fell silent, heavy breathing down the line.

‘Put him on.’ He conceded with a harsh undertone.

‘OK.’

Cece turned on the speakerphone and turned the device over to Ash.

Ash placed it on the coffee table before him and bent over it. ‘Liam?’

‘Sir.’

The designation Liam used startled Cece until she remembered that all service members addressed their superiors formally, even when out of uniform.

‘I need to ask you one or two questions, perhaps even more. Your cooperation in this matter would be appreciated. First, though, your sister informs me you’re not working for your father any more?’

‘No, I am not. I’m hiding from him for a while.’

‘Why’s that?’

‘For reasons I can’t speak of now. In case this call is being recorded. Same reason I won’t talk to anyone until I’m safe. The general is mixed up with the shadiest underworld folk. Unscrupulous buyers and hitmen who patrol the eastern suburbs on behalf of foreign cartels. They find out I’m speaking to you, and I’ll be dead within the hour.’

Ash pursed his lips. ‘We’ll send someone to fetch you. So we can talk face to face in a secure location.’

‘No.’

Ash shook his head. ‘Liam, please.’

‘I’m in no state, Sir. I’ve been detoxing. I feel like shit. I have no strength and am not sure when I last ate.’

His voice rose in agitation, and Cece recognised Liam’s telltale signs of a breakdown, so she interjected. ‘I’ll come for you.’

She wasn’t sure why she blurted what she did, but the words were out of her mouth before she could pull back.

Ash looked up sharply at her. ‘You will?’

‘I will, he’s my brother. I have to.’

Liam made grunts of agreement on the other line. ‘You will, sis? Because if you come, then this might work.’

Ash closed his eyes and leaned into the back of the couch he sat on. ‘Logistics.’

Cece’s brow furrowed. ‘Excuse me?’

‘I said I need to figure out how this will work. A moment, both.’

She watched him as he sat, head thrust back, revealing his corded neck and the long line of his throat, which she suddenly wanted to trail her lips along.

He was a stunning man, and she felt an uncontrollable pull toward him once again, drawn to his strength and utter sensuality.

Moments later, he snapped open his eyes and leaned forward. Pulling out a slim line phone from his pocket.

He dialled a number and waited. As soon as it picked up, he launched into conversation.

‘Where’s the Phenom?’

It was clear that the conversations between him and the call recipient were quick and taciturn because the man on the other line didn’t waste a syllable.

‘It’s parked in Sydney.’

Ash glanced at the thick platinum watch on his wrist. ‘Can you get it to Byron, to me, today? Do we have enough time, given it’s mid-morning?’

‘Shouldn’t be a hardship. Rapid deployment is part of the service.’

‘If we liftoff from Ballina by 5, we should be on the ground on your end by 6 or 6.30.’

Sounds good. I’ll get Marco, our pilot, ready to go.’

‘Good. Passenger manifest for pick up will be Cece Mirren and myself. On the way back, add Liam Mirren to the list. Also, I’ll need a tanked car and keys waiting on the other end.’

‘The usual ride?’

‘Please, brother.’

‘This anything to do with -’

‘Yep. I’ll share more when I can.’

‘Done.’

The call was over before it had even begun.

Cece gazed at Ash in stunned silence.

‘We’re going to Sydney? Today?’

He nodded. ‘You volunteered, right? Plus, you’re already packed from the looks of things.’

She glanced at the suitcases on the floor and flushed.

Then she had a wild thought. ‘Mason? What will we do about Mason?’

Ash raised a brow, flicked his eyes away to think, and sliced them back at her. ‘He can stay with my mum at the Farm. She’ll take care of him and Jake. Trust me, they’ll have a great time. She can drop and pick them up tomorrow if we’re not back by then. Simple.’

Cece gave Ash a sceptical look. ‘She’ll be OK taking care of a stranger’s child for almost two days?’

He nodded with a faint smile as if he knew something she didn’t. ‘She’ll be fine. Mason isn’t a stranger - at least not to Jake or myself. Besides, she’ll enjoy it, given she’s always begging me for more Jake time.’

Cece’s eyes skittered as she searched her heart. Was this the right thing to do?

She met Ash’s calm gaze and felt an unnatural peace settle over her. ‘Fine. Only if your mother won’t mind.’

‘Hey, still here.’

Liam, sounding disgruntled, was still on the line.

‘Sorry, man,’ Ash said. ‘I needed to work out how we’re playing this. You heard me speak to my man Saint in Sydney?’

‘Yup.’

‘He’ll get a plane here to pick us up, and we’ll head in this evening. Cece, you have Liam’s address?’

She shook her head. ‘No.’

She gave him a narrowed look and then turned back to her speakerphone. ‘Where would you like us to pick you up, Liam?’

‘My place. Don’t have the energy or balls to venture out.’

‘Got it. Text me the details.’

‘Will do.’

Liam’s voice sounded weaker by the moment, and Ash and Cece shared a concerned glance. ‘Hang tight,’ Cece encouraged. ‘We’ll get in by nightfall.’

‘One more thing,’ Liam called out. ‘I’ve been off the streets for almost a month. It’s been causing some anxiety among my regulars and also, as I said, with Joseph. I noticed a few men casing my apartment entrance and a car parked outside for a few days. Just saying you may need to come in prepared.’

Ash pursed his lips. ‘I’ll get back up.’

‘Sweet. Cya soon.’

Liam left the call, and Cece tapped off. After staring at her phone screen for a beat, she met Ash’s gaze.

He shifted in his seat, a sign Cece was coming to associate with his internal discomfort. He cleared his throat, wanting to say something.

She gave him the space, sitting on her proverbial hands and letting silence weigh between them.

He came correct soon enough, his lips tightening together before he spoke. ‘I’d like to apologise for treating you like you were guilty before being proven innocent, Cece. I’m sorry for treating you like shit.’

Ash’s words hit her with a jolt.

The fact that the man had the humility to confess his sins against her was telling of his character.

She had no reason to hold a grudge, so she did the only decent thing she knew. ‘I forgive you.’

What else could she say? When she examined her heart and mind at that moment, Cece found she meant the words. Something about Ash made it hard for her to stay mad with him.

Perhaps it was how his eyes melted into a gold-green molten pool at her words. His lips turned at the ends, softening his angular, handsome features.

Oh, how that smile suited him. Almost too much.

His mouth twitched as he leaned back and crossed a leg over his thick, muscled thigh. ‘You still going to quit?’

She met his eyes with defiance. ‘Not sure yet. You’re still on notice.’

‘Fair enough.’ His murmur was deep. ‘But we can’t do this without each other.’

His jade eyes glinted, but she rejected the light in them and raised an eyebrow at his silent insinuation.

While she acknowledged the crazy, wild attraction between them, she knew that nothing would come of it - again. At least not on her watch.

Regardless, she had to face the truth: they would need to work together to continue their journey towards justice.