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The deepening of my scowl makes my jaw ache.
Ninety days… for this?
I know Julian was running his own illegal drugs import business. The police knew. Alistair knew. None of this is news to anyone. It’s evidence that the police must have themselves.
I open the other envelope and slide the contents out onto the table. Harley gasps as she sees a piece of paper with my face on. It’s dark and I’m looking over my shoulder by the main gates of the estate. A cold dread sends goosebumps scattering up my spine as the hairs on the back of my arms stand up.
It’s the night I got separated from Jasmin and Logan when the estate had a work’s night out. The night Dax stormed down to let me in and made me promise never to be out alone at night again.
I thought he was overreacting.
The back of my neck burns as I lift the paper and read the accompanying text. The photo is part of an email chain that’s been printed out with instructions to find out ‘who the girl is’.
Julian was watching me all that time.
There are more photos. Me out in town, drinking in the bar alone after finding out about Casey. They must have been taken before Dax arrived. There’s even a grainy image of me having a lap dance at the club, while Dax watches me.
There is image after image. All of me.
And beneath them all, a passport.
“Dawn East?” Harley’s brow wrinkles in confusion as she holds it open.
It’s my picture.
“Dawn for the sunrise, rising in the east,” I murmur as I frown at the name. “He got me a fake passport.”
“And an escape plan by the looks of it.” Harley holds up a card of a private plane company with a name of who to ask for should I call it.
“I don’t understand.” Dizziness makes my head swirl.
“There’s so much evidence here,” Harley says as she sifts through the documents. “It’s like he was building up an insurance policy in case the police’s investigation didn’t work.”
I snort. “Sounds about right. Dax didn’t trust the police. Not since Julian pulled strings at the trial and got him sentenced more harshly. And then someone was paid to stab him in jail.”
She continues reading. “And the documents for you. He thought you were in danger. Oh, God, Rose.” She drops the paper on the table and covers her mouth with her hands. “Do you think you still could be? But Julian is in jail. So it’s over, right?”
My heart stalls. “No… I’m definitely not.” I take a deep breath. “His note wasn’t a warning. The only reason he would have me come here and see all this, if it wasn’t because he thought I needed to use it, is if he knows the threat has gone. That has to be it. It’s been months. He wouldn’t have waited all this time to show me this otherwise. He’s trying to explain. But it still makes no sense.”
“What shall we do with it?” Harley lifts another piece of paper and scans the details of the overseas bank account that’s been set up in the name Dawn East. The amount deposited in it makes my eyes water.
“We put it back in and we walk out of here,” I say, my voice coming out calmer than I expect. “I don’t need it. I’m not going anywhere. And the only one who can explain what it all really means is Dax.”
“You’re sure?”
I gather up the contents of the box and place it all back inside, closing the passport and placing it on the top.
“I’m sure. When I last spoke to Jasmin, she said Julian wasn’t getting bail. He’s miles away, back in England. Just like Dax. I’ll call Jasmin when we get outside. But it’s fine.” I take another deep breath as I lock the box and then press the bell on the wall. “It’s fine.”
Chapter 40
Dax
Tensionripplesthroughmyshoulders, the sweat on my back making my dark t-shirt stick to me.
She’ll have seen it now. She’ll know almost everything. She was never safe with me. The minute she stepped onto British soil, Julian had his eye on her. I shouldn’t have been so naïve to think he wasn’t keeping an eye on what was going on at the estate. He’s made no secret over the years of how he wants to take it over.
It’s a miracle he never realized where I was going those nights if he had people watching.
