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Only I can’t.
Aiden hasn’t said a word since I stepped into the warehouse. He hasn’t moved, not even when the gun went off earlier. He won’t do anything without Declan’s directions. But he still has his gun pressed against Harley’s head, despite the fact that he’s unconscious, and I won’t do anything that will get him killed.
“Stop calling me Isabelle.” There’s movement in the corner of my eye, but I keep my gaze firmly fixed on my ex-fiancé.
He cocks his head to the side, an amused expression breaking over his face. “And what would you like me to call you instead, darling?”
“Nothing. I amnothingto you. I don’t belong to you, and I never will.”
“Oh?” He raises a brow as he takes a step towards me. Instinct tells me to step back, but I force myself to hold my ground. “I paid a lot of money for you, Isabelle. You think I’m just going to walk away from one of my possessions? Your father and I have a deal.”
“You and my father can both go to hell.”
A flash of anger crosses his feature before he quickly replaces it with a mask of calculating calmness. “The way I see it, my darling Isabelle, is that you have two choices. You put the gun down and return to Sydney with me, or you die. Either way, your friend here dies. No one touches whatbelongs to me.”
Harley groans as he starts to come to. I’m desperate to look at him, to make sure he’s okay, but I can’t give us away.
“I’m not going anywhere with you, and the only person dying here tonight is you.”
Declan throws his head back, his maniacal laugh echoing throughout the warehouse. I wince at the sound, but I hold steady. I’m not going to let this asshole lay a hand on me again.
The noise is enough of a cover for Zeke to make his move. I catch the flash of silver as he lifts the metal pipe and brings it down on Aiden’s head with a sickening crunch, and he drops to the ground. Zeke steps over him and picks up the gun, training it on the man lying at his feet in case he tries anything.
Declan and I are still staring at one another, and I take a step towards him. My fear has all but disappeared as the anger at what this man has tried to take from me finally hits me. “I’m a human being, Declan. Not something you can buy.” His eyes narrow. “And Harley is more of a man than you will ever be. See you in hell, asshole.”
His green eyes widen the moment I pull the trigger, and he drops to his knees as a red stain blossoms in the centre of his crisp white shirt. His hands come up to his stomach, and he pulls them away to stare down at the blood staining them. “Isabelle,” he chokes out as he collapses to the ground.
My hands drop, and the gun clatters to the floor. I kick itaway and rush over to Harley, cupping his face as his eyes flicker open. “You’re okay,” I whisper, pressing my lips to his bloodied ones. “You’re going to be okay.”
Zeke finds a pair of bolt cutters, and we steady Harley between the two of us before he cuts him down. I stagger under his weight, but somehow manage to steady myself as the distant sound of sirens fills the night.
FORTY-SEVEN
CONRAD
I’M WOKEN BY the sound of my phone vibrating on the bedside table. I reach out a hand to try and silence it and end up knocking it to the floor. Muttering a curse under my breath as the incessant vibrating starts again, I gently try to untangle myself from Ivy and drag myself out of bed to retrieve it.
“What’s going on?” Ivy mumbles.
“Nothing, Princess. Go back to sleep.”
Rubbing a hand over my face, I blink down at the screen. It’s an unknown number from Ballina. I swipe to accept the call and bring the phone up to my ear.
“Hello?” I say through a yawn.
“Good morning, is this Conrad Foster?”
I wince at the use of Bill’s surname. I really need to change that. I want nothing to do with him. “This is Conrad.”
“Hi Conrad, it’s Julia calling from the Ballina DistrictHospital. I’m sorry to call so early, but we’ve been trying to contact the next-of-kin for Samuel Breed.”
My breath catches in my throat. “He’s, uh… I’m his son,” I manage to choke out. Ivy reaches out and squeezes my hand.
“Right, well we’ve been trying to get hold of Tom and Harley as well, but they’re not answering, so maybe you can pass on the good news. We wanted to let you know that your father has woken up. He’s been asking to see you.”
He’s been asking to see you.
Julie’s words echo in my mind, over and over again.He’s been asking to see you. Does she mean me? Or is she speaking in general terms? Surely, he’s asking about Tom and Harley. Why would he want to see me? He hasn’t said two words to me in my twenty-three years.
