AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Oh, no. He wouldn’t.
I whipped my head around to the front door. The screen was slightly ajar.
I groaned and shook my head as the sound of an engine smoothly turning over reached my ears.
“Why would he leave if he knew what you were doing was right?” Dad murmured. “Just saying.” He held his hands up in a gesture of surrender when I wheeled on him.
“Men. Fuck me.” I threw my hands up and resisted the urge to punch something. I didn’t even know what to do. Did I go after him? Did I stay with Dad and keep trying to make him understand?
Dad made the decision for me. He moved around the kitchen, filling a container of delicious-smelling food before handing it to me. “Sleep on it. Think about what I’ve said.”
“What about you?” I asked. “Will you sleep on what I’ve said? Will you fix things with Ezra?”
“I don’t know, Zali. He broke my trust. Shattered it into a million pieces if I’m being honest.” He shook his head. “I entrusted you to him, and he took advantage of you—” He held his hand up in a stopping motion when I opened my mouth to interrupt. “It’s not just now, Zali. He’s been doing it for years—I should never have agreed to let you work with the police despite how much experience you’ve gained. I know you wouldn’t have been able to consult without it, but God knows what evil you’ve seen.”
Dad would never know the truth of where my money came from, or I’d have a whole other set of problems on my hands.
“Ezra never let me work on anything dangerous or inappropriate for my age. He shielded me. He still does it now.” I shrugged and pointed at the door. “He’s just sacrificed himself so I wouldn’t have to choose between you or him.”
I picked up my keys and phone, pocketing the latter.
Dad sighed and nodded. “Be safe.”
“You too.” I kissed him on the cheek and lifted the container of colourful salad topped with sliced chicken breast. “And thank you.”
The trip back to the yacht was slow going, giving me far too much time to think. Ry was, predictably, gone when I got there, and for the first time in a long time, it was too quiet, and I was too lonely by myself. Taking my dinner, care of Dad, into my office, I locked the door behind me and pulled out the transaction records I’d downloaded from the Reserve Bank. I needed to know once and for all where the money trail went and if Mum had unwittingly become involved with the worst kind of people.
If she had, if she’d found something that made her rethink her investments in their companies, there was no doubt in my mind that her “accident” was anything but.
And if it wasn’t an accident, they’d have me to contend with.
Seventeen
Flynn
I
was on edge.
We both were.
My heart was beating triple time, and my hands were shaking.
Tristan had telephoned me, told me to expect Ry at my apartment and that Zee and Ezra were together. Then he’d dropped the bombshell of what he’d found, and I was out the door and halfway down the corridor when Ry stepped out of the lift and hoisted me over his shoulder kicking and screaming. He carried me back into the apartment and made Tristan repeat what he’d told me. We didn’t know how much of a risk there was to his safety, if any, but Tristan wasn’t messing around. He wouldn’t let us go to him. He didn’t even want us to go to Zee. Wild horses couldn’t have stopped me if she was alone, but she was with Ezra and her dad—if they couldn’t keep her safe, I’d have no chance at doing it.
But when the clocked ticked past midnight with no word from Zee, I was starting to freak out. Worry was congealing in my belly, making my stomach churn and bile want to crawl up my throat. She rarely stayed that late given her dad’s early start time at work.
I called, but she didn’t answer.
Neither did Ezra.
Ry had stood silently while I tried again with shaking hands. No answer again. He didn’t wait for me to ask.
Instead, he marched straight out the door, beckoning for me to follow as he called Monroe on the way down to the car park. He hung up a moment later with a scowl and explained that they’d left separately hours earlier. Ry’s string of expletives would have made a sailor blush. The way he gunned his truck back to the marina had me white-knuckling the grab bars.
He handed me the bat. “If you see anyone that shouldn’t be there, don’t hesitate. Hit first, ask questions later.”
I nodded, swallowing hard.
