Chapter Thirteen
The next morning Nhiari woke early. Her stomach swirled as she looked at Lee’s sleeping form next to her. He slept peacefully, some hair over his face, but his expression was calm. Today Lee would face up to what he had done. She would have to convince Dot and all of her friends that he didn’t deserve to be behind bars, and they needed him to see the rest of this through.
Nhiari might at most have another day with him before that decision was taken out of her hands.
She imprinted the curve of his face, the slight upturn of his mouth, the dark flick of his hair into her memory.
She’d contacted Amani yesterday and given her access to all the information from Andrew’s laptop. Amani would sort it out and tell them if they had enough of what they needed to finally stop Stonefish.
This might be the last time she lay next to Lee like this.
Her heart clenched. Though she had told him her friends would be fine, she wasn’t certain. He had known about Lara’s kidnapping and Darcy might never forgive him.
The temptation to hide here forever was stronger than she wanted it to be. They had to end Stonefish, stop them ruining so many lives, whether or not it ended their relationship.
She’d spoken to Dot yesterday afternoon and discovered Oliver was alive, and lucky to be so considering his injury. He and Dot had reconciled and Dot had sounded so happy. Nhiari was pleased for her. Oliver was being discharged today and Dot was taking him out to Retribution Ridge to show him the treasure and sort out what to do with it. Nhiari hadn’t told Dot that she and Lee would be joining them. They had a few hours before they had to be out at the Ridge.
She would make good use of their final hours together.
She slid a hand down Lee’s side, enjoying the warmth of his skin and then lower to brush his morning erection. His eyes popped open, clear and alert, not the least bit sleepy. She smiled. “Good morning. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
He smiled slowly. “Any time you want to wake me like this is fine by me.”
She gripped his length, enjoying the feel of him under her palm. The desire to please him, to show him how much she cared, drove her to shift down the mattress and take him into her mouth.
His quiet curse made her smile, and she teased the tip with her tongue, swirling and licking as he shifted to his back to give her better access. “Nhiari.” Her name was part supplication, part moan.
Yes. This man deserved some pleasure, deserved to be shown he was cared for. That she cared for him.
For this short period of their life, they were together, and it may be all they ever had.
This would be a memory she would keep close.
She tightened her grip and worked him up and down, using her mouth to tease and torture. His hips rose, and she swallowed him deeper, loving the groan that tore from his throat.
“Nhiari, let me have you. I want to bury myself inside you.” The plea made her glance up, and it was all it took for him to get the upper hand, pull her up his body and flip her onto her back.
She grinned. “Yes, please.”
In one slow movement, he was inside of her. She wrapped her legs around him to bring him deeper, and they both groaned as he thrust.
“This,” he murmured in her ear as he thrust. “It’s only ever been like this with you.”
“Yes.” She closed her eyes as the sensations built inside her, trying to save this feeling in her memories forever.
“Look at me, Nhiari.”
Lee’s command made her open her eyes and stare into his beautiful face.
“Come for me.” The angle of his thrust was enough to tip her over the edge as her orgasm crashed over her and he yelled his release.
He settled over her, pulling her close, holding her as if she was the most precious thing in the world. They both understood this might be their last time.
She ran a hand down his back, pulling him closer, breathing him in. Her muscles tightened, not wanting to let him go, and it took some effort to release her hold so he could clean up.
“That’s one of the nicest ways I’ve been woken up.” He smiled as he handed her some tissues.
“One of?” The grin froze on her face. They hadn’t used protection. The shock swept through her. She’d always been so careful, and while she was on the pill, she hadn’t taken it in days.
But the thought of having Lee’s child wasn’t at all disturbing.
Her only concern was the idea it might grow up without a father. Foolish. She really had it bad for him. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She avoided looking at him as she cleaned herself and had a quick cold shower and dressed in her wrinkled police uniform. Perhaps when they got to the Ridge she could have a proper hot shower.
By the time she was done, Lee had packed the mattress and was dismantling the tent. No matter what happened from here, they weren’t returning to the cave.
Nhiari helped him with the tent and then packed the remaining camping equipment while Lee showered. She glanced around the cave. Their little haven was no more. It was time to face reality and the world outside.
She exhaled. They could do this.
Almost mid-morning. Dot should be picking Oliver up from the hospital soon. “I’m going up top to watch for Dot,” she called.
“I’ll be up there shortly.”
She climbed to the top for what was hopefully the last time and set up the telescope. The day was hot, the sun already strong as it heated the land. By mid-afternoon it would be scorching.
At the crunch of footsteps, she turned as Lee arrived next to her. He too had dressed in his cleanest clothes, though they were as wrinkled as hers.
“Any sign of them?” Lee asked as he sat.
“Not yet.”
They would wait until Dot drove past before they headed out to the Ridge. They could ensure no one followed her, and also give Dot time to explain Lee’s role to the Stokes.
A white four-wheel drive headed south along the road, and Nhiari looked through the telescope. It was full of passengers. “That’s Sam and Sherlock.” And with them, their partners Penelope and Gretchen, and Gretchen’s son, Jordan.
Georgie would have spent the night with Matt at the Ridge, so that left Dot and Oliver. Another twenty minutes went past before Dot’s blue sedan appeared on the road. “That’s her.” She peered into the telescope for confirmation and saw someone in the passenger seat. Oliver.
Lee broke down the telescope and they carried it back to the car. He took a final glance around the cave to make sure they had missed nothing. “Let’s go.”
Lee hadn’t dreaded anything more than he dreaded the upcoming meeting with the Stokes. Nerves thrummed along his skin and tied his insides into knots. While he was almost sure they wouldn’t kill him, he had a lot to make up for.
Hopefully the Stokes would accept the package he’d retrieved before joining Nhiari on the ridge top, and help ease his debt.
Nhiari stared out the window next to him, silent.
She was another reason for the dread pitting in his stomach. Arriving at the Ridge would signal the end of their time together. There would be no coming back to their cave. From here on, she was the cop, and he was the felon.
Was it fair of him to tell her how much he loved her, or would it make it harder for her?
He couldn’t decide.
“There’s a gate up here.” Nhiari pointed.
He slowed and pulled over while Nhiari jumped out to open it. They weren’t using the main entrance in case Lucas had people watching the Ridge.
After she’d closed the gate behind him, they followed the dirt track past the ridge which gave the station its name and the windmill he’d pulled down, before reaching the sheds.
“Park inside.”
He did as he was told. “Did you know there’d be space?”
“Yeah. This is where Bill and Beth used to park their car.”
Before it had been wrecked in the crash that had killed them. The guilt was sharp. As he got out, he retrieved the small bag he’d put under the driver’s seat.
“What’s that?” Nhiari asked.
“A token.” Though she looked confused, she didn’t question him any further. Appreciation at her trust swept through him.
Several cars were parked outside the farmhouse, including several utes, Dot’s blue sedan and Sam’s four-wheel drive.
Only two caravans were in the camping area. The car was gone next to one, indicating they had gone out for the day, and there was no one sitting outside the second one. He scanned the area and saw a couple of figures in the distance over by the red dunes behind the farmhouse.
“Ready?” Nhiari asked.
He nodded, though he was anything but ready. They crossed the red dirt between the shed and the house, Lee scanning all directions in case they’d missed someone. The blue heeler on the verandah wagged its tail once in greeting, but otherwise didn’t move.
Lee scratched Bennett’s head on his way past and then focused on the noise coming from inside the kitchen. Everyone was there.
Nhiari didn’t knock, she just walked in, and Lee kept close behind her.
Brandon was by the kitchen sink, Sherlock and Sam were seated at the table, Darcy spoke with his daughter Lara, Ed was over by the laundry and Matt… a hard body shoved into him, slamming him against the wall, an arm against his throat. Matt’s angry stare glared at him inches from his face. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kick your arse right now,” he snarled.
Instant silence. Every person in the room was watching them, but Lee kept his gaze on Nhiari’s brother. The pressure against his windpipe hurt, but he rasped, “Because your sister is alive and safe.”
“Matt, let go of him.” Nhiari tried to press between them, but there was no space.
Lee waited, not giving Matt any reason to punch him, but felt him shaking with rage.
“Matt, he’s been helping us,” Dot called, but Georgie was the only one who came over to help Nhiari separate them.
“Matt, he saved our lives,” Georgie reminded him.
With a curse, Matt stepped back and released him.
Lee took a shallow breath but didn’t allow his hand to go to his sore throat. He had expected no less. The others in the room watched him with varying levels of distrust. Lara tucked close to Darcy’s side, Jordan stepped protectively in front of her, and his mother, Gretchen, glared at Lee. But it was Amy’s steady gaze, full of hurt, which affected him the most.
“I know Lee has done a lot to this family,” Nhiari began. “But he’s here to help now.”
“Did you kill our parents?” Brandon demanded.
He met the man’s dark gaze. “No. I had no idea what Clark had planned.”
“Clark?” Matt asked. “The man who kidnapped me?”
Lee nodded.
“Why don’t we all sit, and Lee and I can bring you up to speed with everything?” Nhiari suggested.
The kitchen table was more than big enough for the eight couples and two children. It was one thing he’d loved about the Stokes and their family. Everyone was welcomed in the kitchen with a cup of tea and something to eat.
He ended up sitting next to Oliver, who was very slow in his movements and Dot hovered next to him as he sat. “I’m fine, Dot,” he said.
The look they exchanged spoke of love.
“Are you Lucas Fitton’s executive?” Oliver’s question drew Lee’s attention away from Nhiari.
“Executive?” Amy asked. “I thought you were a photographer.”
Yeah, he’d lied a lot to these people. “It’s a long story.”
“Is it worth hearing?” Darcy asked Nhiari.
She nodded.
“I have a question,” Lara said. The ten-year-old straightened from where she sat between Darcy and Faith and stared at him.
He’d always admired her strength. “Go ahead.”
“Did you tell Jay to kidnap me?”
Grief filled him at how close she’d come to dying. “No, but I knew he was going to. He was under orders not to hurt you, but I didn’t know about the cave flooding in the storm. It’s why I came over to the house to help when they were searching for you.”
She squinted at him as if trying to ascertain whether he was telling the truth.
“The last thing I wanted was for you to be hurt, Lara.”
“How about you tell us exactly what you did?” Ed suggested. “So we don’t have to guess.”
Lee nodded calmly although his stomach was in knots. He cared what these people thought of him. “I was put into place to spy on you. Lucas Fitton wanted the treasure, and it was my job to find it.”
“Who is he?” Faith asked.
“He’s the descendant of one of the pearl divers who was on the Retribution when it wrecked off the coast.”
Georgie’s eyes widened and Tess nodded as if it made sense.
“He’s also my uncle.” Lee continued to expand on his role in their troubles. He looked Darcy in the eyes when he said, “I slaughtered all of those sheep.”
Darcy’s jaw clenched. “Why? Why do that and then offer to help us now?”
“I had to kill the sheep to prove to Lucas I was loyal to Stonefish.”
“And were you?” Tess asked.
“No. I want to end Stonefish for murdering my father.”
Nhiari sat next to Lee as he answered questions for over an hour. His ability to stay calm and unemotional impressed her, though it might be to his detriment. She wanted him to show he was sorry for what he’d done. Finally Dot asked, “What did you find on Andrew’s laptop?”
“Stonefish’s financials,” Nhiari answered. “I gave Amani access to it.”
Dot nodded, as if satisfied. “She was working on something for me as well. If anyone can make sense of it, she can.” Dot glanced at Lee. “Is Rodney working for Stonefish?”
“I suspect so. Lucas didn’t tell me, but he knew Martin had killed Andrew.”
She scowled and turned to Nhiari. “What’s your plan?”
“I’m hoping all the evidence we’ve gathered in conjunction with the information on Andrew’s laptop will be enough to put an end to Stonefish’s lines of business. I checked in with Doug.”
She felt Lee’s gaze whip to her, but she kept her eyes on Dot.
“What did he say?”
“That Rodney insisted on coming up here.”
“Maybe we should get Amani to tell Doug what she’s found,” Dot said.
“I’d trust him more than Rodney,” Nhiari agreed.
“Who is Doug?” Lee asked, his tone cold and slightly suspicious.
“A friend from Organised Crime,” Nhiari told him, not allowing herself to feel guilty for not telling him. “I called him the other day when you met Joseph.”
“He could be working for Stonefish.”
Dot shook her head. “When he was a kid, a bikie gang constantly threatened his parents. It’s why he became a cop. There’s no way he’d work for Stonefish.”
“Only problem is, he’s going on leave soon,” Nhiari told her. “He’s going to chat with the other men who came up with Rodney.”
“Call him,” Dot suggested, passing Nhiari her phone.
Nhiari rose from the table.
“We can’t trust anyone,” Lee insisted.
She squeezed his hand. “We have to.” Stonefish was international, and they didn’t have the contacts to end this like they wanted to. She headed into the lounge room to make the phone call and Dot followed her.
“Two calls in one week, Dot. I’m feeling special.”
Nhiari smiled at his jovial voice. “It’s Nhiari, but Dot is with me.” She put the phone on speaker.
“Well same goes. I tried to call you back.”
“Yeah, I’ve been out of range. What did your mate say?”
He chuckled. “I stirred up a hornets’ nest with my questions. He wanted to know what I knew and where I’d heard it.”
Nhiari winced. “What did you tell him?”
“I couldn’t expose a source,” Doug assured her. “He confided they were organising a full sting across borders but were waiting for all parties to agree on a time. Some of the Singapore team didn’t think they had enough evidence.”
“If I told you I had what looks to be several servers full of information, do you think it would be enough?”
He laughed. “Yeah. Do you want a job in Organised Crime?”
“No thanks.”
“Where’s the information?”
She hesitated. “Safe.” Perhaps she could tell him. Lucas wouldn’t know Sam had given Andrew’s laptop to Lee. They could say the police recovered it.
“Come on, Nhi. Trust someone.”
“The top dog’s son gave himself access to everything in case he needed leverage. I’ve got someone going through the data now to see if it’s legit.”
“I’ll give Amani a call.”
She grinned. She should have realised he’d know there was only one person she or Dot would go to for this kind of thing. “I’ll tell her to expect your call.”
“Before you go,” Doug hurried on. “If your source will give evidence, I hear they might offer a bargain.”
Her heart leapt. “Really?”
“Yeah. People involved with Stonefish have an annoying habit of turning up dead. If there was a witness, it would help.”
“Thanks Doug. I owe you.”
“If this ends Stonefish, you don’t owe me anything.”
She smiled, feeling optimistic for the first time since this began. It put a whole new spin on things. She called Amani and let her know Doug would get in touch. Before she could head back into the kitchen, Dot stopped her.
“You don’t want Lee to go to gaol.” Her steady gaze wasn’t judgemental.
“No,” Nhiari admitted.
“Can we trust him?”
Uncertainty filled her. “I don’t know.”
“But you want to.”
“Desperately.”
“What happened between you two?”
Nhiari glanced down the corridor, but the others were still in the kitchen. “He kidnapped me and we came to a truce, but he’s telling Lucas he’s seducing me for information and telling me he cares for me and wants to stop Lucas.”
“So you don’t know which one to believe.”
“No, and trust me, I know how stupid that makes me. Stonefish has a long history of manipulating people.”
Dot squeezed her hand. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. I wasn’t sure whether Oliver was a plant either, but I still fell back in love with him.”
Nhiari smiled. “I’m glad, but you two had a history together. Lee admitted he only asked me out to get information.”
“Your instincts have always been good, Nhi. What are they telling you now?”
“That he’s thoroughly seduced me through his words and I care for him. I want to trust him, but I’m not thinking rationally right now.”
“I would say the fact you understand you might be played means you are thinking rationally,” Dot countered. “But we’ll still be careful and leave some of Doug’s details out.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help you with Rodney and Oliver.”
“If you had been, I would have left you to deal with Oliver and wouldn’t be back together with him.” Dot hugged Nhiari. “But I’m glad you’re back now.”
So was she. They returned to the kitchen.
Lee sat at the end of the table and all the men were watching him, but Georgie and Tess had moved to sit next to him and chat. Both owed their lives to him so it was easy to understand why they were more forgiving.
Lee looked up. “What did he say?”
“Organised Crime are building their case. Doug’s going to contact Amani about Andrew’s laptop information.”
“So this might soon be over?” Darcy asked, looking hopeful.
“Yeah.” She smiled at him.
“Lucas will go to ground if there’s any hint they’re on to him,” Lee said.
“So we need to get to him before he hears.” Nhiari turned to Dot. “He wants the treasure. He’s obsessed by it.”
“We can use that to our advantage. There are a few things you don’t know.” She grinned. “Let me fill you in.”