Chapter 22
Thought of the day…
Some relationships are irredeemable.
Don’t kid yourself, just walk away.
(Or fly, drive, scoot, skip, or scuttle away – just get out of there.)
The ride back to Aetheria was silent, save for the noise of the helicopter’s rotor.
Julian sat beside me, pale-faced, his fingers worrying as if he were rolling something between them.
A minute or two into the flight, I couldn’t bear it and reached over, laying my hand on top his to still them.
He captured it between his and squeezed tightly, then glanced my way.
The panic in his eyes was startling. I’d never seen Julian like that.
‘You okay?’ I mouthed.
He faked a smile and gave me a reassuring nod – only it wasn’t reassuring. And what had Trudy and Dale told him about me – about how much I knew?
I looked across at them. Trudy’s head was on Dale’s shoulder, her eyes shut. It must have been exhausting running a months-long international operation, let alone acting the role of a jovial retiree with a penchant for girl talk.
If I hadn’t witnessed it first-hand – her transformation from my gal pal Trudy to Jane Bond super spy – there was no way I would have believed it.
And how much of my experience on Aetheria had been part of the ruse? It was clear that every interaction with Trudy and Dale had been – and Elsa – but what about Tommy?
He was sitting beside Dale, his face set in a frown as he stared out the window. I would have given anything to know what he was thinking.
And when was goodbye? When did he need to be someplace else, before or after I returned to London?
I blew out a breath, fatigue slamming into me with full force. It’s a lot to be on for days on end and it wasn’t just Trudy feeling it. Perhaps it would be best if I left Aetheria first thing in the morning and returned to London – back to real life and some semblance of normality.
I just wanted to go home.
But that was ignoring the 800-pound gorilla in the helicopter – or rather, two gorillas: the hot ex-husband and the hot-mess ex-husband. I couldn’t leave Aetheria without making sure Julian was okay – that would be abandoning him, and I wasn’t about to do that.
And I definitely had unfinished business with Tommy. Even if it was to say a final goodbye – a thought that sent a sharp pang ricocheting through me. I didn’t want to say goodbye to Tommy – especially not for good – but I also had to prepare for the worst.
I was still in knots when the helicopter landed, my mind zigzagging between twin conundrums. I looked at Tommy, whose unfocused gaze indicated he was still deep in thought, but he didn’t – wouldn’t?
– meet my eye. And as soon as Christos opened the door, he jumped out and jogged off towards the staff quarters.
So much for finishing unfinished business. And what happened to the bloke I’d shared my sandwich with just now? Where was that Tommy?
Christos offered his hand and I took it, too weary to pull the independent-woman card. Once my feet hit the ground, I looked longingly in the direction of my villa. I was desperate for a hot bath, then to fall into bed. But first, Julian.
‘You okay?’ I asked again when he joined me.
He stared into my eyes. There was so much behind them that was foreign to me and that scared the fuck out of me. Julian was Mr Confident, Mr I’ve Got This.
‘I will be,’ he said quietly.
‘Do you want to talk about it?’
‘Goodnight!’ Trudy’s jarring voice cut through the private bubble surrounding me and Julian and we both looked over.
‘Goodnight,’ we said in unison, like it had been a normal evening out.
Trudy and Dale climbed into the golf cart and Christos drove them away. Would I ever see them again? Now knowing that my friendship with Trudy had been a fabrication – or in part, at least – I wasn’t sure I wanted to.
‘Want me to wait with you – for Christos?’ asked Julian.
I shook my head. ‘I’ll walk. It’s not that far, and it’s downhill.’
He glanced at my shoes, then back up, his brows raised sceptically. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Eh, I’ll be fine.’ I slipped out of my shoes and picked them up, letting them dangle from my fingers. ‘Exhibit A,’ I said, showing Julian. ‘And you didn’t answer me. Do you want to talk about it?’
‘How much do you already know?’ he asked, a slight wobble in his voice.
‘Probably more than you think. But not everything.’
He inhaled through his nose, nodding slowly as his gaze drifted away – reluctant acceptance was my best guess.
‘So,’ he said, his eyes meeting mine again, ‘your villa or mine?’
I emitted an involuntary groan from deep within my chest. It sounded remarkably like I’m desperate for a long, hot bubble bath with a little please, kill me now thrown in.
‘Not to worry,’ he reassured me, ‘we can talk another time.’
‘No – I’m sorry. That just came out. I’m here for you – really. Let’s go to mine, then I can kick you out when I start to get sleepy.’
‘So, five minutes from now?’ he teased.
‘I promise it will be at least ten.’
He smiled – this one reaching his eyes – then offered his arm. I took it and we headed down the path to my villa.
* * *
A little more than an hour later, Julian had finished explaining his connection to Kovalec.
And I won’t bore you with all the details.
Just know that their respective companies had developed complementary technologies and it was in everyone’s best interest to collaborate – which they’d been doing for several years.
Until Julian started to worry that his tech would be weaponised – seemingly imminent based on rumours about Kovalec’s shifting political affiliations. And as Kovalec was about to become one of the bad guys, Julian wanted out before he was dragged down with him.
‘So, is that why you invited him here, to end the partnership?’ I asked.
Because if that was the case, then why the sting operation? Why not let Julian end his association with Kovalec, then go on his merry way?
‘Not quite,’ he replied. ‘And Kovalec invited himself. He wanted to buy the last piece of the puzzle.’
I gasped, instantly understanding what Trudy had meant. No wonder Julian had been a suspect.
‘But you weren’t going to sell it to him, were you, Jules?’ I asked tentatively.
‘God, no! What do you take me for?’
‘Well, pardon me,’ I said, more than a little cross.
‘But all things considered, that’s not an unreasonable question.
There were actual spies here, Jules. Like, people on the island spying on you.
And you were this close to being arrested!
’ I added, pinching my thumb and forefinger together.
‘They think you’re in on it – whatever it is. ’
‘Well, yes, I know all that now,’ he replied with a frown. ‘I still can’t believe that Dale and Trudy were investigating me. I thought Dale and I had struck up a genuine friendship. I trusted him.’
‘I’m sorry, Jules,’ I said, commiserating. I was disappointed and the budding friendship I’d lost to a lie was only five days old.
‘And Tom – I had no idea he was…’
I held my breath, mentally filling in the blank with your ex-husband and trying to formulate an explanation that wouldn’t upset Julian further.
‘…undercover,’ he said, finishing his thought.
Oh, thank god. So, Julian didn’t know about me and Tommy – he would have said something if he did.
That meant one less complication to discuss, but I would tell Julian eventually.
Especially if Tommy and I… Nope, I couldn’t go there.
I couldn’t hope for something that seemed unlikely, if not impossible.
‘I thought he was just a skipper,’ Julian went on, dragging my thoughts back to the villa. ‘And a bloody good one – he came highly recommended.’
Considering the lengths Tommy’s organisation had gone to infiltrate Julian’s little corner of the world, it was no wonder his sailing credentials appeared legitimate.
‘And Elsa… You don’t suppose anyone else on the island was part of it, do you?’ he asked, his eyes returning to me.
‘I wouldn’t think so, no,’ I replied evenly, which was mostly the truth. I wasn’t technically part of the sting. And it was clear Trudy hadn’t outed me, or Julian would have mentioned that as well.
‘You shouldn’t have any trouble replacing them, Jules,’ I continued. ‘Once word gets out, people will be dying to work on Aetheria.’
‘I suppose,’ he replied, seeming deep in thought. ‘You know, even if they had arrested me, I’ve done nothing wrong and I’ve got the build logs to prove it.’
‘For?’ I asked.
‘For the dummy code I was planning on selling to Kovalec.’
‘Dummy code?’ I blinked at him in surprise.
‘Yes, I’ve been working on it for weeks – back in the trenches, locked away in my villa. It’s almost identical to the real code, you see, except for the bugs I’ve embedded. And at the risk of sounding immodest—’
‘You? Immodest?’ I teased, injecting a little levity.
He gave me a friendly side-eye, his mouth quirking.
‘At the risk of sounding immodest, it would take someone as clever as me a very long time to determine why the code intermittently glitches. And even if they did, it could be attributed to faulty hardware or a random tech gremlin, rather than an issue with the code itself.’
‘Wow,’ I whispered, simultaneously shocked at Julian’s involvement in such a dangerous caper and proud of how he’d handled it.
‘And what if you had sold the dummy tech to Kovalec? Wouldn’t that money be tainted?’ I asked, wary that I wouldn’t like his response.
‘Absolutely and I would have donated it – found some cause on the right side of history…’
I was relieved – yet again – but also confused – yet again.
‘But I thought it was for Aetheria. You said the island was your exit strategy. Don’t you need that money?’
‘Nooo,’ he replied with a smile. ‘I own the island outright. Trust me, I could live to a hundred and never have to work another day. And if I ever am in trouble, I can sell Ally’s Odyssey – that’s twenty million quid, give or take.’
‘Then I don’t understand,’ I said quietly. ‘What exactly are you exiting?’
‘Just… all of it – all the superficial bullshit. The jet-setting and wasting time with people who don’t matter to me.
I want a quieter pace of life. It’s all been so frantic for so long.
And, yes, it’s a situation of my own making, but I’m turning fifty soon and I’ve realised there’s more to life than being a middle-aged playboy. ’
I’d never heard Julian refer to himself this way – particularly the undercurrent of disdain – but sensing he was still mid-thought, I remained silent.
‘Actually,’ he continued, giving me a meaningful look, ‘spending time with you… It’s highlighted what I’m missing most. Being in love.’
‘Jules…’
It was part plea, part apology. Because no matter how much I cared about Julian, I wasn’t going to magically fall in love with him just because he’d had an epiphany. And notice I said fall in love rather than fall back in love. That had only happened once and it wasn’t with my third husband.
His eyes softened with affection, then he reached for my hand. I placed it in his, hoping to let him down gently – especially after the night he’d had.
But I needn’t have worried.
‘Don’t worry, darling, I didn’t mean you. I had my chance, and I blew it. It’s my biggest regret, not knowing what I had when you and I were married. But as you said, you and I work best as friends.’
‘Close friends,’ I said, overcome with a rush of affection.
‘Definitely,’ he replied, and we shared a smile.
‘But it’s the other thing you said, Ally, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since.
I do want to find my someone – and I want to bring her here and make a life together.
Well, not the whole year ’round, as I suspect even paradise gets a bit boring after a while,’ he joked with a wink.
I sniggered. I was tiring of it and I’d only been there five days. Although, my stay had included the wrong post going viral, uncovering a ring of spies, and juggling two ex-husbands.
But I would definitely bring Claude someday. She’d love it – and she deserved it.
‘Anyway… that’s my focus now,’ he continued, ‘finding the love of my life and making Aetheria the destination in the Aegean.’
‘Which brings us full circle, I suppose.’
‘Indeed. Can you believe it was less than a week ago that I asked you to come?’
‘Nope. Feels like forever.’
‘So true.’ With a heavy sigh, he released my hand and flopped back onto the sofa, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. They started to drift shut.
‘Oi,’ I said, nudging him. ‘You can’t fall asleep here, Jules.’
‘Mmm?’ he murmured sleepily.
‘I mean it.’ I poked him and he pretended to snore. ‘Hey,’ I said through laughter. ‘One viral photo of our supposed reunion was enough to contend with, thank you very much. Now, off you go…’
I stood up and tugged on his hand and he cracked one eye open.
‘All right, all right,’ he said, planting his palms on his thighs and standing. He walked to the door, and I followed.
‘Goodnight, Jules. Will I see you in the morning?’
‘Probably not. I’ll be leaving before dawn.’
‘Oh.’
‘But we’ll speak soon, I promise.’
‘Good. I want to know what happens in Lyon.’
‘Of course. And stay here as long as you like. I know Niki’s not your favourite person right now, but she will look after you.’
‘Thanks, Jules. And I don’t dislike Niki – we all make mistakes, right?’
Something flickered behind his eyes. I’d meant it as an offhand remark, but I could tell we were both thinking about the mistakes that ended our marriage.
A moment later, he blinked, a soft, sad smile crossing his face before he captured me in a tight hug. ‘Thank you, Ally – for everything.’
Tears pricked my eyes at the finality in his voice. But I would see Julian again – and soon. I let go first and he stood back, giving me one more smile before stepping into the cool night air.
That was one ex-husband sorted. Now what to do about the other one?