The Society by Karen Guyler (feel good fiction books .txt) 📗

be an heir to the fortune, with nothing to do with her.

“Was your first plan to set Eva Janssen up better than what happened? I bet it was, wasn’t it?” She matched his nodding. “Your partner will be pleased though, right?” He followed her gaze, a glance, involuntary under the drug’s influence. Which of the group of people standing by the stage was it?

“He will.” Annabel slurred.

Ignoring the two women in the group, Luke took out his phone. “Let’s have a photo.” Annabel preened at the camera, well-practised, but she wasn’t in any of the shots he took.

“So I’m staying here.” Trying to walk her fingertips up Luke’s thigh, Annabel had to grab his leg to stop herself falling off the chair. “You wanna join me?”

He helped her get vertical and steered her towards the lift. “Which floor?”

“Six, as in 69.” She tried to press herself against him, but he sidestepped her. The doors opened and Luke helped her in, propped her against the side. “Don’t be a spoilsport.”

Luke pressed six, “I don’t do money traps.”

The reception area was busy, late check-ins, people leaving the ball, assistants steering, cajoling. He chose one of the large leather chairs facing the entrance, and, back to the wall, checked no one was paying him any attention before he logged on to the encrypted server.

His message could only be read by his intended recipient, but he kept it cryptic, this mission being what it was. ‘Staged burglary at the house, possible other player showing their hand.’

He uploaded the photos he’d taken of the three men Annabel had pointed out. His money was on the one Eva had called Stuart, but he knew hunches had to be proven.

The screen remained static while the person at the other end deliberated.

‘Too soon to move in, call it a night, new orders tomorrow.’

The response Luke had expected.

In Addison’s car, he looked at the seat Eva had taken. But orders were orders.

14

Eva’s front door opened easily this time. “Charles?”

In the lounge, he nursed a whisky, staring at the TV frozen on the image of the US President’s press conference where he had vowed he would hunt down those who had murdered his friend, Hunter Malone. As though this was a normal evening.

Charles didn’t hide his surprise at how she looked.

“What’s all this about? I’m in so much trouble for walking out of the ball. How could you have threatened to leave me? How could you hold our marriage hostage?”

“I’m trying to keep you safe.”

“By strong-arming me?”

He tried for a smile. “I know how stubborn you can be.”

“You don’t get to do that, make this about me. Explain or I’m going back, see if I can salvage anything of my reputation.”

“This isn’t going to make sense but I need your phone.”

“It’s in pieces. We can’t be here, the police said—”

“The police?”

“I had to come home earlier, I reported the burglary.”

“We haven’t been burgled.”

 “Are you blind?”

He sat so heavily on the edge of the sofa, the contact with the wooden frame jarred him. He got up and threw the coverless cushion on it, sat more carefully. “I was looking for something.”

Eva opened her mouth, closed it again, searching for the right words, but her shriek that came out wasn’t. “You trashed our house? You did this?”

“Tell the police it’s a mistake, we can’t have them turning up here.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose, closed her eyes. What the hell was he talking about?

“I need you to trust me. Tell the police it was a mistake.”

“We promised when we got back together there would be no secrets, we’d be a team. No non-communication.”

“I know.”

“So what is this?” It hurt to admit it. “I’m not calling the police until you tell me what’s going on.”

“It’s not safe for us to be here.”

“If you did this,” she gestured at the carnage of their things, “how can it not be?”

He looked at the TV. “You trust me, don’t you?”

“You’re my husband, of course I do.”

“We need to leave, we’re in danger here.”

“What about Lily?”

“She’s best off where she is.”

But if he trashed their house, it meant whoever had poisoned her cake hadn’t been there.

“I’m not going anywhere until you talk to me. Where were you this evening? You know how important the ball is and now you’ve made me leave it and for what?”

“There’s no time.” Charles walked to the lounge door. “If you won’t come, I can’t make you, but I can’t stay here.”

He went out into the hallway. She heard scuffling. He’d picked up their family photo and replaced it on the cupboard.

“You’re holding us to ransom again?”

He put his hand on the front door handle, “I wouldn’t call it that.” Turned it.

“Wait, look at me.” Eva gestured at her dress. “Let me get changed.”

Charles looked out into the street, closed the door. “Two minutes.”

15

“Have I got this straight?” Limping up a hill behind Charles, Eva was getting out of breath. “Someone is after us, but you can’t tell me who for reasons you can’t tell me. You’ve lost something vital, but you can’t tell me what. But it’s so important, not having it puts our lives in danger and running around London all night will keep us safe? Did I miss anything?”

“No, that’s quite succinct.”

A laugh burst out of her, but nothing about tonight was funny.

“Down there.” He ignored her sarcasm, gestured at the side street on their left.

“No, Charles.”

He pulled up short. “What do you mean, no?”

“No, niet, non, nein, take your pick. No. I’m not wandering around the streets. My knee’s killing me, I got hardly any sleep last night and today has been, well, least said about that. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on.” Eva’s demand echoed around the quiet street. “No one’s following us.”

But the only place they would be safe was somewhere she couldn’t take him. He didn’t have clearance to go in Gordon’s building and she couldn’t get in anywhere else until the morning at