Sins of the Father (23 page)

It was how Brad found
them, experimenting with different shots. He was glad for the
distraction because he’d faltered when he saw her. She was wearing
a pair of jeans and the goofy t-shirt, with her face obscured by a
cute baseball cap and ridiculously large glasses. She still took
his breath away.

Alicia pulled the glasses
down her nose and peered over at him. “We’re sending Josh a photo.”
She dipped her chin towards the t-shirt. “He should get to see me
in it at least once.”

The bruise coming down
from her forehead was a contrast to the deep vivid blue of her
eyes.

“
It looks
bad, doesn’t it?” Jack said, watching the emotions play across
Brad’s face.

Alicia snorted as she
tapped away on her phone. “It feels a damn sight more painful that
it looks.” She looked up, biting down a laugh. “Wait, that didn’t
come out right...must be the painkillers. I’m fine, Jacky. It looks
worse that it is.” She closed her good eye as if concentrating.
“Yeah, that’s right. We’re good to go.”

“
You could
stay around for another day, keep me company.”

Alicia slid the glasses
back up her nose and bent to kiss her brother on the cheek. “You
have plenty of company. Besides, you’ll be out of here soon.” She
put a hand on his cheek. “I’ve missed you too, but we’ll make up
for lost time. I promise.”

“
I know.” He
took the hand and squeezed it before turning his attention to Brad.
“Look out for her, okay.”

Brad tried not to take
the comment personally. “I intend to.”

“
Okay, you’re
all set, Al,” Sarah said, breezing back into the room. “Your things
will be at Burton House waiting for you.”

“
Are you
coming along for the ride?”

“
I’ll stop by
later. I’m going to visit with Jack for a while – have a quiet word
in his ear about Sam Morton.”

Jack groaned. “What’s he
done now?”

“
Nothing she
can’t handle. She’s using you as an excuse because she’s got her
eye on one of the doctors.”

Sarah scowled at Alicia.
“I resent that. I’ll have you know that Jack’s delightful agent has
been shooting his mouth off, leaving Becky to pick up all the
pieces. The press haven’t stopped hounding her all day.”

Alicia stepped forward
and gave her friend a hug to soften the blow. “You can solve a
problem like that in under a minute without even drawing blood. Go
easy on Dr Fisher.”

Jack sniggered, but the
sound died in his throat with one look from Sarah. “Don’t leave me
alone with her, sis, she scares me.”

Alicia ignored him as she
turned to Brad. “Are we all set?”

He looked doubtfully at
Sarah and Jack who were already having a sparring match. “Yes.
We’re in position.”

She grinned up at him.
“Then let the fun begin.”

Brad followed her out,
casting a glance over his shoulder. “Are they always like
that?”

“
More often
than not, but he loves it. He got two sisters for the price of
one.”

He didn’t know what to
say to that so he didn’t say anything. Instead, he kept his eyes on
their environment. When they got to the exit, two CSOs were waiting
to back him up. He felt uncomfortable knowing that there were at
least two dozen people between them and the waiting car, but Alicia
had insisted on using the main entrance rather than slipping out
into a more controlled area. Despite the additional risks, it
should have been a walk in park, yet he’d advised against
it.

“
Are you
ready for this?” he asked, moving into position.

“
Yes. They
need to know I’m okay.” She’d been both surprised and humbled by
the messages she received from her fans – some of them had been
camping outside the hospital waiting for news.

Brad pushed through the
doors without saying another word. He scanned the people around
him, reading their faces for any sign of trouble. The press weren’t
granted special treatment – anybody could hide behind a set of
credentials. Though he doubted their guy would try that one
again.

Alicia felt a lick of
fear when the group rushed towards her. But they had to get through
Brad before they got to her, which was reassuring in
itself.

“
Alicia, how
are you feeling?”

“
What caused
the accident?”

“
Did someone
really try to kill you?”

“
What are you
going to do now?”

She tried to decipher the
questions but people were talking over one another in their
excitement. She couldn’t judge where the questions were coming from
either – there was a wall of security determined to keep back the
crowd.

“
I’m a little
sore, but feeling better after the rest.” She moved forward a
little. “Thank you for your concern and for all your
messages.”

The odd fan tried to get
around Brad, maybe to judge for themselves, but it was no use. It
was like going through a brick wall. He edged himself closer,
shielding her with his body. She could feel the tension bouncing
off him in waves.

There were two cars
waiting at the curb. Brad guided her into one of them as
flashlights went off in their face. She had the added protection of
shades to shield her eyes and she was glad of it. Brad didn’t seem
fazed in the slightest. She looked up at him before she ducked her
head inside. The expression on his face froze her for a second; it
was so familiar and oddly, it squeezed at her heart. He added a
gentle push and she dropped onto the seat, glad when the door
pressed shut behind her. Brad was at the other side in seconds, his
colleagues hopping into the second vehicle.

Alicia sighed and laid
her head back. She took a few moments to gather herself as Justin
manoeuvred around the group of onlookers. When they were a safe
distance from the hospital, she removed her shades and met Justin’s
eyes in the mirror.

“
Hi again,
AG, nice shiner you got there.”

“
Eyes on the
road, Justin,” Brad said, sounding a little surly.

“
Will you
relax? You’re so tense I can practically feel the vibrations in the
air.”

She laughed when Justin
winked at her. “It’s good to see you too, Justin. Thanks for the
nice clean getaway.”

“
We may have
to do a few evasive manoeuvres yet. The press are sneaky and hard
to shake.”

“
They’ll work
out where I am eventually.”

“
It doesn’t
hurt to keep them guessing for a while,” Brad said, making a
valiant attempt at keeping the stress from his voice. “What
happened back there?”

She felt the colour rise
in her cheeks. It wasn’t hard to guess what he was talking about.
“Nothing. It was just something about the situation that reminded
me of Eric. I haven’t thought about it in a long time and it took
me by surprise, I guess.”

“
Eric
Sutherland?” He remembered reading about her fiancé; he’d died in
the same collision as her father.

“
Yes. I don’t
know what made me think of it. It’s silly really.”

“
Our memories
can have a profound effect on us... not always a good one. But they
are never silly,” Justin said, earning a surprised look from both
of his passengers. He continued to stare at the road.

“
You’re
right. I’ve been thinking about him a lot recently.”

“
So...the
situation...” Justin prompted, earning another laugh.

“
Yeah, okay.
We were in London, Eric and I. Neither of us knew the city; we’d
fled from a bad situation and it was like stepping into a foreign
land. We used the underground because it was what everyone seemed
to be doing, though we had no destination. I don’t think either of
us expected the crowds. It was quite overwhelming at the
time.”

“
How old were
you?” Brad asked, more for Justin’s benefit – he had a good
idea.

“
Fifteen, but
I was a tough kid.” She smiled at the memory. “I thought I could
take on the world. But when I stood in that tube, surrounded by all
those strangers...I’ve never felt panic like it.” The embarrassment
came back briefly but she pushed it aside and finished the story.
“Eric was fiercely protective. He put himself between me and the
other passengers without a thought for himself. He created a sort
of cocoon and it worked. I felt safe.”

“
If there’s
one thing the big man can do, it’s make people feel safe. I get
it.”

Brad wasn’t sure if he
liked being compared to her fiancé. He was doing his job and the
lines were blurred enough. “It’s interesting though, isn’t it?
We’ve been hired to protect you but everyone I meet would step
right up to the plate.”

“
Why do you
make it sound like a criticism? I’d say the circumstances of the
past week are quite unique; to me anyway. My family care about me.
It might not be a conventional family, but they’re my
choice.”

She caught Justin’s
pained expression at being caught in the middle, and it made her
want to throttle him for teasing out the discussion to begin with.
He acknowledged the look and grinned into the mirror. “Now there’s
the diva everyone talks about!”

It took an effort to
disguise the chuckle that worked its way loose, but she met Brad’s
eyes with a poker-faced expression. “I might have over-reacted, but
your driver has no right to talk to me that way.” She winked at
him, not even minding the slight sting. “I want him
fired.”

“
Consider it
done.”

Justin looked from one to
the other with obvious suspicion; there was a moment when he almost
gave in to the nerves but Alicia couldn’t hold back any longer. She
clutched her stomach and dabbed gently at her eyes. “Oh, Justin, if
you could see your face.”

“
I bet you
wish you’d kept your eyes on the road,” Brad said, chuckling too.
He wasn’t quite sure why she’d taken offense, but his observation
was true. People gravitated towards her, trusted her instantly –
she certainly had the respect of his own team.

“
Very funny,”
Justin grumbled, but he was smiling. Then he saw something that
wiped the smile off his face and had his jaw dropping open.
“Whoa.”

Alicia looked at Burton
House with the same awe she felt every time she saw it. It wasn’t
her first time but on the inside her reaction was as simple as
Justin’s.

It towered above them
like something out of a fairy tale - strong and bold. The hundred
year-old stone blended with its environment – camouflaging without
deflecting from the great beast. It had a contrast of sharp angles
and smooth pillars, which were nestled among some of the most
beautiful grounds she had ever seen.

Brad watched Alicia’s
face light up like a child on Christmas morning and saw the magic
of the house through her eyes. It was grand, and he couldn’t
dispute its allure, he’d just always preferred things on a smaller
scale. But watching those emotions on her face made him appreciate
the house’s beauty far more than his own subtle
reaction.

Justin pulled up to the
main gates, hardly noticing the security checkpoint. “She’s a
beaut,” he said to nobody in particular.

“
Yes she is,”
Brad agreed, but he wasn’t talking about Burton House. He had to
shake off the feeling; watching her was mesmerising sometimes. To
give himself recovery time, he hopped out of the car and walked
towards the two officers on guard duty - he would be leading the
team, after all.

Chapter
17

Brad walked the second
storey hallway, marvelling at the grandeur of his surroundings. It
felt as warm and inviting as a home, or at least it gave the
illusion of one, despite the predominantly male environment. Brad
knew Stuart used the property for entertaining and could easily
imagine a house full of people. What surprised him was the artwork.
Stuart had an eclectic taste; the diverse collection lit up the
hallway. He stopped to study the painting of a young girl; knees
pulled up to her chest, and head hanging low. It drew him in,
clutched at something inside him, especially the sadness – a
private moment in time the artist had so skilfully captured. She
felt oddly familiar.

He couldn’t tear his gaze
away. For a moment, he almost thought he heard sobs coming from the
child, until he realised the sound originated from a door to his
right. Instinctively he stepped forward.

‘
Please, no…
you can’t take him.’ The agonised plea from Alicia’s room shot
straight to his heart. She was in the throes of a nightmare. His
code of ethics was the only thing that stopped him from entering
the room. Instead, he smothered one urge and went in search of
another – his need for caffeine. He could feel the tell tale signs
of a headache, and knew it was time to feed the monster.

The housekeeper, Betty,
was around somewhere. Brad intended to avoid her. Her face was as
sunny as her disposition. Her curiosity on the other hand was
something he could do without. She reminded him of Rosemary, his
father’s girl Friday. She could see straight into him with her
no-nonsense ways and eternal optimism. He had a feeling Betty would
ignore the boundaries of their roles and see right to the heart of
things. There were other similarities between the women. Betty ran
a tight ship and expected the same from others, in what she
probably considered a family. She’d sent the chef on some
outrageous errand for the evening meal, excited that they were
finally entertaining again. He smiled at the memory of it. She was
no doubt a barrel of fun, but what he needed was not sunshine. He
needed solitude, a place to sit and brood over coffee.