The Negotiator (12 page)

The awful memories assailed her. When she spoke again, her voice was harsh with emotion. “I was too scared to tell him… I didn’t want to risk his anger. I wasn’t sure what he’d do. I was scared he might hurt me.”

Andy’s face darkened on a frown and his lips tightened, but he refrained from commenting. Cally drew in a ragged breath. “From the moment I told him I was pregnant, he changed—and not in a good way. We’d never had so much as an argument before and yet, after that it seemed it was all we ever did. One afternoon, he put his fist through the wall of his bedroom.”

She sighed at the memory of that terrible moment when she’d been sure he was going to use his fists on her and forced herself to finish. “So, I did what any other pregnant teenager would do: I went home and told my parents.”

The pain of that meeting felt as fresh and raw as if it were yesterday. She trembled as she remembered.

“It was after dinner. Dad had retired to his study to go through some half yearly school reports. He was the principal of the local high school in Watervale,” she explained.

“I was nearly eight weeks along. Mom and I had always gotten along all right, but I had been Daddy’s little girl. I didn’t think there was anything I could do to anger him.” Her trembling became more violent.

In an instant, Andy was beside her, putting his arms around her and drawing her close against the solid wall of his chest. His heart beat steadily beneath her ear, reassuring her with its strength. Gradually, she calmed.

Pulling back slightly, she looked up at him. “I’m sorry. I thought I’d buried my feelings about it a long time ago. I guess some things are too hard to forget.”

“Cally, if you don’t want to talk about it—”

“No, I’m fine. I-I want to. I think I’d rather you know, if that’s okay?”

“Of course it is. I just thought—”

“I
want
to tell you.”

He nodded. She pulled out of his arms and moved across the room. Leaning her back against the sink, she folded her arms protectively across her stomach and continued in a quiet voice.

“My parents had tried unsuccessfully for many years to have children and when I finally came along, I was loved and cherished like the long-awaited child I was. There was nothing they wouldn’t do for me.”

“So, what happened when you told them?”

Her smile was mirthless. “They threw me out.”

* * *

Andy reeled back in shock. No way had he seen that coming. After all, she was a well-educated, professional, young mother who appeared to be doing the best she could to raise her son. She was having some money troubles, and he knew all about that. But he’d never have guessed she’d been abandoned at a young age by those who were meant to take care of her.

Christ, she’d been little more than a baby herself.
A surge of anger tightened his throat. He thought of the men who’d deserted her. Their abandonment was so foreign, he could barely believe it.

It was obvious she wasn’t lying. Her guileless blue eyes shone with openness and honesty—and a few tears. His job required him to read people well and as far as Cally Savage went, he was sure she didn’t have a deceptive bone in her body.

“What did you do? You managed to finish your education and go to university. That couldn’t have been easy with a young baby?”

“You’re right. It wasn’t easy.” She gave him a small smile. “But I didn’t do it on my own. I had the love and support of my aunt. After my parents threw me out, I moved in with her.”

“She looked after Jack while you went to school?”

“Yes. I was halfway through year ten when I fell pregnant. After Jack’s birth, I went back to finish my Higher School Certificate through my local TAFE college. Later, with my aunt’s encouragement, I applied for university in Armidale, where I lived.”

“What about Jack’s father? How did he react when he realized he had a son?”

Color exploded across her cheeks. She looked away. “I never told him,” she murmured.

Andy frowned. “You never told him you had the baby?”

Cally shook her head, her gaze now fiercely defiant. “No, I never told him I had the baby. He hadn’t wanted Jack from the outset.
I
was the one who wanted to keep him. Jack’s
my
son. End of story.”

“But—”

She stared at him hard. “End of story.” Turning on her heel, she left the room and went to check on her boy.

* * *

Andy stared after Cally, his thoughts in chaos. A few moments later, he heard the vacuum cleaner start up.

He couldn’t deny her story intrigued him. The vulnerability in her eyes as she’d recounted her past had tugged at his heartstrings and his primeval urge to protect had raced to the fore. It had been all he could do to stop himself from holding her close and promising her he’d never let anything bad happen to her again.

In fact, he
had
held her close. The memory of her in his arms crowded his thoughts. Even those few, fleeting moments were branded on his mind. The feel of her soft warmth; the smell of her hair: Everything about her drew him.

His gaze glanced off the poster he’d pinned so recently to the noticeboard. From the moment he hung it there, he’d wanted to take it down. He couldn’t imagine how he’d feel knowing one of his male colleagues was sharing her house. Okay, she was looking for a roommate, not a life partner, but he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy at the thought of someone else being the man in her household.

A germ of an idea took hold.
He
could move in with her… He immediately frowned at the wayward thought and did his best to dismiss the idea. He wasn’t looking to relocate. He had a perfectly nice condo overlooking the beach. His commute was a little longer than he cared for, but the view and the proximity to the ocean more than made up for it. Besides, he didn’t even know where she lived. For all he knew, she lived in the boondocks.

Curious, he stepped closer to the poster and focused on the details:

Wanted: roommate to share three-bedroom house in Chatswood. $300 per week, excluding utilities. References required. Please phone 993266250.

Okay, so she lived in Chatswood. It was on the opposite side of the harbor from where he lived and nowhere near the beach. Still, it was closer to work and would cut down significantly on his commute. And he could afford it.

What the hell was he doing?
Was he seriously considering taking her up on her ad? Was he mad? He didn’t even know her. More likely than not, neither would the person who she eventually accepted into her home.

What if she was taken in by some crazed maniac who disguised himself as normal? What if someone like that moved in with her and murdered her and her son in the dark of night?

It wouldn’t be the first time. People thought they’d recognize evil when it came knocking on their door, but Andy knew better than most that sometimes the most normal-looking people housed unimaginable evil.

Could he bear to have that on his conscience if something happened?
It wasn’t like he was responsible for them, yet he felt a strong urge to protect. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t deny Cally’s vulnerability tugged hard at something deep inside him; he couldn’t shake the feeling Cally and Jack were his.

He made an impatient sound in the back of his throat. The fact that he yearned for a family of his own didn’t mean he had to latch onto the first possibility that came by. It was ridiculous to think like that. He spun on his heel and left the tea room.

Tom was at his desk on the far side of the room, a phone pressed to his ear. Andy looked around for Jack, but couldn’t see him. Cally was also on the far side of the room, not far from Tom. She held a dusting cloth in hand. She glanced up when he entered, but quickly averted her gaze.

Andy’s gut somersaulted. He clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth, his mind still a whirl of confusion. Throwing himself down in his chair, he tugged his keyboard toward him and did his best to block out her distracting presence, determined to finish the last of his reports.

After re-reading for the third time the last line he’d entered on the report in front of him, he cursed under his breath.
How hard could this be?
He’d never had a problem concentrating before. In fact, he prided himself on being able to get on with the job, no matter the distractions.

Yet here he was, reading and re-reading the same sentence over and over and still not having a clue what it said. Any attempt to complete the reports with her in the room was an exercise in futility. Accepting the obvious, he sighed and gave up.

His gaze was immediately drawn to her. She’d finished the dusting and now lugged the vacuum cleaner behind her. He watched while her faded T-shirt inched a little higher on one side. The movement exposed a glimpse of tanned belly to his appreciative gaze. She bent forward to pick up a wad of paper off the floor and her breasts filled the opening of the V-neck of her shirt. Blood flooded to his groin.

The mere thought of another man enjoying such liberties sent a heated denial rushing through his veins. Without conscious thought, he pushed away from his desk and strode toward her, his long legs eating up the distance.

She looked up in surprise. Her eyes widened further when he reached out and took her by arm in an effort to hold her attention.

“I’ll do it.”

She frowned and flicked off the vacuum cleaner. “Do what?”

“I’ll move in with you.”

“You…you want to move in with me?”

“Yes, why not? You said you’d prefer a male roommate. It got me thinking… Why not me? I earn enough to cover the rent, I don’t mind kids and I’m big and strong enough to scare off the boogie man.” He shrugged and shot her a disarming smile. “What more do you need?”

* * *

Cally stared at him and did her best to get her pulse rate back under control.
When he smiled at her…
Oh, goodness, it was enough to weaken her knees. She didn’t have a clue if he was joking or not. Why would he want to share a house with a woman he barely knew…?

Then again, it was normal for someone who answered an ad not to know the person who placed it. Was this really any different? In fact, it was probably even better because this gave her an opportunity to make a few enquires, to check into his background, if necessary. She wasn’t about to let just anyone have access to her home or her son.

She recalled the telephone conversation she’d overheard the night they’d first met and frowned again. He’d told the caller he wanted a wife and family and she had no reason to believe he lied
. Had she inadvertently offered him the opportunity he’d been looking for?
Were she and Jack going to be the family he apparently wanted? The thought was too weird for her liking. She pulled away from him and put some distance between them.

He looked honest and forthright and normal. He looked
nice.
She’d even struggled to keep her libido in check, especially when he smiled. But what if it was all a farce? A ploy to get what he wanted? What if there was something sinister behind the easy grin and the gorgeous eyes?

She shivered and rubbed at the gooseflesh that suddenly popped out on her arms. She hadn’t survived a decade as a single parent without honing her protective instincts.
Something didn’t feel right.

He stared at her and a shadow passed over his face. It was almost as if he sensed her withdrawal. He took a step toward her and her adrenaline kicked in. She tensed, poised to flee.

“What is it, Cally? What’s the matter? You look like you’ve been sentenced to death and you’ve just caught sight of the executioner.” He offered her a grin, but it was strained around the edges.

“I’-I’m sorry,” she stammered. “It’s just that it seems a little odd—you wanting to move in with us. I mean, I assume you already live somewhere, right? If you were looking to move out, why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

Andy drew in a breath and she could see he was struggling with what he wanted to say. Her suspicions escalated. Was he even now fishing around for a suitable excuse? A reason he thought she would swallow?

“The truth is,” he started, a flush spreading up from his neck, “I like you and I like Jack, too. I have a place in Bondi, but I want to help you out. And your place is closer to work. You told me how desperate you are to offset a little of your financial burden. Desperate people make desperate decisions. I don’t want you saying yes to just anybody, without giving them proper consideration.”

Anger kindled in her belly.
Did he think she wouldn’t be checking him out?
She narrowed her eyes at his arrogance. “Oh, and you’re the perfect candidate, is that what you’re saying? That you’re so kind and honest and flawless, I wouldn’t need to look into your credentials. In fact, I should be throwing myself at your feet, in gratitude for your beneficence. Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”

He was shaking his head at her even before she’d finished. The amusement had long since vanished from his face.

“You know what? Forget it. Choose whoever you like. Pick some random stranger who sees your ad and thinks it’s just what he needs. You never know, you might get lucky. Then again, tell that to the countless women who have disappeared without a trace. Statistics show the perpetrator was likely someone they knew. Do you want to risk your safety like that? Do you want to risk Jack’s?”

His barb hit its mark and she flinched and dropped her gaze. The stony expression in his eyes stayed with her and gave her pause.
Perhaps he was just trying to help?
Perhaps he did care about them? But how could he? He barely knew them. Unless he was just exactly what she thought when she met him—a really nice guy?

Her shoulders slumped on a sigh and she shook her head in confusion.
Had she let her imagination run away with her, yet again?
Was that all this was about? A by-product of the tension she’d been gripped by ever since she realized her home—her inner sanctum—had been breached?

Was Andy’s offer as simple as he’d suggested? Had it really originated from his need to look out for her, to ensure she and Jack were safe?

She looked up. He caught her gaze and held it. For long moments, she stared at him, at his beautiful chocolate eyes. He was a police officer, a man who had sworn to serve and protect. She wasn’t naïve enough to assume all men in uniform could be trusted, but it didn’t mean none of them could. In fact, if she’d been asked, she’d have said she considered most policemen honest. It was only a very few who gave all the others a bad name, like in any profession, including hers.