To Betray A Brother (2 page)

“Fantastic. They do an awesome Szechuan chicken at the Emerald Dragon. See you then.”

The phone went dead.

Things were definitely looking up. She hung and racked more clothes, separating old stock from new as she went. She often wondered if any man in the town was interested in her. She’d grown up with Justin. They’d raced bikes together as kids and gone to school together. He disappeared for a few years after graduation, did a tour in the Army, and returned about two years ago. After a moment’s reflection, she turned her mind to the important issue at hand, what to wear on her date?

* * * *

Penny checked the clock, almost seven. Justin would be here shortly. A knock sounded at the door, and her heart leapt in response. Justin was nothing if not punctual. She grabbed her handbag and headed for the door. The clock chimed as she paused at the hall mirror:
Eyes – check. Lips – check. Make up, not too much – check. Hair –
her shoulder length chestnut brown hair curled and settled about her face, resisting any attempt to make it behave -
well, check
. She opened the door and stepped out into the night.

“You look fantastic,” Justin greeted, his arm held out. Penny rested her hand on his forearm. Warmth flowed through the palm of her hand, made its way up her arm, and tickled her heart as he guided her to his waiting car. A BMW gleamed under the street light. The black paint, deep enough to swim in, looked almost inviting. Her chest fluttered as he opened and held the door, never allowing her hand to leave his arm. Penny caught him watching her as she slid into the leather seat. She could not remember the last time a man had appreciated her. He closed the door, slipped around to the driver’s side and into the seat. He pushed the start button, the BMW roared to life. He slid it into gear, and they eased away from the curb.

Inside the luxurious BMW sections of polished walnut stood out against the fine black leather which covered almost everything. An LCD screen, as big as a small television, glowed from the centre of the dash. She watched the way the muscles in Justin’s arms danced with rhythm of his driving. Her troubles faded away, and she melted into the seat. Yes, life is definitely looking up.

Twenty minutes later Justin nosed the car into a car park. “Here we are.” His voice bubbled. By the time Penny unclipped her seat belt the car door opened, and Justin stood with his hand outstretched. She took his offered hand and stepped from the car. He caught her arm in the crook of his, holding her hand with his as they walked toward the restaurant. An electric green dragon fighting some imaginary enemy glowed, iridescent above the door.

“Hi, Justin Byrne. I have a reservation for two people for seven.”

The waiter led them to a large booth. Red and gold tapestries depicting scenes from traditional Chinese life, hung along the walls. Penny slid into one side while Justin sat across from her. Pretending to scan the menu, Penny peeked over the top at him. He focussed on skimming the menu. Light reflected off his burnt orange T-shirt, the shadows highlighting his arms and shoulders. She wondered what he might look like with his shirt off and how those muscles might feel beneath her hands.

“Do you see anything you like?” His voice startled her out of her daydream.

“Plenty.” A wicked smile formed on her lips.

“Have you any idea what you might like to eat?” he asked, brushing over her comment.

“Oh. No question, the Szechuan chicken and a glass of red wine. Cab Sav, I think.” Penny placed the menu back on the table.

Justin caught the waiter’s attentions and ordered for them.

“How is your preparation for the next meet coming along?” Penny asked, knowing Justin approached nothing without having considered every possibility. His race planning would be impeccable.

“Ah...” He leaned back into the seat. “Not so good.”

Penny’s eyebrows lifted. “Now I am surprised. What’s the problem?”

“It seems customs have taken to holding up every container we import. I use my import/export business to bring in just about everything the team needs. The engine parts we’re waiting for are tied up in a million miles of red tape—what the? There’s a face I never thought I’d see again.” His tone shifted, noticeably colder. She turned her head to see a man, clearly a biker, entering the restaurant.

He lowered his voice as if not wanting to draw attention. “Don’t you recognise him?” Penny shook her head. “It’s Bryce Huntington. We went to school with him.”

Penny shook her head, “No, surely not.” Her heart beat slowed to a painful thump. She had loved Bryce years ago, after that one kiss before he stranded her dateless without warning at their school prom. She’d secretly been in love with him for years, joining in with the boys just to be near him as they grew through their teenage years. She struggled to recall when she had last seen Bryce. It had to have been at least several years. As far as she knew, he was still in the Army.

Heavy boots thudded across the wooden floor. The man stopped beside them.

Justin raised his head to look at Bryce, his voice icy and hard. “Never thought I’d see you back here. Not after...”

“After what?” Bryce spoke, his voice as cold as Justin’s, only deeper. His entire body, his stance, his voice screamed disgust and loathing as he looked at Justin.

The years wrought Bryce’s face into almost unrecognisable from the boy he had once been. Dark eyes regarded her, causing a wave of electricity to wash over her skin. “Careful the company you keep, Penny MacIntyre.” He shifted his attention back to Justin. “You never can tell where or when a scorpion will sting.”

Penny shuddered.

Palpable energy radiated from Bryce. Something stirred deep inside her in response. He turned and strode away, ‘
Dogs of Dereliction’
curved in dark green writing across the top of his vest. Picking up a bag from the counter, Bryce disappeared into the night.

“What was that all about?” she asked, looking directly at Justin. The twinkle in his eyes had disappeared. The fathomless dark holes in their place absorbed any light unlucky enough to venture too close.

He leant forward, voice soft enough to be a whisper. “We were in the same unit in Afghanistan for a while. Things didn’t go so well for him.” His eyes grew distant at the memory. “Bryce was our machine gunner. The first time we came under fire, he froze. We almost lost the entire platoon. They found him curled up, whimpering like a baby. If it hadn’t been for...” His voice tailed off, replaced by awkward silence.

Penny regarded Justin thoughtfully for a moment. The encounter with Bryce clearly shook him. His hands trembled atop the table while he stared, not seeing, his gaze unfocussed. He shook his leg as they sat. Instinctively she reached out and covered his hands with hers.

Penny shortened her stride as she leaned into the hill. Her pace quickened so as not to lose too much momentum. She usually zoned out, the rhythm of her breathing and cadence drummed by her feet allowing her mind to rest as she ran. Instead, today running was pure hard work. Her mind refused to relax. She found herself continually going back to last night’s dinner with Justin. Nobody had shown interest in her for such a long time. Why shouldn’t she take notice? After all he was delightful, funny, witty, charming, not to mention a killer body. What right did Bryce have to come smashing in and stomp all over her life?

Images of Bryce invaded her consciousness, unbidden, refusing to leave. His dark eyes seemed to rip into her soul as if uncovering her darkest secrets. There might have been something between them once, years ago when they had both been so much younger, before he left her stranded.

She rounded the corner and slowed, walking the final few hundred meters home. Her heart rate dropped and muscles began to relax. She noticed some large cobwebs strung along the path beside the house and made a mental note to spend some time cleaning the outside. In the shade of the large mango tree, Penny settled onto the thick lawn and into a series of poses. Starting with her legs, slowly her bunched-up muscles released their tension. Finally she moved into a seated position grasped both ankles and brought the soles of her feet together. As she leaned forward, her elbows found the inside of her knees. Using her upper body weight she rested and closed her eyes.

After some time Penny rose and headed into the house for a shower. She stopped in the kitchen and flicked on the kettle switch. Grey cupboards rose from the black tiled floor and flanked cold industrial stainless steel appliances to meet cream coloured walls and tiles. The only splash of colour came from the retro red bench top appliances. Perhaps she should take the time to reflect her good fortunes by updating the house. She passed an old picture hanging in the hallway of her brother Steele with Bryce, their arms draped loosely over each other’s shoulders, and their faces sported broad grins, clearly trouble in the making. If only she could fly back in time and warn them of what lay ahead for them both.

Penny grabbed a glass of water, sat at the table, and powered up her laptop. She flicked open the video recorder. Her face, still flushed from running grinned through the screen. “Wow. What a night.” She paused and continued. “There I was sitting in the Chinese restaurant with Justin on the first date I’ve been on in a long time and in walks Bryce Huntington. I didn’t recognise him at first, he’s change so much. He seemed older, darker somehow. God it must be twelve or thirteen years since I last saw him, right after he promised to take me to the school dance and
didn’t show up!
”

Taking a mouthful of water she sat back and closed her eyes. “He left me stranded, waiting for a dance escort that never showed. Nobody, not even his mum knew where he was. For all we knew he was dead, then a couple of months later Steele gets word he’d joined the army. I have no idea how I should feel right now. I stayed angry at him for a long time, especially when Steele followed in his footsteps. The question is, should I confront him or just go one with my life and forget he ever existed?”

She closed her eyes for a second, collecting her thoughts.

“So why am I talking about him instead of what great time I had with Justin? I do know I don’t want him back in my life.” She sipped another mouthful of water. “Anyway, can’t dwell on the past. I have work to do, and it won’t get done sitting here. Time for a shower and get to work.”

* * * *

An hour later buried in boxes, Penny had almost unpacked a new line of clothing. She had managed to secure exclusive distributorship for two clothing lines
,
a move sure to have stock rocketing off the shelves. The bell on the door sounded the arrival of a customer.

“Sorry, we’re closed today,” she called out. “Seeing you are here, let’s see if...” She came out of the store room and face to face with the biggest bunch of red roses she had ever seen in her life.

Justin’s beaming face appeared over the top of the bouquet. “A humble gift, which pales in its beauty beside the prettiest girl on the planet.”

Penny slid her hair band off her pony tail and combed her fingers through her hair. She hadn’t planned to see anybody today, no customers and certainly not Justin. She ran her hands down the front of her T-shirt in attempt to smooth out the wrinkles and perhaps even disguise its poor condition. She stepped forward, taking the flowers. “Wow. These are amazing. I have never seen such beautiful roses.” She took a large breath. “And such a magnificent perfume.”

“Do you have something to stick them in?”

“Hang on.” She ducked though the back door to the store room before he’d finished speaking and returned, holding a vintage glass oil bottle. “I think this will do nicely.” Penny laid the roses on the sales counter and carefully placed them one by one the makeshift vase. Adjusting the bouquet, she stood back, her heart fluttered as she drank in the moment. Justin moved, wrapping his arms around her. She wiggled into him, delighted with gift and his attention. His scent filled her breathe as he bent his head and kissed her. His lips, warm and slightly salty, caressed hers ever so lightly.

She broke away, looking into his eyes. “Thank you. I’ve never had a man give me flowers before. They are beautiful.” His strength and power radiated through her hands as the rested on the hard muscle of his upper arms.

“Nothing but the best for you.” A broad smile creased his face. “I took the liberty of reserving a table for us. Dinner tonight seven o’clock and I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Yes. Of course.” How could she say no, especially after such a magnificent gift? Two dinner dates in a row! He
must
like her.

“Excellent. Dress to kill. I have a surprise for you.’

“I’ll look forward to it.”

He turned and left as quickly as he’d come.

Dress to kill? What did he mean exactly? Where were they going? Was it just dinner?
A million questions ran through Penny’s mind.
How much time do I have to get ready?
She glanced at the wall clock. Two o’clock. Shocked by the time, she grabbed her keys and bag and headed toward the door, stopping part of the way there.

“Damn, I have to have those last few boxes emptied for tomorrow. How do I get them unpacked and be ready for seven p.m.?” Sighing, her shoulders slumped, and she headed back to the store room. “I can’t sell stock if people can’t see it. I’ll finish those last few boxes and be home by four.” Taking a deep breath, she got back to work.

* * * *

Justin opened the car door for Penny. Her dress rode up, tantalising, teasing as she slid from the car, revealing the faintest hint of flesh. He liked what he saw. Black suede high heels gave her tanned legs a killer shape. The dress hugged her figure like a second skin. Single shouldered, the black fabric contrasted with the wide yellow stripe which ran across the dress and down, conspiring to draw his attention back to those legs. He lost the battle not to stare.

He took her elbow in his hand and guided her along the sidewalk through the light crowd. “I trust this meets with your expectations?” he asked, gesturing grandly toward the restaurant in front of them.

Penny looked at him. Her eyebrows lifted, registering her surprise. “Toledo’s? Are you serious?” Anxiety flickered momentarily across her face. “This is the best five star restaurant in town.”

“The food here is fantastic. I think you’ll enjoy yourself.” Justin nodded toward the Maître d’ who strode in their direction.

“Mr. Byrne, it is very good to see you again. Please come this way.” The Maître d’ led them to their table in the centre of the restaurant.

Justin slipped his hand onto the small of her back as they followed. Through the fabric of her dress, the muscles in her back beat against his palm. She stood a little straighter at his touch.

“You look fantastic. See how everybody is watching,” he whispered in her ear.

Penny glanced around at the restaurant’s clientele. Everyone looked incredibly posh. She couldn’t help notice the food on their plates looked amazing. A range of delicious smells flooded her. She grappled with sensory overload as Justin greeted several people he knew and nodded to a few others across the room.

With effortless grace, the Maître d’ slid her chair from beneath a table of polished red hued timber and invited Penny to sit. Unable to speak, she sat, and the Maître d’ pushed the chair beneath her. “Your waiter will be with you shortly. In the meantime, a drink perhaps? Your usual, Mr. Byrne?” Justin nodded.

“Madame?”

“I’ll have whatever Justin is having.”

“Very good Ma’am.” The Maître d’ inclined his head and disappeared.

Penny took the time to look around, having never been to a five star restaurant before. The white walls enhanced the art which hung evocatively, guiding her eye to the large expanse of window looking out over Lake Charlotte. A fiery red and orange sunset reflected an orange hue off the water, while the sun gave up its last breath of day to the inky blackness of night. Light from the overhead chandeliers caused everything to sparkle.

Justin’s voice pulled her back from her reverie. “What do you think?”

“I have never seen so many knives and forks,” she whispered, leaning forward. “How do you know which to use?”

Justin rocked back in his chair and laughed, his eyes shimmered like the light of a full moon dancing on the surface of the lake. He leant forward and whispered, “Just follow my lead.”

The waiter arrived with the wine. As if by magic, Penny found herself left with one glass, the one she needed.
That’s one thing I don’t have to worry about at least
. Breathing deeply she relaxed as Justin, clearly comfortable, conversed with the waiter.

In no time, food appeared. Prawns drizzled with a mint coloured sauce teased her taste buds as she breathed. Try as she might, she could not make out what they’d been cooked with, while her mouth watered at the smell. She savoured the moment, anticipating the first bite. A faint taste of chilli and lime melted into her mouth along with something else, something she could not identify. The delicately balanced flavours took her breath away.

Only when Penny took a mouthful of wine, did she noticed her glass had been replaced with another. She took a sip. The white wine sat nicely with her meal.

“Justin, this is amazing. I have never eaten anything like this ever. Hell, I’ve never been anywhere which came close to this.” She gushed, unable to stop herself.

“I did say I had a surprise for you.”

Penny chewed slowly, lingering over each bite, savouring the flavour. She didn’t want the experience to end.

“Is
Leather and Lace
usually closed on Wednesdays? “

“It’s like our weekend. We are open all of Saturday and half of Sunday during the peak season which is mostly spring.”

“Long hours. I didn’t realise how hard you worked.”

“It’s my business so if I want it to be successful, I need to be the driving force behind it. I do have a couple of good casuals who are an immense help, especially during racing season. Truth is, I couldn’t cope without them.”

“Good help is hard to find.”

“I couldn’t agree more. These girls have been working with me for a couple of years now. I’m comfortable to go away for a few days and know they have everything in hand.”

“I thought you only sold clothing. Seeing the old motorbikes surprised me. Not to mention the other stuff you have in there.”

“We’ve made a bit of a niche by being a specialist store. It’s hard to find good quality clothing for women bikers. Most of the stuff out there today is black, black, and more black. The last thing I want to wear is a black T-shirt with the same print as the bloke next to me. I know there are a lot of women who think the same way. I want to make sure we girls have options, choices other than black. They have to be are functional and look good too.”

“What about the other stuff I saw?”

She paused taking a sip of wine. “This is really good. The bikes you mean?”

“And the other bit and pieces. I saw bike and racing mementos hanging from the wall above the clothing racks. Don’t get me wrong, the shop looks funky.”

“A lot of the stuff belonged to Dad. Everything including the three bikes came to me when he was killed in the racing accident. It all works well together. On one hand the shop is a bit of a museum and it reminds me of Dad. On the other the bikes provide distraction to husbands and boyfriends while their partners shop.”

“Clever.” He nodded. “Does it work?”

“You’re a man, you tell me. How many men do you know who wouldn’t happily spend half an hour ogling an Indian Chief or a Knucklehead Harley? Both of them restored to better than showroom condition. Not to mention the Sheffield in the front window and the rest of the memorabilia scattered about the place.”

Justin leaned back in his seat, appraising or perhaps reappraising her. The waiter appeared with the main meal. Penny bent forward and took a deep breath through her nose. Her mouth instantly watered.

“This smells insane.” She watched Justin as he selected cutlery, mimicking his choice.