Page 52 of Last Breath

Nope. Shouldn’t have done that.

‘I’m fine.’ Her nostrils flared. ‘Avery’s fiancée tried to cross the road and got hit.’

‘What?!’

‘The car was going the speed limit, but apparently she rolled right over the bonnet. She came around pretty much as soon as he started CPR. Paramedics don’t reckon she’s too badly hurt, a concussion maybe – I was eavesdropping.’

‘Was she drunk?’

‘Don’t think so. Avery said they were in a crowd, all leaving at the same time. She tripped onto the road.’ Nella pointed at a silver Hilux that was sideways in the intersection. ‘Wasn’t the driver’s fault either.’

‘Why were you with Avery?’ Jett wasn’t going to interrogate whatever kept leaking acid inside him with every mention of the six-foot cop built like a Canadian bear, who clearly had a thing for Nella despite the fact he was apparently engaged.

‘I wasn’twithAvery.’ She said it like she could smell the burning acid. Like she knew. ‘We were all at the bar after the funeral – me, Eliza, Ian and the others from work. Avery and his girlfriend, or whoever she is, showed up towards the end and there was an ... uh ...’

‘Altercation,’ Eliza piped up. Shit, Jett’s tunnel vision hadn’t even registered her. ‘There was a real ...dressing down.’

Jett’s stomach twisted. ‘Does this have something to do with the fact that you’ve misplaced your shirt? And why you smell like cheap lager?’

‘Just go. I’ll get an Uber.’ She started to walk away, in the opposite direction to Avery and the ambulance.

‘You think I’m going to let you get in an Uber dressed like that?’

Silence. The deathly kind like when you look over a cliff’s edge, think about what it would be like to fall and then your foot accidentally slips ...

‘Aaaandthis is where I make my graceful exit.’ Eliza waved like a crowd member behind the barriers of a royal procession and ran, thick strawberry blond braids flailing behind her.

‘Not going tolet me?’ Nella stepped so close, he was overwhelmed by the smell of her. Even under the layer of sodden beer and salt was her vanilla, musky perfume, her lavender spray-on deodorant, her organic banana and coconut shampoo.

Focus, Randall, you pervert. Get. A. Grip.

‘You don’tlet medo anything. You or my brother, or Grey, or even my dear old dad. Everything I do, Jett Randall, I do because I letmyself.’

They were standing impossibly close. Thank god there was an ambulance nearby, because he would have to step backwards onto the road, without a glance, if she moved any closer.

‘You know I didn’t mean it like that,’ he said. ‘Just because someone doesn’t want you to get hurt doesn’t mean they’re trying to take away your control. Sometimes you have to let go. Sometimes you need to lose a bit of control.’

‘You have no idea,’ she whispered, ‘exactlyhow well I know how to lose control.’ She said it like a threat. An oath.

His throat was like razors as he swallowed. ‘You’re right. I overstepped. You’re the boss. If you want to get murdered, that’s your decision.’

If she got an Uber, he’d follow the car the whole way back to the Barbarani Estate. Nella was not dying on his watch. And he’d do the same if it was Tom or Luca or Vittoria. He would have left his date for them too.

He would have. Definitely.

‘Just give me your orders, boss.’

She ripped her gaze from his, and when he looked back, it was like she’d drawn shades across her eyes. She could see out, but he couldn’t see in.

‘Take me home,’ she said.

As soon as the garage door shut, Nella apparently forgot she was mad at him, opening Bessy’s door before he’d completely stopped and tumbling out onto all fours, laughing giddily. Razor bounded up to her, planting a slobbery kiss, which she returned. Before Jett could say anything, she crawled like a demon fromParanormal Activityinto his house.

‘It’s late,’ he called, once he’d procrastinated long enough checking Bessy was all right, no nails in her tyres, not running low on oil or petrol. He changed Razor’s water and refilled his biscuits. ‘I’ll walk you back.’

There was no sound from inside. Skin tingling, he peered through the doorway. ‘Nella?’

The space was dark. He flicked on the lights that illuminated the kitchen and TV area but there was no sign of her.