Page 59 of The Question of Us (Fisher & Church #2)

These included a ton of incriminating videos and audios, some of which starred none other than Freddie Young, a fact which allowed investigators to put pressure on the odious man and get him talking as well.

Ronnie and Jack had also been picked up and were quick to throw their bosses under the bus.

It all helped draw the noose tighter, although it was gutting that Marty himself was no longer alive to feel the pressure.

The story made front-page headlines on both sides of the Tasman, the public full of praise for the dismantling of another sex ring.

The excellent press went some way toward mending the strain between Samuel and his bosses and certainly helped our relationship with the Australian police.

We would need to return for the trial or trials as required.

Freddie was pleading guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence but would still be going away for a very long time, and as for some of the others, like Jacob, I wasn’t sure what our involvement would be.

Lee and Aaron would be called upon, for sure.

Sliding my arm from under Mads’ head, I slipped out of bed and headed for the bathroom to relieve my protesting bladder. A few minutes later and feeling a lot more comfortable, I donned sweats and a T-shirt and crept out of the bedroom.

Emerging from the hallway into the living area, I found Lee and Aaron eating breakfast at the table.

It was early for them to be up, which meant Aaron must’ve had another bad night.

Dark circles framed his pretty hazel eyes and he looked drawn and pale in direct contrast to his brother who appeared disgustingly fresh and raring to go most mornings.

I would’ve been envious if I hadn’t regularly seen him sitting on Mads’ back deck staring across the fields looking troubled and even tearful.

Lee remained pretty closed-lipped about his life with Marty, much like his brother who refused to talk about the sexual assault charge on Jacob with anyone other than the police and Lee.

Which was perfectly fine. We knew the rape kit had been negative but that really didn’t mean much.

All we knew was Aaron had been plagued by nightmares and guilt ever since it happened, blaming himself for Lee’s decision to stay.

I’d mentioned my therapist to Lee as a possibility for Aaron.

He’d leaped on the suggestion and Aaron’s first session was coming up in a week.

In the meantime, Lee wasn’t letting Aaron out of his sight, to the point of sharing a bedroom with Aaron so Lee would be there when Aaron’s nightmares came knocking.

I’d tentatively suggested to Lee that maybe he could do with someone to talk to as well, but he’d scoffed at the idea, saying he’d been fine leaving Marty the first time and he’d survive again. I wasn’t so sure about that, but I didn’t push.

“Morning all.” I made my way past the two men and into the pantry, moaning appreciatively at the sight of the already warm and ready espresso machine. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Have I said how much I love you guys?”

Lee chuckled. “No, and let’s keep it that way.”

I poured myself a mug and carried it to the table to watch them eat their breakfast. The Australian police had allowed the brothers to leave Australia as long as they made themselves available as needed.

Lee’s false identity had been a bit of a hurdle and he was facing possible charges on that in both countries, but no one expected them to come to much, everything considered.

Lee relinquished the passport he held in his new name and got an updated one with his original. When the dust finally settled on the case, he intended to legally change his name back to Lee but keep the Cunningham surname, like his brother. In the meantime, we all called him Lee, as he wished.

And so there we all were, breakfasting together in Mads’— our house—the introvert king and the knave of grouch.

Go fucking figure. No one had been more surprised than me when Mads had offered the brothers a place to stay while they decided what they wanted to do.

I hadn’t even known they wanted to return to New Zealand.

Then again, maybe they didn’t. Maybe this was just a safe place for them to crash while they decided.

It was fine with me either way, but Mads was incredibly protective about his privacy and quiet time and, quite frankly, I’d been gobsmacked.

Concerned, I’d told Mads he could offer the two men my house rent-free instead, but he’d scarpered that idea before the words were even cool on my tongue.

I’d felt his forehead in case he’d been sick, but he’d simply laughed and shoved my hand away, saying, “I don’t know why I want them here, but I do.

I think they want it too. Haven’t you felt it?

The pull between us all? It feels... safe. ”

He was right. It seemed that every time one of us had a moment , the others gathered around and we talked it through, everything except what had happened to Aaron.

Safety in numbers? Maybe. Whatever it was, it was working.

The only one missing out on the group process was Gazza, something I wasn’t too happy about.

But if Gazza was present, Lee shut things down pretty quick.

“Got any plans for today?” I directed the question at Lee.

He looked up from his cereal. “We thought we might pay Shirley a visit, if that’s okay?” He flicked a glance Aaron’s way. “She’s good company. Makes us laugh.”

I understood exactly what Lee was implying.

From their first meeting with Shirley when Jerry had brought her for a visit, something had sparked between her and the two young men, but especially Aaron.

Whether it was a mothering thing or Shirley’s irrepressible optimism, bluntness and plain pig-headedness, she seemed to reach Aaron on a level none of us could, maybe not even Lee.

I shrugged. “You’ll need to check with Mads, but I doubt he’ll have a problem with it.”

“Cool.” Lee went back to finishing his Weet-Bix only to look up again when a car could be heard coming up the driveway.

I glanced at the clock. “Gazza is early... again.” I gave emphasis to the again part because it had become a habit for the young man to arrive well before he was due to start work.

I wasn’t exactly sure why but guessed it had something to do with Lee since Gazza seemed to hang around the table for a chat if Lee was present—something he didn’t bother with if Mads and I were on our own.

Speaking of which, the man himself suddenly appeared, wandering through the lounge and looking deliciously fresh from bed, hair mussed, and extremely fuckable—and okay, that latter idea was beginning to have a lot of merit in my head.

Mads glanced at the front door and frowned. “He’s early... again.”

I caught the eye roll on Lee and bit back a smile. “You want something to eat, baby?” I ran a hot gaze over Mads and he blushed adorably.

“Shut up.” He scowled back with zero heat in his eyes.

“Give me strength,” Lee chided. “Honestly, you two are worse than a couple of horny kids.”

Mads whacked Lee up the back of the head as he passed, saying, “And your point?”

Lee chuckled. “Only that I hope I’m as bad when I get to your age.”

“Great save.” I held up my hand for a high five.

Lee obliged, then turned to watch Mads slump his way into the pantry.

The poor man was moving on autopilot, the general state of affairs until he was suitably caffeinated.

Lee shook his head. “The guy won’t touch a mango if it’s been sullied by too many air miles, and yet he can’t survive without his morning hit of Brazilian coffee beans. ”

“I heard that,” Mads grumbled from the depths of the pantry while Lee and I shared another high five just as the front door opened and Gazza walked in.

The second he clocked Lee and Aaron at the table he detoured our direction and took a seat at the table.

“You want coffee?” Mads called out to him from the pantry.

“Thanks,” Gazza answered, then looked to Lee. “How you guys doing?”

Lee shrugged and pushed his chair back. “We’re fine. Thought we might go visit Shirley today.” He stood and walked his plate to the dishwasher.

Gazza watched his retreat with greedy eyes and I shook my head. The unresolved sexual tension between those two felt off the charts, but if anyone knew what the fuck was going on, it sure as hell wasn’t me.

“Sounds a plan,” Gazza said, adding warily, “You want some company?”

The hesitation on Lee’s face was there and gone in an instant, but Gazza caught it all the same, his smile disappearing.

“Nah, we’re fine,” Lee answered. “But thanks for the offer.”

Mads brought his coffee to the table, looked between the two men, and sent me an eye roll.

“You’ve got mail.” Gazza slapped a couple of letters on the table, one of which was a redirection from my old address.

I frowned at the unfamiliar flowery handwriting. “Who the hell writes letters these days?”

Mads nudged me. “Why don’t you open it and find out?”

“While you do that, I um, I think I better head out to the studio.” He shot Lee an unreadable look. “I wouldn’t want to hold you up.”

Lee winced. “You’re not?—”

“I have a lot of work to catch up on,” Gazza cut him off. Then he stood and clapped Aaron on the shoulder. “Have a good visit with Shirley.”

The young man nodded. “Thanks, Gaz. Catch up later for some Witcher maybe?”

Gazza smiled at Aaron’s nickname and retrieved his satchel from the floor. “Absolutely. But maybe you could go easy on this old dude for a bit and help me out of that damn bog I’m stuck in.”

Aaron’s mouth turned up in a rare grin. “I’ll consider it.”

Standing at the sink. Lee wore a fond, almost affectionate expression. And when Gazza headed through the lounge for the studio, Lee tracked the man’s every step. I was done trying to figure those two out.

Clearly of the same opinion, Mads leaned in and whispered, “What is it with young people these days? None of them use their damn words.”

I snorted and kissed him on the cheek. “Not just young guys, right?”

A red stain crept up Mads’ neck. “Yeah, okay. Point taken. I love you. I love you. I love you. Happy now?”

I grinned. “Ecstatic.”

“Good, now open that letter. You’ve got me curious.”

“Me too.” Lee retook his chair at the table.

“Oh, wonderful,” I said sourly. “An audience. Just what I need as I open a letter from my secret lover.”

Mads almost choked. “Like you could cope with a secret lover. You can barely handle the complexities of the public one you already have.”

He had a point.

I opened the envelope and frowned at the folded, wrinkled pages. It was as if the author had decided to write it and then tossed it away before changing their mind. Curiosity piqued, and with a niggling sense of unease, I smoothed the sheets and began to read.

At the opening words, my heart dropped into my stomach.

Then it stopped altogether once I’d read the first few lines.

Dearest Nick,

I want to call you son but I have no right, I know that. Especially after what I did. Please believe me when I say that leaving you that day broke my heart and I’ll always regret not being able to?—

I dropped the letter, the words burning into my brain like a fiery brand, my painful past screaming up at me from the page.

“Nick? What’s wrong?” Mads’ warm hand landed on my thigh. “Who is it from?”

I couldn’t find the words, so I shoved the paper his way. He frowned at me for a second, then picked it up. He’d barely begun to read when he gasped and slammed it down again.

“Holy shit.” Mads stood and pulled me into his arms, crushing me against him.

“Lee. Aaron. We need some time, please.” His commanding voice brooked no argument and the brothers left the room without a word.

A minute, an hour—I couldn’t say how long Mads rocked me in his arms, but I never wanted to leave.

It felt the only safe place in the world at that moment. The one true thing I could rely on.

Too soon, Mads leaned back and scrutinised my face, his concern etched in every line on his beautiful face. “Come on, baby.” He kissed me softly on the lips and steered me back into the chair. “How about we read it together?”

I nodded wordlessly, numbness creeping up my body, my tongue lying fat and useless in my mouth. Mads held the letter out for me to take but I shook my head. “You read it. I can’t.”

Mads frowned. “Are you sure?”

I nodded. “Please.”

Mads hesitated a few seconds longer, then locked his hand around mine and started to read.

The End