Page 32 of Vain (Tempest #2)

Chapter Thirty-One

AIDEN

I hated leaving Tilly, but I know she’s safe in Reese’s hands.

The first place I head is back to the house. I stop at the guard shack and fill in a worried Davey.

“Mr. Marley came down to tell me what was happening. I couldn’t believe it. I’m so glad you and Miss Carson are both okay.”

“Thanks, man. Me too. The hospital is keeping her overnight for observation, but she’ll be home tomorrow.”

“Thank you for letting me know.”

“No problem. I wanted to ask if you’ve noticed anything odd lately. Any suspicious vehicles or strange behavior for the other residents around here?”

He thinks about it for a moment, and I respect that. Too often, people answer with a knee-jerk reaction.

“Not that I can recall. I don’t have much to do with the other residents as Miss Carson’s property is the last one on this row. None of the neighbors come down this far.”

“Fair point. Anyone else stick out? Someone who has been through these gates? Even if they were permitted to be here? I know that sounds vague, but with the odd things happening around the property, the stalker may be someone Matilda knows.” I don’t want to say Daniel’s name.

I’m not about to plant seeds. I want unbiased opinions.

He looks around momentarily to make sure nobody else is around to hear us. “I’ve not been here as long as Phil. We have a new guy starting next week. It is supposed to ease the pressure on Phil and me, but I worry all the same. I have a wife and daughter. I don’t want to lose my job.”

“Nothing you say will come back on you.”

He sighs but nods. “Honestly, everyone here acts strange at times. I live a simple life. Rich people are all odd to me.”

I grin at that. “You’re talking to a small-town boy. I get it.”

He smiles back, and there is relief in it. It is as if he finds me more relatable. I push just a little. “You should have seen Daniel when I rocked up on my first day. He looked at my dirty truck, Mexican heritage, and casual outfit of T-shirt and shorts and clearly found me lacking.”

He shakes his head. “He does the same kind of job as I do, but you would think he was a celebrity himself. He wasn’t…

how do I say this…mean. But he is very cold.

That man does not make small talk, ever.

At first, I thought his men were the same way, but I have seen them laughing and joking with each other when Daniel was not around. ”

“Have you ever seen any of them—Daniel, or his team—do or say anything that made you feel uncomfortable?”

He chews his lip before leaning closer. “They were very descriptive about what they would like to do to Miss Carson.” He looks uncomfortable, so I bite back a snarl.

“Never Daniel, though. And they never said it when he was near. They knew their boss man had a crush on her.”

“That was common knowledge?”

“I believe so. I think the only person that never realized was Miss Carson herself.”

“Yeah, I think she was hurt more than anything else when she realized. I guess it became harder for him to hide once I was here.”

“Anyone can see you are gone for Miss Carson. The difference is that she is gone for you, too. That made Daniel very jealous. He was mad a lot before he was fired.”

“Mad enough to hurt Matilda?”

He hesitates before shrugging. “I want to say no. He has had a long time to hurt her but didn’t. I do believe in his head that at least he cares for her, maybe even loves her.”

“But?” Because I can hear the hesitation in his voice.

“But I’ve seen the stories. My wife is obsessed with the crime channel. The man who professes to care always causes the most pain.”

I blow out an exasperated breath. “Ain’t that the truth. And people wonder why women would choose the bear.”

“Sorry?”

“Doesn’t matter. Did you see Daniel at all after she fired him?”

He taps his chin in thought. “He came by several times to talk to his team, but I would not let him through the gate. I called up and had his team come to meet him here.”

“Good. Tilly doesn’t want him anywhere near her right now.”

“I understand. I haven’t seen him since his team was fired, though. I would need to ask Phil if he has seen him on the day shift at all.”

“If you could find out, that would be great. Anyone else who sticks out in your head?”

“Mr. Greyson is angry a lot. He does not like Miss Tilly being in danger.”

“None of us do. And the police just aren’t taking anything seriously, though I’m hoping if nothing else comes out of today, it at least gives them a kick up the ass they need to investigate further.”

“Me too, Mr. Church. I would point them in the mother’s direction first.”

I tip my head. “Can I ask why?”

“Have you met her?”

I snort at that. “Once.”

“It was enough, yes?”

“More than enough.”

“She comes around at least once a week trying to gain entry. She has promised to have me fired and call the police, same with Phil, but I’m just following Miss Carson’s orders.”

“You’re absolutely doing the right thing, turning her away.”

“I know. She is just full of spite. I don’t know why she comes when she seems to really dislike her daughter.”

“Because Hattie’s claim to fame is her daughter. And she doesn’t like it one little bit that Matilda wants to follow a different path than the one Hattie laid out for her.”

“She doesn’t care if Miss Carson is happy, does she?”

“No, happiness does not matter to Hattie unless it’s her own.”

“Last time she came, she talked about taking her down a peg or two. That time, Daniel was actually helpful and took her to his car and drove her home.”

“Was this the day they were banned from the property?”

He shakes his head. “No, a couple of weeks after. She was mad I wouldn’t let her in. She had already tried to get past Phil that day. He told me at the handover. I expected more trouble when Daniel turned up, but he just apologized and told me he’d take her home.”

“Did he come back and pick up her car?”

“No, she never drives herself. She uses a service that drops her off. Then, she complains that she has no way of getting home.”

“Going for the sympathy vote?”

“Possibly, but it is hard to feel sympathy for a soul-sucking viper.”

I crack up laughing at that. “Can’t say I disagree with that. I will head up to the house to see Marley and Greyson. Call me if you think of anything else or have any other issues.” I pull a business card from my wallet and hand it to him.

“I will do, Mr. Church. Give my best wishes to Miss Carson for me.”

I nod and walk up to the house. The floodlights keep the place brightly lit, but I scan the area for possible threats. Taking out the key, I let myself in and close the door behind me just as Marley comes around the corner.

“Oh, I thought you were Greyson. How is she?”

“She’s okay. She has a concussion, so they’re keeping her in overnight for observation, but god willing, she’ll be home tomorrow.”

“Oh, thank fuck.” He presses his hands to his heart. “I swear I’m getting too old for this.” He takes a few seconds to regulate his breathing before he looks at me. “Tell me you got the guy that did this.”

I sigh. “We have a lot to catch up on since we didn’t see you this morning.”

“Come to the kitchen. I’ll make you some coffee. You look like you could use it.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” I follow him in and sit on one of the stools as Marley sets about making me a drink. While the coffee is brewing, I fill him in about the dead flowers and the incident with the Post-it notes before moving on to the crash.

He slides me a mug of coffee before disappearing into the pantry for a moment. He returns with a large chocolate cake covered with a glass lid. “I made this for you both for a weekend treat, but you look like you need a piece now.”

“I think I just fell in love with you.”

He chuckles. “Funny you should say that because I call this my Do Me Dark and Dirty dessert.

“I’m scared to ask why.”

“Let’s just say this came to me on a weekend where there was bourbon, frosting, and a whole lot of questionable choices made.” He waggles his eyebrows as he slices a large piece and hands it over.

I take a bite and groan in appreciation. “Sweet baby Jesus, you need to move back to Tempest with me.”

“I’m not sure it’s me you need to convince.”

I wipe my mouth and lean my elbows on the counter. “Not sure Tilly moving is what’s best for her. Her whole life is here.”

“The second you go home, that last sentence becomes untrue. And you’ll never know if you don’t ask her.”

“I feel like I’m being selfish. After all, what’s stopping me from moving here? And I’m not saying I won’t. I don’t want a life without Tilly in it. I hate the thought of leaving all my family and friends. I’d always planned to settle down where I grew up.”

“You know there was a time when Matilda wanted to move.”

“Really? She never said anything.”

“It was before the acid attack. She was tired of acting and dabbling with the idea of directing something, but she struggled with being taken seriously. Her mother didn’t help with that.

Every time that woman speaks in a public setting, she makes Matilda sound like a spoiled flaky princess when nothing could be further from the truth.

Of course, the media doesn’t care about the truth, just sensationalism.

Matilda figured a fresh start might be in order.

She has a couple of other properties. She planned to start as a vacation and see if the place spoke to her.

” He shrugs. “It was then the universe couldn’t help but fuck with her.

The Post-it notes began appearing the second she started talking about moving.

And well, you know the rest. Ultimately, a fresh start became more terrifying than staying here, which felt familiar and safe. ”

“Until now.”

“Until now,” he agrees.

I look around and frown. “Where is Greyson, by the way? I thought he’d be here waiting for news.”

“He’s been running errands in the evening while Matilda has been working late.

You know, dry cleaning, groceries. Because I only ever remember to grab the things I cook with,” he admits, looking at his watch.

“He’s usually back by now. So if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say he’s where you just came from. ”

I tap my forehead. “Of course he is. I should have figured it out.”

“Matilda is his daughter in every way but blood.”

I shove another mouthful of cake in and nod, letting him know I understand.

“I’m the cool uncle. In case you were wondering.”

“Obviously. And I think she’ll love you even more if you package up a couple of slices of that for me to take back.”

“Now that, I can do.”

“I’m just going to run up and grab the keys to my truck. The police had Matilda’s car towed. But even if they hadn’t, it’s in no state to drive.”

“No problem. I’ll put together some bits ready for when you come down. Might I suggest you grab Matilda something to sleep in and something to wear home tomorrow? If the press have caught wind of what happened, they’ll be all over the hospital tomorrow.”

“Shit, good shout.”

“Not my first rodeo.” He smiles sadly.

I tap the counter and head up the stairs. It’s hard to believe that it’s only been hours since we rolled out of bed to head to the set, but it feels like days.

I grab my keys first and my charger for my phone before deciding I might as well take a quick shower and get cleaned up myself.

The scrub top is not exactly the warmest thing in the world.

Fifteen minutes later, I’m washed, dressed, and packing a bag for Tilly.

I opt for pajamas for the hospital, noting how cold it was earlier with the AC on full.

I go for yoga pants, a purple Henley, and an oversized hoodie for tomorrow.

I shove it all into my gym bag, not knowing if Tilly has one.

I find a pair of sneakers in her closet and a makeup bag in the bathroom, so I throw them in, too.

I pick up some toiletries she’ll need and her toothbrush before packing it all and hauling it downstairs.

I hear voices as I reach the kitchen and find Greyson sitting in my vacated seat. “Hey.”

He turns to look at me, his eyes bloodshot, his skin pale. I notice the ice pack on his hand and look to Marley for answers.

“He punched a wall.”

I look to Greyson for more. “Another hospital, another hospital bed. She’s had enough. She looked so small and fragile. I was too scared to hug her in case I hurt her.”

“I get it, trust me. I want to fucking kill whoever did this. For a split second, when the car flipped, I thought I’d lost her.”

His face pales even further.

“But she’s okay, Greyson. She’s strong. Stronger than all of us.”

“She is, isn’t she?” He smiles. It’s small, but it’s something.

“So, no more beating up walls, okay? Tilly will be pissed if you hurt yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah. Marley already read me the riot act.”

“Good.”

“Are you heading back? They wouldn’t let me stay long because visiting hours were over.”

“Let them try to remove me.”

Marley snorts as he hands me a carrier bag. “Cake and snacks. Tell her not to eat the hospital food. It will make her sick.”

I laugh but agree with him. “I’ll let you know tomorrow when she gets sprung.”

“We’ll be here,” Greyson answers.

I say my goodbyes and head to my truck, placing the bags on the back seat. I climb in and start her up just as my cell phone rings.

I pull it out, see its Banner, and answer it. “What have you got for me?”

“I got you a business address for Cox Security and a home address for Daniel Cox. I did some digging. It turns out, this is not the first time Daniel has been fired from a security job.”

“What was he fired for, do you know?”

“Who are you talking to? Of course, I know. He was fired for bad conduct. Something to do with aggressive behavior.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, that can easily happen in this job. All it takes is one disgruntled perp to make a complaint and for someone to take him seriously.”

“I know, but this wasn’t the perp, but the client.”

“He got aggressive with his client? Can’t say I’m surprised the guy fired him then.”

“Wasn’t a guy. It was a woman, and she has a restraining order against him.”

“What the fuck?”

“My thoughts exactly.”