Combatting Fear Page 13

  “And you do?” Jack’s eyes narrowed.

  “My PI found out that Chelsea’s boyfriend is involved in the Mutts bikie gang.”

  “Shit! And you got Neve involved in this?” Jack stepped towards Micah, fists clenched.

  Micah braced but held his ground.

  Neve pushed between them. “Look, you two, we need to work together and work fast, so let’s cut the macho bullshit.” They both looked at her and nodded.

  “The guy on the phone, Boiler, is probably in the gang too,” Micah said. “I’ll get my PI to look into it.”

  “They want money,” Neve added, “and they’re smart enough to know what Micah’s worth, but too stupid to know they’ve asked for an impossible amount.”

  He tilted his head to one side. “Stupid, yes. Not impossible.”

  Her eyes bugged out. He crossed his arms and glared. It didn’t matter that his money was the only thing keeping Rowan alive right now, she’d still hold it against him.

  “You’re telling me you can get ten million dollars?” Jack asked.

  “If it means keeping Rowan safe, then I’ll find a way. I have my own very creative accountant, but it might take a while.”

  There was silence for a few minutes, aside from a pounding in his head at the idea of what might happen if his accountant didn’t come through.

  “Well, it’s obvious what we need to do,” Jack said. “Go to the police.”

  “No!” Micah balked. “Boiler said we shouldn’t do that. It’s not worth endangering Rowan or Chelsea.”

  “Look, I don’t know that I agree—”

  “No police. Good God, he said he’d send them to me in pieces!”

  Jack nodded. “I see your point. Okay, I have a buddy in the military who owes me a favour. If we could narrow the vicinity where they’re holding Rowan, he might be able to use satellites to pinpoint the exact location. Even give us a picture of how many people come and go from the property. Then we’d be in a better position to make a decision.”

  “We could extract him.” Neve’s eyes widened, as though she was as surprised at the idea as the rest of them.

  “What? No way.” Jack put both hands on Neve’s shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Right now, that would be more dangerous than sending the police in.”

  “I say we do what Boiler told us to do,” Micah said.

  Neve shook her head. “Look, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. First Jack’s guy and your PI should get as much information as they can about the Mutts and where they might be holed up. Micah, you need to find out how long it’s going to take to get the money.”

  He nodded, pulled his mobile phone out of his pocket, and grimaced at the wreckage. Neve handed over hers.

  “I guess I’d better order a new phone while I’m at it.” Already dialling, he headed outside.

  It was simple to organise the phone, but the accountant was more difficult to convince. He was about to head back inside when he dialled one more number.

  “Shannon, I need you to get as much information about Dave and Chelsea’s vehicles as you can, and look into someone called Boiler who might be a member of the Mutts motorcycle gang. And can you look into Neve and Antonio Botticelli, and Jack Burton for me?”

  “Am I looking for anything specific?”

  “Just a general background check, thanks.”

  Ten minutes later, he strode back into Jack’s Shed. “It will take too long to sell any major assets, so my accountant is going to cash in stocks and shares, empty bank accounts. It’s going to be a stretch, because I don’t want to lay off any staff, but he’s optimistic about pulling the funds together inside five days.”

  Jack hummed. “That’s too long in a situation like this.”

  “I know, but it’s the best I can do. Neve, you should pack a bag and get the hell out of here. I don’t want you in any more danger.”

  “Ha! Why would Boiler even think I was involved? You’re easier to find than me.”

  “I agree with Micah,” Jack said.

  “Shit.” Neve paced. “If he finds Micah at the bed-and-breakfast, then the Travaglias could be in danger too. You should stay at my house.”

  “What?” Jack and Micah snapped in unison.

  With hands waving in front of his chest, Micah backed away. “Are you nuts? Your dad said he’d cut my balls off if I set foot on his property again.”

  “That’s not a good idea, love.” Jack took her hand. “There’s no way Tony would agree to it, and it would upset him no end. Micah can stay with me.”

  Neve took a deep breath. “It’s like explaining things to four-year-olds. If Dave is involved with the Mutts and you’ve seen them driving past the shed, Jack, then the chances of them seeing Micah coming and going is too high. He’ll stay at my place. I’ll deal with Tony.”

  She stood with hands on hips, lips pursed, daring them to defy her.

  “Great, I’ll sleep with one eye open,” Micah grumbled.

  Chapter 20

  After Micah took Neve to the kindy to pick up her car, they’d made a detour to the bed-and-breakfast to pick up his laptop and suitcase. It was surreal to lead the way along the rugged track that was her driveway, with Micah following behind in his car.

  Breaking the news to Tony was going to be a challenge. No one else had ever stayed in their home, and he didn’t take well to changes in his routine. Hell, she hadn’t been thinking straight when she invited Micah to stay, but it was too late for backsies. It really made a statement about how desperate Micah was that he went along with it. After all, Tony did threaten his nuts.

  She glanced in the rearview mirror. I never thought I’d see the day when there was a Bentley at home.

  She got out of the car and signaled for Micah to wind down his window. “Stay here until I give the all clear. Got it?”

  “Don’t worry, I’m in no hurry to come inside.”

  “Chicken.” A playful grin twisted her mouth.

  Tony stepped onto the front verandah with a smile on his face, and then spotted Micah. He grabbed a broom that was leaning against the house and rushed forward.

  Oh shit. She intercepted him with metres to spare and put both hands on his chest.

  “What’s that fucker doing here?”

  “Stop, Tony. He needs our help.”

  “Like hell he does. I told him not to come here again.”

  Tony pushed forwards and she pushed back.

  She lowered her voice. “Dad, just give me a minute to explain.” She never called him dad, and it had the desired effect. Tony lowered his arms, searching her face.

  Refusing to call him dad seemed trivial now, but when she had first come to live with Tony as a teenager, she’d so resented his primitive lifestyle that she’d directed all of the rage of losing Carlos and her mother at him. He’d given up trying to change her mind long ago.

  Tony relaxed his shoulders and took a step back. “So what’s Richie Rich doing here?”

  “We went to the hand over this morning, and Chelsea didn’t show—”

  “His marital problems aren’t your business, Neve.”

  “It’s worse than that.” Her hand went to her stomach as she explained the phone call and Boiler’s demand. “Rowan is being held for ransom. I have to do something.”

  The tips of Tony’s fingers made a scratching sound against his greying stubble. “I know how you feel about Rowan, and there’s nothing wrong with helping Micah, but why does he have to come here?”

  After a long sigh, she explained her reasoning just as she had to Jack and Micah. “The only place he’ll be safe while we figure this out, is here, and we have the skills to help him if things don’t go to plan.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that. What kind of plan do you think there’s going to be?”

  “This is my home too Tony, and I need to do this. If you don’t want to be involved, then I’ll move out.” That was a low blow, but there just wasn’t time to spend talking him around today.

  �
��Honey.” It was a pained plea. He rubbed his temples and paced to the porch and back.

  “It’s only for five days,” she said to soften the blow.

  “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do while Richie Rich makes himself at home,” he mumbled under his breath, already heading for the tree line.

  Neve waited until Tony had disappeared before waving Micah over. Well, he’d already seen the inside of her home and no doubt judged it as lacking. How much worse could living with him be?

  It was Tony’s house before hers though. God I’m such a heel. Poor Dad doesn’t need this stress.

  Inside, she ushered Micah into the kitchen. No backing out now.

  “It’s organised?” Micah asked.

  “Yes, but as you can imagine, he’s none too happy, and if you go near his bedroom, all bets are off.”

  “You’re going to be here too, right?”

  She laughed. “A big, strong bloke like you is afraid of an old man?”

  “A batshit crazy old man who’s trained to kill,” he mumbled sullenly.

  “Look, Tony has gone to cool off. It might be a good idea for us to grab something to eat now, so we can clear out of his way. Jack will be here later for a strategy meeting. What do you fancy to eat?”

  “Dare I ask what you’ve got?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” She narrowed her eyes at him.

  “I’m picturing kangaroo steak, rabbit stew, damper. Am I far wrong?”

  “Don’t be such an arse. Sit down.” She pointed to the kitchen table and opened the door on the stove to toss a chunk of wood in. Then she fossicked in the pantry for what she needed, throwing the ingredients together while a cast-iron frying pan heated on stovetop.

  The sensation of his gaze following her around the rustic kitchen was unnerving. She could guess at the kind of judgments he was making about her lifestyle, and now she was stuck with him for the best part of a week.

  “Okay, I have to ask,” Micah said. “You’ve got an electric light, but you cook on a wood stove, and that looks like a gas cooktop.”

  Tossing finely chopped vegetables into the frying pan, she kept her back to him.

  “The bottled gas is for when it’s too hot to put the wood stove on. There wasn’t gas or electricity when I came to live with Tony, because he refused to connect anything to the grid—Big Brother phobia—but I was twelve years old and used to living in the real world, so we came to a compromise.”

  “I’d like to see your power set up.” Micah picked up Wind Power Workshop by Hugh Piggott from a shelf beside the dining table. “One day I want to build a self-sufficient house in the Blue Mountains.”

  Neve put the knife down and turned to face him, head tilted sceptically. He’d better not be mocking her.

  He smiled, and a tiny dimple folded into his right cheek, which changed his face from its usual businesslike intensity to something boyish that took her breath away. “I’m very interested in sustainable energies. Hard to believe, eh? In fact, I own several wind farms and am about to build the largest in Australia at Silverton.”

  Her house had a wind turbine. He owned farms of them. “I’ll take you on a tour after this,” she said.

  Hearing about his interests from him was more compelling than reading it on Wikipedia. The ever-increasing enigma only boosted her curiosity, which really wasn’t healthy considering he’d be gone from her life in less than a week.

  • • •

  “I’m not saying it’ll be quite as simple as this place,” Micah said, “but I don’t want to bring a family up in the middle of Sydney.” He was thinking more of a semirural homestead on acreage where Rowan could run and play, even if there was little chance of him having siblings now.

  The Botticellis’ kitchen was simplistic, but he could appreciate the warmth of the timber, the functionality, and there were homely touches, like the herbs hanging from the ceiling and what looked like a handmade teapot. Sustainable living in its most basic form, and sustainability was what he was trying to bring to communities around Australia.

  “It must’ve been really difficult for you being landed in such a primitive existence as a teenager.”

  “It’s not primitive,” she snapped. “Tony would have done anything for me back then, no matter how much it hurt him.”

  “And now?”

  “He still would, but I don’t need it now. I’m happy with our life. It’s peaceful. There’s Wi-Fi and power points on my side of the house when I need a bit of civilisation.”

  From the stiff way Neve held herself, she wasn’t much enjoying having him lob in her private space. It had been a hell of a day all around, and the drama wasn’t over yet. Not too many people would invite a virtual stranger into their home, especially with the additional complication of Tony. In truth, Micah wasn’t convinced that staying at the bed-and-breakfast and being found by the Mutts would be any more dangerous than Tony Botticelli.

  “Have you ever had a houseguest before?”

  The chopping ceased. “Not really. Jack and Bron are the only people Tony ever trusted enough.” She sighed. “I know how we live isn’t normal, but I’m used to it.”

  “Define normal.”

  No chance of that. There was zero normal about this situation.

  “Neve, it’s just . . .different from what I’m used to that’s all.” Way different. “Hey, not everyone needs a lot of stuff. I like having money. It provides me with amazing opportunities to help people less fortunate and to improve our environment. Not to mention providing security for my family.”

  “How’s that working out for you?”

  “Look, we’re getting side-tracked here. I really appreciate what you’re doing for me, Tony too. Is there anything I should know about him so I don’t put my foot in it?”

  “Mostly he just wants to keep me safe. Keep out of his way and you’ll be fine. I read him the riot act.”

  A tremor shuddered along her arm. No doubt this was costing her dearly. None of this was fair on either of them. Tony was her whole life, and she was his. It said volumes about how much she cared about Rowan that she had become embroiled in this situation.

  “Tony doesn’t act like this to be mean, you know.” Neve lifted the edges of an omelette in the pan. “He finds it difficult to cope with the outside world, that’s all.”

  She slid a folded omelette onto each plate, added a handful of salad, and they tucked into their meals.

  Several mouthfuls in, Micah said, “I’ll try not to upset him. This is delicious, by the way.”

  “We grow most of our own fruit and vegetables and have hens.”

  Once they’d finished eating, Micah followed her on a tour of the house. It wouldn’t take long considering the size of the place.

  The first thing she pointed out was Tony’s bedroom, the no-go zone. Now that Micah had recovered from the initial shock of the yellow-ochre walls, concrete floor, and sparse decor, he could see signs of Neve in the house. A potted plant by the window and a photo of a smiling family on the lounge wall. Obviously a much younger Tony with thick, black hair and softer eyes, his arm around a woman with pale skin but with the same oval face and almond-shaped eyes as Neve, who had two long braids over her shoulders, with green ribbons on the ends, and a cheeky grin. Her little brother was holding her hand and looking up as though she meant the world to him.

  Neve cleared her throat, and he moved on.

  “And this is my wing. Bedroom”—Neve pointed to a curtain-covered archway at the back of the house—“and library.”

  “Wow, that’s a lot of books.”

  “Not a lot to do without a TV.”

  “I didn’t notice. I don’t watch a lot myself.”

  He could imagine her curled in the armchair, book in hand. The room even smelt of her, like walking through a eucalypt forest on a summer day. If he listened closely enough, he might hear the crackle of crisp gum leaves underfoot. In the corner was a black pot-bellied stove, and a thick floor rug in autumn colours
gave the room a homey feel.

  “Hey, I should get you something for those grazes on your knuckles and your lip,” Neve said.

  As long as the scrapes still stung, he wouldn’t forget how dangerous his every decision had become, and that was critical. “It’s nothing. I’ll be fine.”

  Neve’s mobile phone beeped. “Umm, someone named Shannon has information about Boiler for you,” she said.

  “Oh yeah, sorry. I gave my PI and PA your number in case of emergencies. Just until I get a new one. Hope that’s okay.”

  “I guess so. You may as well wait until Jack gets here to share the info about Boiler. Then we can pool our resources and make a plan to find Rowan. Seeing as we’ve got an hour to kill, why don’t we do a perimeter check and you can see the rest of the property.” A shiver ran up his spine at the recollection of Tony’s traps.

  Chapter 21

  Neve lead Micah outside to a shed attached to the end of the house and grabbed a key from a hook on the wall.

  “Will you be okay to show yourself around the orchard and veggie garden while I check the fences?”

  “Or I could come with you. I’m guessing it’s a long way around the fence line.”

  Neve laughed. “It’s two-hundred-acres, I’m not going on foot.”

  She ran her hands over a familiar shape in the dim shed and then pushed it outside.

  “You ride a motorbike?” He looked impressed.

  She shrugged. “I learnt back when Mum and Dad first got divorced and I only spent school holidays here.

  “Is that a TT250?” Micah ran a finger across the handlebars.

  “You know your dirt bikes?”

  “I have a KTM Enduro 250 at home,” he admitted. “It was all I could afford when I was a teenager, and going off-road on the weekend was the best fun. I’ve thought about upgrading over the years, but the Enduro has sentimental value.”

  “Okay then, you can ride Tony’s bike.”

  She pushed a second motorcycle over to Micah, who wore a huge grin.