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  He gestured for her to lead the way.

  She left the lights on throughout the house. She wouldn’t make it easy for anyone to come back. Her skin crawled as she walked into the master bedroom. It smelled like Mark and held so many bad memories. “I’ll get fresh sheets.” She went to strip the bed and Kim stopped her.

  “I’ll do it. You get the sheets.”

  She hurried out. By the time she returned, the mattress was bare and Kim had moved it to the floor in her room.

  “That OK?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” Together they made the bed and then she locked the bedroom door. Locking herself in a room with a man should frighten her but it didn’t. Not with Kim.

  “Do you want the mattress or the bed?” Kim stood against the wall, giving her plenty of space to move around. Her heart warmed at his understanding.

  “The bed.” She was tossing out the mattress at the first opportunity. She climbed into bed and switched on the lamp, before shuffling to the edge of the bed to look down at him on the mattress. “Thank you for everything.”

  His smile was beautiful. “I wish it hadn’t come to this, but I’m here for you now, Aly. All you need to do is ask.”

  She switched off the light, an unfamiliar, uncomfortable sensation swirling in her stomach.

  Ask. If only it was that simple. Mark had programmed her not to ask for anything. It was too dangerous, his reaction too unpredictable.

  “Night, Aly. Sweet dreams.”

  Her stomach settled and she smiled. Kim’s voice reminded her of happier times.

  Closing her eyes, she fell asleep.

  Magpies warbling outside Alyse’s window woke her the next morning. She lay there listening to the sweet sound heralding a new day, a new beginning. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in her blinds signifying it was later than she usually slept. She squinted and pain throbbed in her face. It would only get better from here. As she sat, she spotted Kim lying sound asleep on the mattress, the quilt pulled up under his chin. His face was unlined, his mouth turned up at the corners in a small smile as if he didn’t have a worry in the world. She couldn’t remember when she’d felt that much at peace.

  Not wanting to disturb him, she crawled to the end of her bed and stepped onto the thin gap of carpet between the mattress and the wall. She moved to the door and twisted the lock.

  “Morning.”

  She whirled around, heart racing. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” She waited for his scowl, for him to tell her off and complain about her being too noisy.

  He sat, the quilt falling to his waist exposing his well-toned arms and chest. “No problem. What time is it?”

  Her heart rate slowed. He wasn’t Mark. She glanced at her phone. “Eight.” The police would be back soon. “Do you want some breakfast?” She opened the door.

  “Yeah, and coffee, lots of coffee.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I can make it.” He pulled on his jumper and followed her out of the room.

  Alyse hesitated. “You go ahead. I’ll check the house.”

  “I’ll come—” He stopped himself and gave a wry smile. “Want me to come with you?”

  He’d remembered what she’d told him last night. She smiled. “No. I’ll be fine. You put the kettle on.” The daylight gave her confidence.

  She went from room to room checking windows and doors again and switching off the lights. Everything was how she’d left it. In the kitchen, Kim had placed flour, eggs and milk on the table and was searching through the cupboards. As she walked in, he said, “I thought I’d make pancakes, if you’re interested.”

  A man who cooked. “I’d love some. There’s a mixing bowl in the cupboard over there.” She pointed, and in no time he was whipping up the batter. Alyse got out some bananas and her bees’ honey to have with them, and then grabbed the maple syrup in case Kim preferred it.

  “What’s your plan for today?” Kim asked as he cooked the first batch.

  “I’ll see what the police have to say.” She wanted to redecorate, remove every piece of evidence that Mark had ever been here, like he’d done with her parents years earlier. But there might be something which would add years to his jail time.

  “Do you have any work to do?”

  She hadn’t finished building her frames, but she’d thought of something more important. “I’d like to go to the bank, change the access on the business accounts.”

  “Sure. We could go to lunch while we’re in Albany.”

  She turned away from him. The idea was appealing, but if Mark saw them, if he was following them, he would be furious. She closed her eyes. It didn’t matter. He probably already knew Kim had stayed the night, probably even knew he’d slept in her room. He had a way of knowing exactly what she’d done at every point of her day. She pulled back her shoulders. “I haven’t been to Dylan’s in years. Mum and Dad would take me there on Sunday afternoons and we’d have ice cream sundaes.”

  “It’s a date.” Kim grinned.

  Shock speared her. A date? No, it couldn’t be. Dates led to dating which led to manipulation and being trapped.

  “Hey, are you all right? You’ve gone pale.” Kim brushed her arm, and she flinched away from him.

  “It’s not a date.” She rubbed her arms, shaking her head. “It’s lunch.”

  Kim nodded slowly. “Yeah, just lunch. It was a figure of speech.”

  “Good.” Her hands shook as she opened the fridge, staring inside for something she could retrieve. Butter, that would do. When she turned back, Kim was sliding a pancake onto a plate.

  “You can have the first one.” His tone was light, but his movements were stiff as if he was waiting for her to freak out again.

  She slid into the chair and focused on her breathing. “Kim, I…” How could she explain?

  “You don’t have to say anything, Aly.”

  “I do. You must think I’m crazy.”

  He stayed over by the stove. “No, I think you’ve been traumatised by an abusive man. It will leave you with scars.”

  She nodded. “In the beginning I didn’t want to date Mark.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

  “I turned him down multiple times before I said yes.”

  “Why?”

  Because she’d still been hoping Kim would ask her out. She sipped her coffee. “Even then I knew it was odd that someone eleven years older was interested in me. I wasn’t attractive or popular and spent my weekends helping my parents with the bees.”

  Kim shook his head. “Aly, you were the most beautiful girl in our year.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “No, I wasn’t.”

  He laughed. “Yes, you were.” He placed another pancake on her plate and retreated to the stove. “My sisters envied your pale skin and your gorgeous red hair.” He poured more batter into the pan. “The first time I saw you, I thought you were a fairy-tale princess.”

  Heat flooded her cheeks. “Not with all these freckles.”

  He nodded. “My first day of school in Blackbridge was mid-year because Dad had had a nervous breakdown and refused to stay in the city. I was determined to hate everything about this place because I missed my friends and Grandma and didn’t want to move.”

  Alyse frowned, trying to remember. “What year was it?”

  “Grade five. Mrs Perrier’s class. The only spare seat was next to you and I was so overwhelmed by you I tripped over my feet in front of the whole class.”

  The memory popped into her head and she laughed. “I remember. I felt sorry for you.”

  Kim slid a pancake onto another plate and sat next to her. “After I picked myself up, you introduced yourself and said ‘Welcome to Blackbridge’. Then at recess you introduced me to the others in the class and told the boys to be nice to me.” He drizzled honey over his pancakes.

  “I can’t believe you remember.”

  “It was a pivotal moment in my life, Aly.”

  And she’d been a part of it. It was so sweet.

 
“So even if you didn’t realise it, Mark would have been attracted by your looks.”

  Her mood soured. That’s what they’d been talking about. She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. He wooed me with gifts and compliments, and I felt special.” She ate some pancake but couldn’t taste it. “I knew nothing about relationships and thought since he was doing all these nice things for me, I should do everything he wanted me to do.” She shook away the memories. “It doesn’t matter now.”

  He stood. “Another pancake?”

  “No, thanks.” She watched as he made himself one. “Why are you doing this, Kim?”

  He glanced at her. “Making pancakes?”

  “No, helping me.”

  He gave her his full attention. “Because you’re my friend.”

  It couldn’t be that simple. They’d barely seen each other in six years. “What do you want from me? What do you get out of this?”

  Kim switched off the stove. “I want you safe. I want to spend time with you again, chat about bees and silly dreams and life.” He closed his eyes briefly, exhaled. “OK. Full disclosure.” His eyes met hers. “I’ve missed you, Aly. You’ve always held a special place in my heart. You were my first love, even if you never knew it.”

  Her breath caught and her heart pounded. She had no words.

  He sat next to her, a self-deprecating smile on his face. “You mean a lot to me.”

  She shook her head, a flutter of panic in her stomach. “I can’t, Kim. I can’t be someone’s focus again. I can’t offer you anything in return. I can’t do anything until Mark’s out of my life for good.”

  “I’m not asking for anything but friendship, Aly.”

  Her disappointment surprised her. She didn’t need complications, and she didn’t want to rush back into a relationship. “OK.”

  The rumble of a car engine brought goosebumps to her skin. She jumped up, peered out of the kitchen window and relaxed when a police car drove into view. “The police are back.” She walked out of the house and over to Lincoln and Adam. A plain white sedan pulled in behind them and detectives Bosch and Khan climbed out.

  “No further disturbances last night?” Lincoln asked, studying her.

  “No.”

  Kim joined them as Bosch said, “The forensics team should be here within the hour. They’ll go through Mark’s office and the shed.”

  “What about the rest of the house? Do you need to examine Mark’s bedroom or the other rooms?”

  “Did he do any work in there?”

  Alyse shrugged. “No. He kept all his work in the office, and I wasn’t allowed inside.”

  “We’ll get the team to look.”

  “Have you had any word on Mark?” Kim asked.

  Lincoln shook his head. “Even though Craig posted bail, the family hasn’t seen him since he took off in one of the winery utes. We’ve put out an alert, and Ryan and Sue are going around to local businesses and friends this morning to ask them to call us if he shows up.”

  “Hopefully he’ll turn up soon,” Adam said.

  Alyse wasn’t holding her breath. Mark was an avid camper so he could be in the bush somewhere. Her gaze caught movement by her fence line. She frowned, focusing on it.

  Crack.

  Dirt sprayed up at her feet and she jumped. What the–?

  “Gunshot!” Lincoln yanked her towards him, pulling her around the police car, putting it between her and the gunman.

  Another shot, the sound echoing through the morning as Kim and Adam dived next to them. Adam yelled into his radio, his gun already drawn.

  “Stay here,” Lincoln said. “Keep your head down.”

  Every muscle froze except her heart which pumped so hard it felt as if it would explode.

  Kim pulled her close, sheltering her body with his.

  No. He was in as much danger as she was. She shifted as Lincoln yelled, “Anyone got eyes on him?”

  “He’s on the fence line,” Alyse said. “Between the two tall gums on the border to Henk’s.”

  Lincoln shot her a look.

  “I saw movement just before the shot went off.”

  Adam repeated the information into the radio as Lincoln changed position to get a better view. Crouched beside the sedan, Bosch and Khan were also trying to see the shooter.

  Kim caressed her back. “It will be OK.” His voice shook.

  What had she involved him in? It was too late now. If the shooter was Mark, he would make Kim pay.

  “I can’t see him,” Khan yelled.

  “He’s on the move towards the back boundary,” Adam shouted.

  A motorcycle roared to life and everyone turned towards the fire break.

  “He’s running,” Lincoln called.

  Adam turned to them. “Let’s get you inside.” He grabbed Alyse’s arm, and she ran with him and Kim back to the house. The detectives jumped in their car and tore out of the property, but Alyse knew they wouldn’t catch the shooter. The firebreak sand was too soft for the police car and Mark had created multiple tracks through the bush for his own recreation. He could come out anywhere.

  She entered her kitchen, her body shaky. Had Mark been trying to scare her or kill her?

  “What do we do now?” Kim asked as Adam pulled the curtains closed on the kitchen window.

  “Stay here,” he said. “Stay away from the windows, just until we check the area. I need to talk to the others.” He walked out.

  Alyse ran a hand through her hair and exhaled slowly. Kim pulled her into his arms. She stiffened and Kim said, “Please, just give me a second.” His arms shook.

  Understanding flooded her, and she hugged him back, running her hands over his back to soothe him. “It’s all right. We’re both fine.”

  He shook his head. “The man’s psychotic.”

  She nodded. “Yes, he is.”

  He pulled back. “I’ll protect you, Alyse. I don’t know how, but I will.”

  Like it or not, they were in this together. Mark wouldn’t leave either of them alone until he was caught.

  Part of her wished she’d pushed Kim away at the start.

  And the other part was so very glad he was here.

  ***

  Alyse made them drinks, her unsteady hand the only sign she was shaken by what had happened. Either she was one cool cucumber, or she was used to these kinds of things. Kim suspected it was the latter.

  What kind of tension had she been living with for the past few years? He couldn’t comprehend it. He wanted to pull her away from the windows and keep down until they had caught Mark. Because who else would have shot at them?

  He paced the kitchen.

  “Sit down,” Alyse told him, placing the mugs of coffee on the table.

  “I can’t,” Kim said. “I can’t believe he shot at you. Did he mean to miss? What if you’d been a step closer? He would have hit you.”

  She stood in front of him, stopping him. “All that matters is he missed. I’m fine, Kim, really.”

  He shook his head. “Why aren’t you more upset?”

  She shrugged, her smile sad. “He’s gone for now. It was always worse waiting for the explosion, never certain how bad it would be.” She sighed. “Mark’ll regroup and either he’ll stew and get really mad, or he’ll be over it.”

  “That wasn’t him being really mad?”

  “He ran, which means he’s thinking relatively clearly. If he was really mad, he’d still be shooting at us.”

  Chills ran down his arms and he rubbed them. This was serious. “We should get you out of here.”

  “And go where, Kim?” she demanded.

  “A refuge or a safe house. There has to be somewhere you can hide.”

  She shook her head. “For how long? I’ve already spent too much time letting Mark dictate my life. I want to get back to my life—the bees, the honey, finding some friends. Mark won’t drive me away from here. It’s why I stayed so long.”

  Kim wanted to argue, but she’d already made up her mind. He huffed. “Th
en we need some kind of plan.”

  Alyse nodded. “We’ll talk to the police when they come back.”

  It was another half an hour before Lincoln and Adam came inside with the detectives, Lincoln’s expression a thundercloud.

  “He got away?” Kim asked.

  Lincoln nodded. “We found some bullet casings over by the fence line and some tyre tracks on the fire break. They’ll go into evidence.”

  “So what’s next?”

  “We’ve set up roadblocks and put out a bulletin in all nearby towns. Everyone is on the lookout for him,” Adam told her.

  Bosch nodded. “While they search, we’ll continue to go through the office and the shed gathering evidence. Forensics are due here soon.”

  “And what about Alyse’s safety?” Kim demanded.

  Bosch’s expression was sympathetic. “She should be safe here, while we’re on the premises.”

  “When do you have to go to work, Kim?” Adam asked.

  “I don’t. I took a few days off to help Alyse.”

  “Are you staying here?”

  Kim glanced at Alyse.

  She hesitated. “I’d like him to.”

  It suited Kim fine. “I’ll get Sarah to pack me some clothes.”

  Lincoln frowned. “Get her to take them to the police station. I don’t want additional people on the property. I’ll get Ryan to bring them.”

  “I’ll call her now.” Kim went into the lounge room. Sticking close to the wall, he hurried across to the open window to shut the curtains. Then he called his sister.

  “Do you know how early it is, Kim?” Sarah complained.

  He winced. “Sorry. It’s important.”

  “Are you OK?”

  “No, not really.” He told her about the past twenty-four hours. “Could you pack some clothes for me, and my laptop? Lincoln says to drop them at the police station and Ryan will bring them out.”

  “Is it safe for you out there?”

  “I don’t think it’s safe for me anywhere.” And wasn’t that a real kicker?

  “I don’t like the sounds of this, Kim.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  She sighed. “OK. I’ll do it now.”

  Kim returned to the kitchen as more officers arrived. At least Alyse would be safe with all the cops around.