Page 39 of Taking the Heat

‘First off, our American gentlemen! Did you know that Chase, our banker extraordinaire, was once indicted for insider trading? Gasp!’

‘BFD, Miles.’ Chase waved a hand from his seat next to Pauline. ‘Indicted, not convicted. Besides, most of Wall Street has had insider trading accusations. It’s practically a rite of passage.’

The rest of us look similarly unmoved and Miles widened his eyes in mock-surprise. ‘Well, I’m glad the NYC district attorney saw fit to let you walk the streets as a free man.’

‘Come on, Miles! What else have you got!’ Chris’ voice drawled across the room, simultaneously lazy and commanding.

Miles smiled evilly. ‘How about a secret from one of our ladies?’

His eyes settled on me and my pulse began to pound in my head.

‘One lady here has been hiding who she really is. Don’t you think it’s time you owned up …’ he looked past me, ‘… Meghan?’

Everyone turned to look at the Irish girl, her cheeks flaming red with the attention. ‘No …’ she whispered.

‘Megs? What is it, girl?’ Nik sat next to her, looking at her face, worried.

‘Our darling Meghan was a stranger to all of us when she arrived on the Island—all except one. Callum! Would you come up here, please?’

‘Not like this. Not like this.’ Megs rubbed her arms for comfort, and even though I knew what was coming, it was so hard to watch.

Callum walked to the front of the room, looking bewildered. His burgundy hair shone under the lights, while his lean build showed through his tight green shirt.

‘Callum, good sir, do you recognise the girl on the screen?’ Miles indicated the TV behind him, showing a gorgeous head shot of Meghan.

He shook his head. ‘No. I mean, that’s Meghan, but I only met her the first night here, you know?’

Miles laughed. ‘What about if we do this …?’ Miles clicked his fingers and the picture on the screen changed from an adult Meghan, to a freckled-faced child version.

‘Wait …’ Callum’s face creased in concentration. ‘That’s Han. She was my … my Han.’ He looked across to Meghan. ‘Is it you, love? Is it really you?’

Nik looked between the two of them. ‘Megs? What’s goin’ on?’

Megan turned to him in anguish. ‘Nik, I’ll explain later—’

‘Han! My little Han! I cannot believe it!’ Callum strode towards her. ‘I never thought I’d see you again!’

He went to embrace her and Meghan, avoiding a strike, pulled away. ‘Callum, wait!’

‘No, I won’t! Twenty years I’ve been hoping we’d meet again. I’ll be dammed if I’ll wait another minute!’ He lunged forward again, and Nik jumped up to block him.

‘Shove off, Kiwi, this isn’t your fight.’ Callum’s eyes changed from happy green to malicious ivy as Nik stood between him and Meghan.

Nik was like a giant wall of tattooed flesh. ‘Nah, bro. It is my fight.’

‘She’s my girl!’

‘You didn’t want a bar of the woman she is until you knew who she was. You don’t deserve her, bro.’

‘I’m not your brother.’

‘Thank fuck for that, ay.’

‘Stop it! The both of you!’ Meghan yelled at them, with a strength I wouldn’t have believed the tiny redhead possessed. ‘Callum, settle down. I’m not yours, and I’m not Han anymore.’

‘Han … Meghan, I didn’t know, I’m sorry.’ All the bluster gone out of him, Callum sagged like a deflated balloon animal. ‘I should have realised that first night.’

‘But you didn’t.’ She folded her arms.

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