Page 91 of Betrayal

“Yeah.The house, contents, plus some investments and cash.”

“The house your father wanted.What happened to the house?”

“Nick bought it, bulldozed it and put up shonky apartments.Pissed off the entire neighbourhood.”He rolled his shoulders and eased back in his seat, abandoning a burden.“The new owners are still fighting poor construction claims.”

“Liam told me what you did with the money.”

Hunter snorted.“How the hell did he find out?”

“Your good deed for Niall.Turns out it wasn’t the first good deed you did.A third party just assumed you were a friend of Niall’s, and that Niall would be interested in knowing how to return the favour.”

“Niall did return the favour.”

“Tell me.”

“Ben’s always been involved with a workers’ union charity for the partners and kids of workers killed on construction sites,” Hunter said without hesitation.“He’s started a related charity.He and Ellie handle all the work.I’m on the fundraising committee.”

“Donna’s husband died on site.”

“Yeah.”

“The steady stream of work experience school children I see, either in the office or on various jobs, they’re all part of the program.”She was following loose ends, and Hunter was happy for her to continue, although he wasn’t sure where they were heading.

“Yeah.But there was so much happening, it took me a while to work out that Nick was after the money.It’s been a series of jigsaw pieces where I was jamming things in the wrong places.

“Ostensibly Nick re-entered my life because I bought an old building he was interested in.He’s moved on from houses to buying medium and high-rise office blocks for redevelopment.He offered me a ‘role’ in his business—always vague—junior, certainly, poorly paid, probably, gaining access to my network, definitely.When he realised my refusal was for real, it was payback time.”

“He doesn’t seem the type to take on a partner.”She moved her chair close enough for him to sniff the air and find her, find some balance.

“Took me too long to work that out.After Niall’s tip-off, I started looking harder at Nick Richardson Enterprises.In true narcissist style, the crap he fed Bizgos about me—cash flow problems, over-commitment of capital, dissatisfied customers—all applied to him.It was useful to join his name to mine, to tell his lenders a merger was in the offing.He’d pick up my assets, not my debts.”

“Broadcasting his financial difficulties is a brilliant idea.Hit him where it hurts.”

“Still too big a gamble.The odds are too high, he’ll outmanoeuvre me, especially holding naked photos of you.I want to confront Nick with your evidence about Helen before witnesses.”Hunter covered her hand with his own, and she waited through his silence.He had the sense she’d always give him time to find the words.Would she give him another chance?“I let his lies come between us.I’d like to explain why.”

“You’re not responsible for him or his actions,” she insisted with the clarity of absolute conviction.

“No, but sometimes I feel more hunted than Hunter.Did Helen feel like that?”Hunter forced himself to ask.

“Helen felt that night defined her.She couldn’t see past it, couldn’t be convinced of all the good parts of herself.Shame consumed her.”

“Pain has its own colour, shape and temperature,” he murmured.

“Helen’s was grey, tear-shaped, and despite the gap in time, red-hot.”

“I felt betrayed.Didn’t matter which way I turned in that house, I felt betrayed.But I was angry as well.Maybe that saved me.I’m sorry for what happened to Helen.”Hunter sucked in a breath.“Sorry because I think there’s a better than even chance Nick was the person who assaulted Helen.Essentially, Nick killed her and is trying to scare you now.Not that we could prove it after all this time.”

“Youdoknow you’re not like him.”

“I’m not like him.Thank you, Jesus.But he’s tainted my life and dictated a lot of my choices.I was lucky I had Cas and my uncle.”

“Leaving home was the right choice, the brave choice.Better to see-saw between your uncle’s house and the Hariris’ than stay where you were and wait for another attack.”She was telling him she loved him—without words.

Hunter had to find his own, because if he didn’t, they had no future.

“You chose father figures, Hunter.That’s healthy.”

“They didn’t give up on me.Money and sex.Nick’s two gods, or his way of defining himself.”Hunter shook his head.

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