pull away, he nuzzled her face with his nose. She felt the same rush he always used to give her. God, he was good- looking. And he smelled the same as always. When his lips moved toward hers, she had no control. She parted her lips and let his tongue wander inside her mouth, gently at first, then far more urgently. He tasted of beer. She kissed him back with all the excitement she remembered from when they were together.
Things could be different now Gary was gone.
“Hey, wanna go for a walk?” he asked.
He held her hand and she wanted to be closer, sidling up until he put his arm around her. Instead of pulling her closer around the waist, he draped his hand over her shoulder.
“Something’s different about you,” she said.
“I’ve changed. Good thing you still look the same, though.”
He stopped to kiss her again, and she felt a wave of excitement through her back and stomach. God, she had missed him. He hadn’t meant to hurt her; it had been Gary’s idea. Without his big brother leading the pack, Rick was gentle and kind.
They headed for a park a block away and sat together on a bench. “Must have been rough, what you went through,” Violet tried. She wanted him to tell her everything about himself. Everything she’d missed since the night at his house.
He stroked her hair and she felt her scalp tingle.
“I knew you wouldn’t rat us out. Gary said you would, but I knew you better,” he said.
She thought about Savannah. “Why did Gary have to hurt your sister so bad?”
Rick sat back, arms extended across the back of the bench. “She didn’t get it. The family honor code. We all have to respect it. It’s what keeps us together. If we keep it, no one can touch us. But she was still one of us and that prick shouldn’t have done what he did to her.”
They sat watching two young children playing on the swings with a mother standing behind, pushing them.
“Do you think we’ll ever be like that?” She nestled into his shoulder.
“Are you trying to tell me something?” he laughed and carried her onto the grass, while she squealed with delight.
He placed her on the ground, lay on top and kissed her again. “God, I’ve missed you.”
She couldn’t have been happier. He rolled her over onto her stomach.
“Want to do it prison style?”
“There are kids here,” she laughed.
He was already unzipping his fly.
“I’m not kidding, Rick, cut it out. We’re in public.”
Rick moved his face to the back of her neck and yanked her head back by the hair.
“You’re hurting me,” she cried.
“Do you know how easy it would be to cut your throat?”
Violet froze, she couldn’t see anyone left in the park. “You wouldn’t do it.”
He twisted some hair around his hand. “I will if I have to. It’s easier than you imagine. Slicing that bitch’s neck was like cutting roast chicken off a bone, only faster.”
Violet didn’t believe what he was saying. “You said Gary did it.”
“We all said that. It was his idea. We knew he’d get off lightly if he acted nutso.” Violet struggled, but his weight was too great. “But I can’t tell you how good it felt to pull her head off the floor and just…slice. Made a hell of a mess, but it was worth it.”
Violet began to cry. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because the bitch could have identified us. For Christ’s sake, she did. I’m only sorry I didn’t kill her. Next time, I won’t make that mistake.”
Violet stifled back tears. “I don’t believe you. The papers said you didn’t hurt anyone, that you tried to stop him and save the sister. It had to be Gary. He’s the one that bashed all those people. I saw what he did to Savannah.”
“You stupid fucker. Who do you think got the idea for passing you around? We share in our house, even the slops, like when we picked up that Giverny slut with her up-herself ballet clothes. It’s the family code.”
His free hand groped under her skirt. “Stabbing the one in the bedroom felt just like shoving a knife into a tender piece of pork. We all took turns, but I got three stabs in. You should have seen her face when I shoved her knickers down her throat.” He reached up for her panties. “That shut the whimpering bitch up.”
In that instant, he moved some weight onto his side, off her. Violet rolled and freed a hand, gouging him in the eyes with all her strength.
He screamed and grabbed his eyes. It was enough time for her to get up and run as fast as she could.
“Help me!” she screamed. “Somebody help me!”
She sprinted through the park, too scared to look back. As she swung around the fence, two hands grabbed her.
“It’s okay, you’re safe now.” Violet crumpled into Anya’s arms, crying.
“You were brilliant,” Liz Gould said, rubbing the distraught girl’s back.
“Kate, Wheeler and Hayden have got him. It’s over. He won’t hurt you again.”
Violet sobbed. “I didn’t believe he did it, not until he tried to rape me. I’m so sorry.”
Anya knew Violet had nothing to be sorry about. She had trusted Rick, even after being raped by his brothers. She thought she was in love with him, and had been taken in by his charm. Again. Now she might be able to accept that the gang rape had never been her fault, and could move on with her life.
Not only that, but Violet had got him to confess to killing Rachel and slashing Sophie’s throat with the intention of leaving no witness alive. And the third brother would go to prison with him or have to turn on Rick to negotiate a better deal for himself. Savannah’s diary, despite being hearsay, only confirmed their guilt.
Sadly, Bevan Hart wouldn’t be around to see them be punished for what they had done to his daughter. At least Fiorelli could finally take Giverny’s case to trial. The tragic irony was that without Bevan’s actions the Harbourns could have got away with all of their crimes. He had sacrificed himself for the sake of his daughter.
Ambulance officers on standby took Violet to their vehicle to ensure she was all right. With Rick Harbourn handcuffed in the car with Hayden and Shaun Wheeler, Kate pulled Anya aside.
Instead of elation at the arrest, she frowned.
“I have to ask you something and it’s important. Did you see any police you recognized the night Bevan Hart was shot? Either inside or outside Pascoe’s home?”
Anya tried to think. The acute response team had burst into the cellar, but none had been a familiar face. “You came later, with Hayden.”
“I mean, anyone else you’ve seen before.”
Anya looked over toward the rear of the ambulance to check Violet. The officers were taking her blood pressure.
“No. I’ve given a statement. You were there. You know who I saw.”
Kate tugged the back of her hair. “The reason I ask is, I don’t think Bevan Hart was working alone. There was another set of fingerprints on the gun magazine in his pocket that night.”
They were interrupted by Shaun Wheeler who barrelled over. “We’re going to take him to the station. Do you want to meet us back there?”
“No, Liz and Hayden can take him. You can ride back with Anya and me in the surveillance van. Those guys can handle any media.”
“Sure.” Wheeler breathed out, seemingly deflated. This was probably his biggest arrest to date, and he had been pumped with adrenalin as Hayden had wired Violet with the listening device.
He turned toward the ambulance. “What about our star witness?”
“She’s going to casualty so the doctors can give her the once-over. We need to make sure she’s okay- officially.”
The trio headed back to the van where the driver was waiting. Kate opened the sliding door to the back and gestured for the other two to get in. Once she was strapped in, she started to loosen up.
“Feels good to finally get that bastard. Can you imagine the expression on Noelene’s face when she finds out?”
