chin. She looked dishevelled and tearful and angry-and altogether far, far too lovely. ‘Slow down. What happened?’
‘It was Michael,’ Angela burst out from behind them. She pointed to the hapless Roger Francis. ‘And this…this weed.’
All attention swung to Roger Francis. Who looked suddenly pallid. And smaller somehow.
‘What-?’
But Angela was mid-tirade, accepting no interruptions. ‘He rang Molly and said Michael wanted a reconciliation-but Molly didn’t believe it for a minute. So then she wondered-why was he so pushy? And why was Michael so pushy as well? Then she figured, Hang on, they’re practically the same age, and how many law schools are there in this state? So she did a search-and guess what? She discovered Roger and Michael were in the same year at the same university studying the same subjects.’
‘Which doesn’t mean anything,’ Roger said, but he was edging towards the door.
Molly had recovered enough to take over. ‘And then Michael arrived and he was so nice.’ Her voice was faltering but she was managing to put in her bit. Something about the way Jackson’s arms were holding her was feeding her strength by the minute. ‘I smelled the biggest rat. But he plied me with dinners and he gave Sam gifts.’
‘Nothing as cool as the froghouse,’ Sam volunteered, and Molly managed a smile.
‘No. Silly, over-the-top presents. And the more Michael schmoozed up to us the more suspicious I got. And then he practically insisted he bring me down here today.’
‘And he’s got a nice car, and Molly hasn’t got a car at all, and she didn’t want to ask for a ride in your helicopter. Which I thought was stupid,’ Sam said scornfully. ‘You would have brought us-wouldn’t you Mr Baird?’
‘Yes,’ he said promptly, and his hands tightened on Molly’s waist. She looked up at his face with an expression that said she couldn’t quite believe what was happening.
Concentrate on the story. Not on the body against hers. Not on the eyes looking down at her, full of concern…
Only she knew the sheer effort of will it took to continue. To stop herself sinking into his embrace as if she’d never let go. But they were all still confused and she had to explain. Somehow.
‘I didn’t have a clue what was happening, but I talked it over with Angela and we decided the only thing to do was go along with him. So we duplicated the contracts and-’
‘You duplicated the contracts?’ Roger Francis’s face was reflecting pure shock.
‘Of course. I’m not stupid. So Angela had the duplicate papers ready with instructions to get them down here today if anything happened, no matter what. We even had Guy and his car on standby. Though…’ She gave a rueful smile. ‘We hadn’t quite counted on Guy trading his sedan for honeymoon tickets and a car older than he is. No matter.’ She hauled herself back to the matter in hand. ‘Then Michael arrived.’
‘And instead of bringing us here Michael took us to the airport,’ Sam said, incensed. ‘He said he was taking us on a holiday to Hayman Island.’
‘It was the whole sweeping-me-off-my-feet routine,’ Molly said grimly, and turned within the circle of Jackson’s arms to stare at Roger Francis. ‘You must think I’m really, really dumb.’
‘Some girls would have accepted,’ Angela said blithely. She and Guy had moved as one to block the door, leaving the hapless Roger no escape. ‘Michael’s a good-looking man and he was offering the holiday of a lifetime. And marriage…’
‘As if I’d believe him.’
‘He thought you were still in love with him.’
‘How could I be in love with him when I…?’ She faltered, and Jackson’s arm tightened even further. The gesture had stopped being a gesture of comfort. It was a gesture of pure joy.
But Jackson was looking at her face and, joy or not, his expression was grim. ‘So what happened?’
‘So when he turned off the highway into the airport I told him he had to be joking. And he said don’t be a little fool. He said…’ She paused and then met Roger Francis’s look head-on. There was hatred coming from him. Blinding, unadulterated hatred. ‘He said we stood to make heaps from the commission on the Blue Mountain property. He said Roger was a part-owner. He was set to make a mint if the sale to you went ahead, and if that happened then we’d get a cut. He said before you saw this place you’d almost bought the other property and if this sale fell through-which it would if I messed them around and made both you and Hannah angry-then we’d all be laughing.’
‘You’d be laughing? Married to Michael in Hayman Island?’
‘I’m not completely daft.’ She took a deep breath. ‘He couldn’t even get that right. He flashed the tickets at me as if that’d make it just great-but they were singles! He didn’t even think I’d read the fine print-just blindly take him on trust. As if! He had every intention of taking Sam and me to Hayman Island and dumping us there.’
‘You’re kidding!’
‘By this time we were in the airport car park. And I told him where he could put his tickets. When he told me not to be stupid, I grabbed Sam and started to leave. Then he took the contracts and tore them up. And he hit me.’
She’d been hit!
Jackson turned her then, twisting her in his hold so he could examine the bright angry bruise. And he uttered an expletive that made Molly catch her breath.
‘Yes,’ she said, but she wasn’t upset by the bruise. The tone in her voice was one of satisfaction. ‘But it did achieve one useful purpose.’
‘Which was?’
‘You don’t think I’d let him hit me and get away with it, do you? Do you have any idea how much security there is at airports these days?’
‘Well-’
‘I screamed,’ Molly carried on, considering his answer inconsequential. ‘There were loads of people about, and I screamed the place down. My nose started to bleed, which was terrific. It’s wonderful what a bit of blood can do for a drama. And then Sam head-butted him. He went to slap Sam and suddenly there were four hefty security guards holding him down and any number of witnesses. Plus a security camera. We’ve had him arrested.’
Her voice was suddenly almost joyous. ‘He’s in jail right now. Sure, he’ll get bail, but I have heaps of witnesses, and the police say if I press charges I’ll certainly get a conviction. Plus damages.’ Her hand touched her cheek. ‘For any amount of emotional trauma.’
‘You’re not emotionally traumatised at all,’ Jackson said on a note of discovery, and she chuckled and, just naturally, her arms came around and hugged him back.
‘No. I’m just very, very pleased that finally Michael has blotted his too-perfect copybook. There’s a whole bunch of stuff a lawyer can’t do once he has a conviction, and I can’t wait to get it in place.’ Then she lifted her chin and stared at Roger. ‘So Guy and Angela brought us down here-
And Roger was stuttering. ‘I don’t… I haven’t… The girl’s…’
‘Get out,’ Jackson said grimly. He was staring at Roger as if he was some sort of pond scum. ‘Get out!’
‘I never-’
‘You organised your thug to hurt Molly!’
And that was the nub of the matter. Everything else-the lies-the deception-they were things that would make him angry, but not to the point of white-hot fury. He looked down at Molly’s face and he wanted to kill someone. The problem was there was only this weaselly little man in front of him to be killed.
But there were better ways of punishing than murder. So, with what seemed an almost supernatural effort, he stopped himself from picking Roger Francis up by the shoulders and heaving him through the French windows and made his voice cool, controlled and icy calm.
‘Get out, Francis.’
‘I can explain. She’s mistaken. For heaven’s sake…’
