Crossing Lines: A gripping psychological thriller (Behind Closed Doors Book 3) (32 page)

“What does that mean, Darryl?”

“It means that as long as you want your marriage with Wayne to work out, then I will make sure you both have the best counselors in my team to make that happen. And if you change your mind, they will still be there, to help you with that too.”

“What about you?”

Slowly, I shake my head. “I’m sorry. I’ve crossed too many lines already. Even if I could watch someone I love go through this again, I'm professionally obligated to step aside.”
In fact, I don’t think I’ll practice psychiatry or counsel anyone ever again. I’ve blamed everyone else for my situation, when those choices were mine to make, and it’s time I stop making the wrong ones.

I step forward and kiss her cheek. “Good luck, Julia, whatever you decide.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

I FOLLOW ASHLEIGH
and Sean
into Angela’s living room. I’m not sure why I've been included in the family meeting, until my gaze falls on Amelia Rose. She’s sitting opposite Mimi, with her lawyer present and her father, William, sitting beside his ex-wife. There’s an official-looking guy stood beside Amelia.

“Doctor Hawthorne.” She nods before beginning to explain that, following a conversation with me, she’s revisited the evidence with Captain Warren. He lifts up his hand, as she continues. “Ashleigh, may I ask you what color your eyes are?”

Ashleigh narrows her eyes. “They’re green.”

“And will you remove your contact lenses?”

“I’m not wearing any.”

“And where were you between New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day this year.”

“In New Zealand. Why am I being interrogated?”

“Because the case against Julia is built on these.” She drops the photographs on the table, and I watch as Ashleigh visibly pales. “The case I was given is that you and Wayne are having an affair, Julia found out about it, and your sister was caught in the crossfire. My next question is, if this is not you, then who is it?”

“You bitch!” Ashleigh launches toward Mimi, “
You fucking framed me!” Both Sean and I grab at Ashleigh, and she fights us both as she cries, “How could you do this to me? I gave up my life for you, and the man I loved, on the night he was going to leave his wife for me. And I did it because you asked me to, Mimi.”

“None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for you!” Mimi calls after her. “If you hadn’t made Julia leave him, then he wouldn’t have beaten the shit out of me! They’re just photos.” Mimi looks at the ground. “He told me you were trying to sabotage their marriage. He asked me to help. Julia was supposed to find them.”

“But they’re not just photos!” Ashleigh cries. “They’re all the proof he needs to silence me.” She looks from me to Sean, and her eyes fill with tears as she cries, “I told you no one would believe me!”

“Mimi,” Captain Warren steps out from behind Amelia, and crouches before Mimi on the sofa. In a gentle, but firm voice he continues. “You've told us for two months you didn’t know what happened. But you’ve just blamed your sister for something Wayne did to you. Are you referring to the same incident?"

“I’m sorry, I lied,” she whispers. “He said if I told anyone what happened that night then he’d come back and finish the job.” She looks at Ashleigh and cries. “I'm a single mom, Captain Warren. If something happens to me, who’s going to look after my little girl?”

”He told you, didn't he?” I turn my attention to Ashleigh. ”He taunted you with Mimi’s amnesia.”

She narrows her eyes at me.

”Let me guess, he told you it would stay forgotten if Mimi knew what was good for Macaulay."

”He's been taunting me with this shit for years.” She shrugs, though looking more relieved than apathetic. ”But no one has ever believed me … until you.”

My cell phone suddenly rings. I don’t know what makes me answer the call in the middle of all the chaos, but I do. And I’m glad I do, because it’s Julia voice whispering into my ear. ”You were wrong about Wayne. He loves me, and he will do anything for our baby, and I'm going to prove it to you.”

”Julia?” The muscles pull in my brow as I ask, ”Where are you?” There's a thud on the line, followed by a distinct male voice. My blood runs cold. ”Julia. Get out of there now!”

I suddenly have an audience. All eyes are on me as I shout to her again. No reply. Over the thud of my heart beating in my ears, I hear Wayne saying, ”I love you, Precious. I promise I'll never hurt you like that again.”

“She’s with Wayne.” I watch as the red mist descends on Ashleigh’s expression. I then do something that’s possibly the most stupid thing I’ve done in my life. I step into her path.

“Move,” she demands, “or be moved!”

“You don’t want to do this,” I advise her, but I know it’s pointless. “Ashleigh, just hit him where it really hurts!”

“Oh, I fully intend to,” she warns, between clenched teeth. “I’m going to remove his balls and stuff them down the lying, deceitful bastard’s throat!”

She goes to sidestep me, but I step into her path again. “We talked about this, remember?”

She doesn’t quite ignore me. But she still dodges around me, right into the path of Sean. “If you go,” Sean says quietly, "then you and I don’t have a future together.”

“You and I don’t have a future together, if you make me stay.”

“Then I’m coming with you.”

“So am I,” I declare. After a few looks back and forth, she nods and we all head out the door.

* * *

Somehow, Ashleigh knows where Wayne is. She hasn’t said a word since the three of us left Angela’s house. When she parked the car outside a beachfront hotel a few moments ago, I was surprised we haven’t been greeted by police, or at least security. Given Captain Warren’s presence at Angela’s home, I’d have thought he’d want to stop her somehow. But there’s no one here.

She doesn’t stop at reception. She plows through the foyer like she owns the hotel. Nerves twist in my gut; clearly her need to know and control everything has her out of control.

We exit the elevator and she takes a brief look at the sign indicating which direction guests should go to their rooms, and she turns. I feel mildly reassured. She might know where he is, but she’s never been here, which means she keeps track of him for another reason.

“Why do you know where to go?” I ask, but Sean cuts across any reply I might get. He begs her not to do this, to think about the consequences of her actions. He even goes as far as to predict the press' reaction. But she doesn’t reply until she stops outside the room.

“This is something I have to do.”

Julia screams from beyond the door. My heart revs up as I look at Ashleigh. Her expression grows darker, then she shoves me aside. Her sneaker-clad foot slams into the door and the door jamb splinters. I glance at Sean and together we charge at the damaged hinge. The door gives.

“You lied to me!” Julia yells as we burst into the room. She neither looks up, nor moves from her toe-to-toe spot in front of her husband. Her gaze shoots angry daggers at him as she continues, “You don’t love me! You’ve never loved me. You've done nothing for me, unless it was to benefit yourself. Well, fuck you, asshole! You don’t deserve me!”

He swings at her. There’s a loud crack, followed by a bang as she collides with the dresser. I cry out her name, but she just stands up, looks him in the eye, and says, “Go on, do it again!”

Wayne grips both of her arms. She doesn't look frightened, or like she needs rescuing, but I don’t care. I launch myself through the gap between Sean and Ashleigh, toward Wayne, as I bellow, “Didn’t you hear me the first time, you dumb fuck?” I sling my fist toward his face. “She’s pregnant!”

My knuckles complain as they connect with his jaw, knocking his head upward as he stumbles back. Julia crumples into my arms. As much as I’d like to continue pounding ten bells into this guy, my priority is with her, so I wrap my arms around her, as a rush of relief washes over my entire body. My gaze sweeps over Julia. Aside from the red stain on her cheek and the trickle of blood on her lower lip, she looks okay.

I tuck my finger under her chin, tilting her eyes up to meet my gaze as I whisper, “Are you okay?”

She nods.

I know it’s cold and callous of me to do so, but I lower my lips to meet hers, just briefly, because honestly it’s the only way I know to tell her how scared I was for her. I only linger long enough for her to respond to my kiss, and just enough to show the loser she's married to that, although it was never my intention to win, I was right. She had asked for a divorce.

She looks a little stunned as I end the kiss. Her voice is barely above a whisper when she asks, “What are you doing here?”

“Rescuing you,” I reply, “but I don’t think you needed me to.”

From the corner of my eye, I see Wayne lurch toward me. He bellows something inaudible as at the same time a swift fist takes him out from the side and throws him off balance.

“I warned you!” Ashleigh almost growls. If looks could kill, he’d already be writhing in hell for all eternity. “The next time you touched someone I loved, I'd put you in a box, and bury you somewhere I could dance on your grave!”

He roars with laughter and steps toward her. But I’m not interested right now. My gaze runs over every part of Julia, assessing that there’s no damage. She looks good, better than good: Free!

“Sweetheart,” Wayne laughs again. “You aren't man enough to deal with me, or you would have done it by now.”

“No, Wayne.” His laughter is silenced, as she juts out her stubborn chin. “It’s you who isn’t, and never has been, man enough for me. But I’m standing right here, if you think you’re up to it.”

“Ashleigh, stop!” Julia steps forward and reaches for her arm, drawing her attention away from Wayne. “He's not worth it!”

“Did you hear that, Wayne?” Ashleigh sings. “She just gave me permission to kick your ass!” She smiles now a genuine smile, as she steps back. “But she’s right, you’re really not worth the consequences, after all.” She walks into Sean’s open arms. “Nothing is worth losing this.”

“I guess I was right all along,” Wayne taunts. “You’re all mouth and no action.”

“Let’s just be clear on this, Wayne!” She pulls away from Sean. She places her hands on her bosom. “I'm a critically acclaimed international-award-winning actress.” Then she points at him with both of her hands and says, “You think I’d risk everything I have on a low-life homicidal cop like you? Why?”

Color rises in his cheeks, but Wayne doesn’t reply.

“Oh, I get it!” She walks back towards him, and I know this is not going to work out well for him. “You think you actually mean something to me?” She steps forward, reaches out, and caresses his cheek. “Darling, when you were the husband of my best friend, who lived the life of Riley on my hard-earned cash, you were something. But you came into my life as a nothing, you’ve amounted to nothing, and you’re leaving it as nothing. Without Julia, you’re not worthy of sharing my oxygen. I hope you understand.”

The slap of skin against skin echoes around the room. For a moment, my gaze darts from Ashleigh’s amused, raised brow to Wayne’s ferocious glare. I have one arm wrapped around Julia as the other reaches out to hold Sean back. “Let her handle it.”

“Seriously, Wayne?” She laughs as a pink stain spreads across her cheek. “Third Dan Judo expert here. You're going to have to try much harder than that.”

Wayne’s fist smashes into the center of Ashleigh's face.

She steps back, absorbs the blow and simply shakes it off. Her many curls bounce around her shoulders as she turns her attention back to him. “Better.” She speaks to him like a
sensei
would to a student, as a trickle of blood forms on her lip. “But you’re still not good enough to put my neck on the line for.”

Wayne roars as another blow rams into her face. This time Ashleigh stumbles. Her blood smears across her upper lip. It’s not easy to tell if it’s from her nose or mouth. But she stands right up, wipes the blood onto her sleeve and grins, "For the last time, Wayne. I am a Judo expert, I'm legally trained, and I'm an award-winning actress. I am warning you, I will hurt you and I will get away with it!”

The force of his next blow takes her to her knees. “You haven't got the balls to hit me, sweetheart, or you'd have done it by now!”

Ashleigh's laughter revs up the tension another notch. “Seriously?” She chuckles, climbing to her feet, “You think you'll wake up if you touch me again?”

Rage fires through his eyes. His nostrils flare as he spins around and looks at her. He’s the only person in the room who looks surprised she’s still on her feet.

“Oh, I am
really
going to enjoy this!”

Wayne howls as he charges toward her. His fist comes up from his waist, connects with her jaw. Ashleigh flies backward. Her feet stumble under one another and she falls over the shattered door and tumbles out into the hall. Her head slams into a solid wall. She lands in a crumpled heap. Julia screams to her, fighting my grip as I hold her to me. Ashleigh doesn’t move. I stand, a little shell shocked.
After all that, he wins?

“I’ll fucking kill you!” Sean explodes out of nowhere. He charges at Wayne, launching his fist straight into the officer's jaw. They exchange blows. But Wayne, quick with a return blow into Sean’s side, follows up with a whack on the back of his head. Julia screams again and Sean hits the floor.