‘Everything okay?’ Kenny asked, joining India at the breakfast bar.
‘Everything’s fine,’ India replied. ‘Michael was just leaving. Weren’t you, Michael.’
It wasn’t a question. More of an order, but Michael wasn’t going to hang around. He didn’t want to upset her, didn’t want to make things any worse than they already were. He could wait. Things would calm down, things would settle, eventually. He just had to make sure that Dominic didn’t get to her, that he didn’t muscle his way into somewhere he wasn’t welcome. Because India may think he was ready to give up, but that just wasn’t the way Michael worked. When Michael Walsh wanted something, he usually got it. In the end. So why should this situation be any different?
CHAPTER 24
Vince couldn’t take it in. He couldn’t believe what had been going on around him, that Charley had kept something so important from him, and the fact she’d felt unable to talk to him about it stung in a way he couldn’t describe.
‘I’m your husband, Charley. We aren’t supposed to have secrets; you’re supposed to be able to talk to me. About anything. I don’t understand…’
‘I couldn’t, Vince. And it’s the fact you’re my husband that meant I couldn’t tell you about any of this. Because I love you, so much. I know Jimmy Cash, remember? He’s a dangerous man, and everyone I love who tries to help me where Jimmy’s concerned gets hurt. I lose them, Vince. Look what happened to Terry.’
Charley still couldn’t forget what India’s brother had done all those years ago. The way he’d tried everything he could to get her away from Jimmy and a life she hated, a life that was killing her. He’d risked so much because he’d loved her, and in the end he’d lost his life because of it. Because of her. Which is why she’d made sure that Jimmy had stayed behind bars for as long as he could; it was what he deserved. But he was obviously a man who bore grudges, and now – almost fourteen years later – she was getting payback she didn’t deserve.
‘I’m not Terry,’ Vince said quietly, staring down at the headline above a semi-naked picture of Charley, the same picture that was splashed across the front pages of at least three newspapers: “Beverly Hills Businesswoman’s shameful porn past”.
‘It’s too dangerous, Vince.’
He stood up, throwing the newspapers aside. ‘So, what did you think you were gonna do, huh? Handle Jimmy Cash all on your own? Is that what you thought you could do? Did you think you could just talk to him and he’d go away and forget everything?’
‘Of course not…’
‘What, then? Come on, Charley. What did you think you could do?’
‘I don’t know, okay?’ she shouted, every ounce of frustration and fear she’d been feeling over these past few weeks suddenly bubbling to the surface, exploding out of her like some uncontrollable volcano. ‘I don’t fucking know! I was confused and frightened and… Jesus, I don’t know! He turned up at the salon in L.A., he issued veiled threats… I was scared, Vince. But more than anything I was scared for you and for Lily, scared that he’d try and hurt you…’
‘And keeping it from me was going to help that threat go away, was it? What the hell were you playing at, Charley?’
She sat down on the sofa, her head in her hands, too tired to argue anymore. She should have told him, simple as that. And then maybe this mess wouldn’t be quite as bad as it was certainly turning out to be.
Vince sighed, sitting down beside her. ‘Look, I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry for shouting, I’m sorry, but… it’s the shock, Charley. That you can keep something so fucking important from me – your husband. Someone who loves you. Someone who will do anything they can to keep you safe.’
‘I just didn’t think,’ she whispered, scared to even look at him, the guilt was too overwhelming.
‘No. You didn’t. But at least now I know why you’ve been acting so strangely. I thought you were having some kind of affair, I mean, you were getting real close to Kenny…’ A sudden realisation hit Vince head on and he looked at her. ‘You told Kenny about this, didn’t you?’
Charley felt her stomach lurch. ‘I had to tell someone, Vince.’
‘Jesus Christ, Charley. Then that someone should have been me! Why the fuck did you tell Kenny?’
‘Because he’s been through this before. That’s the only