Finders Keepers by Edie Baylis (epub ebook reader txt) 📕

turkey or whatever they called it, lasted. That was the only thing he’d asked Nero, but the man offered little in the way of advice, just that it was different for everyone.

But now he was trapped. Trapped here with these people and having to sit here with this... this thing...

He glanced at Teagan and quickly looked away again, his stomach rolling. She was now surplus to requirements, yet he was still having to pander to it. Like an automaton, he’d do it because he had little choice unless he wanted to draw unwanted attention.

A sudden tapping at the door made Robert look up.

Nero’s head appeared. ‘Jonah wants to speak with you.’

Robert scowled. He didn’t want to talk to Jonah Powell. He didn’t want to talk to any of them. He resented being here. In this house. With them. Breathing the same air as these bastards. It was their fault this had happened. ‘I’m not leaving Teagan,’ he muttered, hoping that sounded a feasible reason for his reticence, when realistically it was difficult to decide which option was the most unpalatable.

Nero entered further into the room. ‘Jonah needs to speak to you now. I’ll get Gwen to sit with Teagan in your absence.’

Robert glanced towards the wall of the adjoining room. Gwen? He presumed that was the woman on the chair? The one that had watched him drive that knife into Saul over and over? The one who he’d since heard sobbing from the next bedroom the whole time he’d been here.

‘You’re not convinced Gwen will be ok sitting with Teagan? Trust me, she’ll be fine. Gwen could do with something to concentrate on, so it will do her a favour too,’ Nero said, beckoning to Robert.

Sighing, Robert stood up, his legs stiff from lack of use. He might as well get the conversation over with. It was only a matter of time being as he’d promised he’d tell Jonah Powell everything, but he needed to concentrate now. Needed to concentrate on who was going to pay for stealing his soul and exactly how they would pay for it.

He glanced at Teagan, still asleep. ‘I’ll wait for this Gwen woman and then I’ll come,’ Robert promised.

IT TOOK ALL OF GWEN’S COURAGE to walk across the landing and down the stairs to that area.

Unsure whether the tears she’d cried over the last couple of days had been for Jonah, that poor girl Saul had held hostage, Keith, the young man next to her on the chair – the list was endless... Or Saul?

Or had her tears been solely for herself?

All Gwen knew was that she’d cried enough tears for everybody, but she couldn’t hide away for ever.

Sitting with that poor girl whilst Robert Adams went to speak with Jonah was what had finally given her the push she’d needed to venture further. Admittedly, she’d been terrified how she’d feel setting eyes on the man she’d watched launch the frenzied attack on Saul.

Terror? Gratefulness? A combination of both?

If it hadn’t been for him, none of them would be here now, but Robert Adams had barely acknowledged her as she’d entered the neighbouring bedroom.

Gwen had stayed for as long as Robert had been away – a good few hours and in that time the girl hadn’t stirred, save for a handful of anguished cries within her sleep. It had been difficult to stomach, knowing what that evil son of a bitch had done.

The girl would need a lot of support to get through this and Gwen swore to do everything possible to help erase Saul’s despicable acts. But first she had to take the plunge venturing down into the house.

Taking a deep breath, Gwen hurried through the reception hallway, not wishing to see the surroundings she wanted to permanently blank from her mind, but her eyes looked anyway. It was like nothing untoward had ever occurred and easy to believe she’d been dreaming if she unfortunately didn’t know otherwise.

Hurrying, Gwen made her way down the corridor with a back door to the garden. There was no way she wanted to risk going through the lounge in case Jonah was in there. She knew she would have to face him soon, but she couldn’t bear the look of contempt on his face again like she had as he’d learnt of her past with Jacky. Neither could she stand hearing the words that would inevitably come out of his mouth...

Maybe he would kill her? She wouldn’t say she blamed him, but the crushing guilt of losing his love and respect would hurt more than what Saul very nearly achieved with his plans. It would hurt a lot more.

Gwen’s face creased as tears threatened, her breathing laboured. All but breaking into a run to be out in the fresh air, she centred on the door.

Pushing it open, she rushed outside. Leaning against the brick wall of the house, Gwen closed her eyes and tilted her face up towards the welcoming rays of the approaching midday sun.

Inhaling deeply, she felt her panic begin to wane. That was until she opened her eyes to find Jonah standing a couple of metres away studying her intently.

EVEN THOUGH THE SUN WAS BRIGHT AND STRONG, Gwen was chilled and shivery. Seated at the patio table opposite Jonah, a jug of iced water and a plate of sandwiches in the centre, it would look to anyone watching like a relaxing early afternoon break.

It was anything but.

The sandwiches, untouched and exposed to the warm air had already hardened and the edges were beginning to curl. Gwen stared at them, almost longing to pick one up, but knew without even attempting it that her mouth was way too dry. Thanks to her trembling fingers, she’d almost spilt her glass of water countless times whilst she’d explained everything to Jonah.

The night she’d truly believed Saul would put an end to her life – all she’d wanted was the chance to tell Jonah the truth about his father. To tell him how it