Complicated Risk Read online

  Complicated Risk

  M.J. PERRY

  Copyright

  © 2020 M.J. Perry. All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  A Note from the Author

  Also from the Author

  Chapter One

  Ivy

  Complicated. Frightening. Unpredictable.

  Those three words described my life right now.

  Twelve months ago, I’d been a carefree, single woman with a lovely set of friends. I’d worked as a care assistant supporting people with learning disabilities, and I’d loved it. On the rare weekends I’d had off, I’d gone out with friends, got tipsy, and danced the night away. It was a fun life. I hadn’t been looking for anything more, I’d been happy in my little bubble.

  Then I’d met Ted.

  He’d charmed me, swept me off my feet, and made me feel like the luckiest woman in the world. He’d treated me like a precious treasure, and he’d had me so caught up in our romance that I hadn’t looked deeper into our connection, or into him. He’d been out of my experience. I’d never met a man like him who was so confident, so willing to please me without wanting something in return. I’d felt an instant connection, and he’d felt the same way. Through his words and the sweet way he’d treated me, he’d shown me just how much I’d meant to him. I’d been in love for the first time in my life, and I’d never been happier. It had been a whirlwind romance, the stuff of movies. One minute we were dating, and the next we were living together and I was wearing his engagement ring.

  Then it had all gone wrong.

  Not long before we were supposed to get married, Ted told me he wanted me to give up my job, and stay home to bring up our children just like his mother had. I’d agreed, but I’d told him I would give it up when I was due to have our first baby. He hadn’t liked that at all. That’s when he’d changed with a flick of a wrist, and morphed into a man I didn’t recognise. He’d shouted at me, told me I would do what he told me to do, and then he’d slapped me. Seeing his true colours had broken my heart. The man I’d thought I was in love with didn’t really exist. He’d terrified me, and I’d tried to escape him that night. I’d packed my bags and raced to my car, but he’d stopped me.

  Fast forward to now.

  I’d spent the last two weeks in hell, with Ted ruthlessly watching every move I made. I’d been a prisoner in my own home. The worst of it was that I’d let the man I despise touch me, and I’d pretended to enjoy it. All I’d wanted to do was get away from him. He’d worked from home making sure I had no way of sneaking out again. He’d had our groceries delivered, so he didn’t need to leave the house. And he’d taken my phone away, cutting me off from everyone and anyone who could have helped me, but I hadn’t folded, I’d stayed strong. I became the perfect little homemaker that he’d wanted me to be. I’d been docile and accommodating, doing everything he expected from me, all the while planning my escape.

  This morning, he’d actually set off for his office, taking comfort in the knowledge that I was weak and amenable. I wasn’t. As soon as I’d heard him drive away, I’d put on my shoes, grabbed my coat and headed to my car. I’d found my keys in the kitchen drawer last week. In his happiness that he’d conquered me, he’d become sloppy, and now I could make my escape.

  I was free to drive to the police station, to press charges against him for assault and anything else I could have him charged with.

  I pulled up to the station and parked up. I got out of my car and gave the street a wary glance before walking through the front doors of the building. It was quiet. The only person in there other than me was a woman behind the desk.

  As I got closer to her, she smiled.

  “Hi,” I said nervously. “I need to make a complaint about my fiancé.”

  She stared at me for a minute, and I fisted my shaking hands. I didn’t know what I looked like. I hadn’t looked in a mirror for days because I was too afraid of what I would see in my eyes.

  “Can I take your name?”

  I nodded, “It’s Ivy Robinson.”

  “Take a seat, Ivy,” she said as she picked up her phone.

  I walked to the far side of the room, away from the windows. It gave me a view of the front door while hiding me from sight. I didn’t know what I was up against yet. I wasn’t sure if Ted was going to appear. Would he be ballsy enough to confront me here? The truth was I didn’t know what he was capable of. He wasn’t the man I thought he was. He was a monster, like the ones you see in horror movies that jump out at you, tackle you from behind, and stab you in the back. I shivered at my own thoughts. I hated horror movies, and I hated Ted.

  “Ms Robinson?” A man with salt and pepper hair and a stout figure called and I almost jumped out of my seat.

  “I didn’t mean to startle you.” He apologised.

  I sucked in a breath, “It’s not your fault,” I assured him. “It’s been a rough few days.”

  He nodded, and his brown eyes crinkled with kindness. “Come this way, please,” he asked me as he walked towards a blue door. He opened it, allowing me to enter first.

  The last two weeks I’d been playing a part. I’d been pretending in my head I was somebody else, but in this room when I told my story, I had to be me. I had to explain what I’d been through and tell this man everything. I wasn’t sure I could do it or if I had the strength to go over it, to explain the horrors I’d endured. I didn’t want to think about it. Thinking about my ordeal made it real.

  “Ms Robinson, are you okay?” The man asked in concern.

  I raised my eyes, biting my lip as tears started to fill them. “Not really,” I admitted.

  “There’s nothing you can’t share with me, Ivy. Come and sit down and tell me your story. You’ve come this far,” he said as he gestured towards a chair.

  “Okay,” I said as I moved towards the chair. Each time I took a step, I sucked in a breath. When my bum hit the seat, I felt marginally calmer, but in no way better.

  “Would you like a coffee before we start?”

  I shook my head.

  “Okay,” he said as he pulled his notepad and pen from his jacket pocket. “Take a deep breath and let it out slowly.”

  I did as he told me. By concentrating on my breathing, I found I could think clearer.

  “Better?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Do you want to tell me your story?”

  “I don’t know where to begin.”

  “How about telling me where you met your fiancé?”

  “I spilt my coffee down his expensive suit.”

  “That’s quite a meeting.”

  “Yes, it was. I offered to pay for the dry cleaning, but he charmed me into having dinner with him instead.”

  “When was this?”

  “A year ago,” I sighed. “He was perfect. He made me laugh so much that by the end of the date, my face ached.”

  “What happened next?”

  “We went out five days in a row that week, and I was wearing his engagement ring after three months.”

 
“He worked quickly.”

  “He did,” I smiled despite the situation. “He was so amazing. He made me feel like the only woman in the world. I was completely smitten. My friends warned me to slow things down because they were worried we were rushing, but I’d shrugged them off.”

  “It sounds like a fairy-tale.”

  “It was. What girl doesn’t want that?”

  “So, what happened?”

  “He started to change. He wanted me to give up my job. I told him I would when I became pregnant with our first child, but he took offence to that.”

  “How so?”

  “He told me I would do as he said and then he slapped me.” I shivered.

  “What did you do?”

  “I tried to run away from him. I’d packed my bags and headed to my car, but he’d stopped me. He’d dragged me back inside and told me I would never leave him because he wouldn’t allow me to, then he’d hit me again. The last two weeks I’ve been a prisoner of his. He hasn’t let me go to work. He rang my boss and told her I wasn’t coming back. I haven’t been out of the house since the day I tried to leave him.”

  The constable’s face was hard when I met his eyes. “He’s held you a prisoner for two weeks?”

  “Two weeks,” I whispered, “I haven’t been outside or seen anyone other than him for that long.”

  “How did you get away from him?”

  “I became just as good an actor as him. I pretended I was happy and that I forgave him for hurting me, but I didn’t stop plotting. While he watched me, I watched him. I realised he needed to believe I was devoted to him, so I played up to that. Finally, he slipped up, and I saw where he’d hidden my car keys. Then I just bided my time until he left the house to go back to work himself.”

  “Okay. So, if you haven’t been out, and he hasn’t allowed you to talk to anyone, your bank cards and your phone will be untouched.”

  “My phone is still in the boot of my car. He told me he’s cancelled all my cards and closed my accounts. I’m not sure how that’s possible, but I believe he’s done it.”

  “Having no activity on your accounts and phone is unusual. This will help your case. And you say he’s quit your job for you?”

  “Yes, Ted said he’s told my boss I won’t be going back.”

  “Are you close to your boss?”

  “She knows I’m not the type to let her down. If I was ready to leave, I would have handed her my notice and given her time to find a replacement.”

  “Your fiancé calling her and quitting for you will have made her suspicious then. I’ll find out what he said to her.”

  “Do you think I have a case?” I asked as I crossed my fingers.

  “There’s no proof of foul play, and it’s your word against his, but I have a good feeling about it. If you tell me his name I can run it through the system, see if he has any priors.”

  “Okay, thank you so much,” I whispered, as I let out the breath I was holding. “His name is Ted Price.”

  “Ted Price?” The constable repeated pale in the face.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, as I stood ready to help. He looked like he was having some kind of stroke.

  “I’m fine,” he said hoarsely, sounding anything but. “I’m very sorry but because there is no proof of your allegations I can’t let you press charges.”

  I stared at him in shock, “But-”

  “Let me show you out,” he said as he placed a hand on my back and began to usher me towards the door.

  I moved abruptly away from him and put some space between us. “Please don’t touch me,” I whispered fiercely.

  He looked contrite. “Ivy, I am so sorry, I didn’t think. Forgive me.”

  “I don’t understand what’s going on. Why have you changed your mind?”

  He sighed. “I have a family.”

  I stared at him in confusion, “And?”

  “You really don’t know, do you?”

  “Don’t know what?” I asked. “You’re talking in riddles.”

  “Ted Price is a ruthless guy.”

  “I know he is.”

  “No, Ivy. He’s dangerous.” He said grimly.

  “Ted?” I scoffed. “He’s a piece of crap, but he isn’t dangerous enough to have the police scared of him. You must have him mixed up with someone else.”

  “Unfortunately, I haven’t. I’m sorry, Ivy, I just can’t help you.”

  “Isn’t there someone else I can talk to?” I asked desperately.

  He looked strained. “No one in this station will help you.”

  “What about the next town?”

  “His reach is far, Ivy. No one will touch a case with his name on it. I’m sorry.”

  I sat down hard in the chair I’d just vacated. “I don’t know what to do. I didn’t go through the last two weeks of hell just to give up now. Running away won’t work because Ted will find me eventually. I can’t do this alone. I need help.”

  “There might be someone who will help you.”

  “Really?” Hope bubbled inside me.

  “I know of a company that specialises in cases like these.”

  “And you think they will take my case?”

  “The only way you will be safe is if you disappear or Ted is sent to prison. He has people behind him who will protect him. You need the same protection.”

  “Okay. Who are these people?”

  “Steele and Reid Security.”

  “Do you have their number?”

  He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a business card and scribbled on the back of it. He offered it to me, and I took it without touching him. Standing up, I made to leave, but he stepped in my path, keeping his distance this time. “I am so sorry about this. I can’t do much, but what I can do is phone them to explain your situation, so they have a heads up. I know they’ll help you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “The address is on the back. I really think you should go straight there.”

  “Okay.” It sounded like a plan. It wasn’t as if I had a better one.

  “Goodbye, Ivy. Take care of yourself.” He said as he stepped out of the way.

  “I’ll try. Bye.” I said as I headed out the door and into the reception area. I gave the woman behind the counter a smile and walked out into the rain.

  I hurried to my car, opened the door, and climbed in fast. I thought over what the police officer had said. Surely, he was mistaken, and the Ted Price he knew wasn’t the same man. I knew first-hand Ted was wicked, but I still couldn’t imagine him being so despicable that he terrified a man of the law.

  I had no choice but to trust Steele and Reid.

  I had nowhere else to go. I couldn’t ask any of my friends because I didn’t want to put them in danger. I was worried about what Ted was going to do. Would he go looking for me at their houses? I haven’t seen most of them for months. The times I was supposed to meet them for drinks, Ted would suddenly say we had plans that he’d forgotten to tell me about. I’d rearranged so many nights out so I could please him, and that’s what he’d wanted. He’d cut me off from my friends before I needed them and now that I did, I had no right to go and see them.

  I clenched my fists at my stupidity, yelping as the business card cut my palm. Frowning at the small slice in my skin, I read the card – Steele & Reid Security. Discreet & Dependable. Other than the name and address on the back, the black business card gave nothing else away. I recognised the street, I’d driven down there before, but I couldn’t remember seeing the office or a sign. Written on the back in a messy scrawl was the words - ask for Maverick Steele.

  Did I dare go to see him for help? The police wouldn’t help me. What made me think Maverick would?

  Starting my car, I pulled out of the space and headed towards the office. I had no choice. I couldn’t go home, and I couldn’t go to a hotel because it would be too easy for Ted to find me there. I had to go to Steele and Reid, and I prayed Maverick would help me because if he didn’t, then I was well
and truly, stuffed.

  Chapter Two

  Ivy

  I’d been sitting in my car for a good half an hour staring at the office sign of Steele and Reid Security.

  What was wrong with me? I’d just been through a hellish nightmare, but I hadn’t let it break me, so why was I acting like a chicken? Where was my courage now?

  I grabbed the door handle, filled with a new sense of determination.

  “I can do this,” I told myself.

  As I pulled on the lever to open the door movement just ahead of me caught my eye and I gasped as I saw a familiar face. Every part of my body froze in horror.

  “Ted,” I whispered.

  Suddenly the office that I hadn’t wanted to enter had just become my only option. I had to move before he saw me. Luckily, the car park was almost full, so my car didn’t stand out too much, but it was only a matter of time.

  I climbed out of my car and bent low, making sure to keep out of sight. Closing the door quietly, I looked through the car window and saw he was walking in the opposite direction to me. It was now or never. I ran as fast as I could towards the office, knowing it was now my only hope of escape. I heard someone shout my name, but I didn’t turn around to check. I kept moving as fast as my legs would carry me.

  When I burst through the doors, a woman with a mop of electric-blue hair stared at me in shock. She seemed to assess me in a blink of an eye. Undoubtedly, my terrified expression gave me away.

  “Down here,” She said as she pointed to her desk.

  I ran towards her and climbed into the small space by her feet. I’d just wedged myself in when the glass doors slid open and quick footsteps headed towards my hiding place.

  “I’m looking for my fiancée,” A familiar voice clipped.

  I pushed my fist into my mouth to stifle my whimper.

  “We can help you, Sir, but you’ll need to make an appointment first.”

  “No,” he snapped. “I mean I’m looking for her in here. She’s dark-haired, blue-eyed, wearing a yellow blouse, and light blue jeans.”