Page 91 of His Own Heaven

Turning just in time, Lucy watched Isobel enter the reception area like she belonged there, and if she hadn’t known exactly who and what the woman was, she’d have been fooled too.

Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt with the girl’s school logo and the words “Proud Grandma” printed on it, the woman certainly looked the part, but when Lucy looked into the other woman’s eyes, she didn’t see a doting grandma. She saw shrewd calculation, determination, desperation and yes, she saw evil.

“Oh, hello,” Isobel said, smiling easily and half lifting the take away coffee cup in her hand in some sort of half-arsed non-threatening greeting. “I think I have the right building now. My name is Isobel Bennett. I’m here to collect my granddaughters.”

The lie fell so easily from her lips that Lucy almost believed it herself. But one didn’t grow up with an alcoholic parent without learning a thing or two about telling lies.

Repressing the urge to vomit, Lucy smiled at the horrible woman like she was just another customer. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think you do have the right building. As you can see,” she said, waving her hand to indicate the empty reception and conference areas, “I’m the only person here.”

And that’s when fate decided to kick Lucy in the face and one of the twins sneezed. Loudly.

Isobel’s smile sharpened. “You were saying?”

Lucy mirrored the older woman’s expression but kept her voice saccharine. “I’m terribly sorry, but without Mr Bennett’s approval, I’m afraid I can’t let the girls leave. You understand, I’m sure. It’s a matter of safety.”

“But I’m their grandmother. Exactly how unsafe do you think they’re going to be?”

Does she want an honest answer to that?

Lucy pretended to think about it, frowned slightly and chewed on her lip for effect. “Well….” Isobel’s eyes brightened with victory.Sucker. “Maybe if you could show me some photo ID?”

Sighing impatiently, Isobel rested her coffee on top of the thick privacy wall that hemmed Lucy’s desk and made a show of searching through her handbag for her purse, but before she could produce anything to satisfy Lucy’s request, a tall, bulky man entered reception.

A dangerous looking man with a shaved head, a goatee and more tattoos than she could count.

“What the fuck is taking so long?” he barked, and Lucy saw a flicker of real fear in Isobel’s eyes.

“It’s all right,” Isobel called over her shoulder, smiling again as she held Lucy’s gaze. “This helpful young lady is just making sure I am who I say I am. We don’t want anyone trying to kidnap my grandbabies, now do we?”

The scary dude scoffed. “Whatever.” But he didn’t leave, just stood there blocking the door with his arms folded over his chest and a scowl on his pudgy face.

“So,” Isobel said, trying to sound chipper, “are we good to go?”

“I’m still waiting to see some ID,” Lucy said, causing her enemy’s eyes to narrow ever so slightly. Then she spoke to Scary Dude. “Perhaps you’d like to take seat while you wait, sir? I think you’ll find it more comfortable on the couch than blocking the only fire exit.”

She held his gaze until he grunted and sat down. She made a mental note to get the couch professionally cleaned. Or use it to teach the girls the rainbow fire experiment.

“Here.” Isobel thrust her driver’s licence at Lucy, which she took and read as slowly as possible.

Come on, Toby. Where are you?

“This says your name is Isobel Peters, not Bennett.”

Isobel shrugged. “Yes, well, I reverted to using my maiden name after Ulysses and I broke up. I don’t see—”

“Enough!” Scary Dude lumbered to his feet. “Open that fucking door and give me those girls. Now.”

Drawing on every ounce of strength she owned, Lucy moved to block the office door, to add another layer between the world and Charlie’s daughters. “Over her dead body,” she snarled, nodding at Isobel.

Scary Dude barked a laugh. “I like you, girlie. You’ve got guts.” His grin dropped. “But that mouth of yours is gunna get you in trouble.” And he took two menacing steps forwards.

Lucy levelled her best glare at the man. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Just do as he says. Please,” Isobel said, her hands twisting together in a show of anxiety, but there was no actual concern in her tone or expression, not for her granddaughters anyway.

She wanted the same thing her creepy friend did, to get the girls and get out of there before the cops arrived. Before Toby and Charlie arrived.

But Lucy had no intention of helping these fuckwits do anything of the sort.

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