Page 35 of Navy

Julian had continued rambling, but I couldn’t understand all of what he was saying. I wondered if he was using again. He’d had an issue with drugs when he was younger and had been sent to rehab. It seemed like he may have slipped back. I was brought back to our call by him demanding, “Gia, Gia, are you listening to me, you fucking waste of space always ruining everything.”

Navy tensed behind me, and I could hear him grinding his teeth as he tried not to say anything. Patting the hand he’d rested against my belly when he’d wrapped his arms around me. This was nothing compared to some of the stuff Julian had said to me. I didn’t let it bother me—it was like water off a duck’s back. The easiest way to deal with Julian was to stay calm. Speaking evenly keeping my voice soft I answered him, “I’m listening, Julian, what do you want and where’s Tristan and Derek?”

Julian cackled, “Why, little sister, I want what is owed to me. I want your money. The ten million that Father left to you that should have been mine. You get me that and I’ll let our little brother and his new play toy go. Although the big guy isn’t looking too good. So, you’d better hurry.”

My heart clenched at the thought of Derek being injured. I knew that Tristan would be devastated if something happened to Derek because of us.

Realising that Julian was about to end the call without telling me what I needed to know about where to drop the money, I rolled my eyes, he was so far gone he didn’t seem to realise he wasn’t completing his sentence. Behind me, Navy had his phone out and he was frantically typing out messages.

“Julian! Julian!” I shouted to get his attention. “What?!” he growled.

Continuing in a softer tone, “You haven’t told me where to bring the money.” Although why he wanted cash was beyond me, it would have been better to just do a bank transfer, but I wasn’t going to say anything as it would buy us time to find out where he was holding Tristan and Derek.

“Bring it to the house. I’ve told you this already, Gia. You don’t listen.”

Jesus, how far gone was he? He hadn’t said anything like that at all.

“Okay,” I agreed. “I’ll bring it to the house, but can you at least tell me where Derek and Tristan are, especially if Derek is hurt? You don’t want him dying on you and the police getting involved.”

Julian mumbled something else, but I couldn’t catch what it was. Trying once more, my worry was that pushing him may cause him to clam up, and I needed to find out where he had them.

“Julian,” I beseeched gently, “where is Tristan?”

“Why I put him in your favourite spot, little sister. Do you remember it?” He cackled. “You loved it when I locked you down there, except the bloody nanny always used to let you out before you’d been punished enough.”

With a last laugh, he put the phoned down on me. Slapping a hand over my mouth, I rushed to the bathroom, just making it before I threw up. But at least I knew where they were and how we could get them out.

Navy followed me, wetting a facecloth, he lay it on the back of my neck before running another one under water, squeezing it out and handing it to me. Sitting down on the edge of the bath, I buried my hot face in the coolness of the cloth, wondering how the hell someone could be like this about money.

Navy threaded his fingers through my hair, slowly running them through before starting again. Leaning over, I rested my head against his belly.

“It’s going to be okay, sweets,” he reassured me.

Tilting my head up, I gazed into his clear blue eyes, “Oh, I know,” I agree with him. “I know where they are, and we can get to them before he even realises. My worry is Derek; I don’t know how badly he’s injured.”

Navy helped me up from the bath, drawing me into his arms, not seeming to be put off by the smell of vomit that permeated from me.

“Come on, let’s get you washed up and changed, then you can fill us in on where you think they are. Blaze, Cairo, and Bond are on their way back to us. Skinny got a hit on Julian’s card in your hometown and they started off an hour ago.”

Nodding in agreement, I went to the sink and scrubbed my teeth before changing into the leggings and T-shirt I’d set aside for our journey home. Once I was dressed, we went downstairs to find most of the family congregated. Once Vi and George were sent out, Navy filled them in on the conversation I’d had with Julian. Knowing it would upset my Gram, I was as gentle as I could be when I told her what he’d said about his father.

“I’m sorry, Gram.”

Gram smiled a little tearfully, patting my hand, “No need for you to be sorry, my love. It’s me that should be sorry that I managed to birth a son such as I did and for his son to be just like him. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me.”

“Nobody’s to blame,” Navy interrupted. “Sometimes bad blood will come out no matter what and money is a great motivator for greed. Now, Gia, tell us what he meant about having them in your favourite place.”

Grimacing at the thought of them knowing that Julian’s favourite game was locking me in places he thought I couldn’t get out of, “Julian used to love tormenting me as a child and would often lock me up in cupboards, trunks, the cellar you get the picture.”

Navy growled out, “I’m going to fucking kill him.”

Patting his hand, “Don’t worry, it ended up being a good thing,” I placated him before continuing. “Anyway, one of the places he locked me up in was a little room just off the cellar. I was twelve the first time it happened. I was panicked, knowing no-one would think to look for me down there and I knew Gram and Tristan’s nanny would look for me because they were well aware that Julian liked to mess with me. I’d given them all the usual places but this one was new.

“It took me hours of investigating and it happened by accident that I even found it. I was pressing along the wall when I felt fresh air coming in. It’s very well hidden unless you know where to look. One of the bricks in the wall is slightly smaller than the others and when I pressed against it a door opened. Not very big but definitely big enough for a person to crawl through. So that’s what I did. You don’t have to crawl far before it opens up into a wide tunnel that leads out into the woods at the back of the house about a mile away. Every time I knew he was going to lock me up, I’d make a big fuss and cry about not wanting to go into the dark room. He thought I hated it but in actual fact I loved it, because I’d wait an hour or so, then I’d crawl out. He always thought the nanny or Gram let me out and I never disillusioned him about it. That’s where he’ll have put them. Now the good news is that I can get in from the outside; my worry is getting them back out, especially if Derek is injured. Never mind them fitting through the crawl space as it was dug when men were built smaller.”

Taking a deep breath, I let it out on a sigh now that I’d gotten it all out.

The anger in the room was palpable at everything I’d gone through as a child; my Gram knew most of it, but not all of it.