Page 98 of Butterfly
Martin opens another file. Blimey, how many videos does he have? Minutes pass, and we see nothing but guests drinking and chatting or servers hurrying up and down the corridors. Martin shakes his head. “Told you. Nothing. The cameras activate only when there’s movement. But sometimes, their sensors don’t work properly.”
I exhale. “It was worth a try.”
“Unless…” Alex scratches his chin. “Check the bin of the feed. Sometimes footage ends up there when the size is too small.” He angles towards me. “Learned that after the marathon in the Peak District when I was looking for Sienna.”
I kiss his cheek because he deserves a kiss.
“Let me look. There we are.” Martin clicks on a file, and a scene fills the screen. There are several shots from different angles of the house, all crammed together. People are coming and going through the house. Cars arrive. Cleaners and servers walk along the corridors. Each video is only a few seconds long. “Let me go forwards. The accident happened around eleven, right?”
“I think so,” I say, taking Alex’s hand.
In the shots, Dart and Chaser come and go from the screen, chasing each other. And there we are. The two dogs are playing in the conservatory where Emily is talking on the phone. Her long dress swishes about her ankles. Dart runs around her, his bushy tail bumping into her legs. She steps away from him, shoving him with a hand, but Chaser playfully attacks Dart again, who smacks against Emily. She almost loses her balance before kicking him. Her face scrunches up in an expression of wrath when Catcher barks at her. She kicks Dart again. It’s a vicious, powerful kick that tears a gasp out of me, even though I know Dart is going to be all right. He slams against the glass wall, and I can’t look. I turn around when the glass breaks. The video ends. There are a few bits and pieces of videos with Dart lying still.
Sheer fury radiates from Alex’s powerful build. He looks every inch the ferocious warrior he portrays in Lynx. Emily doesn’t hesitate. She flees the scene and disappears from view.
“She left him there bleeding,” I say in a shaky voice. “She could have called for help, but she didn’t.” I search Alex’s face. It’s a mask of harsh lines and tense tendons. I clamp a hand over my mouth. “Dart’s bruise. I should’ve guessed.”
“I knew she wasn’t exactly kind, but this …” The sharp intake of air he sucks in causes his chest to stretch the fabric of his top.
“Bloody hell,” Martin mutters. “That liar. She’s walking away from him. She nearly killed him, but she doesn’t give a shit. Animal ambassador, my arse.” Sheer outrage vibrates in his voice. “She’s leaving him to die. I’m going to sue her arse for the damage she caused and for Dart.”
“Wait.” I put a hand on his shoulder, swallowing the foul taste in my mouth. “I have an idea.”
Thirty-three
Alex
I CAN FINALLY breathe. The burning pain in my chest lifted after Sienna and I watched the video and she explained her idea to me, although I can’t say I’m not angry.
I hold Dart tightly. He accepts the cuddle and shows his enthusiasm by licking my chin, not wondering about the reason behind the sudden show of affection. I love this dog.
Sienna and I are waiting for Emily at Martin’s house. She likely thinks I want to agree to her terms and do the bloody film with her.
“Hag is here,” Martin says through clenched teeth, entering the sitting room door. His mood is like a fog sweeping through the room. He didn’t appreciate the fact that Emily destroyed his conservatory while leaving my dog for dead. He judges people by the way they treat animals, so I guess Emily isn’t among his friends anymore. The whole situation—Vance involving Dylan and Emily to get to me—makes me sick to my stomach.
Sienna and I hold hands, my blood boiling with anticipation. The sound of Emily’s heels precedes her. The click-clack echoes from the corridor.
Her red lips stretch in a cruel smile. “What a cosy reunion.” She sits on the armchair and crosses her legs. “Let’s be quick. I have an interview in a couple of hours.” Her lipstick shines with a glossy hue on her full lips. “I want to hear a big yes. Love Rebecca’s idea. Everyone says she’s a genius, after all.”
“You should have a look at this first.” Martin moves before I can speak. He shows his phone to her, nostrils flaring.
The video is soundless, but from Emily’s changing expression, it’s easy to guess what’s going on in her brain. Her smile turns into a snarl. Her cheeks pale under the layer of make-up, and her bottom lip quivers. Oh, the sweet taste of victory.
“You didn’t think we had this, did you?” Martin is burning her with his stare. “That’s why you stayed quiet and were kind to Sienna. You wanted to see if something—a picture or a witness—showed up. But it didn’t. So you grew bold until you decided that you were safe and that blackmailing Alex and Sienna was a great idea. But what would the president of the Animal Ethical Association say if she saw this? The backlash would be of epic proportions.” Maybe Martin is enjoying this too much.
Tears well in her eyes. Oh, poor thing.
“We can be quiet about this,” I say, “and carry on with our lives. No blackmail, no film together, no nothing.”
“After you pay for the damage,” Martin adds. “Twenty thousand pounds for my glass, and two million pounds for Dart, for what you did to him, and the emotional distress Alex went through.”
Emotional—? I shut up. Yes, the emotional distress was overwhelming, but Dart was the one who risked his life. We could destroy her and kick her out of her position as the animal ambassador, covering her in shame. But that would start a domino effect based on revenge, and to be honest, even though she doesn’t give a shit about dogs, she’s raising a shitload of money.
She lifts her chin, and I brace myself for a fight. Instead, she gives a quick nod and clears her voice. Her lips part, but she doesn’t say anything until she stands up and walks over to the door. “My assistant will contact you for the payment.” She pauses, a hand on the door frame. “And just so you know, because I’d be damned if I’m the only one going down, Vance is the one who found Sienna’s video and leaked her picture. I took the picture of you two together, but Vance sold it to Maggie O’Brien.”
“Bugger me.” I pass a hand over my face.
Her wicked smile returns, since she knows she struck a nerve. She wiggles her fingers. “Bye.”