Chapter 6

Lisa’s blood literally turned cold as she felt it run from her face leaving her ashen as she turned to face the man standing behind her.

“What are you doing here,” she hissed in barely a whisper.

“Earning a crust as they say. But I think my life has taken a turn for the better, meeting you again. After you departed with your husband, so regretfully for me I might add, things started to become, shall we say, uncomfortable, even with all the contacts I had. So I relocated here about a year ago.”

Turning to the other guests Lisa was talking to, the man excused them, possessively took her arm and guided her away from the main party. Smoothly and effortlessly isolating her from the herd, like a predator with its prey.

Lisa jerked free. “Touch me again and I’ll kill you.” The words were said calmly and in a low voice, almost whispered, but were dripping with such intense hatred and malice that the man knew Lisa meant every word she had uttered.

Surprisingly ‘the man’ did as Lisa demanded, but said in a whisper, “I’m sure you’d like to, but I don’t think you’d make a scene like that here do you? Spare me two minutes to allow me to introduce you to some people I know, nothing more, then I’ll leave you alone.”

Lisa was about to refuse, but something in ‘the man’s’ demeanour held her for a second. “I know you and your husband have been here for nine months, and that he is away at the moment, so you’ll be alone for the next two weeks.” Lisa heard what the man didn’t say, and it was an implicit threat.

All the time Lisa was being edged towards two men and a woman who were talking quietly but earnestly in a corner of the room.

“Peter, Craig, and of course the enchanting Claire, how nice to see all of you here. Talking family business again I suspect. Do you never stop?”

All three fell silent and looked at ‘the man’ without offering a greeting. Lisa sensed there might be tension between all them, but Claire’s expression was unmistakable. She hated the man, and the look of undiluted loathing Claire shot him left Lisa in no doubt they had crossed paths at some time in the past.

“I would like to introduce you to Mrs King, an acquaintance of mine. She and her husband have been living here for nine months now. Lisa, meet Claire and her brothers, Peter and Craig, we do business together occasionally.” How does he know how long we’ve been here, Lisa wondered as her blood ran cold. The man continued without waiting, “Craig, I’ve got a special gift for you as a bonus on our last contract. A little something I’m certain you’ll enjoy.”

Lisa was aware that the three siblings were looking her up and down with undisguised admiration, particularly Claire. Not lecherously, more of interest in a very attractive woman. And Lisa was by now a very attractive woman, beautiful in fact. She had matured over the last two years, the youthful, girl-next-door fresh look had transformed into a very stunning-looking woman approaching her prime. Her figure was still lithe and slender but now had a trim and fit look to it, and her legs were toned to perfection.