Hooker(83)

Theo has his driver pick us up from the hospital. ‘We’ll grab what you need from your place before heading back to mine,’ he says.

‘I’ll be fine staying at my apartment on my own, but thanks for the offer.’ He’s already gone out of his way for me, I don’t want to disrupt his life any more than I already have: he’s spent the past two days at the hospital.

‘Nice try, but I’m not letting you out of my sight. I promised Brock and Josh I’d look after you, and that’s exactly what I plan to do.’

‘I’m quite capable of looking after myself,’ I say with a laugh. I’ve looked after myself for most of my life. ‘M’s not a threat to me anymore.’

‘She may be behind bars for now, but for how long? You know as well as anyone that she has some pretty powerful friends.’

I sigh. He’s right. I know for a fact that she has judges and politicians on her payroll. A few of them are my clients. I wouldn’t put it past her to call in favours or threaten bribery to help beat the charges. She’s as corrupt as they come and would stoop to any level to save her own skin.

‘I’m not going to put you out, Theo.’

‘You won’t be. I adore your company, you know that.’ He covers my hand with his. ‘It’s a done deal, babycakes, I’m not letting you out of my sight until Brock comes and collects you.’

I smile at his pet name for me. He hasn’t called me that in a long time. But I’m not impressed about being bossed around yet again, even if I understand he’s only doing it because he cares. I can’t be angry at him for that.

There’s still no reply from the boys when I check my phone. I can’t get them out of my mind. I’m tempted to ask Theo if his driver can swing by Brock’s house too, but I don’t want to force myself on him. He’s obviously grieving; I’m sure he knows I’m here when he’s ready.

Theo asks his driver to wait for us out the front of my building. I’m both surprised and thrilled to find everything still intact when we enter my apartment—I was expecting to see the place trashed.

‘Would you mind if I had a quick shower before we leave?’ I ask Theo. There was no point in me having one at the hospital because I had no clean clothes.

‘Of course not. Knock yourself out.’ He plops down on my couch and reaches for the television remote that’s sitting on my coffee table, making himself at home.

Even though I only live in an apartment, it’s very spacious and occupies the entire tenth floor. My lounge area and dining room are open plan, with the living space on the right and dining on the left. Through the archway is a large kitchen, and there’s a long hall that leads to the bedrooms and bathroom. I’ve converted one of my spare rooms into a large walk-in wardrobe, which I adore. The other remains empty—I’ve never had anyone stay. Before Brock came along, I was a loner, which was the way I liked it. My time was my own. When I was here, nobody could tell me what to do.

I let out a huge sigh of relief when I reach my bedroom. I’m grateful it’s the way I left it. I love my room, it’s my favourite part of the house—my sanctuary. The first thing I do when I enter is head towards the windows to open my blinds and let the light in. The room is all white. My bed, my furniture, the linen, even the walls—everything. I have a number of candles placed throughout as well. Taking a deep breath, calmness settles over me. That’s what this space does for me. I look down at the view of Sydney Harbour below.

After returning from being with my clients I would crave the purity of this space, because pure was the opposite of how I felt. No matter how many times I scrubbed myself in the shower, it was impossible to get that dirty, disgusting feeling off my skin. Brock’s the only person who has managed to remove the sins of my past.

My bedroom is the only real place I’ve ever felt comfortable and I truly love it here. But I know I can’t stay. Once things settle down, I’ll have to find somewhere safer to live. Somewhere where M won’t find me. Disappointment about leaving my sanctuary weighs heavily on me.

I sit on the edge of my bed as my thoughts turn back to Brock. I hate to think of what he’s going through right now. I know his relationship with Maxwell wasn’t great. Nevertheless, he was still Brock’s father.

I contemplate calling him as I unravel the bandages on my wrists. I just need to know he’s okay. My heart is aching for not only him, but for Joshua and their mother. My hands slightly shake as I pick up the phone and dial Brock’s number. I’m not sure why I’m nervous, but I am.