Northern Escape Read Free

with the truth is risky.” She and Bull were the only ones privy to the real deal.
    â€œWe could kill him, but it’s damn hard to get away with anything like that these days, plus he’s just sort of stumbled into a situation, he’s not here with malice.” Bull was dead serious, which was just one of the things she loved about him. He weighed every course of action, even the outrageous ones. “And that leaves us with the third option, which isn’t good, but about the only thing she can do is ask him not to mention her or her restaurant in his posts.”
    She rubbed at the throbbing in her right temple. “He’s a journalist. That’s just going to make him want to dig deeper. How much can he find out, do you think?”
    Bull cocked his head to one side, considering, stroking his beard. “He’ll probably figure out pretty quickly that’s not her real name. It won’t take much digging to find out I own the restaurant and bar, not her—that’s a matter of public record, even though we’ve kept itquiet. Outside of that, I don’t think there’s much he can find.”
    â€œWhy’d he have to turn up?” She was so frustrated with the situation she could scream. “Things were going so well for her.”
    Bull shook his head. “Come on, Merrilee. It was just a matter of time. Sooner or later everything comes to a reckoning.” She knew he was referencing the recent showdown with her husband…well, now ex-husband. “Have you talked to her?”
    â€œNo. I came over here as soon as I got him out the door. I thought we should strategize first and then talk to Gus together. Although I’m sure she already knows because Teddy was gushing like a geyser.” Teddy was something of a dreamer but Merrilee had never seen her gaga like that.
    Bull pushed to his feet. “I’ll put a sign on the door and we’ll head over to Gus’s so we’re all on the same page.”
    Â 
    â€œA RE YOU SURE YOU’RE OKAY, honey?” Merrilee said as Gus ushered Merrilee and Bull to her apartment door.
    She was as okay as she’d been in the last four years. “I’m fine,” she said. “Thanks for coming over. You two have been lifesavers. Good Riddance has been a lifesaver. I hope you know how much you mean to me.” Her look encompassed both of them.
    â€œWe do and you know how important you are to us.”
    Gus nodded, her throat suddenly clogged with tears. They were as close to family as she had, with her motherdead and her father having checked out of her life when she was a kid. They’d become surrogate parents.
    Merrilee caught Gus up in a quick hug. “It’s going to be okay.” She released her and patted her on the shoulder. “Just throw yourself into your work, honey.”
    â€œShout if you need us,” Bull said, his manner gruff as usual, but the caring in his eyes evident.
    â€œI will.”
    They ducked out the side door of her apartment that lead to the outside rather than the stairs from the restaurant. She leaned her head against the door and the old feeling of being Troy’s prey again threatened to swamp her. The truth of the matter was it was never gone, she just managed to hold it at bay most of the time. Regardless of how far she’d run, his shadow was always on her doorstep. The worst was when she went to bed at night, when her mind was no longer busy, when the nightmares could come to her in her sleep. Without a doubt she was stronger for the experience. But he’d scarred her, permanently marked her somewhere deep inside.
    She’d never told Merrilee and Bull all of it. She’d never been able to bring herself to talk about coming home and finding her sheets slashed and covered in red paint that looked like blood. And still the police would do nothing. The Wenhams were to New York what the Kennedys were to Massachusetts.
    Gus breathed