“What, even if I’m holding him?”
“No dogs.”
“I’ll leave it then, cheers.”
To her dismay, the other clothes shops were all the same. Even if she carried Dexter in her shoulder bag, someone would ask her to take him outside.
“I’m sure he’d be fine outside for a few minutes,” one of the nicer salesgirls said.
Kylie shook her head. “No way.”
“We’ll go to the park,” she said, carrying Dexter outside. She set him down on the ground and led him through the kirkyard where the stones stood firm against the wind. The park, she remembered, was a little way off the beaten track. The streets were bustling with tourists and she had to scoop Dexter up to prevent him getting trodden on.
“Nearly there,” she told him. “We need to cross at the lights. Look, it’s just through those trees.”
She stood on the edge of the pavement, waiting for the lights to change, eyes dulled by the monotony of the wait. So many cars, so many people, blurry faces in the crowd. The tourists were jigglier than the natives, their faces flushed with excitement as they scanned the streets for men in kilts. She pressed the button again, impatient at the endless stream of cars. She wasn’t sure the button actually did anything, but she pressed it again for good measure. Dexter yapped and wriggled in her arms, and she struggled to calm him down.
“Not much longer, boy,” she said, stroking his soft head. The little dog yapped again, his eyes fixed dead ahead. She cast her gaze across the street and that was when she saw him, balancing on the edge of the kerb.
His tracksuit looked too warm for such a mild day, and there was a trickle of sweat on his brow. Crow’s feet had formed in a protective web around his eyes and his expression was one of irritation. He didn’t like to be kept waiting.
Once she knew he was there she couldn’t look away. It was as if she had gone into a trance. Then came the moment when he noticed her, and his eyes grew wide with recognition. They stared at one another like two boxers in a ring, each waiting for the match to start. Then he caught sight of Dexter and his face changed from pink to purple. He mouthed something to her, but she chose not to understand.
She turned her back on him and legged it through the streets, clutching Dexter tightly to her chest. Her heart drummed like crazy, her breath coming in short, hollow rasps. She glanced back and saw he was right behind her, gaining on her with every stride. She pushed her legs faster, running towards the university, where she hoped she could hide among the crowds. A band of pipers stepped out onto the roadside, more and more of them marching in her direction. She dodged past them, ducking and diving and made for the safety of the campus. He’d never find her there.
The campus was made up of a series of paths, all jutting off in different directions. Each path she took was another decision, another way to throw him off her scent. She came upon a bicycle rack and ran her fingers along the row, hoping one had been left unlocked.
Right at the end, one came loose in her hand. It was a battered old mountain bike, the paint rusting and metallic. She tucked Dexter into her shoulder bag and tugged at the bike with both hands.
“Stop thief!”
Of course, it was him who yelled this. Immediately, heads turned, and she let go as if she’d been burned. Everyone was watching her as she jogged away. She felt their eyes on her, wondering if she was really a thief. She had only been planning to borrow the bike. She was going to give it back.
She glanced around and saw he was still following her. How was he so fast when he ran like that, his good leg dragging the bad? She knew she had to keep going, but her jog was barely a fast stride now as she turned abruptly onto a new path. She didn’t like being out in the open. She had to find a place to hide.
The halls of residence loomed ahead of her and she strode towards the nearest building and tried the door. Locked. She looked to the side and saw a card panel. She needed a key card to get inside. Just then, a group of students arrived. The first one swiped his card, and then the whole group surged forward, Kylie among them. They all crammed into the lift and pressed the buttons. Her eyes darted about, but no, he was not with them. For now, at least, she could breathe.
She remained in the lift until she reached the top floor of the building, and then stepped out into the lobby. The only other occupant walked off down the corridor, leaving her standing alone by the window. She peered out, her eyes tracing the faces below. She couldn’t see him. Did that mean she had lost him? Or was he lurking somewhere inside the building?
She kept her eye on the lift, but it didn’t open. Minutes ticked by, and when he still didn’t appear, she decided she was safe. She pressed the button to call the lift back. When the doors opened, it was empty. She stepped inside and pressed the down button, but it refused to move. She didn’t have a card to swipe.
She stepped out and Dexter wriggled, demanding to be set free. The place had grown quiet, aside from the distant sounds of doors opening and closing and the occasional murmur of voices coming from the rooms. No one came up to her level and no one came in or out of the lift. She opened the door and wandered around the corner. She saw a common room with a microwave and kettle. It looked so cosy with its comfy chairs and magazines. She couldn’t resist going in. She switched on the kettle, opening cupboards to find tea, milk, and sugar. She found a bowl and filled it with water for the dog, then settled down to drink her tea.
She picked up a magazine and flipped through it. Someone had already done the crossword, all the answers written in thick red ink. She turned the page and found a recipe for rhubarb crumble. She was scanning the list of ingredients when the door opened abruptly. She jumped, Dexter yapping at her feet.
“What do you think you’re doing?” a matronly woman demanded.
“I…”
“You can’t have a dog in here. It’s against the rules.”
She glanced down at Dexter.
“He’s a guide dog.”
“Then where’s his harness? What kind of dog is that anyway?”
“He’s part poodle, part Yorkshire terrier.”
“Don’t they have to be a German Shepard or a Lab?”
“Any dog can be a guide dog.”
The woman continued to stand in the doorway, watching her as she finished her tea.
“Nice meeting you,” she said, rising to her feet.
“You didn’t wash your cup.”
“Got to run now. I’ll do it later.”
She stepped out into the hallway and noticed a door marked ‘stairs’. Perfect. She took them two at a time, Dexter scampering behind her. When she reached the ground floor, she walked out into the lobby and took a look outside. No sign of him, but she still had that uneasy feeling in her stomach. He had seen her with Dexter. He wasn’t going to let her go.
She pushed the door open and felt the summer sun on her back. He would be hating it, she realised. He never had been able to cope with the heat. But the sun alone would not stop him, not now he had her scent.
It was crowded by the time she reached Waverley Station. Tourists filled the platforms, their loud voices grating on her nerves. She glimpsed a man on the bridge between platforms, head down as he crossed to the other side.
Was that him?
She watched him as her train approached the station but he disappeared from view. She glanced down at Dexter, whose eyelids looked heavy, ready for a rest. She clutched the dog tight as she boarded the train and settled with him on her lap. She leaned her head against the window, her eyes still scanning the platforms. She relaxed as the train pulled out of the station, waves forming in front of her sleepy eyes. Her thoughts turned to the ocean. She always dreamed of swimming with her dad.
“Take my hand!” he called from the island. “Keep going, Kylie. You’re nearly there!”
She reached out and felt the warmth of his fingers, smelt his familiar cologne. She snapped open her eyes and there he was, standing over her. Not her dad but Coach McCracken, and there
was no mistaking the malice in his eyes.
“Hello Kylie. Haven’t you been a naughty girl?”
12
She opened her mouth but all that came out was a pathetic whimper. The carriage was full of people. All she had to do was make a fuss.
“Hand over Rebus, Kylie.”
She shook her head from side to side.
“Hand over the dog!” he said it loudly now.
“No, you can’t have him.”
The man sitting opposite was watching them, but as soon as she looked his way he plugged his headphones in, not wanting to get involved.
She pulled Dexter over to the window, shielding him with her body.
“Tickets, please.”
A man in uniform was working his way down the carriage. She saw Coach glance at him, and she realised with delight that he didn’t have a ticket. Immediately, she jumped out of her seat, clutching Dexter tight.
“I have a question about my ticket,” she called out, batting her lashes like Ainsley.
The ticket collector stopped and looked at her. “What’s the problem, hen?”
“Is this ticket valid all day?” she asked, holding it up for him to see.
“You’ll have to come a bit closer. I can’t possibly tell from here.”
She shot down the carriage like lightning. The inspector yawned as she passed him her ticket.
“Yep, that’s a standard all-day ticket,” he said, regarding her as if she were a bit thick.
“But is it still valid at midnight?”
“Yes, it’s an all-day ticket.”
“What about one o’clock?”
He rubbed his temples. “The ticket is valid until the trains stop running for the day.”
“I see,” she said, stuffing it back in her pocket. “Does my dog need a ticket?”
“No, he does not, and I suggest you return to your seat now.”
“Thanks, I’ll do that.”
She glanced back to where she’d been sitting. Just as she’d hoped, Coach was gone.
She stood by the door for the last few minutes of the journey, desperate to get out. She was the first to leap down onto the platform, and she cleared the station before anyone else. A shiny black cab was waiting at the taxi rank and she hopped into it, not caring about the expense. The driver furrowed his brow when she gave him her address.
“Isn’t that just around the corner?”
“Yes,” she confirmed, fastening her seatbelt.
“If I were you, I’d save my money. It’s such a nice day out.”
“I need a lift,” she said through gritted teeth.
“As you wish.”
There was no traffic on the road that afternoon, and the journey took all of five minutes.
“That’ll be five pounds please,” he said. “Sorry, that’s the least I can charge.”
She opened her purse and emptied out all her coins.
“Keep the change!” she said, as she and Dexter hopped out.
He kept the motor running as she fished out her keys and let herself into the building, and only drove off once she was safely inside. Dexter yapped at her, eager to scamper up the steps to her flat. She needed a minute to compose herself. She closed her eyes for a moment, berating herself for being so stupid. She should never have taken Dexter into town. Sometimes, she didn’t know why she did these things. It was as if the beast wanted her to get caught.
“Kylie?”
She jumped. It was just Craig, coming out of Flora’s with a packet of sugar he must have borrowed. He looked at her oddly.
“You alright, Kylie? You look kind of shifty.”
She forced her face into a smile. “Yeah, I’m just back from a bank heist. Looking for somewhere to stash my guns.”
There was an amused look on his face as she started up the stairs to her flat. She unlocked the door, but when she stepped inside, the chemical smell hit her. Bugger! She had forgotten about the flea spray. There was no way she could go in there, especially not with Dexter but she didn’t want to go outside either. What if Coach had followed her? He could still be out there, waiting for her to come out.
“Something wrong?” Craig asked.
“No, er... yes.” She closed the door quickly, not wanting him to smell the stink. “I’m a bit… bored actually. Can Dexter and I come and hang out with you for a bit?”
He raised his eyebrows because they didn’t really hang out, just the two of them.
“Course you can. You want a protein shake?”
“No, but I’ll take a cup of tea if you’re offering?”
“You sure you don’t want me to make you a shake? You’re looking kind of thin lately. You don’t want to get sick.”
“Thanks, but I’m fine.”
“Nice space you’ve got up here,” she commented while he fixed their drinks.
Craig’s flat was almost as minimal as hers. He had a bed that folded into a sofa, and
half the floor was taken up by his home gym. He had the whole of the attic, so his place was quite spacious with a good view of the street below. She stood at the window, her eyes scanning the road. There was no sign of him.
Craig handed her a hot mug of tea.
“You keep looking out the window. Is something wrong?”
“No, I’m just…”
What could she say, really? It was hard, all the secrets she held inside her head.
“Is there someone out there?”
She shook her head, feeling foolish. “No! I was just checking.”
“Has he been harassing you?”
“Who?”
“Lachlan.”
“No! No, he’s fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
He met her eyes with his and she felt defensive. “I’m a big girl. I can look after myself, can’t I?”
She lifted her chin stubbornly, but he didn’t look convinced.
She glanced at his desk, where his laptop sat, shut.
“Still working on that dissertation then?”
“I find it hard to concentrate,” he admitted. “I’m not very good at sitting still. Never have been. Too much energy.”
As if to demonstrate, he got up and did a few stretches. His muscles bulged in all the right places, and she wondered vaguely what he would look like in a suit.
He caught her looking and she blushed.
“I must admit, when I first moved in, I thought you were a bit young, Kylie. To be living alone, I mean.”
Her eyes grew wide, scandalized. “I’m nearly nineteen!”
“Still, a lot of girls your age are still living at home with their mum and dad.”
“A lot of women my age,” she corrected him. “And I don’t have a mum or dad. My mum walked out on us when I was a toddler. I don’t even remember her. I doubt she remembers me, either.”
If he was shocked, he didn’t show it. He placed a gentle arm around her shoulder. She tingled at his touch but then he withdrew the arm, remaining close enough that she could still smell his slightly woody musk.
“What about your dad?”
“Dad died when I was twelve.”
“Oh, Kylie!”
She cast her eyes downward. “He was a delivery driver. He fell asleep at the wheel.”
He nodded with understanding. It was a comforting feeling, as if he had lifted a veil and joined her in her world, a world that no one else understood.
“So, what happened to you?”
“I was left with my step mum, Cherry. Cherry’s cool but more like a housemate than a mum. She was always going out, or else having people over. I…” she bit her lip. “I didn’t like the company she kept, so as soon as I was old enough, I moved out.”
She glanced up and found him looking at her thoughtfully.
She gave a self-conscious laugh. “That’s enough about me! What about you? What’s your story?”
“There’s not much to tell,” he said easily. “I did well at school, got good exam
results but I didn’t know what I wanted to do with myself, so when my brother, Blake, opened a gym, I went to work for him. I did whatever he needed: training people, handling the more difficult clients, balancing the books. All in all, it was a useful experience.”
She smiled. “I can picture you working at a gym.”
He reached for his protein shake and as he did so his shirt lifted to reveal his taut stomach muscles. She had never seen a man so sculpted, every muscle defined.
“So how did you go from that to working in prisons?”
“Ah, well. Blake’s got his head screwed on right, but my kid brother, Ivor, can’t go a day without getting himself into trouble. So, I thought it might be good for him to do some voluntary work. I thought it would be character building.”
“And was it?”
“No. I helped him to get into a program, teaching prisoners to read and write - you’d be amazed how many can’t - but then I found out he wasn’t showing up. I was furious with him but Ivor just said it wasn’t his thing. I felt bad; after all, we had made a commitment, so I offered to go in his place. The rest is history.”
Kylie smiled. “That’s a good thing you did,” she said, but at the same time she shuddered slightly at the thought of him being around all those dangerous criminals. Some of them must have committed terrible crimes, killing people, hurting children. She wasn’t sure she would be as charitable as Craig.
“People have said to me that my dad would have gone to prison if he’d survived his accident,” she told him. “He was just a couple of miles from home the day he fell asleep at the wheel. His truck hit three other vehicles and one of the other drivers was paralyzed. Her life is ruined because of him. People have long memories…”
“That must have been hard on you,” he said softly.
He reached for her hand and she felt so safe with him. She never wanted to let go. He didn’t know the half of it. How people whispered behind her back.
They Won't Believe You (Scottish Dark Romance Book 1) Page 7
