The Rules

by KERRY BARNES

  Victor stared at her in complete shock. ‘You what? You’re bleedin’ serious about this, ain’t ya?’

  Her eyes narrowed and darkness swept over them. She looked up at him, her catlike eyes unblinking, as she replied, ‘Deadly serious, Victor. Fucking deadly serious. That man has written his own book of rules, and I intend to make sure I break every one of ’em!’

  ‘So, what’s in place? What can I do?’

  She took a deep breath. ‘Start by doing some digging. Be the unsuspecting taxi driver and find out what you can. I have other plans in place, so don’t worry about me.’

  A cruel smirk crept across his face: it was matched by an evil grin of her own.

  ***

  Two days later

  Ricky was helped from his hospital bed, the swelling on his face now going down, and his eyes were no longer slits.

  ‘Here, boy, take my arm!’ said Mike.

  Ricky gave him as much of a smile as he could, considering his cheeks were still sore on the inside.

  ‘I’ve got to do it by myself, Dad.’

  Mike sat back down, carefully watching to make sure that his son wouldn’t lose his balance.

  Constance was assigned to Ricky to help him fully recover. She handed him a Zimmer frame, which made him chuckle. ‘No way. I’m not old. Let me, please, try walking by myself.’

  Mike looked at the nurse and shrugged.

  ‘Okay then, Ricky. Walk towards me,’ she replied.

  Much to their amazement, Ricky stood completely upright and shuffled one foot in front of the other. ‘Excuse me, I want to use the loo. I ain’t pissing in that cardboard potty thing again.’

  The nurse stepped aside and allowed Ricky through; however, she was close on his heels, as he made his way along the corridor. After a few shuffles, he actually lifted his feet, and although his movements were slow and somewhat uncoordinated, he did manage to walk properly. Mike was right behind and clapped him, just as he’d done the day Ricky took his very first steps.

  Constance turned to face him, her eyes glowing from the beaming smile across her face. ‘That’s it! He needs encouragement, Mr Regan.’

  Mike nodded, pleased with the way the young nurse was dealing with her patient. ‘Hey, please call me Mike, love.’

  She blushed. ‘Okay, Mike. He’s doing well and so much better than we anticipated. I think the doctor will discharge him soon, but he’ll have to take it slowly.’ No sooner had she said those words than she saw Ricky quickening his pace. Ever the vigilant, caring nurse she was, she called out after him. ‘Slowly, Ricky!’

  ‘I need a piss!’ he called back.

  Mike laughed and was joined by Constance, as he jokingly said, ‘Why not say it as it is!’

  While Ricky was in the toilet, Constance faced Mike. ‘I admire you, Mike. You’ve been by his side, and when you were talking to him as he was coming out of the coma, there was a connection right away, as if you were his lifeline, not the machines.’

  Out of character, Mike blushed; he wasn’t used to being complimented in such a serious way by a beautiful, bright young nurse. It was very different from his world.

  ‘Well, actually, I wanted to thank you. I may have been worried to death over Ricky, but I saw how you looked after him. You are a real angel.’

  Now it was her turn to blush. She had been in Ricky’s room more than perhaps she needed to because, if she was being honest with herself, she was intrigued by Mike and enormously attracted to him. Her ex had been too feminine and sensitive for her liking; she wanted a real man’s man, a big, straight-talking, and no bullshit kind of guy.

  ‘May I ask, where’s Ricky’s mother?’

  Mike laughed. ‘Mother? Well, he does have one, but she’s in her own world. Let’s just say she has a few issues, if you get my drift.’

  Immediately, Constance got the impression the wife wasn’t part of the picture. ‘Aah, that’s a shame. I think at a time like this you need support.’

  He knew she was fishing, but, still, he didn’t mind. ‘Well, we’re separated, going through a divorce. She’s . . . not on the same page as Ricky and me. In fact, she doesn’t live with us.’

  Her eyes twinkled as she blushed again. How embarrassing, she thought. She’d found out what she wanted to know but hadn’t expected some of Mike’s personal life to be handed to her on a plate. An awkward laugh followed, emphasizing the fact that they were both looking at each other for far longer than they should.

  ‘Look, Mike, Ricky will be going back to sleep in a few minutes, once the tablets kick in. Would you like to have lunch? The canteen upstairs isn’t so bad.’

  ‘Why not.’ He needed a break, and he hadn’t eaten for a while. Perhaps the change of company would clear his head. He could use the opportunity to talk about all the issues falling heavily on his shoulders regarding the care that Ricky would need.

  Constance was beaming; this would be her fantasy come true – a date with this handsome hunk of a man, albeit in her lunch hour. Her mind was moving faster than Mo Farah’s legs, and she actually began to imagine a future together. First up would be working out how she could invite him out for dinner, once they’d got to know each other. And what better chance than to start a romance on the basis of each having a single goal – namely, the well-being of Mike’s son and her patient? It would be the best way to a man’s heart – well, in this case Mike Regan’s.

  That was the theory, anyway.

  ***

  Zara was delighted with the arrival of her new cars that morning. It wasn’t the fact that she now had two brand-new vehicles – a sporty Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG and a Range Rover Vogue SE – but the independence she was now afforded after five years of confinement in her father’s basement suite. She had freedom, and boy, was she going to use it. She had to remember she was an autonomous, liberated woman, and she was determined to make the most of who she was.

  Both cars came by transporter and were accompanied by the dealer principal himself, who had decided to make a personal appearance. Zara Ezra was a cut above even the most well-heeled of his customers at his West London showroom, specializing in the high-end market.

  All the paperwork had been completed, but if he were honest, he fancied the knickers off this hot woman and thought he might be in with a chance if he impressed her by supervising the final handover himself.

  But he was soon to have his nose pushed out of joint! Not only was her body language all wrong, she hardly gave him the time of day. Having received the keys, she went over to the Mercedes and was off down the drive in a jiffy, leaving both the dealer principal and the transporter driver aghast as they watched her zoom away while they were still standing on her driveway.

  As she reached the main road, she stopped and wondered where she should go first. Five years was a long time not to be behind the wheel, and yet she was easing back into the driving seat seemingly with no problems. The controls made it so much easier, and she found that there was no need to rely on her stiff prosthetic hand. Ricky had been on her mind for a few days. Gloria had kept her up to date with all that had been going on. Zara made it clear she didn’t want to talk about Mike, and Gloria, ever the diplomat, just stuck to conversations regarding Ricky. Now, with the news that Ricky was recovering, Zara felt the urge to pay him a brief visit to let him know she was thinking about him and not ignoring the dreadful ordeal that he’d endured.

  With the aid of the on-board cameras, she reversed the Mercedes expertly into a fairly tight space in the hospital car park and made her way over to the ward. Inside her bag was a small sentimental gift, a gold signature bracelet that had the word ‘BRAVE’ inscribed on it.

  The ward was quiet as it was too early for visitors, yet Zara knew Ricky had a private room and hoped the nurses wouldn’t mind her just popping in. The staff were too busy to notice, though, so she made her way along a well-lit corridor, carefully checking the names on the last two private rooms located at the end of the hospital wing.

  Ricky was pro
pped up, looking through his phone. The tablets hadn’t kicked in, and he was busy on the internet trying to find out how to speed up his recovery.

  ‘Hello,’ she whispered from the doorway.

  Ricky’s face lit up. ‘Come in, Zara.’

  He put the phone away and gestured for her to take a seat. Looking her up and down, he was surprised to find her wearing a pink soft woollen tracksuit and trainers. It was a very different look from her normal dark fitted clothes that always gave her an edge. Today, she looked more mumsy. It actually suited her to a T.

  ‘Oh no, I won’t stay. I just wanted to see how you were doing, and I’ve brought you something.’

  ‘It’s good to see you, Zara. You can’t guess how much I’ve missed you.’

  Zara felt a lump in her throat. She hadn’t really had a chance to get to know Ricky, even though she’d spent years trying to track him down. Unbeknown to her, he’d been carted off by that bitch of a mother. But, in a way, the experience had made the connection between them all the more special.

  ‘Here, I thought you might like . . . well, it’s just a little thing. Maybe it’s a bit old-fashioned, really, but, anyway, I wanted you to have something from me.’

  Ricky was still smiling, and as soon as he opened the box, his eyes widened as he read the engraving. ‘Oh, wow! How cool is that! Brave, eh? I love it, Zara. I will wear it with pride.’

  ‘I wanted you to have it for a very special reason, though. My father gave it to me when I was your age.’

  ‘Oh, then I can’t possibly take it. I know how close you and your dad were. Dad has told me so much about you and Izzy. There’s no way I’m accepting such a special gi—’

  She held up her hand to stop him giving it back. ‘No, I want you to have it. I would’ve given it to my little boy, but . . . anyway, I want you to have it. Always remember you are very brave.’

  Leaning forward she kissed his forehead; it seemed so natural. There was a bond between them that was unexplainable, but it was there, nevertheless.

  Ricky felt it too. His dad had told him how she’d tried to find him, how she’d also lost a child, who, if he’d lived, would have been Ricky’s elder brother.

  ‘Ricky, listen. I’ve done something that I’m really not very proud of, and I just want to say, I know you won’t forgive me, but I’m sorry.’

  With an understanding grin, Ricky replied, ‘Hey, Zara, if it’s what you did to Jackie, then she bloody well deserved it. She’s a nasty piece of work. I should know more than anyone. But she didn’t hurt you, did she?’

  Zara gave Ricky a cheeky grin in reply. ‘Not physically, no, but she really hurt my feelings.’

  Ricky’s face dropped. ‘No! Well, she has a habit of doing that. She hurt mine on a daily basis. I think she used to get a real kick out of it. The fact is, you know, I don’t regard her as my mother . . . ’ He paused, and his eyes opened as wide as they could. ‘I’m too old to have a mother, but if I could’ve chosen one, you know it would’ve been you, don’t you?’

  Hearing those words was so magical, they made her heart melt. ‘And, Ricky, 100 per cent, you would’ve been my choice too.’ She swallowed the lump and changed the subject before it became a full-blown blubber affair.

  ‘So, when will you be allowed home? Have they told you yet?’

  ‘It won’t be long now. Maybe in a few days’ time, but I bet Dad won’t let me out again.’

  Zara smiled. ‘No, you must’ve given him such a fright. My God, Ricky, what you must’ve gone through yourself, though?’

  She looked down.

  ‘I don’t remember much of it. One minute, I was walking into Kendall’s flat, and the next, I had a bag forced over my head. That’s all I remember.’

  Zara’s natural curiosity got the better of her. ‘Did they say anything that you can recall?’

  He shook his head. ‘Nothing at all. Maybe, when I’m fully better, something might come back to me. Dad keeps asking all the time. He’s desperate to track ’em down. I’m worried though, Zara. I really don’t want him to get hurt. You know what he’s like. It’s an eye for an eye – or worse, with him. I can see the anger in his eyes. He won’t rest until he knows who did it.’ Suddenly, his face looked pale and full of sorrow.

  ‘What’s up, Ricky? Do you feel unwell?’ She panicked.

  ‘No, it’s just I feel so guilty.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because I’m alive, and Kendall . . . well, she was adorable, ya know. I liked her such a lot. She didn’t deserve that.’

  Zara leaned forward and hugged him. ‘I know, darling, I know. But you need to get better, and then you may think of something that’ll help the police capture the men who did it. So, you just concentrate on your recovery.’

  ‘The police?’ Ricky shook his head. ‘Dad’s working with them. He’s going to pin down this gang anyway—’ Suddenly, he stopped.

  He thought he’d said too much. Dad had told him about the mission when they were in prison, but it was on the understanding that he was never to disclose what they’d discussed outside the firm. And he’d made it very clear that Zara wasn’t to know either because he didn’t want her to worry.

  ‘What?’ Her tone became more serious.

  ‘Nothing, Zara. Sorry, I get confused.’

  She knew then she shouldn’t press him and have him worrying unnecessarily.

  ‘Well, listen, babe, you just get better, and once you’re up, perhaps we’ll go for a nice meal somewhere special.’

  ‘Yeah, I’d like that.’

  She kissed him once more and left. Her mind was on what Ricky had let slip. That was until she saw Mike with his arm around a nurse. She was giggling and obviously flirting. Mike didn’t see Zara right away. He was still talking earnestly and laughing. Then the nurse stopped and faced him. She was twiddling a strand of hair that had come loose from her ponytail. Gazing into Mike’s eyes, she was oblivious to any potential bystander. In fact, she was giving it all she had in the flirting department. But Mike, it appeared to Zara, wasn’t so shy himself; he was nodding and intently listening to the nurse. As she watched the scene play out in front of her, Zara’s heart was in her mouth.

  Then, as if Mike sensed the presence of someone, he turned and froze, his eyes wide in utter disbelief. Zara! Oh shit!

  Zara didn’t hang about. Her expression inscrutable, and her eyes focused on something far down the corridor, she blanked both Mike and the nurse and marched on ahead.

  ‘Zara! Wait a minute.’

  Near to tears, Zara hurried her stride to the lift, hoping to slip inside before it closed, so she could avoid having to face her fiancé. But then he was there in full view, looking ashen-faced with shock and powerless to do or say anything as the doors closed on what in reality was a chapter of her life.

  So he didn’t hang about. First Jennifer, then back to Jackie, and now a nurse. She wondered if their own relationship hadn’t been so much a mistake but an actual out-and-out lie. Or had she foolishly believed it was more than it really was?

  Mike walked back along the corridor with his head down, feeling utterly miserable. Constance, unsure of what had just happened, chose to be thick-skinned and continued with her play for Mike. She offered a generous smile and gained back his attention.

  ‘Er, sorry about that. I wanted to talk to, um . . . Oh, never mind. Sorry, Constance, what were you saying?’

  Constance spotted the auxiliary room ajar, and in a blink of an eye, she’d grabbed Mike’s arm and led him inside.

  ‘Hey, what’s going on?’ asked Mike, now nervously laughing.

  ‘I just thought we could have a more private conversation,’ replied Constance, in a slow, seductive voice.

  Mike didn’t know how to react. He wasn’t in the right frame of mind, and it had been a long time since he’d had the eye from another woman.

  Constance wasn’t going to hang about. She stepped nearer and placed both her arms around his neck and tried to pull him closer. At first, he was
rigid, but then his muscles relaxed as her come-to-bed eyes lured him in.

  ‘Why don’t you come over to mine for dinner tonight?’

  Flushing slightly with embarrassment and feeling a little warm, Mike gently removed her hands. ‘Why not? Listen, babe, I need to see to Ricky before I shoot off.’ He pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to her. ‘’Ere, stick your number in there, and I’ll call you later.’

  Constance added her number, winked, and said, ‘See you tonight, then, handsome.’

  ***

  Zara’s eyes were firmly on the road ahead, but her mind was faraway. The excitement of the new cars meant nothing now; driving home, feeling so flat, she wasn’t aware of a black BMW 7 Series following her at a discreet distance all the way to her home.

  ***

  A sound outside alerted Poppy. She looked at her bedside clock. 3 a.m. She listened to footsteps on the drive and someone entering the house. Sod it, she thought, I need a drink now.

  Creeping downstairs, she expected to encounter at least one of her parents, but something made her stop on the last tread of the staircase. Mother was on her mobile in the kitchen.

  At once, Poppy’s brain kicked into gear as she silently crept along the hallway and listened. The conversation seemed to be dominated by her mother, so Poppy heard pretty much everything.

  And her mother’s words sent a shiver down her spine. Thoughts of entering the kitchen went out of the window. Quietly, she retreated upstairs to the bathroom, where she drank from the bathroom tap, before she headed back to bed. But it turned out to be a long night. Sleep was the furthest thing from her mind.

  ***

  In the morning, the house was quiet. Rebecca had gone out and Alastair had headed off to the gym. Poppy rose from her bed and padded down to the kitchen to make a cheese toastie for herself and Brooke. There was so much to think about. She decided to keep what she’d heard to herself for the time being. But her sister’s plight was very much a concern. So, taking the bull by the horns, she made a decision to help Brooke herself.