by Imogen Wells
In my short life, I’ve seen more than enough darkness. Some born of pure evil, some born of circumstance and trauma. All leave a stain on the soul. It doesn’t matter what mask you wear, what lies beneath can never truly be hidden. Especially, from those that share your pain.
“Hey, you listening to me?”
Jay’s voice brings me out if my head. “Sorry, kind of got lost in my thoughts for a second there.”
Jay’s eyes widen in mock surprise before he laughs. “You think? Anyway, as I was saying, to myself it seems, let’s take a walk round and find a good spot to sit. Unless you want to dance with me, handsome?” Jay flutters his eyes, pouting his lips and brushing a hand over my shoulder. I slap his hand away as he bursts into a fit of laughter, so much, that he draws more than a few eyes our way.
“Knock it off, you prat.” I can’t hide the small laugh that slips through. Then leaning closer, I whisper, “This is work, Jay.”
“Yeah, you’re telling me. Hard fucking work if I have put up with your grumpy, and way too serious, arse,” he says before tipping his bottle up and drinking down half of it.
“Come on,” I tell him, moving away from the bar.
We walk past a booth of guys around our age, and a bucket sits on the table with several bottles of Grey Goose, most of them empty. They are loud, and their conversation carries over the thumping music. I catch a few words as one of them brags about his latest conquest, and it’s not flattering at all. It’s vulgar and makes me want to punch him in the face.
I’m still shaking my head as we near the door that leads to the VIP area above, where a fuck-off big guy with midnight skin stands guard. He offers us a nod as we pass before his eyes return to scanning the rest of the floor.
I hear Jay muttering about how a guy that big could snap you like a twig when a door to my left opens, and a girl rushes out. She spins to look behind her, crashing straight into me. She bounces off me, stumbling on her feet, and I snap out a hand clasping her wrist to steady her. Her breath comes out in pants, eyes wide in fear as she gains her balance.
The tank sized guy guarding the VIP door walks towards us, and as she sees him, she positions herself so we’re between her and the door she just burst from.
“Fuck! Sorry, Tank,” she blurts, and I have to swallow the laugh that bubbles up at his very apt name. “I…er,” she stutters, looking between the three of us. “It’s just that—” She’s cut off as the door slams open again, flying back so hard it hits the wall, and a dark figure fills the doorway. His clothes are dishevelled, tie askew and hair sticking up like hands have been run through it. I can almost taste the malevolence pouring from him.
I watch as the girl takes a small step back, but her chin lifts too. It’s hard to see properly in the purple haze of lights cast across her face, but she’s young. I’d say too young, but the make-up plastered on her face helps hide her true age. Her almond eyes widen as the man from the doorway steps forward.
“You little bitch,” he spits, attempting to make a grab for her. She spins as if to flee, but with a quick look from me, Jay stops her. And on instinct, I grab the guy’s arm, spinning quickly and pinning it behind his back. He twists his head, shouting at me to let him go, but I hold him fast. In fact, I lever his arm higher up his back, forcing a cry from him and his body to bend at the waist.
I look around at the crowd the commotion has drawn just as a few other security guys join us, ushering them away.
“How about you calm down, and we deal with this amicably and somewhere a little less public. What do you say, big man?” I hiss in his ear. I feel the moment he realises where exactly he is and some of the tension leeches from his body. Pulling him back up straight, my gaze locks onto Tank, who eyes me with a spark of respect.
“You hankering for a job, pal?” he asks me. I shake my head with a laugh.
“Nah, man. Just protecting my investment. You know, don’t want one stupid prick spoiling the fun for the rest of us.” He nods, stepping forward to take said prick from me, who just sneers at me. From the corner of my eye, I see Jay, quietly whispering something to the girl before another guy comes and takes her too. I lock eyes with her and hope that she’ll be okay.
After Tank and the other guy lead the two of them away, I look at Jay and see he knows exactly what I’m thinking. We slink back into the crowd and slowly make our way to the exit.
Like I said, the beauty of this place is only skin deep and what lies beneath, is dark and rotten to the core. The fact that this place caters to the more respectable members of this city means nothing. If anything, it speaks volumes about just what money can buy you.
Depravity.
Debauchery.
Anything that lives outside the tight moral compass society is meant to live by.
Back in the car, Jay looks pissed, and not the smiley happy kind.
“Man, that was fucked up.” He rubs his hands down his face, stretching the skin below his eyes with the pressure from his fingertips. “Fuck. We should have let her go, man. We probably just signed her death warrant.”
“Hopefully not. Hopefully not,” I tell him, all the time praying it’s true.
Nine
Jamie
You’d think after my night shift that, I’d come home and sleep. That’s what normal people do, right? Yeah, me, not so much. Instead, I come home, change, go for a run, drink a bucket load of coffee, shower and then drive over to Mum’s. Where I proceed to sit outside for thirty minutes contemplating all the reasons this is a terrible idea and why I should go back home to bed. Clearly, they weren’t enough to convince me. Two seconds later, I’m walking up the path to my mum and dad’s— correction, my mum’s— house.
I pass a car I’ve never seen before in the drive and wonder if it belongs to the guy my mum has been seeing. I hope not because that will just tip me over the edge.
Stepping up to the front door, I reach into my bag, searching for my keys, but then I think better of it. Raising my hand to the door, I’m just about to knock, when it swings open in front of me.
“Take care now, Louise,” the guy in front of me calls down the hall, too busy looking behind him to have seen me here. As he spins back round to step out the door, he almost slams into me.
“Woah, there—” His eyes take me in, and instantly his demeanour changes. The dark threat that was present initially disappears to be replaced by a look that suggests he’s the cat that got the cream. A big smile, full of teeth, spreads over his face, and his eyes dance with excitement. “Hey, there. You must be Jamie.”
I look over his shoulder to see my mum standing at the end of the hall, worrying her bottom lip.
“That’s me, but I seem to be at a disadvantage,” I say, meeting his eyes. “‘Cause I don’t have a clue who the hell you are.” I pin my eyes on him, voice rising on the last bit and full of venom. I might not know who this guy is, but I sure as hell know a threat when I hear one.
He watches me, sidestepping past me onto the front step as I move to stand in the doorway, effectively blocking his view to my mum.
“Oh well, that’s easy, I’m a friend of your mum’s. Ain’t that right, Lou,” he says, trying to look past me without success. “I just came to check on her, you know, make sure she’s okay. Such a terrible shame what happened. Hopefully, it will all be forgotten quickly. In the meantime, I just wanted to let Lou here know that I’ve got her back.” His smile widens, and a chill passes over me. It’s not a pleasant smile filled with the warmth and concern of a friend, but sinister. A promise. A reminder. But of what, I don’t know. However, I intend to find out.
I plaster a false, overly exaggerated smile on my face. “How very lovely of you…” I pause “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name. Who did you say who were, again?”
“I didn’t,” he replies, and I can see he now realises I’m not the naive girl he had me pegged as.
“Never mind. I have a great memory for faces you know,” I say with a dismissive wave of my hand. “Anyw
ay, I think you were just leaving, weren’t you? Or do I need to make a call?” My threat more than clear, and he knows it too. Although, I wasn’t expecting the laugh that bursts from him.
“You’re funny,” he quips, pointing a finger at me as he turns and walks to his car. Once he reaches it, opening the door, he pauses to look back at me. “You be careful now, Jamie Morgan,” he states, giving a me wink before getting in his car, backing down the drive and speeding off.
Turning back to the house, I see my mum is no longer in the hall, and I step through, closing the door behind me and go in search of her and some answers to what the hell that was all about.
Lately, I feel like I’m missing something. Dad’s being cagey and stressed more than usual, and something is clearly going on with my mum. I might be angry with her for what happened, but she’s still my mum, and no matter what, I still love her.
I find Mum in the kitchen, just finishing up stuffing some papers back into an envelope. I don’t get a good look before she shoves it into the pocket of her apron. Then the sweet smell of brownies cooking reaches my nose, making my mouth water.
Mum avoids looking at me, but I don’t miss her swiping an errant tear from her cheek as she moves to the sink where she was obviously cleaning up before her guest interrupted her.
“Mum?” She keeps her back to me, busying herself with the dishes, but I know she heard the unspoken question. I wait her out a few minutes, and when she doesn’t answer me, I move so I’m in her line of vision. “Mum?” I say again, touching her arm to stop her harried scrubbing.
She takes in a deep, calming breath before turning to look at me. “Everything is fine, Jamie,” she says, offering me a half-hearted smile that even a blind person could see right through.
“Mum, who was that guy? What did he want?” She bypasses my questions, drying her hands on the tea towel and pulling the brownies from the oven.
“I’m glad you came. How about we have a brownie and a cuppa, and you can tell me what’s been happening with you.” She takes two cups down from the cupboard and begins making tea.
This is ridiculous. “I didn’t come here to make idle chit chat, Mum. Or talk about me, for that matter. I came to get some answers, only when I turn up, I find some strange bloke coming out of the house, and you looking like you’ve seen a ghost. So, I’ll ask you again. Who was the guy and what the hell is going on?” I demand, keeping my voice low. Which is incredibly difficult given all I want to do is shout at her, shake some sense into her and get some damn answers.
Her back straightens at my harsh tone, turning to me, she says, “Who he is and what he was doing here are none of your business. And I don’t appreciate you coming into my home demanding answers to things that have nothing to do with you. I thought we raised you with more respect than that. Now, do you want tea or coffee?”
“You know what, you did raise me with more respect than that, but it appears that just recently I’m not afforded the same respect. You and Dad are keeping stuff from me. Besides, you have little room to talk about respect given the lack of it you’ve shown Dad recently. Come on, Mum, you screwed another man. Where’s the respect in that?”
My mum slams the plate she’s holding on the counter, snapping it in two.
“Enough! I made a mistake. Are you telling me you’ve never made a mistake? I find that incredibly hard to believe.”
“Of course, I’ve made mistakes, but I never cheated on anyone. I sure as shit know how it feels to be cheated on though. Or did you forget? I don’t remember you telling me that Josh made a mistake. In fact, I remember you calling him every name under the sun and threatening to cut his balls off. Top marks for the hypocrisy, Mum.”
She winces at the mention of Josh, but I can’t believe she’s using the ‘it was a mistake’ line after what happened to me. What that bastard did to me.
I don’t give her a chance to reply but stalk from the house with anger and disappointment thrumming in my veins. There’s a little sorrow mixed in there too.
I know she’s crying, and it hurts me that I’ve upset her, but I’m so pissed at her right now. Does that make me a bad person? A bad daughter? Yeah, maybe, but I need more time to get my head around her betrayal of my dad and the vows they made.
There’s more going on, and if she’s not going to tell me, then I’ll find another way to get answers.
As I drive away, I think about the guy that was here and the envelope my mum was hiding. Whatever it is, she doesn’t want me to know about it, and that just makes me more curious. Maybe Dad knows more. Despite not leaving on good terms the last time we met, I head for his office.
Entering the lobby, I head straight for the lift. I’m so focused on getting to Dad, that I don’t see the girl talking to Chantelle at the desk, and as she turns, we crash into each other. She falls backward, landing in a heap on the floor. Ouch. That’s got to have hurt her arse.
“Hey! Watch it!” she screeches. The sound echoes around the lobby and several people turn to look our way. She climbs to her feet, smoothing out her dress.
“Sorry. I didn’t see you there.” Given the mood I’m in, and the fact she’s just as much to blame as me, this is pretty polite for me.
“No shit, lady,” she snaps, lifting her head. I get a better look at her and immediately know who she is.
Chantelle comes around the desk towards her friend. “Vick, are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay. This stupid cow needs to look where she’s going,” she sneers, looking me up and down.
“Chantelle, I suggest you keep your pet on a leash.” Vick goes to bite back at my retort but is stopped my Chantelle.
“I’m sorry, Miss Morgan.” Chantelle keeps a grip on Vick’s arm, squeezing tighter when it looks like she’s about to open her mouth again. “Your father is in his office. Shall I let him know you’re on your way up?”
“No, thanks.” I give Chantelle a small smile, and then focus my attention on Vick. “If you don’t want your friend here to lose her job, I suggest you learn some damn manners.”
I hurry to the lift, catching it just before the doors close. Moving to the back, I drop my head to the wall and let out a sigh.
Vick is the girl that was draped all over Seb the other night. And more than likely, Chantelle was with her.
I shove Seb from my mind as the doors open. Stepping out onto my dad’s floor, Margaret greets me with a warm smile.
“Jamie, what a lovely surprise. What brings you here?” she asks.
“Hi, Margaret. Just need a quick word with Dad. Is he free?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, hun, he just stepped into a meeting. He could be some time. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“No, I don’t think there is. Thank you, anyway.” The phone rings, and I leave Margaret to her conversation. Moving over to the window and the small seating area, a newspaper article catches my eye.
The body of an unidentified young woman was discovered in the Strangeways area early on Sunday morning. This is the second body found within this area of Manchester recently, and whilst the police don’t believe they are connected, they aren’t ruling the possibility out.
The police are appealing for anyone who may have seen anything unusual late on Saturday or the early hours of Sunday morning.
The article goes on to give a description of the woman as late teens to early twenties and of European decent. This is an area synonymous with prostitution and not the first time there’s been a death there.
I drop the paper back onto the table and check the time. Realising Dad is probably going to be a while and I need to go to work soon and still haven’t slept, I head back to the lift. I wave to Margaret, who’s still on the phone, as I go.
Back in the lobby, I’m pleased to see that Vick has gone and Chantelle is on the phone, so I race towards the door and breathe a sigh of relief when I make it outside.
I make a quick stop at the supermarket before going home, where I plan to try and sleep for a few hou
rs.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen. My mind is too crammed full of thoughts of Seb, and on top of that there’s Jasper.
I field several calls and messages from him asking to see me tonight, but regardless of work, I don’t feel comfortable about seeing him after what happened with Seb at the hospital. Never mind that Jasper seems to be friends with one of my hook-ups, and not just any hook-up but one part of a threesome. A shiver runs through me at the thought the pair of them have been swapping notes.
I guess the saying that your past comes back to haunt you is true. This is one time when I wish I could erase that particular event. Don’t get me wrong, since that night I’ve remembered some exceptionally good parts of the evening but finding out Jasper and Noah are friends has tainted it somewhat.
I also can’t stop comparing what happened with Seb on Sunday to cheating in some way, and that makes me no better than my mum. After I just ridiculed my mum for her indiscretion, there was me, tongue down one guy’s throat and not two minutes later I’m pinned up against a wall and about to let Seb fuck me. The worst part is, I would have too. The man literally strips me bare, emotionally and physically, and I have no control or power to stop him.
Is what I did considered cheating? I guess that depends on who you ask. I have the feeling that Jasper thinks there’s more to our relationship than just fucking, and that makes me a cheat. Like my mother.
My only possible exoneration from being labelled a cheat is I’ve never stood in the house of God and promised myself to one man. It’s flimsy as fuck. It’s a thin line, a tightrope, and right now I’m walking it with my toes gripping that wire like a lifeline.
Arriving at the hospital, it’s exceptionally busy, and I have to use the overflow car park. I hate using this damn place. Set back from the hospital, there’s a small, wooded area with a path from there to the hospital, and it’s always dimly lit. Gives me the creeps at the best of times, but on a cold, dark winter evening it’s even more creepy.
