by TJ Dallas
I shook my head to clear the disturbing image. I felt a key pin come loose and kept my poker face as I felt for the next one. Harry still hadn’t said a word, but inexplicably, she started laughing.
“Shut the fuck up,” Leon snapped. “You two, take that stuff to the van. Jacob and I will be along with that one in a minute.” He nodded his head in my direction. “Get it started and ready to go.” The men nodded, glancing around as they left.
“You aren’t taking her anywhere,” Harry growled, and I saw the deep purple bruise already forming on her cheekbone.
I felt another pin loosen. From the type of cuffs, I figured there would only be four pins I needed to manipulate, and I set to work. Come on, come on. Harry, I’m almost free. I just need a minute.
“If you want to gag me, you better hurry,” Harry snarled, ignoring my comment. “You’ll lose your chance soon enough. I’ll watch the light drain from your eyes before I do the same to your boss. What’s his name, by the way?”
Her head snapped to one side as Leon cracked the side of her skull again, and she hissed. She started to sway. He was hitting her harder now, and if she wasn’t careful, he would catch her in just the right spot, providing enough force to knock her out again. I held my breath as the third pin moved.
“Are you done, tough guy?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
Please shut up, Harry.
The look on Leon’s face was incredible. The muscles in his neck were tight, his cheeks flushed a deep red, and his teeth were ground together in fury. Emilia would have swooned for that anger.
I heard a click and froze.
It was the unmistakable sound of a safety catch being removed, and I dared not look. I was still arguing with the cuffs at my back, and I couldn’t get the last pin loose. My mind raced for other options; if I could distract Leon for at least a few seconds, it might give Harry the chance she needed.
“On your knees.”
I stared at the floor. I knew that voice.
That deep, husky voice had dropped me to my knees many times, and I couldn’t help feeling a pleasurable ache in my core.
Harry’s Identical stood, a gun cocked and ready at the base of Leon’s skull. I saw the Original grinning again, the deranged glint in her eye. I swallowed hard and tried not to exhale too loudly.
“Drop it,” the Identical demanded. “And don’t you fucking move, either,” she added, looking towards Jacob. Jacob didn’t have a gun, but I think he was more shocked about a duplicate of a woman suddenly materialising out of thin air.
I watched as Leon slowly lowered his handgun. He dropped it to the floor with a clatter, placing his foot on top and sliding it across the floor.
“Face the wall, and put your hands behind your back.”
He did as she told him, and the Identical moved forward in the blink of an eye, pulling a cable tie from her back pocket. He winced as she pulled his shoulders back, the cable tie pinching the skin on his wrists. She booted the back of his knees, and he dropped with a groan.
Jacob tried to make a run for it, but the Identical flew in front of him. His throat connected with her forearm, and he fell back, grunting as the back of his head connected with the floor.
The Identical knelt down and rolled him over, pushing a knee into the middle of his back. “You unlocked those handcuffs yet? There are never enough cable ties when you need them.”
The last pin finally sprung loose, and I nodded, fumbling the catch to release them. I threw them to her and pulled the duct tape from my mouth, gulping oxygen.
Once Jacob was handcuffed, the Identical replaced the safety on her gun and tucked it into the waistband at her back. “Are you OK?” she asked.
I rubbed my wrists and handed her the paper clip. “I am now.” My legs shook as I tried to stand, but the Identical held me down.
“Wait here, pet. I’ll get her.”
The Identical knelt behind the Original, taking only a few seconds to pick the lock. She had an advantage as she could see what she was doing, and I smiled. I taught her well.
Harry wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, scowling at the amount of blood on her knuckles. The Identical pulled Harry to her feet, draping her arm over her shoulder and carrying her forward.
“Let’s go,” the Identical murmured, holding out a hand to help me up.
“What about them?” I nodded my head towards Jacob and Leon.
“Emilia’s on her way. She’ll deal with them.”
My legs were still shaking, but I turned at the door, pulling it shut and securing the locks. Emilia could kick the door in anyway, and I didn’t want them to get away. If they did, I’d be running from them my whole life. You don’t piss off the Old Smokies without repercussions. I prayed that Emilia could return to the Cardinal in time to deal with the two men sitting outside in the van as well.
We staggered towards the lift, ignoring the astonished looks from everyone in the casino. I kept my head down, watching my feet until we’d stepped in, and I pressed the illuminated number 7. I leaned against the wall for support as the lift moved, trying my hardest to quell how unstable and emotional I was, until I was at least out of the public eye.
By the time we reached Harry’s flat, Althea was already waiting at the door for us. Her hand flew to her mouth as we climbed the stairs, and she rushed to meet us. She took Harry out from under the Identical’s arm, and the Identical squeezed passed to open the front door.
Harry grimaced as she ascended the rest of the stairs. We got her inside and headed towards the bathroom. Althea pulled the lid of the toilet down, and Harry sat heavily with a wince as the Identical brought over a warm, damp cloth.
We were silent as Althea tenderly cleaned the blood from Harry’s face. The cut on her eyebrow was the worst of the injuries, but she also had a nasty chunk missing from her bottom lip, and the bruises on her cheekbone and jaw looked incredibly painful. Harry’s eyes kept closing, whether through fatigue or a concussion, I wasn’t sure.
The Identical knelt in front of Harry as Althea stood up and rinsed the cloth in the sink. She looked into Harry’s eyes, concern wrinkling across her forehead.
With the state Harry was in, I was astounded the Identical was here at all. Harry always needed her full concentration where the Identical was concerned, but somehow, she’d found the strength to summon her when she needed her the most. Without her, I’d have most likely been tied up in the back of a van right now, on my way to a meeting with the head of the crime gang. I shook my head to rid myself of the thought but couldn’t hide a horrified shudder.
“How many fingers, pet?” the Identical asked.
Harry squinted, blinking and struggling to focus. She took a few seconds to form a response. “Three?”
The Identical nodded. “Now?”
“One.”
“Good.”
The Identical rose and stood next to Althea, murmuring in her ear. Althea’s eyes widened as she listened, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I took the Identical’s place in front of Harry, resting my forehead against hers.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, tears rolling down my cheeks.
Harry shook her head, then stopped as an unbearable pain exploded behind her eyelids. She squeezed her eyes shut, her body swaying, and exhaled with a groan.
Her shirt was covered in blood, and I slowly unbuttoned it, pulling it back from her shoulders. She let me remove it, but as soon as I moved away, she fell forward onto her knees, whirling around. She only just managed to lift the toilet seat up before she vomited.
Althea threw the cloth down and ran to her side, holding her hair, as I tried to force back the incredible guilt rising inside me. Harry definitely had a concussion, and I prayed the symptoms wouldn’t last. Leon and the others hadn’t held back in their attempts to subdue her, and it was all my fault.
I
looked around, but the Identical had disappeared. Harry must have finally lost her concentration, and I wasn’t surprised. I swallowed hard, still holding her blood-stained shirt.
“I’ll go and soak this, or it’ll be ruined,” I said quietly. It was pathetic, but I couldn’t think of anything else I could do to help.
Althea nodded but never took her eyes from Harry, rubbing her back as she threw up again.
I took longer than necessary, soaking and scrubbing the shirt in the kitchen sink. I dried my hands but remained rooted to the spot. I began to sob, gripping the edges of the worktop, the shock and adrenaline finally leaving my body now that we were out of immediate danger.
I was startled by a noise behind me and reeled around with my eyes wide open. It was Althea; she took me in her arms.
“Shh,” she soothed. “Are you OK, toots?”
“This is my f-fault,” I stammered. “I didn’t realise who the woman was. She wouldn’t even tell me her name.”
“How could you have known?” she murmured, cradling me to her shoulder.
I wrapped my arms around her back. “Where’s Harry?”
“She’s in bed, asleep already. I’ll keep an eye on her; don’t worry.”
I pulled away and brought a hand to my throat. The chain snapped as I wrenched the pendant from my neck. Althea’s expression was one of complete and utter shock as I opened the window and hurled it out, watching it sail towards the ground. If there was anybody in the world worth more than that necklace, it was Harry.
It hadn’t brought me the luck I’d hoped for.
A tightness spread through my chest, but Althea said nothing as she pulled me into another hug, and I sobbed in her arms.
The Bartender
PART 3
The Bartender
12
Lara
I waited as patiently as I could at the airport, eager to get out into the sweltering sunshine. Three months after the wedding, we were finally on our honeymoon. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been abroad, and I couldn’t wait to enjoy a holiday with not only my wife, but six of the seven managers from the Cardinal.
The only one missing was Madison. After the incident last year, I still couldn’t stand the sight of her, and I think Harry felt the same way. The last time I’d spoken with Madison had been the breaking point for me, when she’d filled me with intentional jealousy. An intense feeling of shame still presented itself in my stomach whenever I remembered slapping Zoe.
Shortly afterwards, I’d attempted suicide, surviving only through Harry’s love and determination, but I’d avoided Madison ever since; there was no way I’d allow her to accompany us on our honeymoon.
Harry had grit her teeth and bitten her tongue when she’d had to leave the keys with her. She had no choice but to entrust the Cardinal to Madison while she was away for two weeks, but she’d warned her that if there was so much as a straw out of place in her nightclub when she got back, there would be hell to pay.
Bringing my thoughts back to the present, I couldn’t contain my excitement, and I bounced on the balls of my feet, waiting in the arrivals lounge for the conveyor belt to deliver our luggage. I thought I’d explode, but eventually a series of beeps resounded around the room, and there was a tired, scattered applause from the waiting crowd. The conveyor belt started moving, and Zoe held me down, save I floated off.
Harry surged forward and started pulling bags and suitcases off the conveyor belt. Along with Emilia and Georgia, they soon came back with three trolleys piled high.
“Seriously, between you lot—” Harry motioned towards me, Althea, and Bella. “—I’m amazed you haven’t maxed out your own and everyone else’s baggage allowance.”
“And how much did you bring?” Althea raised an eyebrow, but her face faltered as Harry pointed to a single duffel bag slung over her shoulder. “That’s it?”
“I’m packing the important stuff elsewhere.” She winked, and even Althea blushed. I snorted as Zoe burst into fits of giggles.
We piled onto the transfer coach and started our journey towards our resort. It was on the east coast of the island, surrounded by the stunning White Coral Bay, and I spent the entire trip looking through brochures, leaflets, and maps deciding what I wanted to do. It didn’t help that I wanted to do everything.
Zoe sat watching me with amusement as I pointed out all the different things we could do. “Look, there’s a trip to the caves. You ride a boat in, and there’s a band that plays concerts there, actually inside the caves. Or we could do this trip where you’ll see the sunrise and wild dolphins, or there’s this one where you can go snorkelling or paddle-boating ...”
I rattled on for the next hour, piecing together the entire two weeks down to the last minute. Zoe eventually placed a hand over my mouth, willing me to be quiet.
When we made it to the hotel, I looked around as Riley organised our key cards and the all-inclusive wristbands at the reception desk. I spotted a large swimming pool through the floor-to-ceiling windows, surrounded by sun loungers and parasols. People already occupied most of the sun loungers, and my eyes trailed over the various colours of bikinis, swim shorts, towels, and beverages in people’s hands. Every single person wore the widest smile, unless they were asleep, and even those people looked content, peaceful and at ease with the world. I grinned. If you fell asleep outside in Scotland, you’d wake up in a hedge with bare feet and no eyebrows.
At long last, we made it to our hotel room. Zoe opened the door, and I ran to the balcony to check out the view. We were on the third floor, and we had a stunning view of the mountains on the west of the island, silhouetted against a bright blue sky. There wasn’t a cloud to be seen, and I took a deep breath, standing in the sunshine.
I’d calmed down by the time we finished unpacking our suitcases. We locked our passports and money in the safe at the bottom of the wardrobe, slipped into a pair of fresh shorts, and made our way downstairs to the bar’s outdoor seating area. Georgia and Riley were already seated, sipping leisurely on glasses of wine. Georgia wore a lovely summery light orange dress, and Riley looked comfortable in baggy shorts and a T-shirt. They waved us over, pulling out two chairs.
Zoe and I were halfway through our first beer when Emilia and Bella appeared and near the bottom of our second when Harry and Althea finally graced us with their presence.
The existing group caught each other’s eye. We’d made a joke about Harry and Althea barely getting unpacked before getting naked and fucking on the balcony, but with us already tipsy and a less-than-subtle smirk on Harry’s lips, we’d burst out laughing, waggling our fingers at them.
I couldn’t take my eyes from Harry as she walked towards the bar. She wore a short-sleeved button-down shirt over thin white cotton trousers, finished with a white leather belt. She looked very smart, and I felt a flutter in my heart. Was there anything she wouldn’t look delicious in?
I wore a bright pink kaftan robe with wellies for a dare once, she replied, grinning. That was less than flattering.
That was a private thought, I scolded, feeling the redness on my cheeks.
Well, you should have kept it to yourself then, shouldn’t you?
I knew the managers could select who they wanted to talk to, as well as keeping their own private thoughts to themselves, but I hadn’t yet figured out how to do that. And neither had Bella, from what I’d heard recently.
Harry had also told me they could hold up to five conversations at once, and my eyes had widened in admiration. That was impressive; I couldn’t multitask anyway, let alone speak to five different people at the same time.
I’m chatting to Zoe and Georgia right now too, she thought, offering a glass of wine to Althea and sinking into the chair beside her. She rested an ankle on the opposite knee and leaned back as she continued. Zoe is telling me she’s excited to go to the beach tomorrow, and I know Georgia’s getting dr
unk because she can’t stop thinking about lettuce.
I choked on a mouthful of beer, and Zoe jumped, quickly turning to rub my back. Harry stifled her laughter, looking away and clearing her throat. After a minute, once I’d caught my breath, she looked back with a twinkle in her eye.
Lettuce? I asked, giggling.
Most people think about a kebab when they’re drunk, but Georgia thinks about junk food every day of the week. It’s only when her inhibitions drop that she admits her love for a salad.
I laughed, pushing my chair back to stand up. “Anyone for another drink?”
It took me two trips to gather everyone’s next beverage, and I sat back down as Zoe planted a kiss on my cheek. I met her gaze, and my heart thumped in my chest. She was the most beautiful, generous, and passionate wife I could imagine. I nuzzled her cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
By midnight, everyone was sufficiently intoxicated. Bella had fallen from her stool more than once, and no one had been in a fit state to help her up. We’d laughed until our cheeks ached.
By half past twelve, Zoe caught my attention with a wink, and I understood her motives in a heartbeat. I stumbled as I stood up, and Harry had to swing an arm out to catch me.
I grinned, looking into her eyes as she quested towards me. The pins and needles were strong underneath my ribs, but I was used to her powers by now, and I was unfazed.
I know what Zoe’s hoping for. Want me to tell you? she thought.
I nodded. I’d take every opportunity I could to make Zoe happy.
She knows you brought that waterproof bullet vibrator along, she began, taking a swig of beer and pulling out a packet of cigarettes from her pocket. What she wants is a long hot bath, nestled between your legs, with that vibrator on her clit.
