All Screwed Up (Belial's Disciples Book 2)

by AJ Adams

  “I know.” We marched up to the house, winding through the crowds whooping it up on the last day of the rock fest. “But the second my foundation is poured and the marina project is locked in, the Green Knight goes up in flames.”

  “I’ll hand you the match,” Crush promised.

  The rest of the executive were waiting for us in the kitchen.

  “It’s sorted,” Crush announced. “It was another covert Horde attack.”

  He caught them up on the fake ticket scam, we went over some last minute security details, and then I was updating them on the Lacy situation while the third and final day of the rock fest blasted on outside.

  “So I said I’d help,” I ended.

  They weren’t exactly enthusiastic.

  “This is a total fuck-up,” Kraken sighed. “She was in trouble, and we blew her off. It’s been sitting badly with me.”

  “Yeah, we were pissed as rats, but it’s no excuse,” DT agreed.

  “We didn’t create her problems,” Crush protested.

  “True,” Flash nodded. “And we don’t want to be dragged into every domestic squabble in the country.”

  “We’re not responsible, and she was blackmailing us,” Zero agreed.

  The executive were divided, but I wasn’t giving them the option of a vote. “She was afraid, she’s promised to keep mum, and as far as I’m concerned, none of us came out of this smelling of roses.”

  Crush was giving me the evil eye. “We’ve got a twenty million quid project to pull off, we’re gearing up for a fucking battle, and you want to run around the country, sorting out a pipsqueak shutterbug.”

  “It was you who said we should play along, remember?”

  “Now she’s grateful, and not going to dump us in the shit, we don’t need to.”

  That’s Crush, logical, practical, and the best leader a man could want. I wanted to thump him, mainly because he was right. I still felt guilty as fuck, but it didn’t interfere with the knowledge that, tactically, helping Lacy was a bad move. I just couldn’t do right, and it bugged the hell out of me.

  “You’re right,” I told him. “But I’ve promised.”

  “Her word that she’ll keep quiet isn’t enough,” Crush continued. “What if her account is hacked? Or she forgets to reset? We won’t be safe until that video is deleted. Permanently.”

  “I’ll ask.”

  Lacy floated in, wearing one of my shirts, no makeup, and totally lickable. She yawned, took in the executive, and mumbled, “Deja rue. I’m sure I’ve regretted walking into this kitchen before.”

  Before Crush could snap at her, I jumped in. “We’re discussing the video.”

  “Oh, good,” Lacy replied vaguely. “I really need to get a full night’s sleep. D’you want tea?”

  “The video is important,” I persisted.

  “Yes, okay.”

  “I’d like you to delete it.”

  Lacy was dumbfounded. “I thought you wanted me to post. Free promotion, you said.”

  Crush rolled his eyes. “Not the rock fest clips!”

  “He means the dead man’s switch,” Zero explained.

  “The who?”

  Zero sharpened up. “That video that goes to all the newspapers remember? Your insurance?”

  Lacy was blank. “What?”

  There was a dead silence. But despite all the poker faces, she knew she’d put her foot in it.

  “Oh, right.” Lacy’s brain finally got itself together. “That dead man’s bitch -”

  “Switch,” Crush corrected her sarcastically.

  Lacy was eyeing the group nervously, wide-awake now. “Let’s say I deleted it, okay? Because we’re all friends now.”

  I stepped in. “Yes, we are.”

  “Are we hell!” Flash grumbled. “You conned us!”

  “We should have guessed.” Zero wasn’t amused either. “Jesus, you’ve never even heard of a dead man’s switch, have you?”

  “I meant to look it up,” Lacy mumbled. “But I forgot.”

  “Look it up?” DT asked.

  “It’s not like I go around blackmailing people,” Lacy protested. “How was I supposed to know the jargon? It’s not like I could ask you, is it?”

  I had to laugh. She’d tied us up in knots, pushed us about, and it had been a complete bluff. I didn’t mind, but the others weren’t happy. I could see why. We had a rep for playing hardball, so the executive were pissed off because Lacy had hurt their pride. Even Kraken was drawing back from her. If anyone ever found out she’d held the entire executive hostage, we’d be a laughing stock.

  Lacy sensed their rage. She paled and turned to me, “You going to throw me to the wolves? Or rather, to Pig?”

  “No.” She still didn’t trust me. It hurt me she even thought it. “I meant what I said.”

  She leaned into me. “But what about the others?”

  She was shaking again, we all saw it, and it melted some of the anger.

  “Girl, you’ve got some nerve,” Kraken sighed.

  “Barefaced cheek,” Flash said. But the snap had vanished from his voice.

  “Are we on board or not?” I asked.

  From the nods, some reluctant, the executive wanted to move on.

  “So it’s forgive and forget?” Lacy asked.

  Crush frowned, “You deserve to have your arse kicked for trying it on.”

  “Sorry.”

  “But it was also brave.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Don’t do it again.”

  “Okay.” But Lacy was keeping her eye on the ball. “So, will you help?”

  “Yes.” I held on to the sweet curves. “But it’s not going to be easy. Barrows has vanished. Also, we’ve got a few issues of our own to deal with.”

  “Inspector Harding, your rock fest, the Horde, and your mega marina project,” Lacy nodded. “I know.”

  My phone was buzzing. Messages from Mitch, the gate, and security had been flooding in for the last half hour.

  “You have to go,” Lacy sighed.

  “I do.” But I didn’t like the idea of her running into Pig again. “Lacy, for God’s sake -”

  “Don’t kick Pig in the nuts? Can’t promise, but I’ll try.”

  “We’ll watch her,” Kraken assured me.

  “I’m not a kiddy needing a sitter,” Lacy snapped.

  “I thought hanging with us would help,” Crush said. “Don’t you have people you want to impress?”

  Lacy bridled and then smiled. “I forgot that too. Sorry, I’m snappy when I’m tired. We didn’t get much sleep.” And with a sideways glance of mischief, “We switched, so Rex was bottoming, and -”

  “Too much information,” I said hastily.

  “What the fuck is bottoming?” Flash asked.

  Crush had a grin that stretched to Glasgow. “I think we need to get into some jargon.”

  Thankfully my phone rang. “Got to go!”

  I’m not shy, but Lacy’s happy promotion of all things kink was pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone. Luckily my embarrassment was short as managing a music fest is intense.

  We had the usual triumphs, with Mogwai and Lemon Jelly giving the crowd a preview of their next hits. We also had the usual disasters, a heart attack, and three nearly fatal drug overdoses, plus the usual fights and falls. Put it together with taking down pickpocket gangs, and not one but two attempted rapes, and you’ll see why I was run off my feet and entirely wrapped up in my work.

  It wasn’t easy to smile when Pig rocked up. “You’ve got a good crowd here,” he grinned. “It’s much bigger than I expected.”

  I didn’t break his nose. “It’s a popular gig.” And pretended I didn’t know he’d been pirating tickets.

  Pig decided I was an idiot. “Look, Rex,” he put a paw on my shoulder, “I want that girl.”

  “She’s all yours.” I counted to three. “When I’m done with her.”

  “But -”

  “We still have Skegness and Durham to re
solve.”

  “The fest is over today, right? Let’s meet tomorrow and sort it out.”

  He really was in a hurry. I couldn’t understand it. “Talk to Crush.”

  Then, even though I had six people screaming for my attention, I found Lacy. She was sitting with Crush, Kraken, and DT, making friendly if somewhat careful conversation.

  “Crystal Wave, the photographer in the village, is pissed off with me,” Lacy explained. “If you tell her it was Harding who made me miss that shoot and reschedule for tomorrow, I’ll pay you ten percent. That’s the cut, right?” She showed them her phone. “I get four figures for this gig.”

  That had them smiling.

  “Our girls do some modelling, but they don’t earn a tenth of that,” Kraken confided.

  “I can get more work, but with Jason on the prowl, I need a minder,” Lacy mused. “If you help me out, I’m happy to cut you in.”

  Kraken was already on his phone. “I’ll call Crystal now.”

  “We have excellent adult entertainment contacts in Paris,” Crush said. “We should talk.”

  “Before you do, I have a question.” I told them about Pig’s haste. “Lacy, do you and he have any history?”

  “None. Or with the Horde,” she said instantly. “Dad was a bit of a lad, but he knew better than to get in with that lot.”

  “It wasn’t the kick in the balls,” Crush mused. “He was offering cash the first time he came here.”

  My phone was buzzing away. “Well, he’s very keen. I’d like to know why.”

  Crush popped a beer. “We’ll look into it.” He sucked the drink down in one go. “In the meantime, we agreed on a temporary truce. As for the meet, we’re stalling him by saying Skegness and Durham need time to get their shit together.”

  I like to take action, I hate sitting around, but my head was telling me Crush was right: rushing into a war with the Horde might cost us the marina. Patience, planning, and all kinds of other Ps would ensure a solid victory, one that would leave us more powerful than ever.

  “When you go into Bonnington,” I said to Lacy, “take Viper.”

  “You’ve no idea how safe that will make me feel,” she sighed. “But there’s another problem: Harding towed my car.”

  DT pulled out his phone. “Give me the license plate number, and I’ll have it sent here tomorrow.”

  “What kind of fine will it be?” Lacy worried.

  “Fifty quid and we settle everything.”

  “Wow! Seriously? Awesome!”

  “You pay us ten percent, and we have your back.”

  “Call me a slut, but for that kind of service, you can have my front too,” Lacy giggled.

  DT grinned appreciatively so I left her to it, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before she charmed the lot of them. She was a handful all right, but Lacy had charisma. Knowing that was a relief, as it meant I could dive back into my work.

  The final day of the rock fest ended at well past four in the morning and sorting out clean-up, accounts, and the usual insurance claims and red tape got me through Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, I went into Bonnington and sorted out the final paperwork needed for the marina development.

  In between, I was on the phone with the executive who were up and down to Durham and Skegness, loading up on intel, gathering troops and preparing for war. The Horde were quiet, too quiet, so we knew they were preparing for a rough ride also.

  Quite unexpectedly, Lacy just fit in as if she’d been part of Perdition forever. While I focused on red tape, she went to the village to complete her shoot, and when I came home, she had supper ready.

  I admit that took me aback. “You don’t need to cook, Lacy.”

  She just shrugged. “I find it relaxing.”

  “Then let me get a nice bottle to go with it.”

  Lacy eyed me up. “Better be careful, Rex. That sounds almost like a date.”

  “I wouldn’t say so,” I snapped back. “My dates don’t bitch when I try to be nice.”

  “Pardon me,” Lacy mocked. “It’s just so out of character.”

  So we wrangled every night, but as bed and a spectacular bonk inevitably followed supper, I discovered I was secretly enjoying myself. It was just as well because all the indications were that we were in for trouble.

  On Thursday evening, I touched base with Crush, meeting him for a pint at the Dog and Duck. “The planning office meets next week, and our application is on the top of their to-do pile,” I informed him. “We’ll lay that foundation the second it goes through.”

  “We’ve set the meet with the Horde the day after tomorrow, but we’ll cancel,” Crush said quietly. “Snake will phone in a medical emergency. And we’ll push back for an extra few days. If necessary, we can get a fortnight.”

  “Good. I’m pushing the planning office, but you know how they are.”

  “Heads-up,” most unusually, Wally was tending his own bar. “Inspector Harding is intent on throwing a spanner in the works.”

  I leaned in, asking, “What’s he up to?”

  “Asking a lot of questions,” Wally said. “He’s digging, but I don’t think he’s getting anywhere.”

  “Because we’re so popular?” Crush and Wally don’t get on, so he was a tad sarcastic.

  “Harding’s a pain in the bum,” Wally said bitterly. “He was in here last night, checking my stock, my licenses, and my kitchen, threatening to caution us for any violations.”

  “You should have phoned,” I told him. “We’d have sorted him for you.”

  Wally shrugged. “I can handle him. But Rex, he’s after you, mate. He practically foams at the mouth when he hears your name.”

  “I told him how it is. He wasn’t pleased.”

  “Well, watch out,” Wally warned me. “He also moaned about you running around with a hardened criminal.”

  “That would be Lacy,” Crush grinned.

  Remembering the luscious nights prompted my defence. “She’s not that bad.”

  “Regular sex and you’re whipped,” Crush sighed theatrically. “It’s sad, man. Real sad.”

  Wally brightened. “She’s that model working with Crystal Wave? You lucky bastard, Rex! Crystal came in last night with some of her prints. Absolutely stunning. Wood all around.”

  Much to my surprise, I felt a small surge of pride. “She’s terrific,” I agreed.

  An hour later, just past six, I drove through the gate and found Lacy getting out of her Volkswagen. She was wearing a teal dress that turned her eyes green. It stopped six inches above the knee too, so I was enjoying the long sweep of leg and firm little bottom. She truly was a beauty.

  “Like what you see?” Lacy giggled.

  “I’m thinking you do have some good points.”

  She shimmied mockingly and grinned. “In that case, give me a hand, love.” She promptly piled carrier bags into my arms.

  “What’s all this?”

  “What’s it look like?” Lacy said surprised. “Shopping!”

  “Where’s Viper?”

  “Seeing his mum. It’s her birthday.”

  “The Horde are after you, and you go flipping shopping alone?”

  Lacy tucked a bag loaded with shoes under my arm. “Yes. Problem?”

  “Yes, you’re a goddamn lunatic!”

  She grabbed a paper bag filled with groceries and kicked the car door shut. “I was careful. I didn’t go home, in case they were waiting for me. I bought new things instead.”

  “Where did you go?” I recognized an H&M bag. “We don’t have that in the village.”

  Lacy avoided my eyes. “I went to town.”

  “What?!”

  “I can’t go about in a pussy pelmet and a collar all day long, and I got fed up stealing your shirts,” Lacy said defensively.

  “You went to Lincoln? To the Horde’s headquarters?”

  “I’m not stupid,” Lacy countered. “I went to Skegness.”

  That was Disciples territory. Even so, I was
shaking at the thought of her running across Pig and his people on the way there. “You shouldn’t be taking risks.”

  “I wasn’t caught, so stop fussing.”

  There was no countering that. The bloody woman was reckless to the core. I was still fuming as I followed her into the house.

  “Crush says he hasn’t found Jason,” Lacy dumped her things on the kitchen table. “I’m stuck for the weekend, he said, and as you’re having a party, I thought I’d better buy a dress.”

  That took my mind right off her idiotic escapade. I wasn’t having just any party; I was holding a house party for Oliver Prescott, one of the country’s hottest investment bankers.

  Prescott had just snagged his knighthood, and he and his wife were keen to expand their social circle. I’d arranged a house party stuffed with VIPs and the idea of Lacy joining in didn’t sit well. For one thing, Prescott had wandering hands, and I didn’t want her kicking the new peer in the balls.

  “Viper says it’s a paid party,” Lacy was unpacking fresh pasta, mushrooms, herbs, Italian tomatoes, and a bottle of Lambrusco. “You introduce wannabe snobs to blue-bloods and celebs?”

  “Rude but accurate.”

  “I never knew people would pay to come for a dinner party,” Lacy didn’t sound impressed.

  “It’s not dinner; it’s Friday to Monday.” This was going to be a disaster. It was Caden’s idea, exploiting the Winslow name to build connections. It worked well for me, keeping in with the powers that be. But as I was charging the Prescotts twenty thousand quid, it was vital they got value for money. “Ludo Hyde, the Minister for Finance, is coming, and so’s Bishop Sussex.”

  “Sounds posh.” Lacy uncorked the wine, dug two glasses out of a dresser and handed me one. “I thought it might be. I splurged, thinking that my party wear might not go over well.”

  I knew for sure that it wouldn’t. I’d managed to feed a couple of friends into the guest list, but Ludo’s wife Nathara was a bitch, and the bishop had horns holding up his halo. Having them around would be a pain in the arse no matter what, but I shuddered at the bitch fest that would be triggered by the sight of Lacy in her spiked collar.

  Lacy picked up on my thoughts. “If I’m de trop, just say so.”

  “You speak French?” I admit I was surprised.

  Lacy grinned. “I’ve had a few jobs in Paris. I picked up a little of the lingo, but it’s probably not the kind of vocabulary your posh friends will appreciate.”