He Looked Back

by Hollandaise, Melissa

  “No problem, it’s not like I have a life,” Ed says sarcastically, but still humorously.

  “Is he a part of...” I begin to ask Dylan as Oliver explains the situation to Ed.

  “No, but his father is friends with Alec, and he’s trusted by Lyone,” Dylan replies.

  “Do we trust him?” I ask.

  “Yes, I met him at a bar half drunk when I was twenty one,” he says, smirking. “He hates Alec as much as we do.”I nod.

  “Shit,” Ed says, shaking his head once Oliver finishes talking. “This isn’t good.”Ed leans forward on his elbows as everyone nods in agreement.

  “What do you need me to do?” He asks.

  “Find out what Alec’s planning,” William says. “We need to stay a step ahead of him.”“How the hell am I going to do that?”

  “Go down to Ivory and strike up a conversation with him, or something,” George says. “Act like you’re on his side, but don’t ask too many questions.”“I don’t know how to get into Ivory.”

  “Call your father, he’ll know,” Dylan says. “Tell Alec your dad sent you to see how he’s doing.”“Alright, fine. What’s in it for me?”

  “Katie has a hot friend she’ll set you up with,” Dylan says and I start, looking at him.

  “What? No I don’t,” I say and Dylan steps on my foot.

  “Yes, you do,” he says, looking over at me. “Remember?”I have no clue who I would set Ed up with, I haven’t made many friends aside from the ones at work since I’ve moved here. I nod anyway.

  “Right,” I say.

  “What’s she like?” Ed asks.

  “Oh, she’s great, you’ll love her,” Dylan says. “So you’ll do it?”Ed sighs. “Fine.”

  Everyone nods and sighs in relief.

  “Well, I’ll get going then,” Ed says, standing.

  “Here, take this.” Oliver rummages through a drawer in the kitchen and hands Ed a small device, similar to the one I found in my apartment. “But don’t let Alec see it.”Ed sticks the device in his pocket and nods. “I’ll meet you guys back here in an hour or so,” he tells us and we all nod.

  The door shuts and the air is thick with nerves. Dylan bounces his leg up and down anxiously next to me and Oliver chews on his lip. William begins to pace and Nial cracks his knuckles.

  “What now?” George asks.

  “We wait and listen,” Dylan replies.

  My phone suddenly buzzes, and I pull it out of my pocket.

  I freeze when I read the message from James.

  Meet me in the alley across the street from where you are. Come alone.

  I swallow. I know better than to listen.

  A second later, another text comes through.

  If you don’t, I’ll send back up.

  I stand from the couch abruptly, all eyes turning to me. I clear my throat awkwardly.

  “My mother needs me to call her, I’ll be back soon,” I stammer.

  “Where are you going?” Dylan asks.

  “I...I need some air, just to talk to her,” I lie, grabbing my jacket.

  “Be back soon,” he tells me and I nod.

  I’m an idiot for doing this. If James has backup, I could easily get hurt. But I would rather it be me than Dylan.

  I step out of the elevator with my heart in my throat. What could James want from me now?

  I cross the street and step into the dark alley, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end with nervousness.

  “Katie, Katie.”

  His voice sends chills through my bloodstream as I stop in front of him. He looks the same, but evil glints in his blue eyes.

  “What do you want?” I ask, trying to keep my voice even.

  “It seems you know more than you let on,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest. “And my uncle and I agree that you should pay.”“Fine,” I say. “What do you want?”

  “Information.”

  “I don’t have any.”

  “For a smart girl, you’re really good at playing dumb.”

  “I don’t have to play when I don’t possess the information you desire.”“What are the goals of your little rebellion?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  James takes my wrist and shoves me against the hard, brick wall. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, Katie. Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. You choose.”“I’m not doing it any way, let me go.” I squirm beneath his hold on me. I’m such an idiot for coming here.

  “What are Dylan’s plans for Lyone?”

  “Dylan’s?”

  “Yeah, the one you’ve been sleeping with.”

  My eyes flash and I shove him back, but he barely moves. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”“Oh, come on, Katie. You’ve got it bad for him,” James says meanly. “Too bad you won’t be around him much longer.”“What are you talking about?” My heart rate picks up.

  “Dylan never has been loyal to Lyone,” James says. “Always defying us, always skipping meetings. He’s a threat, and any threat to Lyone Enterprises must be eliminated.” A cruel smirk crosses James’s face.

  “Don’t hurt him,” I say.

  “Him? Who said anything about hurting him?” James’s grip tightens on my wrist.

  “There! She’s over there!”

  I recognize the voice of Ethan and I turn my head to see him, William and Dylan pacing into the alley. I take advantage of James’s distraction and shove him away from me, stepping toward the other three.

  “Katie, are you okay?” Dylan asks me breathlessly, taking me by the arms and forcing me toward him.

  “I’m fine,” I mumble, knowing as soon as we’re away from here he’ll blow up with anger.

  “Well, well, looks like you’ve come to save the day again,” James sneers to Dylan.

  “Where’s your backup, James? Hiding in the dumpsters where they belong?”James clenches his jaw and I know it right then.

  He has no backup with him.

  He’s alone.

  If I tell Dylan, this could be a good opportunity to get information out of him, but he can’t hear me say it. If he hears, he’ll surely run.

  I clear my throat and Dylan looks at me confusedly.

  “Dylan, when we get home today we should watch the Office,” I say, keeping my eyes on James. “Alone, we should watch the Office alone.”“Katie, not now.” Dylan turns back to James.

  “But you always make the best jokes when we’re alone.”

  “Katie—”

  “And remember when we went to the zoo, and the snakes were alone in their separate habitats? Alone?”He finally catches on, a small smirk etching onto his face. “Yes, I do remember that.”“What the hell is she saying?” James snaps.

  “Nothing,” Dylan says, turning back to James.

  Ethan and William seem to have caught on too, and they wear smiles indicating they’ve waited for this moment for a long time.

  “James, mate,” William says. “Remember that time when you hit Katie?”James steps back. “What?”

  “And when you hit Dylan and Oliver, too?” William adds on.

  “What is your uncle planning?” Ethan asks.

  “I’m not telling you,” James sneers.

  “You sure about that?” Dylan asks.

  “Positive,” James spits.

  William, Ethan and Dylan exchange looks.

  “You heard the man,” Dylan says.

  Ethan reaches for something in his pocket, and I see that it’s a roll of tape—duct tape. He tosses another roll to William and they pull it open, the sound of tape ripping echoing through the alley.

  They step toward James, and the next thing I know, James is secured against the wall, covered in tape. His feet dangle and he wears the most angry expression I can imagine.

  “Oh my God,” I giggle into my hand.

  William and Ethan high five, doubling over in laughter. Dylan smirks widely.

  “Want to tell us now?” He asks.
/>
  “Oh, you think you’re so funny,” James snaps. “Well, you’re not.”“We’re not the ones taped to a wall,” I point out and Dylan bursts into laughter next to me.

  It’s such an odd form of revenge, taping James to a wall—and I have yet to know how Ethan managed to hold two rolls of duct tape in his pockets, but it was downright hilarious seeing him stuck to a cold, brick wall.

  “When is Alec throwing the party?” William asks, getting back down to business.

  James huffs, looking away. “December twentieth.”

  “The twentieth, that’s next weekend,” Ethan says.

  “Does Crane know?” William asks.

  James nods slowly.

  "And what are Alec's plans regarding us?" William asks.

  James looks away.

  "He wants Katie," he says. My blood runs cold.

  "Wants her?" Dylan hisses.

  "He knows she's a weak spot for you, and by hurting her he'll be hurting you," James says.

  “Good, then,” Dylan says, and I can see he's been phased by the information James told us. “Thanks for your help, Doctor Boy.”“You’re not going to let me down?” James cries.

  “I’m sure your backup can take care of that.” Dylan smirks and puts a hand on my back, guiding me out of the alley.

  We all high five again in the elevator.

  “Ethan, why did you just randomly have tape?” I ask him.

  “I keep it in my pockets for safety,” he replies, as if that’s a totally normal thing.

  “Of course,” I say.

  Everyone files back into Oliver’s apartment, George and Oliver shouting questions, but Dylan grabs my wrist, pulling me back into the hallway.

  Shit.

  The door shuts and he drops my arm, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “I’m sorry,” I say.

  “Haven’t you learned your lesson by now?” He asks, a vein popping in his neck as he tries to keep his composure.

  I look down.

  “What did he say to you?”

  “Just...he just wanted information about the alliance, but I didn’t give him any. And he...he said you’ve always been a threat to Lyone and you have to be eliminated.” My voice breaks at the last word.

  “Is that all?”

  I nod.

  “Come here,” Dylan sighs, pulling me back to him in an embrace. “You need to tell me when he texts you from now on, Katie. I mean it. Especially after...after what James just told us.”I nod against his chest. “I will.”

  This is all so much, to be involved with Lyone. It scares me to think that Alec would go to the extreme of killing someone just to guard his precious hidden secret.

  Dylan pulls away from me, opening the door to Oliver’s apartment and leading me back inside.

  “Ed’s at Ivory,” George informs us as we sit down.

  “What’s happened?” Dylan asks.

  “Not much, just some small talk between him and Alec.”

  Oliver turns up the volume on the speaker so we can hear the dialogue taking place between Ed and Alec.

  “I seem to have lost your father’s contact information, Edward,” Alec is saying. Ethan scrunches his nose in humor at the use of Ed’s full name and I stifle a giggle.

  “He recently moved cities,” Ed says. “I’ll make sure to tell him to give you a call.”“Good,” Alec says. Shuffling is heard before he goes on. “So how are you doing?”“Quite well, and yourself?”

  Alec sighs. “Not as good as I wish.”

  “Something wrong?”

  “Company issues, is all.”

  Dylan sucks in a sharp breath.

  “I hear you’re planning a party soon.”

  “Yes, for Robert Crane.”

  “Where will that be? I’d love to come,” Ed says, then pauses. “If you’d like me to.”“Crane’s hall in the business park,” Alec says and George grabs a pen and pad of paper. “It’s a great ballroom, I’ve used it before. Never for Crane, of course.” He adds the last part spitefully.

  “Something wrong with Crane?”

  “He’s being difficult, courtesy of some of my lovely associates.” Alec sighs. “Anyway, enough of that...is there something wrong with your coat?”Static is heard over Ed’s voice. “No, not at all. My apologies.”More static is heard and suddenly the sound goes blank.

  “Shit, I lost the signal,” Oliver curses.

  “Can you get it back?” William asks.

  Oliver fiddles with the equipment, shaking his head. “I don’t think so.”“Fuck,” Ethan curses.

  For some reason this event is scaring the shit out of me. I chew on my lip as I watch Oliver struggle with the device.

  Suddenly, my phone buzzes in my lap, along with Dylan’s, and George, Ethan, Oliver, and William’.

  There is not doubt in my mind that we all got the same terrifying message.

  You are all formally invited to an event being thrown on 20 December 2013 at Crane Hall. Please do come, we’ll be expecting you.

  Chapter Sixty Five

  “Call Ed, someone call Ed,” Oliver says quickly as we all stare in shock at our phones.

  Dylan puts his phone to his ear, chewing on his lip.

  “Ed? Where are you?”

  He breathes a sigh of relief. “Come here right away,” he says before hanging up.

  “Is he alright?” I ask.

  “He’s fine, he got out of Ivory a few minutes ago. He’s on his way.” Dylan sits back down.

  If we were on edge before, we’re now ten times more anxious. Ethan and William play a silent game of cards and Oliver lights a cigarette. George tosses his phone in the air and catches it in his lap, staring at the ceiling.

  “Pass me one,” Dylan says to Oliver and he hands him a cigarette.

  “Katie?” Dylan asks me and I shake my head.

  “Are you sure, because last time you ended up mooching off mine.” Dylan smirks.

  I roll my eyes. “Fine.”

  Oliver hands me a cigarette and lights Dylan’s and mine. I bring the smoke to my lips, inhaling slowly. I feel the nicotine coarse through my bloodstream, calming me down just a bit.