“I should probably be heading back,” she said. Back where she belonged, she thought sadly. Not with these people who fight for each other, and wish for better things. She wasn’t one of them, hadn’t been for years now. A hand lifted her chin, forcing her to look up and meet Pete’s concerned look.
“You’re not like them,” he said.
A tear escaped the corner of her eye, leaving a wet trail down her cheek. “I’m exactly like them,” she replied, her voice cracking.
Pete shook his head adamantly. “No. I see you, Dinah. The real you. And I know you’re not cruel or mean. You’re just caught up in this mess like the rest of us.”
“But on the wrong side of it, right?”
He sighed. “Who even knows what the right and wrong sides are anymore. I sure as hell don’t.”
“You’re the right side,” she told him. “You look out for others, not yourself. It’s admirable.”
He smiled sadly. “Well admirable or not, it doesn’t get me anywhere fast.”
“It will,” she assured him, praying she was right. “I really do need to get back though. Roman will have noticed I’ve been gone all day and he’ll worry.”
Pete didn’t look happy about that. “It’s already four in the morning,” he said. “You might as well stay with me and head back after you’ve gotten some sleep.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. I need to get back before they’re all up. But I’ll come back to your place this evening.”
“Promise?”
She grinned. “Absolutely.”
Pete leaned in and kissed each corner of her lips before covering her mouth with his. She grabbed his neck, pulling him closer, soaking him in. He shifted closer on the bed, wrapping his hands in her hair tightly. He pulled away slightly, their noses still touching. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to stay?”
Yes, she thought. But she knew she needed to get back before anyone started to suspect what was really going on. The last thing she wanted was to bring Pete and his friends any more trouble than they already had. If only she had known then that some things were impossible to avoid, especially those already set in motion.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The bar had been closed for a couple of hours already, but it always took him a long time to clean up. He never got out of here before four. Jack could hardly remember what it was like to work a normal nine to five job. Sleeping throughout the day and working all night had become his norm. When Xavier had been younger, he remembered feeling like he was missing out on life, especially one with his son. Things had been much harder back then. Now, with Xavier older and gone, Jack didn’t feel any obligations to anyone. If he slept the day away, it wouldn’t matter. No one was relying on him. He couldn’t decide if that was a good thing, or just terribly sad.
“Hey boss,” Frank yelled out. Jack liked to keep the kid around until the cleaning was done. Having a bouncer his size was a smart thing in this area of town. Or any area, for that matter. Frank was only eighteen, but he was the size of a house. Six four, and over three hundred pounds – no one was messing with him. “Someone’s at the door.”
Jack dropped his cloth, and looked over in unease. “Tell them we’re closed,” he said.
“He insists you see him,” he answered with a shrug. “Says it’s important.”
“Did he give you a name?”
“Yeah, Doug.”
Doug? Who the heck did he know named Doug? Jack froze. Douglas. It had to be. He told Frank to let him in, and quickly walked around the bar, letting himself out. Douglas Hatcher walked in, his dark hair slicked back off his face, those blue eyes taking everything in like they always did.
“Old friend,” he greeted with a smile, embracing Jack with a quick slap on the back. “How have you been holding up?”
“Good,” Jack answered. “Can’t really complain.”
“The new place is doing well then?”
“Oh yeah, we’re pretty busy every night.”
“Good to hear. It looks nice in here,” he commented, taking another look around. Jack was pretty proud of his establishment. It wasn’t fancy like the Red Lounge, but it wasn’t as bad as some of the other pubs in the area. “I’m sorry I haven’t been by earlier, but you know how things get.”
“Oh sure, yeah. I’m know how busy you are.”
He nodded. “What was it you wanted to speak to me about?”
Jack had known Douglas a long time, never once did he feel like he couldn’t trust the guy. But there was something about his demeanour and the cold glint in his eyes that made Jack wonder if this was a good idea. He must have hesitated too long, because Douglas put what should have been a reassuring hand on his shoulder, saying, “whatever it is, you can tell me”.
Jack took a deep breath, praying what he was doing was right. “Pete was in here not too long ago,” he said.
“I know. He performs here, no?”
Jack nodded. “Yeah. Well, he was in with a girl. Some new little thing from out of town. He introduced us, and I’m telling you, Douglas…” he trailed off.
“What?”
“She looks a lot like Charlotte.”
Douglas froze. “Charlotte? My Charlotte?”
Jack nodded. “I can’t be sure. I mean, she said her name was something else. Started with a D I think. I can’t remember. But it could have been her twin, I swear. Just older now.”
Douglas stared off, thinking. “You said she told you her name was something else?” Jack nodded. “And she was from out of town?” He nodded again. Douglas looked down, rubbing his chin. When he looked back up he smiled, but it didn’t reach those cold eyes. “I’ll look into it. Thank you for letting me know.”
“You’re welcome,” Jack replied. “You think it could be her?”
“I have no idea.”
Jack walked him to the door and they embraced again before Douglas disappeared into the night. His nerves were shot, his hands shaking slightly. He walked back to the bar, immediately pouring himself a shot of bourbon. Why did he feel like he just sealed the fates of those two kids? And not in a good way.
Dinah donned her mask and headed out to meet with Ludwig. She only had time for a quick shower once she got back, but thankfully she wasn’t too tired. Pete’s father had given her some pills to take, some sort of vitamins he said would help with her energy levels after losing so much blood. He was a nice man even though she could tell there was tension between him and his sons. He had smiled at her with enough sincerity that she decided she liked him.
“There you are,” Roman said, walking up to meet her in the hall. “Where have you been?”
“I was just taking a shower,” she replied.
She continued to walk, but he grabbed her arm to stop her. Dinah flinched. His grip was right over her wound, and it was incredibly sore. Roman raised his brows, looking at her arm where he held on.
“You okay?”
“Just a scratch,” she said.
“Just a scratch, huh? From what?”
“A bullet.”
His face darkened. “How the hell did that happen?” he demanded.
Dinah sighed. “Just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“That seems to be a common thing with you. Who did it?”
“Don’t worry, he’s dead.”
He searched her face for a moment, judging whether or not she was lying. She rarely ever lied to him though, and he knew it. He snorted, his lips pulling up on one side into a crooked grin. “Of course they are. I would expect nothing less. Was this because of our little mate?”
She fought the anger at his tone when referring to Pete. Her instincts were to defend him and tell Roman off, but that would only get her in more trouble. She just gave him a look, as if to say ‘what do you think?’.
“Is this even getting you anywhere?” he asked, looking exceptionally displeased.
Dinah nodded and started walking, Roman falling in step with her. She knew she was going to have to give them
something; otherwise they’d call off this whole thing. She couldn’t let that happen. Not that she couldn’t still sneak out to see him, but it was a lot easier if they knew where she was going, thinking she was doing it for them. But what could she give them without getting Pete and the guys in trouble? She thought about it as they walked to Ludwig’s office in companionable silence. When they entered the room, Ludwig was sitting behind his desk, the entire surface covered in papers.
“It’s about time,” he said, motioning to the chairs in front of him. “Sit.”
They did as they were told. Dinah looked at the paperwork surrounding him. “What’s all this?” she asked.
“New weapon details. Our suppliers are going to be paying us a visit in a few weeks. They’re bringing some samples and prototypes. I’m just going over all the details now so I have a better idea of what I’m looking at when they’re here.”
Their weapons suppliers were coming to New Berlin? This was news to her. “What do we need more weapons for?”
Ludwig looked up at her and laughed. “My dear, we always need more weapons. Now, tell me, how is your undercover work going?”
Dinah shifted in her seat nervously. “Well…I haven’t been able to get any reads off them yet. But they’re getting more comfortable around me, so things are slipping out slowly.”
Ludwig leaned forward, eyes bright. “What have you learned?”
She cleared her throat, ignoring Roman’s burning gaze beside her. “Just that the General is the leader of the rebels, which I’m sure you already assumed. There’s a lot of talk though that things aren’t going well in the rebel camp. It seems the General might be getting ahead of himself a bit, and some of the other rebels aren’t liking it.”
Ludwig laughed happily. “This is excellent,” he said. “For all we know they’ll end up destroying each other and doing our work for us.”
“I highly doubt that will happen,” Roman said.
Ludwig waved him off. “It doesn’t matter. If they’re fighting amongst themselves it just means they won’t be as organized. This is good news for us. Keep on them, Di. If you can get them talking more, maybe you won’t even need to break down their walls.”
Dinah nodded. “Maybe,” she agreed. Her stomach suddenly didn’t feel too good, and there was a nasty feeling in her chest, right over her heart. She rubbed at it absently. Why did she feel like she was betraying Pete? Uh, because you are, her inner voice pointed out. Dinah hardly heard another word during their meeting, and when it was over she hurried out, practically running to her bedroom. As soon as the door was shut she tore her mask off and sucked in huge gulps of air. When had life become so difficult? When you decided to play both sides of the game, she told herself. And those who teeter on the edge always fall off.
Pete walked into the church, getting sick pleasure from seeing the surprise in the General’s eyes. That’s right, you wanker, he thought. Your little minions didn’t kill me. Instead he just grinned, pretending nothing was wrong.
“’Allo, ‘Allo, boys,” he greeted. “Nice day we’re having, isn’t it?”
The General narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Indeed. Where have you been?” he asked.
Chasing down my would-be killers, he answered inwardly. “At Michael’s,” he said out loud. “Gotta make sure the old man is still eating, you know?”
The General nodded. “How is your father?”
Pete shrugged. “The same.” Everyone knew he was recluse. Nothing ever changed with him, sadly. If only Pete could make him wake up and see the world clearly again. Sometimes he was just resigned to the fact his father was a lost cause.
Ollie walked up, giving Pete a quick, hard stare. Turning to the General, he said, “we have everything we need.”
“Perfect, bring it down.”
Pete watched him leave. “Everything you need for what?”
“The bomb,” he answered.
Pete nodded. “Any idea how you’re going to get it in the building?”
A slow, knowing smile spread across the other man’s face. Pete didn’t like it one bit. “I think I’ve got it worked out. Just need to figure out some last minute details.”
That was way too ambiguous for his comfort. “What kind of details?”
“I’ll let you know in good time,” the General answered, slapping him on the back. “Why don’t you just head home and get some rest? You look beat. I’d hate for my second to drop dead from exhaustion.” He gave him a quick smile, and then turned to walk into the confessional.
I bet you would, Pete thought.
When he opened the door to find Dinah standing out in the hall, all the anger and anxiety he had been feeling evaporated. Having her near him seemed to do that. He never felt that way with anyone before. Without speaking, he grabbed her arm, yanking her inside and pressed her up against the back of the door. She opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her with his own. When they finally came up for air, he noticed her flushed cheeks and bright eyes, and he instantly wanted her.
“Hello to you too,” she said, her voice sounding all breathy like it always did when she was turned on. He loved it.
“Hey,” he grinned. “How was your day?” He still had her pinned, which he rather liked. Her tiny body was pressed against his in all the right places.
She looked up, seeming to think about it before saying, “boring.”
“Until now, right?”
She laughed. “Yes, until now. You’re certainly not boring. And no one else threw me up against a door and kissed me like that, so I’d say you’re much more exciting than most.”
He furrowed his brows. “I should hope no one else does this to you.” She laughed again, a sound he could listen to for the rest of his life. He finally stepped back, letting her loose. “You hungry?”
“Starving,” she said, wandering over to his kitchen. He watched her make herself at home as she stood before the stove, lifting the lids to see what was inside the pots. A warm feeling spread through his chest. She looked good in his space. “Did you make this?” she asked, looking back at him questioningly. She cocked her head to the side. “What are you doing?”
He smiled, shoving his hands in his jean pockets and rocking back on his heels. “Watching you.”
A blush spread over her cheeks. “Why?”
Because you are beautiful and I can’t help it, he answered silently. “Yes, I made that,” he answered, ignoring her question. “I happen to be a very good cook,” he continued, walking into the kitchen to remove the sauce from the burner.
Dinah sat down at the island and instantly started filling her plate with salad and pasta. “You, Pete McKay, are just full of surprises.”
“I try,” he said.
“So what’s for dessert?” she asked, smiling around her fork.
“Guess,” he answered, looking at her intensely until another blush reddened her cheeks and she looked away. He chuckled.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Dessert had been put on hold due to Seamus and Garrett’s arrival not long after they started eating. The two boys grabbed plates and started filling them with food without even asking. Dinah laughed at Pete’s stunned face. He looked over at her, rolling his eyes.
“Sometimes I feel more like their father than their friend,” he murmured.
“And we love ya for it, pops,” Seamus said. “How’s the arm, Dinah?”
“Fine,” she answered, moving it gingerly.
“I wish you could have seen this girl, Garrett,” Seamus said, eyes wide. He went into a dramatic enactment of the car chase and Dinah hanging out the window. By the time he was done, she had tears in her eyes from laughing so hard. His retelling was slightly exaggerated, but she let him have his fun. Garrett seemed genuinely impressed. When they were done they headed over to the Bull’s Eye. Trent was already there with that Tommy Boy guy and a few others she didn’t know. Pete ordered them a pitcher and the rest of the night was spent drinking and trying to shout over each other.
When they sat back down, he draped his arm across the back of her chair, his fingertips playing idly with a strand of hair, or drawing slow circles on the back of her neck. The entire time he seemed oblivious to what he was doing to her. She was aware of every touch, every graze, every caress, to the point where she thought she might spontaneously combust from how tightly wound she was.
Finally, when she’d had enough, she leaned over, letting her lips brush against his ear. His whole body stiffened in reaction. Letting her hand glide over his thigh slowly, she heard him let out a whoosh of breath, and she decided maybe he wasn’t so oblivious after all.
“I think it’s time to go home,” she whispered.
He turned his head, their faces only inches apart, staring into each other’s eyes. The entire pub melted away around her. “Home? As in…”
“Your place,” she said. Understanding and a need so intense it had her insides clenching, filled his bright, green eyes.
“Aw! Look at you two,” Seamus hollered. Dinah turned her head to see everyone at the table watching them. Seamus wiped at a fake tear under his eye.
“I think it’s definitely time to go home,” Pete said. He gripped her hand on his thigh and pulled her up. “We’re off, mates.”
“You want me to come by later? Make sure you got home okay?” Seamus asked, smiling widely.
“If you come by later, I will personally beat the shit out of you,” Pete said, throwing some money down on the table. He turned and pulled Dinah along behind him. Seamus’ voice called out after them.
“A simple no would have sufficed!”
The door was barely shut before they were on each other. Pete had her up, legs wrapped around him, back against the wall, in a matter of seconds. Dinah’s hands were frantic, smoothing over his shoulders, arms, head, neck, anywhere she could touch. His mouth left hers as he kissed and sucked at her neck. She leaned her head to the side, giving him full access as she caught her breath. Then his hands were pulling at her shirt, and hers at his. He let her down on her feet so they could undress each other, neither of them saying a word as they did so. The only sound was their harsh breathing, and moans when their bare skin met.
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