by Brit Vosper
“What was it?”
I shook my head. I didn’t want to tell her about my mother. There was no need for horror stories. “It doesn’t matter. But because of that, Marcus was going to make his move and take out my father.”
“So, did you try to stop Marcus?”
“No. I helped him.”
“Why? Did you want your father taken out?”
I struggled to answer. “Well, yeah. No. I don’t know. He’s not a very nice man, Alice.”
“But he’s still your father.”
“Yeah, it’s not an easy decision.”
“Are you still siding with Marcus then?”
“No. I found out he was the one who hired Jack to kill me.”
Her face dropped. “What? Jack tried to kill you?” Her voice carried across the entire bar.
Fuck. I’d forgot she’d met Jack. I bit my lip, closed my eyes and nodded.
Her voice hushed, but it was still filled with shock. “You’ve lived with that all this time.”
I opened my eyes and nodded at her.
“My God. It is a nasty business. What happened to Jack? Did your father hurt him?”
I stared at her, unsure what to say. I didn’t know if I could tell her.
“Did he kill him?”
I looked into my glass. The guilt seemed to seep from it and into me, crawling across my skin and pulling at my heart.
Her voice dropped to a soft whisper. “Did you kill him?”
My eyes darted back up to hers before I closed them and nodded. She went quiet. This was what I was afraid of. She now saw me for the monster I was. I’d lost the only true friend I ever had. There was nothing else I could say to her. I gripped my hands together and started to mentally prepare myself to leave.
Her delicate hands encased mine. “I’m sorry, Olivia. I can’t even imagine how hard that must’ve been for you.”
My eyes met with hers. She looked sad, but there was warmth in them. It didn’t appear that she despised me.
“I can’t believe you’ve gone through all this alone for so long. I wish you’d have told me sooner, but I can understand why you didn’t. You don’t have to go through anything alone again. I’ll always be here for you.”
I smiled as the tears welled in my eyes. “You don’t think I’m a monster?”
“What? No, of course not. You’re my best friend. I love you and I always will.”
“I killed someone. How can you not hate me?”
She shook her head. “Okay. It’s not your average confession, I admit. But I know you, you’re a good person, and there’s no way you’d do anything like that without a damn good cause. Him trying to kill you counts as that.”
My smile widened. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Yeah, you do. But…” She glanced down and bit her lip.
“But what?”
“I’m not gonna have the chance to be there for you any longer.”
I sighed and pulled my hands away from hers. “I’m sorry.”
“You’ve told me all this and I still don’t get it. Why are you running?”
“I’m not running.”
“So, you’re staying?”
“No, I’m leaving.”
“Why?”
“My father is still after me.”
“Isn’t Marcus going to take him out?”
“Yeah, probably.”
“So, you don’t need to run from him. He’ll be gone soon. Are you running from Marcus?”
“No. Well, yeah, I am, but I don’t think he’s trying to hurt me now. He’s had plenty of opportunity over the past few days, and he has done nothing besides refusing to let me leave.”
“So… why are you running?”
“Because, I need to get away. I can’t be a part of this business anymore.”
“But you no longer work for your father, do you?”
“No. Not exactly.”
“What are you trying to get away from? Me.”
“No. Of course not.”
Her brow creased as her lips pressed together. She was getting annoyed. “Why are you running?”
“I don’t want to be used anymore.”
“Who used you?”
“Aaron.”
She sat back and smiled. “Ah, now we’re getting somewhere. This is about him.”
I screwed my face. “It’s fuck all to do with him.”
She cocked her head to the side and raised a sarcastic eyebrow. “Yeah, sounds that way.”
I huffed then grabbed my glass and took a drink.
“What did he do to you?”
She wouldn’t drop this. “He was using me all along.”
“How?”
“He was working for Marcus. Just like Jack was working for Marcus.”
“Did Aaron try to kill you?”
“No.”
“Did he physically hurt you?”
A smile edged on my lips. “Only when I wanted him to.”
She cleared her throat. “Okay. I’m guessing everything else was consensual.”
“Yeah. It was.”
“How did he use you?”
“He was only getting close to me because he was ordered to.”
“Are you sure about that? Do you know Marcus ordered him to do it?”
“No, but if Marcus ordered Jack to get close to me, then it stands to reason he did the same with Aaron.”
“Does it? You said he ordered Jack to kill you?”
“He did.”
“But Aaron didn’t try to kill you?”
“No, but Marcus gave him the order.”
“Marcus wants you dead?”
“I don’t think so. He’s had the opportunity and he hasn’t tried anything.”
“Why else would Aaron get close to you then?”
“To keep me on side.”
“Why would he need you on side?”
“I don’t know. To get back my at father.”
She smiled and leant forward onto the table. “Aaron wasn’t ordered to get close.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you don’t. I don’t think you believe it either.”
“I’ve just told you. Why wouldn’t I believe it?”
She sighed and shook her head. “I think you’re still hurting over Jack. You’re projecting what he did to you on to Aaron.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you’ve feelings for Aaron and that scares you. You’re trying not to get hurt again. That’s why you’re running away.”
A nervous laugh escaped. “No. I’m… That’s not why… Fuck off.”
Her smile widened. “You’re in love with him.”
“No. Alice. No.”
She jutted her chin and her brows flicked up. “Go on. Look me in the eyes and tell me you’re not.”
I closed them and turned away. “No.”
Her high pitched squeal hurt my ears, but it made me smile. She might have a point. I looked back to see her dancing in her seat. It made me laugh. “Alice.”
She collected herself, but her grin was still beaming. “I can’t believe you’ve fallen in love. I thought it’d never happen again.”
“You and me, both.”
“What are you gonna do? You can’t leave.”
I wrung my hands together. I didn’t want to stay, leaving would be a lot easier.
“You’re not leaving, are you?”
I looked across at her sweet face. Her furrowed brow and pouted lips made her manner so young. Like a toddler who didn’t get her lollypop. I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Doesn’t look like it now, does it?”
The beaming smile returned. “You don’t know how happy that makes me.”
My weak smile grew. “Yeah, I do.” I knocked back the rest of my scotch and kissed my teeth at the bitterness. “When did you become so good at reading people?”
She laughed. “Since I’ve lived with you.”
My face dropped as a thought came to mind. “There
’s still one problem.”
“What?”
“My father. He can’t find me. I can’t go back to our place, not yet.”
“Why not?”
“He’ll have someone watching it.” My stomach lurched. “Possibly… you.”
“You could stay with Mark. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”
“When did my father come to ours?”
“Yesterday, why?”
“Fuck. What did he say to you?”
Concern creased her forehead. “Not much. Just that he’d not seen you. He was worried, and he told me to call him if I did. He actually seemed upset. Scary, but upset.”
“You’ve not called him have you?”
“No. When you rang I thought I should meet you first. What’s wrong?”
“Did he do anything while he was at ours? Leave anything? Touch anything?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. He gave me his number and left. Although, he wanted to put the number in my phone himself. Which was a bit strange.”
My stomach sank through the chair. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” I stood and scanned the bar. There was nothing suspicious.
“What’s wrong, Olivia?”
I grabbed my rucksack from the floor. “Come on. We’ve got to go.”
“Where?” She scrambled her things from the back of the chair.
“Anywhere else. Leave your phone here.”
“What? I’m not leaving my phone. It’s brand new.”
“I’ll buy you another one.”
“It’s got all my photos…”
“Alice! You need to leave your phone here.”
“Why?”
“He’s installed a tracker on it. He can find us.”
“What? You can do that?”
“Yes. Give it to me.”
She rummaged through her bag and pulled out her phone. I grabbed it off her. Then took her arm and dragged her through the pub, leaving the phone on the bar as we passed. We reached the doors, and I checked the courtyard through the window. There were a few people sat around, but none of them looked like my father’s thugs. I couldn’t see the whole yard though.
I turned to Alice. “On three, we’re going to run out of here and get to the tube. Are you ready?”
“No.”
“Tough. One. Two. Three.”
I pushed the door out wide with all I had and dragged Alice through the tables out front. I took a hard left to the stairs and stopped dead when I saw my father’s thugs waiting at the bottom. Alice careered into the back of me.
“No. No. No.” I backed up as they came forward, holding Alice behind me.
She winced as her hand pulled from mine and she moved away. I turned quickly to see her in the arms of a thug, a knife pressed into her side. Fuck.
He smiled, and I recognised the toothy grin. “Hello, Olivia. Daddy’s been looking for you.”
“Let her go. She’s nothing to do with this.”
His grin widened as he shook his head. “Nah. We were told to bring you both.”
“Let her go or I’ll scream. Wouldn’t want to draw too much attention out here, would you?”
He laughed. “It’s London. No one gives a flying fuck.”
I felt a hand grip my waist and the point of a knife dig into my side. The thugs body slid against my back, and his hot breath crept across my neck. It made me cringe.
“Come on, Girls. Time to go for a ride.”
Thirty-Two
Aaron
My tongue pressed against the fresh cut on my lip and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I’d lost count of the amount of times I’d had my face smashed in this week. It wasn’t funny anymore. And it wasn’t over, yet.
I glanced across at Marcus tied to the chair next to me. He didn’t look much better. Gian’s boys took great pleasure in giving him a good hiding. “You awake, man?”
He opened his eyes and stared at me with a vacant expression. “I’m not sure.”
“Yeah, I know that feeling.”
Turning my attention to the cold concrete room, I shook my head and laughed. I was back in Gian’s warehouse and this time, I didn’t have the hope of Marcus or Olivia saving me. This was it. I would die bound to a chair, tortured by the hands of a sadistic twat.
A fitting end to a fucked up life.
Marcus glanced about the room. “Where’s all Gian’s men? Shouldn’t they be around?”
“Why? Where are we gonna go? Don’t worry, they’ll be back soon to finish the job.” I laughed. “Probably out for lunch.”
He leant his head back and sighed. “How could I be so slack? I knew they were gonna be there. That’s why we went. Why didn’t I call my men in?”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Marcus. You’ll get more than enough of that from Gian’s boys.”
He growled in frustration. “Why didn’t I though?”
“You were too busy stressing about her.”
He huffed. “That girl will be the death of me.”
I laughed. “You and me, both. Quite literally.”
“How can you be so fucking chipper?”
I shrugged. “I’m gonna die soon. Don’t wanna spend my last moments wallowing.”
“Yeah, well. I’m not planning on dying just yet.”
“Really? How do you propose we get out of this one, MacGyver?”
He rolled his eyes. “I don’t know, yet. I’ll figure it out.”
“Yeah, let me know when you do.”
He gritted his teeth and looked away. Marcus wasn’t used to being defenceless. He always had an exit strategy. Tied to a chair in Gian’s basement with no way out must have made him nervous, to say the least.
“Have you still got that gun?”
“Yeah, it’s in my boot. They didn’t search me too closely.”
“We use that.”
“How?”
“It’s a gun. Point and shoot.”
“What d’you want me to do, fire it with my fucking teeth?”
He huffed. “Why didn’t you use it when they got us?”
I glared at him and spat through a clenched jaw. “I had one gun, they had six. You do the maths.”
“You could’ve tried.”
“I’d have got maybe one shot in before they killed us both.”
“They wouldn’t have killed us. Gian doesn’t want us dead, yet.”
“Then why didn’t you carry it?”
“Because… Fuck off, Aaron.”
“I wish I fucking could.”
The metal lock sent reverberations around the basement and the door opened. I snorted my frustration at Marcus then turned my attention to the guys walking through. It was the hideously scarred dick of a man, Gary, and two scrotum faced sidekicks.
I groaned. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
Marcus glanced over. “Friends of yours?”
“I wouldn’t say so, no.”
Gary laughed as he strolled towards us. “Well, well, well. Look who’s back. Did you miss me that much?”
“Yeah. I couldn’t live without seeing that face of yours one more time.”
He stood in front of me and grinned. “Take a long look then, as this will be the last face you’ll ever see.”
“Only if I die from the nightmares.”
Gary chuckled, pulled a knuckle duster out from his back pocket and slipped it on to his right hand. He inspected it, then leant forward and cracked me across the jaw. It felt like he’d hit me in the face with an iron. I opened my mouth and worked the joints. It wasn’t dislocated, but it felt like it.
“You will. The rest of your short life is going to be one, big, fuck-off nightmare.” He laughed, then straightened and walked over to Marcus. “And you brought me a friend, too.” He mocked a bow. “The not so great and soon to be late, Marcus. It’s gonna be a pleasure to watch you beg.”
A smile rose on Marcus’ face, but he kept silent and glared at Gary.
“What, no witty reply?”
“No need. I’
ll have the last word when I rip the tongue from your throat.”
Gary laughed and rolled his eyes. “Always with the threats.” He lurched forward and smashed Marcus across the cheek. The crack made me wince.
Gary turned back to his sidekicks, worked his fat fingers from the duster and placed it back in his pocket. “I don’t get it. Why can’t they just face the fact that they’re both up to their eyeballs in shit and beg now?”
The thin, greasy looking sidekick smirked. “Because they think they’re hard.”
Gary’s eyes creased, annoyed. “Shut the fuck up, Weasel. It was a question you didn’t need to answer.”
I laughed. “The word is rhetorical, you fucking imbecile.”
He turned with venom in his eyes. “You think you’re fucking smart, do you?”
I shouldn’t have said that.
He stormed over and grabbed my hair, pulling my head back as he leant into my face. His breath smelled of stale smoke and rotten meat. I wanted to gag.
“Not fucking smart enough to stay away from here. To stay away from me. You’ll wish you had. I didn’t like having my toy taken away, but now you’re back… and I’m gonna make you suffer twice as much.” He glanced at the skinhead behind him. “Daz, pass me a knife over.”
Gary turned back and grinned as Daz chose a blade from the table and gave it to him. His grin widened as he brought it to my face and traced the cold steel down my skin.
“You’re not gonna have your little girlfriend to save you this time, pretty boy.” He laughed, tormenting me with the knife. “D’you know what’s really gonna sting?”
The blade pressed deeper, and I felt the sharp pinch as it broke the surface.
“Her pussy will be mine soon.”
Anger surged, and I fought my head away from him. “You’ll never get anywhere near her.”
Gary rested his hands on my shoulders and closed in again. His eyes burnt with amusement. “D’you think so? Daddy’s not best pleased with his darling daughter. You should thank yourself for that. He’s gonna let me play with her for a while. And I’m gonna have all my fun with that fine piece of arse while you sit and watch.”
I wanted to rip his face off. “You sick fuck. I’ll fucking kill you.”
“She’s gone. He’ll never find her.” Marcus tried to keep his voice firm but I could hear the waiver in it.
He chortled, hard. Then turned to Marcus. “Really? Do you think so? Because I just heard he’s got her.”
