East Bound

by Nana Malone

  I’d have to curb my murderous impulses toward the unforeseen future bloke who wouldn’t even know I existed. When I hid the camera, just behind her mirror and motion activated of course, I noticed one of her drawers was open. A bright set of fuchsia knickers stuck out. I went to close it, my fingertips lightly tracing the satin. I groaned as my fingers traced over the lace.

  You really are a sick fuck.

  Goddammit. I hated her so much.

  No you don't. You want her. And you're feeling betrayed. So you think a pair of knickers is going to solve your problem, but it's not. You’ve been down this road before.

  Her scarf. I groaned. I’d wanked off with the scarf more often than I cared to think about, and that had been a poor facsimile.

  But that didn't stop me from shoving the knickers into the pocket of my trousers.

  I set a camera by her bedside as well as in her alarm clock. Just so every time she woke up, I would see her face.

  Are you sure this is the healthiest route, mate?

  I lied and told myself I was just doing a thorough job.

  Sure you are, mate.

  God, why her? Why had she done this?

  I had trusted in her honesty, but I should have known better. But I'd wanted to believe her, and it had worked.

  A text came in, and I pulled my phone out, frowning.

  Theroux: We need to meet.

  I tapped out a quick reply.

  East: When?

  Theroux: Friday. I will text you the location.

  I wasn’t going to worry about what he wanted from me. I’d deal with him later. Right then I had Nyla to finish dealing with.

  I finished up in the bedroom, leaving everything except her dresser drawer exactly as I’d found it, including the door that wasn't quite closed. In the kitchen, I set up more cameras and another one in the telly. That was easy enough. Then I glanced around and said goodbye to a place that had come to feel homier to me than was absolutely safe.

  This is for the best, really. You were getting too close anyway.

  As I shut the door of the flat and wiped down the handle, I vowed it was the last time I would step foot in her flat.

  Even then, I knew it was a lie.

  East

  Later that night, my team watched as I paced the length of Ben and Livy's sitting room, my oxfords making clipping sounds on their marble floor. My tie was askew and my sleeves rolled up. Essentially, I was a disheveled mess.

  I could feel the sets of eyes on me. Ben, Bridge, Drew, Livy, Telly. Even Lucas and Bryna eyed me like I was a ticking bomb about to go off. My only saving grace was that Roone and Jessa’s flight had been delayed, so they weren’t there to witness me slowly losing my shit.

  Drew ventured to say something first, although tentatively. "Mate, it's all right. We can fix this. It's not the end of the world. It’s not like she knows the inner workings of the Elite. There’s not much damage she can actually do."

  My gaze snapped to his. "Are you fucking serious? This is the fucking end of the world. At least for her it is."

  Drew held up his hands and eased back in his seat like I was breathing actual fire.

  Bridge opened his mouth, but then I pinned him with a glare, and he snapped it shut again. Were they really trying to lecture me on worst-case scenarios? Twice I’d fucked up now, and it was going to cost us. I’d let an actual viper into our nest, and there was no telling how much damage she’d already done.

  Livy was the bravest. "East,” she ventured. “Look, we all met her. At worst, she fooled us, but at best, maybe this is a huge misunderstanding. Have you considered that?"

  I crossed my arms and glowered at her. Under normal circumstances, I would give her whatever she wanted. I normally thought she was a goddamn delight. She was bright, and funny, and smart. And if Ben hadn't called bagsies, I might have gone for her myself. But now… Now I felt like she was betraying me. Like somehow, she deliberately couldn't see what Nyla had put me through. "Oh please, do keep talking."

  She arched a delicate brow, that small gesture managing to beat back my inner dragon some. "Okay. I get it. You got your feelings hurt. But what is wrong with you? Yes, maybe there was a room with a bunch of photos in it."

  "No, not maybe, Liv. Absolutely. And I promise you, your photo was right there. Every single one of us in this room is going down if she has her way."

  "Well, she'll have to prove it first, and she can't. So she can dog us, she can come at us, but there is no proof. And she has to deliver it. That’s how Interpol works. So relax for a moment. She knows that. She's not daft; she's smart. So stop and think. This doesn't sound like Nyla. The woman that I met the other night was direct, and she was clear. There was no pretense. She's the kind of woman that accidentally steps in it, because she's too direct and says the wrong thing. No way would she have been shagging you if she didn't actually want to be with you."

  I hated the flare of hope in my chest. I hated that my brain so easily latched onto the most unlikely scenario. I hated that I was so desperate to have this be an option that I let Livy talk some more.

  Instead, I needed to let my hatred speak for me because at least that was rational. I’d been thinking with my dick for too long. Following my heart for too long. "Liv, I appreciate it, but that's really naive. She's coming for us. And we've got to do something about it. It's my job to protect the team, and I failed. Wishing it wasn't so isn't going to change anything."

  She sighed. "Easy does it. I'm not naive. You're overreacting. Where is the cool logic? Where is the calculation? You're jumping to burn this woman, and you don't even know what was going on. Maybe that's her coworker's vision. What was her name, Amelia Jansen? Did you ever consider that?"

  I’d provided the team with full dossiers on Nyla and her partner before I’d brought her around. I didn't think anyone actually read those.

  Apparently, Livy does.

  My brows snapped down. "What is it with you? Why are you opting to believe her? She's coming after us. Your fiancé, you, the rest of us. None of us will be unscathed. Why don't you understand that?"

  Ben pushed to his feet. "Mate, calm down."

  "Of course, you'd come to Livy's defense," I spat.

  "Yeah, well, she's my fiancée, isn't she? Look, I get it, mate. This is a problem. But we're all here, and we'll figure it out."

  I knew what he was doing. Trying to diffuse me. Like letting a kettle sing for a bit after you turned off the stove to let the pressure dissipate. "Fuck, you make it sound so easy. She's fucking Interpol, and I told her about the Elite, like a wanker." The center of my chest tightened. Fuck, why was it so tight? I tried to breathe through the constriction and found I was only able to take short breaths. Then the room started to spin.

  Fucking hell. I was having a goddamned panic attack. I hadn’t had one since I was a kid.

  Stop it. Your panic isn’t real. Control the situation. There is enough air.

  I forced three deep breaths which brought my temperature down.

  Bridge, usually my partner in rationality, eased back in the couch, spreading his long legs out, trying to get comfort and space. "So what are you going to do? You can't put that cat back in the bag. So she knows about the Elite. Does that matter?"

  "What are you fucking on about, mate? Of course, it matters." Why couldn't they see it? "I have employed Bird's Eye Protocol. She won’t be able to breathe without me knowing about it."

  Telly, uncharacteristically quiet for most of this argument, perked her brow. "What the fuck is Bird's Eye Protocol?"

  Livy didn't seem to know either. But Lucas, Lucas had a clue.

  The prince pushed to his feet as well. "Dude, that path is fucked. I get it. I have no intention of going to prison. I'm too pretty to be someone's bitch. But, bro, this isn't the way. When she finds out, it's going to be open fucking season."

  That was only if she found out. "She won't find out. I am that good."

  From her chair, Telly asked again, "What in the fuck is Bir
d's Eye Protocol?"

  Ben shrugged, familiar with my security protocols. "It's full surveillance. Cameras everywhere. In her home, in her office, her car. The full monty."

  Telly turned her gaze to me then. "You think that's wise? Poking our noses into things we probably shouldn't even know about half the time?"

  "Yeah, because we have to see what's coming. Theroux already got to us."

  She threw up her hands. "How the fuck were you supposed to know to look to the sky? You took out the cameras, every last one of them on the CCTV. We were literally untraceable with that diamond. How were you supposed to know Theroux had a drone in the sky? You’re not God."

  I was supposed to be pretty damn close. "It's my fucking job to know."

  She sighed. "One man can't know everything. And sooner or later, you're going to have to see that. You have no control over this. I get that. And it is terrifying. I get that too. But this whole person-of-interest angle you've got going on, it's a problem. She's law enforcement. And when she finds out you've been watching where you shouldn't be, we'll have bigger problems than we do now. In the meantime, why don't we focus on something we can actually control or at least get a handle on?"

  I rolled my neck. The tension knots had been there all fucking day, and there was no easing them.

  You could ease them by talking to her.

  Fuck. It's like no matter what I did, my rallying point was always her. Like my body was fighting me not to go to her.

  Drew sat forward again. "All right, if you don't want to talk about Nyla, we won’t. Just a reminder that you gave your word. No Bird’s Eye Protocol on any of us."

  I scowled at him. "Oi, mate. First of all, the last thing I need to see is your naked arse. I saw plenty of that when we were at Eton. Secondly, you know I have a moral compass. I don't spy on my mates."

  Livy grumbled in the corner, saying something along the lines of, "You love her, you idiot, and she won't forgive this."

  I didn’t give a fuck if she forgave it or not. Even if I had feelings for her, I would show her no quarter.

  "Good thing I don’t need her to forgive me.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. I needed to get them back on track. “Okay, so Theroux. He’s asking for a meet on Friday. I think Ben and I should go and meet with him."

  Bridge laughed. "Mate, if we decide to do this, you'll be in the van. Coms guy. You’re obviously not thinking clearly. Drew gets to come."

  I shook my head. "No, if we're meeting with him, I go."

  Bridge calmly continued. "Mate, Ben and I are both better at hand-to-hand combat. Drew is an excellent negotiator. You're the tech guy."

  "Which means I can at least scan the property, check out the perimeter, see what kind of security he has."

  Ben spoke slowly to me, as if I was an idiot. "Mate, there is no way he is going to actually take us to one of his safe houses. There won't be anything to examine. You're the lookout and driver."

  He had to be kidding me. "Oh, hell no. I'm security. I go in with you, or we don't go at all."

  Ben scowled at me. "What is with you? There is nothing to prove here. We've all made mistakes. Remember that time I had to trust a woman I didn't know with sensitive information? She's my fiancée now."

  Livy beamed at him. "More like you foisted your contraband on me and almost sent me to jail, but that's really beside the point."

  "Are you two done playing loving and happy families?”

  Surprisingly, it wasn't Ben who took a piece of me. It was Telly. She slowly leaned forward in her seat. "Oi, mate, you think you fucked up. And even then, none of us think you fucked up because we all met her. It's unlikely that all of us would be wrong. So maybe you should talk to her. Maybe you clear the angle of 'we're coming at it head on,' but don't take a piece out of my best friend's happiness just because you're full of piss and vinegar right now. As for Theroux, I'll go. I'll be in the van. Pretty boy here gets to go inside with you. You four are the London Lords. You're the faces."

  Lucas perked up. "Can I come too?"

  We all shook our heads, and Ben outright denied him. "No, your face is too public, and we're not giving Theroux the satisfaction. You're benched for now until we figure out what the fuck he wants."

  Lucas grumbled. But with Bryna holding his hands, he didn't argue too much. He was a prince by title, but a con man by birth. And before he'd ever found his way to his family, he'd been one of the best thieves in North America. I hated to think that we’d need him again, but we most probably would. But first things first. We had to deal with Theroux. And then we'd deal with Nyla. I wasn't going to let anything distract me from that ultimate goal, which was to protect my mates by any means necessary.

  East

  Well, that went well.

  So far, I’d managed to put my team in danger, then I'd exposed them to Interpol, and now I’d pissed them off. Fuck, I knew I’d been bang out of order with Liv. None of this was her fault. The blame belonged squarely at my feet, and I was having a hell of a time with that knowledge.

  If before I had been England’s best striker, I was now in the position to be sacked and traded at any moment. I really needed to get my shit together or this was going to go very, very badly for everyone.

  Easier said than done.

  A prickle of unease tripped down my spine as I left Ben’s house in Belgravia. It lingered on my skin like a hoard of gnats set on annoying me to death. As I pulled down the drive and out the security gate, I couldn't explain it or understand it, but I knew I was being followed.

  That was the last shit I needed. Already things hadn’t gone exactly according to plan. This uneasy, unsettled feeling was determined to follow me around

  Was it Theroux? Was it his men? Hell, could it be Garreth Jameson? Did he know we were coming for him?

  I pulled over outside of the square and parked my car, wanting to see just what I was dealing with. The little voice at the back of my head told me that was a bad idea and that I was making a mistake. But then, this other little voice that was full of fury, anger, disappointment, and pain wanted to fight.

  I locked my BMW and started to walk. Despite how obnoxious and gaudy it was, it didn't stand out in this part of London. I walked with no real aim.

  I might not live in Belgravia, but I was familiar enough in that part of London to know it like the back of my hand. I made a left, and then a right, conscious that I had a shadow following me. Conscious that my instincts were screaming that something wasn't quite right.

  I nodded to passersby walking their dogs. It was late in the evening, nearly eleven, but I saw a young couple pushing a baby pram, looking exhausted.

  Parenthood.

  Please, God, never set me up for that bullshit. Because guaranteed, even if they tried not to, they would fuck that kid up. And then they’d have to think about things like protection. And God help them if that baby was a girl, because they would never ever be able to keep her safe from twats like me. I shuddered.

  Across the street, I made a quick right and then ducked into the shadows and waited. It didn't take long. At first, I heard the clip-clop of what sounded like high heeled shoes. A fast, clipped run as if some woman hammered about having the wrong bloody address. And then I heard a steady, soft footfall that turned into a rapid pace. Faster than the woman in heels.

  It was accompanied by panting. A jogger maybe? Less than five seconds later, I watched as he ran by. And then it was quiet. Almost like someone was trying to be silent. There was the odd rustle of leaves and then utter stillness, and I knew. Someone had come for me. As I stilled, ready to do what I had to do, there was a brief prickle of warmth as I wondered, what if it's Nyla coming for me?

  That brief lapse of focus caused my awareness to falter when one of the shadows stepped into the alley.

  Only the moonlight glinting on the metal barrel of the gun snapped me to attention just in time.

  With a twist to my right, I used my left hand to jam against the metal, deflecting the gun. And then with m
y right, I brought up a hook under the arm, hitting my opponent. And then we began to grapple for dominance, for control, for the gun.

  He tried to jerk on my grip, but I pulled him even farther back into the darkness, well aware that there were trash barrels and bins in the alley. The last thing I needed was noise to bring someone in search of what was happening.

  I took an elbow to the gut and doubled over forward, but I didn't let go. Instead, I dragged him even farther back and whipped our bodies around, whacking his shoulder, and unfortunately mine, into the brick wall. He grunted, and the gun clattered out of his grip.

  Now, we had a party. He twisted in the opposite direction, sending his left elbow backward. I ducked and planted my face between his shoulder blades, mainly to avoid getting clocked in the temple.

  I delivered a kidney shot with my left fist, twisted my body and twerked it just the way I'd been shown in all my MMA classes. He yowled. His knees buckled from the pain. I let him fall and then delivered a knee to the back of his head. As he fell forward, I released him, aiming to pull him up by his shirt. But the fucker was strong. He swung his legs around in a pin wheel. The move caught one of my ankles, sending me onto my back.

  I rolled, briefly cataloging the pain of my spine hitting the pavement but brushing it off. I didn’t have time to dwell on that. Quickly, I rolled to my left, keeping my eyes on my attacker. Doing a reverse push up, I shoved back up with my feet, and he pushed back up to his. My eyes were now adjusted to the darkness, and the motherfucker smiled at me evilly.

  "I can kill you just as easily with my hands as with a gun."

  "Well, mate, I mean, at least show some respect. If you're coming after me, then you know who I am. And don’t you think you owe me the courtesy of realizing that I'm not going to make it easy?"

  His voice was gravelly when he spoke. "You're a pussy. You didn't even know you were being watched."

  I grinned at him then. "Are you sure I didn't? What, you thought I ambled on into this dark alleyway for shits and giggles? You're an eejit."