East Bound

by Nana Malone

  “You didn’t think to mention that to Theroux?”

  “Not until I have a full understanding of what he wants with him. But look at me growing and sharing things. I’m so proud of myself.”

  “You’re a wanker.” He furrowed his brow at me, and then it was my turn to shift around and saunter away. I wasn’t taking him on his say so. I wanted to do my own digging.

  I'd text him in the fucking morning, and then we'd get to work. As soon as I was done with this though, I would be freaking clear of East Hale and would never have to see him again.

  Chapter 10

  Nyla

  The night following my meeting with my brand-new partner, Amelia invited me over. I genuinely thought we were going to have girl’s time, but I was wrong.

  She wanted to strategize. I arrived with wine and takeout, ready for some Netflix and chill with my bestie. But instead she brought our suspect board over from the other office.

  "Oh, I thought we were, you know, maybe celebrating your promotion as it were."

  She looked mildly chagrined. "Oh God, I'm sorry. I should have said. But honestly, I just want to get a head start on all of this. I mean, that was a wild meeting with Van Linsted earlier this week. We lost a few steps because the judge wouldn’t approve the warrant and the crown prosecutor is still reviewing the proposed deal, but we’re not shot out of the water yet.”

  I nodded, slowly trying to process that this was a working dinner when all I wanted to do was chill and complain about my ex.

  But she continued on as if she couldn’t see my disappointment. “So I'm thinking about what we can do for him if the ledger is good. I know the crown prosecutor is going to reject the original proposal, and he’ll have to show good faith first. So these are the arguments we're going to present to him. We know that Van Linsted gave us some valuable information, and I'm not suggesting we release him, but—”

  I wanted to pay attention. Hell, now I really needed to, but I just couldn’t. "Amelia, I'm sorry. I just… Could we maybe just give it a rest for a night?"

  Amelia frowned. "What is wrong with you?"

  I didn't know what she meant by that. "Nothing's wrong with me."

  "Well, something is definitely wrong with you, because the Nyla Kincade I know would be chomping at the bit over all of this. Van Linsted, for the first time since we arrested him, is willing to talk to us. To name names. We just have to figure out a deal for him. A reduction of sentence, something, and you're dragging your feet?"

  I sighed and dropped the bag, already missing the mindless Netflix I wasn't going to be having. "Look, all I'm saying is pump the brakes a little bit and think."

  She coughed a laugh. "Oh, that's rich. You never stop to think. Not once. And I have been your partner for a bloody long time. Not once have you ever stopped to think. Not once have you ever used caution. How come when I get to be lead, that's when you want to use caution? When I was able to convince that twat to talk, suddenly you lost interest in moving anything forward? Why is that?"

  "Amelia, why are you being like this?"

  "I'm not being like anything, Ny, I'm just making an observation."

  My gut turned. Amelia and I were like scones and cream. Always together. We’d solved some great cases together. Why was she being like this?

  "All I'm saying is that maybe we should slow down and watch, because getting into bed with someone like Bram Van Linsted is not exactly in our best interest. It's not the safe route."

  "I mean, honestly, just because I'm not doing it exactly how you would do it, doesn't mean I'm inept."

  "Who's saying you're inept, Amelia? But don't you think it’s at all interesting that Garreth Jameson was there to visit Van Linsted? That there's more at play here? We don't know anything for sure. There's a lot more investigating to be done still."

  "What if I'm following my own hunch? You're notorious for doing that. Or maybe you're just not cooperating because it's not you leading? Maybe if it was you on the other side, you'd be more than happy to move things along."

  I staggered back as if I'd been slapped. "Do you really think I would do that?"

  "I don't know what I'm supposed to think. All I know is that Denning warned me that you'd be like this."

  Fucking Denning. "Oh, did he?"

  "Yeah, he made it pretty clear that things would change with you. That as affable and supportive as you've always been with me, the moment you weren’t my boss that would change. It's like you're undermining me, just like you did him."

  "And you believed him?"

  "Well, what else am I supposed to think? I have a solid idea and a solid lead. One you're not going to follow up on because you're dick whipped or whatever."

  "Wow, that is supremely unfair. And coming from someone who saw exactly what Denning did, how could you even say that to me?"

  "Hey, I was the first one in your corner, not wanting to think that you had any hand in that whole Denning situation. I'm your best mate, but you're not at all happy for me that I'm in this position."

  "I am happy. This is my fucking happy face."

  She slapped her hands on her hips. "Yeah, I noticed."

  I ran my hand through my hair, snagging it in the tangles. "Amelia, I couldn't be prouder of you. I have pitched for you to be made a senior agent for years."

  "Funny how that turned out. You pitched for me for years, but the moment you leave, guess who's made the senior agent? Which tells me that maybe you’re the one who held me up."

  "Do you seriously believe that?"

  "I don't know what I'm supposed to believe. Why won't you back me on this?"

  "I'm telling you, it's not the right move."

  "Now that I’ve made senior officer, I have some influence and more people listen to me. Why is it you of all people can’t be on board with this? After I have backed you on everything."

  I blinked at her. "Wow, so you want to pull that?"

  "Yes, I do. How many times have you had some hair-brained scheme where things have been dubious? Where we've all but crossed the line, on nothing more than your say so. And now, I'm not even bending any rules. I'm going by the book."

  "Look, I know this is your assignment, and I believe in you a hundred percent. I absolutely do. I don't know why you don't see that. But you have got to see there's something else at play here, and I don't think it has anything to do with the London Lords. You claim to have trusted my gut all this time. I'm asking you to trust it again. I just don't want you to fall on your face."

  As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I knew I'd said the wrong thing. Her mouth hung open.

  "Fall on my face, is it? All this time, you said Denning was a twat. I believed you. Denning is a twat. All this time, you go on and on about how he took your job. And I believed you. He took your job. It was a twat move. But I'm starting to think that maybe he deserved it. Maybe the reason you didn't get the job was because of you and your choices. You and your gut. Did your gut tell you to shag East Hale too?"

  This time, my mouth hung open. "Wow, we're really going there?"

  "You're the one who brought us here."

  "Okay. I see. My personal life has nothing to do with any of this."

  "I don't see it that way. You need to excuse yourself from this case."

  "I'm not shagging East Hale. East Hale is nothing to me."

  She frowned. "So what, he was just a mark?"

  Jesus Christ, that sounded worse. No way was I telling her what had happened. Not now. "All you need to know is I'm not shagging him. Even though, let's be perfectly clear, you encouraged me too."

  "I did no such—”

  I shot her a look. "I think if you want to stay friends, maybe we shouldn’t talk for a while."

  "Easily achieved. I think some distance between you and me would be great right about now."

  For some reason, the way she said that cut to the quick. As if I’d been bringing her down. "Wow, you've just been dying to say that, haven't you?"

  Her shoul
ders sagged. "Actually, no. Never. I never wanted to be in this position, Nyla. I never wanted your job. Did I want my own team? Absofuckinglutely. Am I proud to have my own team? Yes. But I wanted a team that would support me. A team that I could grow and nurture. Not one that was under my thumb."

  Was that how she looked at everything we’d done? All the time we'd spent together?

  "Wow. So, that's how you feel?"

  "That's how I feel."

  I lost my appetite. My gut was churning. "Amelia, I love you. I want nothing but your success, but that doesn't mean I have to blindly follow you. When I think you’re making a mistake, I’ll tell you because I’m your friend."

  “Oh, but I’ll do that too. When you’re being selfish, I’ll tell you because I’m your friend.”

  "So now I'm selfish."

  "Yeah, Nyla, you are. The world doesn't revolve around you. This isn’t your play, where we're all just characters hoping for some stage time. I'm going to follow my own gut now and see how that feels."

  "Amelia."

  "I think it's time for you to go."

  "Wow." The burning in my gut only spread. The sheer pain of knowing that I was completely and utterly alone hit me like a raw burn. My father wasn't exactly someone I could go talk to. East? Not an option. And Amelia, wow. She was on a path of her own. One that didn't have room for me.

  Are you sure that's what she's saying?

  I was in no mood for rational talk. It hurt too much. I left the food where it was, but I took the wine. At least I could have a drink. Even if it was all by my lonesome.

  So this was what it was like to be absolutely, completely alone.

  Nyla

  East had kept his word.

  I was no longer persona non grata at the hotel, but I was escorted up, which meant East had given instructions that I was not to be left alone. Bloody fantastic.

  When I was deposited at the penthouse and the bellhop rang the doorbell, it wasn't East who opened the door. Instead, it was a woman with dark curly hair, the petite one I'd met when East had introduced me to the gang. What was her name? Yes, Telly. "Hi, Telly."

  She smiled. "Hi, Nyla. I'm glad to see you. You are here to save me from Captain I'm-a-grumpy-arsehole, right?"

  "Oh, yes, I've met him. He's quite unpleasant, isn't he?"

  "Yes, indeed. East, I really do like this one. Too bad you're a jackhole and didn't keep her."

  I winced at that, but Telly took my hand and dragged me in. "God, you're so sexy. Hot too. Really honey, he's lost the plot, he has."

  I followed Telly into the penthouse and found East looking as handsome as ever. His T-shirt was tight over his broad shoulders as he leaned over a laptop at the table. "Who is it, Tell?"

  "The love of your life."

  "Oh, Telly, you know full well I don’t believe in love. Is it the stripper?"

  "No, actually, it is the love of your life. I suppose we could ask her to strip though."

  East whirled around and scowled when he saw me. "Oh, it's you."

  Damn, that didn’t sting at all. "Yes, in all my splendor. Should I do the striptease here, or should I wait?"

  His gaze flickered over my body, and I could feel the pulsing heat of it. "That won't be necessary. I've seen it all."

  "Yes, I know. It's absolutely bloody fantastic."

  Telly plopped on the couch and gave me a wide grin. "While I am a married lady now, I can still look, so feel free to do the striptease for me."

  I laughed. "Maybe when we're alone. I don't want to offend anyone’s sensibilities.”

  East ignored us both. “We have work to do. The sooner we can find Warlow, the sooner we are all free of Francois Theroux. So pull out a chair and get to work."

  "Right, of course." I shucked my shoulder bag and pulled out my laptop before lowering myself onto his plush couch. I had to steel myself so I wouldn’t think about what we’d last done on that couch. "Okay, so I already started a little background checking. I called some contacts at Immigration and had them do a search for me. There was a Henry Warlow who was studying at the University of Milan about thirty years ago. He was enrolled as a graduate student. There is, however, no evidence of him leaving school in the computer records, but so many of those records are still on paper. So they said they were going to look into it for me and let me know. But at least we know Henry Warlow was in Milan around that time."

  East's brow furrowed at me, but he said nothing as he turned back around. Telly laughed. "That's his way of saying good work, because thus far, he hasn't been able to get that information. He's a little bit pissed because thirty years ago not everything was recorded on the internet, so East is having a difficult time with this particular assignment."

  I nodded and joined them at the table. I worked better when I was alert and focused, so that meant not sitting on the couch, because I was bone tired. I hadn't been sleeping, and really, I honestly couldn't remember the last time I’d eaten, so, I would need to take care of that.

  There was another knock on the door, and Telly sprang up again. "That would be the takeout. Now, while you two kids get to work, I actually need to go. Carmen just texted, and she misses me."

  East whipped around. "You are not doing this."

  "Sorry, mate, but she has already found more information than you or I were able to dig up, so she is a perfect partner. I'm going home. You two kids enjoy this Chinese."

  East scowled at her. "You had this planned all along when you said you were going to help me. You set me up."

  "Absolutely. I'm sorry." She looked alternately between the two of us. "Was that not clear? This is a set up. And since I knew that he was going to suggest that you search on your own and maybe just exchange information over a phone call, I was meant to be the glue. I have now glued you two together. Not sexually of course, because that would be awkward. So… enjoy."

  She dropped the takeout on the table, and the ginger and garlic scents wafted up my nose, making my stomach grumble, and I knew that I would possibly kill someone for beef and broccoli. "We don't have to do this together. I can go home."

  But there was a part of me, that lonely, crushing part, that prayed to God he would not send me home alone to my empty flat where I had no boyfriend, no best friend, and no job. The job thing. I could get it back, but like I’d told Theroux, that was going to involve eating a lot more crow, and I wasn't that hungry yet.

  But what are you going to do about the aching loneliness?

  I had other friends besides Amelia. Mates from my MI5 days. I could call loads of people up for a quick drink, but they would all require some level of effort, and I was not in the mood for effort. But no way in hell would I tell East that I wanted to stay. He wanted me gone, and I wasn't going to shove into where I wasn't wanted.

  "No, stay. I can't eat all of this by myself, and of course, your stomach is grumbling, because I guarantee you forgot to eat."

  "I did not," I lied easily.

  "You're not even lying well. Sit. Eat."

  He stood and marched into the kitchen, bringing out plates and serving spoons. When he unwrapped what we had, it was beef and broccoli, honey glazed shrimp, and a mountain of dumplings. My stomach full-on roared.

  East chuckled. Actually chuckled. And for a split second, I could remember what it was like a week ago when he still cared about me.

  Suck it up, because it's never happening again. Remember what it was like when he cut you off.

  Yes. I remembered that. And that was the memory to hold on to.

  We dug into our food, laptops open, scanning and searching. "Are you looking in the archives of the school?" I asked.

  "Yeah, I'm looking. And there is a Henry Warlow, but there are no photos, no nothing. It's like he was a ghost."

  "If you can get me a class roster from one of his classes, I can run through it and ask around to see if anyone has any recollection of him."

  East raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to say about why you're questioning them?"


  I chuckled. "I'm going to tell them I'm an Interpol agent."

  He laughed. "You're going to lie?"

  I nodded. "Yep."

  "Wow. I see you have fully lost your relationship with the truth."

  "Yeah, you know, once you start to sin, all your morals go out the window. That's survival."

  His gaze stayed on mine for a long stretch. It made my skin hot and tight, making me pulse and ache in places I would rather not think about. When he spoke, his voice was gravel laced with silk. "You haven't been sleeping well. I can tell."

  Yeah well, whose fault is that?

  "I sleep just fine. Let's get back to work."

  His gaze narrowed and he continued to study me as if waiting for something. But suddenly he sat back, blinking as if a spell had been broken. And just like that, the sliver of warmth between us vanished. "Right. Yeah, back to work."

  I hated shutting him down, but it was too tempting. Too easy to let him in. And after what he'd done, the way he'd shut me out without talking to me, I couldn't do that again. It was better to be on my own, alone, than to have people I couldn't count on.

  "All right, I found a class he was in with a list of attendees."

  "Okay, I'm on it."

  "It's late in Milan."

  "It may be late, but I do still have a friend at Interpol, and she can at least get me updated phone numbers for all of these people."

  I stood to make my call, meandering over to the table every now and again to come back and take a bite. And with every bite of the savory food, I moaned. And with every moan, East's gaze flickered to me quickly and then backed away again.

  I wasn't doing it on purpose, but God, I was hungry. I made a mental note to eat more.

  East screamed, "Eureka!"

  I whipped around. "What? What do you have?"

  He clapped then stood up and did this butt-wiggling dance, showcasing his spectacular arse. "I found a fucking picture."

  "Stop lying."

  He shook his head. “Come look for yourself.” I crowded around his laptop, and he laughed before grabbing a small remote and clicking two buttons, and then a projector came down. A photo appeared on the projector screen showing Henry Warlow’s class photo. “Unfortunately, it doesn't identify them by name. But I could probably run some facial recognition software. People look different though, and we would have to age them thirty years."