by Nicola Jane
I feel her before I see her. A tingling sensation breaks out across my back and then the scent of Anna’s fruity perfume fills my nostrils. Ziggy rushes to Malia, just like yesterday. I guess she didn’t warn Malia to avoid him after all.
We stand near each other, but I don’t look in her direction and she doesn’t bother to make conversation. When the classroom door opens, Anna bends down to Malia to kiss her. “Remember, we’re seeing daddy after school,” she says softly and Malia cheers happily.
A different sensation hits me in the chest, one I haven’t felt since I first met Michelle. I don’t like that Anna’s seeing her ex and I won’t be there to check that she’s safe. I shake it off quickly. I’ve no business feeling shit like that.
I follow her out of the school gates. She looks different today, dressed in a tight skirt and matching jacket. “You work?” I ask and then realize too late that it sounds rude.
“Yes.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. I just thought Reggie wouldn’t allow that,” I say, and she gives an awkward smile. “I thought he’d give you money.” I guess not everyone supports their exes like me.
“Bye,” she says quietly and walks away in the opposite direction. Seeing Anna is becoming an addiction. I need to stop turning up where she is. I decide this will be the last time I try to see her. No more school runs. No more café lunches. Nothing good will come of me chasing Reggie Miller’s missus.
I go to the gym for my usual workout with Cree and Chains. “You and Bonnie again last night?” puffs Chains, lifting the weights. “What’s that, a month at least? Are you taking her as your ol’ lady?”
I shake my head. “She’s good at sucking cock, what can I say?” I snigger through the lie.
“She’s only been around for a couple of months. Why do you always get to test run the whores?” asks Chains.
“Man, don’t call them that,” I groan. I hate that name being used for the girls who hang around the club. “We don’t pay them, so they’re not whores.”
“Free accommodation. Free food. That’s the payment,” he points out.
“Don’t be bitter. Now, are we working out or are you just gonna talk shit like a bitch?” I ask and he grins.
After the workout, Chains makes some excuse about having to meet a woman to let off steam. How he has steam left after that workout is crazy. Cree and I have other business to attend to, so we head off to The Windsor.
The Kings Reapers purchased The Windsor bar many years ago. I remember running around this place when I was a little kid. Pinky, the woman who runs the bar, is a scary motherfucker. She takes no crap and gives a tonne of it out.
She’s cleaning the bar top when we arrive. “He’s back there,” she says, nodding her head to her living quarters.
Marshall Ankers stands when we enter Pinky’s living room. His bodyguard eyes us suspiciously from the corner of the room as we all shake hands. “It sounded important when you called,” I begin, taking a seat on the couch opposite to Marshall. Cree moves to the window and stares outside.
“I want to offer you a deal,” says Marshall, and I almost snort a laugh. Marshall runs the drugs in my part of town, and I get a good percentage for allowing him to sell on my streets and use my access at the docks to get them into London. There’s nothing he can offer me that I can’t already take myself.
“Reggie Miller called me. He offered me his streets for a lower percentage than what you take,” he continues. Cree turns to face me, but we give nothing away with our expressions. “But Riggs, I hate that motherfucker. There ain’t no way I’m working for him. But what if we join sides, me and you?”
I arch an eyebrow and let out a bored sigh. “I thought we were already on the same side, Marshall?”
“We are. I meant what if we team up and sell on his streets too? We could make a fortune. He thinks he’ll be getting one over on you, but actually, he won’t be.” Cree shakes his head at me once to indicate he doesn’t like the sound of it. “I’d have to bring more in through the docks, of course, but that shouldn’t be a problem, should it?” he asks.
“Ah, so that’s the real problem. You need to get a bigger supply into my docks and you can only do that if you bring me on board,” I say.
“No, Riggs. The minute he asked me, I rang you to arrange this meet.”
“Why is he suddenly trying to get one over on me?” I ask.
Marshall shrugs. “He never said. He rang me out the blue.”
“You can tell him to get his own supply. You ain’t using my docks.”
Once he’s gone, Cree takes a seat. “Strange, ain’t it,” he says, “that Reggie’s been quiet for a few months, and now all of a sudden, he’s trying to stir up shit. The same week you meet his wife!”
“Coincidence.” I shrug. “He’s been quiet because he was facing criminal charges for putting his wife in the hospital. That’s all done with now, so he’s back in the game.”
“So what do we do? Ignore that he’s trying to take our drug supply?”
I shake my head. “We could get another Marshall like that,” I say as I click my fingers. “I’m not worried. But we’ll keep a close eye on him just in case he tries to run on both sides of the track. We’ll need to call church and warn the brothers. Reggie might approach others who work for us.”
My mom calls my cell as I’m about to head back to the clubhouse for church. “Are you collecting Ziggy today?”
“I’ve called the brothers back for church. Can you do it?”
She pauses and then lowers her voice. “Actually, I met my friend for lunch and I’m having a nice time. Could you do it?”
“What friend?” I ask, confused by her secretive tone.
“Can you do it or not, Finn?” she asks.
“Jesus, are you with a man?” I gasp and Cree turns to look at me. ‘Mom’, I mouth, and he looks just as shocked as me. “Who the hell is it?”
“I wish I hadn’t called,” she mutters. “Forget it.”
“No,” I rush in before she can hang up on me. “I’ll get Ziggy. Enjoy your late lunch and don’t have unprotected sex. Who knows where he’s been if he’s as old as you,” I joke.
Cree heads back to the club and I detour to get Ziggy. I spot Anna in the playground and stand beside her. She fidgets nervously. “I hate visit nights too,” I say, and she glances at me. “I heard you tell Malia about seeing her dad tonight after school,” I admit. “Ziggy sees his mom every second Thursday.”
“Right,” she says. “He changed the day. It’s usually on Sundays.”
“You said before it was at a contact centre?” I ask.
She nods. “Not tonight, but usually.”
“Not tonight?” I ask. “Where are you meeting him tonight?”
“In a park. It’ll be busy. It always used to be busy when the weather was nice, and my friend’s coming too.”
A strange feeling passes through me and sits heavy in my stomach. If this was Leia, I’d never allow this visit to happen. If visiting is at a contact centre, then that shit’s for a reason, but I don’t know Anna well enough to make demands. Instead, I take her cell from her hand and input my number. I miss call my cell so that I also have hers, just in case. “If you need anything, call me.”
I hand her cell back and she smiles gratefully. “Thanks.”
Chapter Five
Anna
I’m six minutes late. Six minutes to Reggie is a long time. I rush through the park and spot him sitting on a wooden bench across from the play area. His men stand amongst the trees surrounding the park, protecting him. “Sorry, the traffic was terrible,” I say as we get closer.
“Daddy,” screams Malia, throwing herself into his arms. He catches her and smothers her in kisses.
“I missed you so much,” he grins. “You and mommy.” I shift uncomfortably. I hate it when he says things like that. “Sit down, I don’t bite,” he adds.
“Actually,” I mutter, pulling my Kindle from my bag, “I was gonna c
op a spot under the trees and let you two have some time.”
“Actually,” he mimics, “you’ll sit down here.”
I glance back to where Eva is sitting across the park and then I take a seat. “Can I go on the slide?” asks Malia.
“Of course, baby. We’ll be right here,” says Reggie. Malia rushes off happily. Reggie rolls up the sleeves on his expensive shirt. It’s a deliberate act to unsettle me because it’s something he would do back when we were together, right before he hit me. I bite my inner cheek to stop myself from reacting. “You’re looking all smart there, Anna. Did you dress for me?”
I glance down at my grey pencil skirt. “I had to meet Malia’s teacher today. Nothing important, but I hate them judging me,” I lie. “Malia is doing really well at school.”
“I know how my daughter is doing in school. I wish you’d reconsider putting her into a private school. Pilgrims Way Primary School,” he shudders. “The name says it all.”
I force myself to remain calm. I knew this would happen. It isn’t a shock, so why is my heart racing? “Malia,” he shouts, and she rushes back. “Mommy tells me she saw your teacher today. Was it good news?”
Malia looks at me confused. “My teacher was sick today, mommy,” she says with concern.
“Good girl. Go back and play,” says Reggie calmly. My palms begin to sweat, and I rub them along my pencil skirt. I fix my eyes on Eva. She’ll call the cops if anything happens, but I’ve broken the court order by agreeing to see Reggie away from the contact centre, so I’m not sure if that means I’m unprotected legally. Sickness fills my stomach and I bite my cheek harder to stop the rise of bile. “How dare you fucking sit here and lie to my face,” he growls. “You think I don’t know when you lie?”
“I had a job interview,” I lie again. “I didn’t get it.”
“You don’t need a job, Anna. I put enough money into our bank account for you to live on.”
“I know,” I say quietly. “Thank you.” It makes me sicker to be nice to a man I hate more than I’ve ever hated anything in my entire life.
Reggie runs a finger along my thigh and settles his hand on my knee. “I miss you. I can’t ever forgive myself for what I did to you, but I want the chance to put it right.”
“No, Reggie.” I keep my voice firm and I’m proud of how strong I sound. “Are you going to spend some time with your daughter?”
Reggie grips my chin between his thumb and index finger, and I wince when he forcibly turns my head to face him. “I love you. I want you and Malia to come home. You’ve made your point and I think I’ve been quite reasonable to sit by while you dragged me through the courts. That judge cost me a lot of money. It’s time for you to come home now.” He pushes his lips against mine and his tongue snakes into my mouth. I shove him hard in his chest and he releases me. “Shit, Anna. What’s the problem?” he asks.
I stand and step away from him. “The problem is that I don’t love you. We will never get back together. If you can’t make it to the contact centre in the future, then you’ll have to wait because I can’t meet you like this again.”
When Reggie stands too, my mind races with thoughts— run, yell, scream. Yet I don’t do any of those things because fear grips me, and when Reggie wraps his arm around me to turn me away from any onlookers, I close my eyes and prepare myself for the blow. His free hand goes to my throat. It isn’t a rushed, spur of the moment move. It’s slow and meticulous. His fingers splay out and he presses, adding pressure little by little until I’m gasping for breath. I rake at his arm to try and remove his hand, but it’s no use. He eases the pressure and I gasp right before he kisses me again. This time, he catches my lower lip in his teeth and bites until I taste the metallic tinge of blood. “I love the house. The garden is just how you like it,” he whispers against my lips. “A sun trap. You should fix the fence panel out back, though. What if Malia gets out?”
He smirks and then goes to Malia in the play area. I rush over to where Eva sits, and she removes her shades. “Are you bleeding?” she gasps. I nod and sit next to her. I find a tissue in my bag and press it to my lip, trying to blink away the tears that threaten to fall. “What the fuck happened? I was watching the whole time,” says Eva.
“He’s sneaky,” I mutter. “I should have listened to you. It was a bad idea to come.”
“Yah think?” she hisses. “Fuck, he’s crazy.”
My cell rings and I answer without checking the caller I.D. My eyes are fixed on Malia and Reggie. Riggs’ voice rumbles ‘Hello’ and I burst into tears. “Fuck, Anna, what’s going on?” he growls.
“I’m fine. Oh god, I’m so . . . ” I sniff. “Sorry . . . I don’t know . . . why I’m . . . crying,” I stutter.
“Are you hurt? Tell me where you are,” he demands, and I smile even though he can’t see me.
“Honestly, I’m fine. I think my nerves have caught up with me. Thank you for calling, though. It’s really sweet.”
“I ain’t ever been called sweet before,” he grumbles. “But I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Thank you. Maybe I’ll see you on the school run tomorrow?” I ask and I don’t bother to disguise the hope in my voice.
“Maybe,” he replies. “I gotta go. Take care, Anna.” The way he says my name in that deep voice sends my stomach into knots.
“Goodbye, Riggs.”
I disconnect the call and Eva stares at me open-mouthed. “Riggs has your number?”
“He heard me tell Malia about the contact visit and when I told him it wasn’t in the centre, he put my number in his cell. It was nice of him, no?”
“And then he called to check up on you? Wow.” Eva fans her face and pretends to faint dramatically.
“Stop,” I laugh, shoving her gently. “Our kids are friends, that’s all.”
I straighten up as Reggie approaches us with Malia in his arms. I hate the feeling of dread that comes over me whenever he’s near me. “Be a good girl for mommy,” he says, gently kissing her on the head and placing her on the ground. “Maybe I’ll come and see your new house,” he adds.
Malia smiles wide. “Can you, daddy? I’ll show you my bedroom. Mommy painted a princess on my wall.”
“Would that be okay with mommy?” asks Reggie, glancing at me with a smug smirk on his face. Malia watches me expectantly. He wants me to be the bad guy.
“We’ll see, sweetie,” I say. “But remember when we had that talk about daddy not living with us anymore?” I ask and she nods her head. “Well, until the judge tells us that it’s okay, daddy isn’t allowed to visit our house.” The smug smile vanishes from Reggie’s face. Maybe he thought I wouldn’t explain our new situation to Malia. I’m glad I’ve surprised him. “Now, kiss daddy goodbye. You can see him next Sunday at the contact centre.”
“It’s Friday night. A few drinks to celebrate your new job is a great idea,” says Eva and I roll my eyes. She turned up at my house dressed for a night out and she’s spent the last half hour asking me to go with her. “My mom wants to have Malia over. Don’t be mean by denying her the only grandchild she is ever likely to have.”
I laugh. “You’ll have kids one day and see how tiring it is and then you’ll remember this point and see that I said no for a damn good reason.”
“Fine, confession time,” she mutters. “I’ve been asked to go out for a few drinks with a guy I met at work. I don’t want to go alone.”
“That doesn’t make me want to go. In fact, it makes me more determined not to.”
“Oh come on, Anna. You’re young, free, and single. Staying in on a Friday night isn’t healthy.” There’s a knock at the door and I scowl at Eva as she rushes to answer it. She returns with Esther.
“Oh my god, you asked your mom before I’d even agreed!” I gasp and Esther laughs.
“You know how she is when she gets an idea into her head. I was going to take Malia to my house for a sleepover,” she says brightly.
“See, babysitter sorted. No excuse. Now, get changed
.”
We’re sitting in the corner of The Duke and I’m filling her in about the things Reggie said to me earlier today. My lip is bruised and cut, and my neck is adorned with finger marks. It’s been a few months since I’ve had to deal with injuries.
Eva smiles happily at something behind me. I turn and see a tall, handsome man in a suit walking towards us. With him is another guy who looks similar in size, tall and medium built. He stops by our table and Eva rises to her feet gracefully and he kisses her on the cheek. “This is my friend, Anna,” she says, and I smile weakly, realizing she’s set me up on a double date. “Anna, this is Chris. He’s an accountant.”
“Great to meet you, Anna. Eva told me so much about you. This is my friend, Jamie,” says Chris. I offer a little wave and Jamie settles into the seat next to me. “Eva, shall we go to the bar and get the drinks?” asks Chris. I kick her hard under the table and she cries out. I scowl at her to try and communicate that she is not to leave me alone with this stranger, but she smiles sweetly and follows Chris to the bar while rubbing her shin.
“So,” smiles Jamie, “Chris tells me you’re single.”
“Yes. It’s hard to get any man who’s interested in a twenty-four-year-old with a five-year-old child,” I smile back.
“Oh, I love kids,” he gushes, and I inwardly groan. He proceeds to tell me stories of his sister’s five children and I realize he isn’t going to be put off easily.
Eva returns from the bar and she and Chris take over the conversation, which I’m thankful for. I know I’m being a party pooper, but I hate that she sprung this on me. My cell flashes and it’s a text message from Riggs. I smile as I read it.
