Chapter 6
Killian
Iturned towards the commotion: shouting and the sound of chairs being scraped along the floor.
What the fuck was going on? I tried to peer over the heads of the people gathered there, but I couldn’t see anything.
“What’s going on?” I asked the bartender. “Can you see?”
“I don’t know. Looks like someone’s on the floor.” He continued drying the glasses and stacking them on the shelves.
“Do you think we should call an ambulance? Do you think they’re hurt?”
“They’re probably drunk,” he said and laughed.
“It’s five o’clock in the evening. Who the feck is drunk at this time of day?” Stupid fucking question. I’d been drunk at ten in the morning before now. Hell, I’d still been drunk at six after an all-night bender.
“Anyone if they’ve got any sense. Who the fuck isn’t drunk this time of day?”
Me, for one. I’d not touched a drop since Thursday, and fuck, was I feeling it. I’d woken up shivering in the middle of the night and reached for the vodka bottle that was usually on the nightstand, only to come up empty-handed.
But it had been seven days now, and I wasn’t about to fall off the wagon. I knew how bad withdrawal could get, but I was determined this time.
Curiosity got the better of me, though, and I walked over to see if I could help.
“Is everything okay here? Do you guys need any help?” I took in the scene. One guy lying on the floor, another next to him, and two anxious-looking women.
“It’s our friend. One minute he was fine; the next he crumpled like a wet paper bag and fell on the floor,” the guy kneeling next to him said.
“Is he hurt?” I couldn’t see any injuries, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have any.
“I can’t see any blood, but I don’t know if he banged his head when he fell,” one woman said, her eyes wide with worry.
I finally looked down at the man on the floor, his face partially hidden by the hood on his coat. His eyes were closed.
“Come on, Harvey. Wake up, mate.” The man kneeling next to him patted his face. At first, there was nothing, but slowly, he stirred, murmuring something unintelligible. He gradually opened his eyes. Rich brown eyes, unfocused. Did he know where he was?
And why did he look familiar? It could have been anyone. I met so many people in my line of work.
“Let’s get him over here. There’s a sofa next to the fire,” I said, and between his friend and me, we manhandled him to the sofa and laid him down. “Get his coat and scarf off. I’ll go grab some water.”
I reached over the bar, took a bottle of water from the cooler, and headed back to the man. He was now sitting, his head in his hands.
“Here, drink this.” I held the bottle out, and he reached to take it from my hands. It was then that I finally got a good look at him. Our eyes met, and I recognised him instantly.
“You,” I said.
He groaned and took a sip of the water. “Yeah, me.”
His friend looked puzzled. “You know each other? Harvey?”
“We don’t know each other. I spoke to him last week after I left the bar. That’s it.”
“But you were at the club the other night as well. You were there,” What was going on? Why was I seeing him all over?
The colour drained from his face.
“Clubs? Bars? What the hell, Harvey?” His friend looked at him in shock.
“Ed. This is none of your business. Just leave it, please. Go back to Sally and Vivian. I need to sit for a moment, and then I’m going home. I said this was a mistake.”
“But…”
“Just go.” He looked up at me. “You too. I want to be on my own.”
Reluctantly, his friend left but continued to watch him as he sat with his friends. There was no way I was leaving him alone. Who knew what might happen? I sat down next to him.
“Why were you at the club?”
“It doesn’t matter why.” He took another swig of water, and his colour slowly returned.
“It’s just, after speaking to you last week, I didn’t think it was your scene. Hell, it’s not usually my scene.”
“You seemed pretty comfortable with it.”
“You were watching me?”
“Fuck, no. Why would I do that?” But he refused to meet my gaze.
“I don’t care if you were.” I looked down at my hands, the many rings I wore dull from wear. What was it about him that drew me? He was no Ash; that was obvious, but he had a vulnerability about him that pulled me in.
His hand trembled as he took another drink.
“How are you feeling now? Was it another panic attack?” I’d seen him have one last week, but this was far worse.
Harvey shook his head. “I don’t know what it was. One minute I was on my feet, the next on the floor.”
“Stupid question, but have you eaten today? Low sugar can do that, you know.” My brother had suffered when he was a child, and if his sugars dropped, the same thing would happen.
He frowned. “I don’t remember.” His voice was barely a whisper. “I should go.”
His legs buckled as he tried to stand. I caught him before he crashed to the floor again.
“I don’t think you’re going anywhere just yet, mate. Let me get you something to eat. I’ve a chocolate bar in my bag; that should help.”
His friend approached me as I walked towards the door leading to the staff area. He didn’t look happy at all, his face taut.
“Is he okay? How do you know him?”
Did it matter? I didn’t have to explain anything to him.
“He needs something to eat, and like he told you earlier, we don’t know each other. Not really.”
“So why does he want you to look after him and not me?” His friend took a step towards me.
“Hey, calm the fuck down. You’d have to ask him that, but he needs some space, and he needs sugar. So, if you’ll excuse me.”
He grabbed my arm as I turned to leave. “He’s not your friend.”
I shrugged out of his grasp. “Don’t fucking touch me. I’ve done nothing to upset him, but if you don’t take a step back...”
I left the sentence unfinished. He could draw his own conclusions, and he backed off. Guess I still had it in me, although I’d not been in a brawl for years.
Not that I’d have hit him, but I’d done nothing wrong. I was just trying to help.
“Killian. You need to be up on stage,” the bartender reminded me.
Fuck. I really didn’t want to leave him. I was torn, but I was there to do a job, not be a nursemaid.
“Give me a minute.” With his friend now seated, I found the chocolate bar I was looking for. Fuck knows how long it had been in there, but it’d do the job.
I headed back to Harvey, pleased to see him still there. I knelt in front of him and handed him the chocolate. “Look, I have to go sing now. Will you stick around? I’d like to make sure you get home safe. Can you do that for me?”
I tilted his chin so I could look at him, but he shrank back against the sofa, a terrified look on his face.
“Hey, I’m not going to hurt you. Please wait here. For me.”
Relief swarmed me when he nodded. I went to pat him on the knee but decided against it and walked to the bar.
“Keep an eye on him for me, will you?” I asked one of the staff members. “He took a fall earlier.”
“Yeah, no problem, Killian. I’ll make sure he’s okay.”
Relieved, I headed to the stage.
“Good evening, ladies and gents. Tonight’s set will be a little shorter than usual, so I’ll just get to singing.”
I’d usually have been there for a couple of hours. I’d sing a couple of songs, take a break, and then sing a few more, but tonight, I’d leave after my first set.
I started with my usual: Breakeven. I always held the crowd in the palm of my hand when I sang that, and this evening was no different. I sang a couple more, then handed over to the guy who ran the karaoke.
“I’ll not be coming back later,” I shouted above the noise.
Jesus fucking Christ, some people shouldn’t be handed a microphone, I thought as I watched a man butcher a Queen song.
“I can cover. Don’t worry. Big plans?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Not tonight, my friend.” I patted him on the back and walked over to where Harvey still sat. I was surprised to still see him there.
“You have a beautiful voice,” he said, his eyes closed.
I huffed. “I wish an agent thought so.”
His eyes flickered open. “Few can sing Breakeven as well as you. Not even Danny.”
“You know The Script?” A lot of punters knew the band, but not everyone knew the lead singer’s name.
“They were my parents’ favourite band. Especially that song. The first time I heard you sing, it brought back memories.”
I plugged my ears as another voice screeched in the background. “Look, do you want to get out of here? I can take you home if you want, or call you a taxi.”
I looked closer. He had a bruise developing on his cheek. I reached out to touch it, but once again, he pulled back.
“Please. Don’t touch me.”
I held my hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. I promise.”
What was it with this guy? I couldn’t figure him out. He was firm with his friend to the point of being rude, yet he kept talking to me. Why was I any different?
He rubbed the spot on his cheek and winced. “I have no idea how I did that.”
“It’s colouring up nicely. You’ll have a proper black eye. Come on, let’s get you up and home.”
I already had my bag with me, and I slung his rucksack over my back.
His friend approached. “Are you okay, Harvey?”
“I’m taking him home,” I said and helped him to his feet. He weighed nothing. Ash was heavier than he was, and he was only a few inches shorter than Harvey.
“You don’t have to go with him, you know. Sally and I could take you home.” He glanced nervously at me.
“It’s okay, Ed. I’m going home alone. You and Sally enjoy the rest of the night, and apologise to Vivian, too. I kind of ruined things.”
“No, you didn’t.” He glanced at me again. “Will you be, um…”
“Will he be safe? I’m not a fucking serial killer.” My temper rose. I might look rough, but I’d never hurt anyone intentionally or without good reason.
“That’s not what I meant.” But his face told a different story. His eyes darted between Harvey and me. He didn’t trust me, but then, why should he?
“Look, if it makes you feel better, you take him home. I’m not arsed either way. He’s your friend.”
I handed him Harvey’s backpack and was about to walk away when Harvey spoke.
“Stop. Please.” His voice was weak, almost inaudible. Was there something else going on? “Ed. I trust him, and you have the girls to look after. I’ll see you at work next week.”
Ed eyed me again, distrust screaming from every fibre. “If you’re sure, but if I find out you’ve done anything to him.”
I shook my head and rolled my eyes. The audacity of some fucking people, thinking they knew you when they didn’t have a fucking clue.
“He’ll be safe with me. I’m not a fucking threat.”
I took Harvey’s arm again, and we manoeuvred our way through the crowds to the door.
“Why do you trust me?” I asked as we made it out onto the street. A bitter, icy wind had set in; rain like ice pellets battered our faces.
“I just do. Now get me out of this fucking wind. We’ll both freeze to death.”
I hustled him to the nearest bus stop, making sure he was wrapped up, that his scarf was nestled snugly around his neck.
“Do you have any gloves?” His hands were like blocks of ice.
He shook his head. I put his hands in his pockets, then wrapped myself up as best I could. Now, where to take him?
I couldn’t go to my place. I’d tidied it up a little, but I was still ashamed of its state.
“Taxi to yours? If I bundle you into one, can you manage the other side?”
He nodded, his nose now red, eyes watering from the cold.
“Are you sure?” I wasn’t convinced, but I wasn’t about to force myself into the man’s house. “Here, let me put my number in your phone. Call me if you need me, okay?”
He nodded again. I was worried about him. What if he had a concussion?
“Do you feel sick or anything? Blurred vision?” I peered closely. His eyes looked bright enough, and his pupils looked okay to me. Not that I knew much about it, and I could have been totally wrong. The bruise on his cheek had darkened.
“I’m fine. I just need to go home.”
“Let me come with you. To the house, at least, so I know you’re home safely.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“I know, but it’d put my mind at rest.”
Five minutes later, we hopped in a taxi and drove to his house. It was a nice area, better than where I lived, but that wasn’t difficult.
He said nothing on the way, just stared out of the window, the streetlights illuminating his face.
“You’re staring,” he said but didn’t look at me.
“I’m making sure you’re okay. I can come in with you. I’m worried you have a concussion.”
“I don’t. I’m fine. Really, there was no need for you to come all this way.”
It didn’t sit right with me, but before I could get out of the car, he’d thrown a few notes at me and was walking up the driveway and through the door.
Well, fuck.