CHAPTER SIX #2
I shoot him a glare. “Stop watching me so closely. It’s weird.”
He laughs. “I’m a people watcher. I can’t help it.”
We head up the concrete steps, the whole block smells faintly of piss, damp, and stale weed.
“So,” Dale goes on, “innocent little Wynter is out there somewhere getting drunk?”
“Stop,” I warn.
He ignores me. “Maybe she’ll meet someone, make a proper evening of it.”
My jaw tightens, but I keep climbing. “That’s her business,” I say flatly, “as long as she doesn’t bring him back to my home.”
Dale glances sideways at me, amused. “Did she say where she was? Maybe I should swing by later. Make sure she gets back safely.”
I stop dead on the landing and turn to look at him. “Or,” I say, my voice low, “you could focus on the job in front of us.”
His grin only widens. “Touchy.”
I ignore that too.
By the time we reach the third floor, the air feels heavier. The passageway is dim as one of the lights overhead flickers like it’s on its last legs. There’s grime on the walls, old stains splattered on the floor, and the same sour, hopeless feel these places always carry.
I know it well.
I pull on my leather gloves as we stop outside Colin’s door.
The flat is his base camp. It’s where he runs his business from. The money he brings in pays for the polished life his wife and kids enjoy in the city—nice apartment, clean clothes, respectable schools.
That’s how it works. The filth stays here. The family remains spotless.
All higher-ranked men are expected to look clean from the outside. Respectable. Untouchable. That way no one asks too many questions.
I lift my hand and knock.
A kid who looks just like Jason, with that same hopelessness in his eyes, answers the door.
“What?” he asks, edgy and suspicious, craning his neck into the corridor to check both ends like he’s expecting trouble.
Dale grabs the back of his head and slams him into the wall. The kid drops instantly.
“It’s hello,” Dale mutters dryly.
He steps over the slumped body then catches him by the ankle and drags him back inside. I follow, shutting the door behind us.
We find Colin in the living room, parked in front of the television like he hasn’t got a care in the world. He glances up, does a double take, and jumps to his feet so quickly he nearly knocks over the can on the arm of his chair.
“Mr. Carmichael. Mr. Davis.” He wipes his sweaty palm down his joggers and holds it out. “To what do I owe this honour?”
I stare at it until he slowly lowers it again.
“Colin,” Dale drawls, looking around the filthy room, “you already know if Ray’s here, it ain’t good news. What kind of shitshow are you running?”
Colin opens his mouth, but I hold up a hand.
“Before you speak,” I say, “remember my rule. I don’t like lies.”
He swallows. “That little shit came to see you, didn’t he?” he mutters.
“If you mean Jason—loyal Jason—then yes, he paid me a visit.” I glance at the television. “We tried calling first, but apparently you were too busy.”
His jaw tightens.
“So, I’m going to ask you again.” I take a slow step forward. “What kind of shitshow are you running here?”
“Malone came to me,” Colin says, his tone defensive already. “I didn’t have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice.” I nod towards Dale. “Jason made the right one today. Now, he’s halfway to a new life with his girl and a pocket full of my money. Tell me, Colin, how did you get this far making such poor decisions?”
Dale answers for him. “He took over after Lenny. Last-minute move. Colin was next in line.”
I nod once. “I liked Lenny.” Pity he died the way he did. He was useful. Loyal too.
Colin throws his hands out. “Look, Malone pays well for the girls. All I do is get them the gear, and when they’re in deep, I point them his way.”
“Malone isn’t part of this organisation,” Dale says flatly.
“He used to be,” Colin shoots back. “I didn’t see the harm.”
I shrug out of my jacket and fold it neatly over the back of a chair.
“Your business stays inside the organisation,” I tell him. “That rule was very clear.”
“Why the fuck do you even care?” he snaps. “I get the drug money from them, they don’t get freebies, and once Malone puts them on the streets, they fund their own habit. Everybody wins.”
“You’re right,” I say, pulling out my hunting knife.
Colin goes still.
The blade is old, worn smooth in places from years in my hand. I’ve had it since I was ten. I trust it more than most people.
“I don’t care about the girls,” I tell him. “I care that you ignored the rules. That makes you unstable, and unstable men become dangerous.”
“I’m loyal,” he says quickly. “I can give you a cut.”
His eyes flick to the cupboard beside him.
I nod once at Dale, who crosses the room and yanks it open. Inside are neat stacks of cash. He gives a low whistle and starts shoving them into a bag.
“It’s not about the money,” I say.
Dale groans. “Ah, Christ. Story time.”
I ignore him. “When an apple starts to rot,” I say, smiling faintly, “if you don’t cut the bad part away, it just spreads to the rest.” Colin’s breathing starts to quicken. “That’s how I run this organisation,” I continue. “I find the rot, and I remove it before it spreads.”
Something ugly flashes across his face. “Malone said you hate him because he fucked Anika,” he spits. “What kind of businessman goes to war over a woman? She’s just—”
I move before he finishes. My hand clamps around his face, and I slam him back. “Don’t talk about Anika,” I growl.
The knife skims his cheek, just enough to make the point. A thin line of blood rises. His eyes widen. “You wouldn’t dare say her name like that if she was still standing beside me,” I say softly.
He should stop there but he doesn’t. “She’s not much use to you now.”
I see red. My pulse beating heavy in my ears. The rest is a blur. And when I step back, Colin is choking on his own mistake, blood soaking into his shirt, his eyes glassy with panic. I watch him struggle for breath, then he too falls silent.
“Piece of shit,” I mutter.
Beside me, Dale zips the bag of cash and shakes his head.
“I know I say this every time, but you seriously need a better outlet for all this tension.”
I wipe my gloves on Colin’s shirt, pull my jacket back on, and fasten it high enough to hide the splatter.
“I need a drink.”
“I’ll get someone in to sort this out,” Dale says, already pulling out his phone.
I head for the door.
WYNTER
Despite my reservations, I’m having the best night.
What was meant to be a couple drinks and some harmless shopping has somehow turned into a full-blown night out, and Holly is such a laugh that I’ve almost forgotten she was basically assigned to babysit me.
Almost.
Because every so often, my brain drifts back to the earlier messages and brief conversation with Ray and a fresh wave of horror rolls through me.
What the fuck was I thinking?
A shiver runs down my spine. If he brings it up tomorrow, I might actually fling myself from the penthouse window.
“I think we should take this party back to the casino,” Holly says suddenly.
I blink at her over the rim of my glass. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because I work there. And because you work there. And because our boss is a terrifying control freak who already thinks I’m a disaster.”
Holly bursts out laughing.
“Also,” I add, “why would you want to party where you work?”
She gives me a wicked grin. “If I tell you a secret, can you keep your pretty mouth shut?” she asks, tapping the tip of my nose this time.
I narrow my eyes, already suspicious. “That depends entirely on the secret.”
She leans in. “I once had sex with Dale.”
I gasp so loudly, the woman at the next table glances over. “Holly!”
She starts giggling. “I know, I know. Completely against Ray’s rules, but in my defence, Dale is stupidly hot.”
I stare at her. “You slept with Dale?”
“Once,” she says, holding up one finger. “A one-night thing. Very fun. Very worth it.”
“Oh my god.”
“The best part?” She goes on, grinning wider. “I don’t think he recognised me.”
“What?”
“I look different when I’m not in work clothes.” She flicks her hair. “At the casino, I’m all polished and proper. Out here, I’m more . . .” She gestures to herself. “This.”
I snort.
“So, you think he genuinely doesn’t know it was you?”
“He either doesn’t know or he’s pretending not to know, which is frankly rude after the performance I gave.”
I clap a hand over my mouth, half laughing, half choking. “Holly!”
“What? It’s true.”
I shake my head, still laughing. “You are insane.”
“And tonight,” she says, sitting up straighter, “I want to bump into him.”
I squint at her. “This is a terrible idea.”
“Probably,” she agrees cheerfully, “but I’m fairly sure that’s where he’ll be later, and I want to see if he clocks who I am.”
I groan and sink back in my chair.
“As adorable as your deranged little love story is, I do not want to end a good night by walking into one of Ray’s judging stares.”
“Ray’s always busy,” Holly says with a dismissive wave. “When he’s there, he’s working the room, scowling at people, acting all important. And he’ll probably be upstairs with Anika by this time.”
That does make me hesitate.
Still . . .
The thought of running into him after those texts makes my stomach twist.
“Fine,” I say at last, pointing a warning finger at her. “But the second I see him, I’m calling it a night.”
Holly grins like she’s just won the lottery. “Deal.”
Holly clings to my arm like an overexcited lunatic. “Please stay,” she begs. “Just for one.”
The second we walked into the casino, I spotted Ray.
He’s impossible to miss—tall, sharp suit, grumpy presence, and that permanent scowl and there is absolutely no way I plan to face him after earlier.
None.
But Holly drags me towards the bar, ignoring my protests as though they’re background music.
Ray and Dale are on the far side of the room with another man, deep in conversation, so I reluctantly agree to one more drink.
Joel appears at the bar with an easy smile. “Ladies. What can I get you?”