13. Lockheart
LOCKHEART
Something isn’t right. My gut is telling me something wrong’s happening, and I can’t explain it other than I just know.
After physio I came home to an empty house and the first thing I did was check their wardrobes.
For a split second I thought she’d taken Lucky and ran away and I was terrified.
The idea of never seeing my boy again was something I couldn’t even begin to explain.
But it was more. It wasn’t just Lucky I was worried about never seeing.
It was Nico too. It made me realise I want more.
I want her. I want us to try to be a we, properly this time though.
All our cards on the table and trusting each other, which I know will be fucking hard for me to do, but it’ll be worth it if that kiss last night was anything to go by.
But first I have to call in the cavalry.
Me
I need your help. I think Nico’s in trouble.
Brady
What d’you need?
Marcello
I’m there
Bennett
Let’s go
Shark
Let me know if you need me to bail you out of prison and stop any stories breaking. I’m here for all of you. Nicole included.
Me
Thank you. All of you.
Me
Meet me at mine ASAP. Shark, I’ll keep you updated.
I place my phone down on the marble counter in the top-of-the-line kitchen my interior designer created for me and pace about, trying to get my head straight.
If my notions are right, she’s in trouble because of her dad.
Nico isn’t the type to get herself into trouble.
She is the kind of person to take on another's problems, especially if she feels like she owes them some sort of loyalty by simply being related to them.
It’s why I decided to text her neighbour, Teresa. If anyone knows what’s going on today, it’s her.
The day Lucky hurt his eyebrow, she slipped her number into my hand and told me to call her when ‘the shite hits the fan.’ At the time I was confused as anything, but now I know why. Teresa knows about her dad. And the shite is hitting the fan today. I know it is.
Teresa confirms Nico is meeting the wank stains at her old place, alone, and my anger ratchets up a notch.
Why she thinks it’s better to handle this alone is beyond me—actually it’s not, it’s something I’d do as well.
We’re similar creatures in that sense. Leaning on ourselves to do what’s needed.
But she needs to learn she can lean on me now, just like I’m trying to lean on her too.
Picking my phone back up, I shoot off a text to her, asking where she is.
It gets ignored. I send another and another and another, even trying to change the subject and tell her I loved the article, but it’s still ignored.
Finally I send a message telling her we’ll be talking later.
As I set the phone down again, Brady strolls through my hallway and into the kitchen.
“You could’ve knocked on the door.” I know it’s futile. Brady is like the irritating younger brother I never wanted, and since he moved next door to me a few months ago with his girl Edie, I haven’t been able to shake him.
“I’m here doing you a favour. I could be doing something completely different with Edie right now, but I’m not.” He saunters over to my fridge, rummages around in it, and comes out with a bottle of water and some cooked chicken breasts I was saving for my lunch.
“That’s my lunch.” I fold my arms over my chest, even puffing up a bit so he gets the message I’m not happy. Or amused.
The cheeky fucker laughs as he opens the container and licks the chicken. “You want?” He offers it back to me with a smirk on his lips.
I roll my eyes but also bat the container out of his hand so the chicken falls onto the floor. Petty of me? Yes. Would I rather the chicken get fed to a fox in the back garden tonight? Yes, yes I would.
“You’re such an a-hole, Owen.” As he says my first name he darts around the island in the middle of the kitchen and is saved from me catching him and giving him the ultimate wedgie by Marcello and Bennett walking into my house. Also without knocking.
“Do none of you know how to fucking knock?” I throw my hands up in exasperation as Marcello grins and Bennett folds his arms over his chest and fixes me with a ‘seriously dude’ look.
“How did you get past the security gate anyway? I know that jackarse knows the code, but didn’t know you two did as well. ”
Marcello moves his gaze from me quickly and Bennett just smiles whilst Brady holds his hands up in surrender.
“Now in my defence, I told them when I was living here. And it's ass by the way. Jack-ass, not arse.” He puts on a British accent, and whilst Bennett and Marcello chuckle, I hit him with a glare like no other glare and he steps back and ducks behind Bennett. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would be a big deal.
Change it if it bothers you so much. But just know that I like coming over here unannounced.
It reminds me of being back home with my brothers.
You’re welcome at my house whenever you want, by the way. All of you.”
My glare softens and I relax my arms and grab the back of my neck. Guilt flows through me at having metaphorically kicked the puppy who we call Jaxson fucking Brady.
“Shut the fuck up, Brady. I don’t actually mind you coming over here either. Just don’t give that code to anyone else.” He grins at me and nods his head like the happy energetic puppy I’m used to, and all is right with the world.
“What’s going on with Nico?”
Charlie’s voice snaps me back into the now. “I think she’s doing something dangerous and stupid to help her dad.”
They each look at me with a concerned frown on their faces, so I elaborate, even though I know she’ll be pissed with me for it.
“Her dad’s a gambler. I think she may be trying to pay his debts off.”
“What’s so dangerous about that?” Antony’s naivety is showing through his confused face, and I almost hate to burst his oblivious little bubble.
“We’re not talking about loans from banks and reputable people here, Marcello. We’re talking thugs and loan sharks.”
The colour drains from his face as realisation sets in. “Then why are we standing here doing nothing? We have to help her.”
“That’s why you’re here. But we need a plan. She’s meeting them at lunchtime.
“My original plan was to keep them both here all day and once Lucky was in bed, talk to her and try to come up with a solution, a way to help her. But she slipped out early this morning when I was at my first training session. She’s not answering my texts.
I know Lucky’s at a playdate today, Teresa confirmed all the details for me.
So I just need to know you’re with me on the next bit. ”
I grab the back of my neck and wait a beat before telling them my plan. “It’s risky. Because once they see us, they’ll know who we are. But we go in there and I tell them I’ll do a one-off payment to clear all of these debts, but all future ones are nothing to do with Nico or Lucky.”
“Why would they agree to that?” Charlie starts, but Jaxson cuts across him.
“Why’d y’all need us?” Charlie shoots him a glare and he stutters back, “I-I-I’m n-not saying I don’t wanna be here, I’m just pissed we don’t get to crack some skulls.” He punches his fist against his palm, and I roll my eyes but smirk on the inside.
“We’re greater in numbers. And to answer your question, Charlie, I’ve been doing some digging.
There are a few loan sharks that work the area.
All I’d need to do is report them to the police and it would cause mayhem for their little profiteering racket.
The police would take the word of a professional athlete seriously, especially if they were a Heath Hampstead fan, don’t you think?
” He nods his head at me and I lean against the counter and cross my arms.
“So we’ve an hour to get to hers and stake the place out? What happens if there's more than four of them?” Antony asks as my phone chimes with a notification of an incoming text.
Teresa
The bollox has just shown up. He’s outside in a black Toyota. All that fecking money he takes off people and he’s driving a fecking Toyota. Ya girl’s not here yet though.
I turn my phone screen around and let the boys read it. When I’m sure they’re finished, I walk into the hallway and grab the keys to my car as Jaxsons voice echoes through the hallway.
“Why is Teresa calling him a bollox?”
I turn to look at him and shrug my shoulders, because I have no idea why. He shrugs back and then grins.
“So does everyone but Nico know that she’s your girl?”
I growl and hear the chuckles from behind me, because it seems everyone but Nico does know she’s my girl, but it’s about time she learnt it too.
We pull up opposite Teresa’s place and she subtly nods at us from her window.
I’ve spotted the black Toyota instantly, and the dick in the front seat.
Anger radiates from within me as I watch him get out of his car and head next door to Nico’s place.
As he knocks on the door and she lets him inside, anger for her reckless behaviour makes my jaw clench together.
I give it two seconds and I’m out of the car and striding across the road. I’m about to bang on the door when I hear Nico’s voice. “Please, I’ll get you double next month, I promise. I just needed more time.”
Peering through the little window at the top of her street door, my heart stops beating as he puts his fucking hands on her. I know I’m supposed to be cool, calm and poised, but fuck that! He has his fucking hands on Nico.
I barrel through the door and into him. His head bounces off the floor and he stops struggling beneath us. Teresa walks in brandishing handcuffs and Charlie checks to see if he's still breathing. I’m not fussed either way. I switch my focus back to Nico.
She’s slumped on the floor and clutching at her neck. Not really focusing on anything, her eyes looking right at me but glazed over like she’s looking through me instead.