Chapter Thirty-Four
If my surveillance buddy was disappointed to be on duty with me again, he didn’t show it. In fact, he greeted me with a friendly handshake, and a pat on the back, and we headed to the location we were at before, again in his classy cage.
“So we’re just gonna watch that door again?”
Danno chuckled, parking up again. He’d waved as some other guy drove past in another big overcompensation cage, so I figured that’s the guy we were tagging out of this bullshit.
“I forgot how much fun you are on these jobs.”
Fun. Ha. I wanted fun, but instead I was stuck here. The only bonus was that I knew Claudia was already on her way to the clubhouse with Caroline to spend the day painting and hopefully bonding with her. It’d been a bit awkward at first, but they seemed fine when they left.
“I know I’m not supposed to know things, but what are we looking for here exactly? Why does it take two of us?”
Danno was fiddling with that weird curved blade again, and he caught me eyeing it, offering it to me to hold and check out. It was lightweight, sharp as fuck, and the oddest knife I’d ever held.
“It’s a Karambit, really versatile, easy to conceal, deadly to pretty much anyone I want to use it on.”
Yikes. I handed it back to him and watched him fiddle with it again.
“We’re watching for comings and goings, and yes, it needs two of us. What if I’m alone and have to pee?”
“I thought that’s why you sit and fondle one bottle of water all day, and piss in the bottle later.”
“I taught you well. So… how’s that lady of yours? You’re keeping her satisfied, I hope?”
The fucker had a smug grin on his face when I turned to glare at him. He must have been talking to those assholes he works for, but how is my sex life the kinda shit they talk about?
“Are you all this fucking intrusive?”
He shrugged, tucking the knife away again.
“Just making conversation, man. You were asking about sex last time we were hanging out, and we’ve got nothing to do but chat, right? You like talking. You did plenty of it last time.”
“I could just shut up this time,” I grumbled, digging out my phone to play a game. Danno’s long fingers closed over it.
“Nope. We’re meant to be watching that door, and anyone moving around it. Can’t do that if you’re playing with yourself.”
I snatched it back and slid it into my pocket.
“What about audiobooks or something?”
Danno snorted. “You listen to a lot of those?”
“What, like I’m too much of a meathead to read? Take a look at yourself, mate.”
“I read a lot, actually. In fact, my fiancé and I read together. It’s… well, frankly, it’s hot as hell.”
Hot? He caught my frown and grinned again.
“Sexy books, man. They get women all squirmy and wet, and we get to reap the sweet rewards.”
Sexy books? I didn’t even know there were such things, but then porn exists, so why not, right?
We fell silent, staring at the door, and watching cars as they came and went, but nobody went near that damn place.
“Why do they even care about this door anyway?”
I really don’t think he needed to groan like that in response. Pretty petulant if you ask me.
“We don’t need to know that. The bosses want to know who comes and goes, and that’s the job. Cameras can miss angles, but human eyes? We can turn and look at everything, right? So, can you just wind it in and do the job?”
Fuck it.
“So I did take your advice, by the way. Thanks for that.”
He just nodded, keeping his eyes away from me, like he understood that looking at me would make this awkward. Jesus, like it wasn’t already fucking awkward.
“You’re welcome. Glad it’s working out for you both. Keep putting her first, and you’ll win her for good.”
I glared at the arrogant fucker, because he thought he knew everything, didn’t he?
“I don’t need to win her over, fuckhead, she’s already mine.” Now I sounded like a caveman.
“Maybe check out some of those sexy books, man. Give you some fun ideas to act out with your lady, but just avoid the darker romances. Start with the sweet stuff. You know… novice stuff.” He smirked again and fiddled with his knife some more.
Honestly, that thing was really starting to piss me off. We had to manage two days of this?
Claudia
It was so much fun, working with Caroline to paint the room we’d been assigned to.
We had rollers, long poles, and trays of light grey paint, and thankfully we were in one of the rooms the carpeting team hadn’t reached yet, so we weren’t as nervous as we’d be if we were desperately trying not to spill on new carpets.
It reminded me of working on projects with my sister.
It reminded me of when we moved into the flat we’d been sharing, and painted the rooms together.
Things were better then. Fun. We giggled, spilled, dabbed paint on each other’s arms and faces, and sat and ate our dinners on the floor together as we argued over whose painting was better.
Ouch. Reminders like those made me miss her so much, because this was what we had. How did things change so much?
A light touch on my arm pulled me from my thoughts.
“I need more paint, are you okay?”
I nodded at Caroline, straightening up and stretching my back out.
“Why don’t you use the rest of mine while I go use the facilities?
” One of the downstairs bathrooms had been made available for old ladies, and me, while the men were still using the outside ones.
When I reached the door though, I dug out my phone instead, leaning against the wall with it.
I’d entered but blocked Marissa’s number, like I needed to have it, but I knew I couldn’t use it.
I figured I could just unblock it and try to start a normal conversation, right?
We’re twin sisters, surely we can find some common ground.
She could have been here painting with us, giggling, having fun. She’d like Caroline, I knew she would.
I took a deep breath and unblocked her, waiting for a ton of messages to hit me in a rush, but there were none.
No messages. Suddenly all I felt was panic.
Why wasn’t she trying to reach me? Had something happened to her?
Oh god. Would I feel if it she had been injured?
We sometimes felt each other’s pains, physical ones, not emotional.
I’d know, right? Then it hit me, she didn’t have this number, duh.
Me: Hey, Mar. I miss you. Are you okay? Is there any chance we can just have a conversation and get back what we once had?
Movement caught my eye, and I smiled at Harley and Ghost as they passed me with more painting supplies.
Harley had a dab of paint on his left cheek, and another swipe of it in his dark hair.
It was oddly cute. I wished Stag had been able to stay here today and work with us.
I pictured him with a smear of paint on his face, and that big wide smile of his as he attempted to retaliate.
My phone buzzed in my hand, and I gasped, almost dropping it on the concrete.
“Shit!”
She wouldn’t have recognised my number, and I stupidly didn’t say it’s me, but she’d know. She’d know from my words, wouldn’t she?
Marissa: I miss you too. I’ve made so many mistakes, but I want to fix things. Can we meet up?
Damn. I glanced around me, wondering if anyone noticed me slacking, and if they somehow knew what I was doing right now. What about Grease? If he was monitoring my phones, wouldn’t he know I’d messaged her?
Nobody stopped or bothered me, just nodded, smiled, and carried on with their work. Eventually I walked outside and headed across the dusty yard, towards the rows of motorbikes.
Me: Yes, I think we should, but I’m at the Phoenix clubhouse at the moment. When can we meet?
A minute passed while I waited for her response, and then my phone buzzed again.
Marissa: I’m not allowed there, but if you walk down the road from their gate, I could meet you. We do need to talk and it needs to be now. I miss my twin. You’re a part of me.
She was right. We were connected. We were a part of each other, and staying apart wasn’t the answer.
Nobody else could understand our connection, understand us.
If we could just get back to the way we were, we could absolutely hang here together again.
Maybe she’d find a biker here she liked, and we could be…
duh… I was getting ahead of myself. First we’ll talk.
Maybe we can undo the harm she’d done so far, and be sisters again, be twins again.
Being separated from her, my twin, the other half of my soul, was almost physically painful, because we’d always been together.
Was that why things had soured? Could we fix it?
The gates were opening as I approached, and two vans were pulling in, probably carrying more decorating supplies, or carpets, so while they were being directed into the parking area by the gate prospect, I slipped out behind the second van, and headed down the lane.
I wasn’t deliberately being foolish. I was certain I could fix things with Marissa, if we could just talk privately for a few minutes.
I wasn’t in danger, but I think the first step to fixing things was proving that to her.
She’d like the Phoenix members if she just gave them a chance.
She must have been in the area, because by the time I reached the end of the long curving lane that fed into the Phoenix compound, she was just pulling up to the side of the road.
I hesitated for the briefest moment, turning to glance behind me, wondering if I should have done this in a public place, but the fact remained. This was my sister, my twin. She’d never hurt me. She couldn’t. It’d be like hurting herself.
The passenger door popped open an inch and I leaned down to see Marissa leaning down to look at me.
She spoke, but I couldn’t read her lips from the angle I was at. Her head was tilted just wrong.
“Can you sign for me? I can’t… I can’t read you.”
Marissa shot me a huge smile and gestured to the passenger seat as I pulled the door open to lean in.
“Just get in,” she said, moving her head again as she spoke.
It wasn’t her fault. She’d have to crane her neck and lean across to be seen.
Again, I glanced at the lane leading to the compound, a moment of hesitation that cost me, because when I looked back at her, she was shaking her head, her eyes filling with tears.
“Never mind,” she said, leaning so I could read her again, “We can try another time.”
No. I didn’t want it to be another time. It had to be now. My soul was hurting without my soulmate beside me.
I slid into the seat and pulled the door closed.
“Sorry, it’s just that-”
The car started moving, pulling back out onto the road, and I frantically shoved my seatbelt into place, my heart racing at the sudden move.
“Marissa, what are you doing? We can’t leave here. I’m… I just wanted to talk, but I can’t leave.”
She was saying something, but facing forward as she drove, which was necessary for safety, but effectively cut me off and left me in puzzling silence.
“Marissa, I can’t read you. Pull over so we can talk.” Her lips were still moving, but from her profile, I couldn’t catch a damn word. I pulled my phone out, opening an app Grease had loaded for me, setting it to listen and record, because it’d put her words into text for me.
The messages popped up in rapid succession.
[voice1: All I wanted to do was protect you.]
[voice1: You keep taking unnecessary risks with that *censored*]
Censored? What the fuck? She must be swearing, but why the hell did this thing have some censorship on it? Damn it, Grease.
“Marissa, please, slow down. You’re driving way too fast. There’s no place to pull over for oncoming cars!”
[voice2: Marissa, please slow down. You’re driving way too fast. There’s no place to pull over for oncoming cars.]
Huh it was picking me up too. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it’d be needed to prove that she’d completely lost it! I shouldn’t have risked this, what was I thinking?
[voice1: *censored* that. I’m not messing around here, Claudia. You’re not safe around those men. I’m getting you to safety and then we can discuss your decision making.]
Ugh, she wasn’t going to listen to reason, and now I was trapped with her in a speeding car.
[voice1: Maybe this is how we die. At least we’ll be together. Hey. Give me that!]
She snatched my phone, tossed it out of her window, and kept moving way too fast for our safety.
I gripped the seat, my fingers tight with tension, and whitening as I gripped harder when she took a fast bend.
I was screaming at her to stop, but I had come to a chilling realisation.
She had no intention of stopping until she killed us both.