CHAPTER 27
“Sasha, you can't sell the club,” he said. “Not to those people.”
“Why?” I demanded. “What do they have to do with Kyle?”
“He's with them, Sasha.”
I stared at him.
“He's one of them.”
My crossed thighs tightened.
“I'm almost sure of it.”
My heart sank. “You're almost sure of it?” I ran my fingers through my hair. “So, you don't actually know anything, do you, David?”
He gazed at me.
“Jesus, I'm sick of all this bullshit of people thinking they know something, spreading shit they don't understand and trying to lead me up the garden path.”
“Sasha, I'm not doing that. I'd never do that.”
“Yet you came here tonight, to my home, to tell me you have a hunch about Kyle. That's useless to me.”
“No, Sasha.” He leaned forward. “There's more. Eddie knows things about Kyle. He won't tell me the details, but I know it's huge.”
I wondered if it was to do with the brick. “Why?”
“It's something he's got from Kyle in his journalism. Eddie takes his journalism so seriously, I'm guessing he maybe doesn't want to betray a source.”
“You're guessing?”
David scrunched his face up. “Okay, he told me as much. He keeps saying you should know about the people you're dealing with.”
“Did he mention Kyle by name?”
David nodded.
“Anyone else? DeShaun?”
He hesitated.
“David, tell me the truth.”
“No, not DeShaun, but he's no fan of Kyle's assistant either.”
I felt my emotions clutch at my heart.
“Sasha, my brother's conscience is torturing him. To the degree where I think he wants to tell you everything.”
My chest inflated with the deepest of breaths.
“I know he can be persuaded to talk... No matter the cost.”
I fanned in front of my face.
“His loyalties are to you, Sasha, not them.”
I was overwhelmed.
“Sasha?”
I surrendered to my emotions and burst into tears in front of this nineteen-year-old guy.
“Hey,” he said, and leapt to his feet from the other sofa.
I covered my eyes to hide my embarrassment.
“Don't cry.”
I felt him sit next to me.
He slipped his arm around me. “There, there.” He stroked my bare shoulder. “You're okay.”
I was in his strong arm again, just like I'd been in Glasgow.
He held me tight. “I've got you, Sasha.”
My sobs wouldn't cease.
“I'm on your side too.”
I leaned ever so slightly into him.
“I'll protect you.”
My fingers were gently removed from my face.
He stared into my eyes. “I won't let them hurt you.” He stroked my hands. “I promise you, Sasha.”
I looked to his lips.
“I can save you.”
I opened my mouth.
David slipped his lips to mine, tenderly touching them for just a few seconds. Then he slid his tongue inside.
I was stunned. This wasn't happening- This was happening! I was making out with him again, after all these months I'd been adamant it'd never happen again. Yet it was. It really was.
He tantalised my tongue with his own, slowly and sensually at first, then he grew more confident and possessive, encircling it as if it was his own to take.
I was losing myself, giving in to the unexpected surprise of how good a kisser he'd become, significantly better than he was at Hogmanay.
His more experienced flow embraced my doubts, conquering them.
I began to wilfully kiss him back. I wanted to.
He felt good to kiss. His cologne smelled so good, so masculine.
And his taste was summoning up all my inner sensuality.
I ran my small hands around the back of his neck and my fingernails into his hair.
He groaned into my mouth.
I couldn't believe I was doing this again.
He leaned me back on the sofa, lying on top of me and caressing my body.
I felt goosebumps on my bare shoulders as his fingers skimmed across them.
He leaned his forehead to mine.
I grabbed at the back of his t-shirt, freeing it from his jeans, then ran my hands over his bare back.
He smiled down on me.
I smiled back.
There was a sudden series of knocks on my front door.
My eyes amplified in size.
David's turned to apprehension.
“Sasha, it's me!” shouted DeShaun. “Open up!”
I trembled.
“What do we do?” David whispered.
“Get off me,” I said, hauling my hands from his back and pushing him away with my knees. “You need to hide.”
He froze.
“Now,” I insisted, pushing him off the sofa. “Under the stairs. There's a door. Get inside it and don't come out.” I stopped myself adding, no matter what you hear. “Go!”
DeShaun knocked again.
“I'm coming!” I said.
David looked every bit only his age as he nodded meekly, then scarpered.
I walked out to the hall behind him, catching a glimpse of my dishevelled appearance in the mirror. I shook my hair into place, thumbed a shedding of mascara from my cheekbone and turned to the front door as I heard the door to under the stairs click shut.
DeShaun stood alone as I opened the front door.
I was still shaking. “Hi,” I said.
He looked past me.
“Come in.”
He walked into the hall.
I gestured to the living room. “Take a seat.”
“No,” he said firmly. “We can say what we need to here.”
I couldn't do this out here, not in earshot of David. “DeShaun, we can sit down and talk about this like adults.”
“Like adults?”
I regretted my wording immediately.
“What's that supposed to mean?”
I was distracted by the nineteen-year-old under my stairs.
“Sasha, what's going on?”
“Nothing, just c'mon.” I tried to take his hand.
He snatched it away.
“DeShaun, please-”
“Say what you want to now, Sasha.”
I lowered my voice, remembering my feelings for him, and asked, “Not babygirl anymore?”
His eyes were fierce as he stared at me. “You ended it. You said you couldn't trust me. You are the one with the explaining to do.”
I was speechless, and knew I'd remain so if he insisted on speaking like this here in the open.
His demeanour stiffened. “You're unbelievable, calling me out here and now I'm here you can't even say what you want to my face.”
I shivered, my feelings for him resonating within all over again.
DeShaun folded his arms.
“Please,” I said quietly, and tried to lead him out of the hall.
“NO!” he yelled.
I froze.
“You're not gonna sweet talk me, or whatever you've planned in there, into staying. No way, Sasha.” He unfolded his arms, his muscles rippling through his tight, white top. “Honour my transfer request.”
Fuck, I didn't want David to hear that.
“Make it official.”
He could tell anyone.
“I want listed tonight for a summer sale.”
I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn't come out. I didn't want to be overheard. To be misheard. Or misrepresented. And betrayed. All the rumours about me and my club started somewhere. And spread from somewhere too.
“Do you hear me, Sasha, I want to leave your club?”
“I...”
“Yes?”
“DeShaun, I can't do that right now-”
“You kidding me right now with this shit?”
I looked past him to the stairs. “No, you don't understand.”
“Then make me.”
“DeShaun, we've two games to go. Two of the most important games. It'd demoralise the rest of the squad-”
“Is the club all you ever think about?”
“No, DeShaun-”
“Is it all you even care about?”
“De-”
He stormed past me, his shoulder almost colliding with mine.
I spun on my heel.
He was shaking his head as his latched his huge palm on the door handle.
“DeShaun,” I said, my voice barely a whisper.
He walked out, slamming the front door shut behind him.
I didn't move. I couldn't. There was nothing I thought I could do. Even if I ran outside to chase after him- No, I wouldn't. Not if he couldn't prove to me-
“I heard him leave,” David said behind me, placing his palms on my bare upper arms.
I shook him off.
“Don't be like that.”
“I don't need seduced right now, David.” I turned to him. “It's the last thing I need.”
He looked hurt, and vulnerable.
I sighed. “What I need now is a friend and someone I can trust.”
“I can be that.”
I gave him the smallest of smiles. “David, you just wanna get in my pants... And it's not happening.”
I sat beside him at the kitchen table, my wine glass replaced with a cup of coffee.
He had a bottle of beer.
“You're definitely okay now?” I asked.
He nodded.
“You sure?”
“Yes, Sasha... I don't like it, but I get it. I understand.”
“Good boy.” I regretted boy the second it left my lips. “That's mature of you... A sign of a man.” Then wished I hadn't laid the compensation on so thick.
“We can work together.”
“Good, I need all the help I can get right now, David.”
“We can find out what Eddie knows tomorrow.”
“You really think he'll talk?”
He nodded.
“I hope it's something substantial. There's more going on at Broxburgh than I know about, and I need to know before it's too late.”
“We'll try,” he said.
I stretched my arms in the air, yawning.
His eyes were on my cleavage.
“And you're adamant you can just be my friend?”
“And your ally, Sasha.”
“Good.”
“Are you tired?” he asked.
“Yes, I'm gonna go to bed.”
He started to down his beer.
“Don't rush it. There's more in the fridge, if you want. Help yourself.”
“But aren't you going to bed?”
“You can stay on the couch,” I insisted. “I want you here in the morning, so we can get answers first thing. Together.”
“Okay.”
I gripped his hand, as I stood from the table
“I promise I won't say anything about DeShaun wanting a transfer.”
I leaned down to kiss his cheek.
He didn't move his lips towards mine when I anticipated it.
I gently pulled away, my eyes on his.
“Did I just pass the test?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said, smiling.
“We'll get to the bottom of this, Sasha. Together. I want to help save this club.”
I steeled my teeth over a grimace. I didn't have the heart to tell him I was still selling.
I slipped naked into my bed with my phone and typed out a message to DeShaun, doubtful it'd do any good.
ME – I still love you. I just need to trust you. I want to be able to x
I had to try, even if my mind was abound with paranoia he could be sharing my texts with the very people I was most afraid of.
I seemed to wake every hour throughout the night, checking my mobile each time. DeShaun hadn't replied.
Nor had he when I finally forced myself out of bed just before 8am.