Somebody could be watching him right at that very moment. Since I lived in a huge tower block, they wouldn’t know which flat he was in unless they followed him inside. But still, this was way too close for comfort.
Lee seemed to read my thoughts clear as day on my face. “Relax. Nobody knows I’m here.”
“Why are you here?”
He frowned. “I needed to talk to you about something.”
I motioned with my hand. “Then talk.”
Letting out a long breath, he rubbed at his short-cropped hair and levelled me with his eyes. “You remember the bloke from outside the nightclub?”
“The creep standing beside your car? Yes.”
“Well, let’s just say, his boss and my boss have been having something of a disagreement of late. Long story short, things aren’t safe, and this guy thinks you’re my girlfriend. He’s threatened to…do things.”
My body tensed. “Things? What kind of things?”
Lee shook his head. “Nah, not going there with you, Snap.”
A sick feeling crept into my stomach. “Does he know who I am?”
“He knows what you look like, that’s all. But I have a plan to set him straight. In the meantime, I’m having Trevor watch you when you’re off duty, just to be on the safe side.”
“Nobody’s watching me. I can take care of myself. And anyway, I’m not even your girlfriend, but if this guy so much as tries to lay a hand on me, I’ll arrest him.”
Lee shook his head. “That’s not how this works, Karla.”
“There is no ‘this,’” I snapped. “If you’d just left me alone in the first place, then none of this would be happening.”
Lee leaned forward so that his elbows rested on his knees. All of a sudden, I saw how exhausted he was. “Can you not fight me on this just once? Fuck, I know I should have left you alone. I tried, believe me, but I couldn’t do it. Now our situation is what it is, so can you just stop being a cop for a second and let me protect you?”
I stared at him, unsure of what to say, or if I should even say anything at all. This entire situation was spiralling out of control, and we’d only been together once.
“Look, I know today must have been awful for you, and to tell you the truth, I hate that I helped catch Liam. But even more, I hate the fact that he was stealing in the first place. And yes, I understand your life’s been tough and you’ve had to make hard decisions, but we have to make new decisions every day. Maybe tomorrow you can make the right one.”
Lee’s tired eyes rose to meet mine. “The right one?”
“Yes, like deciding to get out of this business you’re in and go legit.”
He let out a joyless laugh. “Because it’s that simple.”
“I can help you.”
His gaze dropped to his hands, and his voice was quiet when he said, “There’s no help for me.”
A long silence fell between us, and he lifted his head to stare at me again. Shivers trickled along my collarbone, a heavy tension filling the air.
“I don’t understand why you don’t hate me right now,” I whispered.
Lee looked at me, his crystal-clear blue eyes full of sincerity. “Neither do I.”
What he said jolted me, because it meant he understood that he should hate my guts, and the idea of him hating me made my stomach twist with nausea. Though I didn’t want to admit it, I felt sick at the thought of losing the affection he so obviously felt for me.
It was messed up.
After a minute he stood, turned, and walked to the front door. “See you around, Karla,” he said before he opened the door and left the flat. Barely a second went by before Alexis’ bedroom door burst open, and my best friend stood before me, an open-mouthed look on her face.
“I bloody well knew it!” she exclaimed, marching around the sofa and coming to plonk down beside me. “I want to know everything, you secretive little tramp, and start from the beginning.”
Eleven
For the next three days, I worked. Every once in a while I found myself looking around, trying to spot Trevor, but I never saw him. Perhaps Lee had decided to respect my wishes and not have his brother follow me. Or perhaps he was just good at hiding.
The night Lee visited our flat, I’d given in and told Alexis everything. She’d warned me off from the very start, and I had every intention of heeding her advice, but my heart, or maybe it was my vagina, had other ideas. In the end, she didn’t berate me for my choices. After all, if anyone could understand what I was going through, it was Alexis. She’d had an affair with her boss, which in a way was just as illicit as what had been going on with me and Lee.
When I clocked out of my shift on Saturday evening, I’d almost forgotten about all the nasty business and threats to my safety. I had the entire weekend off, and I planned on making the most of it, starting with going to see Reya perform at a small music venue in Soho. Since I worked such unpredictable hours, I rarely got the chance to see her play, so it was a real treat for me.
I decided to catch the Tube into the city so that I could have a few drinks, and wore a dark blue pencil dress with a long royal blue coat and heels. It wasn’t often that I dressed up in a proper girly fashion, so when I did, I put in the effort. I blow-dried and straightened my hair, so it looked shiny and sleek, and wore a small bit of makeup.
I was just walking out of my building when a head suddenly dropped down from above, giving me the fright of my life. Holding my hand to my heart, I stared up at Trevor, who was hanging by his legs from an overhead bar like a goddamn monkey.
“What the hell?” I said, willing my pulse to slow down.
Trevor swung his body around and dropped to the ground, shooting me a wide, toothy grin.
“Sorry about that, Constable. I forget sometimes that people aren’t used to my ways.”
“Your ways?”
“I like to get around in an unconventional fashion.”
“Uh-huh, and what are you doing here?”
“Watching out for your safety,” he replied. “Though if you ask me, I’m not sure you deserve it, what with how you had a hand in fucking up my little brother’s life.”
Oh, for crying out loud. I was in no mood for this conversation. “Your brother fucked up his own life. I just happened to be the one to catch him doing it.”
“Potato, potaaato.”
“I’m serious, Trevor. I was doing my job.”
Stepping past him, I tugged my coat tighter to defend against the cold and walked in the direction of the tube station. Trevor followed heavy on my heels.
“You know, that sounds a lot like something a Nazi would say,” he commented.
I rolled my eyes. “I appreciate a well-placed Nazi card as much as the next person, but in this case, you’re completely off the mark.”
Trevor gestured a salute and I narrowed my gaze, beginning to think that of all the Cross brothers, this was the eccentric one. He wore a pair of pale ripped jeans, chains hanging from the pockets, steel-toe cap boots, and a baggy grey T-shirt that read “Oh. Okay.” under a red tartan bomber jacket. His build was slightly wiry, and his short dark brown hair was messy.
We walked side by side for a few minutes, begrudgingly on my part, before arriving at the Tube station. I swiped my Oyster card while Trevor proceeded to jump the barriers and continue toward the escalators like he hadn’t a care. I looked around, irritated to find there were no attendants about.
“Hey, you can’t just….” I called before stopping mid-stride, my mouth agape as I watched him jump atop the escalators and effortlessly slide down the middle. Several people watched in surprise the same as me, while one man shouted after him angrily, saying he was going to break his neck. I boarded the moving steps and looked down to see Trevor waiting for me at the end, casually leaning against a wall as he checked his phone. He slid it in his pocket when I finally reached the platform.
“So, where to?” he asked, like everything was perfectly normal.
“You…I…eh…
.” I mumbled, trying to get my head around what he’d just done. “Are you crazy?”
He held up his thumb and pointer finger. “Just a little bit.”
“You need to go back up now and pay for your fare,” I said, trying to sound stern.
Trevor shook his head. “Nah, don’t fancy it.”
I was about to protest further when he grabbed my arm and propelled me forward just as a train reached the platform. Before I knew it, he’d shoved me on board and was ushering me into a seat. I yanked my arm out of his hold and glared at him.
“You’re going to get us both killed.”
He let out a long sigh, sounding like a bored teenager as he replied, “You need to loosen up.” He paused as he cocked a curious brow. “What is it that Lee sees in you anyway?”
What he said got my back up as I stood, walking away from him and down the centre of the aisle. I went through the doors separating the carriages and entered the next one. It had fewer passengers than the last, and I sat down in an empty seat, folding my arms across my chest. A second later, Trevor plonked down beside me, and I scowled hard.
“It’ll take a lot more than storming off in a huff to get rid of me, Constable,” he teased, a grin on his face.
“I’m not in a huff.”
“You are,” he said, pointing his finger into my shoulder. “You’re all in a tizzy because I wondered what Lee sees in you, but you didn’t wait to let me finish. I think it’s the hair. He’s always had a thing for gingers, though his last girlfriend, Tammy, had a dye job, that weird plum colour.”
His mention of an ex-girlfriend caught my interest, and I slid my gaze to him.
Trevor’s grin widened. “Oh, now she’s curious.”
“Shut up.”
He nudged me. “All ya gotta do is ask, Constable. They don’t call me ‘old blabbermouth’ for nothing.”
I gave him a tiny smile. There was something about Trevor that was so playful and child-like that I couldn’t seem to help being charmed by him, even if he had just broken several laws in the space of about three minutes. I was off duty, after all.
“So, tell me, then,” I urged him.
“What do you want to know?”
“How long have they been broken up?”
“About six months. Lee called it quits when she started asking for too much stuff, wanted him to buy her a house, a new car. I mean, the brazen-faced cheek of it!” he exclaimed, and I laughed. “Seriously, though, Tammy wasn’t too bright, didn’t realise that the minute you start flashing the cash, people begin to take notice.” Trevor eyed me meaningfully, and I didn’t need him to explain further. My gut twisted as I was given yet more evidence of Lee and his family’s criminality. “Anyway, Lee’s been all ‘wham, bam, thank you, ma’am’ ever since. Well, until you came on the scene, that is.”
“I’m not sure you should be telling me this.”
“What you gonna do, arrest me?” he asked jokingly, though there was a bite to his words. He still hadn’t forgiven me for Liam, not by a long shot.
“Believe it or not, I only want what’s best for you and your brothers, and though it goes completely against everything I stand for, I care a great deal for Lee, more than I should.”
Trevor eyed me, a quiet descending between us. I turned my head and stared out the window at all the blackness whizzing by.
The silence was only broken when Trevor asked cheekily, “So, does this mean I can start calling you sis?”
I shook my head at him, unable to hold back a chuckle. “Piss off.”
At the next stop we got off, chatting on the walk to the venue where Reya was performing, and, surprisingly, Trevor bought me a drink when we got there. It was a couple of minutes before she was supposed to be on stage, and my unlikely companion was on his phone again. It was starting to irritate me.
“Who are you texting so furiously?” I asked.
Trevor chuckled. “I’ve never heard texting described as furious before. Do my fingers look angry or something?”
“Answer the question.”
“It’s Lee. He wanted to know where we are.”
“Oh?”
“He also told me he’d break my balls if I try coming on to you. I told him you weren’t my type.”
“My disappointment is palpable,” I deadpanned.
Trevor held his phone up to snap a picture. “Say cheese.”
“What are you doing?”
“Lee asked for a pic,” he answered simply, focusing on his phone. “He says he likes your dress. Wants to know what you’re all dolled up for.”
“Tell him it’s because I’m meeting a man,” I replied sassily.
Trevor widened his gaze but continued tapping on his phone. “If you say so.”
I sipped on my drink and waited for Lee’s response. Trevor chuckled. “He says he almost forgot you two had a booty call set for tonight, but he appreciates your effort.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Sure.”
“It is,” I exclaimed. “Anything that went on between me and your brother is over.”
“Well, alrighty, then. So, what’s on tonight? Anything good?”
“Reya’s performing. Remember my friend you met at the nightclub?”
“Chesty Laroo? No shit.”
“If you call her that to her face, I’ll punch you in the testicles.”
Trevor threw his hands in the air. “Hey, ease up. Though it might surprise you to discover, she’s not my type, either. I just said all that stuff about her the other night to piss you off.”
“Are you gay?”
“Nooooo.”
“Well, you seemed to like her at the club.”
“That’s because I’m a shameless flirt,” he said, batting his long lashes. I had to admit, they were pretty enviable. “I can’t help it. Don’t get me wrong, I’d give her a go for a night, but I’m not sure I’d be a returning customer, if you get me.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“I’m just honest. People can’t handle honesty these days. But anyway, I was talking to her because I have a gig I think she’ll be good for.”
“What kind of gig?”
“A ‘none of your bidniz’ kind of gig.”
I levelled him with a deathly stare. “Whatever you’re up to, don’t you dare even think about involving my friend. Reya’s had a rough enough time of it already.”
“Oh, yeah, what happened to her?”
Lifting my martini glass, I threw his own line back at him. “None of your bidniz.”
Trevor laughed loud enough that the women sitting on the other side of us turned their heads. When they saw who the source of the laughter was, they took their time checking him out. Trevor shot them a wink and a suave little, “Ladies.”
Turning back, he eyed me up and down, a secretive grin shaping his lips. “Okay, I think I get it now.”
“Get what?”
“Why my brother has such a hard-on for you. You’ve got a smart mouth. It’s kinda sexy.”
“Oh, shut up,” I said, just as the house lights dimmed down and a brunette stepped onto the stage to announce Reya’s performance. She had a quite a good following these days, so the bar was packed to the rafters.
A minute later my friend took to the stage, dressed all in black: black dress, black tights, black shoes. Her hair was styled in vintage waves, and her makeup was golden-era Hollywood. She looked striking without showing an inch of skin, and I noticed Trevor’s attention was glued to her. He sipped on his pint as Reya’s hands met her piano keys and she played the opening chords to her song. Mouth close to the microphone, she breathed in and out, creating a sound effect as though she was gasping for air. Her style was so realistically unique, and the very reason why I’d been drawn to her from the first time I saw her perform.
When she sang her voice was clear, her accent slipping through and making the lyrics sound more honest. She had the attention of every person in the room, and I noticed that Trevor was uncharacter
istically silent. I thought I heard him mutter something under his breath, but I didn’t quite catch what he said.
All too soon her set was over, and the crowd roared their applause. She gave a little bow and walked off the stage, disappearing behind a red velvet curtain. I knocked back the end of what was my third martini, or was it my fourth? Anyway, I finished it and nudged Trevor with my elbow.
“I’m going backstage to see Reya. You coming?”
He nodded and followed me. A minute or two later, we found her packing up her stuff up into a small duffle bag. Sometimes she brought her keyboard to gigs, but since the venue had its own piano, she’d played that instead. It meant she didn’t have a whole bunch of equipment to carry home. Rising, she hitched the bag up on her shoulder before she saw us. I hurried forward, pulling her into a hug and telling her how great the show was. She held her hand up to me, displaying a bandage on her middle finger.
“I almost had to cancel. Cut myself trying to get the crappy window in my bedroom open. It’s killing me now, but at least I got to play.”
“Well, you’d never notice.”
“Bit of WD40 should do the trick,” Trevor put in randomly, and Reya’s eyes wandered to him. She seemed perplexed as to why he was there, but she didn’t question it.
“Pardon?”
“For the window,” Trevor explained. “If it keeps sticking.”
“Oh, I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, an awkward silence elapsing.
Trevor stood with his hands clasped behind his back, studying her. “Why don’t you open your eyes when you sing?” he blurted, something like disappointment in his voice.
“I….” Reya began. “I don’t know,” she lied before turning back to me and changing the subject. “Did you see how many people were here tonight? Crazy talk. It’s a relief I’ll be able to pay this month’s rent now.”
“I know,” I exclaimed. “I’m so proud of you.”