The Hearts Series

  She didn’t say anything as I led her to her room, but when I pulled her sheets back and helped her into bed, there was gratefulness in her gaze.

  “Talk to him. Make him see sense,” she urged me, and I wasn’t sure what she was asking of me.

  I gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before murmuring softly, “Get some sleep, Elaine. Oliver and I will be just downstairs if you need us.”

  Leaving her room and going back down, I found King in the library. The drinks cabinet was open, and half a bottle of Southern Comfort sat on the desk. His eyes rose to meet mine.

  “Want one?”

  Normally I’d decline, but the situation called for a drink, so I nodded and took the seat next to him. He poured, and I watched. Then he handed me the glass, and I knocked it back. The room was quiet for a long few minutes, and I wasn’t sure why, but I felt the urge to hug him, to bridge the monumental gap that seemed to linger between us. I threw my arms around his shoulders, and he stiffened.

  I didn’t let go.

  He resisted my embrace for so long that I was sure I’d have to give up eventually, but then he softened. It all happened at once. His body melted into mine as his arms went around my waist and pulled me close. He clutched me so tightly I felt the air rush from my lungs. It was in that moment that I knew I’d given him just what he needed.

  He didn’t need words or sex or platitudes. He just needed a hug. Human comfort.

  His hands tangled in my hair, and mine laced around his neck. “I’m here to help. Whatever you need,” I whispered, and his body sagged.

  I didn’t expect him to speak, didn’t really expect anything at all other than for him to accept my hug, which was why hearing his voice startled me.

  “Yesterday you asked me who Bruce was,” he said, speaking into my neck. “He’s my father.”

  I grew still, and King pulled away a little to meet my eyes. “He’s also been blackmailing me almost my entire life.”

  My brow furrowed as I shook my head. “I don’t understand.”

  King let out a long breath, picked up his glass, and knocked the entire contents back in one go. “My mother has been playing piano since she could walk. Her family were wealthy, and when they saw she had a natural talent, they invested a lot in her career. Once she hit her mid-teens, she began to get attention, and soon she was performing with orchestras, travelling around the world.”

  I stared at him, absorbing his words. King poured more liquid into his glass.

  “She was playing at the Royal Albert Hall on a night when my father was in attendance. He saw her on stage and decided he wanted her. She was just seventeen, but Bruce Mitchell was a man who got what he wanted. He was a lot older and very rich, but he was also dangerous, which was probably what attracted Mum — the danger, the excitement. They were from different worlds, still are, and Bruce is not a good man. He’s a criminal, a very powerful one. All of the most despicable things you can think of, my father has most likely had a hand in them.”

  “Oliver, I….”

  “Hush. Just let me speak. I’ve never told anyone this before.” He paused to meet my gaze, tilting his head. “I trust you, Alexis. That doesn’t make me a fool, does it?”

  I frowned. “Of course not. Anything you tell me will never leave this room.”

  He took a swig of his drink and breathed out. “Anyway, long story short, Mum had a brief affair with Bruce and fell pregnant with me. Her career really took off after that and she became very famous for a number of years, while Bruce sort of drifted into the background. Then, just after I turned eighteen, Mum started having trouble with a stalker. It was a scary time for both of us. We’d come home to find the house had been broken into, the valuables left untouched but personal items of my mother’s stolen. He’d write creepy, obsessive letters, and Mum had to set the police on the case. Months passed, and Mum started to go out in public less and less. She was frightened of running into her stalker, and a lot of what he’d written in his letters indicated he wasn’t of sound mind. And then, one night during the summer before I was to start university, I came home and found my mother beaten up and restrained, a man readying himself to rape her. I lost the plot, went crazy, and beat the living daylights out of him. I couldn’t stop.” King’s voice choked up, and I saw his eyes fill with emotion as he remembered. I was so absorbed in his story, so horrified by it, that I’d almost stopped breathing for a moment. I took his hand in mine, squeezed it tight.

  “I…I thought I’d killed him. I couldn’t find a pulse, so I panicked. I swear, Alexis, thinking you’ve killed a man is the most terrifying feeling in the world. It’s like everything is over and your whole future is gone. I didn’t know whether to call the police or start thinking about where I could bury the body, but then Mum spoke up. She told me to call Bruce. I’d only met my father a handful of times, barely knew anything about him, but I was in such a state that I simply did as she told me.

  “A little while later he showed up at the house, finding Mum beaten and bruised, and me covered in another man’s blood. I thought he was our saviour back then. He took care of everything. Got the man I’d beaten to a hospital, paid him to keep quiet, and made sure no one knew I’d almost killed him in my anger and fear. The experience would always stay with me, but at least it was over. And then, several months later, Bruce began making his presence known. He wanted to get to know his son, spend time with me. I was more than happy to oblige him at first. However, once I became familiar with my father and his way of life, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. Bruce, unfortunately, was unwilling to let me go. He told me he’d never taken Mum’s stalker to a hospital that night, but instead had him killed and buried in a shallow grave. He told me that if I didn’t start doing as he said, he’d see to it that the police found the body and I’d be done for murder.”

  I stared at him, flabbergasted and appalled. I clutched his hand so tight that I was probably cutting off his blood supply. “So…your dad, I mean, Bruce has been blackmailing you to do his bidding ever since?”

  King leaned closer. “The things I’ve seen, Alexis, the things he’s forced me to witness, don’t even bear thinking about. I built my entire career cleanly, never cheating, never doing anything underhanded, for the sole purpose of never becoming like him. But now….” King sighed, his jaw working as his chest fell, “Now he’s looking for new ways to clean his money, and he’s decided to do it by having me invest for him. I told him just once, that I’d do this one deal with Hirota, and then I never wanted to see him again. But if coming here today and threatening Mum is anything to go by, he has no intention of leaving us alone.” He glanced at me. “Remember when I told you Mum had to be taken into the hospital?”

  I nodded.

  “She’d overdosed on anxiety medication, because she was so worried about what Bruce would do to us if the deal didn’t go through. I can’t let her live like this anymore. My mother is the only family I have left in the world, and she’s spent more than a decade as a ghost. She’s too anxious and paranoid over Bruce’s threats to even leave the house. I want to see her live again, see her go outside and be like any other ordinary woman on the street.”

  My heart pounded at his words, at the sincerity of them and the pain he had so obviously been harbouring for years. I wanted to fix this for him. I needed to. And I knew just the person to go to for help. I’d grown up in a lower-class neighbourhood, and having been best friends with Karla all my life, a policewoman raised by a superintendent, I knew my fair share about how criminals operated.

  I sat up straight and levelled my eyes on King’s.

  “If Bruce is the man you say he is, then you have to fight fire with fire. Beat him at his own game. That’s the only way you’ll ever be rid of him. There’s probably a wealth of information out there about things he’s done he doesn’t want anyone to find out about. You just have to know the right people to ask.”

  “Nobody talks about his business, not if they want to keep their lives, Al
exis. Bruce is one of the most notorious and powerful crime lords in London. Only someone with a death wish would sell him out.”

  I moved closer, took his hands in mine, and met his eyes. “Do you trust me?”

  He let out a breath. “You know I do.”

  “Then let me try something.”

  Fourteen

  The following day at work was tense. King couldn’t concentrate because he was worried about Bruce coming back for his mother, even though he was having security watch her house day and night. Apparently, after King had finalised the deal with Hirota, he hadn’t had the chance to forward the documents to Bruce. Then we’d had to catch our flight, which delayed things further. Bruce had jumped the gun and thought King was giving him the runaround, hence the reason for him showing up at Elaine’s and making threats.

  We were dealing with a real prize.

  Anyhow, we had a plan to set in motion. When I arrived home after work, I found Karla in the living room, watching TV and eating a bag of chocolate peanuts. She must have sensed my nervous energy because she sat up straight and eyed me curiously.

  “What’s up with you?”

  “I’m having some people around tonight. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Sure, go for it. Who’s coming?”

  “Um, King.”

  “And?”

  “And Lee Cross.”

  Karla practically spat a peanut out of her mouth. “Oh, hell no. I’m not having that little shit knowing where I live.”

  “The little shit already knows, Karla. Stu’s been around here lots of times, so if he wants to find out where you live, all he has to do is ask his brother.”

  “Yeah, but there’s a big difference between him knowing and actually inviting him over. That’s like sticking a big ‘come and get me’ sign on my forehead,” she sputtered.

  “Oh, don’t be so melodramatic. I’m sure he’ll be able to resist you while he’s here,” I replied sarcastically, which only seemed to rile her further. It was a little bit funny, and I needed some comic relief right then.

  “Hey! I wasn’t saying it because I think I’m irresistible. I said it because I know how men like him operate. They want to shag a cop so they can brag about it to their mates. I’m just a trophy to him.” She slumped back into her seat and folded her arms, muttering under her breath. “Nothing to do with my looks.”

  It had everything to do with her looks. She was gorgeous, she just didn’t know it – probably because she had to wear that godawful shapeless black and white uniform every day.

  “Anyway,” I began, changing the subject, “I need to ask you something.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “What do you know about Bruce Mitchell?”

  Karla’s eyebrows shot right up into her forehead as she let out a low whistle. “That’s some serious name to be throwing about.”

  “It is. So tell me what you know.”

  “I know he’s a big-time criminal. Fingers in every pie imaginable, but mostly suspected of running a large drug ring in and around central London. He’s been around so long he’s practically his own institution.” She paused, eyeing me suspiciously. “Why are you asking me about Bruce Mitchell, Lexie?”

  And here was where I told her the lie I agreed upon with King. We wouldn’t tell anyone Bruce was his father, nor about the past with his mum’s stalker. What we would tell them was that Bruce had blackmailed King and threatened to frame him for crimes he didn’t commit. Therefore, our plan was to ask Lee, who was shrewd as a fox and knew everything about everyone in this city, if he could get some dirt on Bruce. We’d then use that dirt to get Bruce to back off King and Elaine. Like I said, it was fighting fire with fire. Lee was a safe option because I knew him well enough to know he could be trusted, but he was also someone with his own level of power, so Bruce wouldn’t try to retaliate against him as our middleman, so to speak.

  After I’d finished speaking, Karla stared at me, gobsmacked.

  “Are you seriously standing there telling me all this and expecting me not to report it? What planet are you living on?”

  I reflected her indignation right back at her. “Are you seriously sitting there expecting me to let you report it? If I’ve learned anything from living with you, it’s that the criminal justice system in this country is bullshit. Bruce has been getting away with murder for decades. What makes you think that’s going to stop now? Don’t you think hundreds of people have gone to the police about him over the years? And has any of it worked? No. We need to beat him at his own game.”

  Karla slumped back into the couch, giving up. “Sometimes I don’t even know why I bother with this job.”

  I came forward and squeezed her shoulder. “You do it because you’re a good person who wants to help those who need it. It’s not your fault the system is corrupt.”

  She shook her head. “I just don’t understand why you’re trusting Lee.”

  “I’m trusting him because he’s got an in. And yes, he might not technically live his life on the right side of the law, but he’s a decent person. He’s got a good heart, and when it comes down to it, he’d never intentionally hurt someone. He’s not like Bruce.”

  Karla eyed me speculatively. “You seem very sure about him.”

  “I spent a lot of time around him when Stu and I were together. He might not make his money in a legit manner, but I’ve seen him use it to take care of his family. He even buys food for the kids next door whose junkie parents aren’t fit to care for them,” I told her. “So yeah, he’s not perfect, but he’s not a bad person, either.”

  Her expression softened for a brief moment before she gave me a sober nod and returned her attention to the TV. I could tell she still wasn’t entirely happy with the situation, but she also wasn’t going to continue protesting.

  I’d just changed into a light T-shirt and some leggings when a knock sounded at the door. I called to Karla that I’d answer it, and then hurried to let King in. He’d changed out of the suit he’d been wearing earlier and now wore jeans, a T-shirt, and a khaki jacket. I swear, even with the current circumstances, the sight of him made my heart speed up.

  “Hey,” I greeted him quietly, giving him a tentative smile.

  “Alexis,” he said, and bent down to press a kiss on my lips. I could practically feel Karla’s eyes bugging out of her head, because I knew she had to be watching us. I hadn’t yet had the chance to fully explain my relationship with King to her, but I imagined she’d put two and two together. We hadn’t had sex in almost two days, and despite everything that was going on, my body longed for his touch. It felt like for the rest of my life, I was always just going to want more of him.

  I stroked a hand down his arm before lacing my fingers with his. “How are you feeling?”

  “Worried, stressed.” He bent down to whisper the last part in my ear, “Horny.”

  A shiver trickled along the back of my neck as I tried to resist the urge to drag him into my bedroom. Instead, I led him over to the couch and introduced him to Karla.

  “This is Karla, my roommate and BFF. I’ve already filled her in on the situation. Karla, this is Oliver, my eh, uh….”

  “Your boss?” she finished for me, arching a brow.

  I frowned at her. “Yeah, my boss.”

  Before the conversation could continue, there was another knock at the door. I went to answer it and was met by not just Lee, but his brother, too. Yeah, that’s right, my ex had decided to tag along. Sometimes I wished I had a butler to answer my door and inform visitors on my behalf, I’m sorry, but not today.

  Why the hell was he here? My first words voiced that very same sentiment as the two men stepped inside without even waiting to be invited.

  “Uh, why is Stu here?” I asked, gesturing wildly.

  Lee shot me a grin. “He’s my muscle.”

  “As far as I can see, you’ve got enough muscle of your own,” I shot back.

  “Ah, yeah, but you know society’s a bitch. Ya have to be a tall bas
tard for people to be afraid of ya these days. They don’t realise us little guys are quicker on our toes.” He paused, eyes darting across the room to give Karla a wink. “Plus, we have the advantage of a lower centre of gravity.”

  Lee wasn’t exactly little, but I got where he was coming from. My ex was well over six feet, the big dumb oaf. I had to resist the urge to laugh when Stu gave his brother a vacant stare at his mention of “a lower centre of gravity.”

  “How’s it going, Lex?” said Stu as his attention came to rest on me, his eyes doing a quick sweep of my body.

  “It’ll be going a lot better when you piss off out of here. None of this concerns you.”

  Lee held up a hand. “Now, now, don’t go getting your knickers in a twist, Clarky. You called me asking for help. I was kind enough to answer, but if you want me to stick around, you’ll have to deal with my brother being here, too.” His voice was hard and broached no further argument. In the next second, King was beside me, introducing himself.

  “We haven’t yet had the pleasure,” he said urbanely. “My name is Oliver.”

  Lee gave him a quick once-over before glancing at me, his lips twitching in amusement. “Bagged yourself a posh bastard, did ya?” He nudged his brother with his elbow. “She’s moving up in the world.”

  “Don’t be an arsehole,” said Karla in an annoyed tone.

  Lee seemed to enjoy her barb. “I’ll never be an arsehole to you, Snap. In fact,” he went on, his voice lowering, “I’ll be so fucking pleasant, you’ll never want me to leave.”

  Karla rolled her eyes, not bothering to retort. I noticed Stu was now eyeballing King, and I didn’t like the angry slant to his mouth. Jesus, all of this would have gone so much more smoothly if Lee had just left his brother at home. Stu flicked his gaze between me and King.

  “You together?”

  My posture grew stiff. “And if we are?”

  Stu snorted. “If you are, it’s a fucking joke.”

  King, who was silently observing the exchange, spoke up, seeming unthreatened by Stu’s presence. “I believe we have more important matters to discuss.”