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Gladys quickly shook her head. “I didn’t tell him, but as Nan said, he might have guessed…”
Rowan’s entire body went hot and cold. That’s what happened. He’d guessed.
So why hadn’t he said anything? Cowardice?
What the fuck?
Yeah, and then he’d taken off, without even saying goodbye.
So much for the excuse in the note. He’d just baled on them because she had a child, and it was his. Bastard!
“In that case,” she replied, her voice raising several octaves, “all the more reason why he shouldn’t have done this!”
If it was the last thing she ever did, she was going to hunt that man down and make him regret he’d ever set foot back in Prestatyn.
Chapter Twelve
Sean didn’t want to be in London. Not yet.
This wasn’t the plan. He wanted his time out with Rowan in Wales. If he could find a good job there and stay by Rowan and Pixie’s side, he’d never leave.
He grasped the metal cap on the bottle of beer Rory had put in his hand and twisted it off with his palm. Leaning back in the kitchen chair, he rested one ankle on the opposite knee, staring at his motorcycle boots thoughtfully.
“So what are you going to do?” Rory asked.
Sean shrugged. He wished he could really shrug it all off. He really didn’t want to have to make a decision about this one. Not now. Not ever. But Rowan’s safety was at stake. He’d been trying to figure his way out of it all the way from Wales. A journey that wrenched him apart. “I vowed never to hack again, but it may be the only way out of this.”
Draco, their stepbrother—and Rowan’s full brother—shook his head and loosened his tie.
Sean eyeballed the flashy suit Draco wore with suspicion. What the hell had happened to him? Their stepbrother was dressed like a business man. He stood in the doorway of Rory’s kitchen, while Rory and Sky sat either side of the kitchen table, each with a bottle of beer in their hand while they contemplated the situation Sean had found himself in. A cat observed, occasionally strolling around, looping its tail around Rory’s legs.
The reunion reminded Sean of the days back when their two families had been hitched together, like a bunch of abandoned railcars set on a new track. They used to hang out in Shelley’s kitchen back in Rhyl. Except Rowan wasn’t with them now, and Rowan was always the key ingredient for him.
Rory had a great set up here though, home and job, and Sean was glad of it.
The house dog—a shaggy wolfhound called Oscar—loped over to him and nudged his hand from his knee, seeking a fuss from the newest arrival. Sean ruffled the dog’s ears and rubbed his back. They used to have a dog when they were kids, but their dad had sold him on because he was a good rat hunter. Sean missed that dog, always had.
“I just can’t figure out how they found me,” he said, thoughtfully. “I knew it might happen, so I took off fast and detoured during my drive to Wales. I kept checking, but I was pretty sure there was no one on my back or I’d lost them early on. I could kick myself. I shouldn’t have gone directly to Rowan.”
“You had to see her,” Draco offered. “We’ve all been there, buddy.”
“Jesus, hark at you. What happened to ‘get your hand’s off my sister’?” Sean gave a wry laugh. It amused him to see Draco so chilled. He’d changed. It was kind of intriguing. And Sean was curious about this woman Draco was seeing. That and the whole businessman angle.
Draco smiled. “Let’s just say I’ve met worse guys. I’m willing to let you see Rowan.” He paused, and locked eyes with Sean. “As long as you get your shit sorted, and soon.”
“It’ll happen. First meet is tomorrow, the hack is Friday.”
“Oh shit.” Sky pushed back her chair. Her eyes were wide and she’d tensed. “I just remembered, some guy came into the workshop day before yesterday and asked for you.”
“What did he look like?”
“Tall and heavily built, leather jacket, hair cropped at the sides, long on top.”
Sean nodded. “That’s the guy, the gopher. He works for a big time hustler I met inside, name of Delahane. He’s into everything, theft, extortion, trafficking, money laundering. Serving time for armed robbery, attempted murder and actual bodily harm. Rumor is murder should be on the list but they couldn’t pin it on him. He’s got another fifteen years in the clink, but he’s still operational on the outside and let’s everybody know it. Got a team who do his bidding on his patch, carrying out his orders. The guy looking for me is one of his. Delahane found out I was a hacker and warned me I’d get a call.”
It was a bit more complicated than that, but Sean didn’t want them to know more than the bare minimum. Delahane’s name served as a warning in case they heard it again, and Sean omitted details that might incriminate or endanger any of them. The truth was Delahane was a gangland lord, a violent and brutal sadist. You learned to steer clear of him inside or fell fowl of his scheming. Sean thought he’d managed to steer clear, but someone spilled details about his hacking skills, gaining him Delahane’s attention in those last couple of months.
“Oh my God,” Sky’s face flushed. “It’s my fault he knew where to find you, has to be.”
