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“Work shit,” I groaned. “What’s up?”

“We need to get Cal off the street. Kid’s way too good to be wasting his talent on garage blocks and subways round that shithole.”

My stomach lurched in agreement. “Getting a shitload of heat from the office, they want me to bring in the police, get him locked up again.”

I waited for it. “Your colleagues are asshole fucking idiots, Sophie,idiots.Kid’s a bloody star. His skill, baby, holy mother of God, hisskill.”

“They don’t see that, Bex. They think he’s a nuisance, nothing more.”

“We’ll see about that when Callum’s on the front ofUrbanLifemagazine. Narrow-minded cunts.”

I smiled. “I’d love to see their faces.”

“Oh, you will do, if I have anything to do with it.”

“I don’t know what I can do, Bex, my hands are tied and the heat is on. I can’t get him a property through allocations, he’s not even on the waiting list. I checked.”

“We need another solution, then. What about your place?”

I groaned. “As if. Parents would go bloody spare if they caught wind of it. Had the dog there this weekend and even that raised eyebrows. All that art stuff would be a serious no-no.”

“Maybe it’s time you jumped out of their pockets. Bit long in the tooth to be leaping through Daddy’s hoops, don’t you think, baby?”

“Don’t start,” I sighed. “Not today.”

“Sorry,” she said. “Just feeling the frustration.”

“You and me both.” I pondered awhile. “No room at yours? I know your fondness for taking in waifs and strays.”

“Room’s stuffed full of Cara’s shit. Haven’t got space for my own work, let alone someone else’s. Breaks my heart, baby, I’d have him there in a flash if I could swing it.”

“I know,” I said. “I’ll get my thinking cap on.”

“Get it on swift, baby. Kid needs a break. He needs it quick, too.”

There was something in her tone, something heavy. I felt it in my stomach, a low rumble of dread. “Has something happened?”

She paused too long. “Nothing for you to worry about, baby. Think hard, think fast. I’ll be doing the same.”

“Won’t be thinking about anything else. He’s got me bad, Bex. So bad it’s scaring the shit out of me. I can’t even explain it, thisthing.He’s electric, driving me insane.”

“I feel you,” she laughed. “Enjoy the ride, baby, got a feeling it’s gonna be a white-knuckled fucker.”

She wasn’t the only one.

***

My thinking cap didn’t have too long to work its magic. Call it fate, the universe, or pure bloody coincidence, but my break came out of nowhere, dropping in my lap on Wednesday afternoon without even a hint of warning. I’d been itching to call Callum, itching to have him in my place again, in my bed, in my pussy. I’d held back, a scaredy cat to my own emotions, but my resolve was buckling, my fingers darting to my phone with increasing urgency.

Christine’s expression was twinged with disapproval as she announced I had a visitor at the office.

“Miss Headley,” she announced. “34 Haygrove Park, insists she needs to see you.”

I knew Helen Headley well, a carer for her elderly parents on the Haygrove estate. I knew them all well, in fact, regular attendees at my resident coffee mornings back in the days when I was good at my job. I missed Haygrove so bloody much.

I greeted Helen warmly, ushering her into a meeting room with a genuine fondness. She sat at the other side of the table, clutching paperwork in white hands. Her mousy hair was scraped back in a ponytail, her skin sallow and sunken. My heart dropped.

“How are you?” I said. “How are your parents?”

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