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“I’m not okay with what you did to her. You broke her heart, you lied, you treated her like shit, and I’m not letting you get away with that. You used her falling in love with you to get to me, which means it’s my job to fix it.” Threat sits strongly on his face. I’m not sure how he thinks he’s going to get his revenge, but he’s sorely mistaken. I haven’t lasted my thirty-seven years in this business by luck.
“Alice can protect herself, and not that it is any of your business—” I take a deep breath through my nose, not particularly happy to show him weakness—“but Alice has me until she no longer wants me. I didn’t lie to her about my feelings or intentions towards her, even though the reason for me coming here was less than transparent.” Without fear, I turn my back on him. I need to get outside and steal one of Eric’s cigarettes.
I need to see Alice before we leave so I can talk to her. I need to know if she wants me to return once I have taken the shipment back to Walter. I need to know if she ever wants to see me again.
“Boss!” A man appears from the back of the pub, bursting blindly out behind the bar, his face stricken with panic and blood running down the side of his head. “I got jumped while on guard out back.” He pants heavily, his body shaking with adrenaline. “They’ve taken Alice!”
CHAPTER7
ALICE
The first thingI am aware of, before I’ve even opened my eyes, is the pounding in my head. “What th—”
“Be quiet.”
The man’s voice makes me jump. It’s not one I recognise. I try to force my eyes open, but everything remains dark. My pulse quickens until I realise there’s a bag over my head. I’ve been kidnapped.
My arms are awkwardly tied behind me. Whatever it is that I’m lying on isn’t carpet. The floor feels rough on my clothes, the material catching on the uneven surface.
I’m not sure if it’s the cold that’s making me shake, whatever it is they used to knock me out, or fear. Adrenaline rushes through my body, interrupting my breathing and making my head feel dizzy. Tony has always spoken to me about what to do if I were to ever be kidnapped, but lying here with the realisation it’s actually happening makes every conversation we’ve ever had about it disappear from my brain, making me panic even more. What do I do to get myself out of here? Will Tony have noticed? How long have I been out?
“Who are you?” If I can get the mystery voice talking to me, they might take the bag off so I can see who they are.
“The man that’s kidnapped you.”
Well, that’s helpful.
Okay, new tactic.
“You do realise you’ve made a horribly stupid decision by doing that, right?”
I try to manoeuvre myself so I can sit up, but my hands are tied with something that’s cutting into me every time I move. It’s a zip tie. Bastards.
“Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” His accent is Southern, which is comforting because it might mean we are still local to Hastings. They wouldn’t have taken me far, just hidden somewhere.
“Because whatever it is that you’re trying to get by kidnapping me isn’t going to work.” If I can get him defending his plan, I might be able to get him to open up about what it is. I’m not sure how it will help me get out of here, though. I need him to take the bag off my head.
“I think it’s going to work beautifully. You’re far more valuable than you’re giving yourself credit for.” I can hear him shuffle, like he’s readjusting his position in a chair.
“I haven’t had a long-term boyfriend since my Malibu Ken Doll. The only job I have ever had is working in a pub. The most expensive thing I own is my television, and you think you can use me to barter?”
“Oh, absolutely. Tony will do anything for you, and it also looks like you have Joseph the Jaw Breaker panting after you, so I think we are quite safe with our plan.” He lets out a condescending chuckle. “Thank you for your concern, though, princess of the pub.”
Princess of the pub.That’s the stupid nickname all the men gave me. I am always there working, so they tease me, say I’m not a slave and can go home and have fun. I’m not Cinderella, they say.
Which means this man is someone I know.
“Why are you betraying Tony?” I need to get him talking. If I can listen to his voice more, I might be able to figure out who it is.
“He betrayed me first. This gang is meant to be about family. We’re meant to protect them! Instead, Tony let it go for the sake of avoiding a war. His father would be ashamed. He never avoided a fi—”
“Harry.”
The name silences him.
Harry’s father was shot by the rival gang in Brighton. The gang handed over the man who done it, and it was called quits then, but Harry wasn’t happy with that. Harry wanted to see the whole gang go up in flames, and Tony didn’t agree with that. It’s bad business, especially since they handed over the man without argument and agreed revenge was owed. So, he left.
“I didn’t exactly make it hard for you to figure it out, but you was always quick.”
