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Max, her eldest brother, answers straight away. “Arthur, is it wise you call me on my personal phone?”
“I have your sister here,” I say, ignoring his remark. “I think you should get over to Artie’s right now.”
“On the way,” he mutters, knowing it’s urgent by the tone of my voice.
By the time he arrives, along with their brother, Leon, I have Jolene calmer with her hands tied behind her back. Max arches a brow when he sees her. “There better be a fucking good reason you have my sister tied up.”
“Be happy I haven’t killed her,” I snap.
“What’s she done now?” asks Leon, cutting the tape from her wrists. She remains seated.
“She told her lover about Jeremy.” They both glare at her, and she shrinks back in her chair. “And now, he’s blackmailing her.”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with you,” snaps Leon, slapping her across the face. I wince. I hate violence against women, but it’s their business. “What exactly does he want?”
“Money,” she sobs. “Fifty grand.”
“You fucking idiot,” hisses Max as he slams a piece of paper on my desk. “Write his name.” She does it. “Can we do anything about this?” He directs the question at me.
I take the piece of paper and laugh. “You gotta be shitting me.” I show Max and Leon.
“You’re fucking one of the E15 boys?” Max yells. It’s bad news. If we take this guy out, we’ll go to a street war with his associated gang, and those kinds of wars aren’t worth our time. Their members are fearless, feral, and cocky. They use younger kids to do their dirty work so they never get caught, and the war will be chaotic and messy, something myself or Max could do without.
“I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t take him out. My days of street wars are over,” I say. “What did he record you on?”
“His mobile phone. He has two, a burner and his smartphone. It’s on that.”
“Would he likely make a copy?”
She shakes her head. “No, he isn’t that clever.”
“He was clever enough to record you,” snaps Leon.
“Let’s hope a threat works,” I mutter. “Cos if I get pulled up in this, I’m coming for you all,” I warn, glaring at Max. He nods once, grabbing his sister by her upper arm and dragging her to the door. “And Max,” he looks back to me, “sort her out. This can’t happen again. I expect double payment wired direct to me within an hour.”
Albert slams the door closed after they leave. “Fuck, we don’t need this, Art.”
“Tell me about it, but I’m not worried. This kid’s not even an elder. He’s a chancer after some cash, and I doubt his bosses even know. I’ll come with you to visit him personally. A quick warning should be enough for him to realise his luck’s done.”
CHAPTER THREE
MELI
I finish tying the last pink bow in my three-year-old niece’s hair and smile at her reflection in the mirror. “You look gorgeous,” I tell her, kissing her on the head.
Grim passes us and his eyes fall to his daughter. “Is she wearing lip gloss?”
“Don’t I look pretty, Daddy?” asks Oakley, pouting. I wince, knowing I’m going to get the blame for that little pose. Grim sits down on a nearby chair and narrows his eyes, ready to give me the full lecture, but then Hadley enters the room and I immediately stand and begin to pack away the hairbrushes and makeup. It’s been years since she discovered I’d slept with Grim, but I still feel uncomfortable being seen together. So now, whenever Grim is near me, I feel this overwhelming urge to put distance between us because I’d hate for her to think I’d ever do anything like that again.
Grim realises she’s there too and rolls his eyes. “Jesus, Meli, you keep jumping up like that and she’ll think we have something to hide.”
“I don’t want her to see us talking. It might upset her,” I hiss.
“It was years ago. I think she’s over it,” he mutters, his voice full of sarcasm.
“Women don’t just get over that sort of thing, Grim.”
Hadley wanders over and smiles lovingly at Oakley, who performs a little twirl and pout just for her. “Wow, look at you.”
