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I frown, not realising he knew there was anything going on between me and Albert. “Look, I’m the adult and I’m telling you this is happening.”
“You can’t uproot my life because yours is messed up,” he yells angrily. His words resonate with me. They’re words I’d often say to my mum when she messed things up with another man. I swore I’d never be like her and here I am doing the same thing.
Dougie walks in. “Calm down,” he tells Ollie, and Ollie hangs his head. My frown deepens. “Show some respect. Your mother knows what’s best.”
“Sorry,” Ollie mutters.
“Ollie, go in the other room,” I say, and he does without argument. I fix my glare on Dougie. “I don’t need you to chastise my child.”
He shrugs. “Apologies. I’m a youth worker and it’s hard to break the habit. I have a way with troubled teens and—”
“He’s not troubled,” I cut in.
“Whatever you say,” he mutters, holding up his hands.
“Yah know, maybe it would help to be closer to us,” Mum says quietly. “Dougie is really good with the local kids. Ollie seems to respond well to him.”
I scrub my face with my hands, feeling exhausted. “I have an empty place right upstairs,” says Dougie. “Take it. I’ll do you a good deal.”
I sigh. “Is it furnished?” He nods. “Fine, but just until I decide what to do next.”
ALBERT
Lauren is easy to work with. Way easier than Rosey. She’s quick, clean, and doesn’t mess around. She lures her victims, much the same as Rosey, but once she’s got them where she wants them, she gets on with the job. I step outside and call for clean-up to remove the body. Lauren follows me out, gently running her hand down my back. “I could do with lunch, fancy joining me?”
I lock up the container so no one can wander in before clean-up arrives. “Sure. I know a place just around the corner.”
I take her to a small deli. I know the owner, and when he sees me, he smiles wide, showing us to his best table. “Will you always hang around when I do work for you?” Lauren asks while the waiter pours us some water.
“No,” I tell her. “I just happened to be in the area. How the hell did you get him there?” I ask, impressed she’d managed to meet the target, befriend him, and get him to the container at the docks, all within a few hours.
“I played the damsel in distress, needing a strong man to help me collect some belongings from a shipment container for my new flat.” She pops an olive into her mouth. “Admit it, you’re impressed.”
I laugh. “Actually, I am. It was quick and clean and away from prying eyes. Arthur will be happy.”
The door opens and I happen to glance up right as Rosey enters, followed by her mum. She doesn’t see me right away, not until the waiter leads her past our table to seat her just to the left of us. As she sits, she catches my eye but recovers quickly, smiling at something her mum says.
“Well, this is awkward,” Lauren murmurs.
I shrug. “Not really,” I lie, because every cell in my body wants to go to her. “Where were we?”
“You were about to tell me how amazing I am and how you’d like me to go to dinner with you.”
I grin and ask, “Isn’t that what this is?”
She runs her painted fingernail over the back of my hand. “Maybe we could double date with your brother?”
“Arthur?” I laugh again. “He doesn’t double date. He doesn’t date. Meli would be suspicious if he suddenly took her to dinner.”
She bites her lower lip. “I think it would be good to get to know one another. It’s how I like to work.”
I catch Rosey’s eye again and force a smile at Lauren. “Fine, I’ll see what I can do.”
Chapter Twelve
ROSEY
I’ve been in the new flat for a week, but I’ve done nothing to it because I don’t want Ollie to get too settled here. My plan is to move away once he gets my mum out his system, which I’m sure he will soon enough. But right now, he’s settled and happy. He’s got a lot of friends who come and go with him, and I realise now just how restricting the clubhouse was for him. Maverick didn’t like strangers in and out of the place, so Ollie would never bring anyone back. And surprisingly, Mum’s been a constant this week, popping in every day to see how I am. It’s almost like we’re living a normal life.
