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16
SUMMER
“Okay, you smartass dickheads. You were right. I was wrong. I admit it.” The usual hustle and bustle of Manchester city seems to have an undercurrent of something sinister. I glance around, my eyes darting from one unfamiliar face to another. There are too many strangers lurking in the shadows; it feels like they’re watching me. Muttering to myself as I walk through the department store, refolding clothes and helping customers, the uneasy feeling is unnerving. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m being watched or because I’m thinking about someone watching me. Either way, I wish it was home time, but am I fuck calling up the guys to come and get me early. Besides, if I know them, Ronny is knocking about somewhere and maybe it’s just him watching me work. If it is, I want a word with him when I eventually spot him. So far, no dice.
“Summer,” my manager Crystal snaps her fingers in front of my face, bringing me back to reality. “Get it together, will you? You’re wandering around here with your head up your backside.”
“Sorry,” I murmur, wondering if I should bite the bullet and tell her now, I’m quitting. But then she might want me to go right now and then I’d have to hang around waiting for the guys to pick me up. Better to do it when it’s time to leave, then I can run and not look back. I hate her. She is a battleaxe who is just plain mean. Sure, not Aunt Margaret mean, but still an asshole.
Crystal raises an eyebrow, her face pinched with annoyance, but doesn’t say anything as I dart off to fold some already folded sweaters.
As the day drags on, the unease never fades, and Ronny doesn’t show his face to me, so I’m growing more paranoid by the second.
In the end, I can’t stand it any longer. Sneaking into the break room, I pull out my phone and message Ciarán to come and get me as soon as possible.
Grabbing my bag, I march up to Crystal in her office and say, “I quit. I’m leaving now.”
“You can’t quit,” she sneers. “You have to work your notice.”
“No, I don’t. I’m going now and I won’t be back.” Without a further word, I scamper out of the office and checking my phone to see that Ciarán has messaged back that they’re on their way, I head out back to the floor through the back of the store.
Suddenly, a hand clamps down over my mouth, muffling my startled scream. A thick arm wraps around my waist, dragging me further down the corridor and out of the fire exit at the back of the store that leads to a dark alley. The fear I’ve been trying to suppress all day surges forward, overwhelming me completely.
“Look what we’ve got here, boys,” a gruff voice sneers in my ear, his breath hot and rancid. “A pretty little plaything for us to pass the time.”
“Let me go!” I shout, my voice muffled against the hand covering my mouth. I thrash wildly, kicking and clawing at my attacker, but he only laughs, tightening his grip.
“Feisty one, aren’t you?” he taunts, shoving me roughly against the wall and keeping the pressure on me so I can’t move. I gasp for air, panic clawing at my insides like a wild animal trying to escape.
“You’re too important to the Gannon brothers for us not to have a little fun first before we cut you up and send you back to them in pieces,” another one says, stepping out of the shadows, a mask covering his face, like the other one.
“Fuck you,” I spit, fighting against the terror. “When they find out what you’ve done, you’ll wish you were dead.”
“Is that so?” The man holding me snickers. “Let’s see if they’ll even recognize you after we’re finished with you.” He flashes his blade in my face, and I whimper. He’s so strong.
Summoning all my paltry strength, I slam my heel down onto his foot, forcing him to step back a bit, but he doesn’t loosen his grip.
“Nice try, sweetheart,” he sneers. “But you’re not getting away that easily.”
Just as I brace myself for the inevitable pain of being stabbed and sliced up into fish food, a loud crash echoes through the alleyway.
Ciarán and Cathal, their faces twisted with rage, don’t hesitate for a second, charging at my assailants with a ferocity that chills me to the bone.
“Get the fuck away from her!” Ciarán roars, his fists connecting with the face of one attacker, sending him sprawling onto the ground.
“Touch her again, and I’ll fucking kill you,” Cathal growls, landing a brutal kick to another’s ribs.
The attackers try to put up a fight, but they’re clearly outmatched by the sheer force of the Gannon brothers. They crumple under the relentless assault, blood staining the pavement as Ciarán and Cathal refuse to let up, utterly devoid of mercy.
Ciarán stabs one of them in the guts while Cathal takes out the other one, with a fist to his face, leaving him for Ciarán to clean up, favoring his left side which makes me feel like shit for putting him in even more harm’s way.
“Summer,” Cathal wheezes. He gently takes me in his arms, checking me over for injuries. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
“I’m fine,” I choke out, feeling the panic start to ebb away. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. You were right. I was wrong. I quit. I knew it earlier, and I hung on. I should’ve just stayed in the penthouse. I was stubborn and an idiot...”
“Shh, it’s okay,” Ciarán murmurs, wrapping me in a protective embrace as well. “You’re safe now. We won’t let anyone hurt you. You quit?”
“Yeah.”
