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I stop short when I see Tom sitting at the dining table, his head in his hands. His hair is mussed, like he’s been raking his hand through it, and his eyes are dark and sunken when he looks up to meet my gaze.
“Are you okay?” I ask, pressing my lips together as my eyes drift over the red marks covering his neck. Harley didn’t say much when he got home the other night. Just that Tom had gotten himself into some money trouble and that he was going to bail him out. I didn’t push him for any further details–he would tell me if he wanted me to know.
“Not really.” Tom gives me a sad smile. “I’m not sure Harley will ever forgive me for this.”
“You’re his brother. He’d do anything for you.” I pour myself some cereal and stand at the kitchen bench to eat it.
He grunts in response.
“You’re not going to work again?”
Fear flashes in his eyes before he blinks it away. “I’m just taking a few days off. I need to sort through some paperwork.”
Tom hasn’t been into the garage since the other night. “Have you heard from the hospital?”
He shakes his head. “There’s been no change.”
“I’m sorry. Hopefully he’ll wake up soon. Have the police found the person that did it yet?”
“Not yet. They want to talk to him when he wakes up.”
I roll my bottom lip between my teeth. “You don’t think… I mean, it wouldn’t have been the same people, would it?”
Tom sighs. “The thought did cross my mind, but their weapon of choice was a gun, not a knife. Plus, Dad was staying with a guy he met in prison. The cops seem to think it’s got something to do with him, only he’s not talking.”
“Where was he when your dad was attacked?”
“Claims he was on the road, driving his rig. There’s no evidence to say he wasn’t.”
“I hope they find the guys that did it, and I’m sure your dad will pull through, if he’s anything like his sons,” I say with a grin. I glance down at my watch. “Shit. I’m going tobe late. Any chance you can give me a lift?”
He tosses me his keys. “Take my ute. I’m not going anywhere today.”
I stare down at the foreign object in my hands. “Umm… I don’t actually know how to drive.”
Tom stares at me incredulously. “What do you mean, you can’t drive?”
I shrug. “I grew up in the city.” I’m not about to tell him my father had a personal driver who would take me anywhere I needed to go. “Can you drop me off? Pretty please?” I bat my eyelids for extra effect.
He sighs. “Uh, yeah… I guess.”
I smile at him gratefully, tossing his keys back to him as I follow him out to the driveway. I don’t miss the way he tenses when we step out the front door, checking the surroundings.
The tension doesn’t leave his body for the entire drive, his eyes constantly darting to the rear-view mirror. By the time he drops me off, even I’m feeling jittery. That feeling of being watched is back.
I try to shake it off as I put my bag in the staff room and tie my apron around my waist. I take a few deep breaths before heading out to the bar. Work is steady, and I bustle around between the kitchen and the tables, placing orders and delivering food. When Tilly goes on her break, I man the bar, filling drink orders and cutting up the garnishes when it's quiet.
Harley comes in with Lachy just after eleven, his darkhair still wet and framing his face. I lean over the bar to give him a chaste kiss. “How was your training session?”
“Intense,” he admits, as they take a seat. “Zeke has me working on a new combo. These guys I’m going to be fighting are seasoned, and I could come up against anyone. It’s not like the organised fights through Knockout where I’m up against guys similar to my experience level.”
My stomach drops, and my emotions must be evident on my face because Lachy grins and gives him a couple of playful jabs. “You looked pretty strong in the cage against Zeke. You got this, dude. Never underestimate the underdog.”
“Are you hungry? I can get Patty to whip up a couple of breakfast burritos to take away.”
Harley shakes his head. “Thanks, Kitten, but we grabbed something to eat before going for a surf. I needed to clear my head.”
“Feel better?”
