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Chapter Twenty-Nine
Hallie
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IT HAD TAKEN A COUPLEweeks before the police had come to accept that we had been the victims and not the perpetrators of the shooting. I assumed Tam had paid off a dirty copper to fiddle the forensic evidence to make it appear as though the Estonians had been responsible for Sly’s death, and to get rid of the gun that would have been linked to the bullet that had opened the back of his skull.
I’d gone back to live with my father. He’d mentioned the alliance a couple of times, but I hadn’t responded. This wasn’t up to him anymore, no matter what he threatened me with. I didn’t owe him my life—I didn’t owe anyone that.
My brother had been more than apologetic, aware he could have lost me that night at the club. I liked to think it might have made him grow up a little, but I’d have to see about that one. He made promises to me to never act like that again towards Tam. It hadn’t all been Jayden’s fault, but I accepted the promise anyway.
Jodie’s funeral had happened once the investigation into her death had been closed. It had taken me back to Harvey’s death—many of the same people standing around the coffin. Such a waste of a promising young life. Leo was in pieces, understandably, and had stood, white-faced and dry-eyed, looking like a ghost of the happy, confident man he’d once been.
As for me and Tam, we’d only seen each other in passing since that horrific night. He’d had his hands full with both the police and with his brother’s grief. Poor Leo had lost both his brother and his fiancée in the space of a month, and he wasn’t in a good place. My understanding was that he wanted revenge on the Estonians, but then where did the killing stop? They took one of ours, and we took one of theirs, and so it would continue until we were all wiped out.
That night, I had plans to meet Layla for drinks in central London. My father had told me to take the driver, but I preferred to catch the Tube. Independence was something I needed to learn now.
I left the hotel. Someone stood on the other side of the street, motionless, just watching. He was tall and in a dark suit. Adrenaline pumped through me, as I’d instantly thought the worst, but then I realised who it was.
I put my head down and crossed the road to join him.
“What are you doing here, Tam. This is Wynter territory, remember?”
“I had to see you. I can’t go on like this.”
His expression was tortured, and I had to fight my desire to pull him into my arms and kiss him.
“I’m meeting Layla. I’m going to be late.”
I moved to step away, but he grabbed my hand.
“Hallie, please, wait. You have to forgive me. I haven’t been able to think about a single thing since the night you walked out. You’ve taken over my head and my heart. I can’t think or eat, and I don’t enjoy anything. All I want is you.”
I let out a sigh. “How am I supposed to forgive the things you said? Am I supposed to pretend they never happened? Should I forget that you implied some kind of sick relationship between me and my brother? Who the hell says something like that?”
“I didn’t mean it. I was a total arsehole.”
“It’s not as easy as that. You can’t just take things back. Am I supposed to trust you with my heart now, Tam? It’s not so easy for me.”
“You found it easy enough when your father ordered you to do it.”
I ducked my head away from him, not wanting him to see my true feelings on my face. “He didn’t give me any choice.”
“So he forced you to.”
