by B C Morgan
Dante wasn’t messing around, he cut my brakes and I think he tried to burn my house down while I was in it. If that’s not bad enough, he saw me with Harrison so now he’s got a target on his head as well.
I don’t want anything to happen to you Rox, please you have to stay away from me. I shouldn’t have messaged but I need to know how he was seeing us when the curtains were drawn. If Declan has any idea I would really appreciate it, I love you boo xxx
“Stop panicking, no one knows where we are. Just chill out,” H says, as he comes in from the bathroom. Thankfully dressed this time.
“How did he see us Harrison? I’m guessing a camera, but how did he get it inside my house and why? This is messing with my head, how the fuck do you expect me to chill out,” I’m starting to shout as everything comes to a boil and unleashes in a flurry of panic and anger.
“Woman you are driving me crazy, I can’t talk to you while you’re like this,” he says, sounding utterly irritated by me.
“Thanks for the sympathy,” I cannot stop shouting at him, I really hope no one is in the room next to us right now.
“I don’t do sympathy or pity love, you want that go and call one of your boyfriends,” his voice is rising as well and there seems to be a lot of heat behind it. We’re both stressed but why do we have to take it out on each other? Because there isn’t anyone else, simple as that.
“Screw you,” I step closer to him and jab my finger in his chest, which makes him grab my hand within his own.
“Don’t touch me,” his eyes are narrow and his nostrils are flaring as he throws my hand away and storms out of the room. Hopefully, when he comes back we both will have calmed down a tad.
HARRISON HASN’T COME BACK and I’m worried, what if something bad has happened or Dante found us? Yes I’m paranoid but how can I not be with the situation we’re in. I don’t think he could have found us, but the stress is getting to me and I just want it all to be over.
My phone beeps and a wave of excitement is coursing through me, it could be from Noah or maybe even Elijah. Mr. Freaking elusive. The smile on my face falls as I unlock it and see an unknown number.
“How’s Nottingham treating you pretty girl? Don’t worry you won’t have to miss me for much longer, I’ll be there real soon.”
Well crap on a cracker, how does he know where I am? I haven’t even told anyone yet. Hang on yet, you ain’t ever telling anyone.
My inner monologue, ever the voice of reason. Harrison really needs to pull his finger out and get back here, we need to move and I can’t wait forever.
My heart slams against my chest as the door is thrown open and Harrison comes in panting as though he just run the London marathon.
“What’s going on?” I rush over to him and run my hand up and down his back as he bends over and leans his hands against his knees.
“I saw this motorbike when I left, what two hours ago, and it stuck in my mind because it is a beauty and definitely a vintage,” I can hear the admiration in his voice but I need to hurry this along. “Anyway, it’s still driving around out there. I stayed back for half an hour just watching the main road that leads onto this place, I must have seen it pass at least six times. The rider has a pillion and their head was definitely checking out the car park.” He’s growing frantic as he fights himself and starts getting our bags together.
“Calm down for a minute, it doesn’t mean they’re looking for us,” I point out hopefully and maybe a little naively as well.
“The same bike was following me, until I went into the centre and it couldn’t follow. It must have come straight back here, I think they are looking for your car Henleigh. Fuck!”
I step back as he screams that word from the top of his lungs, while mine are constricting and threatening to without oxygen until I inevitably pass out.
“What do we do?” I ask, his eyes are wild but I can tell he’s thinking about the best way to answer my question, please have a solution H. Because I cannot think straight right now.
“We grab our bags and wait for the bike to pass, that’ll give us five, maybe ten minutes tops to duck down one of the side roads and make it to the train station,” he’s calming down even if his tone is still a little frantic. “We buy a ticket to who the fuck cares where and then we get a new car once we arrive,” it all sounds so logical, but the success of his plan all relies on one thing and I’m not sure we can count on it.
“What if they’re not the only ones watching this place H, what do we do then?” My voice is shaking as I sink down onto the edge of the mattress and I can’t get my hands to stop shaking.
He takes a few deep breaths before crouching down before me and taking my hands within his own.
“We just have to hope that they are, I won’t let anything happen to you okay. I’ve got your back,” his thumbs are stroking along the tops of my hands and it’s helping to ground me.
The fear hasn’t gone away but I feel a little more in control and his plan, well it’s our best course of action. I just hope it works.
GETTING to the train station felt almost impossible, my heart was beating way too fast and so many times I doubted we could get there without the riders seeing us.
How can I not be relieved sitting on the train, opposite H, knowing that we did it. Only, H doesn’t look relieved. His eyes are dark and his mouth is pulled into a tight line. His shoulders are stiff and the muscles in his arms are flexed, I just don’t know why.
“Hey you were right, we got here and weren’t seen. What’s the matter?” I ask, keeping my voice low to try and ensure no one but H will hear me.
“Do you get the feeling it was too easy?” He raises his brows at me as I scoff at his words, nothing about what we just did was easy.
“What life were you living just then? That was far from simple H,” he is making me feel so exasperated right now, can’t he just be happy for a moment?
“You don’t get it, someone found us up here. How did they even know where to look? And if they were able to find us all the way up here, how did we get away?” He looks at me as though I’m supposed to know the answers or maybe he needs me to know them. His words however, are making my stomach feel like it’s a bottomless pit of anxiety, what a bastard.
He’s being realistic, but I don’t need that right now. There is nothing wrong with a spot of denial here and there.
“No more emails and we’ll get you a new sim, maybe go a little longer before you contact your lovers this time round, yeah,” the patronising arse wipe says, and his tone is leaving no room for me to argue. Of course I’m going to anyway.
“Excuse me, where do you get off telling me what to do? Even brushing that aside for a moment, why would changing my sim and foregoing my emails make a lick of difference?” I ask and I’m sure my look is screaming out how far down the rabbit hole I think he’s gone.
“He could be tracking you through your number, maybe even tracing you from your IP address,” damn, he’s being so serious and I’m cracking up and laughing so loud it’s drawing attention. “Will you calm the fuck down,” he hisses as he drops down beside me and gets into my face.
“He’s a psychotic bully, not fucking MI6. You’re being paranoid and I for one, will not be drawn into your delusions,” I want to laugh and play it off as nothing more than a joke, but although my tone may have come out a little haughty. He’s still managed to drag me down into the rabbit hole alongside him.
What if Dante is tracking me? Noah could do it but Mr. Terrifying is a wild card and I don’t know him from Adam. Am I underestimating him too much?
Sod it I'm going to stretch my legs, we’re on a train so I think I’ll be fine. Internally rolling my eyes, oh yes like a champ. I go into the next carriage just idly passing people until I find the little girls room.
It’s terrifying using the toilet on a train because they rarely lock properly, it would be just my luck that someone will open the door while I have my knickers wrapped around my ankles.
I walk back to our seat, that’s strange? I could have sworn I saw that same guy in the other carriage, why has he moved in here? Our eyes lock and I quickly look away as I sink down onto my seat.
“H, I think that guy over there is following me,” I say my tone coming out raspy as fear ricochets through me.
His face pales slightly as he looks around before he sits back down and gives me a strange look, what have I done this time?
“Henleigh, there’s no one there,” he’s looking at me as though I was playing a sick joke on him but I wasn’t. Maybe I got the wrong impression, not hard to do with the situation I’ve found myself in. Right?
A FEW HOURS have passed and we are now clambering off the train in bloody Cambridge, I do not have anything against the place but it still isn’t London. Harrison made a convincing argument against going there and I need to stop fighting with him, this is my fault and I can’t risk him getting hurt because I’m too stubborn to listen to reason.
“Come on, we’ll find a place to crash for the night and then we can get a car in the morning,” he says, as he hoists our bags onto his back and walks off down the road.
“I can carry my own bag,” I grit out, but he just gives me a dirty look, while continuing to carry it for me. “Also if you can stop for a minute, I think we should put the car in your name,” I grip hold of his arm, heating up at the feel of his muscles beneath my hand as I get him to stop moving.
“Why?” He asks, a lot more smug than is necessary and he’s only going to get worse.
“Because you’ve got me worrying that he could be tracking us somehow and if he can do it through texts and emails, then maybe he could do it through a car in my name as well. So well done, you’ve dragged me into your paranoia,” I huff out with an eye roll and his smirk widens and then falls as he takes in my words.
“Ahh shit, what if he tracks me too. Clearly he knows we’re together,” he’s thinking out loud and I’m standing here and waiting for it. The moment he decides to go it alone, safety in numbers doesn’t apply when I’m involved.
“Okay we’ll get a car that’s fine, but when we rent a room somewhere we’ll use my old fake ID and park the car far enough away that he can’t assume where we’re staying. That should afford us a little more safety, even if only temporarily,” he says it all so easily and I can’t help that I’m standing here slack jawed, he isn’t leaving. Did he even consider it? Of course he did, you’re not worth the trouble.
Yeah my inner voice is feeling particularly cruel and bitchy today, woo me.
“What’s wrong now? Are you pissy because I went ahead and made plans? Isn’t that great,” he fires at me with so much heat and attitude that I can’t help but slap him across his face. Why ask me a question if he’s going to answer them himself.
He rears back and so do I, I can’t believe I did that. Oh fuck. His eyes roll back as he falls to the floor and starts having a seizure, we’ve been running for three days and I never even thought about this happening.
I drop down and run off instinct and memory to ensure he won’t harm himself, we draw quite a crowd.
“Is everything okay?” Comes a male voice and I only giving him a passing look. When a first aider from a nearby shop comes out to help as well, I look back up but he’s gone. He looked so much like the guy from the train, I’m fucking paranoid.
By the time he comes back around an ambulance has arrived and he’s thoroughly pissed off, he refuses to go to hospital when he says it was his fault anyway. I don’t know how that works but I’m quick to my own anger when he admits that he’s been forgetting to take his meds. Anger and guilt, he forgot because of the stress we’re under.
SIX
DAY seven of being on the run with Harrison, he says I’m driving him crazy because I refuse to let him go anywhere alone. He had a seizure for crap’s sake, how does he expect me to behave.
“Henleigh, where is it? I’m not fucking around woman, give it to me now,” he shouts and a smirk is crawling over my lips, round one goes to me. Haha.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I say the epitome of innocence as I bat my eyes before continuing, “why don’t you tell me what you’ve lost and I’ll see if I can help you find it.” Yes, I’m being condescending, and I don’t care. I’m having so much fun and it’s at his expense, even better.
“Give me back my medication, I don’t even know why you took them in the first place,” his hands are balling into fists and I won’t push him too much further.
“Are you sure you haven’t just forgotten where you put them? I mean it is possible, seeing as you forgot to take them,” I have a note to my tone now, I’m still royally pissed at him for putting himself at risk like that.
“Henleigh, I need my pills,” he screams at me and out of context it would sound so bad.
“You need them in thirty minutes, I’ll give you them then. I’m not taking any chances with you now H, even if I have to be your very own private nurse,” I put my hands on my hips as I try to stare him down. The height difference makes it difficult but not impossible.
“You are exasperating, I don’t even know why you care,” he says snottily before storming back off into the bathroom.
I walk over to the window to let some air in and my breath whooshes out of my chest. I know I’m not imagining it now, the guy from the train is standing on the opposite side of the road looking up at me.
“H,” I call cautiously but of course he ignores me. “Seriously H, get out here,” I shout louder as I turn away to make sure he’s doing as I ask.
“What now?” So much attitude and all I am trying to do is keep him healthy, yeah that is so evil.
“There’s someone watching the hotel,” I squeak out as he rushes over and looks out alongside me and he’s gone again. H stares at me as though I’m losing the plot, but I see him turn a corner. How am I going to convince H that I’m telling the truth?
“I think you should lie down and get a bit more sleep,” he says cautiously, not taking his eyes off me for a single second.
“I’m not imagining it; he was right there. Leaning against the wall, smoking a goddamn fag. I wouldn’t have thought anything of it but I swear he’s the same guy I saw on the train, he may have even been there when you collapsed,” I’m tugging at my hair as I grow more frantic. Sure, just add looking like I’m crazy to the list that’ll help my case here. “Please H, I need you to believe me,” I’m pleading with him, my words and my eyes, even the way I start to grip hold of his shirt and refuse to let go.
He rests his hands over mine and pulls them away, but he doesn’t let go. I can tell he’s conflicted, but I need him to believe me, desperately. I don’t want the only person I have to count on, to think I’m lying or worse, going crazy. Fuck me how did that happen? I never thought I’d see Harrison again once we left Padstow.
“Even though you sound crazy and really, you sound batshit crackers right now woman, I believe you. I don’t want to, but you wouldn’t be this freaked out otherwise, but we need to be certain. This isn’t me diminishing you,” he says as he puts his hands on my shoulders and runs them up and down my forearms. I have the sudden urge to lean into him but luckily, I am resisting. “I think we need to set a trap, just to see if he appears again and to see if he’ll follow you. And that’s the only thing I don’t like, it has to be you Henleigh. He only seems to show himself when you’re around.” I can see how much he’s warring with himself, and I understand why. He’s right this is the only way of doing it, but it doesn't mean I’m happy about it.
“It’s the only way. How do we do this H? Please tell me you have even a slight idea of a plan forming,” look at that, I’m back to begging. How fantastic.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you. We won’t do anything until we have a fool proof plan and you won’t be going out on your own, I will keep you safe Henleigh I promise.” He means it, but I don’t want him to make that promise and I hope my next words won’t end in an argument.
“Harrison, please don’t make a promise that you can’t be certain you can keep,” his eyes narrow and I place my fingers against his lips to stop him from interrupting. “I know you will try but we have no idea what could happen. You’re not superman,” I say, I’m trying to be gentle but who knows how he’s going to react.
I forgot I had my hand against his lips until he parts them and bites gently on my fingertips, a breath whooshes out of me. Why is this exciting me? Wrong place, time and person! My hormones are coursing through me, I think I may need to consider sorting myself out when I’m alone next.
“Okay, I won’t promise to keep you safe, but I promise I will try my hardest to do so. I won’t just roll over and let some two-bit arsehole hurt you. Okay,” he’s so sincere and his eyes are screaming at me that he means this. He needs me to feel safe with him, I just don't understand why.
DAY nine and we’re leaving the hotel, his idea is to act natural and pretend that we have somewhere to be. Luckily, we still need to find a car so we do have something we can do.
I’m not going to buy new but there are plenty of dealerships around that sell used cars as well, and they’re cheaper. I keep having to dip into my bloody ISA, I’m not buying top of the end if I may not have it at the end of the week. Fuck my life, this is so ridiculous.
We find a car easily, another Ford as it’s the only make I really like and it’s under a grand so it’s reasonable.
“We’ll split the cost,” H says, and I have every intention of shooting him down. I have expendable income, but he doesn’t. Because his father is narrow minded and needs a serious reality check.
“Nope not going to happen, you wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for me. I’m buying it,” I say, and I refuse to give in.
“Woman don’t start with me or I’ll go and buy a car right now just to spite you, I mean it.” His eyes harden as he stares me down, gritting his teeth and clenching his strong jaw. “Do not push me Henleigh,” he says and he’s so forceful and... I’m not going there!