by Sarah Bailey
“No… I just… never mind.”
“Seriously, what’s wrong? Did they do something?”
“You know I mentioned they were having a weird conversation about a girl? I overheard more shit last night. Then Dad found me outside his office and well…”
“What did he do?”
“I think he would’ve beat me if Dante hadn’t intervened.”
I stiffened. A grown man beating on his own fucking kids sickened me. Especially since his kids were adults.
“Fuck,” I muttered.
Avery gave me a sharp look before turning back to James.
“What did you overhear?”
“Just a name. They kept mentioning the girl in relation to the name Stewart. Like I think he’s talking about one of his clients. It might well be the guy he sources tartan from in Scotland. I mean he’s called Mr Stewart.”
“What girl?” I asked without thinking.
Avery turned to me.
“James overheard them talking about some preparations being made for a girl, but that it was still a year away.”
“Sounds a bit sketchy.”
“It is,” James said. “Fuck knows what they’re involved in. I just don’t know why Dante stopped him. Like he’s been such a fucking dick to me and yet he still defended me to Dad. I don’t get him.”
Avery let out a long sigh. She knew all about family drama. So did I. Fucking families were a nightmare.
“I wish you and him hadn’t fallen out.”
“That’s hardly my fault. He was the one who started acting like Dad. Turned into his perfect little heir whereas I’m the big disappointment. Not that I even want to be his fucking prodigal son. I’d rather cut my own fucking balls off.”
I winced, resisting the urge to check if mine were still there. Fuck. James really didn’t like his dad. I supposed I could hardly blame him after everything. I fucking hated mine too, but for very different reasons.
“I don’t think Dante is like Zach… not deep down.”
“You don’t fucking know what it’s been like with him. You haven’t seen him in forever.”
She was silent at that. She looked over at me, her eyes radiating with sympathy for James. I squeezed her hand before letting go as I shifted gears. I knew she wanted to press him further, but it probably wasn’t a good idea.
No one spoke for the rest of the drive. I pulled up in a carpark and we all bundled out onto the street. Avery held my hand tightly in hers, glancing at James every couple of minutes. My poor princess was worried sick about him. I couldn’t blame her. He looked downcast and defeated. I felt shit for him too. Having to deal with that kind of crap with your family would make anyone fucking miserable.
Before we reached the café, Avery put her hand on his arm.
“Hey… I know you’re feeling shit, but you can’t let on to Gert, okay?”
He nodded.
“I know, I know. Don’t worry, I know this is important for her.”
Avery gave him a sympathetic look before she turned back to me, her doe eyes wide. I wanted to comfort her and tell her he’d be okay, but I wasn’t so sure of that myself. As James pushed the door open, I leant down to her.
“Don’t worry so much, princess,” I whispered.
“I just don’t want Gert to think it’s because he’s unimpressed by her girlfriend,” she replied, her voice equally as low as mine.
We walked through into the café. I spied her red haired friend immediately because the girl she was with had bright pink hair. I raised an eyebrow at Avery but she gave me a warning look. I wasn’t judging by any stretch of the imagination. If that’s what her type was, who was I to say anything about it?
As we approached them, Gert let go of her girlfriend’s hand and gave James and Avery a hug. She looked up at me with a raised eyebrow. I was not about to hug her friend after all the times she’d asked Avery inappropriate questions about me. And I was not about to forget what she referred to me as.
“Gert.”
She grinned, giving me a lascivious look which had Avery frowning at her.
“Aiden.”
“Gert,” Avery hissed. “Cut it out.”
Her friend’s expression turned innocent all of a sudden.
“What?”
“You fucking well know what.”
I looked over at James who was rolling his eyes, followed by Gert’s girlfriend who seemed a little bewildered by what was happening. Well, this was just fucking wonderful.
“Gertie, introduce us to your lady friend,” James said.
Gert shifted back, taking the pink haired girl’s hand.
“Tilly, this is James, Avery and Aiden.” She pointed at each of us in turn. “This is Tilly.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Avery said, sticking out her hand.
“You too, Gertrude has told me so much about you,” Tilly replied, shaking Avery’s hand.
Avery raised an eyebrow at her friend. Gert shrugged. James just looked like he wanted to laugh.
We sat down at the table they’d snagged for the five of us. I wrapped an arm around Avery, leaning towards her.
“What the hell just happened?” I asked, voice low.
She turned to me. The others were looking at the menus so weren’t paying attention to us.
“Fuck knows. I told Gert to stop objectifying you, but she doesn’t listen. I’m getting sick of it.”
“You objectify me.”
She looked horrified for all of thirty seconds until she realised I was teasing her. She shoved my arm.
“I do not, shut up.”
“Trouble in paradise?” Gert piped up.
Avery turned back to the rest of them, giving Gert a ‘shut the fuck up’ look.
“No… Now, what’s good here?”
She grabbed a menu and started perusing it, ignoring the stares from her friends. This lunch was going to end in tears in a minute. Fuck.
“Princess,” I whispered in her ear. “What’s wrong?”
She put a hand on my thigh, giving it a squeeze. I reached over with my free hand and held it. Something was bothering her and I wasn’t sure if it was what James said in the car or if it was because Gert kept making inappropriate comments.
“Nothing,” she whispered.
I didn’t believe her but I wasn’t going to push the subject. James looked over at me, raising his eyebrow and indicating Avery with his head. I shrugged. He sighed, turning back towards Gert and Tilly.
“So… Gertie says you’re an artist.”
Avery leant into me, resting her head on my shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just can’t stand anyone looking at you like that.”
“Like what?”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t notice. I know she’s my best friend, but you’re mine.”
I tried not to smile. My princess was jealous and it was kind of fucking cute.
“Avery, I love you. I have no interest in anyone else.”
“I know that.”
I tugged her closer. Perhaps our conversation last night had rattled her a little and having Gert look at me like I was some kind of dessert she wanted to devour had been the icing on the cake.
“Princess, you’re jealous and it’s cute, but you don’t need to be.”
“I’m not… Okay, fine. I am. I feel so stupid.”
I kissed her forehead, letting go of her hand so I could cup her face.
“You’re not stupid. Now, chill out and get to know your friend’s girlfriend. That’s why we’re here.” I leant towards her, brushing my lips against hers. “I’m yours, Avery. Forever. This ring on my finger guarantees that and even if we weren’t married, it would still be the case.”
She smiled and fuck if it didn’t make my heart sing.
“Okay.”
I dropped my hand and she pulled back, turning to her friends. Gert gave her an ‘I’m sorry’ look and Av
ery shrugged it off like it was nothing. Having spent a little time around her friends, I knew this kind of shit was par for the course. The three of them constantly wound each other up and bickered like five year olds.
“So, Aiden, are you planning on ever taking your wife on a honeymoon?” Gert asked, looking at me.
“Soon.”
“Really? Somewhere exotic?”
I hadn’t honestly decided where we’d go. After I mentioned it to Avery last night, I wanted to make sure it was somewhere special for her. She deserved a break. Hell, she deserved not to have to worry about all this shit we’d gone through. When it was fucking over, we both needed time to rest and recuperate.
“Most likely. Sun, sea, sand. What do you think, princess?”
“I need to work on my tan,” she responded, grinning.
The twinkle in her eye returned and I knew things were okay again.
I decided right then and there. As soon as we took her family down, I was taking her away for a month long break, maybe even two. Just the two of us with nothing but good food, booze and a shit ton of sun.
Now, I just had to make sure everything ended. And that fucking well started with sorting this shit out with Chuck, finding out who the fuck killed my mother from Rick and working out who the hell ‘The Collector’ was.
~~~~~~
Two days ago Avery told me about her conversation with Ed last week. It’d slipped her mind after all the shit that went down with Rick. I’d asked John to see if he could find out who this blonde girl that Ed had taken to some family functions was. I couldn’t ask Chuck myself because he wasn’t fucking speaking to me or Avery. Now, I had a solid lead since Avery was suspicious of who she was. Something about it didn’t add up for her, especially the way Ed had reacted to her pressing him about it.
Strip clubs were not my idea of fun, but apparently, this is where she was. John had questioned Chuck who told him her name was Flavia and she was an escort who Ed had passed off as his girlfriend to his mother. I suspected that wasn’t her real name. I was also suspicious of why her cousin felt the need to bring an escort to a family function considering he could probably have any girl he wanted. Except Avery told me he said he had no time for girlfriends.
And when I told her I had to go track this girl down at a strip club, Avery hadn’t been especially pleased. I didn’t want to see a bunch of half-naked chicks gyrating on poles but needs must. I’d reassured my wife that the only person who held any interest for me was her. I wasn’t sure why she was so insecure recently. Fuck. I loved that girl to death. She knew that. It was just something else I’d fucking well have to deal with at some point. And I would get to the bottom of it because it concerned me that she felt that way.
I walked in, having fucking had to slap down a tenner to get into this place. It was mid-afternoon, but it was packed with suits and lonely men who weren’t quite confident enough to book themselves an escort. I went over to the bar, ignoring the underwear clad women walking around and the ones up on stage shaking their tits at the leering blokes.
The bartender walked over and asked me what I wanted.
“I’m looking for Flavia,” I said over the noise of the music.
He looked around the club before pointing over at a blonde haired girl who was serving two guys in a booth drinks. I nodded at him in thanks.
I waited for her to come back over to the bar. She was wearing black underwear which barely covered her clearly fake tits. When she noticed I was staring at her, she looked over at me.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes… Flavia, right?”
“Who wants to know?”
“I need to talk to you.”
She cocked an eyebrow.
“I take it you’re not looking for a lap dance.”
I didn’t even want to think about Avery’s reaction to a woman asking me that. Hell, she was pissed off enough at Gert for even daring to look at me like she could eat me alive.
“Fuck no. I just have some questions.”
She gave me the once over before leaning over the bar.
“Frank, I’m taking my break now,” she called to the bartender, who just nodded at her in return.
She curled her finger at me and I followed her through the club. We walked through the door marked ‘staff only’ and down a long corridor until we reached what looked like a dressing room. She snagged a dressing gown from the sofa and pulled it on before turning to me.
“So, what can I do for you…?”
“Aiden… Look, I’ll be straight. You have no reason to be up front with me or even talk to me about this, but you know Ed Daniels, right?”
Her blue eyes flashed with shock for a moment before her expression cleared.
“Yes.”
“He took you to some of his family functions.”
“That’s right… Wait a second, I’ve seen you in the news. You’re Avery Daniel’s mystery husband.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at her.
“Yes, I am.”
“So, why are you here asking me about Ed?”
“Because I think you know something. You see, when Avery asked him about you, he was rather cagey. That made her suspicious.”
“And what? She sent her husband to track me down. How did you even find me?”
This wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought. Also, her reaction made me suspicious. Why was she being cagey about Ed? What did she know? I had to approach this carefully.
“Chuck Daniels.”
Her face dropped and she looked away.
“Look, I don’t know what you want me to say. I’m trying my best here with everything but dealing with them is difficult.”
“Dealing with who?”
She looked up at me, frowning.
“You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“I take care of them for Ed and Chuck.”
What the fuck was she talking about?
I stared at her, not sure if asking her further questions would make her suspicious or not. She fidgeted under my gaze for several moments, playing with the belt of her robe.
“The girls they have… They’re really fucked up, some of them. I try my hardest to make sure they don’t run off, but what their clients want to do to them… It’s not easy.”
I almost fucking lost it. She was involved in the shit too. And fucking Ed knows.
“You know who runs them.”
“Isn’t that why you’re here?”
I walked further into the room, uncrossing my arms. She knew who ‘The Collector’ was. And I was going to make her fucking well tell me.
“Who runs them, Flavia, if that’s even your real name.”
“You don’t know?”
“Listen to me very carefully, I’m not here to play fucking games with you. I want to know who runs them.”
She paled, taking a step back. I didn’t really give a shit if I was scaring her. She had the exact information I wanted. The information I’d been seeking for months, years even.
“What are you going to do if I don’t tell you?”
“You don’t want to know the answer to that question.”
She took another step back, putting her hands up.
“Okay, okay. Can you tell me one thing?”
I stopped, cocking my head to the side.
“What?”
“Are you going to stop them?”
“Yes.”
She dropped her hands, looking at the floor for a moment.
“Good. I don’t want to be a part of it any more. It’s horrible. Those girls don’t deserve it.”
“Tell me who runs them.”
“Ed does… He has done for six years and before that, it was that guy who got murdered, your wife’s father.”
As if I thought this couldn’t get worse, it just did. I expected it to be Troy or Arthur, but no, it was her fucking cousin. The one she work
ed with so fucking closely. Fuck. I needed to get to her office. I needed to fucking make sure she was safe.
“Do you know where they are, the girls?”
She shook her head.
“No, they blindfold me when they take me back to the house. I couldn’t tell you where it is.”
“What else do you know?”
“Not much, I promise. I help them when they’re unable to perform. I patch them up. I was a nurse before.”
It made me sick to think that they were damaged enough that they required medical attention.
“When I leave, you’re not going to tell anyone I was here or I will take you down too. Do you understand?”
She nodded, fear in her blue eyes. I wasn’t above threatening a woman who was complicit in the sex trafficking Avery’s family was involved in. I didn’t care if she was coerced or not.
“I want to hear you say it.”
“I promise, I won’t tell Ed or Chuck. I swear. Shit, please, I just want all of this to be over. I’m so tired of it. I don’t want their money. All I wanted was to be a nurse, but they got me hooked on heroin and… well… you can imagine the rest. I need my fix.”
I didn’t really feel much sympathy for her. It was shit that the fucking Daniels had got her hooked on drugs, but that’s where my compassion ended. Anyone who was involved in their sick business was just as bad as them.
“Good. Keep that fucking promise. I’m not a nice guy, Flavia. I don’t take kindly to people involved in the Daniels and their shit. I suggest you find some other way to get your fix because the Daniels are going down in flames.”
Her blue eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything else. I turned and stalked out of the room. I wasn’t sure she’d keep that promise, but I didn’t have time to waste. I had to get to my wife before she decided to blab. I shoved my way back through the club and got out on the street after I grabbed my helmet from the doorman.
I got on my bike, which was parked in the alley, and made my way into the city centre. Parking the bike up nearby, I walked into Avery’s building. The receptionist knew who I was so she waved at me. I nodded and got in the lift, pressing the button for the top floor. I paced the small enclosed space, feeling anxiety coiling in my chest.
I pulled out my phone, firing off a quick text to her.