by Nicola Jane
“Yes, thank you.”
“Are you sure, you look upset?”
“I’m fine.”
“I know he’s a handful and all…” she leaves that statement in the air, it feels like a claim to him. She twists a lock of her hair around her finger, her perfectly manicured nail glimmering in the light. “Do you like him?”
“That’s none of your business,” I sigh.
“Oh god, you poor little thing,” her tone has turned mocking and my body goes on high alert, adrenaline pumping out. She covers her mouth in mock horror, “You really do.”
“What’s it got to do with you?”
“You know who he is right?” she says, almost laughing, “You think someone of his stature, a mafia boss, would ever go for someone like you? He likes me because I’m pure, saving myself especially for our wedding night.”
“What are you talking about?” My heart hammers wildly in my chest, my mind is still going over the word ‘mafia boss.’
“You’re just a game to him. A chance for him to win a bet with my brother.” She tips her head to one side and pouts out her bottom lip, “He wants me, but to get me, he needs my brother’s help to get my father’s approval. You’re a means to an end. And by the state of you, it looks like he’s won!” She turns on her heel and saunters back to the table, settling next to her brother, who’s watching me closely.
I rush to the elevator. I need to get out of here, I can’t breathe. I push the button several times and after what seems like hours but must only be a few seconds, it pings open. I sigh in relief as I step inside and push for the ground floor. I see Tag come out of the bedroom just as the doors begin to close. His eyes lock with mine and then he runs towards me but it’s too late. The doors slide closed and the elevator begins its decent.
My mind races, what the hell was that. I want to believe that it isn’t true but why would she lie to me. I picture her smug face as those words spilled from her mouth.
My cell buzzes in my bag and I pull it free to see Tag’s name flashing up. I cancel the call. The elevator pings open and I rush out of the hotel and break out into the fresh air. The street is pretty quiet with just the odd weekend runner passing by. A cab pulls up, dropping off a business man in a suit. As soon as he steps out, I dive in and ask the driver to take me to Tyra’s place. If anyone knows the truth about Tag, then it’ll be her.
When I arrive a few minutes later, I press the call button for Tyra’s apartment. It takes me several attempts before her sleepy voice croaks Hello, and I sigh in relief. “Ty, it’s Luce. Let me up,” I say.
I find Tyra leaning against her kitchen counter, her head in her hands and the coffee pot making a gurgling sound as it comes to life. “What the hell sort of time do you call this?” she groans.
“Ty, what do you know about Tag?” I ask and she uncovers her face and frowns at me.
“You woke me up at this ungodly hour to ask about lover boy?” she growls.
“It’s really important,” I say, desperation in my voice, “I just had a run in with his friend’s sister. She said some shit that I can’t get my head around.”
Tyra moves to the coffee machine and fills two mugs. She passes me one and we both head into the living room and take a seat on her over-sized couch. “Okay, start from the beginning,” she prompts.
“He told me that this chick is really into him and he goes along with it because he doesn’t want to upset her father, that he’d kill him, I didn’t think he was serious but this morning, she told me that Tag was some kind of mafia boss, is that true?”
“There are rumors that he’s in with the mafia but come on Luce, how much of that is really true. That stuff is in movies! He’s probably getting a bad reputation because of his MMA stuff.”
“But why would she say that? She told me that Tag is using me to win a bet with her brother. That he’s doing it to get help from her brother to win her father’s approval, I mean, that shit sounds mafia to me.”
“Well has he ever given you any reason to think he’s not one hundred percent into you?”
I think for a moment and then shake my head. “Not until today,” I sigh.
“Then I wouldn’t worry. Maybe she is just a crazed fan or something. You know how girls get over gorgeous men.”
“I caught him roughing up a restaurant owner once.”
“Right, so that means he must be a mafia boss,” scoffs Tyra, “Besides, he wouldn’t be doing the dirty work himself if he was a big boss. He’d have soldiers for that.”
“Maybe. But that gives me an idea. We could go and ask the restaurant owner?”
“We?” repeats Tyra, raising her eyebrows.
“Well you are the journalist. Maybe you could get a big story out of all this?” I look into the distance, “Journalist uncovers London Mafia!” I spread my hands out like I’m revealing the headline and Tyra grins wide. I don’t tell her that if the story is true, we might be in danger. I doubt the Mafia would like their shit exposed all over the London Gazette.
“Let me get dressed.” She rushes to her bedroom enthusiastically.
I pull out my cell while I wait. There’s a text message from Tag telling me that he’s at my apartment and I need to hear him out. I contemplate texting back but the stubborn bitch in me refuses to engage in conversation until I know what’s lies and what’s not.
When we arrive at the restaurant it’s closed. It’s still early but we don’t give up. Instead we go around the back where we find a teenage boy smoking a cigarette. He eyes us suspiciously. “We’re looking for the owner.”
“Why?”
“It’s really important. Tell him we’re friends of Tag,” says Tyra coolly.
The teenager pales, flicks his cigarette and then rushes inside. “Great, you’ve scared him off,” I hiss, “Why’d yah mention Tag.”
I’m turning to leave, when the back door opens again and the owner steps out cautiously. “Who are you?” he snaps.
I turn and offer a small smile. “Hey, I’m Lucy. I came here with Tag a few weeks ago. He roughed you up.”
“What of it?”
“I just had a question for you, I was hoping you could help me. Tag doesn’t know I’m here.”
He looks around suspiciously and then opens the door wider for us to go inside. The back room is dark and dirty. A wooden table sits against the wall with a few stools placed around it. We sit down and the guy remains standing, like he wants to bolt out of here. “You know what he’d do if he caught you sneaking around behind his back asking questions?” he asks, sticking a cigarette into his mouth and lighting it.
“What would he do?” asks Tyra.
“If you know him like you say you do, then you’d already know the answer to that!”
“Actually,” I cut in, “That’s why I’m here. I thought I knew him pretty well but I think he’s been hiding things from me. Like who he actually is.”
“And you thought by coming here, I’d confess all?” He laughs, blowing smoke from his mouth and then coughing.
“How much money do you owe him?” I ask.
He scowls at me, “Too much.”
“I’ll pay it off. All of it, if you tell me what I want to know.” That wasn’t my original plan but I didn’t expect this to be such hard work.
“I’m not being rude, but you have no idea what you’re asking of me.”
“It won’t go any further than this room,” I say, my tone begging.
“My friend just needs to know how far she should run from Tag?” says Tyra, and I know by her tone that she isn’t taking this seriously at all.
“Far, as far as she can,” he says coldly, “And then when you think you’re far enough, run a little more.”
“I was told he’s some kind of boss in a gang?”
He laughs, shaking his head,” Jesus, you have no idea.”
“So he’s a mafia boss?” says Tyra, almost laughing. Her smile fades when the guy stares her down.
“You think this is a
joke? That these men don’t exist? I bet you lay your pretty little head on your soft white pillow every night dreaming of unicorns and girly nights out drinking champagne,” he sneers, “The rest of us skulk around in the shadows trying not to be seen by men like him, sleeping with one eye open in case men like Tag, turn up to kill my family in their sleep. Tag isn’t fussy, he’ll put a bullet in my wife's head before my eyes if it means he’s a step closer to becoming his father.”
I exchange a look with Tyra and then rise to my feet. “That’s all I needed to know,” I mutter.
“The truth isn’t pretty is it? Whatever you were told about him was probably true. If you want to keep dreaming of unicorns then stay the hell away from him. Him and Anton.”
“His friend?” I say and he nods.
“Anton is the son of the boss. A lethal fucker that would smile while slitting your throat. Then there’s his sister, the apple of his father’s eye but just as fucked up.”
I head for the door, followed closely by Tyra. “I’ll be back in touch about the money,” I add before leaving.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Tag
“I want her found now,” I hiss into my cell. I disconnect the call with Dan. I pace the hotel room again. Lucy has disappeared, she wasn't at her apartment and Dan can’t track her cell.
“Whets the big deal?” whines Ella sulkily.
“Did you do it so your brother wins the bet?” I growl.
She flinches. “No.”
“The condom split,” I snap and Ella rears back like I’ve slapped her. “And now, she might not take the morning after pill as one last fuck you!”
“Then you need to find her,” she snaps, standing.
“What do you think I’m trying to do?” I shout. I run my fingers through my tousled hair in frustration. When Ella confessed to telling Lucy about my bet, I could have squeezed her throat until she choked to death. I don’t study that feeling too much but I’m pretty sure that it has nothing to do with me losing the bet and more to do with the fact that I’m not ready yet, not ready to give Lucy up.
My cell buzzes to indicate a text. When I see Lucy’s name I almost cheer in relief. I open the text and frown at the words, ‘I know who you are, what you are. I think it’s best we end it. I don’t want to see you again.’ I rub the pain in my chest and bite on my lower lip. These emotions are new to me and I don’t like how they feel.
“Is that her?” asks Ella and I nod. “Are you going to take her to get the pill?”
I ignore her, her voice is irritating me. I type out a text, ‘What about the morning after pill?’ It’s insensitive but I won’t beg her to talk and I won’t beg her to understand. I am who I am and if she doesn’t like that then she isn’t the girl for me. My heart will understand that in time.
Her reply comes through almost straight away, ‘Don’t worry, the last person I’d have a baby with is you.’ I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
‘I need to know you’ve taken it. Meet me at the Pharmacy on the High Street in twenty minutes!’ If she truly knows who I am she won’t stand me up. A sick part of me needs to see her one last time.
I head for the door, grabbing my car keys. “Where are you going?”
“I need to not be near you right now Ella,” I snap and then I leave.
A short time later, I’m waiting in my car across the street from the Pharmacy, tapping my fingers patiently against the steering wheel. It’s been twenty minutes exactly when I see her walking up the street. She stops outside the Pharmacy, folding her arms across her chest. I step out of the car, putting my shades in place and heading over the road towards where she stands. I don’t speak to her as I head inside, pushing the door hard and waiting for her to follow me inside. I approach the counter and lift my shades onto my head. “We need the morning after pill,” I say to the assistant.
“Okay, follow me,” she says and we go into a side room. I lower into a chair and I notice Lucy slide the chair beside me, further away before she sits down.
The assistant goes through some personal questions to Lucy. I pull out my cell and pretend to take no notice as she reals off her answers. The fact that she confesses to taking this pill more than once irks me, I don’t want to think about Lucy with any other men.
The assistant gives the pill to Lucy and she swallows it down in one, giving me a hard stare while she gulps some water from a bottle. She turns to me and opens her mouth wide, lifting her tongue so that I can see it’s gone. “Enough,” I growl, annoyed at her childish antics.
We leave after I’ve paid the bill, stepping out into the fresh morning air. Lucy goes to walk away but I grab her arm and march her towards my car. I didn’t plan on a little reunion, but my cool is resolving by the second and the need to talk to her is overwhelming.
I open the passenger side and shove her into the seat. “Stay put. If you get back out of this car, I’ll tie you up!” Lucy’s face pales slightly and I hate the fact that I’ve scared her. I get into the driver’s side and start the engine. I don’t have a clue where to take her; I just know she needs to hear me out.
We drive in silence to a small apartment I own in Knights-bridge. I stay here when I need to escape it all. We drive into the underground car park. “Where are we?” she snaps.
“My apartment,” I answer and she grunts something to herself.
I turn to look at her for an explanation and she scowls at me, “Well it all makes sense now that I actually know. The apartments, the big hotels, god I’m such an idiot.”
I choose not to reply, what can I say. I go around to the passenger side and pull her from the car, she fights me, pulling her arm free but following me none the less. She really must know about me. We step into the small elevator and I resist the urge to kiss her even though the pull is so strong I have to squeeze my fists into balls.
I unlock the apartment door and step aside so she can go in first, I don’t want to risk her running. She looks around. It’s smaller than my other apartment but it’s just right for one person. Now that I’ve lost the bet, I’ll be spending more time here. “I really don't want to hear what you’ve got to say!”
“Sit,” I order, pointing to the couch. I can see that she’s torn, she wants to tell me to piss off but she’s warring with herself. “Say it,” I push, “You would have said it before you knew.”
“Well its different now I know,” she snaps, “You might slit my throat!”
“Maybe,” I mutter, “Then I can go on living my life knowing that no one else can have you.”
She raises her eyebrows and shifts uncomfortably before taking a seat. “Fucking psycho,” she almost whispers. “Why me?” she adds and it pulls at my heart strings that I didn’t know existed before now.
“Wrong place, wrong time. You challenged me, by pushing me away you became a challenge that I needed to achieve.”
“So, the numbers on the cards?” she asks.
“A different challenge. A stupid game. We give the cards out as a rating score. We start the month with one hundred points, the aim is to get the lowest score.”
“Where did I come on the scale?” she asks coldly and I sigh.
“The scale is to twenty.”
“Wow, I was a halfway score. So why didn’t you go for twenty instead of my measly ten?”
“I did,” I admit. “First.” A look crosses Lucy’s face, like she’s been sucker punched. “Sometimes we can sleep with lots of different girls in a night. You caught my eye.”
“Lucky me,” she mumbles.
“If it makes a difference, I argued that you should have been higher but number ten was the last card left and when Anton saw you. Then you turned me down and I was intrigued. I stupidly upped the stakes, telling Anton that I could get you to fall for me if he would back me with his father.”
“It doesn’t make a difference. You know how childish this all sounds right?” she snaps, standing. I tower over her, she isn’t leaving yet, I’m not ready.
“Sit. Down,” I say firmly. She lowers again, swallowing hard.
“Back you about what?” she asks.
“To allow me to marry his daughter.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret them. It’s the truth and she deserves that but it hurts us both. “It wasn’t supposed to go this far. I wanted to pull out when I realized how nice you were but it was too late, Anton wouldn’t let me pull out.” She remains quiet, her eyes full off hate. “That’s why I was so annoyed that you’d ended things with your boyfriend. I didn’t want to ruin your life.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. I ended things with him because I’m a loyal person,” she snaps, “Because if I was going to get to know you, then it meant that I wasn’t happy with him. You don’t look elsewhere if you’re happy.”
“Not because you fell for me?” I ask hopefully, at least I could still win the bet if nothing else.
“Maybe I did Tag, I definitely wanted to see where it could go but then I find out it was all fake.” Lucy laughs coldly. I hate that she looks so wounded and it’s all because of me.
“I’m sorry Lucy, I really am.”
“Was any of it real?” she asks.
I nod my head, “More that I should have allowed,” I admit.
“And you’re in the mafia?” she blurts out. I don’t answer her, what would it achieve.
“You should go and find that boyfriend of yours and sort shit out.”
She shakes her head, “No, I’m done there. I’m going to enjoy being single for a while. Noah really wasn’t a nice person. I seem to be a magnet for it,” she laughs again.
“If you need anything,” I offer and she shakes her head again, letting me know that she won’t come to me for help. “I’ll take you home.” I offer.
“No,” she says quietly, “Let’s not drag it out.”
“Just one thing before you go.” I pull out a piece of paper and hold it out to her. “In case you wanted to know, this is your father, your real one. If you don’t want it, just throw it away but I thought you should at least have the opportunity to know who he is and actually, he’s a good guy, I know of him.”