Branded

by Scarlett Finn

  “Then why don’t we?” he asked. Her eyes opened again to find his. “Why don’t we stay here for a few days? There’s nothing we need to do out there that won’t still be there. Jonno’s buddies will wait, we’ll find them, they’re not going anywhere. Tag, if he’s really your buddy and you’re as close as you say, he’ll understand that you need some time to yourself.”

  “And if anyone comes looking for us?”

  “Squirm, you’ve gotta learn. When I’m around, there’s nothing that can hurt you. Nothing in this fucking world I’d let touch you.”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “I’m not sure.”

  “Listen, what’s the worst that can happen? We stay here for as long as we need to, could be a day, could be a week, could be a month. As soon as you’re ready to go out and face the world again, we’ll do it. We’ll go back to the fight. You’ll make up with Tag and we’ll find the bastards you want hunted down. We’ll take it one day at a time. Right now, you want to stay here, you want to screw. I can get on board with that.”

  And he was right, there was nothing stopping them from doing just that. She could text Tag and tell him that she was alive, tell him that she would explain everything, that she needed some time off to regroup and remind herself of who she was. It would give her time to breathe and refocus.

  “Ok,” she said. “But just a few days.”

  “However long you need,” he said.

  fourteen

  It turned out that however long she needed was four days. They spent four days in her apartment. The only time they went out was to do a grocery run because her cupboards were bare. Archer wasn’t one for a vegetarian diet, and most of the food that Nya had in her fridge had spoiled while she was living on Archer’s bathroom floor.

  It was four wonderful days and she probably could’ve stayed for four more. She probably could have stayed for forty, but she’d achieved her goal. She was relaxed, sated, and was starting to fear she was falling in love.

  When that thought struck her in the shower on the morning of the fifth day, she realized she had to get out of their bubble. Locking themselves inside was a great plan, but one day the bubble would have to burst. That could be catastrophic for them, the relationship, and all the plans they had as well as their deal… unless she controlled the explosion.

  Tag was still out there and he had been playing on her mind. She wanted him to know that she hadn’t turned her back on him. She hadn’t used him or meant to hurt him. She had to explain.

  Although when it came to her relationship with Archer, she didn’t know where to begin.

  The last thing that she wanted was for Tag to think that she’d been sleeping with Archer all along. That somehow she’d played him by going to stay with him only to steal the money and return it to her lover, which, of course, Archer hadn’t been at that time.

  The only way she could get that across to Tag was to look him in the eye and to tell him the truth. Well, some version of the truth. Archer said that the truth always came out and she knew that was probably true. But if she told Tag the truth, the whole truth, he wouldn’t understand.

  Saying goodbye to Archer was actually quite difficult. She’d never been particularly needy when it came to men. She’d always been able to give them a kiss and a “See ya later,” and she never really listened to the, “I’ll call you,” that they tended to toss back.

  This time she did.

  Archer had insisted on driving her to Tag’s and he’d taken some convincing, but she was going up alone. Archer had his own life to deal with and she knew that four days locked in her apartment must have set his plans back.

  So he stopped the car around the corner from the main entrance of Tag’s apartment block, out of view of any of Tag’s colleagues who may be going in or out. She’d kissed him, more thoroughly than he’d kissed her, and then waited because he had to come around and let her out. Nya had expected another kiss on the sidewalk, but she didn’t get one.

  He scooped her chin, locked their eyes, and she was disappointed when she realized he wasn’t going to join their mouths. But she supposed she’d learned something about him in the last four days and the other time they’d spent together: someone was always watching. Archer was always aware of that.

  Standing on the sidewalk alone, she’d waited for him to drive off. The car didn’t move and he gestured toward the corner: he wasn’t going to go anywhere until she went inside.

  Swinging her hips as she sashayed down the sidewalk, she went to the corner. Archer rolled the car forward until he had a clear view down the block to where the apartment entrance was and he was still there when she moved into the revolving door.

  Putting Archer out of her mind, she strode into the elevator, rode up and went over to knock on Tag’s apartment door. Waiting for a response seemed to take hours. It didn’t. It only took a few seconds for the chain on the other side of the door to rattle and then the handle was turning and she was holding her breath waiting to see who would be on the other side.

  She expected it to be Gio, she didn’t know if he would be smiling or frowning, although the latter was so unlike him that she wouldn’t know how to address him if he was. But it wasn’t Gio. She kind of recognized the guy who answered the door from when she’d stayed before, but she didn’t know him as a friend.

  Tag had mixed up his ranks and that was something that he hadn’t done for a long time, which further perplexed her. So many of his behaviors recently made no sense, like being in this place, and the people he was surrounding himself with. The fact that he was staying inside was weird too as was his refusal to fight his own battles. It wasn’t typical for him to ignore debts either. But they had enough issues in their friendship at the moment without her storming in and being confrontational about his secrets.

  Although she didn’t recognize the man on the other side of the threshold, he must have recognized her because he stepped back and allowed her inside. He pointed to the top door that she knew led to the living area and proceeded to close the front door, fastening the locks in turn, and she noted there were a couple of new chains.

  Nya had never been nervous when going to face Tag before, yet for some reason, she was now, and she couldn’t put her finger on why. As much as she didn’t know what was on the other side of the door, that shouldn’t make her nervous, not when she knew this was Tag’s domain, because he would never let anything bad happen to her.

  Tag wouldn’t be expecting her. She’d thought about phoning or texting, but she hadn’t, mostly because she knew there was so much to address between them that she didn’t want to have half a conversation before seeing him face to face, and he’d never had a problem with her just showing up before.

  So she went up the hallway and through the door that took her into the living space. Tag and Gio were seated at the kitchen table and there were a couple of guys on the couch at the end of the room watching something on the television. Everyone looked at her, but Tag was the only person she was interested in.

  “Hey,” she said, clutching the strap of her purse that hung across her body.

  Tag was calm and didn’t look angry, but he didn’t look overjoyed to see her either. “I figured you’d show up,” Tag said, pushing back in his seat.

  Out of curiosity more than anything else, she glanced at Gio. In all the years she’d known him, he’d always greeted her with a smile. But he wasn’t smiling today. “Where’s your boyfriend?” he asked.

  So it was going to be one of those. He was going to be snide and she was supposed to react. Nya wasn’t sure what reaction he wanted. If he wanted a denial, or if he wanted her to argue or cry or beg for forgiveness, he’d be disappointed.

  Usually if she felt uncomfortable in Tag’s presence, even if she didn’t, Tag would leap in to defend her. But he said nothing. “Not here,” she said to Gio because it was the truth. Archer wasn’t there.

  “So it’s true,” Tag said. “You are with him?”

  “I told you,” Gio sai
d to him. “I didn’t want to believe it either. I didn’t think she’d be that dumb.”

  Her patience snapped. “Just what is your problem with him?” she asked and she wasn’t too sure exactly who she was addressing whether it was the snide Gio or the aloof Tag. But both of them had an issue they weren’t disguising in their manner.

  “We’re worried about you,” Tag said.

  She’d heard the words from him so many times before that she believed them. “Why should you be worried?” she asked. “You have nothing to worry about.”

  Tag made a whistling sound and sent the other boys out with a wave of his hand. Nya moved further towards the kitchen to give the men space to use the door that had been at her back. Gio stayed put, which was unusual, making her think that her scenario had been discussed. Her arrival here had been anticipated and this was the orchestrated response that they’d come up with.

  “Are you pissed about the money?” she asked Tag. “Is that what this is about? Because you can make fifty, sixty grand a month with what you do. You wouldn’t miss it. You know I wouldn’t have taken it if—”

  “This has nothing to do with the money,” Tag said. “It’s to do with you. You don’t understand who he is, what he does, or what he’s capable of.”

  “I understand,” she said. She did understand that Archer could be dangerous, she didn’t need anyone else to explain that to her. A wave of defensiveness overcame her. “I understand what he does, why he does it, and who he does it for. I understand.”

  Curious concern swept over Tag. “You can’t possibly,” he said, opening his fingers on the glass tabletop. “I don’t believe you would know who he is and want to be with him like…” Tag and Gio shared a look. “Like you have been.”

  “Why not?” she asked. “I’ve seen what men can do, what people are capable of doing to each other. You know that. You know me better than anyone. You know that I don’t judge people.”

  “He’s too hard for you,” Tag said. “He’s too dangerous. You’ll get caught up in—”

  “What?” she asked because she was in no mood for hypocrisy. Striding to the table, she rested her hands on the back of the chair at the foot of the table. “I’ve been a part of your life for fifteen years. I know what you do. I don’t ask questions. I keep my nose out and you’ve never gotten me dirty.” Until now.

  “Because I don’t want you dirty,” Tag said. “Do you know how hard I work to keep you clean? To keep you out of this? To keep you safe?”

  “I don’t need to be wrapped up and kept safe,” she replied. “And Archer would never let anything happen to me.”

  This was the last straw that made Tag’s anger snap. “What is it about him? Hmm?” Tag asked. “What’s so damn appealing? Is it the danger? Is it the whole bad boy thing? You’re turned on by his evil? His anger?”

  “He’s not evil,” she said, trying not to lose her temper, which in itself was an achievement for her.

  In all the time they’d spent at the restaurant and over the last four days, she’d talked about Tag with Archer a few times. Not so much in regards to her current situation, but he’d come up when they spoke about previous stories because Tag had always been a big part of her life. One thing she’d failed to ask about was Archer’s previous dealings with Tag and their history beyond the one event Tag had mentioned.

  Did they have a relationship? A solid relationship? She made a mental note to ask Archer later, but faced with Tag, she asked him now.

  “What is your problem with him? I’ve been out with guys before, plenty of them, guys with no job, no money, no prospects, I’ve been out with guys who’ve slapped me stupid—”

  “Yeah, and how many times have I taken them down?” Tag asked. “And I’ll keep doing it. Just because this guy’s tougher than the rest doesn’t mean that I won’t start a war for you.”

  But what she wanted was peace. “That’s not what I want,” she said. “I want you to get along. I want you to understand. I want you to give him a chance.”

  “Why would I do that?” Tag asked. “I don’t trust him. I don’t like him.”

  She didn’t fail to see the irony, just as she’d convinced Archer to give Tag a chance, here Tag was putting up a brick wall and refusing to do the same, declaring he would never trust the man she was beginning a relationship with.

  “What do you want me to do?” she asked. “You want me just to dump him and walk away because you say I should? I don’t think he’ll give me up that easily.”

  “There,” Tag said, slapping a hand on the table as he stood. “That right there, is the reason I don’t like him. Because you’re right, Archer gets what he wants and he does whatever it takes to get it. He wanted that money and I don’t know how, but he manipulated you into getting it for him.”

  “I thought you said this wasn’t about the money,” she said.

  “It’s not.”

  Gio’s head moved as his attention bobbed back and forth between the speakers. She wondered why he was here acting like he was watching some tennis game of back and forth. Eavesdropping on their conversation that would normally be private, pissing her off just by being present.

  “Why is he here?” she asked, pointing at Gio. “Why do you need a witness?”

  “I don’t need a witness,” Tag said and nodded at Gio, indicating for him to head to the door.

  Gio got out of his chair, but was hesitant to leave. “Boss, I can—”

  “Go,” Tag said, cutting him off. That word spoken with authority was the most like himself she’d seen Tag in a while. “We’ll finish later.”

  Gio’s scowl touched her again and she was offended and a little bit hurt that he had so quickly turned on her. They’d been friends for years, shared many good times, commiserated and celebrated together and here he was glaring at her because he didn’t like the man she was sharing her bed with.

  After Gio was gone, she took her purse off over her head, put it on the table and moved around to get closer to Tag. It didn’t feel right for them to be standing at opposite ends of the table when she was so used to being at his side.

  “What’s going on?” she asked because she couldn’t believe his strop was all about her choice of boyfriend. She’d been out with plenty of guys who Tag didn’t like and it had never caused him to react this way. “Talk to me.” Taking one of his hands in both of hers, she seated herself in the perpendicular position to his place at the head of the table. “Why are you in this apartment? In this neighborhood? Why are you shut up inside, never going out, never coming to me. Never taking me out. Why did you shut Archer down when you owed him money? Why are you dealing with guys I’ve never seen before? None of this makes sense.”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  The way he sank down in his chair, slouching with his back hunched and his arms sagging at his sides, she could tell whatever was going on was taking its toll. He was exhausted, there were bags under his eyes, his hair was a mess, and he just didn’t look like himself.

  “I’m still your friend,” she said. “Whatever shit’s going on between us or however much you want to hate me, you know I’ve stuck by you through everything and I will always be here for you. Please tell me. Show me that you still trust me.”

  Maybe he was just at the end of his rope, maybe he had no fight left, or maybe she just knew how to work him because this was the way it always happened. Tag would tell her not to worry, tell her he was fine, put her off, make excuses. But as long as she kept poking and prodding, inching her way closer, he would always eventually tell her the truth.

  He rubbed a hand across his forehead and let it fall to the table. “The day I lost three guys.” And she assumed he was talking of the trap he’d accused Archer of sending his men into. “I told you I lost three guys?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  “What I didn’t tell you.” When he stopped to take a breath, she wasn’t sure if he was hesitant because he felt guilt or because he was worried about what her reaction migh
t be and that it may be negative. “Four other guys died that day, guys from the other side… See we knew there was a shipment coming into a warehouse. We knew there was money in the merchandise and I had to have it. I thought it would be a quick job with a big payoff. In and out. Easy. What I didn’t know was at the last moment the guy we thought we were ripping off was bought out by a bigger fish. A guy known as Hexam. Nobody messes with Brett Hexam,” Tag said.

  “It was his guys in that warehouse?”

  He nodded. “And the shipment was bigger than we thought. But my guys didn’t know who they were dealing with. They didn’t know to back off. I wasn’t there. I would’ve told them to split if I’d known. But they had their orders and they went in. There was a gunfight; three of my men went down, four of his. My guys who were left managed to grab part of the shipment, not all of it, but a decent amount that was already loaded up.”

  At last, some honesty. Nya didn’t judge her friend, she felt lighter now that he’d confessed. “Is that why you think, Archer led you into a trap? You think he would’ve known the shipment changed hands before you got there?”

  Tag got tense again. “He did know. He had to. He would never have been able to trace that shipment unless he knew who it belonged to.”

  Ok, she could understand why Tag was pissed off that he didn’t get that information and she could already hear Archer arguing that Tag hadn’t paid him for those details. Tag had paid for the location and Archer had handed it over. He hadn’t paid for confirmation on who the drugs actually belonged to. The deal was muddy, on both sides, everybody’s hands were dirty and seven men were dead.

  “And now Hexam’s not happy?” she asked, assuming that if he’d lost four men and had a chunk of his product pilfered that this gangster Tag spoke of would be baying for blood.