"Have you got an aunt?" I shook my head, "What about the rest of your family? Are they local?"
I moved slightly so that I could remove the bottom sheet, "No, they're all dead." I whispered as I moved around the bed.
"I'm sorry to hear that darling but your secret's safe with me." She glanced at her watch, "You've been here a while now, do you think they've gone?"
I rolled the dirty sheet into a ball and threw it into the clothes basket in the corner of the room, "Nah, they'll be waiting for me."
"And will you be okay? Do you need me to call anyone for you?"
She was a sweet lady, I didn't know her well but I'd heard that she'd brought up five kids on her own. That had obviously made her hard and she didn't suffer fools gladly.
I closed the distance between us and bent down to give her a chaste kiss on her forehead, "I've outstayed my welcome, I'm gonna make a move and please don't worry about me, I'll be fine." I winked at Margaret before turning to make my way towards the door.
"You're welcome here any time."
"Thank you." I stated walking towards the door but turned back around briefly to see her continue making the bed, "Margaret, can I ask you one last favour?" she nodded her head and stopped what she was doing to give me her full attention. "If they return once I've gone could you let me know? I'll be staying at the Travel Lodge in Enfield."
"Of course I will." Margaret stated sincerely.
I smiled and turned to leave the room, making my way along the corridor hoping that my words were true.
"Are you boys checking up on me?" I asked as I made my way across the car park towards my motorcycle. Hustler was leaning on my ride and glared as I approached, "And you can get your fucking arse of my ride." I stated as I neared.
Hustler grinned before pushing off and strolled over to join Fix on the pavement. "And to what do I owe this pleasure?" I asked as I lifted my leg to sit on the seat.
"Just making sure you're okay," Fix stated as he crossed his arms.
I didn't trust him, he'd moved into Priests' role far too easy as Polar's confidant over recent years.
"So you travelled one hundred miles to make sure that I was okay." I placed both hands on my chest close to my heart, "I feel honoured guys."
Fix and Hustler glanced at each other with an unreadable expression before turning their attention back to me. "How's your aunt?" Hustler asked placing his hands into his pockets.
"Forgetful!" I didn't want to discuss my imaginary aunt, if I told too many lies I was worried that I'd eventually slip up.
Fix laughed at my comment in reference to her dementia, "Come on Hustler, I don't want to be standing around here all day. We've got a long ride ahead." Fix tapped him on the back before he made his way over to his ride.
Hustler stepped forward and prodded me in the chest, "We're watching your every move Saviour, don't forget it."
I sniggered and glanced down at his finger on my cut, "And what do you think I'm up too? Help me out here Hustler because I'm a little confused." I opened my arms wide goading him as I stepped forward to get in his face. My movement made him remove his finger from my chest and his eyes widened at my confrontation. I wasn't scared of his threats, I wasn't scared of anything these days. I'd become hardened over the years almost blasé of the consequences of my actions with just one thing etched on my mind.
"Something ain't right but I'll get to the bottom of it." He regained his composure and puffed out his chest.
"Hustler, leave it be. Come on I want to go home." Fix shouted over the roar of his Harley.
"Yeah Hustler, listen to your mate." I sneered.
Hustler narrowed his eyes and stared in silence before turning on his heels to walk towards his motorcycle.
I nodded towards Fix before I mounted my ride and took my time to sort myself out trying to stall for time to make sure they left the car park before I set off. Now that I knew they'd followed me I couldn't go home for sure, I couldn't risk them finding out where I lived.
I rode around for a while trying to get my bearings and find the hotel that I now needed to stay at. I didn't do public settings if I could help it but I need to in order to keep myself safe.
"Hi Locke, how are things?" CJ asked almost sounding surprised that I'd called him.
"Shit but I'll tell you about it later. I need picking up."
"Are you in town then?" CJ asked excitedly.
"Yeah. Bring a clean vehicle and meet me on Lindon Lane a couple of roads down from the Travel Lodge in Enfield. How long before you get here?"
"Well if I leave shortly I can be with you in thirty minutes."
"Great." I hung up and threw my mobile onto the mattress as I sat holding my head in my hands. What the fuck had gone on this afternoon? Polar was a complete fucking arsehole and I needed to end it sooner rather than later or he'd go on hurting and killing people that I cared about. I needed to drown my sorrows this evening and take a well deserved break for the next couple of days but had decided that when I returned, I was going to step it up and kill the mother fucker. I couldn't keep living like this it was doing me in and I couldn't move on and see any type of future for myself while I had this shit hanging over my head.
The bleeping from my phone brought me into the here and now. I lifted my mobile to see that CJ had just left, which meant I didn't have long to take a quick shower and get changed for the night ahead where I planned to get absolutely shit faced and try to get laid because I was currently on a drought.
Once I was cleaned up, I removed the side panel from the bath and hid my notepad inside so that if the hotel room was ransacked the book would hopefully be safe. I didn't want it falling into the wrong hands as it revealed too much.
As I stood I caught sight of my reflection, it was a great feeling to remove the scruff from my chin and chest as I'd never been one for the natural look. I'd purposely grown my beard when returning to the Midlands, Polar and Onyx probably wouldn't have known it was me just from seeing the scar on my face but it gave me my own piece of mind knowing that it was covered up.
I glanced at my watch and saw that I needed to get a move on if I wasn't going to be late for CJ. I grabbed my leather jacket and wallet from the chair, and opened the door slowly so that I could glance down the corridor to see whether the coast was clear. I didn't want to risk being caught and worse of all being followed this evening although the vehicle CJ was picking me up in would be clean.
I made my way through the staff quarters thinking that this would be my best opportunity to be able to slip away undetected should the guys have followed me here.
"Excuse me, you can't be back here."
I turned to see where the voice had come from and saw a scrawny looking man further down the corridor behind me.
"Well stop fucking talking to me and I'll just happily make my way out. Fucking jobs worth!" I turned on my heels and made my way through the corridor towards the exit and pushed the door open slowly to step into the darkness of the staff car park. Smelling smoke, I glanced to my right noticing two staff members having a cigarette deep in their own conversation to notice me. I strolled past them and made my way from the car park onto the main street breathing a sigh of relief when I noticed that the road was clear of threat and mingled quickly with the passing pedestrians.
"Fucking hell I need to get drunk." CJ sniggered as I slumped into the front seat of the 4x4.
"Where do you want to go?" CJ asked as he started the ignition and looked at me.
I pondered his question, I didn't know where I wanted to go. "Not sure but it must have alcohol and lots of fit women."
"Well it's gotta be Bar Form and then Azure."
"I'm not eighteen."
"Well, I'm assuming that you don't want to be recognised this evening and I know that none of our associates would be seen dead in either of those places." He continued to stare at me waiting for a response. That's one of the reasons CJ and I got on so well. Although ten years apart in age, we hit it off straight a
way and had built a close relationship over the past three years. He just gets me, when I'm in a mood he is happy not push me but when I'm being an arse he's happy to pull me up on my shit. CJ was a true friend that I didn't even have to tell him what was up this evening, he just knew that I needed to get away from things and was happy to do just that.
I chewed the inside of my mouth and nodded as a smile spread across CJ's face. He was a good looking guy, ex-army and boxer so he was ripped in all the right places. Shit! I probably hadn't thought this through, he'd be pulling before me.
We arrived outside the pub, CJ parked the vehicle and turned towards me. "You're quiet this evening. Do you wanna talk about it?"
CJ had been my friend for three years and although we were close he still didn't know the full story as to why and where I would go. I purposely didn't tell CJ as to protect him, I knew that if I told him what I was up to he'd probably try to stop me or even get the Aces involved which I didn't want him to do. As far as he was concerned I was leading a double life but I led him to believe that I had a love interest in Birmingham and that's why I shared my time between the two places.
I let out a heavy sigh, "No."
"Is that no, shut the fuck up or no but maybe I'll talk to you later when I've loosened up after a few beers?"
I sniggered, CJ could always bring me out of my mood. "You know I'll start talking when I've got alcohol in my system."
"Right before you tell me that you love me."
I punched CJ playfully in the arm before I left the vehicle, "Fuck off!"
"She's fit." I pointed across the bar to a young lady in her twenties sitting with a guy.
CJ followed my eye line and smiled as he stood from his stool trying to get a closer look, "You're out of luck, she's holding that bloke's hand."
I scoffed, "He's got nothing on me."
CJ burst out laughing at my comment and slapped me on the back. The beauty glanced around the room and smiled as she caught my eye before returning her attention to her male company.
"Bartender." I shouted gaining his attention, the young bloke nodded and strolled over to our side of the bar.
"What can I get you?" he asked.
"See that couple over there," the bartender glanced in their direction and nodded. "What are they drinking?"
"One of them has been drinking Martini's and the other beer all night."
I nodded in their direction, "Send a Martini over to the lady." I handed him a note but became suspicious as his face lit up as he poured the drink.
"What's with the bartender?" I asked CJ as I sat back on my stool and knocked back a shot.
He shrugged, "He's probably surprised that men still send ladies drinks from across the room." I nudged him playfully making him spill his drink before it reached his mouth.
We watched as the bartender left the bar and walked across the bar towards the red head, interrupting her conversation as he placed the drink onto the table. He pointed in our direction and I lifted my drink letting her know that I'd sent it over, not giving a shit that she was sitting with a guy. I'd already checked him out, he wasn't as big built as me and the way I was feeling this evening I knew that I could take him.
"She's smiling." I stated to CJ as I watched in anticipation secretly hoping that she'd now come over and thank me personally.
I witnessed the bloke that she was sitting with lean over and take the drink, and suck through the straw seductively before he fluttered his fingers femininely in a camp wave.
CJ spat his drink over the bar as he roared with laughter, "That's why the bartender was smiling, he knew that the Martini was for him." CJ continued to howl at my expense and I could feel my cheeks flush slightly at the embarrassment of sending a guy a drink. What a prick!
"Get me another drink." I spat trying to gain my composure.
CJ called the same bartender over, "What's your name?"
He looked a little confused, "Pete." He stated sheepishly.
"Get us two beers, Pete." CJ held out a note for him to take but he refused by shaking his hand.
"These drinks gentlemen are courtesy of Declan."
"Declan? Who the fuck is Declan?" I asked glancing towards CJ before I turned my attention back to Pete.
He glanced in the direction of the bloke I'd just bought a drink for and smiled, "Declan is sitting right over there." He stated trying not to laugh as he removed the bottle tops from the beers and placed them onto the bar.
I rubbed my head as CJ sniggered, "Fucking hell, I need to get drunk. Give me that beer and line up the shots, I want to get wasted."
CJ wiggled his brows animatedly, "You can't drink too much, Declan may not like it."
"Fuck off and get these down you, One, two, three." I stated knocking back the shots of whiskey one after the other. I chased down the sting of the whiskey by taking a long swig of my beer, yeah, this is what I needed.
"So how long are you staying for?"
I turned towards CJ seeing his questioning look. "I don't know man maybe a couple of days, you know the deal. I'll try and make a point of coming back more often but you know I have other commitments."
"And will I ever get to meet these other commitments?" he asked raising his brows.
I sniggered, "Maybe one day." CJ had been hounding me for years to find out where I went on a regular basis and who I was going to see. I'd managed to dodge the majority of his questions over the years but that hadn't stopped him from being inquisitive and even trying to follow me.
"I've known you for three years Locke and I'm not any closer to finding out who you hang out with during this time." He let out a sigh and I rested my hand on his arm. "I feel like your cheating on me." CJ pouted taking the piss out of the situation.
I laughed hard, I could always rely on CJ to lighten the mood but I needed to explain the situation again.
"On a serious note it's best keeping it that way. You know that I wouldn't want to put you or the club in danger."
"It's doing my head in though. Duke's been hounding me lately trying to find out where you are and what you're up to. You gotta give me something man to get him off my back." CJ ran his hands through his short hair. "You turn up once or twice a month on a fleeting visit looking like your homeless with a chin full of hair."
I laughed at his analysis of the situation, I hated growing a beard but I liked the way it shielded the scar that Onyx had inflicted on me as a child. The couple of days that I spent in Essex a month were my release, I could have a shave, let loose and try to forget about my worries and plans for revenge if only for a couple of days.
Feeling a tap on my shoulder I lowered the bottle and turned to see Declan standing before me, I casually shifted my head to glance behind him to see the beautiful red head with an unreadable expression.
"Hey guys, I just wanted to thank you for my Martini." Declan said in a thick Irish accent with a broad smile, standing with his hand on his hips.
I was gob smacked, it wasn't like me to be lost for words but this good looking bloke who stood well over 6ft was actually coming on to me in front of my closest mate in a room full of people.
CJ was drinking as Declan spoke resulting in him quickly lowering his bottle to spit his drink everywhere through howls of laughter. I glanced at him disapprovingly and wiped the fluid from my arm before I turned my attention back to Declan but quickly noticed that the young lady he was with had now moved forward slightly so that I could see her true beauty.
"My pleasure. Who's your friend?" I asked as I turned my attention to the bird beside him.
Declan raised his hands to his chest dramatically as his mouth fell open in mock disgust, "I'm hurt young man. Now I'm thinking that you just bought me a drink so you could shag my sister."
I could still hear CJ sniggering like a school boy beside me but I ignored his antics, I wanted to find out more about the bird. Sister, well that was interesting at least it was confirmed that they weren't an item, not that I thought as much after he'd opened his mout
h to hear how camp he was.
"Keira," she stated holding out her hand for me to shake.
I took her tiny hand in mine and rubbed my thumb across her hand to see her eyes widen at the contact. "Nice to meet you Keira, I'm Locke and this arsehole here is Caleb or CJ to his friends."
"Whoa!" Declan flung his arms around trying to break the contact between Keira and myself. "So are you gonna buy me another drink, big boy?" Declan swung his hips as he moved closer, licking his lip in appreciation as he stood in front of me. He placed his hand upon my chest and lightly moved his fingers down towards my belt, "Mmmmm, Keira you'd like this babe, he's ripped."
I smacked his hand away, "I don't fucking roll like that, there's more chance of me fucking your sister than you." I noticed his eyes widen slightly before I glanced in Keira's direction to give her a wink.
She ignored me and leaned over to pull on Declan's arm, "We need to get going." She stated tugging on his arm further.
Declan huffed and spun on his heels, "Toodles." He sang, wiggling his fingers in a camp wave before linking arms with Keira and sauntering from the club.
"What the fuck just happened?" I asked picking up my beer to take a long swig.
CJ sniggered, "He just tried to hit on you."
I rubbed my forehead as I played the scene over in my head again. I would've liked to have taken Keira back to my hotel room this evening but she'd made it perfectly clear that she wasn't interested. Well it was her fucking loss, it looked like I would be going back to my room alone and pleasuring myself.
"You can't drive us home in that state." I glanced towards CJ as he leaned on the bar, he turned briefly to give me a smile.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and sent a text to Ramsey asking him to pick us up. I wasn't that drunk that I'd get into a vehicle with CJ behind the wheel, he'd end up fucking killing us.
"Come on, let's go and wait outside." I patted CJ on the back which woke him a little, and he followed me through the pub until we were outside in the car park.
"So this family of yours in the Midlands, does it include a female?"
I shook my head knowing where this conversation was going, after what had happened today I really didn't want to be talking about it. I placed my hands on my hips and kicked at the gravel as I contemplated what to tell him. I couldn't let him know about April, he'd ask too many questions and I wasn't ready to talk about her.
Locke (Aces MC Series Book 4) Page 9