The Broken_A gripping thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat

by Casey Kelleher

He was on something too. Megan had no idea what he’d taken but she’d seen him and his mates passing around a couple of pills. He’d been hyper ever since and she could see how dilated his pupils were now, how he ground his teeth between speaking.

  ‘I’m good, thank you!’ she said curtly, but Reece wasn’t willing to take no for an answer. Picking up his drink, he thrust it at her. ‘Go on. It won’t kill you.’

  Megan wrinkled up her nose at the smell.

  ‘Don’t smell it, drink it!’ he said, feeling irritated. Olivia was behaving like a right stuck-up little cow tonight, putting a right damper on the evening. Amber had already hinted that she was able to stay out tonight, and Reece knew if he played his cards right he could easily persuade her to come back to his. But this whiny little cow was trying to get Amber to go home. The only way that he was going to persuade Olivia to stay out longer was to get her shit-faced. Only, typically the spoilt little cow wasn’t going to comply. So he was going to have to try a different tack. Exchanging a look to one of his mates, Reece knew exactly what would loosen this girl up.

  ‘Ain’t you got any other mates that you could have brought out with you, Amber? Ones that haven’t got poles stuck up their arses? This one’s as boring as fuck…’ He’d seen her type before. The girl wasn’t just playing hard to get with them all. She was hard to get. Frigid as fuck no doubt, and acting her age. Most of the lads had lost interest in her. Now she was just someone for them to take the piss out of, and Reece was intending on having some fun with this one.

  ‘Oi! She ain’t boring.’ Trying to keep the peace, Amber could feel the tension building between her best friend and her new potential boyfriend. If they pissed Megan off now, the girl would walk out, and Amber didn’t fancy staying here all on her own with Reece and his rowdy mates. She needed her wingman, so, for now, she was going to have to try and keep Megan sweet.

  ‘Go on, Olivia, try it. It tastes better than it smells. In fact, you can hardly taste the whiskey, the Coke masks it,’ Amber lied.

  Aware that everyone was staring at her now, Megan took the glass once more and put it to her lips, the vile smell wafting up her nose, making her want to gag. She wanted to say that she didn’t want it, but the stern look on Amber’s face told her that she didn’t have a choice. She knew that her friend was losing her patience with her now too.

  Taking a sip, she almost choked as Reece tipped the glass up so that the liquid suddenly poured faster into her mouth, making her gulp down more than she’d anticipated. Coughing and spluttering, she could feel the burning liquid as it hit the back of her throat. Then shooting up her nose, she felt her eyes water too.

  ‘Don’t tell me you ain’t ever had a drink before?’ Reece said disbelievingly as Megan continued to cough loudly as he and his group of mates watched on, laughing at her. ‘Jesus fucking Christ, you two really are just kids!’

  ‘Oi, leave it out. ’Course she drinks,’ Amber said defensively. ‘We only drink vodka, though, that way our parents can’t smell it on us. To be fair to Olivia she has got a point. Whiskey is rank.’ Catching Megan’s eye, Amber offered her friend a small smile then, hoping that sticking up for her would win her friend back over.

  ‘Voddies, eh? Why didn’t you say?!’ Reece grinned, smiling once more now he knew the girl’s preference. ‘I’m going to go and get you both a double. That all right for you?’ Reece said to Olivia. His tone almost challenging.

  ‘A couple of drinks, Livs, then we’ll go, okay?’ Amber said now, hoping that Megan would accept Reece’s offer.

  ‘Yeah. That’s fine with me.’ Megan shrugged. She didn’t want a vodka. She didn’t even want to be here, but she was just going to have to suck it up for now, especially if she was going to have to sit in Reece and his little idiot mates’ company for another twenty minutes. A strong drink was the only way she’d get through it.

  Watching as Reece gave Amber another one of his sickening sloppy kisses before he whispered something in her friend’s ear and they both started laughing, Megan was glad when Reece and his mates headed off over to the bar. His public displays of affection were starting to make her feel nauseous. Shuffling up as Amber came over and joined her on the seat, Megan saw the smug look plastered to her friend’s face.

  ‘Well, what do you think?’ Amber slurred, oblivious to Megan’s dislike of her new fella, as she stared after him, her eyes not leaving Reece for a second.

  ‘What do I think?’ Megan said now, shaking her head, annoyed. For a smart girl, Amber really could be dumb sometimes. ‘I think that Reece loves himself. I think his friends are all losers, and I’m bored out of my mind. Seriously. I thought we were supposed to be having a night out together, just you and me. I know you said you were meeting Reece, but you’ve been doing nothing but snog each other’s faces off all night long, while I’m sat here like a spare part.’

  ‘Oh come on, Megs. I thought you’d be happy for me,’ Amber said, distracted then as she clocked Reece talking to the attractive barmaid behind the bar, convinced that Reece was eyeing up the pretty blonde.

  Then she clocked a better look at the girl.

  ‘Oh shit, Megs. That girl behind the bar. That’s Sherrie Murphy, isn’t it? From round my way,’ she said, trying to peer across the crowded bar to get a better look at the girl. Certain that it was one of the girls from her estate: a couple of years older than Megan and Amber, though the girl knew who they both were.

  ‘Yeah, that is her,’ Megan confirmed. Both girls watched as Reece leant over the bar and said something to the girl, and the girl nodded, before staring over towards them both. She didn’t look too happy.

  ‘Shit, she’s seen us. Do you reckon she’s recognised us? Do you reckon she’ll get us kicked out for being underage?’

  ‘You don’t think she’ll tell my dad that I was in here, do you?’ Megan said now, suddenly worried.

  Amber watched as the girl continued to serve drinks, wondering if Reece had smoothed things over for them. He must have done, because the girl didn’t bother to look their way again.

  ‘Nah, she won’t say anything,’ Amber said, glaring back as she caught Reece’s hand lingering a moment or two longer than it should have as he placed his money in Sherrie Murphy’s hand and paid for their drinks.

  ‘Cheeky bugger. Do you reckon he fancies her?’ she said, suddenly seeing red at her new boyfriend having the cheek to flirt with another girl right in front of her face.

  ‘Don’t be silly, Amber. He’s well into you. You both haven’t left each other alone since we got in here. He’s been too busy trying to suck the face off you to be interested in any other girl.’

  Amber pursed her lips, not so convinced. She decided there and then that no matter what happened tonight, there was no way that she was leaving Reece here alone so that he could end up shagging that barmaid.

  ‘Seriously, Megs, we’re supposed to be having fun tonight. We got in. No one has recognised you, and your dad has no idea that we’re here. You need to loosen up a bit, babe.’

  ‘And I’ve already said that I’ll stay for a few drinks, haven’t I? I mean it, though, Amber. A couple more drinks and then we’re out of here.’

  ‘Okay!’ Amber promised. Pleased that she’d managed to persuade Megan to loosen up a bit, she smiled as she spotted Reece walking back towards her, a tray of drinks in his hands. ‘A few more drinks and then we’ll go back to mine and chill out, just you and me. Cross my heart.’ Mimicking drawing a cross over the centre of her chest with her forefinger, Amber shot Megan her sweetest, most convincing smile just as Reece got back and handed the two girls their drinks.

  She looked at Reece then, and he winked at her. Letting her know that he’d executed his little plan.

  Clinking glasses together, and downing their drinks in one, Amber smiled at her friend as she waited for the little happy pill that Reece slipped into her friend’s drink to work its magic, ignoring the tinge of guilt that she felt at tricking Megan like this. It was for her own good really.r />
  Reece was right. The girl needed to live a little.

  The problem was that Megan’s old man was so overprotective and cautious with his only precious child that he didn’t let Megan have any fun. It was almost as if her friend had been conditioned to be sensible and boring all the time.

  If anything, they were doing her a favour.

  ‘How’s that?’ Reece said with a smirk as Megan put her empty glass down on the table. ‘Feeling better?’

  Megan shrugged, the drink instantly going to her head, though she wasn’t going to admit it.

  ‘Better than the whiskey, thanks!’

  ‘Good. Maybe you’ll start having some fun now, eh?’ Reece said, throwing a knowing look to Amber, glad that the girl had gone along with his little plan of slipping an E into her mardy cow of a mate’s drink. That would teach the miserable bitch to lighten the fuck up.

  Only, he didn’t bother telling Amber that he’d slipped half of one in her drink too.

  Not that Amber needed to loosen up tonight, she was already a sure thing. Reece Bettle was certain of that.

  ‘My mate from the door, Jenson, he said he might join us in a bit. I think he’s got a bit of a thing for your mate here.’ Reece grinned at Amber, then looked Megan up and down. ‘Guess he likes the miserable, boring sorts?’ He teased as he sat down in the booth.

  ‘Who? The doorman that let us in here earlier? The one that was on a wind up, making out like he wasn’t going to let us in?’

  Reece nodded.

  ‘Yeah, he’s my flatmate. Sound as a pound, he is.’

  Amber grinned at Megan then, mouthing the words lucky cow. Secretly hoping that this Jenson might be the one to put Megan in a better mood tonight.

  ‘I dunno, he seemed a bit too old for me…’ Megan said, being negative once more, which only made Amber roll her eyes in despair.

  The bloke had been a right sort. A complete wind-up merchant, but good-looking all the same. Megan should be thanking her lucky stars that he had even looked at her twice. But of course she wasn’t. As always, Megan was putting a negative spin on everything.

  ‘Oh, she’ll soon change her mind about that after a few more drinks.’ Reece winked, making Megan think he was talking about the alcohol loosening her up. The girl had no idea her drink had been spiked.

  Holding her drink up to her friend, before downing the rest of hers in a bid to keep up, Amber smiled over at Reece.

  ‘Come on then get some more voddies in, Reece. Me and Olivia are going to show you boys what we’re made of.’

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Megan Harris was wasted.

  It turned out that after a few double vodka and Cokes the club wasn’t too bad after all and, in actual fact, as the night had gone on, neither were Reece and his cronies. Amber had been right, now that she’d relaxed a little, she was actually enjoying herself for once. Especially as Amber had made more of an effort to include her. The two of them had spent the past hour together on the dance floor, dancing to all the latest tunes together like a pair of maniacs. Megan couldn’t remember a time when she’d felt so happy, so free, twirling around and around as the loud thudding base pulsed right through her.

  She felt incredible, invincible, and she could tell that Amber felt it too.

  They both laughed then. Catching each other’s eyes, having the best night of their lives.

  ‘Fuck, I need a drink,’ Amber said, grabbing her friend by the arm, trying to coax Megan from the dance floor, though Megan didn’t want to leave.

  ‘Ahh, babe. Just one more song. Come on.’

  ‘I can’t, Megs. I need a drink. Come on, we’ve been dancing for ages.’

  ‘Okay, let’s get a drink, then we’re getting back on it! These tunes are wicked.’

  Following Amber as she led them both to the bar, Megan stood waiting patiently as her friend ordered them both two pints of water, relieved that Amber wasn’t making her drink any more vodka. Part of her was starting to feel woozy; she must have made herself dizzy from dancing. The room felt as if it was balancing just off its axle. The floor slanted and warped.

  ‘Earth to Megan!’ Amber said as she waved the girl’s pint of water in front of her. ‘Here, get this down you. God, it’s so hot in here. I’m sweating.’

  Megan realised she was too. She was barely wearing anything, yet she felt as if she wanted to strip off her clothes which were sticking to her as the tiny droplets of perspiration trickled down her back. Her face was glistening with a film of sweat. Wiping the hair that was stuck to her face out of her eyes, she took the drink and knocked it back in one, her eyes scanning the club as she did, looking at all the dancers around her.

  The atmosphere in the club was electric.

  And she was part of it.

  Part of something amazing. That felt good. It felt more than good. For the first time in her life Megan felt as if she properly belonged somewhere. With all these happy, crazy people, dancing and laughing together as if they’d all known each other all their lives.

  ‘I’m going to go and find Reece. You coming?’ Amber shouted above the loud thud of music.

  ‘I’m going to get another drink. I’ll come and find you all,’ Megan said, before turning back to the bar and asking for another glass of water. Suddenly she felt completely dehydrated. The heat of the club from all the bodies and bright lights were all making her feel a bit light-headed.

  Fuck, she was so thirsty.

  Packed tightly up against the crowded bar, the throng of people all squashed up against her was starting to make her feel claustrophobic. Especially the person right behind her, who was pressing into her so hard that Megan was about to turn around and tell whoever it was to back off.

  But something about the way the firm hand pressed into the small of her back made her grin. Without bothering to turn around, Megan instantly knew who it was. Or at least who she hoped that it was.

  ‘Here, let me.’ Pushing his way forward, Megan grinned as she recognised the doorman from earlier.

  Jenson Reed.

  Reece had told her that he would be coming to look for her later, but part of Megan hadn’t believed it, to be honest. The man was seriously good-looking, and the fact that he worked on the door meant that he could probably have his pick of girls in here tonight.

  Why her?

  Still, his hands didn’t leave her body as he leant over the bar and whistled to get the attention of one of the bar staff; so, for now, Megan certainly wasn’t complaining.

  If anything, she was basking in his attention. Aware that groups of girls around her were all looking her way now with envy, wondering how someone like Megan could snag themselves a man like Jenson.

  ‘What’s your poison, darling?’

  ‘I’ll just have a water, thanks,’ Megan said; then seeing Jenson raise his eyes at her, worried that she’d somehow just proved a point and shown herself up to be a silly, little kid, she quickly changed her mind. ‘Actually, I’ll have a vodka and Coke. A double, please.’

  ‘That’s more like it.’ Jenson laughed, holding up his fingers and ordering one for himself while he was at it. ‘They were some serious moves that you and your mate were throwing out there,’ he said, nodding over to where he’d been watching Megan and Amber gyrating about on the dance floor.

  Megan felt her face flush. She hadn’t realised that she was being watched by Jenson. If she had, there was no way that she would have gone along with Amber’s idea of who could throw the craziest shapes on the dance floor, like a pair of lunatics. She half hoped that Jenson had at least missed the silly dance off they’d had with each other, but going by the twisted smirk on his face, Jenson Reed had seen it all.

  Megan blushed.

  ‘Hey, fuck it. Don’t be embarrassed. You look like you’re having a good time and that’s all that matters, huh?’ Jenson said, passing the young girl her vodka and Coke, before necking his own.

  ‘Thirsty?’ Megan smiled, raising her eyes.

  ‘I’m jus
t trying to catch up with you.’ Jenson winked. ‘I’ve got a half hour break. A lot can happen in half an hour.’

  Again Megan blushed, but this time it wasn’t a feeling of embarrassment that overcame her, but something else. Something strange that she hadn’t felt before, like a fluttering feeling deep inside her stomach. Tinged with something else. Excitement. Anticipation. She wasn’t sure.

  Copying Jenson, Megan drank her drink back in one, but the alcohol was stronger than she’d anticipated, and the heat of the place was getting too much for her now. Grabbing hold of Jenson’s hand to steady herself from stumbling over, she tried to make a joke of it.

  ‘Wow, that’s totally gone to my head. I think I need to sit down.’

  Jenson laughed then in agreement, watching Megan sway from side to side on her feet. Quickly guiding her over to where Amber and Reece’s friends all sat in a corner booth. Ordering Reece’s mates to budge up when he got there, Jenson helped Megan to sit down on the chair.

  ‘Wow, this place looks beautiful.’

  Staring around the club, her gaze rested on the spectacular light show above them. The psychedelic beams of colours all pulsed in time with the music before twisting their way around the dark abyss that was the club’s blacked-out ceiling. Then there was a spray of twinkling white stars, so bright and magnificent that she couldn’t take her eyes off them.

  ‘Fuck me, Jenson, these girls are off their fucking tits,’ Reece piped up, peering over from where he was currently busy with Amber; the girl wedged beneath him, more than up for a bit of a fumble.

  He was glad to see that Megan had lightened the fuck up, too, by the looks of things. Staring up at the ceiling like a space cadet, in her own fucked-up little world.

  Jenson grinned.

  These young girls made it far too easy for lads like him and Reece.

  Megan stood up then, unsteady on her feet, stumbling towards the steps.

  ‘Hey. Hey. Where are you off to?’ Jenson said with a laugh.

  ‘I’m too hot in here. I can’t breathe. I need some air,’ Megan said, feeling suddenly out of it. She was burning up. Her body felt as if it was on fire. She was dizzy too. The room spinning wildly around her, making her feel as if she was floating.