Текст книги "Command"

Автор книги: Nina Levine

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6

Harlow

Knives slicing my throat.

That’s what it felt like the next morning when I woke up. Rolling over in bed, I almost cried in agony as I swallowed. By the time I’d made it into the bathroom and grabbed painkillers from the cupboard, my whole body had alerted me to the fact it was also in a great deal of pain. Every muscle ached, and I could have sworn that every bone did, too.

Once I’d taken the pills, I pulled out my phone and texted Sharon who had stayed overnight next door.

Me: You okay? And how’s Lisa and Michelle?

Sharon: I’m good. Michelle is doing better today but Lisa is still sick. I’m going to go home and shower and have some sleep in my own bed before coming back to check on them. How are you?

Me: I have their cold now.

Sharon: Are you working today at the café?

Me: Yeah.

Sharon: Sorry honey. I’ve got your Indigo shift covered tonight so at least you can rest then. I’ll check in on you before I leave for work.

Me: Thank you xx

I wanted to call in sick to my mum, but I knew we’d be having a busy day today and that she had no one else to call on, so I got dressed and headed into work.

She took one look at me when I arrived and said, “Go home, baby, I can manage on my own.”

“No, you need me today, Mum.” I grimaced as I spoke and she shook her head at me.

“I’ll manage on my own.” She attempted to shoo me away, but I resisted.

Standing my ground, I said, “I’ll get better as the day goes on; that’s what always happens when I have a cold.” The heaviness in my head led me to believe this might not be true today, but no way would I let her know that.

She frowned at me until something caught her eye behind me. When the door bell sounded, I turned to find Madison entering the café with a smile on her face.

“Morning, ladies,” she greeted us.

Mum returned her smile. “Madison, will you tell Harlow she is too sick to work today?”

Madison’s smile disappeared as her gaze zeroed in on me. “Oh, no! Are you sick, too? So many people are coming down with this cold. Apparently it’s a nasty one. You should definitely go home and sleep it off.”

“I’ll be okay, and honestly, if it gets worse later, I promise I will go home.”

Mum sighed; she knew how stubborn I could be. “Fine, but I’m holding you to that.” She eyed Madison. “Do you want your usual?”

“I’ll make it, Mum. You go do your stuff out the back,” I said as I made my way behind the counter.

She muttered something under her breath as she left us to go and get the kitchen ready for the day. I began making Madison’s coffee as I asked, “Did you hear from J?”

After settling herself on the stool at the counter, she nodded. “Yeah. And you heard from Scott?”

“I did, but I was at work at Indigo when he rang so I didn’t get to talk to him for long.” Every word I spoke sliced more pain through my throat and I wondered how I was going to make it through the day.

“They’re going to be exhausted by the time they get to Adelaide,” she said. “I hate it when they do these long rides.”

“This is the first really long one Scott has done since we’ve been together so it’s all new to me. I’ve gotta agree with you – I’m not liking it so far. And especially now that I’m sick, I’m hating it more.”

“Do you want me to come and stay with you while you’re sick?”

I looked up from what I was doing and gave her a smile. “Your mum is looking out for me, so I’m good, but thank you.”

Her eyes widened. “Mum? How? Tell me more!” It was as if she couldn’t get her words out fast enough, and I would have laughed if it didn’t hurt so much.

“Long story that I will tell you when my throat is better, but she and I are getting to know each other and she’s helping me out while Scott’s away.” I finished making her coffee and passed it to her.

“Thanks,” she said as she took her drink. “This is great, Harlow. I’m so happy for you two. And God, this might finally pull Scott into line where Mum’s concerned.”

A laugh escaped before I could stifle it, and I almost choked when I began coughing. Oh, God, make the pain go away.

Mum rushed out from the kitchen with a glass of water for me. As she passed it to me, she said in her firm tone that told me she wouldn’t be backing down, “You are going home to bed, Harlow Anne. Don’t even try to argue with me.”

I held up my hand in surrender and nodded. “I’m going,” I promised.

Madison finished her coffee and after I’d assured Mum that I would call her if I needed her, Madison walked me out to my car. The sight of a Storm member sitting on his bike a little way down the road reminded me of Scott, and I missed him a little more. I just wanted to go home and have him wrap me in his arms.

“What are you thinking?”

I found Madison watching me thoughtfully. “Just that I miss Scott. I know it’s silly because he’ll be home soon, but we’ve never been apart; I think that’s why I’m missing him so much.”

“And probably because you’re sick, too. When I’m sick, all I want is J.”

“Yeah…” I squeezed my eyes shut as I coughed. The pain was almost unbearable now so I said my goodbyes and drove home as fast as I could. Sleep and medicine were the only two things on my mind. The sooner I got them, the sooner I could start getting better. And I needed to get better fast because I wanted to take care of things while Scott was away.

What is that noise?

Make it stop.

I fumbled in the dark at the place I thought the noise was coming from. It needed to stop. The pounding in my head was only getting worse the longer the noise continued.

The more I fumbled, the more frustrated I grew until eventually my brain shifted into gear and I realised it was my phone ringing. Shifting onto my side, I opened my eyes to locate it.

“Hello?” I croaked into the phone.

God, it’s so dark.

How long have I been asleep for?

“You sound awful, baby.”

Scott.

My heart soared even as my pain kicked up another notch.

“I feel awful,” I whinged. “Can you just do all the talking, ‘cause it hurts to speak?”

He didn’t say anything for a moment and then – “Fuck, Harlow, I’m sorry I’m not there for you.” His regret rang loud in his tone.

“No, don’t be sorry, I’m okay. It’s just a cold and I’m a whinger.” I rallied every ounce of positivity I could muster in the hope he would worry less over me. “And besides, your mum is looking out for me. How’s your trip?”

“If there’s one thing I’m sure of it’s that you’re not a whinger, so don’t try and give me that bullshit that you’re fine when I know you’re not. I’m gonna send one of the boys over to look out for you.”

Shit.

No.

I sat up straight in the bed to gather myself for this conversation now. If he intended to send Rogue over, this could get messy, and messy was the last thing I wanted for Scott now. Not when he needed to concentrate on what he was doing in Adelaide.

“No, Scott, please don’t send anyone over. Your mum and Madison are all I need, and they’re here for me. I’ll be very upset if you pull one of the boys off Storm work when I know you need all hands on deck.” God, it hurt my throat to say all those words. I just prayed he would listen to me.

Silence.

I waited.

He blew out a breath. “If you get worse, I’m sending someone. And you won’t argue,” he stated forcefully and I knew to let it go. I wouldn’t get worse and if I did, I wouldn’t let on.

Time to change the subject. “So you guys are doing okay on the road?”

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing there, Harlow,” he said in his bossy voice, “And yes, we’re making good time. We’ll be in Adelaide sometime tomorrow morning.”

I ignored his bossy ways. “Good. I’m happy to hear that.” And relieved.

A knock on my front door distracted me so I missed what he said next. When he said – “Harlow?” – I shifted my attention back to him.

“Sorry, there’s someone at the front door. It’s probably your mum.” I moved off the bed to pad out to the door.

“I’ll let you go, sweetheart. You ring me if you need anything and I’ll make sure you have it.”

I smiled at the love I heard in his voice. “I will. And ring me when you get to Adelaide so I know you’re safe.”

We ended the call just as I pulled the door open.

I frowned.

I hadn’t been expecting to open the door to that.

“Hello, officers.”

“Good evening, Miss. We’re looking for Scott Cole. Is he home?” Out of the two officers standing in front of me, the one who spoke looked like the nice one. The other dude looked to be the asshole.

“No, he’s away this week. Can I help at all?”

The asshole spoke next and ignored my question completely. “When is he back?”

“I’m not sure exactly. If you leave me your card, I’ll pass it on when he returns.” He had to be dreaming if he thought I’d give up any information about Scott.

His jaw clenched. “I wouldn’t advise you to withhold information from us, Harlow. This is a serious matter we’re investigating.”

He knows my name.

I shouldn’t have been surprised. Scott had told me that Storm was often visited by the cops; I’d just never witnessed it. And I figured my ties to the club President would warrant them looking into me.

Holding my chin up, I said, “I’m not withholding information. I honestly do not know when he will be back because it depends on how his business goes. I will, however, be sure to mention to him that you stopped by. Now, gentlemen, I am sick and want to go back to bed, so if there’s nothing further, I’m going to say goodnight.”

Asshole raised his brows, but remained silent. The other one nodded once. “Be sure to tell Scott we’re looking for him.”

I watched as they walked down the stairs and saw Sharon walking up them at the same time. She scowled at the cops as she passed them.

After I’d closed the door behind her, she turned and asked, “What did those pricks want?”

I shrugged. “They were after Scott, but I’m not sure why.”

She drew a long breath and as she blew it out, her shoulders slumped while her face turned white. “Fuck,” she muttered, and made her way to the kitchen table.

Following her, I asked, “Why do you look like you’re about to vomit?” Her stress fed mine, and I needed to know what was going on.

We sat at the table, and she fidgeted while avoiding eye contact so I pushed her. “Sharon, what the hell is going on?”

Her eyes snapped to mine and my heart fell into my stomach at the fear I saw there. Something bad had happened.

“Have you ever questioned absolutely everything in your life, Harlow?” Her voice was almost a whisper and I could sense the demons she was wrestling with. I didn’t know exactly which demons she was referring to, but the air between us sat heavy with introspection, and with that always came demons.

“Yes, I have. Recently, in fact.”

She nodded slowly, taking that in. Turning it over in her mind. And then she continued. “I’ve made a lot of bad choices in my life, but the one right thing I did will be the thing that comes back to haunt me forever.” She stared at me and I stilled. The ghost of her past had her in its grips and I knew she was about to bare her soul to me, and I wasn’t sure I wanted her to. We hardly knew each other, and I had no comprehension of the life she’d led because the Storm she knew and the Storm I knew were almost completely different. She’d lived through the years where they dealt in crime and filth, whereas that had all been cleaned up by the time I came along. I wouldn’t know how to help her in her hour of confession.

I waited silently for her to speak.

And when she did, she stunned me completely.

“I was involved in my husband’s death and I think the police have worked it out. They came to my house today, too. Asked me a lot of questions before I refused to answer any more.”

I stared at her while my heart rate picked up speed.

“I thought Scott killed him,” I eventually blurted while still trying to wrap my mind around what she’d just said.

Her eyes widened. “No. It was me – ” She stopped suddenly and I wondered what else she had been about to say, but I didn’t ask because I really didn’t want to know.

Unsure of what else to say to her, I went with – “I wouldn’t blame you for killing Marcus.” When she just sat staring at me in silence, I added, “I mean, he was an awful man.” Oh God, was I putting my foot in it now? She’d been married to the man for years and I’d just labelled him as awful.

“You must wonder why I stayed married to him for all those years.” She spoke quietly again. I was sure I could sense shame woven through her words.

I shook my head. “It’s not my place to wonder things like that, Sharon. That was your business…your life. No one else’s.”

“God, Scott is right about you.”

My brows pulled together in a frown. “In what way?”

“He told me he loves you because you have this amazing capacity to see the good in people even when there is no good to be seen.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “I thought I was a strong woman by staying with him. I convinced myself that staying was the right thing to do for the kids; I didn’t want them to have a broken family. And I convinced myself I loved him. In the end, I broke all of us.” Her shoulders drooped and the mask she always wore slipped. In its place sat a cracked veneer of regret and self-loathing.

Oh my goodness.

My heart broke for her.

I reached for her hand and held it. “Sharon, everyone’s definition of strong is different depending on the life experiences we’ve each had. You were strong in the only way you knew how, and you protected your children through it all. You have to give yourself credit for that. As far as me wondering about your marriage, I never judge another woman’s choice in a man because I’m not the one walking in their shoes. I can never know what has happened to them in their life that they feel compelled to make that choice. Someone with family support and self belief possibly wouldn’t stand for domestic violence or cheating, but a lot of women don’t have that, or don’t feel they have that. The rest of the world needs to stop judging women for the resources they don’t have. It would be a nicer world if instead of judging, we helped. And I sure as hell will never know the intricacies of any relationship because the only people who will ever understand that are the two people involved.” It hurt my throat so much to say all this, but it was important to me for her to hear what I wanted to say so I pushed through it.

She squeezed my hand as tears fell down her cheeks. “Thank you,” she whispered.

I passed the tissue box sitting on the table to her. “You don’t need to thank me for something that should be a given in life. But I want you to know that I am here for you. I’m not sure if I have much to offer you, but I’ve always got a shoulder and a listening ear.”

She smiled through her tears. “I’m sorry to dump all this on you when you’re so sick. I ran out of friends over the years; they all deserted me when they couldn’t stand Marcus.”

I swallowed back the tears her words induced. “They weren’t your real friends, then.”

Her gaze zeroed in on the way my face contorted as pain stabbed at my throat. Standing, she announced, “I’m going to go so that you can go back to bed and sleep off that pain. Do you need me to do anything for you before I go?”

I shook my head as I stood next to her. “No, I’ve got painkillers and tissues; that’s all I need. I’m going to dose up and go back to sleep.” I wanted to ask her more about the police, but my pain was so extreme and tiredness had washed over me again so I left it for now.

Tomorrow. I’d be better tomorrow and I’d follow it up then.

Surely she was wrong.

Surely the police were looking into something else.

7

Scott

I splashed water on my face and stared in the mirror of the clubhouse bathroom. We’d arrived in Adelaide a couple of hours ago and at the clubhouse about fifteen minutes ago. Tired eyes stared back at me. The trip had been exhausting and my body craved rest, but we had shit to take care of. There would be no rest. Not now, and not until we’d taken care of Julio once and for all. Patience and I were developing a relationship, but it wasn’t one I wanted to pursue. With each passing day, my restlessness grew. I needed Julio dealt with, and yet, we had to make sure we did it right. His connections ran deep and the last thing Storm needed was a pissed off connection.

“Scott, you ready, brother?”

I turned to face J and nodded. “Let’s do this.”

He returned my nod and we headed out to the main area of the clubhouse where Bourne waited for us.

Bourne’s eyes met mine as we entered and I struggled to figure out what lay behind them. In his forty years, he’d clearly perfected the art of hiding his thoughts and emotions.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of Scott Cole visiting me?” he asked as we approached.

I didn’t have the time to beat around the bush, nor the inclination. “Can we speak in private?”

His eyes narrowed at me before he nodded. I left Nash and J with the Adelaide members and followed Bourne into his office. After he’d shut the door behind him, he crossed his arms over his chest and said, “Spit it out.”

Not much ever changed with this man – he wore grumpy like a second skin and always had. At least he was predictable in that respect. In other ways, he had to be one of the most unpredictable men I knew. “Julio Rivera. You know him?” I watched carefully for any level of recognition in his eyes.

He nodded once. “Yep. He owns the drugs in this state. I’m not a fan of the man.”

“You’ve got an agreement with him?”

“I do. But I don’t like it.”

“Why?”

“Why the fuck do you think?” He unfolded his arms and pulled out his phone. After scrolling through it and finding what he was after, he said, “I want the asshole gone so Storm can have his territories.”

“You’re looking to expand?” It wouldn’t surprise me – he’d always had a God complex.

“I want the entire State.”

Of course he fucking did. I raked my fingers through my hair. “How the hell are you planning to do that? From what I know, Julio has a strong hold on it and everyone in it.”

He watched me like a lion watched its prey. “I figure you and I are gonna work on that together.”

My brows pulled together. “How the fuck do you figure that?”

He placed his phone in his palm and played me a recording of two people discussing the fire at our restaurant, Trilogy. In particular, they were discussing the fact they were responsible for the fire and what they had hoped to achieve by setting it – Storm getting rid of Ricky Grecian. When the recording finished, he eyed me and shared, “That was Julio and his right hand man.”

I stood in silence while I processed what he’d just shared with me. “How did you get that recording?”

“Does that matter?”

“As far as I’m concerned, it does. You’re indicating your desire for me to work with you to take Julio down – I’m hardly gonna get into bed with someone unless I know their information is right.” I’d never trusted Bourne, and I struggled to trust him now.

He scowled and threw his phone on the table. “Jesus Christ, Cole, you’re just how your father described you – a fucking pussy who refuses to take an opportunity when it presents itself.”

My body tensed as anger heated me. “See, that’s where my father went wrong in life. He didn’t pay enough attention to the details. The devil’s in the fuckin’ details, Bourne. Call me whatever the fuck you want, but I’m not taking your word for anything. You give me what I need and we’ll go from there.”

Shaking his head at me, he muttered, “Fuck.” He then settled against his desk and folded his arms across his chest. “I planted a guy in Julio’s crew and he’s been feeding me the information I need. If you want to talk to him to verify that, I’ll line up a meet. He can give you whatever information you want on Julio.”

“Line it up for today. I’m heading home tomorrow.”

He raised his brows. “You rode all this way, gave up almost a week of your time, just to talk to me and this guy? You couldn’t do it over the phone or send someone else?”

“Never can be too sure, Bourne. I needed to see you myself.”

He pushed off the desk. “I’ll let you know what time.”

As I watched him walk out of the office, I knew this was his signal that we were done until later. Suited me. The less time in his presence, the better.

“Hey, baby,” Harlow greeted me when I rang her a little while after seeing Bourne. Even though she sounded happy to hear from me, I could discern the act she was putting on for me.

“On a scale of one to ten, how bad do you feel? One being like death,” I said as I fidgeted with the diner menu in front of me. We’d left the clubhouse in search of food and found what we needed about half an hour away in a tiny diner off the highway. J and Nash were ordering our food while I rang Harlow.

I heard her sigh through the phone. “Honestly, I’d say I’m at a five today. My throat isn’t as bad as it was yesterday; I can at least swallow without feeling like I have a packet of razors going down.”

So, she’s probably a three or a four.

“Has Mum checked on you today?”

“It’s only ten in the morning, Scott. She worked late last night so I wouldn’t expect her until this afternoon.”

“What about Madison?”

“She rang me and I told her I was doing okay. And before you ask, I’ve taken the morning off work and if I feel better this afternoon, I’ll go in and help Mum then.”

“We’re leaving Adelaide tomorrow and we’ll be as fast as we can.”

“Please don’t rush back just for me.”

“I’ll have what I need by tomorrow, sweetheart. By the way, how are Lisa and Michelle?”

“Michelle is much better and Lisa is getting there. I went over and checked on them this morning. How are you feeling?”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “Like shit, but that’s to be expected. Nothing a good night’s sleep next to you won’t fix in a few days.” I eyed Nash heading my way with breakfast. “You good if I go? Nash just ordered food.”

“Yes, go eat. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Tonight, baby,” I said, and ended the call as Nash placed breakfast on the table.

“Harlow good?” he asked as he slid into the seat across from me.

“No, she’s still sick, but trying to tell me she’s okay.”

I pulled up the contacts on my phone and dialled a number.

Shoving bacon in my mouth, I waited for him to answer. He took his time to answer, finally picking up on about the sixth ring. “Scott, what’s up, man?”

“I’ve got one of the prospects watching Harlow, but I need you to head over to my house and keep an eye on her instead. She’s not well and I’m concerned she might pass out or some shit. You good to do that?”

“Sure. Gimme five and then I’m on my way.”

“Thanks.”

“No worries. Anything to help the club.”

“Oh, and Rogue, don’t let her try and tell you she’s okay. I don’t want your attention on anything other than Harlow today.”

“You got it, man. My day is dedicated to her.”

As I placed my phone on the table, it buzzed with a text.

Bourne: Meet is scheduled for one this afternoon. At the clubhouse.

Me: See you then.

“I don’t know whether to trust that asshole or not,” I muttered after I sent my text. As I met Nash’s gaze, I added, “I’m trying to figure out his angle here.”

“He obviously wants us to help him take down Julio, but I don’t see how having us along for the ride will really help him,” Nash said.

“That’s what I’m getting stuck on, too.”

“Let’s check out Julio’s crew as best we can before we meet Bourne’s guy this afternoon, and then go from there. If we don’t trust him, we walk away.”

He was right, and I couldn’t help but think that any man who’d been aligned with my father was not a man I could trust.

I walked into the Adelaide clubhouse with trepidation that afternoon. The beady-eyed guy Bourne had with him only raised my levels of concern. Short, almost bald and sweaty as if he had shit to hide, Alex was your typical drug dealing scum.

After Bourne completed the introductions, I said, “I would have thought Julio would have measures in place to weed out traitors. How have you managed to go undetected?”

“I made myself indispensible to him from before he even took me on. Bourne and I planned it way in advance. We were smart about that shit, man, and Julio never suspected a thing. Even when he dug into my background, he couldn’t find anything because Bourne and I had covered it and replaced it with what Julio would accept.” His eyes betrayed nothing when I’d expected them to show me he was lying. I’d met enough lying assholes in my life to know the signs and this guy showed none of them.

“So what’s your role in Julio’s organisation?” J asked. The tense set of his shoulders revealed his hesitation to believe Alex, too.

“I take care of a lot of the shipments and pretty much do anything else he asks me to do. I’ve brought in a lot of contacts for him; that’s how I worked my way up fairly quickly.”

“You gave him those contacts?” I looked at Bourne in surprise. “Would have thought you’d wanna keep them for yourself.”

Bourne tapped his head. “Being smart’s what got me to where I am today, brother. You’ve gotta be willing to make sacrifices in order to give your enemy a little of what he needs, so that in the long run, he gives you what you need. And even better if he doesn’t know it’s you giving it to him.”

Nash stepped forward, his eyes narrowed on Bourne. “So let me get this straight – through Alex, you’ve been feeding Julio contacts and learning everything about his business. How do you see that playing out? And how the fuck do we figure into that? And why would we even want to?”

Bourne met Nash’s gaze and held it. “I can’t make a move on his territory while he’s still alive. He’s got too much over people that he’s bought their loyalty. I also can’t kill him because the retaliation will come hard and fast from his people. However, someone else can kill him and while his people scramble to figure out who, I can cause some serious issues for them. The interruption to their business and the uncertainty of it would give me enough scope to make my move.” He turned his gaze to me. “That’s where you come in.”

“You want us to deal with him for you? So you can get what you want?” I said.

“You’d be doing yourself a favour, too, Cole. You don’t want to live in a State run by Julio. He’ll cause you no end of trouble.”

“Tell me about that. What trouble could he possibly cause us?” I didn’t let on that I already knew what kind of trouble Julio could cause us. I wanted to see how much Bourne would be willing to share.

“I’d think the Trilogy fire was a good example of the shit he gets up to. He also likes to play with his enemies by causing problems between them and their business associates, so for example your wholesalers, that kind of thing. Julio finds ways to make sure everyone needs him, and if he can’t do that, he finds ways to make sure you don’t fuck with him. He blackmailed me when he got proof of something I did five years ago. Trust me, if you’ve got skeletons in your closet, he’ll find them and use them.”

“Say we come on board, what’s the plan?” Nash asked.

“Julio has met a woman and from what Alex can figure, she’s his weakness. He’s planning a weekend away with her soon. We think that’s our best time to attack because each time he’s taken her away, he only takes a few men with him.”

I rubbed the back of my neck. A headache had settled in. “Leave all this with us. We’ll take it back to the club and let you know what we decide.”

Bourne’s jaw clenched. “Don’t take too long, brother. This needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. Before Julio makes any more ground in Queensland.”

I scowled. “We’ll take as fuckin’ long as we take, Bourne. I need to be sure this serves us and not just you.”

My hands clenched by my side as I walked out of the meeting; the desire to tell him what I thought of him sat heavy in my gut, but I kept my mouth shut. I had to be smart about how I handled him. And I had to remember that even though he’d shared information with us, that didn’t mean we had or would ever have an alliance with him. Bourne was not the kind of man to form a working relationship with. He’d save your back one day only to turn around and stab you in it the next.