“Don’t worry. I’ve got it handled.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “How?”
“Seriously, just make sure she doesn’t fuck off.”
“I’ve been trying.”
“You worry about that, I’ll worry about how I’m not about to lose fifty big ones to this cunt.”
“Fifty grand?” I balk.
“Yeah, seems Mummy was a right fucking junkie.”
“Jesus.”
“I might have had a lucky break when she handed me over, but a little of her blood runs through my veins. I can end this.” With that said, he spins on his heels and walks for the door.
“Zach, don’t die. Biff would fucking kill me.”
He chuckles. “No one is fucking dying. Well, maybe Jet and his goons.”
“W-what?” I stutter out, but it’s too late. He’s already gone.
I fall back down onto my stool, my head spinning.
When did my life get so dramatic?
When you locked eyes on the pocket rocket.
“Fucking hell.” I rub my hand down my face and tilt my head back to look at the ceiling.
This is going to be a fucking disaster.
15
Kas
The knock on the door scares the shit out of me. I like to pretend that this thing with Jet doesn’t bother me, but when I’m alone with just the creaks and cracks of the building around me for company, I’m bordering on a nervous fucking wreck.
I might have been let off with a painful warning, but I’ve no doubt Jet and his men aren’t too far away.
A suspicious looking black car followed me all the way back yesterday. It was almost enough to stop me from coming back here. But where the fuck else was I meant to go?
I laugh at my own thoughts as I slowly step toward the door.
I’m expecting to see one of his guys when I peer through the peephole, so I’m pleasantly surprised when I find Biff, my brother’s wife, on the other side.
“Kas, open up. I brought cupcakes.” She holds them up as if she knows I’m looking at her.
“Okay, but only because you have cake,” I say, pulling the door open.
“And coffee.”
“My hero.”
I reach for one of the takeout cups before she’s even inside the flat.
“Whoa, you must be a good influence on Spike. I’m used to this place resembling a dump.”
“I cleaned,” I admit, much to her surprise. Well, what did she expect me to do while locked up in here like fucking Rapunzel? Okay, so that’s not quite true. It’s hardly a tower, and really, I could have just walked right out the front door.
“So… how’s it going?”
“Oh, just great. I’ve got a drug lord gangster on my back and I’ve had to resort to my big brother paying him off to stop him from taking payment in other ways. He beat me yesterday to prove a point, and thanks to Spike I have no job. You know, just a regular Tuesday.”
I drop down onto one of the sofas with my coffee, and after toeing off her shoes she drops onto the other.
“You don’t have to do that, you know?”
“Do what?” I ask, my brows knitting together.
“Try to play it off like it’s nothing.”
I shrug. “It’s the only choice I’ve got. I can hardly let it break me.”
“It would break most people.”
“I’m not most people.” The shit I’ve lived through over the years would harden even the softest of hearts.
“You’re not alone anymore, Kas. You’ve got us. All the guys love you. We’re all here to help.”
“I know, it’s just…” I trail off, not all that comfortable with this kind of girl chat unless it’s with Jodie.
“You’re not used to it,” she finishes for me.
“Yup.”
Silence descends as we sip at our coffees before Biff turns to me, her eyes shining with excitement.
“Zach said you’re joining me as Rebel’s newest apprentice.”
“So it seems. I didn’t get much choice in the matter.”
“Did you want one? He said you’ve got mad skills.”
“He’s seen one sketch. I think he could be exaggerating a little.”
“Don’t tell him I said this, but most of the time, he’s right. Let’s see what you’ve got, then.”
“Um… I don’t have a portfolio or anything.”
“Just a few scraps of paper is fine.”
“Okay…” I push from the sofa with a sigh and head for the room to pull out my notepad. “Here.” I pass the battered old thing to Biff before falling back down.
I can’t look at her as she stares at it, firstly because I’m embarrassed that it’s just a dogeared old notebook I found in a café I was working at a few years ago, and secondly, I don’t show anyone my art, ever. It was only Mum who ever knew I could draw, but seeing as it wasn’t going to put a roof over our head anytime soon, or pay for her habit, it got brushed aside so I could work whatever job I could find.
Zach was right, though; my dream was always art school. I used to see some of the students heading to the universities throughout the city with their huge arse sketchbooks, and I’d be overcome with jealousy. I couldn’t think of anything better than spending my days lost in art.
It was just a dream, though.
“Kas, these are amazing.”
I shrug off the compliment like it’s nothing and reach for a cupcake.
“Spike’s going to have an easy job on his hands.”
The mention of his name has me pausing mid-bite. “Spike? Why?”
“Zach’s going to ask him to mentor you.”
“He’s what?” I splutter.
“Going to show you the ropes, get you trained up.”
“So… I’ll be working closely with him?”
“Yeah, why? Is that a problem?”
“No, I’m just surprised is all.”
She stares at me for a beat, and I fear she can read everything I’m trying to hide.
“Something has happened, hasn’t it?” she asks, causing all the blood to drain from my face. “Kas,” she warns.
“It was my fault. I pushed it—him. You can’t tell Zach, he’ll kill Spike.”
“I’m not getting involved in any of the dirty secrets that go on under this roof. And clearly, you already know the risks.”
“It was a one-off. Tensions
