"What is he doing here?" I heard Nancy whisper under muttered breath. I shrugged, my feet firmly planted to the same spot. It wasn't that I didn't want to move, I just couldn't. He rolled his eyes and my stomach started churning.
"So, girls do you know where I can find Mr Vens and Mr Conway?" He said in his skin crawling tainted Italian accent. I shook my head, an automatic reaction to his question. I neither wanted him near them or did I particularly care what he had got to say.
"No." I snarled, his eyes darken and I took a deep breathe in.
"I think you're lying Miss Holt." His tone was intense.
"What if I am?" I felt Nance grip my hand tightly in hers and I frowned deeply at her. She looked terrified and I squeezed it softly. She knew nothing of him. But he didn't look like he was the playing games type of bloke. I frown at her.
"Where is he?" He asked again, I shrugged as I spotted Chloe and Missy leaving the uni campus across the street. She quickly jogged over towards us. Blonde hair bouncing, along with her other assets.
"Rava! What are you doing here?" Her sweet smile was fake and I knew she'd be burning inside.
"I need to find the elusive brothers." She laughed and tapped his shoulder.
"We can't help you there. After all they have their own business to attend to." Her voice confident with an air of 'I'm lying' to it. I breathed out once more, I spotted him looking down at my hand. A smirk crossed his face before he laughed and took a step closer to my face. Nancy took a step back as he stroked my face.
"You have a lovely tan." He ran his hand over mine which had my ring on and I dipped my head to see what he was doing. I nodded.
"That’s what being abroad does to you." My voice even more disgusted than before. Everything about this man made me sick.
"Hmm, I heard.." He turned away from me before they all walked off to yet more flashy cars, I rolled my eyes in disbelief before taking a look at Chloe. "Av be careful. You know he's out to get you." Soft and gentle was her tone, I couldn't grasp my words to respond to her.
"Fuck he ent playing is he? What the fuck does he want with you?" Nancy was now questioning everything and I shook my head.
"Don't worry about it." I gulped down the lump in my throat. Missy placed her hand on my shoulder and squeezed it softly.
"Chloe's being serious Avaya, he's not a nice man." She lifted her sleeve and revealed a scar on each wrist. Flashbacks from the first night we saw him at Alfie's bar spun around in my head. They were very faint rope marks. My eyes widened and I didn't feel so brave anymore. I ran my hand over the scar before she pulled away.
"What happened?" She glanced towards Chloe who nodded at her.
"I was like you, brave, in love and stupid." She sighed.
"He doesn't take any prisoners. He certainly doesn't care who he hurts." Her words seem more stressed now "only he realised with me there wasn't a point because it wouldn't hurt Haz, not in the way he wants it to." Her eyes filled with tears and she wiped them away. My heart filled for her. I always thought she was a bitch, that she was just a coke head but while we were away I'd seen a softer side. A soberish side. She must have really loved Haz, just as I did. "This was many years ago, he just knows you're something special. So be careful." She turned and jogged away, Chlo patted my shoulder and chased after her. I turned and stared at Nancy who is stood in denial.
"You're in deep Av. Don't drown." Nancy was clearly still in shock from the conversation. I should probably tell Haz? That’s if I could even find him.
I made my way back to Alfie's which is where I felt most safe. I ran upstairs and jumped in the shower. I mulled over earlier events in my head. My hair was in knots, conditioner would be the only way they would break. I ran the brush through my hair and looked in the full length mirror at my body, an unusual athletic curvy shape. I wrapped a fluffy white dressing gown around it before I spotted Jay behind me in the reflection.
"Chloe told me about earlier?" It was a question, he tried to make it sound like I didn't have to answer but deep down I knew an answer is what he wanted.
"Yeah, what does he want with you both?" His eyes shifted to my chest, which was slightly on show, I awkwardly wrapped my gown tighter, his big brown eyes were looking in mine as if he was searching for something in them. I flushed pink as he sighed.
"We owe him money for that distribution we should have done, we didn't do it. We were too busy." He huffed out loud and I hugged him. "You know 6 months ago, I would never have imagined you'd be stood near enough naked in front of me." He smirked and I punched his chest.
"Jay stop being a pervert!" He laughed, I was not amused. I looked at him with my carry on the story eyes.
"He knows Haz isn't using, well trying his best not to use. He knows you're why. See his half of the business is distribution, we source it and sell. Haz was a customer, now he's not buying..."
"Rava is losing out." I muttered, finishing his sentence. He nodded.
"Look, we want out we just haven't found a good way to tell
