“I can. If I don’t, Vinn’s security is likely to put a bullet in me for taking their mafia princess. There’s four guys watching them from right outside the restaurant. They’ll be fine until you can get someone here.”
“Right, well, I guess I don’t have much choice, do I?” he snaps, and I disconnect the call and get on my bike.
The week drags. I throw myself into work. Riggs is swamped with runs from the docks, so it seems Vinn sorted out his little problem and we’re back in business. When I’m busy, things are better.
I’m lost in thought, unloading boxes of Christmas decorations from a shipping container, when someone coughs from beside me. I glance up and freeze, box in hand. “Alice,” I say.
“Busy?” she asks. She’s wearing a trouser suit, which means she’s here officially.
“Christmas stuff,” I say, holding up the box before adding it to the back of the van.
Tiny comes from the side of the container. “Man, I needed that piss so bad, it felt like razor blades. Is that normal?” He looks up and also freezes when he sees we have company.
Alice smirks. “No, I’d say it was probably some kind of infection. Until you get it sorted, it’d be wise to wrap that shit up or you’ll spread it around.”
“What can we do for you, officer?” I ask coldly.
“Just passing. Did you manage to give a statement?” she asks.
“You know full well I didn’t or you wouldn’t be here,” I say.
She smiles, but it’s cold. “What’s in the boxes?”
“I told you, Christmas decorations. We give them out to poor families every year, spread Christmas cheer and all that bullshit.”
She pokes her head into the back of the van, then eyes the shipping container. “Mind if I take a look?”
“Not at all,” I say stiffly. Tiny glances at me nervously. “How’s Molly and Hannah?”
I watch as she pulls out a pocket knife and cuts the tape on one of the boxes. “Great. Hannah’s coming home.”
“I’ll pop by and see them later,” I say, my heart lifting at the good news. She opens the flaps on the box. “I need to speak with Hannah about visitation,” I add.
“We both know that isn’t happening until we get to the bottom of why they got hurt in the first place. Although, I think you already know the answer to that.”
She holds up a large, red, hand painted bauble. “Hannah would love this. Can I take it?”
Tiny is fidgeting beside me and her eyes go to him. She smiles smoothly and tucks it back in the box. “I never take goods from the top layer. I like to dig deep.” I hold my breath as she digs down to the next layer and pulls out a green bauble.
“Molly’s favourite colour. Maybe I’ll take this one.” Without warning, she throws it to the ground and it shatters into tiny pieces. Tiny releases a breath when he sees it’s empty.
“I don’t get paid for incomplete orders,” I say, taking the box and closing it back up.
“You know, if you don’t go in voluntarily to give a statement, then I’ll have someone come down and raid this container,” she says.
I scowl at her. “What the hell happened to you, Alice? You know how this shit works. I can’t go and give a statement because I can’t give the details that the cops want. I’m handling it. The Kings will sort it.”
She shakes her head, then pushes her face towards mine. “No one messes with my family, Azure. From what I hear, Cobra’s been giving the Kings the run around for months. So let the big boys sort it.”
Riggs bangs the gavel on the table to get some silence. After telling them all about Alice, the brothers are shouting over one another to be heard. “Go give a statement,” says Cree. “We’ll take out the bits we don’t want the cops to know.”
“You have no choice,” agrees Riggs. “We can’t risk them searching the shipping containers.”
“I thought I was gonna pass out when she started going through the boxes,” says Tiny with a laugh.
I glare at him. “You were meant to be looking out. Instead, you were taking an STD-ridden piss,” I growl and a few of the guys snigger.
“I was desperate,” says Tiny.
“And you fidget too much. She knew shit was in those boxes because you couldn’t keep still. Practise your fuckin’ poker face,” I growl.
“How was I to know the good stuff was in the gold and silver baubles?” asks Tiny. “No one tells me shit around here.”
“Enough,” yells Riggs. “Everyone out. We need to prep Blu for this statement.”
“Azure,” smirks Tiny and Riggs looks up at us both. “That’s what the cop called him.”
“You’re Italian?” asks Riggs. “I’ve heard that name before,” he adds.
“It’s very common. My mum is Spanish and my dad Italian” I mutter, slapping Tiny upside the head.
Riggs continues to eye me suspiciously while Cree goes over the statement I’m to give to the cops and I know he’ll not let this go. He’s gonna start digging.
“So you’re saying that this guy,” the cop looks down at the piece of paper, “Cobra, is mentally ill?” I nod. “And that’s the reason the,” he looks down again, “Kings Reapers shut down the Manchester club?” I nod again. “And now he wants revenge because . . .” He pauses, looking at me.
“Because he loved the club. He doesn’t understand why we did it, but we were trying to get him professional help when he went on the run. Now, he’s hell bent on causing us drama.”
“Hardly drama, sir, when he tried to kill your ex and your child.”
“He needs help, locking up in a hospital where they can help him. We just can’t seem to find him,” I say.
“Well, he’s a wanted man now, so we’ll do our best to find him and the courts can deal with him as they see fit. Thank you
