On the Sly : The Grange Complex Book 2
On the Sly: Chapter 30

Tobias

I had been waiting for Lurkin for over an hour. He wasn’t at the apartment, so I popped out hoping to speak to him now. We were supposed to discuss the next shipment, but I bet that the bastard forgot about it. Lurkin hadn’t spoken to me since the party, and I was hoping that he would bring Hodges at some point. I was restless, waiting around for other people, waiting for him to make a mistake.

“Do you think that he’ll be here soon?” I asked Raj, who was sitting in front of the computer, looking focused.

“He didn’t call. As far as I knew I was expecting him tonight.”

“I really can’t be hanging around in here. Tell him that I’ll be in tomorrow if he shows up, all right?”

“Yes, no problem. Mr. Lurkin might be occupied with another shipment that is coming from Spain tonight.”

I clenched my fists and swore loudly in my head. Lurkin hadn’t said anything about this, and I was worried that he wasn’t planning to involve me this time around. I was frustrated with how things had progressed since I started working here. I needed him to lead me to Hodges, but it looked like he had other plans. I stood at the door contemplating what to do next.

“Does Lurkin work with someone other than you? Don’t get me wrong, mate. I know that he trusts you, but he must be working with other people, someone who takes care of all the dirty work.”

Raj was a simple guy, and he liked doing everything by the book. I didn’t think that he knew about the drugs and other businesses that Lurkin was involved in. He was loyal and that was the problem, but sometimes even the most loyal fanatics had their weaknesses.

“Mr. Hodges, he’s Mr. Lurkin’s partner, but he doesn’t come in here.” Raj waffled, speaking quietly, like he didn’t want to be overheard.

“Then how do you know about him?”

“I speak to him often over the phone. He calls to check if everything is all right,” Raj added. I was considering starting early one day. I needed some time alone in Lurkin’s office to see if I could replace any paperwork with Hodges’s name on it.

“Maybe you can put in a good word for me, you know,” I said. I needed to sound desperate. This way I would not only get an ally, but also his respect. Unfortunately, this question didn’t go down too well.

“Mack, I’m not supposed to talk about Mr. Hodges at all. Mr. Lurkin deals with him direct. Maybe it’s better if you go now. I’m still waiting for Marvin.”

“All right, no worries, boss. It’s your call,” I said, picked up my stuff and left, thinking that Raj was just a pussy. I bet he was related to Lurkin, and he was here to make sure that everyone was doing what they were supposed to do. Hodges was careful, and this whole slow progress was suddenly fucking me off. I couldn’t ask Ellie to get in contact with her ex. I had a hell of a job trying to keep her away from Lurkin.

Last night Ellie left the money in the trash and then drove off. My team was already tracking the white male who picked up the black bag a few minutes later, then headed for the subway. In about a day or two the boys in the IT would get the lead. Ellie asked for my help; she made the right call telling me about the voicemails and emails.

I thought about her when I left the depot a few minutes later. I knew that tonight was a complete waste of time. I needed to ask Claire to run a check on Raj, to see what his deal was. He was married, had two kids and liked his job. Maybe he was getting a share from the shipment, to keep his mouth shut. On the way back to the complex I stopped at the newsagent to pick up some drinks for tonight. I knew that Claire was going to be on my case about the evidence and connection between Lurkin and Hodges, but I was stuck, and for now she just needed to be patient.

My transfer to Belfast had been authorised. I needed this. I couldn’t stay here after this operation was over. I’d fly back for the trial, but after that I’d stay in Belfast. I fucking hated the fact that I’d fallen for Ellie. I was too screwed up to even consider a relationship. That’s why I was leaving. I didn’t want to ruin her life. She deserved someone better than me.

Ellie was at home, and when the lift took me to my floor, I was ready to knock at her door. The burning fire in my stomach was there, demanding attention.

I didn’t knock. I stood and looked at her door for a few moments, but I didn’t knock. Eventually I opened the door to my and Claire’s apartment and went inside. Claire wasn’t in the living room, and after a moment I heard the shower going. I sat down on the sofa and opened a beer, hoping to have a quiet evening. I noticed some files on the table with photos, but I didn’t bother looking through them. Claire liked keeping her stuff to herself.

I started changing the channels on the TV, looking for something interesting, but my mind kept drifting back to Ellie. I was making this difficult for myself, fucking her in the lift, drowning in her sweet scent. I was falling apart most of time, my mind full of memories and regrets, but when I was with her she gave me relief. She made me forget the monster in my chest burning for revenge. I forgot about the stress of the day or whatever else had been bothering me. I even told her about Charlotte and the connection to Lurkin and why I wanted to finally get him behind bars—or if the opportunity arose, six feet underground—and she didn’t freak out.

“I thought that you would be out late,” Claire said. She had a white robe on and her hair was damp.

“I waited for Lurkin, but he didn’t show up. He blew me off, so I left.”

“He didn’t blow you off. He has a date with Ellie tonight. She came here an hour ago,” she said. “I showed her a few photos with people that are associating with him. I’m hoping she will have something tonight.”

I nearly choked on my beer when she said that and started coughing. Claire couldn’t be fucking serious.

“What? She has gone out with him? I thought that she was supposed to run everything by us first?” I asked, feeling like someone just threw a bucket of cold water all over me.

Claire placed her hands on her hips and looked at me like I couldn’t be serious.

“She did run this by me. You weren’t here. Lurkin called her when she was at work. They are going out to the cinema or something.”

“Fuck, Claire. I don’t want her anywhere near him. We both know that this is too dangerous. Call her mobile and tell her that she has to come back.”

“What? You can’t be serious right now. She’s already too deep to call this whole thing off. I get that this might be difficult for you to digest that she’s with him, but we need any help we can get. Ellie is smart and she will be fine.”

“This isn’t about me, Claire,” I insisted, asking myself why the hell I needed to leave just then. I could have stopped her.

“They left an hour ago, Tobias,” Claire said, when I started to pace around the room, thinking about calling her.

“If something happens to her, I swear to God, I’ll not forgive you this time.”

Ellie

Adrian was on time. He picked me up outside at exactly seven o’clock. I let him pick the movie, boosting his ego. He paid for the tickets and refreshments and headed into the screening room. It didn’t surprise me when he picked a back row.

Halfway through the film his hand started wandering over my thigh, and he began whispering what he was planning to do to me once we got back. I was gradually regretting that I told Claire I was all right with this. My recent encounter with Tobias was hard to forget. He ravaged me, and now I was cosying up to another man that could never mean anything to me. On the way to the cinema, Adrian tried his best to woo me, regaling me with the plans he had for us, telling me that he wanted to take me to Paris and Venice. At first I thought it was some patter that he used on his conquests, but slowly I began to realise that he was serious, or at least he was making out that he was interested in pursuing a relationship, not just sex.

When the film ended, I suggested that we have a few drinks in the nearby bar.

“Have you got any plans for Christmas?” he asked, placing a mojito in front of me.

“No, I don’t, not at the moment anyway, why?”

“I have a few friends in Spain. One of them owns this beautiful villa on the coast. I was thinking that if you don’t have any plans, we could go there together and get out of this gloomy weather, catch some sun. I bet you look amazing in a bikini.”

There was something in his tone of voice that told me he didn’t want me to say no. I kept wondering what the hell was wrong with him tonight. First he was talking about Paris, and now about Spain.

“I love Spain,” I blurted out, sounding pathetic, but judging from his smile, my answer satisfied him. He leaned over and started kissing my neck, moving his fingers down towards the edge of my thigh. Panic seized me, but I didn’t move. I was supposed to be into him. Tobias wasn’t here, but I remembered what he told me when we were together in the elevator.

Adrian ran his tongue over my lips and then he kissed me. It was obvious that he wanted to sleep with me tonight, but I didn’t think that I could go through with it. This whole thing was moving too quickly, but I was afraid to do something that might raise suspicion.

“Good, because I’m planning to take you there soon,” he whispered, then leaned back and took a sip of his drink.

“What does your friend do, you know, the one that owns the villa?” I asked, trying to switch the subject to a more serious one, but Adrian didn’t take the hint.

“He’s a businessman like me,” he said, and brushed his lips over mine. “Ellie, I can’t fucking take this anymore. I want you. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since that evening on the boat.”

Adrian was sober, he had barely touched his drink, and I was stunned that he could be so direct. Immediately my thoughts started to race and panic began to set in. I didn’t know what to say.

“We barely know each other,” I finally said, drinking some more of the cocktail. I misjudged him. He did just want to fuck me; that was what this whole thing was about, this grand seduction. This whole talk about Paris and Spain was to encourage me to give in to his charm.

“I respect you so much, Ellie. You’re intelligent and funny. We have a real connection and I think we should fuck,” Adrian said, smiling.

I wanted to ask him if that line had worked for all the other women that he had been out with, but I bit my tongue. I was hoping that he would take me back to the club, so I could meet some of his associates, but that was looking more and more unlikely. From the very beginning this whole thing was about sex.

“I’m not that easy, darling,” I said.

“Of course, of course. I didn’t say you were.” He backed down. Then his phone started buzzing and I exhaled sharply, thinking that maybe this conversation was finally over. Adrian looked at the screen and instantly rejected the call.

“Maybe you should take it,” I told him when the phone started going off again. His eyes darkened. He looked at the screen again and shook his head, switching the phone off.

“I hate being interrupted. This can wait. I’m sure it’s nothing important.” He chuckled and tucked a stray lock of my hair behind my ear. “Come on, drink up. I’ll order one more round for us.”

“If I didn’t know you, I’d think that you were trying to get me drunk, Mr. Lurkin,” I giggled, finishing my mojito.

“That’s not my style,” he muttered and asked me to choose another cocktail. I went for Long Island Ice Tea, knowing that I was already a little tipsy. We talked about my work in the paper, about the fact that my boss was a pig, and about Adrian’s extended family. After an hour I went to the ladies’ room, and when I was done with my business, Adrian was waiting for me outside the bathroom.

“We’re leaving,” he said, not saying anything else. He handed me my coat and started heading towards the exit. He didn’t give me a chance to ask him why he was in such a hurry.

“Adrian, are you okay? I thought we were having fun,” I said, when we reached the car. I didn’t understand what was going on. One minute he was perfectly fine, and the next he was storming out of the pub.

“I’m fine, Ellie, just tired. Can’t wait to get home and take you to my bed,” he said in that seductive tone of voice. I felt so warm, goose pimples shot down my arms and my heartbeat was speeding erratically. I’d had way too much to drink and Adrian wasn’t going to let me go home alone. He wanted to sleep with me, and I kept wondering if Tobias was at home. I couldn’t do this to him, but Claire was counting on me. I was so screwed.

I didn’t remember much from the drive home. Adrian was talking to me about his business. I had no idea what was in that cocktail, but I felt so drained and sleepy. I must have dozed off for a bit, because when I opened my eyes, he was kissing me.

“Oh, Ellie, you’re so sexy,” he purred, sliding his hand under my top. My head was buzzing in warning. He must have slipped something into my drink, because I had never felt so relaxed, my muscles so heavy.

“No Adrian, this is—”

“Shh, I want to touch you. Please let me,” he kept saying, planting kisses on my breasts, rubbing his thumb over my clit. He was rough and I was ready to break. The world around me was spinning and I had no idea if this was happening for real or some horrible nightmare. When his fingers started caressing my sex, alarm bells started going off in my head. I couldn’t let him fuck me in the car, but it looked like that was his intension.

“Adrian …wait. No, I don’t want to do this.”

“Of course you do. We’re going to fuck, hard. This won’t be quick, but trust me, you will enjoy it,” he growled. I wanted to push him away, but my limbs felt so weak, like they weighed a ton. Then someone opened the door from the passenger side, and I launched backwards. Strong hands caught me, before I hit the ground. I nearly screamed when I saw Tobias staring at me with pure fury in his eyes.