Ellie
Mack had consumed my thoughts since that night in the car. While I was supposed to concentrate in the office, my skin tingled remembering his touch; my heart raced when I thought about how it felt to have him control my pleasure. If it wasn’t for the fact that we were in the car park, we would have had sex in the car. We were all over each other, squashed in the car seat. The whole experience felt incredibly intimate and somehow liberating. I wanted him badly and couldn’t even think about Claire and the fact that I was making another mistake.
I was attempting to finish an article about skyrocketing immigration in certain parts of Scotland, but so far I’d written only two sentences. Phil had finally given me something more ambitious this time around, well, according to him, but I still felt undervalued. I forced myself not to comment on his kind gesture. The truth was that I needed a job. Bills wouldn’t pay themselves.
This time last year I was in love, thinking that Andrew was the only man that could ever make me happy, but it was a lie. He only pretended I meant something to him. I had always believed in karma, and I knew that things would turn around for me. Andrew would eventually get his just desserts for using me, making what I felt for him a lie. Now Mack was in the picture and everything felt different. Last night proved that I couldn’t help myself when I was around him, married or not. Whenever he was around I felt like I was burning, finally coming to life. His words stripped away the layers of misery that my soul had been carrying since I left home and the scandal that had alienated me from my father.
I couldn’t help but wonder how to deal with the sizzling attraction that sparked between us. I could only blame myself for that night at Harry’s party when I thought that sex could solve all my problems.
I shook my head and told myself to get on with the article. Mimi had been all over Jordan today, bringing him coffee and flirting openly in front of everyone. I noticed that he had been taking phone calls in the boardroom, and I knew that it was probably about the Johnny Hodges case, but I knew that I was a step ahead of him and he couldn’t have more information than me.
Several hours later, after not getting much done, I headed straight home. It was Friday. I hadn’t seen Mack for the whole week, since our steamy encounter in the car. I was aware that he most probably was trying to avoid talking to me again. I kept bumping into Claire, who seemed overly friendly, at times too curious about what I had been up to. She probably knew that Mack wasn’t faithful to her and now she was trying to get information out of me.
Mack was convinced that Adrian was bad news and I shouldn’t be getting involved with him. I purposely didn’t tell him about that secret conversation that I overheard in the corridor just before my audition. Adrian had his own food distribution business, and as far as I was aware, he was probably talking about his stock or something like that.
I kept playing Jordan’s conversation in my head over and over again, trying to research about that guy he’d mentioned, but I wasn’t getting anywhere. I looked online and in the archives, but in both it seemed that Johnny Hodges never existed.
At least the gossip sites weren’t writing about me anymore. Now and again, I read about a case in which my father was involved. He still had enough credibility to attract media coverage.
Couple of days ago, when I was on the way to work, I bumped into Adrian in the corridor. He invited me up for another drink. I just told him that I’d get back to him, pretending like I was late. I couldn’t stop thinking about Mack and his warning.
At a quarter to nine, my phone rang. Nathan wanted me to perform tonight. I said yes in panic, but deep down I was questioning if I was really ready for it. We hadn’t discussed the fact that I wasn’t a stripper but a dancer; I was waiting to see what he expected. I could dance on the pole, but taking my clothes off for men was an entirely different thing. During my audition, everything went so quickly, and before I knew it I was hired. Now I was having cold feet.
My heart raced when I was getting ready. My moment in Mack’s car flooded my mind like a tsunami. I didn’t fight him—one kiss and I was in his arms, melting away. Seeing Claire and speaking to her about her husband was agonising. Women always knew and I was aware that she was keeping an eye on me. Maybe Mack was right; maybe they were having problems, but this was none of my business. I couldn’t expect him to leave her for me. We were using sex to push away our demons, our troubled past.
I reached the centre of Edinburgh with my pink pass in my hand. The club was busy on Friday night, and the bar was packed. My heart stuttered between my ribs when I thought about tonight, their expectations and the clients that they had. I’d danced for Andrew, and we had a laugh, but this wasn’t a game. Nathan was expecting me to dance to seduce the audience.
“Right, there you are. How long before you can get out on the stage?” Nathan asked, appearing in front of me out of nowhere. He looked really smart tonight dressed in a black fitted suit and red tie.
“Err … I don’t have an outfit. I haven’t had a chance to—”
“No problem, Bella. We will have something for you. Come with me,” he cut me off, waving his hand to follow him.
The private part of the club was busy too, and I had no idea where to look as a few very handsome men passed us on the way. Nathan didn’t waste much time. He was walking fast until we reached what seemed to be a private room.
“Pick something sexy and revealing. We have a few VIP clients here tonight, and they want to be entertained,” Nathan said, opening a huge walk-in wardrobe filled with hundreds of costumes.
“Oh right,” I muttered, running my fingers over the skimpy see-through and figure-hugging pieces. My confidence was slowly shrinking. I had worn sexy underwear for Andrew, but that was for his eyes only. Was I really ready for this?
“You have half an hour. Just don’t be too long; everyone is waiting. I have already announced you,” Nathan said and left muttering to himself something about professionalism.
I walked inside, my gut clenching with nerves. I started searching for something sexy but tasteful. I was hoping to speak to other strippers, trying to find out if they knew anything about Johnny Hodges. I started going through the black leather costumes, running my fingers over a few sparkling bodices, when I heard slamming doors. It was probably Nathan again. I was just about to ask him if he had forgotten his head, when a familiar voice rang out through the room making me stay where I was in the wardrobe closet.
“How many more trucks do we need for this month?”
Adrian, my neighbour was in the room. I recognised his voice again. This was the second time. I stayed hidden, not wanting him to see me here. I started to wonder if he was a member of the club. It seemed that he liked hanging out here quite a lot.
“Four more, but I don’t know if that’s enough. There is a high demand for white powder, and some guys are getting impatient with the amount of time they need to wait for the deliveries,” said another voice that I didn’t recognise. I stopped breathing, trying to catch every word.
“There have been spot checks on the motorways. We are losing money. I’m trying to deal with it, search for alternative routes, but it’s getting tougher out there,” continued the voice.
“They just have to be patient. Talk to the heads and reassure them they will get their stuff. I need a bit more time.”
“Our distribution network is strong, but we have too many dealers that are becoming sloppy. I’ve spoken to a few heads and they are trying to handle the problem.”
“The cash keeps rolling; that’s the main thing. I’ll supply stock. There will always be enough smack heads out there that need to get high.” Adrian laughed and my stomach sank. The sudden realisation hit me like a giant avalanche. Drugs—they were talking about distributing drugs. How could I be so stupid not to grasp it?
They obviously had no idea that I was here and I didn’t want to find out what they would do if they discovered me listening in.
“Yeah, you’re right. Johnny isn’t happy though. He keeps reminding us to be careful. He heard there’s an undercover operation in the city, but we’re not sure who is involved. They have learned to keep their mouths shut and no one wants to talk.”
“It’s been years and so far we haven’t been caught. I don’t believe that we have a problem. The money aspect, that’s what I’m mainly conscious about. We need to be vigilant. Report anyone suspicious, anyone who seems untrustworthy.”
“Maybe we should pull the new transport and wait. Hodges won’t be happy if someone fucks up.”
“No, everything is going ahead as planned,” Adrian said sharply. “I’ve arranged to meet up with a new driver. I don’t think that we need to worry about any shitheads being undercover. Now I’ve a few things that I need to take care of. Just talk to them and reassure them that everything goes as planned.”
“Will do.”
I waited for them to leave, my heart pounding loudly in my chest. Adrian had just moved in and he wasn’t an ordinary businessman after all. He supplied drugs, possibly all over Scotland.
Was it possible that Mack knew who he really was and that was why he was trying to warn me to stay away from him? Now his warnings were loud and clear, and I finally had a story. I needed to decide how to proceed, because for sure Phil would never let me write about this stuff. I had to focus and find someone who would talk. How hard would that be?
Mack
I was following Charlotte, making sure that she was safe. She had a gun in her hand, and she was keeping her posture low, sneaking around the old bungalow as the sun was disappearing behind the horizon. I remembered us sitting in front of the TV, watching the news a night before, relaxing. I remembered how the weatherman forecasted some heavy showers. He was wrong, again.
I felt her pounding heart, her speeding pulse, and the rush of adrenaline. Claire was somewhere else, and I wondered why she let her go in alone.
Charlotte’s bright brown eyes registered the voices coming from the cracked window. She stopped instantly, listening in.
She had a clear objective: to secure the premises and arrest one of the guys who was involved in a burglary earlier on, in another area. Someone had given her a lead and now she was pursuing it.
I was behind her, but she couldn’t see me. She continued to walk slowly around the house until she reached the door.
I liked that dream, I liked that I could look at her and appreciate her beauty. Her black hair was tied up in a ponytail. I remembered telling her that she looked sexy when she left with Claire early in the morning.
She couldn’t see the guy that appeared behind her. I screamed, but no one heard me. That skinny asshole knocked her out. I couldn’t do anything. It was my dream, but I was helpless, standing there hearing him call to someone else to help him.
I witnessed how another guy appeared in the doorway. After that everything went black.
Next thing I knew I was inside the house, in the bedroom. My wife was handcuffed to the bed. Someone had stripped her clothes off, and she was lying there in her underwear, looking peaceful. Fear and dread shot through me like I had just been stunned. She was in danger.
A man appeared at the door holding a brown leather belt. He had a cigarette in his mouth, and his arms were covered in tattoos. Jeans hung low on his hips and his white vest was smudged with stains of blood. He was unshaven, with dark hair and dark eyes.
“Wake up, sleeping beauty,” he said and spat on the floor. Charlotte blinked rapidly, trying to get up, quickly realising that she was chained to the bed.
“Other officers will be here in a moment. You better watch it, asshole!” she barked, trying to hide the panic in her voice. The guy laughed and was on top of her before she could blink.
“They will be a while. Don’t worry, we’ll have fun here. By the time I’m finished with you, it will be too late,” he snarled and slapped her, then ripped her bra off. She screamed, trying to get him off her, but he held her face in place, laughing.
“Who would have thought it? I never thought I’d have a chance to do a police pussy,” he laughed and hit her with the belt. Charlotte was kicking and screaming until the very end, until she had no more strength left in her. Her face was puffy, swollen, tears were dripping down, mixed with blood. I roared when he unzipped his trousers. I wanted to rip his face off, witnessing as he parted her legs and shoved himself inside her.
I turned to see his face, to remember the bastard that hurt my wife. When I looked, his face shifted and I was staring at Adrian Lurkin. He fucked my wife until she wasn’t moving anymore, then laughed, stabbing her with a long sharp knife.
I let go of a loud growl and leapt forward clenching my fingers around Adrian’s neck. That was not enough. I couldn’t let him die without experiencing real suffering. My body was drenched with sweat and I was stuck in my hatred, choking him.
“Tobias… it’s me… stop pl—”
It took me a second to realise that it wasn’t Adrian that I was choking, but Claire.
