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“Why aren’t you answering Bug, Xan, or Gabe’s calls?”
I look up sharply, smile, and shift my line of vision past the phone, as if there’s something in the corner of my room. “I’m so sorry, I’m really going to have to go. We’ll catch up later, okay.” I hang up for real this time.
Xander and Gabe. Cold dead body, my friend. Cold and dead.
I ring Marshall. “Midarlin’,” he answers. Seems even he has a stock greeting.
“We need to sort the yard this week. Time’s run out. They’re coming. I thought I might get longer. Was my acting not good, Marsh?”
“It was good, midarlin’, if they didn’t know you. But, rubbish if they did.”
“I think he’ll come Thursday and bring the gang, as I haven’t answered their calls. Everyone likes everyone packaged up, don’t they? Let’s all get in our boxes and bob along, happy, happy, happy.”
“I think you should warn James. I think he’ll be devastated.”
“I can’t. He'll tell them all, and try to stop me. The lawyers have all the papers drawn up. And to be honest, Marshall, the strangest thing is I’m happy about it. I feel like I’m freeing myself from something, but I’m not sure what. Four weeks ago I felt like I was sinking, drowning in fact, and I couldn’t breathe. Now I feel like I’m just starting to fly again.”
“Well to be honest, midarlin’, the fact that we bought that racing yard a year ago, and you never told a soul, tells me you knew something was amiss. You just didn’t know what it was. You never do anything haphazard, you never have darlin’. It's free and clear and all your things are there. The decorators have all gone, it’s just your end, the companies and such, that have taken the sorting.”
I smile at his voice, he has always calmed me down. I perk up again to wind him up and say, “Anyway, Marshall, I’ve thought of something else I want to do there as well. You’ll love it, right up your alley.”
“Am I going to regret moving in with you again, Evie Greystone?”
“Marshall O'Clery, it'll be the best day of your life,” I tell him with a massive grin on my face.
I’ve made my preparations, all I need to do now is wait. I’ve simmered for four weeks. None of them backed me. None. All too selfish. No one considered why I left that party. They all saw what they wanted to see, because it suited them all. Well, time’s up on that one. I decide if Kellen hasn’t turned up by Thursday, I’m telling them anyway. It’ll just be more dramatic if he’s there. But, to be fair, he could leave. He doesn’t have to stay to watch the fallout.
I don’t even get to Thursday. He turns up Wednesday.
Chapter
Thirty-Seven
Marcus
I knew she would think I’d turn up on Thursday. So I go a day early.
Mob handed again. Usual suspects minus Tim, Levi, and Orla. I wasn’t sure what she’d say, and I didn’t want Orla to hear her shit.
Isobel insisted on coming. Said she has to see Evie. That it’s a girl thing and she’s not afraid of her. I personally think she’s delusional. Isobel doesn’t realise how intense Evie is. Or how far she may be prepared to go to cause maximum carnage.
I do. I saw it years ago. And again in that tent. She got onto me about boundaries, but she was just as bad in some ways. Yes, I’d say she’d go way, way, far.
We’re all sat at the table again, all talking, laughing at Bucky and James’s antics. They’re talking about the festivals in the summer and the scheduling. James and his band are coming round the festival circuit with us. They’re going to play the up and coming stages, whilst we’re headlining. Bucky asks us if we’re playing the legends slot veterans day at Glastonbury. I wallop him around the head for that one. Xander is just about to wallop him again for asking Xan if he needs a Zimmer to get round the festival grounds, when she walks in.
She must have heard us, but there’s no greeting, no shouting out to anyone to put the kettle on. She’s taken her shoes and coat off, but still has a suit jacket on. It’s fitted and pulled across her breasts; another silk blouse, and a tight fitted skirt. Her hair is pulled up in a bun, messy but smart, and her glasses are on. I take a breath, inhaling her rose scent, but I’m sure I can smell a summer storm coming rather than just the rain.
“The gang’s all here.” That fucking dead voice, I hate it.
Her brothers spin around at her words and I see them all look at each other. Shit, what does that mean? Bucky and James sit down abruptly next to each other and look across at Jonno. Fuck, Fuck, what’s going on?
“Hey, Kitten. Nice to see you in person.” I get up to greet her with a kiss, but she takes a step back and shakes her head at me, stopping me in my tracks. “What’s up, Evie? Everything alright?” I sound worried even to my ears, and I was going for cool.
“Did you all come to see James and Bucky? That’s so nice. I’ll get out of your hair. Let me know when you’re ready for tea, boys. I’ll order in.” She smiles the fakest smile I’ve ever seen her do—polite fuck off then—and walks out towards her office.
We all look around at each other, the expressions ranging from total confusion to terrified.
“Who the hell was that?” Xander asks in raised tones.
