Page 65 of Claim

The hatch slammed shut. Somewhere down the line, he’d ask someone who’d ask someone else. No one made a decision in here unless it’d been passed along like a rumour and signed off by someone who’d never once stood inside these walls.

I paced. Three steps. Turn. Three steps back. My shoulder screamed. I ignored it.

Eventually, the door unlocked. “You get one call.”

They cuffed me as a matter of course, then walked me down to the wall phone which was a concrete, bolted handset, and a guard standing close enough to hear me breathe. Thank fuck I hadn’t burnt my credit yet. Hadn’t called Keeley. Or Mum. Probably should’ve. But that meant I could do this.

I dialled the number I knew by heart.

I didn’t know what time it was. Nor if he’d even answer and accept the call once the automated voice told him a prick from Pentonville was calling.

The guard leant in. “Four minutes. Then it cuts.”

I nodded. My mouth was dry.

Then through the earpiece, “This call may be recorded…”

The line clicked.

Accepted.

Relief punched through me so hard it nearly took my knees out.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Rich!”

“Len.” I shut my eyes. “I’ve got four minutes. Cuss at me later, yeah?”

A beat. “If you’re asking for money—”

“No.” I dragged a hand down my face. “No. I ain’t. Just…listen.” I turned, back half-angled to the guard. Pointless, I knew. He could hear everything. So could whoever was listening from wherever they listened from. But it felt like something. “There’s a chance I could get bail. A real one. I’ve got a new defence team. Proper. They reckon they can get me out.”

“New defence team, huh? Convenient.”

“Yeah.” I blew out a breath. “But I need somewhere to go. An address. Something to give the courts so they know I’m not running. A guarantee. I can’t go back to my place. It’s not mine anymore. I can’t go to Mum’s. Or Keeley’s. Or Tyler’s. Or anyone tied to me.” I tightened my grip on the edge of the phone. “I’ve got no one else, Len.”

The silence on the line was heavy. Huge.

“If I stay in here, it’s gonna get worse. For me. For people on the outside. I can’t fight this from in here. I can’t keep anyone safe from a fucking cell.”

The guard shifted beside me. Cleared his throat.

I didn’t look at him.

“Please.” I stripped it right back. No bravado. No posture. “I know I’m a fuck-up. I know you hate Razor. Hate what I turned into. But I need you. Not him. Me. Rich. I need my best mate. The only one I trust. The only person who’s seen all this shit and still knows I can do better.” I swallowed hard. “And I will. I’ve got a reason now. Like you said you hoped I’d have. And I do. A real one. Cause you were right. You’re always fucking right. And I just need a chance to prove I can be better. That I’m worth holding onto. That I can be someone…To someone.”

Silence.

The seconds stretched. I could almost hear the clock ticking down on the wall phone, each one another nail in it.

Then Lennon said, “I’ve got twins now, Rich.”

“I know.” My chest tightened. “I know. I’m sorry. I just… I don’t have anyone else.”

“I’ve also got your sister and Maisie here, too.”

That hit me square in the lungs. “You do?”

“Yeah. Funny thing is, she doesn’t feel safe in that house.”