Page 94

Outside, the night air hits me like a splash of cold water. The car park is mostly deserted, and streetlights cast long shadows across the asphalt. My headlights catch movement before my brain fully registers it. Two figures lean against a wall: Trent and Vince. My brother’s name is enough to draw people like them out of the woodwork.

I get out of the car and walk over. I stop a few meters away, my hands slack at my sides, and wait for them. They straighten, smirks plastered across their faces. They think they’re untouchable.

‘Well, well,’ Trent drawls, pushing off the wall and stepping forward. ‘Look who it is. Thought we’d have a little chat.’

I study them in silence. They both know my brother – know his reputation – but they’re betting on me being softer. They’re betting on fear.

‘About what?’ I ask. My voice is controlled, though my chest tightens just slightly, preparing for something to go down.

Vince lets out a snort. ‘We heard Kaine might be getting out sooner than expected. Thought maybe you could give us some inside info. Something we can work with.’

My fists clench without me thinking. ‘I don’t know what you’ve heard, and I don’t know what you think you can get from me,’ I say, dropping my voice lower. ‘But let me make this very clear: if you try anything, and if you don’t back the fuck off right now,’ I step closer, slow and deliberate, shrinking the space between us without breaking eye contact, ‘I will come for you, and you do not want to see what I am capable of.’

Trent blinks, and I see uncertainty flicker across his face. Vince scoffs, trying to mask his fear, but my glare silences him. They know Kaine is violent and psychotic – they probably suspect I’m the same.

‘I’m not my brother,’ I continue. I speak at almost a whisper now, but every word lands heavy, like iron. ‘I don’t play your games. I don’t deal in threats, but I can fight my own battles, and you do not want to be on the receiving end when I’m angry.’

They exchange a glance, clearly hesitant now, and for a long moment, no one moves. I don’t blink. I don’t flinch. My heartbeat is steady, but there’s a storm brewing beneath the surface, and I let them feel it.

‘If you say so, Ash,’ Vince finally says.

‘I do,’ I reply.

‘Pretty little girlfriend you’ve got,’ Trent says, a slow, malicious smile creeping across his face. The comment plants a bad seed in my gut and anger spikes through me. I somehow manage to keep my face neutral.

‘Careful,’ I say quietly.

Trent’s brows lift; he’s amused. ‘What?’

‘Bryn isn’t something you get to comment on.’

Trent’s grin fades slightly, but only for a second. His eyes flick to Vince, and something unspoken passes between them. Vince leans back, rocking on the ball of his heels, studying me. The corner of his mouth twitches with satisfaction, like he’s just solved a puzzle.

‘Right,’ he says slowly.

Trent’s grin returns, wider this time. ‘Relax, man,’ he murmurs, lifting his hands in mock surrender. ‘Just making conversation.’

I can see it in the way they’re looking at me now. They’ve figured it out: Bryn is the one thing I actually care about, and that makes her the one thing they can use against me.

They both leave, moving into the shadows and disappearing into the night. Watching them go, the tension in my shoulders eases only slightly. Swinging into my car, I put the key in the ignition, the engine rumbling to life beneath me. My thoughts drift automatically to Bryn, and I hope those dimwits aren’t going to put her in danger.

Nobody crosses me. Nobody touches what’s mine. People have learnt that the hard way before.

The engine purrs as I drive, and streetlights flash rhythmically across the windshield. My grip on the steering wheel has loosened now that the adrenaline of confrontation has worn off, but my mind is still alert and restless.

My phone lights up in the console.

Bryn: are you here

I exhale slowly. She doesn’t need to clarify. I know what she means: outside her building, watching. I type back without hesitation when I pull up at the next red light.

Ash: No. Do you want me to be?

The three dots appear almost instantly. Disappear. Reappear.

Bryn: I’m going for a run.

Ash: It’s late.