“Four of them run it?”
Her mouth opens, then closes. “As your friend, your best friend, I ask that you don’t repeat what I’ve just told you.”
“They killed him, Tracey. They killed someone famous. Like they had every right to do it. And don’t even bother about the consequences.”
“They run a tight ship, I wasn’t even meant to know.”
“But you do because he tells you everything.” She shrugs. I’m sure that was a shitstorm in itself.
“This story could make me, Tracey. Everything I’ve worked for, it could finally come to pass if I do this.”
“You care about him, right?”
I can’t lie to her, so I tell her the truth. “I do. Do you think I should put him before myself?”
She shakes her head. “What did he say then?”
“He told me to kill it.”
“And you don’t want to listen to him?” she asks.
“No, Tracey, I don’t want to listen to anyone. I want to do the right thing. This would be the right thing. They can’t just go around killing people when they don’t meet their standards. It’s not right. What are you going to say at my funeral… ‘I miss her, but I did warn her’?”
Tracey shakes her head. “He won’t let you get hurt.” She says it like it’s the truth.
“Maybe he wouldn’t have a choice.” I turn, ready to walk out and decide what I want to do.
“I think he loves you.” I stop in my tracks at her words. She’s looking down.
“That’s a shit thing to say just to stop me, Tracey. Even for you.” I open the door and walk to my car, but she follows closely behind.
“I’m not saying it because of that. I think you should know. I think he loves you. This is coming from his best friend. Me. I know him better than anyone else. And he doesn’t talk women to me unless he’s saying how annoying they are. When he talks about you, it’s different. A good type of different.”
“That’s good and all, Tracey, but it will only be a phase. Falcon isn’t a one-woman man, that much is obvious. Hell, he even proved it on our date.
“What did he say?”
I cringe at remembering his words. “He said, ‘If every date’s like this, what the fuck have I been doing?’”
She flinches. “I’m sure he meant someone else.”
I shake my head at her. “Stop defending him, Tracey. I’m your friend, too.”
“I know, that’s why I never wanted you two together. I don’t want to choose between you. I love you both.”
“We aren’t together.”
“But you should be, he smiles bigger when he’s with you.”
I get in my car and look up at her. “Don’t tell him I came here, Tracey. Please?”
She nods. “I promise.” I start the car. “Where are you going?”
I sit back, unsure of what to do. “Tell me where he is?”
She shakes her head fast. “Is that something you want to know?.”
I smile at her and drive away without answering, maybe she’s right.
My cell starts ringing straight away and I check the rear-view mirror and see Tracey with her cell to her ear, so I don’t bother answering.
Driving to the beach, the same one he took me to, I sit in my car and look out. It’s dark now. It took me over an hour to get here, and in that time, I’ve contemplated what I should do.
Should I, or shouldn’t I?
That’s the million-dollar question.
I could get a pay rise. Other writing jobs will open up to me. It only takes one story to climb and this could be it. I know it could be it.
I ring him one last time. He answers straight away, my name falling from his lips. All the play gone. “Ariel.”
“Malcom is a client, isn’t he? That’s how you can get away with what you do. You have the most elite people in the state at your disposal.” He doesn’t confirm. “It’s bigger, isn’t it, I bet it’s in the country. That’s how you’ve stayed hidden for so long.”
“You’re stepping in deep water I can’t pull you from, Ariel.”
“If they had a gun to my head, and were going to pull the trigger, would you let them, Falcon? Would you let them kill me?”
“Yes.”
My world goes silent.
The call disconnects. My heart, the one that’s beating heavily in my chest, explodes and pain radiates from me.
How can one word ruin everything? He just ruined everything with one single word. I pull myself up and wipe my tears.
I won’t let him win this round.
Not now.23FalconI see her in the rear-view mirror, it’s a minute too late. My hands slam on the steering wheel. “Fuck,” rips from me. Her long black hair is down and if I were a dying man, I would wish to have that hair wrapped in my fists one last time as I take her. Slamming the car door, I get out and lean against it.