Chapter Forty-One
ADAM
Fuck my life. I swear, it seemed like things were finally getting settled, and then Seb fucking Bennett went and outed their identity to Julie.
“Maybe you want to explain how the fuck she knows that, bruv?” Seb said, glaring at me like… well, like he normally does. Maybe it’s just his face.
I sighed, pulling Julie tight against me, because I nearly lost the chance to do that again, and I’m not wasting a single fucking second.
Oddly, nearly dying at their hands, and having them apologising for fucking up? That shit had diminished some of my fear, and unease, with regard to them. They were human. Fucked up, insane, depraved humans, but just human. And so was I. And I wasn’t twisted like them. That made me the bigger man, in substance, if not physical form.
“I met Julie, because she was with Jeff Clarke. She was hunting for Cass, while he was hunting for his rapist pervert son.”
Julie gasped, looking at me again.
“What? That’s exactly what he was.” I said firmly, raising my eyebrows at her.
“So we sent you in, paid you to do a job, and you deliberately kept things from us? That’s not how we do business, bruv.” No, you just beat up, and threaten to murder, the people who work for you.
Julie frowned, looking from Seb to me. “So you were working for the people who killed Harvey this whole time? Was anything real?”
I groaned, looking around her at the others. “Any chance you lot want to fuck off now, so I can try and fix my fucking relationship?”
“Oooh… he’s in a ‘relationship’, girls!” Seb taunted. “Look, here’s the deal, yes, he was working for us, and yes, he was getting paid to tailor the truth for us. Doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy like us. He only wishes.”
I wanted to punch the fucker. One day I will. I decided right there and then. One day. My fist. Seb’s fucking smug face.
“Julie, look at me. I wasn’t working for them by choice, okay? I don’t think anyone joins them by choice. We just get dragged into shit, and we can’t get back out. I didn’t want to be lying to anyone, and then when I met you, I realised that there was something more important at stake. Because I didn’t want the taint of this fucking darkness touching you. Not even for a second. You’re worth more than all of us.” I leaned around her. “Sorry, Cass. Don’t let them kill me for that.”
She giggled, and placed a hand on each twin’s chest, but I didn’t dare look at them.
I turned back to Julie.
“Every moment between you and me. That was real. That IS real. And if they, and their bastard people, didn’t keep punching me and stuff, I’d have been showing you just how fucking much more important you are. And, bear in mind this bit is really important too, I have no fucking idea why they’re still here. Can’t we find a way to make them sod off now?”
She giggled, turning to look at the Bennetts and Cass.
“I just need to understand one thing. What happened tonight?”
Cass groaned, pressing her face against Seb’s chest, and the smug bastard just cupped her head against him, kissing her hair.
“We made an assumption, based on some bad information, and uh… took him.”
Samuel sighed, leaning forward, with his elbows on his knees.
“You have to understand. Our life is dangerous. And we’ll do anything to keep danger from Cass. She’s the most important person in our lives. And when Adam started working for us… we had our tech guy keep an eye on him. On his communications.”
“Their gentle way of saying they cloned my phone, and have been reading our texts, I’m afraid.” I added, because they were starting to sound too reasonable, and I didn’t want her buying into their shit.
“What?” She lifted a dainty hand to her mouth, and I just wanted to suck those fingers into my mouth, while I watched her use the others to play with herself. Jesus.
“Some of the content of your messages to each other caused us… or our associate… some concern.”
I sat up, leaning around Julie again.
“Nige did this? That fucking prick!”
Samuel snorted, glancing at Seb and Cass, who were nuzzling each other, like fucking teenagers.