Ginny took out her phone, prompting Alle to gingerly do the same.Dear God, did she even want to know?Knowing what she did about him, it could be bad.Really, really bad.Marsh had obviously been in contact with Siv.There was no way the two had just happened to be in the same bar in Gothenburg on the same night.What sort of spin had he put on things?Had any fact checking been done?Had dates, times, and outcomes been verified?
What omissions had been deliberately made?
Did Spook know yet?Holy crap, did the band know?
Why was her phone being so fucking slow?
Yeah, well that part was probably justBang!Online’s crappy mobile unfriendly website.
“Alle.”
She lifted her head only enough to realise three people had just arrived, two from one direction and one from the opposite.Graham Callahan, Black Halo’s powerhouse manager, stormed through the Arrival’s lounge like bazooka shot.Ginny made the mistake of trying to step into his path, and almost got steamrolled for the audacity.
“Hey,” Lyra said, pulling her into a heads down huddle.She beckoned Alle and Dani too, but Alle’s brother caught hold of her arm.
Flynn was still in his ship’s uniform.Jacket, trousers, hat, all braid and brass buttons.Despite that, he looked like he’d puked up a pony that morning.His eyes were pink and bloodshot, a distinctly sallow shade.At a guess, his being upright was entirely down to aspirin and Alka-Seltzer.
“Flynn,” she groaned.“What do you want?”She tried to shake him off, but he insistently pulled her away from the huddle.
“We need to talk, princess.”
She scowled.“You might need to.”She hadn’t forgiven him for backing up Marshall in the bar.“I need to go and listen to what Lyra has to say.”
He winced and then leaned more deeply in towards her.“You’ve not seen it, then?”His words whistled through his teeth.
Alle didn’t bother to ask what he meant, she just held up her phone.Bang!Onlinewas still an inch away from loading.The green bar along the top of the screen seemed to have stuck on sixty percent.
“It’s bad,” he confirmed, pushing her hand away.“I’ve called Ewan for you.He’s on his way to pick you up.”
“I beg your pardon?”She didn’t require collecting.The guys had a few promo things to do until mid-afternoon, but then Spook had a couple of days free that they were planning to spend together before Black Halo hit the Download Festival the following weekend.
“You need to get away from this guy.”
“Look, I don’t know precisely what Marshall thinks he’s dug up, but I do know the man I’m dating.A getaway vehicle is not required.I’m not in any danger.So thanks, but I’m staying put.”
“Alle, be reasonable.You can’t seriously want to be with his guy.He’s a thug.”
She merely inched her eyebrows up.
Flynn lowered his voice another octave, adopting a pacifying tone that simply served to rub her up the wrong way.“He’s a history of violence, sis.I’m not just talking about lashing out at journalists.He put his ex-girlfriend in hospital.I’ve seen pictures of the bruises—jeezus!I’m telling you, you don’t want to be around this guy.He raped her.”
“Bullshit!This is Marshall on a crusade to cause trouble, that’s all.I don’t know what crap he’s published—” She gave her uncooperative phone an angry shake.“—but that’s all it is, crap.Exactly like the last lot of lies he published.”
“Alle, I was there when he interviewed her.It’s real.”
“Yeah, or maybe she’s a really fucking good actress.Gave you a good sob story, did she?How the mean millionaire rock star beat her up?Fuck you, Flynn.Check your fucking sources, and don’t just believe our scumbag of a brother.Maybe go read the actual court reports, instead of just swallowing the spin.”
His cheeks turned ashen.“Court reports,” he gulped.“My God, you knew about this, and you’re still with him?Are you fucking demented?”
“Or maybe I have the full picture.”
“More like a couple of screws loose.I’m getting you out of here.”He made a grab for her, and Alle reacted instinctively.She smacked him hard across the jaw.The thwack echoed disquietingly loud in the open-plan space.Heads turned.
Shocked, Alle stilled for a second, the sting of the impact alive within her hand, while a creeping red glow rose over Flynn’s cheek.
“You’ll thank me later.”Stronger, larger, he had no trouble twisting her arm into the small of her back, and forcing her compliance, no matter how she tried to wriggle free.
“Let go of me, Flynn,” she screeched, whacking him with her phone.The impact knocked it out of her hand.
