“A few days ago,” I said. “Billy’s still in hospital, and he’s having more surgery soon, but he doesn’t want us there, so she came home.”
“Is she okay?”
I shrugged. “She’s worried about the surgery. He had a bad reaction to the anaesthetic the first time.”
“But they know that now, right? So they’ll use different drugs?”
I studied Gus, trying togauge if he was asking out of concern for Billy, or me, or both. “Yeah. They have a plan. It’s hard for us not to be there for him, but I reckon I kind of deserve it. Fran not so much, but that’s between them.”
Gus sighed. “Mate, your family’s as fucked up as mine.”
“Yup.”
Gus ate his lunch in silence while I continued to scan the street. When he was done, we exchanged a look, andhe nodded before sliding out of the van and jogging across the road.
He slipped down the back of Mia’s shop. I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel, nerves stretched tight until he reappeared a few minutes later.
“She’s fine,” he said. “Still in a piss with you, mind.”
I expected nothing less. “She’s okay, though? Nothing’s happened at the shop today?”
Gus’s expression hardened.“Like what? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
I filled him in on the details from last night that didn’t involve me stripping his sister’s clothes, laying her face down on my bed, and fucking her until she ripped a hole in my pillowcase.
He let out a low whistle. “You’re sure it’s the same car?”
“Positive. I’m pretty hot on vehicle recognition. You learn pretty fast when youlet the wrong helicopter land on your ship.”
“You’ll have to tell me about that one day.”
“Uh-huh.”
Gus sighed. “I know the copper who took the break-in report. I can tell him everything you told me, but he can’t do shit unless you or her, preferably both, report it.”
“How do you know this copper? Didn’t bone him as well, did you?”
Gus’s lips twitched. “Maybe.”
I wantedto rib him more, but Gus’s sex life was the least of my concerns. “I don’t think she took me seriously, which was probably my fault. We had other stuff going on at the time.”
“Dare I ask what?”
“I wouldn’t.”
“No, of course not. And judging by her mood, I’m guessing it’s not a quick fix, so I’m the lucky one who gets to talk to her about this.”
“Sorry, man.”
“Aren’t you always?”
I couldn’t tell if he was taking the piss, or fed up with my bullshit for real, so we went back to work and didn’t talk about it for the rest of the day. He didn’t mention it when I let him go early, and I headed home with a bundle of nervous energy in my gut.
Fuck it.I hit the gym, pretty sure Mia wouldn’t be there as she worked late on Fridays to prep for her wedding bookings. And Igot lucky, the place quiet, save a few bodybuilder goons getting their disco pump on.
I hit the weights hard, blasting metal music to drown out the grunts and groans coming from the other benches. My mind emptied of everything but the push and pull of lifting, and for a blissful hour, I was calm.
It didn’t last, though. I emerged from the gym to find the van had three flat tyres, all causedby ugly slashes too vicious to have been an accident.
Disquiet burned in my chest as I stared at the damage. A stiff breeze cooled the gym sweat on my skin, and the creeping sensation of unwelcome eyes on me was horribly familiar.
