“Well. cut some material from my top.” He leans forward and positions himself.
“I can use my own clothes. Besides, there will be a first aid kit.” I bend forward and push my hand under the seat, my hands brushing across a paper file and—
“A first aid kit,” I announce proudly.
I ruffle through it, it’s empty. Throwing it to the floor, and turn my attention to the brown file.
Opening it, I see Owen’s name. His real name.
Owen King.
“He’s got your file here,” I say, turning the middle console light on as I start to read. “Looks like Luca didn’t hide your past as well as you thought.”
“I told Andrews my past,” Owen announces, glancing over before turning his attention back to the road. “What’s the point in hiding it from someone like Apex Security? He would have just found it.”
“True.” My eyes scan the facts, and see that unlike the version I got, another smack in the face that Andrews hid so much from me, it has information about his time in prison. “Why did you serve time?”
He glances across and shakes his head. “Long story,” he replies.
“What was it you said? Sharing’s caring, and all that?”
“Not when I’m driving.”
“Suit yourself,” I reply, shrugging.
“It was where I met Luca.” He says, and I stop trying to read the file and glance across at him.
“Really? Actually, why would that even surprise me? What was he in for? Money Laundering?”
He lets out a single laugh and shakes his head. “Surprisingly not. You may think things about Luca, but he is an honest man. He has never tried to hide who he is.”
“With the exception from authorities, and all that jazz.” I wave my hand dismissively before bending forward and grabbing the knife from my boot. “Luca Knight is many things, but a good Samaritan is not one of them. He’s more of anif it helps me with my agenda, then so be it,kinda guy.”
“Would it surprise you to hear that he wanted change, just as much as me?”
“Yes, but his change involved taking back the London underworld, not the country.”
“I thought we were all the same in your eyes; criminals, politicians, all liars and manipulators to work our angle, to get power and control.”
“See, we do agree on some things.” I glance across, waving my knife, before gripping my shirt and cutting a strip of material from it, working to re-patch my wound.
“Believe it or not, we found a common ground, and I’m not that naïve. I’m going to need contacts across industries.”
“Owen,” I snort. “You make it sound like you’re talking about the private sector and getting into bed with multinational companies. You’re talking about building relationships with some of the most dangerous people in London.”
“He has legitimate businesses, too.”
“Oh well, my mistake.” I pull the material tight and hiss out a breath. “Fuck me. I need to stop getting shot.” I lean my head back and close my eyes until the pain subsides. “So, he funded your campaign.”
“He’s done way more than that. He’s changed my past—”
“Nothing can change your past.”
“He’s changed Maria’s identity. Allowed me to set her up for life.”
I tut.
“She’s not the villain in all of this,” he says looking across, his eyes boring into mine, his frown lines showing. “Remember that, Lucy. She’s just as much of a victim.”
