Page 61 of Compulsion

A flash in those hooded eyes. He’d obviously been thinking things through as well, while I was out of the room. “Yes.” He inclined his head in that way he had.

Bloody man, I thought. Now is not the time to return to monosyllabic conversation. This was difficult enough as it was. “I want to tell them about London. I want to get myself clear of that shit, at least. And I want someone to be accountable for the drugs and for… Stewart. Okay, so they’ll probably charge me for something—the courier job or leaving the scene that night. I have no idea how much trouble I’ll be in. But that time was nothing to do with you. I don’t want you dragged down with it.” Was that selfish or naive of me? Was that even possible? “Yet with all that’s happened this morning….”

He pursed his lips. I leaned involuntarily toward them. He looked like he’d been making decisions as well. “What happened this morning is my problem, Max.”

“What?”

“I feel the same way for you—that I do not want you responsible for something that is not to do with you.”

“But we both—”

He made a sharp tut noise that silenced me. “This man came to my flat to threaten me because of my family’s business. My family—my problem. So you must not be involved with it.”

“I can’t do that!”

He continued regardless. “Give me a few hours before you call the police. Just give me the rest of the day to arrange things.”

There was that phrase again—arrange. “What about the body?”

“It’ll be found,” he said. “Just not here.”

“And Peck?”

“I said I’ll arrange things. Mama has many friends still here.” His eyes met mine, and the dark chasms were hiding both fear and decision. “You will not be incriminated, Max, not from anything that happened here. I hope that I will not be either. But I cannot afford to be mixed up in it at the moment. I must keep Mama safe. Peck can do too much damage, and with my uncle unchecked, our entire business is vulnerable. My uncle is a shrewd and clever man—I am afraid we will all take our turn as the scapegoat. I need to be away from here to try and salvage what I can. We must act immediately—to put an end to the threat hanging over all of us.” His pupils widened. “Over you too, Max.”

A chill spread slowly across my body. “Is it your turn to run, Seve?”

His eyes flashed. “I will do what I have to. I must leave as soon as possible. I haven’t initiated this, but if I can help put things right, whatever it takes, I will. Many of my family will. We’re not all in it for the money, Max.”

I held up a hand in apology, though I’d never said or meant that. I wondered if he’d have a job and the expensive flat and car or a family business at all when he came back. Didn’t they freeze assets when businesses were under investigation? Was that as important to Seve as being pursued by Peck and his death wish?

Or perhaps he wasn’t coming back at all.

Fuck.

“They’ll call you in. They may arrest you.”

“The police? On what charge?” He shook his head. “I don’t think so, even if and when I provide the information they need. I am not involved at a high enough level in the business, you see. I’ll be just a whistleblower: a pawn in their eyes.” And from the frown on his face, in his eyes too. “They will want my uncle and his network, which Mama and I will give them. And they still want Stewart’s murderer. You’ll make sure they have that as well.”

“Even if it costs me.”

“I think they will see you as a hero, Max, not a villain. But I do not know for certain. I don’t wish that trouble on you. If I could help….”

I nodded. I knew. But this was for me alone to work out.

“And if they do come after me… well, Mama has her own network on the continent. I won’t be easy to find.”

The chill washed over me again. “If they can’t find you, Seve, neither will I. Will I?”

He stared at me. “No, you won’t.”

The ache inside me was like a wound.

“But you misunderstand, Max.” He stepped forward, and although I tensed, I let him take hold of me again. “I assumed… I cannot leave you here if you think Peck is still looking for you.”

“Hey. I’ll be okay. Once he finds Baz has gone, he’ll think twice. And I’ll stick close to the guys, no one will get close to me if I don’t want them to. And the gang at the site are pretty useful as bodyguards too.” I wasn’t sure if I was joking or not, to be honest, but Seve looked stricken.

“No, Max. I mean… come and join me as soon as you can. I want you to come with me to Spain.”