Page 79 of Deadmen's Queen

“If it's too dangerous for me, then it’s too dangerous for you,” I insisted, stepping in front of him as he moved towards the front door. “Oh shit.”

Nate had reappeared, and I watched him pass a handgun over to Bast, who slipped it into his belt at the back. Nate did the same with his own, and I suddenly felt very cold.

“Don’t go,” I begged. “Stay with me. You could get hurt. You could…”

Bast silenced me with a kiss, cupping my face in his hands.

“This is what we do, Paige. And we’re good at it. We’ll be fine.”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Tristan will be back soon. I tried calling, but he didn’t pick up, so I've left him a message to let him know what’s happening. Until he gets back, lock the door behind us, and close the curtains.”

I looked up at him, sick with dread at the idea of them putting themselves in danger.

“Don’t go,” I pleaded.

Bast shook his head, then kissed my forehead.

“Be a good girl for me, Paige, and lock the door.”

He pulled away from me, and opened the door, heading out to his car. Nate bent to kiss me, but it was too brief, and then he was gone too. I watched them drive away with a horrible sense of foreboding, but as the car turned the corner, I closed the door, locking it behind me and setting the alarm.

Unable to sit still, I passed the living room and went into the kitchen. I checked my phone, but there were no messages. I set it on the worktop and sighed. My stomach and back still ached, but I couldn’t sit still, not when I was so worried. Instead, I grabbed a knife out of the chopping block and the vegetables out of the fridge, and started thinly slicing them for Tristan, though I wasn’t sure how I was going to eat anything now.

I hadn’t got far, when the doorbell rang. I froze for a moment, before rational thought clicked into place and I realised that if my stalker had shown up, he would be unlikely to ring the bell. I set the knife on the worktop, and wiped my hands on a towel, before heading towards the door. The tiny screen by the door revealed my visitor, and my sense of dread deepened. I swallowed and took a deep breath. This time, I wouldn’t be pushed around. I tapped the code on the pad by the door, cancelling the alarm, and then unlocked the door, pulling it open.

“Hello, Mum.”

“Paige, darling, you look well. Are you going to invite me in?” Her blonde hair hung perfectly straight by her face, her make-up immaculate, and her long-sleeved white roll neck jumper made her look the picture of innocence.

“Why are you here?”

She sighed. “I wanted to see you. To apologise.”

I blinked. “Apologise.” She nodded.

“Yes, I realise the last time we spoke, I lost my temper and said things I regret. I've had some time to think while you’ve been away, and I’d really like to talk.”

I stared at her a moment longer, not quite believing what she was saying. Had she really finally realised that she was wrong? My heart skipped a beat, and I moved away from the door, letting her step into the house. My mind was churning, I needed something to focus on, so I led her down the hall to the kitchen. I moved behind the island, as though it was some kind of protective barrier, and began slicing vegetables again. Mum perched on one of the stools and looked around.

“Nice place,” she commented, more than a touch of bitterness in her voice.

“It's the club’s student house,” I said.

She nodded. “It was different when I was in the club. Closer to town. They must have moved it.”

“The guys won’t be long,” I said. “What did you want to talk about?”

“You are not easy to get hold of Paige Matthews. Why haven’t you been answering your phone? You know how worried I’ve been.”

“Bullshit,” I retorted. “You’re never worried about me unless it suits you. What do you want, Mum? The guys will be back soon.”

“Oh, I think they’ll be a while,” she grinned. “I’m fairly certain Bates and his men will keep them busy.”

I froze and looked up at her.

“How do you know about Bates?” I asked quietly.

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