Page 109 of Making Choices

“Then you’ll lose her,” Nadia retorts. She pushes back to her feet and glares down at me with her arms folded over her chest. “Delete whatever photos you want... you’re obviously not as smart as I thought you were.”

I catch her wrist when she makes a move to storm off. “Tell me what the fuck you think I should do, Nads.” The petite blonde shakes off my grip but remains standing in front of me. “Please?”

“Make peace with sharing her ’cause that’s the only way you have a shot at Cherub’s heart.”

“Fuck me.”

“No, thanks,” Nadia tells me with a half-shrug. “I prefer my men with shorter hair than mine.”

After rolling my eyes at her, which makes her smile, I elaborate. “My parents have been alludin’ to somethin’ similar. Now I’m hearin’ it from you, too.”

“Mumma C is always on the money... I’d listen to her.”

“My feelings mean nothin’ if you’re all right.”

“Why?”

Shifting uncomfortably, I sigh. “We’ve tag-teamed plenty of cut sluts together... but even as kids there was one thing we couldn’t share without fisticuffs.”

Nadia arches her eyebrows. “Let me guess... your little Cherub?”

“Got it in one.”

“And nothing’s changed since then?”

“Nope.”

She shakes her head. “Then you’re fucked, dude.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Just calling it as I see it.”

As Nadia’s pessimism settles over me, I touch the screen of her phone and stare at the photos on her Instagram. While we’ve been talking, the likes have built up. So have the comments. Most are from the Shamrocks and our associates, joking about drowned rats and telling Cherub that she’s looking good. When I click to expand the thread, I find that Nadia’s public profile has attracted a bunch of comments from strangers with connections to Joseph Kingsley.

With Alex missing for over a month now, his father has attempted to pin his son’s disappearance on Cherub and Venom. He’s had no luck so far, and with zero evidence pointing to murder, and the clues left by Cub making it seem as if Alex up and left his life ‘to find himself,’ the Minister for Police is pushing shit uphill in his efforts to have the Shamrocks investigated over it.

The upcoming election has made his usual supporters a lot more gun shy than usual.

No one wants to stir up the memory of Alex’s rape conviction.

It also helps that Gabriel’s made a few well-placed calls to remind the powers above Joseph exactly what they have to lose if they back his witch hunt.

Unfortunately, this reticence doesn’t extend to the arseholes flaming Nadia’s posts with comments calling Cherub a murderer and a liar. A couple of them even ask if I’m the man she seduced to kill Alex for her. One of them is from a Perth socialite who supported Alex during the rape trial. Her comment details her thoughts about Cherub’s promiscuity and her propensity to make false accusations of rape.

My belief in humanity isn’t completely lost as I read the comments from a profile named ‘All-seeing Skye’ that lays out in plain terms exactly how many women Alex has hurt before. Skye even details the connection between Joseph Kingsley and the Maddison clan.

I make a mental note to mention the profile to Cub.

An ally like Skye would be smart to cultivate.

“Jesus Christ.” Nadia snatches her phone out of my hand. She works her way through the photos, deleting them one after the other, then sets her profile to private. Once she’s done, she slips her phone into her bra and snaps at me, “If you say a word to her about those vultures, I’ll set your Harley on fire.”

“She doesn’t know?”

“No. And she won’t if you keep your mouth shut.”

My heart isn’t in it when I retort, “Thought you were against lyin’ to her?”

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