Page 46 of Fletch

“Gemma, you’re a police officer, half your job is surveillance.”

I narrow my eyes. “I’m a Detective Inspector. Uniforms trawl footage.”

“So, get them on it.”

“They don’t have the staff and you know it. You’re looking for something . . . you don’t trust me.”

“Gemma, if that was true, I’d have my own guys looking through it. But you’re running out of time. If you don’t get something soon, I’ll have no choice but to close this case.”

“Why? You know they’re behind most of the drugs on the streets. If we keep up the pressure, they’ll spill over. You’re trying to sabotage this for me.”

“Why would I do that?” he asks, sounding more irritated by the second.

“Because you can’t stand to see me pull this off. You’ve wanted that club for ages. Plus, you promised them there wouldn’t be another fuck-up when you stepped into this role.”

He scoffs. “And then they hired you.”

“I can get them,” I yell.

“No, Gemma. No, you can’t,” he says calmly as he pushes to his feet. He rests his hands on the desk and glares at me. “You will fuck this up, and I’ll be the one looking like a fool . . . again. You’re right, I made a vow that I’d get rid of that biker club and clear our streets of drugs and guns. So far, you’ve come up with nothing. Nothing!” He slams his hand on the table. “And my job is at risk as well as yours.”

I shake my head. “I didn’t make any promises, and when I took this job, it wasn’t to get the Demons. I was offered the case and I took it. I won’t lose my job if I don’t produce them.”

He smirks. “If I lose my job, I’ll be taking you down with me. You’re running the case, and I’ll ensure your name is on everyone’s lips when we talk about failure.”

I storm from the room and head straight for the bathroom, ignoring everyone’s eyes on me as I pass.

I slam the door and brace myself against the wash basin. That fucking bastard. I close my eyes and take deep breaths, just the way my therapist taught me to whenever I get into an altercation with my father. It happened often when I was younger.

I’m in my happy place, my face tipped up towards the sky and my eyes closed as the sun warms my skin. Here, like this, I can almost forget the way Fletch is pulling away from me. I’m terrified he’s going to leave me. He’s already talked about moving to London.

“Gemma?” My eyes shoot open at the sound of my father’s voice, and as he rounds the corner, I scramble to my feet and stand straight. “Gemma,” he barks, setting his eyes on me.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, my voice quivering from fright.

“I went through this,” he snaps, holding up my mobile phone. I gasp, feeling my back pockets to make sure it’s definitely my phone. Shit. How did I forget that?

“The allotment at five,” he reads. “Get some more condoms, we’re out.” My face burns as I stare down at my feet. “Tell me it’s not that feral little bastard off the estate.”

“My phone is private,” I whisper. “I’m eighteen.”

“Just,” he spits, “and while you’re living under my roof, you’ll live by my rules. I checked your bank statement. You rent this space.” It’s not a question, but I nod. “Why?”

“I wanted to grow flowers,” I mutter feebly.

“Flowers,” he hisses, looking round at the array of different-coloured tulips. “I thought you’d gotten over this crap.”

“There’s no harm in growing them.”

“Pull them up,” he orders.

I frown. “What?”

“After all, you won’t have time to look after them once this is born,” he yells, throwing a piece of white plastic at my feet. I’m frozen to the spot, staring down at the positive pregnancy test. “I went through your room,” he adds, sneering. “Read every diary, every fantasy.” I pray for the ground to swallow me whole. Just remembering some of the things I wrote makes my face burn with embarrassment. I didn’t expect my private thoughts to be read by anyone, least of all my father. “So, pull them up.”

“No,” I whisper, allowing tears to fall down my face.

He marches to me, and I flinch as he grabs my upper arms and forces me to my knees. “Pull them up, or I will have that little fucker arrested for grooming my daughter.”

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