Page 119 of Arran's Obsession

“Which was to be in Manchester watching Jordan Peters.”

“And to watch the Four Milers to find your woman’s old man. Peters went on the road, so I drove home today. I was going to come in but?—”

“Someone offered cash for my head? What was it, Convict? The money or a personal beef? You wanted a better position here, well, congratulations, I’ll bury you under the fucking foundations.”

“I did it for Genevieve. You have to believe?—”

I rammed my knuckles into the side of his face. “Take her name out of your fucking traitorous mouth.”

He moaned. I freed my knife from the holster, fucking gutted with how this had gone down. My own crew member, one of the closest people to me.

A hasty knock rattled the door.

Without waiting for an answer, Tyler burst in, one of the crew I’d called in as extra security this evening. Whatever this was, it had to be fucking good. None of them would dare interrupt otherwise.

The tough-as-nails crew member didn’t even blink at the scene. “Sorry to interrupt, but drop everything. We’re being raided.”

Holy fucking hell. I was back at my desk and snapping open a hidden drawer in a flash, Shade rounding to my side to pull a hidden weapon of his own.

“How many Four Milers?”

“No, boss. It’s the cops. They’re in Divine, throwing their weight about.”

I stalled, swore, then dropped the gun I’d picked up. Shade did the same, his jaw clenched. We continued, stashing our knives away. Shade took another blade from his boot. A third came from somewhere else on his person.

Lastly, I pulled my wallet and keys, leaving it all.

“What fucking timing,” I snarled.

“Prime time for someone else to slip in,” Shade returned quietly.

He was right. “Tyler, get back outside. Make sure your people stay far back but keep watch. No one else comes close.”

He acknowledged me with a dipped head. “We locking this place down?”

“Only Divine. The nightclub stays open but only for those already inside. People can leave but no one else can come in. All internal doors are locked.”

Tyler left us. Through the open door, pandemonium had broken out. People running. Fear high. I knew exactly how this was going to go down. Why the cops were here and who they wanted to see.

Frustration consumed me, and I came back to Shade. “You know the drill. Take Convict away. Get the staff organised and whatever damage has been done to Divine cleaned up. Get the crew in line.” Then I gestured to Jamieson to include him in my commands. “While I’m gone, guard her with your life.” They couldn’t doubt who I meant. “Whatever else happens, don’t let her out of your sight.”

Chapter 34

Genevieve

Divine had been trashed, bottles spilled and cracked plastic glasses underfoot. Tables had been tipped over and chairs broken in the stampede to leave. Half-naked dancers clustered at the back of the stage, uniformed police blocking their exits and corralling them into a huddle. At the main entryway, customers filed out, a flood of red-faced men hurrying away with their heads down.

Natasha slipped out with them, the cowardly bitch.

In the centre of the floor, Alisha held her own against two cops, a manicured finger swinging from one to the other and her lips running loose with a torrent of venom.

We’d flipped roles. Now, I was frozen up, fright holding me to the spot.

Never once had I been in trouble with the police. The only times I’d encountered them was when I’d come home from school and found one at my door, there to tell me Mum was in hospital. Actually dead, but they didn’t say that. Then the last was the beat cop who’d given up the scant details of Cherry’s murder. I didn’t blame them—they were only doing their job—but I had no idea what my role was now.

If I was so inclined, I could probably walk straight out the door, like Natasha had done, and undoubtedly Moniqua. There was no way that gang-affiliated woman would’ve hung around for my sake once the police had raided.

But I didn’t want to go. I’d done nothing wrong. They could arrest me if they wanted.

---