Page 118 of Drift

Drift didn’t return it as West said, “What? You brought bugs into our home?”

Light stepped up to her. “There’s been someone watching in there for a lot longer,” he said quietly, and she eased back a touch. Yeah, she knew someone was watching, maybe had been for a while. As he held up the device, letting West see it and give him the nod, Drift stopped him getting too close, a grip on his arm.

“Same with West as I’ve just done with you.” Light held his look. “I won’t touch her, you have my word.”

Drift held his gaze, then eventually looked back at West, waiting. West gave a short nod, and Drift let go.

Light kept it short, distanced, but thorough. When static came through, recognising a device on her too, he gently slipped into her pocket and pulled out her phone.

“I’m gonna have to keep this whilst you’re with us, okay?”

“No.” It came out so sharply off Drift. “You don’t walk her anywhere without giving her access to a phone to get out if it’s needed.”

“Let her have it,” Simon said in his ear. “I have someone on comms. Usage will be blocked until the number is vetted, along with any signals it may give out. She’ll be tracked, but only by us.”

Light held it back West’s way, and she took it with a frown, then Light ran the device over her pocket again just to make sure there was nothing else.

“You have no phone?” Light looked Drift’s way as George took the device back and ran it over the backpack.

Drift shook his head, and that set warning flares off. Cath had never carried one, always using Brin’s or Lee’s, and in the end, she’d been the one to send a bomber into the Café and murder Brin. “Why not? Cuts you off from West and Jackson’s lot,” Light said flatly. “Something your actions so far have said you won’t tolerate.”

Drift frowned, more a:Y’really know fuck all, do you, mate? “I move between ten crews altogether,” he said eventually. “None of them tolerate anyone doing that often, so add moving tech from one crew to another pushes their limits to, well… me basically ending up dead in a gutter somewhere.”

West looked away, shaking her head, and it looked like an age-old argument between them.

“There’s no lie there,” Raif said through his earpiece. “Grant used the same honour system. Nomads don’t come along very often, so privacy is vital. And yeah, if he broke that, then he’d end up floating in the Thames. It’s not just the Night-walkers who can be vicious bastards, not when it comes to informants.Drift would have been schooled by Grant to setup a com system via symbols, which is no doubt how he and West stay in contact.”

“Okay.” Light said that to both Raif and Drift, then as a look off George called the backpack was clean, he held the door for West to get in. Drift followed a moment later, and Light took a moment to glance around the carpark before easing into the front passenger side.

The drive back was smooth, with no detours, and they pulled up to the manor gate twenty minutes later. But as they took the long drive up to the courtyard, Drift’s look went back out of the window and stayed there.

Yeah. Light knew this drive, felt every roll of tyre rebound in Drift’s head and heart. Go back a few years, Brin had slept next to him on Simon’s drive up to Gray’s. Arson had taken Light’s world right along with his own home, but walking through those doors to face Gray…?

Light frowned. Drift faced Martin in there, and Light didn’t have one bloody clue on where to start over easing his head over that. Where would he start over Martin? How could he start when it came to talk on Jack, on everything that went on behind closed doors when it came to the manor and who slept there…?

He played on one thing, and one thing only.

Drift sat in the back because even amongst all the fear and confusion over the Night-walkers, a part of him maybe, just maybe wanted to know about blood.

About Martin.

As they’d pulled to a stop, Light just wished Drift didn’t look so goddamn distrustful over facing who slept in the manor as the main reception door opened.

Chapter 34

BLOODED TIES

Hearing the Merc pull up, Gray stayed back in the reception hall with Simon as Jan headed for the door. It left Raif observing from CCTV in Ray’s obs room, but Gray didn’t want Drift swamped with people. Jan had said he’d be joining him in there a moment.

They’d gotten back from the MC hospital about three hours ago, and although Jan and Shelley had been given the all-clear, Ray had been moved over to the UK Health Security Agency. As Shelley still wasn’t showing signs of the virus, she had been allowed in to stay with him in a Hazmat suit. More tests were being done on the virus through Susan and her virologists at the Health Agency, but it remained quiet as of yet.

A hand in his suit pocket, Simon shifted stance, his look on the door, but then Gray had seen the footage over Light being asked to play guitar, then the fight. That was the first time he’d seen Light openly struggle emotionally outside of family, but the ease off over it with what had come because of Drift…?

“Hey.” Jan offered a warm smile after he opened the door and waited for footsteps to draw closer. “You’re West, right?” He offered a hand her way as she came in, although he seemed to struggle to keep looking away from Drift. “I’m Jan.”

“Jan.” West stood as tall as Drift, just as wary, and she stayed by him, their backs to the open doorway. But Jan, his natural ease around people, he dipped his head a little, searching West’s look. “According to Drift and his love of playlists, I’m also… mom.”

West suddenly choked a laugh and looked Drift’s way. “Oh you didn’t tell me aboutthatballs up, youid’jiot.”

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