Page 115 of Rage

“Who? I thought… This is Kath’s number, isn’t it?”

“Lara; Kathy’s wife. The bitchy booby blonde?” Iknowhe hasn’t forgotten that description.

“Oh, fuck, yeah! Um… Sorry, ‘bout that, y’know.” There’s a pause on the line. “But like, it was supposed to be a compliment. ‘Cos they’re some good tits.”

I know he can’t see the eye-roll I give him, but I do it anyway because it makes me feel better. “Oh, I know. So does Kathy.”

“Well, I should think so. What’s up then? You okay?”

I inhale through my nose, gathering courage, because this is why I called him. And I’m sure he must know something is up really, because why wouldIbe calling him and not the one who actually tolerates him? “We’re… No, not really. Well, I’m okay, but Kath is… She’s not so good.”

“Fuck.” The word is more of a breath than an actual utterance, heavy with the despair that laces through my heart too. But it lifts mine a little, pulling the broken pieces that little bit closer, because it means that someone cares. Someone, somewheregives a fuck too. “Tell me how I can help her.”

There’s an edge to his tone now, far removed from the friendly overture of his first greeting. I like it. It makes me glad to spill the whole guts of the story, actually, in a sort of cathartic, avenging angel way. He lets me get it out, the whole thing from start to finish in a jumbled raging mess of words. But I know he gets it.

I know, because his first thought after I finish is laced with all the pain I feel too. “Okay, so who do I need to hurt?”

No. No, that’s not—thatisn’tthe story, that’s not the plan.

“I don’t wantyouto hurt him.Iwant to. I just need your help to access him, because he’s a guy who—well, he’s a city official, so… I kinda thought you might have some way of getting to him. You know.”

There’s a moment of silence between us both, a pause that sends a chilled panic through me, a finger of dread creeping down my spine. Because if I know he can do this, it means that I know too much.

shit. this was insane. he won’t, he can’t, he thinks you’re fucking crazy?—

“Okay. Give me a name, Lara; I’ll get you to him somehow.”

Those words… That’s what I needed, that’s what I wanted; because those words give me hope.

Chapter Four

Lara

It’s a week later when I get a message on my own cell phone, giving me an address based far outside the city. I send back a simple ‘when?’ and get a date and time in reply.

From then, it’s easy enough to book the date as an emergency vacation, citing a family crisis. I don’t tell Kathy either, just leave for work in the morning like I usually would, picking up a croissant along with my usual morning coffee order and setting my sat nav on the right heading.

It’s a good couple hours’ drive through the endless Northwestern forests out to the location, which turns out to be a sprawling estate on the bend of a river. I nearly miss the turning to the driveway, hidden in the pines as it is, but spot it just in time. As I pull my car to a stop outside the triple garage, a familiar redhead appears on the threshold.

Lauchlan Sullivan; one time stripper, allegedly current mafioso cohort, all time irritating, jumped up, cocksure asshole. But the only one we could have asked this favor from, and a guy who’ll always turn up everything he can—at least for those people he calls friends.

“Hey.”

“Hey. Thanks for-for doing this.”

“Don’t mention it. Like I told Katherine back in the day, I’m always down for a little assistance, should you ever need it.”

I give him my best fucking stink eye, because this was absolutelynotthe kind of assistance he meant back when we first became acquainted.

“I’m fucking with you, Lar. You arewaytoo damn easy to wind the fuck up, you know that?”

“Well, excuse me if I’m kind of wound the fuck up at the moment. And it’s Lara. For the record.”

He nods, I can only assume in acknowledgment of both the fragility of my mental state right now and the assertion of my full name. At least, that had better be why, or I’m going to have to hurt some more men today.

My rage is on full show, and I have zero intentions of hiding it.

Lockey points up the trail next to the garage. “This way.”

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