Page 83 of All Mine
After he’d turned out the restaurant lights, Etienne could see Isabella’s outline in the window opposite. She often sat there late at night. He thought about waving at her but didn’t want her to think he was spying. He snorted at himself. Waving at her across the square, what was that about?
He padded upstairs to the flat, his mind dragging him back to current worries. Ever since the community meeting that evening, he’d been waiting for Alex to get back to him. But however many times he checked his phone, there was nothing. Not since the voicemail that Alex had left earlier saying he had been told to expect a call from the Dougalls. Etienne could hear the fear in his voice.
His phone ringing in his hand made him jump. Alex’s name lit up on screen. At last.
‘You okay?’ he asked even as he accepted the call.
There was a slight pause, a hesitation, before Alex said, ‘Yes.’
‘You sure?’
Again, the pause. ‘I’m sure. But I don’t think this is going to be as straightforward as I thought.’ Etienne rubbed his hand over his stubble, waiting.
‘They want to meet face to face when I hand over the money. And it has to be me.’
‘I’ll come with you.’
‘You can’t. It has to be only me.’
A million thoughts rammed Etienne’s brain at once. Would they simply take the money and go? He couldn’t see it happening. The Dougalls just picking up a suitcase of money and walking away. It wasn’t their style. He imagined dark alleyways. Dead end streets. Car headlights in the dark of the woods. Every gangster film stereotype rushed through his mind. Would they beat his brother? A chill ran right through him. Did they want to brand him? Kill him? The silence was so thick, Etienne knew there was something else coming.
‘I fucked up, though, Et.’
Alex swallowed anxiously, sounding a million miles away. Etienne could imagine him rubbing his hand through his blond hair like he had done as a kid. When he’d missed a goal, or got caught scratching his name into a desk with a penknife. He waited.
‘They were pushing me to deliver it tomorrow at first. They kept saying the price would go up if I didn’t. And I panicked and said I couldn’t because I had to get it first.’ He sighed. ‘I had to get it from my brother.’
Etienne froze.
‘So, they know I exist then.’
‘I’m sorry, bro. I wanted to keep you out of it,’ Alex said gruffly. ‘It slipped out.’
Etienne’s innards contracted but his voice came out strong.
‘It doesn’t matter. They don’t know who I am or where I am. I’m not worried by that. I’m more worried by you meeting them alone.’
The silence the other end said everything that Alex was thinking.
‘Did you set a day and location then?’
‘Ten days. Place and time to be determined.’
‘We’ll work it out. This will soon be over.’
‘Wish it was sooner,’ said Alex. ‘It would be good to spend the anniversary together.’
Etienne felt the weight settle on his chest.
‘Me too, Al. Me too.’
Chapter Forty-One
Isabella
Isabella looked ahead at her empty calendar that she’d intentionally cleared to focus wholeheartedly on Tutto Mio until opening. Then she turned away with a sigh. That meant no chance of running into Etienne and although that was probably a good thing, her nipples didn’t think so.
She glanced at her ridiculously long to-do list; the closer they got to launch day, she only seemed to add items, rather than tick them off.
