Page 29 of No Mercy
Mandy lets out an exaggerated sigh, dropping the dress on the bed before kneeling in front of me. “He’s not a serial killer,” she says, placing her hands on mine. “I had Adam run a background check on him as soon as we got back. He’s clean, Eva. I promise.” I want to believe her, but the uneasy feeling in my stomach doesn’t go away. It’s been years since I’ve seen Mandy this excited about anything, let alone a date, but all I can think about is how bad things could go.
“Mandy…” My voice is quiet as I try to find the right words. I squeeze her hands. “I can’t risk anything happening to you.”
She gives me a soft smile, the kind that’s meant to reassure me but doesn’t quite do the job. “If I thought something bad would happen, I wouldn’t go. You know I wouldn’t. I’d never do that to us, Eva.” Her voice is steady, calm, but it doesn’t ease the knot of worry in my chest. Mandy lets go of my hands and turns back to her pile of clothes on the floor. She picks up a thin red dress, holding it against herself. The colour pops against her skin, and I can’t stop the gasp that escapes my lips. Her eyes light up at my reaction. “This is the one!” she says, spinning in front of the mirror.
I push my fears to the side, not wanting to ruin this moment for her. For the next thirty minutes, we work together, turning her excitement into the perfect look for her big night.
By the time we’re done, she looks stunning. Her makeup is bold and smoky, her cheekbones perfectly highlighted. The deep red lipstick she chose complements the dress perfectly, and her brunette hair falls in soft, loose curls over her shoulders.
At exactly seven o’clock, the doorbell rings. Mandy glances at me, nervousness flickering across her face for the first time all evening. We walk to the door together, and before she opens it, I pull her into a hug. “If anything feels off, call me. I don’t care what time it is. I’ll be there,” I say, my voice firm.
She laughs softly, pulling back. “You worry too much.” She takes a deep breath, preparing herself before opening the door. A breeze floats through the gap, causing the heat from inside to escape as she welcomes the stranger.
“Wow, you look incredible,” a deep voice says from the hallway.
Mandy’s cheeks flush, and she glances back at me with a grin before stepping outside. I try to catch a glimpse of the guy, wanting to make a mental note for a ‘WANTED’ poster but just as I spot the edge of a black suit, Mandy shuts the door. I stand there for a moment, staring at the closed door, waiting for her to change her mind and come back inside. But her laughter echoes from outside, and I know she’s gone.
Letting out a sigh, I grab the bag of candles from yesterday’s shopping trip and head upstairs. “Guess it’s just me tonight,” I mutter, heading to my room for a bath. As I turn into my room, I stop dead in my tracks. The bag slips from my hands, hitting the floor with a crash as my candles scatter across the ground.
A figure leans casually against the balcony door, wearing the same glowing red mask I’ve been trying to forget.
The person doesn’t move, their arms crossed as if they’ve been waiting for me. “It’s you,” I whisper, the words barely audible over the pounding in my chest.
CHAPTER 16
AXEL
I wakeup ready for the day, a jolt of nerves coursing through my body as I glance at the clock. Nine-thirty AM. I must have lost track of time after two in the morning when I finally brought Flynn and Ant up to speed on the plan. Flynn had plenty to say, his enthusiasm spilling over with every detail mentioned, while Ant simply nodded, his eyes glazed as if he were a million miles away.
I stretch across the bed, causing my legs to tremble beneath me, each movement a reminder of the adrenaline that still lingers from last night’s discussions.
Tonight’s the night I reveal myself to Eva, and fuck, if I said I wasn’t terrified of her rejecting me, I would be lying to myself.
Just as my heart races at the thought, I hear footsteps creeping closer outside my door. “I can hear you, arsehole!” I shout, my voice cutting through the silence like a knife. Seconds later, the door flies open, slamming against the wall with a thunderous crash that sends a shiver through the room. Flynn comes storming into the room holding two bags. “I need your help” He says, throwing both bags in my direction.
One of them lands directly on my balls, resulting in me kneeling over in bed sideways, gasping for air. Flynn standsthere, hands on his knees, laughing at me as I struggle to breath through the pain shooting up my body. I make a mental note to get my own payback on him when he least expects it. “You’re… dead,” I force out through gritted teeth, my anger barely contained.
He finally pulls himself together and strolls over to pick up the bags that have tumbled to the floor. “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, big brother,” he replies, patting me on the head like I’m some goddamn dog. I swat his hand away, but he just laughs, tipping the contents of the bags out.
Clothes litter my floor, and a smile tugs at my lips as it brings reminders of Eva’s bedroom and the red nightdress that currently sits in my bedside table.
“Remind me to never aim for your dick again if it’s going to get you smiling like a creep.”
My head shoots to the right, landing on Flynn, who stares back at me with a disgusted look, eyebrows raised in mock horror. He holds his hands up in surrender as I narrow my eyes at him.
“Don’t hurt me,” He blurts out in a rush.
I lean on my right arm, propping myself up to look over the side of the bed at the clothes now scattered everywhere. “What’s all this for?” I ask him as I pick a top up examining it.
“Well… you said I need to get that girl to go on a date with me so, new clothes.” He replies picking a pair of jeans up off the floor.
I stare at him as he flips the jeans upside down, checking the stitching. Flynn will never fail to baffle me, he will go from hardcore criminal to a person rescuing animals and donating millions to charity within a split second. Pushing myself out of bed, I grab a shirt from the floor and throw it at him. “Let’s see if you can get her to accept the date first.”
He scoffs, brushing the shirt off his shoulder like it’s nothing. “Of course she’ll say yes. Have you seen me?”
“Seen you? I see your ugly mutt nearly every day. Wait until she sees what you look like in the morning.” I wave my hands in front of my face, ready to deliver the final blow as he stares. “Traumatised.”
We stand facing each other until Flynn breaks into a sprint right for me. “Oh, fuck!” I shout, turning on my heel and run towards the living room. I leap over the sofa, landing behind it and using it as a makeshift barrier, while Flynn stands on the other side, eyes narrowed, a smirk playing at his lips as he closes in.
