Page 57 of Captive Hearts
Pete took a chug of his beer. ‘He never got to see me when I was in prison, anyway,’ he said, trying to sound careless. ‘Wouldn’t be no different if I go in for this.’
Ashley felt a weak spot open up. ‘You could do it better this time. You could ask him to see you every week, good, regular,qualitytime. You’d know him, see how he grows up. You haven’t run out of chances, Pete. Not yet. But if you go ahead with your plan, this could be it for you and your son. For the rest of your life. The best you’d get is seeing his social media, maybe see a few photos a year. Is that enough?’
Pete’s frown deepened. ‘But he doesn’t like social media. He’s not on anything.’
That was an unexpected gift. ‘Then that’s even worse,’ Ashley told him. ‘You’d never knowanything. You’d never know what job he gets when he grows up, whether he has a family. Nothing. You might as well be dead as far as Liam’s concerned.’
‘Don’t say that,’ Pete said, an edge of threat in his voice.
But Ashley had an in. And just like she always did, she had to go for it. She knew she was taking a chance. A very large one. But she could get him. Get to his heart, if there was any of it left. ‘Pete, I’m just being honest. You carry your plan out, everyone you know and care about in this country will be locked off from you. Forever.’
‘Shut it, would you!’ Pete snapped.
‘Truth hurts,’ Ashley said, betting everything.
Pete raised his gun, pointing it directly at Ashley’s forehead, mere inches away. She froze. ‘I told you to shut up,’ Pete said, his voice dripping with quiet fury.
Ashley decided to simply do as she was told now. She’d gotten too comfy in the situation, gotten cocky. She’d made exactly the same mistake she’d warned Leanne about. She’d overplayed her hand.
‘Pete,’ Gina said quickly. ‘It’s alright. You don’t have to do anything like that.’
Ashley felt the gun pressed directly against her skull. It was hard, cold. ‘Who the fuck do you think you are?’ Pete asked her. She was sure this was it—the end.
She chanced one last look at Gina, her mind scrabbling for one good thing to have in her eyeline in the last moments of her life as the metal pressed to her forehead. But as she studied Gina, taking one last drink of her wholesome beauty, she saw something in Gina’s eyes. Something Ashley wouldn’t have thought Gina had in her. Anger. More than that, it was cast ironrage. Quite a sight. The next thing Gina said was a lot less pleading. ‘I said, put the gundown.’
Ashley’s heart was thumping like a broken clock now. She was terrified for herself, certainly. But she was just as scared for Gina, who was taking too big a risk to save her. She chanced a look at Pete to see how he was taking Gina’s order. He didn’t seem so angry anymore. He looked more surprised than anything. ‘Well, well, would you look at that? Camera girl’s grown a pair,’ he said, trying to sound amused.
‘Pete,’ Gina said again. Just one syllable, but no one in the room could have missed the command in Gina’s voice. She looked immovable, furious. Ashley stared at Pete, watching him trying to figure out what to do next. He was starting to look ever so slightly nervous. This was the first time anyone had truly challenged his authority all day. Ashley would never have bet that the one to do it would be easy-going Gina. Which was exactly what was probably foxing Pete. He didn’t know what she’d do.
And then the gun was removed from her head. ‘OK, let’s not lose our shit, shall we?’ Pete said with a fake laugh. ‘I was only messing.’
Gina still seemed livid. Ashley took a step back, taking a deep, ragged breath, trying to calm her heartbeat. But she managed to spit out, ‘Yeah. It’s all fine. Isn’t it?’ She nudged Gina. Her expression broke at last, and she looked like Gina again. ‘Yeah. OK.’
Pete glanced around at everyone, none too happy about what had just gone down. He’d thrown a wobbly that might have extended to murder, and Gina had backed him down with nothing more than a few words and a hard stare. Ashley hoped he wouldn’t feel the need to reinforce his authority.
But Pete was trying to play it off as a big joke, chuckling to himself as he went around the bar, headed for the TV. ‘Right, enough silly buggers. Let’s see what Kara Malone’s got to say, eh?’ He picked up the remote off the bar and flicked the news on. Kara appeared back in the car park, the shield at her back. She was talking about the fact that nothing had happened in a while, though she was trying to make it sound dramatic using words like, ‘Tense wait,’ and, ‘Silent standoff.’ Everyone’s attention was on the screen now, and Pete seemed happier for that. Ashley and Gina were left alone at the bar.
‘Gina…’ She began quietly. But she couldn’t find the words. What could she really say? How could you thank someone for what Gina had just done?
Gina shook her head. ‘Don’t,’ she muttered.
Ashley’s heart thudded as she gazed at Gina. ‘What you just did…’
‘I had to, that’s all. I just had to.’
‘But it was… Weren’t you scared? I mean, he could have…’
‘But he didn’t. That’s all we need to think about. We’re fine. You’re fine. I’m fine.’
‘OK, but you need to know that what you did? It was fucking incredible.’
Gina looked away, embarrassed. ‘I don’t know what happened. I just… I was scared at first when he pointed the gun at you. But then I felt all hot, and something happened, I don’t know… I don’t think I’ve ever been that mad in my life.’
Ashley shook her head in absolute wonderment. Gina Tucker. Ashley thought she had her number the moment she met her, but she hadn’t even been close.
