Page 85 of Dublin's Danger Dancer

He keeps it in his apartment in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown.

“Tell me the address.”

“He lives at 44a Newton Road.”

“Are you really pregnant?” He asks.

“I am. I actually am. It’s true. Not that it matters. I’m going to have an abortion.”

“And you were going to be stripping in the club when you knew you were pregnant with my baby?”

“And that’s what you care about? me stripping. Not the fact that I’m going to have an abortion?”

“You’ll have to kill me before I let you have an abortion.”

“Considering you’re tied to a bed. I think that’s possible.”

“I’m going to go to Aaron’s apartment. I’m going to watch the video and see if what you say is true. Then I’m going to come back and kill you. But I’ll make it quick,” I say, kneeling down beside his face. “You can even close your eyes as I put a bullet in you.”

I picked up two guns from the table. And bring the bucket inside to leave by the bed. “In case you get desperate.” I say.

He smiles sweetly up at me. “The allergies I’ve been having. They’ve stopped since I left my house and they stopped every time I went to yours.”

“I went to the dog pound and put dog hair all over your house in places you’d never find it and probably never will.” I say raking my fingertips through his hair.

“The only part that doesn’t make sense is why you had sex with me.”

“It wasn’t like I set out to fuck you Liam. I intended to avoid it. Why do you think you kept passing out right before the act?”

“You drugged me.”

“I had to.”

“Why didn’t you continue? Or you could have had your period or stomach problems. There’s a lot of ways to avoid sex.”

“I don’t know. It’s not like I can date with the life I lead and I guess desire got the best of me.”

“Ah, so you wanted me?” he says cockily.

“Enough talking.” I say, turning on my heel.

“I’m sorry Ciara. I’m sorry you have to watch.”

Outside, the sun is blazing high in the sky. The fields surrounding the shack are filled with yellow rapeseed fluttering in the winds. I walk towards the road. There’s no traffic, only the sounds of the birds and the trees.

When I was gathering up my torture supplies earlier, I’d come across a small aged green Citron. I walk back to the car. Push my hairpin into the side and open up the door. The car is so old it takes me less than thirty seconds to hot wire it.

I drive back to Dublin, barely feeling like I’d blinked. My eyes had become so dry. My shoulders are hunched over the steering wheel and my hand is angrily shifting the gears. I close my eyes for a second, telling myself, maybe she was still alive when they just left her for dead. She could have survived.

It’s a little after 2:00 pm when I arrive outside Aaron’s apartment. It’s a new high-rise building with metal shutters over the windows to block out the sun. Each apartment has a glass fronted balcony and artificial potted hedges. I park the car and ring the doorbell.

“Where’s Liam?” asks Aaron over the Tannoy speakers. Obviously, he can see my face.

“I need to come up and speak to you.” I say.

He buzzes me in.

I ignore the lift and run up the stairs. His apartment is on the second floor. He’s at the door already wearing a sky blue shirt tucked into black pants with a black belt. Aaron is even taller than Liam.

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