Page 22 of The Mission

“Three!” Arlo shouted and pulled him in.

Conrad was pretty sure his heart stopped.Fucking hell.Cold was too mild a word. The water was only around five feet deep so both he and Arlo could stand up, but all Conrad could think about was getting out.

“Okay?” Conrad’s teeth chattered as he spoke.

“Out,” Arlo gasped.

Conrad helped him up the steps first and then led him back to the hot tub.

“This is going to hurt,” Arlo warned as they stepped in.

It did, but only for a moment before it turned into spiky bliss, then complete bliss.

“I can’t believe you persuaded him to do that,” Benedikt said. “The last time Arlo went in—”

“You stopped me getting out. Bastards. Conrad helped me outandhe let me get out first.”

“We noticed,” Rurik said. “Come on. Let’s leave them alone for a while. Don’t stay out here too long.”

As they climbed out, Arlo’s fingers slid back around Conrad’s. “Was that the only way you could think of to distract them?”

“I thought about throwing a snowball at my boss and then thought again.”

Arlo laughed.

“And you did say the plunge pool was a rite of passage.”

“You took care of me. They liked that. They like you.”

“I like them.”

“Only because you didn’t grow up with them.”

“Maybe, but being an only child was lonely.”

“Are your parents still alive?”

“Possibly.”

“What does that mean?”

“They went to live in Canada when I was eighteen. I haven’t seen or heard from them since.”

“What the fuck?” Arlo shook his head in disbelief.

“They’re a bit…weird.”

“A bit weird? That’s more than a bit. What does—did your father do?”

“He was a pipeline engineer, away for long periods at a time. My mum had a wool shop and she used to knit jumpers for a boutique in Edinburgh. Chunky things. Some were nice. They hadn’t wanted a child. I was the result of a faulty condom.”

“They told you that?” Arlo looked horrified.

“A couple of times.” More than that. “She didn’t realise she was pregnant until it was too late for an abortion.”

“They told youthat? Oh my God, and I’m moaning about my family.” Arlo moved so he straddled Conrad’s lap.

Conrad lost his train of thought for a moment. “It wasn’t as bad as it sounds. They mostly left me to my own devices. I was never any trouble. I don’t remember ever getting told off. I just did as they wanted, but they never wanted me to do much except be quiet and be a good boy. Though I think that did more damage than they or I realised. I should have taken a few risks, lived a little and not followed every rule.”

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