Page 87 of Silver Tears

“When and where is this?” I ask, looking at the street in the background and not recognising it.

“Last night, not long after he attacked her. He was heading south, away from his flat. He must have known it wasn’t smart to return home.”

I nod my head, my eyes unable to move from the image of that fucker. I want to break every single bone in his body and inflict a world of pain on him. “Find him for me.”

Rafe reaches and grips my shoulder. “We won’t leave a stone unturned. We’ll get the fucker. Don called. He’s got his man on the ground asking around if anyone’s seen him. He can’t hide forever.”

I nod my head. He’s right. He’ll have to resurface at some point.

The boys head out, leaving me to entertain a six-year-old for the next five hours. We do some more colouring, and he beams when I put some of his pictures up on the fridge-freezer. This follows by a marvel movie marathon. We watch Iron Man 2 and then start on Thor. The little man falls asleep about halfway through the movie and I take this is my chance to ring Peggy and let her know what happened last night. She’s naturally distressed by the news and assures me she’ll keep her eye out for any sign of him turning up at the house. Don has put one of his guys on watch outside the café where precious works so I can rest easy knowing she’s safe whilst I look after her brother. I’m itching to be out there with Archer and Rafe sniffing the fucker out of his hiding hole, but I know Mills will feel better knowing that Chops is with me.

Before I met her, I’d never really cared about anyone but myself. Apart from my family and my boys, no one else mattered. Everything I did was for my own gain, but helping Mills and her family has given me a sense of purpose. It feels like I am doing something worthwhile; and in my life it normally feels like nothing I do is of any worth. It feels good to protect them and keep them safe. I’ve always been so wrapped up in myself and the parties and girls to make me feel good, but helping Mills gave me a whole new level of satisfaction. I rarely do anything unless there’s something to gain for myself. I’m a selfish fucker, always out for what I can get and what power and control I can take. I was, I realise, turning into my father and his father before him. Blackmailing Mills had been a shitty thing to do. I took her vulnerability and used her. If that isn’t the definition of selfish, then I don’t know what is. All I know is that I don’t want to grow up and be just like my father or any of the Ace elders. I hate what this society has made me into.

Needing to distract myself from my thoughts, I take Charlie down to the beach and he collects pretty shells to give to Milly when she finishes work. Rafe calls me whilst we are down at the beach to say they haven’t been able to track him down, but they’ll keep looking. We need to find him. Until we catch him, Milly and Charlie are in danger, and I promised her we’d keep them safe. Rafe also lets me know that Milly’s mum is crashed out at home, having slept most of the day away. Everyone is safe, for now.

We pick Milly up at twelve and Chops is excited to show her the shells he collected for her. Milly looks pale and tired. The events of last night having caught up with her. We drive back to the beach house. Milly rang her dad on the way and told him she was going to a party tonight and got him to agree to extend her curfew to midnight.

We arrive back at the house to find Archer and Rafe already here. “Anything?” Mills asks them both and they shake their heads.

I don’t miss the worry on her face. She nods and dipping her head; she sits beside Charlie as they look through all the shells he’s collected for her in closer detail. Archer’s phone rings and announcing it is Eliza, he heads out to the balcony to speak to her.

“What now?” Milly asks, looking to me and then to Rafe.

“We keep looking,” I reply. “I’m going to pay a visit to the Brownlee brothers tonight to see if they’ve seen or heard anything and offer them an incentive to help us find him.”

“Who are the Brownlee brothers?” Mills asks me, distracting Chops by putting all the shells back into the beach bucket.

“Local dealers in Droyton. Lenny owes them money.”

“I’m coming with you,” Mills announces, and I shake my head, frowning at her.

“No, you’re not. You need to stay here where you’re safe.”

She furrows her brow at me and folds her arms under her chest. “I would be safe. I’d be with you.” She sighs, running her hand through her hair. “I can’t sit here again doing nothing. When I’m not distracted, all I can think about is last night.” She side-glances to Chops to make sure he isn’t listening. “I’m coming with you, and that’s the end of the discussion.”

Rafe arches his brow and smirks at me when I don’t argue back. He twirls his little finger, fighting laughter, the fucker’s suggesting she has me wrapped around hers.

“What about Chops?”

She glares at me. “He’ll be asleep, and I’m sure Archer and Rafe can keep a six-year-old safe between them. Right?” she asks, turning her attention to Rafe, who nods his head.

“Sure thing.” Now it’s my turn to raise my brow at him and twirl my finger. I’m not the only one who can’t say no to her.

We order in pizzas, and Chops devours over half a pizza all by himself. Mills disappears off to bathe him and get him ready for bed, but he insists on me reading him his bedtime story. Whilst she is in the bathroom with Chops, her phone things on the coffee table and I pause when I see it’s her mum.

“Hey Andrea,” I answer, keeping my tone casual and friendly.

“Oh, hi, is that Seb? Is Milly with you?”

“Yeah, she is,” I reply, standing to my feet and walking over to the floor to ceiling window away from the noise of the television. “Charlie is with us too,” I add, noting that she hasn’t asked where her son is.

“I thought he’d be with her. Have either of you seen Lenny? He left the club last night to grab his wallet from the house and didn’t come back.”

“Oh really? No, sorry. Mills didn’t mention anything about him coming back. Maybe he left it at his home and went back there.”

“Yeah, probably. I’ll head over there soon and check.” She pauses. “I hate to ask this, but do you think you or Milly could lend me twenty quid?”

I sigh. So, she isn’t worried about where her son is, but she’s asking for money. “If you need food, I put a tab on at the supermarket for you.”

---