Page 90 of Silver Tears

The guy, who I assume to be Mikey, holds up his hands. “No worries. Come sit.”

We follow him over to the sofas. He takes the one to the right and we sit opposite. I don’t miss the way the girl who sits beside him scrolling on her phone eyeballs me as we take our seats.

“Who the fuck is she?”

“She is my girlfriend and none of your concern, Maisie,” Seb informs her coldly, giving her a cool, hard stare as he places his arm over my shoulder.

“Girlfriend!” she repeats in shock, sitting up straighter and flat out staring at me. “Since when did you do girlfriends?”

“Since I came along,” I pipe up, refusing to sit here and be spoken about like I’m not here.

She glares at me. Narrowing her eyes. “Won’t last.”

I smile over at her. “Lasted longer than you did.”

Mikey claps his hands together, and belly laughs at my response. “She sure told you, sis. Now stop being a bitch and go sit with the girls while I talk business.” He gestures across the room and when she doesn’t move, he eyeballs her. Tutting and glaring at me one last time, Maisie stands to her feet, popping a lolly in her mouth, and struts away. No doubt the extra swagger in her walk is all for Sebs’ benefit.

“Where is he?” Seb asks, getting straight to the point.

Mikey points to the floor beneath us. “We have him tied up in the basement. He’s had a beating because he can’t pay up.”

Seb bobs his head. “I’m going to need to take him.”

Mikey agrees without question, lifting his vape to his lips. “You going to tell me what he’s done?”

Seb squeezes my thigh. “He touched something that didn’t belong to him.” I swallow deeply, and Mikey’s eyes flick to me.

“Then the fucker deserves whatever you have planned for him. I have the key to his flat, so I’ll be taking anything of value to cover his debt.”

I can tell Seb is itching to get down there from the way he rubs his hands on his thighs. “Lead the way then.”

Mikey leads us back down the stairs and down another floor into the basement. We follow him along an unlit corridor until up ahead I see a guy sitting on a chair outside a large metal door. “He’s in the old mill safe room.” Mikey frowns as we get closer. The guy on watch is asleep, his neck slumped forward onto his chin and drool running down his top. Mikey kicks at his chair, scaring the life out of the poor guy and causing him to fall on his arse on the floor.

Mikey leans over him, snarling. “Do I pay you to sleep on the job, Scotty?”

The guy grimaces, leaning back away from Mikey. “Sorry, boss. It won’t happen again.”

“Key,” Mikey demands, holding out his hand. The guy pulls the key from his jacket pocket and hands it over. “Now fuck off.”

Scotty doesn’t need telling twice. He smiles sheepishly at me before he scarpers off down the way we came and out of sight. I take a steadying breath as Mikey unlocks the door. Seb squeezes my hand. “You sure you want to go in there?”

I nod firmly. “Yes. I need to do this.” He leans in and kisses my forehead, offering me some reassurance.

“Fuck!” Mikey hisses, pulling my attention from the blue-eyed boy before me. He storms into the room and releases a string of expletives. We follow him inside and I search the room, only to find an empty chair lying on its side.

“The fucker escaped.” Mikey gestures over to an open window that has a wooden box placed directly underneath it that Lenny has used to reach the window and escape. “Knew I should have secured him myself! I’ll murder Scotty!”

Archer walks over to the chair and bends down to pick up a length of rope off the floor. “You should know to use cable ties, Mikey.” He straightens and looks at Mikey. “Get your guys out there looking for him. He can’t have got far.”

Mikey nods his head and pulls out his phone, placing it to his ear. “Yeh, it’s me. That fucker Lenny’s escaped. I want everyone out there searching for him.”

My heart pounds in my chest. I’d psyched myself up to seeing him again. My blood runs cold, and I grab at Seb’s T-shirt. “Seb, what if he’s gone after Charlie?”

Seb wraps his hands around my waist and shakes his head. “He has no idea where Charlie is.”

“Oh god. My mum!” A slither of dread runs through me. What if he takes out his anger over what happened with me out on my mum?

“Mikey, we need to go. Ring me if you find him,” Seb orders. Mikey tells him he will. “Oh, and Mikey, this time make sure he can’t escape.”

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