Leaning against the glass next to the main doors of the train station, I watched as people walked about with their day. Anyone who stopped for too long got my immediate attention, but no one looked suspicious. They were just everyday Londoners, meeting friends, wheeling suitcases, and going about their business. I was certain I’d be safe here, but I couldn’t rid myself of the nerves.

Turning back to glance at the clock inside, I sighed as I saw the time. It was half past three. Alice should’ve been here fifteen minutes ago. She was never the most punctual, but I hoped she’d try to be here on time given the circumstances.

It’d only take thirty minutes to get here from our place on the tube, forty tops. I was getting worried.

A loud clatter made me jump in my skin and I spun to see what it was. A guy had dropped his hardshell suitcase next to me. My heart pounded as he eyed me over. I didn’t recognise him. He looked down and reached into his jacket.

I stepped back, my legs tensed to run. My attention fixed on him, eyeballing is every movement. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and sparked one up. My whole body sighed with relief.

If the fucking Syndicate didn’t get me, my heart would.

“Olivia!”

Alice stood by the doors with my rucksack strewn over her shoulder. “Oh, thank fuck!” I ran and almost knocked her over as I threw my arms around her, squeezing her tight. “Goddamn, Alice. It’s so good to see you.” I stepped back, smiling at the sight of her sweet features.

Her eyes darted across my face as they filled with concern. “What happened to your face? Where have those bruises come from? Who hurt you?”

I shook my head. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine. You look like you’ve been through the wars.”

“I’m okay. Nothing that won’t heal.”

She sighed. “Where the hell have you been? I wondered if I’d ever see you again. I’ve been so worried.”

“Let’s just say it’s been a hard few days.”

“What happened?” Her blue eyes were wide and her pink lips curled into a frown.

“I got caught up in some trouble, but it’s over now, or it will be.”

“What kind of trouble?”

I knew she’d try to press me but I couldn’t tell her. “Family stuff. I’m sorry, I can’t say much more.”

“You never can,” she pouted. “What’s going on in your life, Olivia? I wish you’d tell me. Maybe I could help?”

“You couldn’t. Trust me, it’s better if you don’t know.”

She huffed and glanced away. Then grabbed the strap of my bag and handed it over. “Can you tell me what’s so important in this bag, at least?”

I took it and slipped it over my shoulder. “Just some things I threw together in case I needed them. Clothes, money, bank cards, passport…”

“Passport?” She tapped her finger tips together. “Are you going somewhere?”

I swallowed. The sadness gripped heavy in my heart as I thought about leaving. She’d been my best friend for years. I didn’t want to say goodbye. I nodded. “Yes.”

“Where?”

I held her eyes and watched as they blinked away burgeoning tears. This was a lot harder than I expected. “Just away. I don’t know, yet.”

She frowned. “When will you be back?” She’d already guessed the answer.

A lump caught in my throat. I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

“Olivia, when will you be back?” Her lip quivered as she held back her own tears.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. “I won’t.”

She didn’t answer. I looked back up and she was holding her mouth. Her eyes closed.

“I’m sorry, Alice. I love you, and I’ll miss you so much…” My voice faltered. It took all my effort not to cry. I had to be strong. “But I’ve got to go.”

She threw her hands to her sides. “No. You’re not leaving like this. I won’t let you.”

“I’m sorry, Alice. It’s complicated, but I wish things were different.” I backed away from her.

“No.” She stepped forward following me. “Don’t you do this to me.”

“I’m sorry.” The lump in my throat had grown so much it made it hard to speak. If I didn’t get away soon, I’d breakdown.

“No, Olivia. You can’t do this.” She stepped towards me and grabbed my arm. “Do you think I’ll ever stop worrying about you if you leave like this?”

The pain marred her pretty face. It hurt to see it. I didn’t want to do that to her. “I can’t stay.”

“No, and you can’t just fuck off forever without even telling me why. Don’t you think I deserve that much.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened them, a tear rolled down her cheek. She was right. I couldn’t do that to her. “Don’t cry.”

“What do you expect? You’re obviously in trouble, and I’ll never know if my best friend is safe or not. What do you think that’ll do to me? I’ll be forever wondering if you’re lying dead in a ditch somewhere. Don’t be so fucking selfish, Olivia.”

It broke my resolve. I sighed. “Okay. I’ll tell you. Please, don’t cry.”

Alice let go of my arm and wiped her face as she huffed away the frustration. The pain was still there, but she was trying to collect herself. I glanced across at St. Pancras and searched for a quiet place I could talk to her out of the way. I remembered the small pub at the front of the station. “Follow me.”

I crossed the road with Alice in tow and up the stairs to the front entrance. There were a few people outside, but it was quiet for a Sunday. Taking one last glance around the large courtyard at the front, I opened the door and gestured for her to enter. We walked through the upscale bar and took a seat in the corner at the back. Alice sat and watched me expectantly, the frown still riddled her pretty face, but she waited for me to settle in and collect myself.

My hands wrung together as I considered what to say. I didn’t know where to begin. “My father is… I’m… My… Fuck! I don’t know.”

“It’s alright, Olivia. Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

I sighed. “Can we get a drink first?”

She smiled. “Sure. What d’you want?”

“Scotch. Straight.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “When did you start drinking whisky?”

I shook my head. “Recently.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back.”

“Make it a double.”

She smiled and nodded. I watched her walk over to the bar in her summer dress and kitten heels, completely inappropriate for the autumn season. But she didn’t care. That was her style; sweet and bright. She shined all year round.

Alice was the epitome of innocent. How could I tell her I’m a drug dealing murderer? How could she possibly understand?

It was so far removed from her world. I never wanted her to find out. I didn’t want her looking at me with horror in her eyes as she imagined all the heinous acts I’d committed.

Running crossed my mind as I stared at the door. I’d be quick enough to get away without her catching me. No, I couldn’t do that to her. She deserved better.

I looked back at her stood at the bar. She glanced over and smiled. The warmth reached me from across the room. I had to tell her. She’d never look at me that way again, but to be fair, she’d never look at me again, anyway. Sadness churned in my heart. It would be so hard to say goodbye.

Alice placed the glass in front of me and took her seat. Then raised her glass in the air for a toast.

“To friendship, truth and love.”

I clinked my glass with hers. “To friendship.”

The familiar warm headiness filled my senses as I took a sip. I stared at the glass as I placed it on the table and swirled the contents, avoiding Alice’s gaze as I began my story.

“The logistics company isn’t my family’s only business. It’s one of many covers for the illegal businesses we run. Primarily, drugs.” I glanced up.

She sat with her jaw agape and her eyes wide. “You’re a drug dealer?”

“Yeah. Well, no. Trafficker would be the correct term, but that’s not important. My father heads a ring of organised crime across the country, my sister and I… help him.”

“So, you’re like… a Mafia daughter?”

“Sort of. The Italian Mafia doesn’t have a hold in England. My father’s family way back was part of it, but we don’t work with them. We have our own Syndicate, composed of many factions… criminals.”

Alice laughed nervously. Her face filled with shock. She took a large gulp of wine then stared at me shaking her head. “That’s so cool.”

It wasn’t the reaction I expected. “What? No. It’s awful.”

She grinned and her eyes sparkled. “My best friend is a Mafia Boss.”

“Alice, no. This isn’t like one of those trashy Mafia books you read. It’s brutal and dangerous and… real.”

She tried to contain her smile. “Yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean to make light of what you’re going through. It sounds exciting is all.”

I huffed and shook my head. “It’s not. It’s a nasty business. I’ve never wanted to be a part of it.”

She nodded in recognition. “Your father won’t let you leave the business. That makes sense now. A lot of things make sense now.”

“Yeah, he’s kept me on a tight leash.”

She shrugged. “So, what’s changed? What happened this week?”

I sighed. “Long story. Do you remember I told you about that delivery?”

“Yeah, that’s all you told me. You were really upset though.”

“One of our shipments was robbed by my father’s rival. A guy called Marcus.”

She tried to hide her smile.

“What now, Alice?”

“I know what you said, but it still sounds exciting.”

I growled. “Yeah, you didn’t have to live through it. Listen to the full story.”

“Okay, sorry. Go on.”

“He stole that shipment to get me in a meeting with him, so he could have me kidnapped.”

Her face dropped. “Really?”

“Yeah. Still exciting?”

She shook her head and her curls whipped across her face.

“That’s where I’ve been for the past week. Held captive by a guy called Aaron.”

“Bloody hell, Olivia. That is awful. Did he hurt you?”

I dropped her eyes and stared at my glass.

She must’ve seen the torment on my face. “Oh, God. Olivia.”

I looked up and waved my hands at her. “No, it wasn’t like that. He didn’t hurt me that way… sort of.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion.

I sighed. “We got close.”

Her eyes lit up as a smile crept across her face. “Really? Like close, close?”

I had to turn away. “Yeah. After a few days, my father found us. He was going to hurt Aaron. I had to save him.”

“What did you do?”

“I called Marcus.”

“His rival? The guy who arranged for you to be kidnapped?”

“Yeah, him. He came with his gang to get Aaron. My father, quite rightly, saw that as a betrayal.”

“So your dad isn’t best pleased with you?”

I laughed. “You could say that.”

“What happened then?”

“I had to leave with Aaron and Marcus. I found out something terrible my father had done. It was the reason he and Marcus were at war.”

“What was it?”

I shook my head. I didn’t want to tell her about my mother. There was no need for horror stories. “It doesn’t matter. But because of that, Marcus was going to make his move and take out my father.”

“So, did you try to stop Marcus?”

“No. I helped him.”

“Why? Did you want your father taken out?”

I struggled to answer. “Well, yeah. No. I don’t know. He’s not a very nice man, Alice.”

“But he’s still your father.”

“Yeah, it’s not an easy decision.”

“Are you still siding with Marcus then?”

“No. I found out he was the one who hired Jack to kill me.”

Her face dropped. “What? Jack tried to kill you?” Her voice carried across the entire bar.

Fuck. I’d forgot she’d met Jack. I bit my lip, closed my eyes and nodded.

Her voice hushed, but it was still filled with shock. “You’ve lived with that all this time.”

I opened my eyes and nodded at her.

“My God. It is a nasty business. What happened to Jack? Did your father hurt him?”

I stared at her, unsure what to say. I didn’t know if I could tell her.

“Did he kill him?”

I looked into my glass. The guilt seemed to seep from it and into me, crawling across my skin and pulling at my heart.

Her voice dropped to a soft whisper. “Did you kill him?”

My eyes darted back up to hers before I closed them and nodded. She went quiet. This was what I was afraid of. She now saw me for the monster I was. I’d lost the only true friend I ever had. There was nothing else I could say to her. I gripped my hands together and started to mentally prepare myself to leave.

Her delicate hands encased mine. “I’m sorry, Olivia. I can’t even imagine how hard that must’ve been for you.”

My eyes met with hers. She looked sad, but there was warmth in them. It didn’t appear that she despised me.

“I can’t believe you’ve gone through all this alone for so long. I wish you’d have told me sooner, but I can understand why you didn’t. You don’t have to go through anything alone again. I’ll always be here for you.”

I smiled as the tears welled in my eyes. “You don’t think I’m a monster?”

“What? No, of course not. You’re my best friend. I love you and I always will.”

“I killed someone. How can you not hate me?”

She shook her head. “Okay. It’s not your average confession, I admit. But I know you, you’re a good person, and there’s no way you’d do anything like that without a damn good cause. Him trying to kill you counts as that.”

My smile widened. “I don’t deserve you.”

“Yeah, you do. But…” She glanced down and bit her lip.

“But what?”

“I’m not gonna have the chance to be there for you any longer.”

I sighed and pulled my hands away from hers. “I’m sorry.”

“You’ve told me all this and I still don’t get it. Why are you running?”

“I’m not running.”

“So, you’re staying?”

“No, I’m leaving.”

“Why?”

“My father is still after me.”

“Isn’t Marcus going to take him out?”

“Yeah, probably.”

“So, you don’t need to run from him. He’ll be gone soon. Are you running from Marcus?”

“No. Well, yeah, I am, but I don’t think he’s trying to hurt me now. He’s had plenty of opportunity over the past few days, and he has done nothing besides refusing to let me leave.”

“So… why are you running?”

“Because, I need to get away. I can’t be a part of this business anymore.”

“But you no longer work for your father, do you?”

“No. Not exactly.”

“What are you trying to get away from? Me.”

“No. Of course not.”

Her brow creased as her lips pressed together. She was getting annoyed. “Why are you running?”

“I don’t want to be used anymore.”

“Who used you?”

“Aaron.”

She sat back and smiled. “Ah, now we’re getting somewhere. This is about him.”

I screwed my face. “It’s fuck all to do with him.”

She cocked her head to the side and raised a sarcastic eyebrow. “Yeah, sounds that way.”

I huffed then grabbed my glass and took a drink.

“What did he do to you?”

She wouldn’t drop this. “He was using me all along.”

“How?”

“He was working for Marcus. Just like Jack was working for Marcus.”

“Did Aaron try to kill you?”

“No.”

“Did he physically hurt you?”

A smile edged on my lips. “Only when I wanted him to.”

She cleared her throat. “Okay. I’m guessing everything else was consensual.”

“Yeah. It was.”

“How did he use you?”

“He was only getting close to me because he was ordered to.”

“Are you sure about that? Do you know Marcus ordered him to do it?”

“No, but if Marcus ordered Jack to get close to me, then it stands to reason he did the same with Aaron.”

“Does it? You said he ordered Jack to kill you?”

“He did.”

“But Aaron didn’t try to kill you?”

“No, but Marcus gave him the order.”

“Marcus wants you dead?”

“I don’t think so. He’s had the opportunity and he hasn’t tried anything.”

“Why else would Aaron get close to you then?”

“To keep me on side.”

“Why would he need you on side?”

“I don’t know. To get back my at father.”

She smiled and leant forward onto the table. “Aaron wasn’t ordered to get close.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you don’t. I don’t think you believe it either.”

“I’ve just told you. Why wouldn’t I believe it?”

She sighed and shook her head. “I think you’re still hurting over Jack. You’re projecting what he did to you on to Aaron.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because you’ve feelings for Aaron and that scares you. You’re trying not to get hurt again. That’s why you’re running away.”

A nervous laugh escaped. “No. I’m… That’s not why… Fuck off.”

Her smile widened. “You’re in love with him.”

“No. Alice. No.”

She jutted her chin and her brows flicked up. “Go on. Look me in the eyes and tell me you’re not.”

I closed them and turned away. “No.”

Her high pitched squeal hurt my ears, but it made me smile. She might have a point. I looked back to see her dancing in her seat. It made me laugh. “Alice.”

She collected herself, but her grin was still beaming. “I can’t believe you’ve fallen in love. I thought it’d never happen again.”

“You and me, both.”

“What are you gonna do? You can’t leave.”

I wrung my hands together. I didn’t want to stay, leaving would be a lot easier.

“You’re not leaving, are you?”

I looked across at her sweet face. Her furrowed brow and pouted lips made her manner so young. Like a toddler who didn’t get her lollypop. I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Doesn’t look like it now, does it?”

The beaming smile returned. “You don’t know how happy that makes me.”

My weak smile grew. “Yeah, I do.” I knocked back the rest of my scotch and kissed my teeth at the bitterness. “When did you become so good at reading people?”

She laughed. “Since I’ve lived with you.”

My face dropped as a thought came to mind. “There’s still one problem.”

“What?”

“My father. He can’t find me. I can’t go back to our place, not yet.”

“Why not?”

“He’ll have someone watching it.” My stomach lurched. “Possibly… you.”

“You could stay with Mark. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

“When did my father come to ours?”

“Yesterday, why?”

“Fuck. What did he say to you?”

Concern creased her forehead. “Not much. Just that he’d not seen you. He was worried, and he told me to call him if I did. He actually seemed upset. Scary, but upset.”

“You’ve not called him have you?”

“No. When you rang I thought I should meet you first. What’s wrong?”

“Did he do anything while he was at ours? Leave anything? Touch anything?”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. He gave me his number and left. Although, he wanted to put the number in my phone himself. Which was a bit strange.”

My stomach sank through the chair. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” I stood and scanned the bar. There was nothing suspicious.

“What’s wrong, Olivia?”

I grabbed my rucksack from the floor. “Come on. We’ve got to go.”

“Where?” She scrambled her things from the back of the chair.

“Anywhere else. Leave your phone here.”

“What? I’m not leaving my phone. It’s brand new.”

“I’ll buy you another one.”

“It’s got all my photos…”

“Alice! You need to leave your phone here.”

“Why?”

“He’s installed a tracker on it. He can find us.”

“What? You can do that?”

“Yes. Give it to me.”

She rummaged through her bag and pulled out her phone. I grabbed it off her. Then took her arm and dragged her through the pub, leaving the phone on the bar as we passed. We reached the doors, and I checked the courtyard through the window. There were a few people sat around, but none of them looked like my father’s thugs. I couldn’t see the whole yard though.

I turned to Alice. “On three, we’re going to run out of here and get to the tube. Are you ready?”

“No.”

“Tough. One. Two. Three.”

I pushed the door out wide with all I had and dragged Alice through the tables out front. I took a hard left to the stairs and stopped dead when I saw my father’s thugs waiting at the bottom. Alice careered into the back of me.

“No. No. No.” I backed up as they came forward, holding Alice behind me.

She winced as her hand pulled from mine and she moved away. I turned quickly to see her in the arms of a thug, a knife pressed into her side. Fuck.

He smiled, and I recognised the toothy grin. “Hello, Olivia. Daddy’s been looking for you.”

“Let her go. She’s nothing to do with this.”

His grin widened as he shook his head. “Nah. We were told to bring you both.”

“Let her go or I’ll scream. Wouldn’t want to draw too much attention out here, would you?”

He laughed. “It’s London. No one gives a flying fuck.”

I felt a hand grip my waist and the point of a knife dig into my side. The thugs body slid against my back, and his hot breath crept across my neck. It made me cringe.

“Come on, Girls. Time to go for a ride.”