CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
When the alarm bleeped, Sky ignored the sound.
She was warm and safe in Rory’s arms.
“Come on, sleepy head, we need to get on the road if you’re going to make your shift.”
She rubbed her face.
Rory was already on his feet, pulling on his clothes.
“Oh shit, yes. Can’t afford to lose my job.” Inside a minute she had her clothing and boots on and was standing by the door.
“Breakfast first,” he said, striding over to her with a smile on his face.
“We don’t have time.”
He pulled a chocolate bar out of his jacket pocket and broke it in half, handing her the wrapped part.
“My favorite. You remembered.”
He chuckled. “Eat up, let’s get on our way.”
Sky chomped on the chocolate as they made their way to the bike, side-eying him as they went. He seemed relaxed, and she was grateful. True to his word, he didn’t seem to think any differently of her, since she’d let the secret spill.
“I appreciate you getting me to Wales to see Nan,” she offered as he pulled on his gloves.
“Hey. No need.” He nodded at the motorway beyond the hedges surrounding the service pit stop. “The storm’s cleared, and the traffic hasn’t built up. We should make it in good time.”
“Gladys was right, you’re a hero.”
He laughed it off and shook his head. Reaching over he pulled down her visor and gestured for her to get on the bike behind him
My hero.
He got her to Paddington station with a half hour to spare, time enough for her to call the hospital, check on Nan’s progress.
“Uniform?” he asked when she climbed off the bike.
“There’s a spare in the Hut.”
He hauled her close against him, hugged her.
“I’m going to have to work double shifts today.”
“Let me know whenever you’re done.”
Her heart brimmed.
A traffic warden hovered close by the drop off point.
Rory saluted and headed off.
Sky stood there on the edge of the concourse, wavering.
“Goodbye,” she whispered.
It was while she watched him speed away she realized how very deeply she was in love with Rory Rattigan.
* * * *
Rory worked harder than ever that afternoon, trying to make up for the time he’d taken out. No matter how hard he worked, he couldn’t get Sky out of his mind—thinking about their times together, wondering how she was now.
“Tea?” George was at his side.
“Yes, please.” Wiping his hands, he followed George to the provisions shelf at the back of the workshop and watched while George filled the kettle.
George glanced at him and smiled. “Something on your mind?”
“I don’t know.”
“Sky, that’s my bet.”
Rory huffed a laugh. “That obvious?”
“Yup. Trouble?”
“No, not trouble exactly. I just wish I understood…stuff.”
“I was young once, try me.”
“It’s nothing specific. It’s weird shit. Like why the hell I love the smell of her hair so much.”
George grinned. “You’re falling, that’s all.”
Rory didn’t like the sound of it. Falling sounded weak and no one could afford to feel weak in this world. “We always cared about each other, we’ve both admitted it. It’s just different somehow.”
“Okay, so what changed?”
“I don’t know.” He’d already said that, but something was eating away at him and George could probably tell. “A few days ago we were just spending time together, enjoying each other, and then all of a sudden we’re tangled up in each other’s lives, telling each other stuff, deep stuff. It got complicated.”
“That’s how it happens. Commitment.”
Astonished, Rory stared at him. “How did we get from complicated to commitment?”
“Look at it this way, you were already caring for one another, then something difficult happened. When you’re involved your lives cross over. It means you’re showing commitment if you even get that far. It happens without you even knowing.”
It made sense. If he hadn’t known Sky already he wouldn’t have realized how upset she was. And if he hadn’t already cared for her, he would have put her on a train to Wales and waved goodbye. “Yeah, I couldn’t bear to see her upset over her Nan. I had to help.”
“You helped her, and she sustains you.”
Rory sighed. “Well, it’s more like she has to stick her nose in my business. She’s impetuous. I don’t want her to get tangled up in my problems.”
George started laughing. “Yes you’re definitely falling.”
“Falling sounds dangerous.”
“Exciting too.” George put a hand on his shoulder. “What are you afraid of?”
“Nothing.” He shrugged. “Something...Doing the wrong thing, I suppose.
“If you didn’t love her you wouldn’t care whether you did it right or wrong. It was that way with me and my Eileen.”
Rory stared at his boss, surprised. He knew George’s wife’s name was Eileen, but George never spoke much about her. “We hitched up at a rock festival. Thought nothing of it the first couple of days, and then I couldn’t get her out of my mind. I was always thinking of when we’d be together. It’s all fun and games to begin with but real life is right there staring you in the face and you either bail out or you deal with it together.”
Rory thought about it. It was exactly what’d happened, George was right.
“I did a mercy mission,” George continued, “just like you. Had scarcely been together a month and I was on a ferry with her to Ireland, holding her hand, making sure she felt loved.”
“Ireland?”
“Yes. Eileen was Irish, like you.”
“I didn’t know.”
George paused, his eyelids lowering. “I don’t talk about her because it still hurts. Doesn’t mean I don’t think about her. Never an hour goes past without me thinking back over something she said or her smile.” They sat in silence a while. “She’d have liked you,” George added eventually. “To be honest it was probably why I took to you, the Irish angle.”
“I owe a debt of gratitude to Eileen.”
George grinned. “That you do. But you’ve done me proud, lad.”
“I hope so.”
George nodded. “The complications with Sky aren’t a bad thing. When people get hitched together they’re like links in the chain, and together the chain is stronger. You’re a team now, you give each other strength.”
“I’d do anything for her, but I don’t want her having to take my problems on.” At the back of his mind it was the legacy of his hacking days that made him want to end it with Sky, to protect her from his mess.
“You get used to it, Rory. It’s just the way it happens. You wouldn’t be involved in each other’s lives and supporting each other if you didn’t care, and I mean care a lot. You know what I mean.”
“Yes.” Rory felt awkward.
“Was it the trip home to Wales, all the family stuff?”
“Maybe. We were fine. We talked, yes, a lot of us stuff came out. I think it did us good, you know.” He sighed, and pushed his fingers through his hair. “I’m only guessing, but I get annoyed deep down because she thought I acted like a stepbrother. You know, when I tried to take care of her. Hell, I don’t know, really I don’t.”
“Do you think you did act like a brother?”
Rory went through it in his mind, and then shook his head. “I don’t think I ever did, not even back in the day….back in our home town.”
George smiled.
“Any need I have to take care of her is because I want her as a girlfriend not a sister.”
“It might be difficult for her to tell them apart, if you don’t tell her that yourself.”
“Yeah, you’re right, if that’s what it is. I can’t see what else it might be.” He looked at the clock.
“You want to go tell her that now?” George smiled and stoked his beard. “I can lock up.”
Taken aback by George’s eagerness to push things along, Rory frowned. “You’re enjoying this.”
“Course I am. I’m too old for my own adventures of the heart, doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy yours.”
Rory lifted his eyebrows. “That’d be weird if I didn’t know you so well.”
“We know each other now. We make a good team, buddy.”
It was the first time George had ever called him buddy. He’d often called him son. It pleased him. He smiled and nodded. “We do.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Some guy’s over there waiting for you.” Mandy, one of Sky’s coworkers, gestured across the station concourse.
Sky’s hopes lifted because she assumed it was Rory. When she looked over where Mandy pointed she didn’t see Rory, she saw another guy. His face looked familiar. It took a minute for her to place him. It was that Jackson bloke, the one who wanted Rory’s hacking kit. Sky stiffened. How in hell had he found her?
“He asked for you by name,” Mandy added, “and he came by yesterday when you were away in Wales.”
Jackson gave her a smarmy smile when he saw her looking over, and waved with just his fingertips.
Sky felt in her pocket for her phone, but Rory was on the other side of London busy at work. There was only one thing to do, face up to this guy. She could do it, she did it before. What the hell does he want from me anyway? She didn’t have the USB.
She might have had it, but he wouldn’t believe it, since she’d given him her own as a decoy. That’s when it occurred to her—the Art History reading list wasn’t the only thing on there. There was a copy of the latest shift timetable for The Coffee Hut. That’s how he’d found her. It had the location highlighted for staff distribution. He must have been hanging around while they were in Wales, waiting for her to turn up on one of her shifts.
He sauntered over.
Flustered, she busied herself wiping surfaces and kept on working, determined not to let him know he’d got to her. “What do you want?”
“Rory asked for you, he’s at my office. He won’t give me what he owes me until he knows you’re safe.”
Sky didn’t believe it for a minute. This guy either thought she was stupid, or didn’t know Rory as well as she did.
She could refuse to go with him and call security from across the station concourse, but the problem would remain. Thinking frantically, she knew she had to act fast. She had time to send a text to warn Rory, and if she did it under the counter he would scarcely know what she was up to.
“Okay, wait over there, I’ll finish up here and join you.”
“Good decision.” Jackson wandered off, just a few feet away, but it was enough.
Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she glanced down and opened text messaging. She could text with her eyes shut, which was just as well. Keeping it brief, she kept her eyes on Jackson, glancing down only occasionally, and sent Rory a message.
Jackson’s here. Told me u at his office. Said u asked for me. Don’t believe.
Bring the USB. Let’s finish this!
She didn’t stop to reconsider, she didn’t have time.
Jackson was hovering closer and watching her.
She pressed send and shoved her phone in her pocket. Grabbing her bag and jacket, she pulled off her apron.
As she joined him, she acted flustered. “I’ll go with you, but Rory better be there.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” He hustled her across the station concourse and out through the main entrance. Raising a hand he hailed a taxi.
Pushing her inside, he gave a street address to the driver and climbed in next to her. “You made the right decision. I thought you might try to do something stupid and make a break for it.”
“What’d be the point? You’d only be there on my next shift.”
Jackson laughed. “Yeah, it was thoughtful of you to give me your timetable.”
She glared at him, and then turned away and stared out the window. Pretty soon she could tell they were headed to the building Rory had gone to that night she waited for him.
“Phone Rory,” Jackson instructed, “tell him you’re with me and I want the kit.”
Of course, that’s why he needed her, because he didn’t have Rory’s phone number. And she’d left him a calling card with her timetable. She thought about ignoring him, or asking why, but she couldn’t be bothered pretending. Pulling out her phone she did as requested.
“Where are you?” Rory sounded as if he was talking through gritted teeth.
“I’m with Jackson. We’re going to his office. He told me to phone you.”
“Tell him I’m on my way.”
“With the kit?”
“With the bloody kit!” Anger vibrated in his voice.
She hung up quickly, so he didn’t have time to say anything else. “He’s on his way.”
Jackson stared at her with a kind of perplexed confusion. He’d finally realized she hadn’t believed him in the first place. Now he was wondering what she had planned.
Sky smiled at him and turned away.
There was satisfaction in the guy’s confusion, but Rory’s angry tone had her on edge. Had she done the wrong thing? She hoped not.
Moments later they pulled in alongside the building site surrounded in hoardings.
“Nice offices you have here,” she said, looking up at the gaunt structure.
Jackson ignored her. Paying the driver he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out of the taxi on his side.
“Watch the jacket, buddy.” She scanned the dark doorways opposite, where she’d waited for Rory a few nights earlier, but there was no sign of him.
Once he got her inside the hoardings, Jackson hurried her along a muddy path toward the building. The entrance was cast in shadows and she could hardly make out where he was leading her.
They’d just mounted the first few stairs when the sounds of a motorbike roaring sounded behind them, followed by a loud bang.
“Shit,” Jackson exclaimed, craning his neck to see through the open stairwell. “He’s only taken the hoarding out with his bloody bike!”
Sky couldn’t help herself. She laughed. It was a nervous laugh, but she laughed all the same.
“Get inside!” Jackson glared at her and shoved her up the stairs.
With his fist full of her jacket, he led her along a dank cement corridor and into a room crowded with discarded furniture. She counted five geeks sitting in there, each of them glued to a laptop until Jackson stomped in with her in tow.
“Dino, he’s on his way up. You hold the girl.”
Sky pulled free of his grip, dusted off her jacket, and put up her hands. “No need to hold me, I want this done as much as you do.”
The guy called Dino stood up and walked to her side.
A moment later Rory was in the room, helmet in hand, face like thunder.
Staring at Sky, his eyes were dark with anger. “Has he touched you?”
She shook her head. Her heart hammered against the wall of her chest. Anger vibrated off him.
“Oh my, isn’t this touching.” Jackson feigned adoration.
Rory gave him a warning glance. “Fuck off, asshole.”
“Give me what you owe me and you two can skip off into the sunset together.”
Sky could scarcely breathe. She knew he didn’t want Jackson to have the kit, but hadn’t a clue what he might do. If he destroyed it now, in front of them, it would kick off. The tension between the two men was practically humming in the atmosphere. She made ready to bolt for the door. Once Rory destroyed it, it would be over.
Rory pulled a USB from his pocket and held it in the air.
Shifting, she could see the red dot on it. Was he really going to hand it over? He wouldn’t ever be happy with himself if he did that. Suddenly afraid she’d pushed him into doing just that, she shook her head at him
He glanced her way, but his expression was inscrutable. Then he tossed the USB to Jackson.
Sky gasped in disbelief. She’d expected him to destroy it, she was poised to run.
Jackson caught the stick and then gave it to Dino. “Check it out. No one leaves until I’m happy.”
Rory folded his arms across his chest. “I’m happy to wait, but I’d like to see you try to stop me leaving if I wanted to.”
Jackson frowned.
The guy called Dino took the USB and loaded it into his laptop. A few moments of scanning and he nodded. “Looks good to me.”
Sky’s heart plummeted to her feet. She’d forced him into it. He’d never forgive her.
Rory briefly glanced at has watch. “Right, I’ve handed over what you think I owe you, my precious tool kit.” Sarcasm rang in his tone. “Now I get to even the scales. Give you what I owe you.”
Inside a heartbeat he’d closed the space between them and floored Jackson with a swift right hook. Jackson scrabbled to get upright. Rory grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket and hauled him up, only to take him out again.
Dropping to his knees over Jackson, he pinned him to the floor, holding him around the throat with one strong fist. The other guys in the room were eon their feet, ready to intervene.
Sky moved, circling them, staying behind Rory.
“If you ever come near her again, I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”
He tightened his grip on Jackson’s throat. A garbled sound came form his throat.
“Understood?”
Jackson’s face turned bright red, his eyes bulging. He scrabbled against the cement floor, hands feebly grasping at Rory’s arms. He made a sound, tried to nod.
“Rory!”
He glanced her way. His eyes were black with rage.
“Yes, understood,” Jackson spluttered.
Rory let him go, rising to his feet.
Sky backed away, toward the doorway.
Rory joined her.
“Okay, let’s get the hell out of here.” He grabbed her hand, flicked on a torch he held in his other hand, and quickly guided her along dark corridors. “Watch the floor, this place is a deathtrap.”
“I thought you were going to kill him!”
“I would have, if he’d hurt you.” He held her hand tighter still as he strode along the corridor toward the staircase. “That was the first time I didn’t despise the urge to use my fists on another human being.”
Astonished, Sky realized the significance of what he’d said. He didn’t want to be fighter because his father had beaten him, it wasn’t his way.
Sky lurched after him, wishing she hadn’t worn heels that day. “Wait,” she called out at when they reached the bottom of the steps, and bent over to readjust her shoes. “Why do we have to leave so quickly if you’ve given him the kit?”
“I’ve given him the kit, but once he gets into it the whole thing will self-destruct.”
“You had time to make it do that?”
“I set it up a few days ago, ran it by Draco. He liked the idea, so I wrote the code. I wasn’t taking any risks. You were right all along, it had to be witnessed, the destruction of the kit, and this was the best way.” He glanced at his watch. “About fifteen minutes from now he’ll suddenly find himself watching a cartoon explosion, then…nothing.”
“That’s brilliant.”
He huffed a laugh. “I only wish I could see his face.”
“So you’re not angry with me for going with him?”
“Of course I’m bloody angry with you.” He looked at her as if he was about to put her over his lap and give her with a good spanking.
Sky was so hot for him. She flashed her eyes. “How angry are you..?”
“Don’t fucking tempt me, Sky!”