Chapter 4

 

“We don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

We were packing for a weekend in Weymouth with Stefan and Alex, and their engagement party. At least I was packing. Rufus sat on the bed, playing games on his mobile phone, looking up occasionally to tell me he either did or didn’t want certain items of clothing putting into his bag. I didn’t mind that he wasn’t doing any of the work. We were back on talking terms and life was getting back to normal. Yes, I’d been mildly disappointed to find Mason had been discharged when I turned up for my second night shift, but that had been a week ago. I’d soon got over it, and with things at home improving, I’d decided it was for the best if I didn’t see Mason again. Rufus and I were back on track and I didn’t need or want any distractions.

Rufus had used my bank card to book a hotel and for once he had managed to choose a room that was modestly priced. He was still very much against the whole idea of his friend, Stefan, marrying his greatest enemy, but he’d insisted we go to their party. It would be a small affair, because Stefan and Alex had few friends and even less family, but I had expected Rufus to refuse to go to make a point.

“Last chance to change your mind,” I said, zipping his bag shut. “I don’t understand why you want to go when you’re so against the idea.”

“Someone has to make Stefan see sense.”

“Rufus, please don’t say anything.”

He would though. Then Stefan would get upset and Alex would get angry, and none of us wanted to be around an angry Alex. He might have changed his ways for love, but Alex Gill was still a dangerous man, and not one to be crossed.

“Just think about it on the way there.” I tried, looking round the bedroom to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. “You don’t want to ruin Stefan’s party, do you?”

“I’ll talk to him before the party,” Rufus replied, stubborn as ever.

There was no point arguing. The more I tried to persuade him not to cause problems, the more determined he would be to do just that.

Rufus was quiet in the car on the journey down to the coast. He slept most of the way. It would have been nice to have some company, especially once we hit the traffic on the M3, but I had the radio so I didn’t really mind. He always became tense when he had to go into any place Alex Gill would be.

We made good time, despite the heavy traffic, and pulled up outside Stefan and Alex’s address shortly after midday. Alex currently worked for his former boss’s brother, Tony, while Stefan trained to become a hairdresser, and they lived in an apartment over Tony’s large, double garage. The engagement party would not be held there but in a pub on the seafront, only because Rufus wanted to spend time with Stefan before the others arrived, we had gone directly to their home.

Rufus climbed out of the car and stretched. He stared up at the windows above the garage, his mixed feelings clear on his face. Excitement at seeing his best friend; dread at seeing that best friend’s lover. A door opened at the top of a metal staircase and a slim, blond figure hurtled down the steps to throw both arms and legs around Rufus. Stefan. Beautiful, funny, Stefan who wore his heart on his sleeve and adored the little makeshift family he had gathered around him. Me and Rufus, his old flatmate Amanda and her fiancé Dan, Killigan, the policeman who had handled his and Alex’s case eighteen months back, and Marcie, Alex’s old boss – Stefan loved all of us, although we all knew he would kill each and every one of us without hesitation, and step over our dead bodies in order to get to Alex. He loved us, but he belonged to Alex, heart, body and soul.

I glanced up, sensing Alex was there before I saw him. He stood at the top of the stairs, arms folded across his broad chest, practically oozing menace and ill-humour as he watched his boyfriend and mine act out their joyful reunion. Aside from the fact Mason smiled more, Rufus had been right. There was a strong resemblance between Mason and Alex.

Alex’s gaze flickered in my direction and I dropped my gaze, doing my best to look casual. Before I met Rufus, I had hooked up with Stefan in Keane’s one night. I hadn’t known it at the time, but when Stefan had suddenly gone cold on me and put a stop to our make-out session, it was because Alex had been watching and threatened to break my legs if we went any further. Even though I was with Rufus now, and Stefan was devoted to him, I didn’t think Alex had ever forgiven me.

“Let’s go over to the main house,” Stefan said, untangling himself from Rufus and turning to look for Alex. “Tony said we can use his kitchen.”

Confident Alex would follow, Stefan lead the way across the wide gravel driveway and around the side of the house. Stefan and Rufus held hands, the way they often did when they had not seen each other for a while. Alex trudged along behind me, a dark, heavy presence at my back that I tried not to let unnerve me.

Surprisingly, it was Alex who moved around the big, airy kitchen making drinks for us all, while Rufus, Stefan and I settled around the family-size wooden table. I wasn’t sure what Tony’s business was – something in the motor trade I thought – but whatever it was, it clearly paid well. Enough for this lovely house with its tasteful décor and expensive furniture at least.

Alex placed mugs of strong tea in front us. It was far too strong for my liking, but he hadn’t asked how we took it and I wasn’t brave enough to point it out to him. I saw Rufus pull a face and hoped he wouldn’t start making a fuss almost as soon as we got there. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything, just pushed the mug away from him with his long dainty, fingers.

Alex didn’t join us at the table, choosing to remain standing, his arms folded once again, his t-shirt straining across his thick biceps. His dark eyes settled on Stefan and the tension drained from his body instantly. I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t attracted to Alex at all, but he looked so much like Mason, and I had to wonder what it would be like to be held by a guy like that.

“Hey, Eric…are you with us?”

“Sorry.” I flashed a quick smile at Stefan. “I was miles away.”

“Anyone I know?” Stefan grinned at me and waggled his perfectly plucked eyebrows suggestively.

“He’s got an admirer,” said Rufus helpfully. “Some new guy behind the bar at Keane’s.”

“Seriously?” Stefan’s green eyes widened.

“It’s nothing. I’ve only seen him that once.”

I hadn’t told Rufus about Mason turning up on my ward. It had only been one night after all, and I hadn’t seen the point in stirring up more trouble when our relationship was already on shaky ground. Once you’re mine... I could never tell Rufus what Mason had said to me. I definitely couldn’t tell him about the warm and fuzzy feelings I got whenever I thought about those three little words, or how my breath caught in my throat every time I recalled the intensity of Mason’s gaze.

“Once was enough,” Rufus snorted. “You should have seen him, Stefan, hitting on Eric right in front of me.”

“Really?” Stefan shook his head in disbelief. “Want me to send Alex to sort him out for you?”

Alex grunted, although it was hard to tell whether he was agreeing or disagreeing with his boyfriend.

Rufus made a rude noise. “He’s bigger than Alex. He won’t find it as easy as bashing little twinks like he’s used to. This guy will knock him into the middle of next week.”

We all stared at him, open mouthed. Well, Stefan and I had our mouths open. Alex’s was set into a tight, thin line, and if looks could kill, I’d be arranging a funeral right about then. Where the hell had that come from? Rufus, who had always claimed to be terrified of Alex, had switched abruptly from avoidance to poking at him with a bloody great stick.

Thankfully, time had mellowed Alex. Either that, or Stefan had him well trained. One look from Stefan and Alex backed down, although he seemed none too happy about it. Rufus was oblivious, or perhaps he really didn’t care. I saw the way Alex and Stefan looked at each other though, and my boyfriend was deluding himself if he still thought he could come between them.

“Sweetie, I need to talk to you. In private.” Rufus grabbed hold of Stefan’s hand and pulled him to his feet. “Come on. Let’s go for a walk round the garden.”

Stefan shot Alex an apologetic look over his shoulder as he was dragged out of the back door. That left me with Alex…which was not at all awkward. He grabbed the untouched mugs from the table and poured the tea down the sink. The silence stretched out between us to the point of being painful. Alex filled the sink with hot water and began to wash the mugs. I went to stand beside him, picked up a tea-towel and started to dry.

“So…” Alex cleared his throat. “What does your little girlfriend want to talk about?”

“I think he wants to persuade your little girlfriend not to marry you.”

Alex was quiet again. I wondered if I had made him angry, but a minute later, he shrugged his massive shoulders. “Stef wouldn’t do that to me.”

“I know,” I said with a sigh. “You’re lucky, Alex. I hope you know that.”

“I do.” He snatched the tea-towel out of my grasp and dried his hands before dropping it onto the counter-top. “Come on, let’s go and get a real drink.”

I shouldn’t, because I still had to drive to the hotel yet, but this was the first time Alex had been the slightest bit friendly toward me. Maybe it came back to his resemblance to Mason, but I suddenly felt the need to get to know him better. I followed him through to a lavish, cream-coloured living room. Alex helped himself to a bottle from the drinks cabinet and poured generous amounts of scotch into two glasses. He handed one of the glasses to me and took a sip from the other.

“So how are things with you and Rupert?”

“Rufus,” I corrected, although I knew this was a favourite game of his. Alex never called Rufus by his proper name, partly because it annoyed Rufus, but mainly because he didn’t want to. “And we’re just fine, thanks.”

“Didn’t seem that way to me.”

“No, we are. It’s…it’s nothing. I mean, every couple has rough patches, don’t they?”

“Yeah, mine and Stef’s was when we had people trying to kill us.” He studied me over the rim of his glass. “This guy from the club…you interested?”

“No!” Yes, but I wasn’t about to admit that to Alex Gill of all people. “He’s not even my type.”

“What if he was? Would you cheat on Rudolph?”

“Rufus. And no I wouldn’t. I’m not like that even if…”

“Even if he cheats on you,” Alex finished for me.

“It was only twice,” I said hotly. “And it was ages ago. Rufus loves me.”

“Loves your money maybe. And twice? Yeah, right. Sorry, Eric, but you know how girls talk.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Had Rufus said something to Stefan? Was there more to his cheating than the two times I knew about?

“It doesn’t mean anything,” Alex said with a shrug. “All I’m saying is, if this guy does it for you, then why not take a chance. See what happens.”

“What am I supposed to do? Just forget I have a boyfriend?”

“Yeah, why not? If it doesn’t work out with the other guy, Rudy never needs to know. And, even if he finds out, he won’t do anything. He’ll look the other way because he can’t afford not to.”