Thick as Thieves (The Greystone Family: Stolen Hearts #3)

Chapter 25

25

Xander

We make the radio station late into the afternoon and are being fawned over by the radio team. They have drinks and food waiting for us. Tim joins us unexpectedly, rushing in at the last minute, waving at us all.

“What you doin’ here?” I ask him. “Do you think we need our hands held? Want to prep us on what to say?” We’re all teasing him.

He goes beet red. “I had to get out of LA, my ex is hounding me. I’ve changed my locks. I might move into your house, Xander.”

“Sure, it’s free. Just let the housekeeper know, she’ll let you in. What have you done that’s caused you so much trouble?”

He goes red again. “No way, Tim, you haven’t?” laughs Marcus. “And you’re always on at us.”

“Well, she told me she didn’t want to be exclusive. So I took her at her word and went out with someone else. I’ve had to block her, as we saw her at?—”

The studio producer calls us all in for the interview, cutting Tim off mid flow, and leaving us without the punch lines. Kell is whining, hissing at Tim to carry on with his tale even when we get into the studio. He wants ammo for later, as Tim always tells him off for his antics. Tim, clearly relieved at not having to relive the situation again, bats him off, going redder and redder. We’re grinning at him like school boys, every infantile comment ready on our lips. We don’t get to dish them, as he shushes us all as the production team start to give us instructions.

It’s an easy session. It’s not live, and we’ve seen all the questions. A lot again for Marcus about his wife and twins. Of course, we all chip in about the twins, keeping them talking. We also talk up the new music, and the vibe stays light and upbeat. We’re all happy, laughing and joking with each other, snapping out insider jokes aimed a bit at Tim, via Kell, and me towards Gabe. It’s a really great interview with the hosts, all the team interacting.

We leave the studio and go back into the green room about two hours later. Tim turns his phone back on, starting in again on the tale of how he blocked his ex. His phone is going mad. We’re all laughing at him, asking if he’s sure he’s actually blocked her and should we get Jonno involved. But his face drains of all colour as he scrolls rapidly through some messages and then pictures.

“We need to find them, now,” I shout as I digest the pictures and messages we’re all being shown. “She said they were going to a park with a lake near the zoo.” I’m frantically pacing, frustrated this is happening and upset I’m not there to prevent it.

“Call James,” Marcus demands. “And Jonno. Call Jonno, call Jackson. They can get a team to them.” Marcus is going pale, all the blood draining from his face as he looks at pictures of his family, our family.

“A fucking team? Is it that bad?” I grab the phone off Tim and see pictures of Evie and the twins in the park. “Is that the park from today?” No one seems to know. I’m pulling at my hair, fuck , that woman from this morning must have gone straight to the press.

“Can we get an injunction on the story? She signed an NDA.” Gabe looks really pale and sounds a bit terrified. I know he hasn’t appeared to be that supportive, especially around our living arrangements. But underneath his bravado, he loves them all, and he’s particularly worried about paparazzi near the twins. He loves them. He’d never intentionally do anything to put any of them in harm’s way.

“We’ll look into it, but the story is not really presenting anything as factual, just speculation. Whoever wrote it has been very careful,” he says, dialling Patrick, our head lawyer.

Marcus waves at me, he’s reached James. “Hey sunshine, we need you to get your mum and the kids back to the house. There’s a story out there about her and the twins, and you might get hassled.” He stops while he listens. “About paternity,” he tells him. “Are they there already?” His voice goes an octave higher. For him that’s full panic mode. “Fuck. Can you all move without them noticing?” He listens some more. “How many of Valentina’s family are there? How many paps?” He continues to listen but then says calmly, “Yes James, I think you could take them, but we don’t want you to be—” He listens to James talk. “Not today. You can be the diversion another day. Put Tommy on.”

Mick has come to stand with us, as has Jase. Marcus asks them, “Can you sort out transport for them? James says there are loads of Valentina’s family, so they are hidden in a crowd of locals. But he’s seen some photographers he recognises stalking the park. He’s tipped everyone off and they’re getting a plan together.”

Thank god for that boy. He is thinking, while I am certainly not.

Marcus has a hold of my elbow. Gabe is standing on the other side of me, Levi behind. It’s as if they know I may explode. Mick gets on with Tommy and Jase, locations are pinged through and cars sent off.

My phone rings, and even in this shit show, I smile. Jonno.

“Have you got them? Are they with you?” he asks straight out. Clearly he knows. “I’ve called E, but can’t get her. The genie is out of the bottle. You need to sort this out, and quick. I’ll do what I can on this end.”

“They’re at the park, and the paps are there already.”

He’s deadly silent for a heartbeat. “I’m calling Jax. He has some police there he’s worked with before. We might need them anyway if you’re staying there. They’ll keep people away.”

“Okay, sounds good,” I answer. My brain is spinning off to god knows where.

“I’ll let you know the plan. Is Tommy with her?”

“Yes, and Darryl,” I tell him.

“Good, they’ll be fine. It just might be a rugby scrum before we can secure them.”

I cut the call and Marcus is looking at me. I must look bad, as he touches my hand, covering mine with his, reassuring me. “Xan, we’ll get them. Was that Jonno?”

“Yes. He’s calling Jackson. Apparently they have police here they can trust. Fuck, Marcus, what the hell. What if?—”

“No, listen, it’s just paps. It’s nothing we haven’t dealt with before.” I think he’s trying to convince himself.

“Let’s head back to the house and wait for them,” Tim suggests, trying to push us all out towards the doors.

My feet don’t move, they’re planted. I can’t just sit and wait, and I can see Marcus baulking at the idea of nonaction.

“Get us a car, Mick. We’ll go meet them at the Zoo.” Marcus pulls me towards him as he barks out the order, making it clear who is going in that car. Levi and Gabe also stand behind us. We’re all going—no way are we sitting in a house like frightened rabbits, waiting for others to deliver our family back to us.

Tim has lost his mind if he thinks that’s happening. I need them with me. I’m not letting them out of my sight again.

“Be rational. It’s a huge city. The traffic is a nightmare. By the time we get a car and anywhere near, they’ll be at home.” Tim is being logical, but my brain has gone into overdrive, logic be damned. I can almost smell Evie’s scent. The babies’ laughter is ringing in my mind.

“We need a car, Jase. Get us one.” I never make demands normally. I’m easy going Xan, letting others take the reins, going with the flow. But not today, and not ever where my family is concerned.

“Xan, Marcus, please,” Tim pleads. We need to get everyone back to the house. If you go haring off around the city, it just complicates things.”

I open my mouth to argue as my phone pings. A text.

Jonno

Car at the park. Eyes on Kitten. Go the fuck home.

I almost laugh. The man’s a menace, but he’s our menace. Thank the lord for that. I show Kell the text.

“Let’s go home then,” he states grimly.

But what the hell are we walking into.

We step outside the doors of the radio station and all hell breaks loose.

There are flashes and people shouting shit at us, some okay, but others are vile comments about Evie. I see Marcus about to let loose at some really nasty comment, but Levi grabs him and pushes him to the car. I hear my name shouted, asking if I’m the dad. I hear the same shouted to Gabe and Levi.

Fuck, what a mess. What have I done to them all? If I was less selfish, less in love, I would walk away. I should walk away, make this end for them all.

Marcus pulls me into the car. It’s got blacked-out windows and we pick up a police escort. Jackson certainly works fast.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” Marcus spits out to me, looking into my face. “Don’t, Xan. We fucking need you here. S he will need you here. Don’t you fucking dare.”

I look at him, this man who has let me into his life in every way, and all I’ve done is cause shit for them. They were happy, they’re a family.

“Xander,” he shouts sharply at me. “Eyes on me.” He grabs hold of my arms and pulls me face to face. “Xander, you need to think, don’t react. We’ll get them home and see what’s been said.” His eyes are pleading with me not to check out.

Gabe touches me. “Xander, stay with us.”

I must look catatonic, they’re all staring at me.

“I’m okay,” I say, forcing the fog to clear a bit. I need to get a grip, for them, for us all. I see Marcus puff out a breath, fuck he’s worried. I can’t leave the building now, he needs me. I need to step up. I wanted it, I pushed it.

I see the line of paps outside our house, but the police make short work of them. We get into the house and the police are outside in the street, keeping a visible ring around our home.

The windows are open and I hear them before I see them all. A chatter of Spanish voices. More than went with them all pile into the house. Evie’s in the middle of the crowd. Wow, James wasn’t kidding when he said there were a fair few of them. She grins at me from the centre of the melee.

“Phew, that was close. They never found us. Valentina’s family hid us in the middle of them all. Texas had to bend double to hide her height. Only time being short is a benefit. James put on Valentina’s grandson's shirt and hat and walked with a stoop.”

She’s a hundred miles an hour, and comes for me first. I must look the worst. I can’t get any words out, and she pulls me into a downstairs room. “Xander, we knew it would come out. It’s fine here, we can control a lot here. I spoke to Jackson, he knows Miguel, he’s in the police and they can help us here.” She’s touching me, my face, my hands, she smiles as she kisses me. “Xan,” she breathes into me.

I hold her waist and lower my head onto her shoulder. “Fuck. I can hardly breathe. If anything would’ve happened to you, any one of you, because of me.”

“Hey no, no, Xan, it’s not because of you. It’s all of us. We love each other, it just is, and we have to stick together. Please, Xander.” She has tears now brimming in her eyes. “Please don’t think it’s your fault. I love being with you, with Kellen.”

We turn as the door opens and Kellen comes in, closing the door firmly behind him.

“Have you sorted him out yet?” He comes over to us both and puts his arms around us. “Don’t, Xander. We need you here, we’re a family.” He kisses Evie. “I’m glad you're all safe. Well done. Who spotted the paps?”

“Texas. She nipped to the loo and came back and told Tommy and Darryl. They were showing photos around to people in the park. Valentina’s ten-year-old grandson was sent to send them in another direction whilst we got out. Jonno phoned, then Jax, so I knew we needed to move.”

“Wow! Texas? She would’ve sold you down the river not so long ago,” I exclaim in amazement.

“She loves the twins, and she’s really good with them.” Kissing us both, she says, “I need to go sort out Valentina’s family. They’re having tea and then going. They want photos with you and the boys. They love James’s band, but they know who you are so…” She smirks at us. “Not past it yet,” she slips out.

Marcus and I are left alone. He steps forwards straight away and kisses me. “Stay with me. We both need you.” He’s pleading with his eyes. “I know what you’re thinking, I see it in your face. But know this, fair enough you asked, but we agreed, both Evie and I. It’s what we wanted, so this is not your fault. We wanted it, I want it. Please, Xander.” He’s holding my face.

“I’m not going. I was thinking about it though. I don’t want this hassle for you both, for us all. But I suppose we need to see what story is out there. I don’t see why we need to announce anything about us either way. It’s nobody's business but our own.”

I look into his green eyes, mine now clear. I carry on, my voice full of the love and confidence these two give me. “Fuck them. Fuck them all. I love you. I love Evie. I love our whole family. I won’t let them take it away from me. It’s been too long waiting for it. Eighteen fucking years we lost, I won’t let anyone take any more.” I feel the fight in my heart and soul. I won’t let anyone take them.

Marcus smiles at me, his whole face lighting up. “Thank fuck for that. I thought you’d disappeared, you’re normally mad protective. I’ve noticed recently that you're worse than normal though. Gabe can’t believe what you’ve turned into. Said he's known you all these years and never seen you as bad as this.”

“No idea. I just feel like I need to pick them up and keep them with us, all the fucking time, even James and Bucky,” I tell him.

He nods at me. “Let’s go join the hordes. As ever, Evie has drawn a crowd.” He laughs and pulls me to him for a hug, slapping me on the back, and we walk out of the room and straight into Tim.

“I need to talk to you both. Can we step in there?” He points back into the room Kell and I just left. “There’s lots of people upstairs all doing food, we can’t talk there,” he explains as he moves with us.

The door is slammed shut yet again and I know I am not going to enjoy this.

“I know you’ve said you’re not bothered about who knows about your arrangements, but I’ve just heard from the UK and US press. Someone has leaked on the back of this story”—he points to his phone—“that you are in fact a ‘throuple.’ Fucking horrible word, if you ask me, so I’m asking, what do you want to do about it?” He pauses whilst we both digest the implications of everything being out in the open. “Do you want to make a statement or anything? We could go public, or you could say nothing? But people will want a picture of you all doing something that proves it either way.” He sighs, knowing his job is getting harder at this point. “So it’s up to you, which way we go.”

We’re all stood facing each other in the small room. The air feels stifling. I try to take a deeper breath, but can’t.

“Do we need to do it now, or can we think about it?” asks Marcus.

“I want to talk to Evie, James, and Bucky, probably Jonno as well,” I say, trying to be present and think a little. “Then we’ll decide. Gabe and Levi will need to be there as well. We need a united front, whichever way we go.” I pause then say, “I think, fuck em. If it’s the end of the band, it’s the end. If no one wants our music just because I fell in love, then fuck them as well.”

Tim smiles at me. “Xander, I’m with you. It’s been a good run, but we have to protect them as much as possible. We can talk around the issues. Either way, it’s going to be a feeding frenzy. But on a positive note, thank fuck for the Greystones. Never did I think people actually did this shit for a living, but they really do.” He laughs. “I nearly died when I saw that police escort. Miguel is a god in my eyes. I've invited him VIP to our concert in a few days, and any of his boys. Sign anything they ask.” He slaps us both on the back.

We walk out of the room again and make our way upstairs, where the twins are centre stage. A police captain is carrying them around while Valentina’s passing out tacos, the table groaning with all the food on show.

I look over the room, searching for her, and see her with James, his arms banded around her, whispering in her ear. She has tears in her eyes, and so does he. I can read his lips, telling her how much he loves her, and he pulls her head to his chest. He looks up at Marcus and I, unsmiling, over the top of her hair. Fuck. Is he annoyed? But he moves his head slightly for us to come over.

I touch Evie’s back, as I stand next to her. Marcus touches her hair. She smiles at us both, but doesn’t move out of James’s embrace. And he makes no move to release her.

“Jonno’s told us about the other stories about you all,” he says, not beating around the bush. “They’re working the paternity angle for headlines and then sliding into the slutty behaviour of my mother with two men.”

He raises his eyebrows at us both. I close my eyes, anger bubbling up, I knew they’d go this route. Always the same.

Evie goes to move, but again he holds her, shaking his head at her, and she moves back into him.

“We can talk about it after everyone leaves,” Marcus says. “Decide which way to go. We’ll do whatever is best for you and the kids, Evie.” He kisses James on the cheek and Evie on the head. “You okay baby?” he asks her tenderly, touching her face.

She nods at him, her eyes clear and damned beautiful.

He smiles at us all before moving away to talk to Miguel, schmoozing the police captain. I keep my eyes on my wife and my son. Because that is what they are to me, how I think of them. They are fucking mine, and no one will take them.

“Don’t look so worried, Papa,” James says, smiling gently at me. “It’ll work out. But I think it’s going to be painful in the media. Everyone loves this sort of story. You’re tabloid gold.”

I move in closer, but to the other side, away from the crowds. I need to feel her skin on me, her hands in mine. She drops her hand instinctively from James to take hold of mine, entwining her fingers and holding me tightly. She knows I need physical contact. She’ll be able to smell my desperation.

“I’m thirty-eight years old in a few weeks’ time. I have never loved anyone else my whole life. I’ve never been in love with anyone else. Just you, Evie, and Kell. I feel so protective of you all. I love all the children, even the big two.” I grin at James. “I’ll do what I have to, to make sure you’re all alright.”

Evie looks into my eyes as she pushes off of James. “That won’t be leaving us then, will it? As I can tell you now Xan, that will make it worse not better. It won’t make it right or us alright.”

“No it won’t,” James concurs. “You do that, Papa, and you’ll have me to deal with.” He grins at me. “And I can make Jonno look like the tooth fairy.” He drops Evie and pulls me into him. A nineteen-year-old kid, giving me comfort. My son. “I love you, Papa. Stay with us.”

He moves away to add to the schmoozing. We both stand and watch them, James and Marcus, good looking, the ultimate in charm. Regardless of what is swirling around us, my heart is full of love.

“They have the whole room in raptures,” I tell Evie as she watches them and me.

“Yep, and you’re just as bad. Well, we need some of that now. We need our friends in our corner. But if they choose not to, then whatever, it won’t change my mind.” She smiles at me, her confidence shining through. “You better go try and retrieve your sons. I think Captain Miguel may run off with them, and Texas at this rate. Gabe will lose another one.”

I roll my eyes. “Fucking Gabe with his women. They’ve caused so much trouble. Why can’t he meet one or two that are ok? If it’s not Marcus they want, it’s James. You’d think he’d be bothered, but he really isn’t.”

“He’s Gabe. I don’t think you’ll change him now.”

“I don’t know. Marcus and I are changed men.” I scowl at her as she laughs.

“Not really. If this story is anything to go by, you’re hardly normal, are you? Hardly sedate.” She grins and leaves me standing, gaping at her.

Valentina comes to feed her. The woman is as fussy over Evie as she is the babies. It’s great to see someone else help and support her, as she does for everyone else.

It’s late in the evening, we’ve fed everyone in the house and half the Mexican police force it feels like. Valentina and her daughter, Luna, are staying over to cook for everyone. Evie has not let the boys go to bed. She has them laid on her, dozing, snuggling in. I go over and take Sorley from her. He snuffles a bit, but I kiss his head and hold him close. I feel everyone watching me, and I don’t fucking care. I sit with my boy on my chest. James comes over and takes Lochi as Marcus pulls Evie into his lap.

He nods at Tim, who takes a deep breath. “There are two stories running. The one here, about who is the father of the babies, definitely started from the girl who left. The other story is out of the UK, about paternity, but also focuses on the fact you’re all together. That story has gone global, and is being reported everywhere. We don’t know where it originated yet, but we will. I’ve asked Jonno to find out as well.”

He pauses, letting that blow land. “We need to decide if we want to do anything or not, as we obviously don’t have to. You’re not obliged to discuss your lives or explain yourselves to anyone.”

He takes another breath in, like he’s steeling himself and needs to be there for us. Clearly he’s worried about us all, his brain running around all the scenarios. By the worried look on his face, he doesn’t think any of them are easy.

“I’ll support your decision either way, but we need to go through pros and cons. We’ve been around long enough to know how this will play out. We can already see the slants that are being put on things.”

He turns to me. “Xander, are you still for the fuck them don’t say a word, if the band goes pop then so be it?”

Gabe gasps at that, but I nod. “Yes. I don’t see why it affects anything, but fair enough. If people don’t want to buy our music anymore, then fine.”

“They’ll probably buy more. It’s a weird thing,” Tim puts in. “Marcus?”

“I keep swinging backwards and forwards. If we do, they’ll try to get photos of us, then the kids. ‘Who do they look like?’ and all that shit.” Everyone starts to laugh.

“They look like you and James, so that story will be a short one,” says Levi.

“Then they’ll try and get photos of us all snogging or fucking, so they can prove we are a three. In a way, I think, fuck it, let’s go for it. Say yes, so fucking what? What are you gonna do about it?” He stops and smiles at Evie. “We are married, it was legal. If I want to have an affair with anyone, it wouldn’t be illegal, so why are they up a height over this? In fact, it isn’t illegal for us to be together. Some people won’t like it, nowadays, though others won’t be bothered beyond the initial facts.” He squeezes Evie’s leg and turns to her. “What do you think?”

“I’m a bit of both. I don’t want to have to explain my relationships, but I know, either way, they’ll keep coming. Trying to prove things or disprove them. I think we could put a statement out as a family, or maybe just from Marcus, saying he loves his family.” She smiles at us all. “That is true, after all.”

She pauses, and I see the pain flash in her eyes. She knows the score, knows how it will play out. It’s a game older than time. But I also see determination swimming in those eyes, a storm of defiance, and it makes my heart soar.

“I think if we go with Marcus’s view, tell them all, they’ll want to dig into who does what to who. People are weird like that. Questions they would never normally ask, but if you’re out in left field, they feel happy asking. And the more we answer, the more in-depth and personal the questions will get. It will never stop. Whereas, if we say nothing, they’ll just keep asking the ‘Is it true?’ one, for a while anyway. I’m not bothered to tell anyone anything. What I think is what matters. End of.”

“Are you worried it will affect James and Bucky’s band?” asks Gabe.

“If it fucking does, then?—”

“Bucky and I support my mum. If anyone asks me anything, I just intend to say I don’t discuss anyone else’s marriages or love lives, and especially my parents. I think we can just pass it off, but again, I’m with Papa—if it means people don’t want our music, I’ll go do something else. I think I’ll make a fucking amazing lord of the manor.”

Marcus is smirking at him. “Cocky little shit, I love it. You totally would.”

“Or I’ll go with mum and build things, or Jonno, and make billions in tech. Or make whiskey with Marshall. I’m not short of options. So in a way, I think, actually, let’s say nothing at all about any of it.”

Bucky chimes in from the speaker phone, “I agree with James. I’ve got A level Geography, I can do anything I fucking want.”

We all laugh at that. These boys are so ‘fuck you, take us or leave us.’ It must be a Greystone thing. Jonno, Jude, and Jackson are the same. She hammered the behaviour into all of them.

“Gabe? Levi?” Tim asks them.

“Well, I don’t want to stop the band,” says Gabe, looking over at me.

“I didn’t say I wanted to, Gabe. I said if people cancel us, then we won’t have a choice. But not everyone will,” I tell him.

He goes on. “I’m not in favour of telling everyone everything. You think it’s going to help and stop the speculation, but like Evie says, they just move onto the next bit, so it never stops. We can always send Marcus onto another American morning TV show, or even late night, and get all the women oohing and ahhing. In fact, we could send them both.” He points to Marcus and James. “The ladies would agree to anything if you two go on. Then we can show a picture of those two.” He points to the twins. “It’d end in more love for us all.”

“But maybe not Evie?” says Tim, voicing my biggest fear.

“I’m with Xander,” adds Levi. “Just carry on. People will figure it out, or they’ll make it up, whatever. They’ll agree or they won’t. A statement won’t change it. If security gets bad, we can appeal to people. If they have kids, they’ll understand.”

“So we're all agreed we do nothing. No statements, just business as usual. We’ll keep getting questions vetted for chat shows and interviews, and we can decide as we go if we want to answer.”

We all nod in agreement.

Evie’s biting her lip. Marcus zeros in on her, and I stand up, addressing the room in general. “Right, people, I’m shoving you all out.”

Valentina comes and takes the babies and they’re whisked off to bed. James hugs us all, including Gabe and Levi, he talks a bit to Tim, and then moves towards the stairs.

“We going out, Gabe? Levi?” he asks, over his shoulder. “I could do with a bit of a club night. Your old bones up for it?” he jokes at them.

Tim looks a bit concerned, but Mick nods at Zak.

“Don’t draw attention to yourselves,” advises Tim. They all laugh at that.

“We’re taking James out. You got no chance. It’s worse than taking Marcus back in the day. We get mobbed,” says Gabe, grinning like a mad man.

“You lot staying in?” Levi asks. “Or maybe you ought to come out, Evie. Get off with both of them, in a booth, with full table service, in full view of the whole club. That would be a fuck you all bitches.” He’s chuckling sardonically. “Oh God, please do that, it would be the best,” he says, hugging her and looking down into her face. “It’ll be fine, Kitten.”

He must be worried. He never calls her that. Marcus and I look at each other and she tries to smile at him.

”Maybe that will be next week’s tactics,” she says. “Keeping my options open.” She kisses his cheek. “Have fun and watch my boy. He might get it into his head to be a distraction, and he doesn’t need to. They’ll just say what a bigger debacle I’ve made of my life and James is going off the rails due to it.”

I close my eyes. My heart is hurting for her. We all know she’ll take a lot of the flack for this misogynistic reporting. Always the woman who would be at fault, the one who dragged us into it. I take her hand. “Do you want a drink? Something stronger? I’ve brought some of Marshall’s for you.”

She smiles. “No. As much as I would love to, I’m still doing morning and night feeds, so I can't have any.”

She moves to the window, sitting down and looking through the blinds. “There are still a lot of reporters here. Will they stay?” She turns to us both, and we nod at her. “I wanted to go to have a look at the ruins of the pyramid in the city square tomorrow. I suppose that’ll be out now?” She looks at Tommy who has come back into the room.

“We can go,” he says, “but we’ll arrange a time with them, and the police will come as well. Jackson must know Miguel really well.” He smiles confidently at her.

“He was in the army with him,” says Evie, nodding. “I’ve spoken to him in the past, just didn’t know he’d come home. I'd still like to go, if that’s workable. Are you going to the venue and everything tomorrow? Is it a flight away?” She’s trying to distract us, and herself.

“Yeah, it’s about an hour’s flight. We leave tomorrow, gig that night, stay over, come back the next day. Why don’t you come?” Marcus asks her. “Then we can keep everyone together.”

“I’ll think about it,” she says, sipping her water. “I’m going to call Marshall.” She gets up with purpose and walks out.

“Fuck, Marcus, she’s well spooked,” I say. “What should we do?” My breathing is starting to accelerate. I think I might have a panic attack, I’m so fucking worried about her, them.

“I don’t know. Tommy, do you think that will be okay, her going out? Where’s Mick?”

With his perfect timing as ever, Mick arrives with Jase and we cover the plan for us and Evie. Mick’s on board either way. He says the police will sort Evie out. She’ll be able to go anywhere in the city, no one will get within six feet of her. I feel fucking relieved. I don’t want her pushed and shoved with the kids in tow. And she’s stubborn enough not to be put off and keep going out. She’s not letting this slow her down or stop her. Now I need to get myself under control. For all of them.