“My work. I’m the CFO of Abacus Accounting. We’re on the main drag downtown.”
“I don’t think I can get there. How would I park? Where would I get out without this arsehole grabbing me?”
He went silent for a second, then strict control entered his voice. “Go to Gil’s.”
“But I just said—”
“Go to Gilbert’s. I’ll meet you there.”
“I don’t think the two of us will scare this guy away. He hurt Gil last time—” I shut myself up. How much did Justin know of Gil’s life?
But Justin didn’t ask for more details; his mind already on other distractions. “Keep driving for ten minutes, then get to the warehouse. I’ll bring reinforcements.”
He hung up.
Reinforcements?
I slipped through another orange light and looked at the clock.
I had no idea what that meant, but I had ten minutes to kill.
Ten minutes until this ended—for better or for worse.
I shot forward, doing my best to vanish.
* * * * *
The van shadowed my every move as I turned into the warehouse precinct and followed the long drive past other used and derelict buildings to Gil’s painting empire.
I’d done my best to shake my shadow, but I wasn’t quick enough, and he was determined.
I’d waited fifteen minutes before driving to Gil’s, knowing that it was a one-way entrance, and once I was outside warehouse twenty-five, there was no going back.
With my heart thrumming, I inched farther from public view, begging Justin to have a decent welcome committee. My shoulders slouched in gratefulness when I spotted three cars parked outside Gil’s place. Four men in black suits with arms crossed loitered against their expensive sedans.
Thank God.
The van that’d ridden my ass the entire trip, slowed and fell back.
I sped up, putting distance between us as I shot to where Justin stood, and parked swiftly. Launching out of the hatchback with my phone in hand, I jogged to him and turned to face the van.
It hulked in the middle of the road with warehouse debris on either side and evening light dappling it in softness. Standing next to Justin and his friends, I felt like an idiot—as if I’d made up the seriousness of the threat.
Justin reached out and squeezed my hand, giving me a quick smile. “You all good?”
I nodded, unable to take my eyes off the van but equally unable to leave my hand in his. Tugging away slightly, I returned his smile with a huge sigh of gratefulness. “Thanks so much for helping me.”
“Not at all.” He nodded at his friends. “Let’s go pay our unwanted guest a visit, shall we?”
The men, who looked as if they regularly attended a gym but their natural habitat was behind a desk, moved forward in a black-suited crowd with Justin in the middle.
I trailed behind them, peering into the windshield of the van, trying to see past the window’s glare to the driver beyond.
Is it the same guy?
Was Gil being blackmailed by a single person or multiple?
Passing the hatchback with its engine still running, the men balled their hands in an obvious threat. Justin cocked his chin, his profile harsh and cutting in the early evening shadows.
The van didn’t move. A black stain on the horizon. It sat and accepted their threat until only a few metres existed between vehicle and man.
I shook with adrenaline, trembling at confronting the very person who terrified me and made Gil’s life a living hell. I wanted him arrested. I wanted him dealt with so he could stop hurting Gil so badly.
But as Justin struck into a jog and his friends followed, the van’s engine squealed. It shot into reverse, zooming down the road, too fast to be caught.
The guys slowed to a walk. One of them took a photo of the van’s license plate while another chucked a rock in the vehicle’s direction.
The van swerved at the end of the drive and disappeared into traffic.
It happened so fast, I once again felt like an overreacting idiot.
I fell back as Justin spoke to his friends.
The murmur of masculine voices blended well with the buzz of the city and hum of whatever other industries were alive in the unassuming warehouse buildings. I looked down at my phone, moving away.
Should I call Gil again? How much longer could the police keep him?
With my thoughts on Gil, I didn’t look up until the snarl of engines stole my attention, signalling Justin’s mates were leaving. I waved in thanks, wishing I’d been more sociable than worrying over Gil.
I owed them the biggest thank you.
My heart skipped a beat as Justin threw a hand up in farewell, then headed toward me. His eyes held lines of stress, but his mouth quirked into a smile. “You sure you’re okay?”
I nodded, slipping into step with him. “Yes. Thanks again for all your help.”
He shrugged. “That’s what friends are for.”
“Were those guys your friends?”
“I work with them. All good blokes even if they are accountants. One holds a championship in amateur boxing.”
“Impressive.”
“It’s handy when you have someone threatening you.” His gaze narrowed. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”
I bit my lip, throwing a look at Gil’s warehouse. “I don’t know if I can.”
“What are you caught up in?”
A huge exhale escaped me. “Honestly...I don’t know.”
“Your problem or Gil’s?”
I eyed him. “Not my problem to tell.”
“Okay, so it’s Gil’s.”
“I didn’t say that.”
He crossed his arms, a scowl darkening his face. “Let me put it another way. Did you have this stalker before you found Gil again, or is it a recent development?”
“He’s not a stalker.”
“You sure about that?”
“I’m not sure about anything these days.”
Looking at the sky, Justin huffed. “Look, it’s none of my business what goes on between you and Gil. I don’t expect you to tell me, but you did reach out to me, O. You know I’d never betray you—”
“And I can’t betray him.”
He sighed, visibly calming himself. “Okay, fine. I get it. I’m just glad you’re past thinking he’s a murderer, so I won’t pry.” Fumbling in his pocket, he pulled out a key chain. “Come on. Let’s at least get behind a locked door in case that bastard comes back.”
I padded beside him in my bare feet, green skin, and white robe. “You have a spare key?”
He shot me a grin. “I’m his only friend. Who else would he give a spare to?”
I hugged myself as he unlocked the pedestrian door and moved aside to let me enter. “I still don’t understand how your friendship works.”
Gil had accepted Justin into his life...but I doubted he’d shared his troubles.
“Guess he’ll have to fill you in on that.” He stepped inside, turning to close and lock the door.
The hulking warehouse was dark and chilly. The large expanse turned footsteps echoey and the sense of comfort from a home was missing thanks to sparse soft furnishings.
Justin flicked a switch, drenching the space in illumination. “You’ve obviously seen Gil at some point today.” He moved toward the thermostat, turning on the heat to remove the icy lace on the air. It was as if Gil’s space stayed as cold as its owner, waiting for the king of snow to return.