The older man looked past me to James standing behind me to my left before he nodded, having more to lose if this entire ordeal went bad. The three of us followed him back to the safe, and I ordered Reggi to get back in the car as James and I helped the chap fill two laundry bags to the brink with cash.
We tossed the bags into the truck, and I slammed it shut. “You have a nice night, Mr. Taylor.”
The old chap, eyes fuming in a blind rage, shook as I got into the, now empty, driver seat before driving away.
Before I’d shown up at Jack’s Pub, I’d learned the laundromat we were jacking tonight was owned by Mr. Taylor, who wasn’t as innocent as he claimed to be. Even though he had more than enough money to take care of his family, his pounds went toward thirteen and fourteen-year-old girls Oscar had previously groomed for him. Oscar was gone, but I wasn’t naïve to believe his taste dissipated in Oscar’s absence.
“What the fuck just happened?” Adrian stated at my side from the passenger seat.
“Know your target, my friend. You always have to be ten steps ahead.”
Laurie, Travis, and I arrived in London for my first book signing, and I’d escaped from their tight leash in search of the toilet room as they set up the booth. Daunt Books was a three-story wonder in the eyes of a dreamer, with mahogany shelving and railings, wooden staircases, and leather seating. The details were rich and masculine, showcasing books lined on both walls from one end to the other. The ceiling opened up to the sky, and vibrant green light pendants dropped from above, matching the same color as the paint surrounding the arched window at the end of the building. It smelled of aged paper and coffee, and the serene silence rooted itself in every nook and cranny of the bookstore, wrapping me in temporary peace.
No matter how badly I wanted to enjoy this moment, to celebrate this stepping stone in my career, I couldn’t. Not without Mia here to celebrate with me. What should have been a marvelous moment, ended up being a chore I’d been forced to take part in. It seemed pointless to be here when I could be doing something, anything, to find her. She should be here with me, calming my nerves and telling me she was proud, but she wasn’t.
“There’s no reason to be nervous. You’ll do just fine,” Travis stated, appearing at my side and flipping on the faucet to wash his hands. He never used the loo, and it was just an excuse to talk me down from the cliff my emotions were hanging on. We both knew it, and we never did discuss what happened the other morning. He had his beliefs, I had mine, and there wasn’t anything he could have said for me to change my mind or convince me to stop looking for her.
“I’m not nervous.” I continued to roll the sleeves of my black dress shirt up until it reached my elbows before moving on to my other arm, showing my tattoos. Anything to bring forth the real me under these masked clothes that screamed I was an imposter. “I just don’t do well around crowds.”
I turned to face him, and he looked ridiculous in a white button-up and blazer, though Travis exuded poise and control.
“Everything is set up. There’s a line out the door waiting for you. Laurie wanted to have a pep talk with you before going in, but I told her I had it under control.” Travis forced a reassuring smile. “Your pretty face is on your cover, but I think it’s time to show these people who the real Oliver Masters is.”
“Yeah, whose idea was that anyway?”
“You’re a good-looking chap,” Travis adjusted my collar, “the ladies fancy you and your face sells.” He patted my cheek. “Let’s go, lover boy.”
The event had lasted four hours long. Men and women gushed over my words, talking a million miles a minute, and I couldn’t keep up. Some wanted pictures, and others simply wanted my signature inside a book they either brought with them or purchased from the table. With every passing body, my energy gradually decreased from their emotions, tears, smiles, and life stories they felt compelled to tell me about. My hyper-sensitivity made the entire event worse, mentally and physically drained from absorbing whatever they were putting off.
“Oliver?” a familiar voice stated, and I turned from the table Laurie and Travis were packing up to see the girl with the L name staring up at me with my book clutched to her chest. She looked different than when I’d first seen her at Jinx’s party, no lipstick, roots touched up, and wearing a pastel floral dress despite the cold temperatures outside. L no longer looked like my mum. Did she make the hour trip to London just to see me?
“You two know each other?” Travis asked, his palm smacking my tense back.
I tilted my head toward him. “A friend of a friend.”
“Well, in that case,” he held out his hand, and his gaze slid over her bare legs, “Travis Lehman.”
“Leigh,” she introduced herself, shaking his hand with eyes locked on me. It made me uncomfortable. “Looks like I missed the event.”
“It’s okay, would you like for me to sign the book? I didn’t know you were into poetry.” I couldn’t recall her mentioning it back at the party I’d met her at, though I was drunk and could have missed the entire conversation. Leigh held out my book with my face on it, and I grabbed it, leaned over the empty table, and retrieved a pen from the back pocket of my jeans.
As I signed, she added, “Can I get a picture, too? If that’s all right, of course.”
“Absolutely,” Travis answered for me. Turning back around, I waved Leigh over and held the book up for the camera. Her arm slipped around my waist as she pulled me close, and her body trembled at my side. Travis snapped the picture. “You know, we’re going to the Green Lion afterward to celebrate. You’re more than welcome to join us.”
My jaw flexed, and I shot Travis a knowing look. This gathering was news to me, and I especially didn’t have the energy to entertain Leigh.
Leigh’s eyes and voice lit up. “Oh, that sounds like fun!” she released me and took her mobile from Travis, “I’d love to come.”
After everything was packed up and ready to go, I helped carry the boxes to Laurie’s car before we said our goodbyes. I got on to Travis for putting this last-minute outing together without talking to me about it first. “This is a good reason to celebrate,” he had said, but there was nothing to celebrate. The only true measurement of success was happiness, and my number was in the negative.
The drive back to Surrey was a tad over an hour, and I’d advised Travis I’d meet him in the beer garden after ringing Dex to check on the progress with finding Scott. I’d dropped the money off from the laundromat run the night before, and he seemed pleased with how smoothly the run went. In return, Dex confirmed he’d take a closer look into the cabin fire, get more details, and if Scott had any other properties or vehicles in his name. As always, he didn’t answer, and I left an urgent message.
The rain had stopped, and the temperature decreased as the sun descended behind the arbor. I didn’t want to be here, but Travis had invited his fiancé, Summer, and it was important to him for me to meet her finally. I spotted him in the garden at a secluded table in the corner with, I assumed, Summer at his side.
I made my way toward the two as they faced a band playing laid back acoustic music. A few people danced in the garden, chilled beer mugs in hand, as children ran carelessly about the swaying bodies.