Snatched (43 page)

A thunderous look in her eyes, Carole said, ‘So, that’s it? You’re with Sue and fuck what I think?’

Shrugging casually, Dave said, ‘That’s about the size of it, yeah.’

‘Well, what was all that shit about me not knowing what was really going on?’ Carole demanded.

‘Nowt,’ Dave said easily, taking a long pull on his cigarette and tossing it out of the window. ‘I just felt a bit guilty and wanted to make you feel better. But there’s no point glossing over it. I’m with Sue now, and I’m staying with her.’

‘You are one cold piece of shit,’ Carole snarled, a spark of pure hatred in her eyes now. ‘After everything we’ve been through, and all the shit I’ve had to put up with from you over the years, you just sit there and tell me that you’re with
her
now. Well, I hope you both burn in hell. And I’m going to make sure that Terry fights for custody, because she shouldn’t be allowed to keep them kids. Not if she’s going to have them around a dirty drug-dealing bastard like you.’

His eyes flashing a clear warning now, Dave said, ‘You can say what you want as far as Sue and Terry and all them are concerned. But you ever grass me up for the drugs and you are one dead woman. And don’t test me on this, Carole, because I fucking mean it.’

He did, and Carole knew it. But she was too angry and hurt to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she would never breathe a word about his dealings. So, snorting defiantly, she said, ‘Don’t tell me what to do, Dave Miller. Your days of trying to control me are well and truly over!’ And with that, she got out of the car, slamming the door as hard as she could behind her.

Watching as she flounced away, Dave shrugged. She wouldn’t dare grass him up, but she’d definitely go and tell Terry. Pity Leanne was going to fall out with him again, but he’d win her back round in time. He always did. And probably Carole, too, once she knew why he was doing this. But he could always find another tart to warm his bed if she wouldn’t.

20

Connor had just gone outside. Taking the easy route through the already trodden-down part, he ran down to the shed.

He’d been thinking about Nicky all night, convinced that it had been her that he’d heard yesterday. And if she was down near that shed, then she must have come looking for him.

Edging his way around the shed now, to the steep, slippery bit, he took firm hold of one of the trailing roots and pulled himself carefully around from one corner to the next, his gaze riveted on the tiny glitter of stream that he could see through the entwined branches of the trees.

It took ages, and Connor’s feet slid out from beneath him several times, forcing him to cling on for dear life. Making it to the other side at last, he sat down and rubbed his sore hands on his trousers. Deflated because he hadn’t seen or heard a thing, he idly reached for a fallen branch and started to whack it against one of the rocks that were scattered around. Liking the thudding sound, he did it again, and again, doing it harder and harder as the tears of frustration began to fall.

Connor’s head jerked up and the sob caught in his throat. He was sure he’d just heard Nicky calling his name.

Scrabbling to his feet, he gazed around, desperate to know where she was. Listening hard, he heard nothing else and wondered if he’d imagined it. But he hadn’t. He
knew
he hadn’t.

Opening his mouth, he tried to call back to her. But nothing came out apart from that weird wheezing sound. Taking a deep breath he tried again. And again. And again. Until suddenly it came.

It was only a tiny whisper that was immediately lost on the wind, but now he’d done it, he wasn’t about to give up.

‘
Nicky . . .
’ he managed again, his voice stronger and louder. ‘Where are you?’

Hearing nothing after several more seconds, even though he’d held his breath and listened really hard, Connor’s shoulders slumped with dejection. He
had
heard her, and she was definitely around here somewhere, he knew she was. But she wasn’t down the slope by the stream – she’d sounded closer than that. But there was nowhere else to hide up here, apart from the shed. And he couldn’t get in there because the door was locked.

‘
Connor?
’ Jack shouted just then. ‘You’d best come back in, son. They’re on their way back.’

Snapping out of his thoughts, Connor scrambled back around the side of the shed and ran down the path. He’d come back again the first chance he got. And he would keep coming until he found Nicky.

Sue was quiet as Dave pulled up beneath the parking shelter at the side of the house a few minutes later.

He’d seemed really pleased with himself when he’d come to collect her from Pauline’s, and he’d been chatting all the way back, not seeming to notice that she hadn’t said a word. He was just so happy that it was all out in the open, he’d said; glad that everyone knew, because now they could get on with their life together in peace, without Carole or Terry hassling them. And he wanted to take her out tonight to celebrate. Maybe back into the city, so he could show her off to his mates.

Sue was glad that he was happy, because he’d taken so long to get back to Pauline’s that she’d begun to fear that he had patched things up with Carole, and that he would tell her they were getting back together. But she wasn’t too happy about the way that Terry was going to find out about them.

For Connor’s sake, she’d wanted to try and keep things on an even keel with Terry. But there was no chance of that now, because he’d be furious with her for letting Dave have so much access to his son when she’d denied him any. And he’d also be convinced that he’d been right when he’d accused Sue of flirting with Dave way back, and there would be nothing she could say to convince him otherwise.

But, oh, well . . . he could think and say what he liked. Dave had committed himself to her, and she had to do the same for him if they were to stand any chance of having the happy life he was so sure they would have together, even if that meant things reverting back to the acrimonious state they’d been in before she and Terry had settled their differences. And she had nothing to be guilty about, because it wasn’t Sue who had cheated and torn the family apart.

Connor was on his own in the living room watching TV, and Sue could see that he’d been crying. Assuming that he was upset because she’d promised to take him to see his dad today, she sighed. She’d really meant to try and work something out, but it was hard trying to get a minute to herself since things had become so full-on with Dave. He wanted to be with her all the time, and it was difficult knowing how to say that she needed a bit of time alone without offending him. And she really didn’t want to lie to him and sneak out to meet Terry behind his back, because he’d been good to her, and he didn’t deserve to be lied to.

Not that it would be an issue now that they were out in the open. But Connor was the one who was really going to suffer.

Sitting down beside him now, Sue put her arm around him and gave him a cuddle, saying, ‘Sorry, sweetheart. I know I let you down, but we’ll work something out for you to see your dad soon, I promise. It might just take a bit of time,’ she added quietly. ‘But you’ll just have to bear with me. Okay?’

Confused, Connor frowned. He’d been so busy thinking about Nicky that he’d forgotten all about his dad.

‘Where’s Mr Miller?’ Sue asked now, stroking his hair.

Connor jerked his head up towards the ceiling.

‘In his room,’ Sue said, sighing again. ‘I hope you’ve not been disturbing him? I already feel bad that I have to keep leaving you with him, so please don’t get on his nerves, will you, love?’

Sniffing softly, Connor shook his head. He didn’t get on Mr Miller’s nerves. Mr Miller liked him.

‘Good boy,’ Sue said, squeezing his frail shoulders. ‘Anyway, let me get up so I can make you some dinner. You stay there and watch your programme.’

Getting up, she went to the door. Pausing there, she glanced back at her son. He looked so sad, and she wished she didn’t have to go out and leave him again. But she couldn’t tell Dave that she didn’t want to go out tonight. She’d just have to make an extra-special effort to spend more time with Connor from now on.

21

Zak was in the bathroom when Leanne’s phone rang. Jumping guiltily, she reached for it, praying that it wouldn’t be Terry. It was bad enough lying to him before she left the flat about where she was going and when she got home about what she’d been doing. But to have to lie to him while she was in another man’s bed was a step too far.

Relieved when she saw her mum’s name on the screen, she answered it.

‘Where are you?’ Carole demanded. ‘I’ve been round to yours twice in the last hour.’

‘I’m out,’ Leanne told her evasively. ‘What do you want?’

‘You’re not going to believe what’s just happened,’ Carole said.

Listening as her mum told her about her dad and Sue, Leanne’s face drained of colour. ‘Have you told Terry?’

‘Not yet,’ Carole said. ‘But I can’t wait to see his face when I do. He’s going to go mad.’

Telling her mother that she’d meet her at the flat in ten minutes, and not to say a word to Terry if he was back, Leanne switched the phone off and reached for her bra.

‘Who was that?’ Zak asked, coming back in from the bathroom just then with a towel looped around his waist.

‘No one,’ Leanne said, clipping the bra shut and snatching up her jumper.

‘You’re not going already, are you?’ he moaned, flopping down beside her and brushing her hair gently off her face.

‘Don’t,’ she snapped, jerking her head away.

‘What’s wrong?’ He frowned. ‘Have I said something to upset you? You were fine a minute ago.’

‘Yeah, well, that was then and this is now,’ Leanne said tartly, pulling the jumper over her head.

‘Christ, you can’t half be cold when you want to be,’ Zak complained. ‘One minute you’re all over me, the next you can’t wait to get away from me.’

‘I’m never all over you,’ Leanne lied, pulling her knickers on.

‘So what are these?’ Zak demanded, pointing out the marks she’d left on his back with her nails. ‘Figments of my imagination?’

‘So, I got a bit carried away,’ Leanne muttered, tugging her jeans on now. ‘Don’t read anything into it. It’s just sex – nothing more, nothing less.’

‘What you being like this for?’ Zak asked, struggling to understand how she could go from red-hot passion to ice-cold indifference in the space of a few short minutes.

Shrugging, Leanne said, ‘I’m only doing this because you blackmailed me into it, so let’s not pretend it’s anything more than that.’

Zak was speechless. He had really thought they were getting somewhere, and he’d certainly never forced her to have sex with him, so he was offended that she was making it sound like that. All he’d wanted was to have a bit of time alone with her, to talk about the old times, and break the ice so they could start to get to know each other again. And it had been going really well. They had shared a few spliffs, and had had a good laugh, and one thing had led to another – which she had enjoyed every bit as much as he had. So where the hell all this had come from, he didn’t know.

Fully dressed now, Leanne snatched up her handbag and looked down at him. ‘I’m going. When do you want me to come back?’

‘Just go,’ Zak said quietly.

Turning on her heel, Leanne marched out without another word.

Watching from his window as she came out of the front door below, Zak narrowed his eyes thoughtfully when she switched her phone back on and made a call as she walked quickly up the path. He could see that she was agitated, and wondered if the call she’d taken when he was in the bathroom had been from Terry. And, if so, whether Terry had been hassling her; trying to find out where she was and demanding that she come home. She’d certainly gone weird straight after it and, looking at her now, Zak was concerned that he might have landed her in trouble.

They hadn’t talked about Terry at all since Leanne had been coming round, but Zak was still convinced that the man was wrong for her. Despite her initial reluctance to see him, she’d thawed out pretty quickly, and he’d seen glimmers of the old Leanne in her eyes when they had been having a laugh. And he’d found it odd that, after proclaiming her undying love for Terry, she’d so easily fallen back into
his
bed. And the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that Terry had some kind of hold over her.

Wasn’t that what dirty old men did when they set their sights on a young girl? Groomed them over a period of time, then entangled them in a relationship that they called love and held them fast, ostracising them from their family and friends until the poor girl believed that no one else could ever love them like he did.

But what were those kind of men capable of doing to the girls they supposedly loved if something or some
one
threatened to destroy what they had spent so long building?