“I…I thought I’d killed him. I couldn’t find a pulse, so I panicked. I swear, Alexis, thinking you’ve killed a man is the most terrifying feeling in the world. It’s like everything is over and your whole future is gone. I didn’t know whether to call the police or start thinking about where I could bury the body, but then Mum spoke up. She told me to call Bruce. I’d only met my father a handful of times, barely knew anything about him, but I was in such a state that I simply did as she told me.

“A little while later he showed up at the house, finding Mum beaten and bruised, and me covered in another man’s blood. I thought he was our saviour back then. He took care of everything. Got the man I’d beaten to a hospital, paid him to keep quiet, and made sure no one knew I’d almost killed him in my anger and fear. The experience would always stay with me, but at least it was over. And then, several months later, Bruce began making his presence known. He wanted to get to know his son, spend time with me. I was more than happy to oblige him at first. However, once I became familiar with my father and his way of life, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. Bruce, unfortunately, was unwilling to let me go. He told me he’d never taken Mum’s stalker to a hospital that night, but instead had him killed and buried in a shallow grave. He told me that if I didn’t start doing as he said, he’d see to it that the police found the body and I’d be done for murder.”

I stared at him, flabbergasted and appalled. I clutched his hand so tight that I was probably cutting off his blood supply. “So…your dad, I mean, Bruce has been blackmailing you to do his bidding ever since?”

King leaned closer. “The things I’ve seen, Alexis, the things he’s forced me to witness, don’t even bear thinking about. I built my entire career cleanly, never cheating, never doing anything underhanded, for the sole purpose of never becoming like him. But now….” King sighed, his jaw working as his chest fell, “Now he’s looking for new ways to clean his money, and he’s decided to do it by having me invest for him. I told him just once, that I’d do this one deal with Hirota, and then I never wanted to see him again. But if coming here today and threatening Mum is anything to go by, he has no intention of leaving us alone.” He glanced at me. “Remember when I told you Mum had to be taken into the hospital?”

I nodded.

“She’d overdosed on anxiety medication, because she was so worried about what Bruce would do to us if the deal didn’t go through. I can’t let her live like this anymore. My mother is the only family I have left in the world, and she’s spent more than a decade as a ghost. She’s too anxious and paranoid over Bruce’s threats to even leave the house. I want to see her live again, see her go outside and be like any other ordinary woman on the street.”

My heart pounded at his words, at the sincerity of them and the pain he had so obviously been harbouring for years. I wanted to fix this for him. I needed to. And I knew just the person to go to for help. I’d grown up in a lower-class neighbourhood, and having been best friends with Karla all my life, a policewoman raised by a superintendent, I knew my fair share about how criminals operated.

I sat up straight and levelled my eyes on King’s.

“If Bruce is the man you say he is, then you have to fight fire with fire. Beat him at his own game. That’s the only way you’ll ever be rid of him. There’s probably a wealth of information out there about things he’s done he doesn’t want anyone to find out about. You just have to know the right people to ask.”

“Nobody talks about his business, not if they want to keep their lives, Alexis. Bruce is one of the most notorious and powerful crime lords in London. Only someone with a death wish would sell him out.”

I moved closer, took his hands in mine, and met his eyes. “Do you trust me?”

He let out a breath. “You know I do.”

“Then let me try something.”

Fourteen

The following day at work was tense. King couldn’t concentrate because he was worried about Bruce coming back for his mother, even though he was having security watch her house day and night. Apparently, after King had finalised the deal with Hirota, he hadn’t had the chance to forward the documents to Bruce. Then we’d had to catch our flight, which delayed things further. Bruce had jumped the gun and thought King was giving him the runaround, hence the reason for him showing up at Elaine’s and making threats.

We were dealing with a real prize.

Anyhow, we had a plan to set in motion. When I arrived home after work, I found Karla in the living room, watching TV and eating a bag of chocolate peanuts. She must have sensed my nervous energy because she sat up straight and eyed me curiously.

“What’s up with you?”

“I’m having some people around tonight. I hope that’s okay.”

“Sure, go for it. Who’s coming?”

“Um, King.”

“And?”

“And Lee Cross.”

Karla practically spat a peanut out of her mouth. “Oh, hell no. I’m not having that little shit knowing where I live.”

“The little shit already knows, Karla. Stu’s been around here lots of times, so if he wants to find out where you live, all he has to do is ask his brother.”

“Yeah, but there’s a big difference between him knowing and actually inviting him over. That’s like sticking a big ‘come and get me’ sign on my forehead,” she sputtered.