I frowned at him. “Stu, what the hell are you talking about? What do you mean, ‘running out of time’?”

“Once you introduce me to Alfie I’ll tell you everything. I promise.”

The forcefulness in his voice got my back up. Standing, I placed my hands on my hips and levelled him with a hard stare. “I’m not introducing you, so you can leave now. You’re not permitted to be in this room during your lunch hour.”

“Andrea, don’t be difficult, please. I’m just trying to protect my family.” His tone was softer now, cajoling.

“Stu, I’m won’t be able to understand anything you’re saying until you explain yourself fully. So either tell me what’s going on or get out. I don’t have time for games.”

“Fucking hell,” he swore, pacing now as he raked both hands through his hair. I watched him, deeply concerned by how odd he was acting. Was this what Karla had meant about unpredictable behaviour? Gone was the flirt. Here was the serious ex-con brother-in-law she’d been worried about. I remembered I still had her phone number, but wasn’t sure whether or not I should use it.

Finally, he stopped pacing and stood still, his eyes intent on mine. “My being in your class isn’t a coincidence. That’s why I’ve been telling you not to invest your energy in me. I’m piece of shit.”

“Stu, what the—”

“Once you hear what I have to say you’ll agree with me. All along I’ve been here under false pretences. It’s not a condition of my parole. I enrolled with the college of my own free will, all with the intention of getting to know you.”

His words sent an eerie chill down my spine, his sometimes-golden eyes turning a flat dark brown. “Why?” I whispered.

“Because you’re the only way I can get to your cousin.”

Now I was trembling. “Again, what does Alfie have to do with any of this?”

“I came here fully prepared to use you, Andrea,” Stu continued, avoiding the question. “But then I got to know you, and fuck, I decided you were too good to be used. I decided I wasn’t going to do it anymore. The problem is, I don’t have a choice.”

He appeared distraught, and although I was disturbed by what he was saying, I still wanted to comfort him. I was at a loss to explain it. Closing the distance between us, I took his hands in mine.

“Tell me,” I breathed, my heart beating double time.

“I think we should both probably sit down. It’s a complicated story.”

I nodded and we each took a seat. Stu pulled his keys from his pocket, fiddling with them as he spoke, not meeting my eyes.

“Since we were kids, me and my brothers worked for a dangerous man. His name was McGregor, and he was the one who got us into stealing cars in the first place. Fast forward a decade and Lee decided he wanted out for all of us. He had a hand in putting him behind bars. It meant we could get free of the life; otherwise he never would’ve let us quit working for him. But when our thieving came back to haunt us and I got sent down, I was put in the same prison. McGregor had it in for me from the beginning, wanted to use me to send a message to Lee. My first week in there I got the shit kicked out of me by five other blokes, spent ten days in the infirmary recovering. I knew those ten days were my last, and that as soon as I was out I was a dead man.”

“Oh my goodness, Stu,” I gasped, horrified.

“Belmarsh had two kings. McGregor was one of them and the other they called the Duke, ’cause he was a posh prick. He was also an absolute sociopath, which was why he’d climbed his way to the top of the ladder so quickly. Anyway, the day I got out of the infirmary, I got called to the Duke’s cell. He offered me protection from McGregor in exchange for my loyalty. I didn’t have a choice. It was life or death, so I chose life.

“McGregor was killed soon after by another inmate, but I was still stuck with my promise to the Duke. He made me do some shit I’ll never forgive myself for, and I went to a very dark place for a while. Then, when I was given my release date, the Duke started spouting all this crap about a job he wanted me to do for him when I got out. I told him I was going clean, that I’d promised Lee, but he was having none of it. Said that if I refused the job he’d send people to hurt my family.” Stu paused and lifted his eyes to mine. They shone with moisture and I was taken aback by his show of emotion. “That’s where you and your cousin come in.”

“But how?” I breathed.

Stu started fiddling with his keys again. “The Duke knew of your cousin. He’d heard about a Rembrandt he forged once. Said you’d never tell it apart from the original. Long story short, luv, he wants me to convince Alfie to paint another.”

“Another replica?” I asked, baffled. How had this person even known about Alfie’s replicas? He only ever painted them as a hobby.

“Yes.”

“For what?”

“For a robbery.”

I barked a laugh. “This is a joke, right? Some sort of prank?”

Stu’s gaze sharpened, his breathing deep and even. “I’m not joking, Andrea. In fact, I’ve never been more serious in my entire life.”

“So that’s why you needed to meet me, to get to Alfie,” I said, suddenly understanding. It was quickly followed by another revelation: the only reason Stu had been coming onto me so hard was because he had to.

You’re already sexy as fuck. A lie. But those lips and your big brown eyes, now those are what get me all jacked up. A lie. It made so much sense I almost felt like laughing again. Of course he wasn’t into me. I was so far from his level it was ridiculous. But still, it hurt, because the fact of the matter was, even if his attraction had been fake, mine hadn’t. I’d genuinely liked him, more than liked, and now I felt like a fool.

“That’s about the size of it, luv,” Stu sighed.

I pushed my hurt feelings aside and plastered on a brave face. “And just imagining that Alfie actually agrees to do the painting, then what? Who’s supposed to pull off the robbery?”

Stu stared at me for a long moment, his expression torn. Finally, he replied, “We will.”

Now I did laugh, shaking my head in disbelief. “We as in me and you? I don’t think so.”

“I saw your bills, Andrea. I know you’re drowning in debt.”