Always For You (Books 1-3) (23 page)

I took a sudden detour off to the left,
twisting the throttle and zipping up the road at pace. It was a quiet
street off the main road I'd been on, and yet the car continued to
come. I turned again, once more shooting off to the right, then left,
weaving around the corners as quickly as I could. I stopped down a
side street and waited, my breath caught short. A minute later I saw
the car again, driving up past the end of the road.

I revved the engine and shot off back
up the road I'd come down, turning away from the car as it drove on
in the opposite direction.
What the hell was that about. That guy
was definitely following me.

With the mystery car at my back, I
accelerated as fast as I could, winding my way quickly back towards
the main road and shooting off home to my flat. I arrived a few
minutes later, checking around as I went to make sure the car was no
longer there.

I was jittery as I stepped off the
bike, a feeling of nerves, of fear gripping at me as I walked
lightheaded towards my flat.
That was so damn creepy, fucking
psycho.

As I paced up the stairs I saw Tag, my
neighbor,
below me, smoking a cigarette out
in the hall. “Hey Cain, how are you man, how was your Christmas?”

I wasn't in the mood for chit-chat.
“Good mate,” I lied. “Yours?”

“Best ever bro, best ever. Hey,
someone came round looking for you on Christmas Day, told me to tell
you.”

My heart stopped. “Who?” I said
quickly, turning back towards him as I climbed the stairs.

“Some chick, told me she was your
sister. Grace, that's it. Hey man, I didn't know you had a sis.”

I exhaled deeply, a relieved smile on
my face. “Yeah, it's all new to me too,” I joked, relaxing. “She
say anything else?”

“Yeah, just to go see her when you
can. She didn't say where, I guess you know that right?”

“Sure do,” I said. “Cheers for
the message, I'll see ya later.”

I turned back and continued up the
stairs, my thoughts turning back to Grace. God I hadn't thought about
her in a little while, not with all this crazy stuff going on. I went
into my flat and flicked on the lights, grabbing a bottle of beer
from the fridge and collapsing into my sofa.

She came to see my on Christmas Day
when I was in the hospital. That's nice. Nice that someone was
thinking of me. Maybe if she'd known I was in the hospital she'd have
come see me there. Maybe Trevor would have come as well. Even Ellen,
if she'd been around? I still need to meet her.

I sunk the beer as my thoughts drifted
and quickly went to get another. As I returned to my seat, however, I
thought I saw something outside. I crept to the window and looked
out.
Fuck, that car.

I quickly stepped back behind the
curtain and peered out. The car was just sitting there, across the
street, it's lights on, engine still running. I couldn't see much
through it's windows, but I could recognize a single driver there,
sitting behind the wheel, unmoving. The car stayed there for a while
before gently pulling off up the street and out of sight.

That night, for the first time in my
life, I couldn't sleep for fear of my life.

January 7
^th
2014

Grace

I woke to the feel of Chase's hands on
my body, sliding over me as he looked down at my sleeping face. I
smiled, a smile of content, as I opened my eyes to see him there, his
deep blue eyes so bright and piercing in the early morning light.

“Morning baby,” he said, moving in
to kiss me and then slipping out from under the covers. His athletic
body never failed to weaken my knees. It was a good thing I was lying
down.

It
was 6 AM and yet another early morning wake up call. Since I'd moved
in only a few days ago this was the norm, and not exactly what I was
used to. I wasn't a later riser by any means, but 6 AM was pushing me
back a good couple of hours. Chase though, he needed to get up early
for work. In fact, he told me that things were likely to get even
earlier as the months wore on.
Well
don't wake me up each time then!

It still felt a little bit odd staying
there night after night. I hadn't yet managed to get used to it: the
high rise building, the wide open windows, the open plan floor space,
the high tech and modern kitchen. It was all a big change to what I
was used to. Dad's house was so much more homely and rustic, while my
apartment with Katie had been a far more simple little space; a space
much more typical of someone of my age. This was altogether
different.

By
the time Chase had left for work I was fully awake, so set about my
task of redecorating the flat to make it more suitable for a couple,
rather than a bachelor. It was a quite a job, and even when my own
things had been unpacked and distributed around the place it still
didn't quite feel like home to me.
I think a trip to the shops will cure that. Candles, cushions,
picture frames, that's what it needs.

As I stepped from the front of the
building I caught sight of a hooded man waiting outside, loitering at
the bottom of the steps. He was leaning up against a pillar, his back
facing me, seemingly minding his own business.

I veered to the right as I paced down
the steps towards the street, making sure to keep my distance. His
voice stopped me short as I turned to walk away from where he was.
“Grace.” The voice was deep, and I recognized it immediately.

I turned and looked at him, his face
still shrouded by the hood over his head. “It's good to see you
Grace.” He lifted his hands and pulled the hood away. It was Cain.

I immediately stepped in and hugged
him, squeezing him tight. “Where have you been?” I asked, “why
haven't you come see me, see dad?”

I released my grip and looked up at
him, his face bruised in several places, a couple of small scars
criss-crossed above his eyebrows. “Your face,” I continued, “what
happened?”

“We've a lot to talk about Grace. But
not here.” He looked over his shoulder shiftily, nervously. “Come
on, let's go for a drink. I know a place.”

We headed for his bike that was parked
around the corner and drove for 10 minutes or so to a quiet bar on
the outskirts of town. As we got off the bike he looked around once
more, standing there for a moment as he gazed down each end of the
street.

“OK,”
he said finally, leading me into a small, rustic bar. There was no
one else in there save a middle aged barmaid, her thoughts deep in a
crossword puzzle as she leaned on the bar. I sat down in the corner
as Cain went to get a couple of drinks.
Why
is he so nervous and twitchy? What happened to him?

I let him speak first as he sat down,
sitting there silently as he mustered his words. “Grace, how have
you been? After – everything?”

“OK. Things have been getting much
easier recently.” I was sure to keep my voice low for want of the
barmaid listening in. “How about you?”

“I never had a problem with what
happened Grace. I feel no guilt over it. The police..” he leaned in
closer, “...the police know nothing. We're in the clear.”

I didn't say anything. It wasn't
something I really wanted to discuss. Whatever he felt, or didn't
feel, I was certainly struggling with the guilt every single day.

“And this Chase – your boyfriend –
he worked for Avery?” He lowered his words still further as he said
the name. It was such a high profile case that just about everyone in
town would know about it.

I nodded. “That's how he found me,
yeah. I had no idea when I met Chase but – but I love him Cain.”
I could see the look in his eye, I knew what he was thinking. That it
was all too close for comfort, that I shouldn't be seeing this guy.

“OK,” he said, “it's just very
close to home, that's all.”

I knew that, Christ did I know that. I
wish I didn't have these feelings for him, that I could have stopped
seeing him before. It had been so hard watching him suffer knowing I
was the cause. But that was over now, he had moved on.

Cain continued to shift in his seat,
his eyes constantly looking at the door. “What's the matter,” I
asked, “you seem nervous. What's wrong?”

He looked at me sharply, his voice
dropping to a whisper. “There's someone after me Grace. I don't
know who is it, but someone's been following me.” He seemed
slightly paranoid, his eyes frantic.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my
heart beginning to race. “Is that why your face is – like that?”

He nodded lightly. “I want you to be
careful Grace. It might be related to Avery. Just in case, watch your
back, watch for a blue station wagon.”

“Related to John?!” I asked, my
voice raising slightly, “how can that be? You said we were in the
clear?”

“We are, the police know nothing. But
this guy, he's not the police. It might be nothing Grace, it's
probably nothing.” He stopped short, quickly taking a sip of his
beer.

“You can't say that. Who is this guy,
what's going on?”

“Look, forget I said anything about
Avery.” He flicked a look at the barmaid again, who seemed
completely lost in her crossword. “I have someone after me, it
could be anything: a jealous boyfriend of a girl I slept with, a guy
I had a drunken fight with in the past, I don't know. I've been
racking my brains over this Grace, so believe me, I've considered all
options.”

“And you think his guy might know
about John, about that night?”

He shook his head. “No,” he said
thinking, “I don't think that's possible. All I'm saying is...look
I don't know what I'm saying.” He seemed exasperated, tired, like
he hadn't been sleeping properly. “Just forget I said anything
Grace, it's not about you anyway. I shouldn't have told you.”

“No, Cain, if you're in trouble, I
need to know. You're my brother, I want to know whenever anything is
wrong.”

“Thanks Grace, that means a lot to
me.”

“So,” I said, looking at the
bruising on his face, “what did happen to you? Did someone attack
you?”

He sipped his beer again. “Not
exactly. I've been fighting Grace, fighting for money. It was
Christmas Eve, the last time I fought. This guy, he wore a mask, he
got the better of me.” His words stiffened, his pride hurt. “I
don't remember much of what happened at the end, but he wouldn't
stop, he'd have killed me if it hadn't been in the ring, if we'd have
been alone, on the street.”

“Oh my God Cain, why are you fighting
for money?” I couldn't believe he'd do something like that. “You
could get seriously hurt.”

He smiled lightly, hearing the worry in
my voice, trying to put my mind at ease. “Usually it's fine, just a
few cuts and bruises Grace. It's not serious, really. Just...” his
mind traced back again, “...this guy, he's still after me.”

“So you do know who it is?” I said
suddenly. “You know that it's the guy you had a fight with?”

He breathed deep. “I can't be sure
but, yeah, I've heard he's still coming after me.”

“And...who is he?!”

“That's just it Grace, I don't know.
He had a mask, I didn't recognize him. He didn't speak, no one down
at the club knows. But I'm fairly sure he's been following me, it's
creeping me out.” I could see a slight look of fear in his eyes,
his usual bravado pushed to one side.

“So, what are you going to do? You
should go to the police.”

“The cops? Are you kidding me! No
fucking way do I want them involved. No, I'll figure this one out on
my own, don't worry about me.”

Don't worry? How could I not worry!

“So,” he continued, his words
softening, “I was told you came to see me on Christmas Day?”

“Yeah,” I said, seeing a smile
flicker in the corners of his mouth, “I was worried, I wanted to
know whether you were back or not. I hated the thought that you were
alone on Christmas.” The realization suddenly hit that he hadn't
been at Brads, he hadn't been over with a girl or another friend,
he'd been in the hospital. “But...you were in hospital?”

He nodded lightly. “I'm sorry Grace,
I should have told you I was back. I just needed more time. Thank you
though, thank you coming to see me. It really means a lot.”

I felt so guilty, so sad for him. That
he'd grown up with nobody to love him, no one to spend special
occasions like Christmas with. The fact that I'd come see him, that
someone had tried to see him, that clearly meant so much to him. It
broke my heart a little to see him smile at something that anyone
would take for granted.

“And your Christmas,” he continued.
“Was is good?”

I nodded, not wanting to rub it in or
make him feel bad. “It was nice, yeah. I met Emily for the first
time.” I noticed his expression change immediately when I said her
name. He tried to hide it, but it was obvious, a light turning on
inside him.

“Oh, how is she?”

“She still cares about you Cain. I
didn't even need my women's intuition to tell that. It was her who
told me where you lived, it was her who gave me the idea to come see
you.”

“But,” he said, trying to sound
casual, “she didn't come?” He had a hopeful look in his eyes.

“She wanted to, but she couldn't. Her
boyfriend was there, it would have been awkward.”

“Boyfriend, right.” His expression
soured immediately at the thought.

“I wouldn't worry about him, he's a
douche. I know she cares about you.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Nah, she
can do whatever she wants. It's fine.”

I laughed slightly inside as he spoke.
It was so obvious that he still liked her, that he wanted to talk to
her, to he with her. He was a typical guy, full of pride and not
willing to admit to his feelings.

“I could set you guys up to see each
other, if you want?” I said, playing cupid.