Behind the Lens (Behind the Lives) (13 page)

“They’re
here to repossess my car, but will gimme more time in exchange for product. So,
I need you to watch ’em while I get it.”

Ash
nodded, then turned to his girlfriend, who was standing in the doorway looking
worried. “Stay in the room with Angelo,” he said.

As
Tiana disappeared down the passage, Dante took off out the back of the house.
He let himself into the garage and pulled back the lino overlay, exposing a
trapdoor. He lifted it and climbed down the ladder into the basement, flicking
on the switch at the bottom. Fluorescent lights lit up the room, exposing walls
lined with shelves, sinks, a couple of stoves, a fridge as well as beacons,
tubes and bottles on two tables. Once he got what he needed, he switched off
the light and climbed back up the ladder with the bag of drugs. He recovered
the trapdoor with the lino, locked up, then ran back inside the house, where
Ash was standing over the two repo men. Ash’s angry gaze shifted to Dante,
telling him he was in deep shit, which he already fucking knew, because half of
the stash was Ash’s.

Dante
dumped the bag on the coffee table. “Check it.”

The
fat one removed the tablets, smiling at his mate, who grunted in approval. He
didn’t even bother looking at the weed, which made Dante want to jam it up the
fat bastard’s arse with a red hot poker.

The
prick dumped the tablets back into the bag, then pushed to his feet. “See you
in five days,” he sniggered.

Dante
glared at him, knowing the guy was probably right, since he had no clue how to
pay off the car in that time. He followed the men out, making sure they didn’t
take his car. Once their truck had disappeared down the road, he headed back
inside, almost falling backwards as Ash stormed up to him, jabbing a finger in
his face. “Why the fuck are the repo guys after your car?”

Dante
took a step back. “I kinda missed some payments.”

“You
were paid two grand last week. Where the shit has all that gone?”

Dante
glanced at Kara, then down at his feet, mumbling, “I lost it.”

“How
the fuck didja do that?”

“The
casino.”

“You
gambled
two grand?!
”

“I
didn’t mean to.”

“You
never mean to, that’s why I told you NOT to go back.”

“It
wuz only one night.”

“Which
is all it takes, and how the hell are ya gonna pay for the car now?”

“Craven
owes me a coupla grand.”

“You
mean
one
grand, cos that’s half mine, and it’s nuthin’ compared to what
we hafta pay him to get outta the biz.”

“The
house and loan will cover that.”

 “But
it won’t cover your car. How much do ya have left to pay?”

“Ten
grand.”

“
Ten
grand?!
You’re un-fuckin’-believable. There’s no way you can pay that off
in five days. You might as well cut your losses and sell the car before they
come back.”

Dante’s
head shot up. “No! It’s mine, I’ll find a way.”

“How?”

“None
of your fuckin’ business!”

Ash
shoved him. “Like hell it ain’t, you just lost me more money.”

Dante
shoved him back. “Don’t fuckin’ push me, I’ll pay it back.’

“When
pigs fly.”

“Stop
being a cunt, I’ve had enough shit piled on me today, I don’t need more.”

“You’re
the one with the shovel.”

Dante
glared at him, barely holding in his rage. “I know I’ve fucked up, ’kay, I just
don’t know how to fix it! I might as well jump in my car and fuck off, cos I’ve
got nuthin’ left here.”

“You’ve
got me, bro,” Ash said, looking like Dante had slapped him.

Dante
swore. “You know I didn’t mean it that way, it’s just I can’t do anything right
in this damn city. I’m starting to think I should cut my losses and head back
to Dargaville.”

“Running
won’t solve your problems, and you won’t be able to get a good job up there.
You’ll pro’bly end up on the dole, which you can’t stay on forever.”

“Why
not? People make careers bludging off the government, so why can’t I? I’ve
worked since I wuz a kid, and look where it’s gotten me.” He threw his hands up
in the air like everything was going to disappear in a puff of smoke. “With
nuthin’ left to my name. I might as well get a hand-out instead of slogging my
guts out for an ungrateful bastard, who’s gettin’ rich off
my
back. I’ve
had it with people taking things from me. I want shit to work out for once in
my damned life!”

“You’re
just having a bad day; you’ll cool off once tomorrow comes. Maybe I can talk
with some mates, see whether they know of any jobs suitable for you.”

“What’s
the use?” Dante touched the tattoo around his eye. “No one will employ me with
this.”

“I
did tell ya not to ink your face.”

“You
inked your neck.”

“I
can hide it if I need to, but you can’t hide a facial tattoo. Maybe you should
look at gettin’ a job in tattooing.”

“I’m
not good at art like you, only okay.”

“Okay
will do if it brings in cash.”

“Nah,
I like gettin’ tats, but I’m not interested in doin’ them.”

“Then
how ’bout goin’ back to school?”

“What
the fuck for?”

“You
can get into computers. People work from home doin’ shit like that, so you
won’t hafta worry ’bout your tattoo.”

“Fuck
off, computers are only good for porn and Skyping, and I hated school, plus I
can’t go back at twenty-three, that’s bloody humiliating.”

“No,
it’s not, I’m doin’ it.”

“That’s
cos you don’t give a fuck what people think, plus you have a girlfriend to
support you while you play school.”

Ash
placed his hands on Dante’s shoulders. “Even if you do go on the dole, you
still needa stop gambling and boozing all your money away.”

“Don’t
cha think I’ve already tried?”

“Not
hard enough.”

Dante
jerked away from Ash. “Fuck you! I
have
tried! But no matter what I do
everything turns to shit. Look what happened with Beth. We’re barely together a
week and I’ve already ruined things. Money, women, it makes no difference, I can’t
keep a hold of anything.” He stopped ranting, realising that Ash was the worst
person to bitch to, especially after the horrors his brother had been through.
He breathed out. “I’m sorry, bro, I didn’t meana take it out on you.”

“Don’t
worry ’bout me, and you shouldn’t let what happened with Beth drag you down,”
the
‘She’s not worth it’
going unsaid,
even though Dante knew Ash
wanted to say it.

“But
I love her and I never wanted to split, she just wouldn’t stop harassing me.”

Ash
sighed. “Then if you really hafta, go sort things out with her.”

“I
wuz gonna do that until those two boof-heads showed up,” Dante said, now having
second thoughts. “But what’s the use, she won’t take me back after what I said,
and I don’t blame her either, cos she’s better off without me.”

“I
think you’re wrong, considering she tried to keep you even after finding Kara
in your bed.”

“She
might have changed her mind.”

“Don’t
cha want her back?”

“Of
course I do!”

“Then
stop making excuses, cos that’s what it sounds like.” Ash glanced at Kara.
“Unless you want someone else instead.”

Dante
looked over at Kara, who was staring at him with what looked like hope. Yeah,
he did want her, but not instead of Beth ... including. “No,” he said, then
headed for the door.

***

Dante stood outside the small
flat that Beth shared with her cousin, readying for an argument he hoped wasn’t
coming, although he knew it was likely. Telling himself to grow some balls, he
shook out his shoulders then knocked. Approaching footsteps drew closer, making
him more nervous, the lines he’d practised on the way over disappearing in an
instant.

The
door pulled open, revealing Beth’s cousin, who looked like a female version of
Corey, her sweet features and waves of reddish-brown hair hiding the skankiness
within, only her clothing betraying it. She was wearing an itsy-bitsy T-shirt,
which revealed a pierced belly-button, and a tiny denim skirt, making him
wonder whether she’d dressed down for someone, even more so since she was
wearing makeup. Her hot-pink smile turned into a scowl as soon as she clapped
eyes on him.

“You
lying, cheating bastard,” she said. “Get lost. Beth’s finished with you.”

Anger
burned in Dante’s stomach, the word
cheating
igniting every muscle in
his body, but he tampered it down, willing himself not to react, because he was
here to make peace, not to start a war. He looked over the short chick’s head,
trying to see if Beth was home. The entrance led onto a small lounge, which was
filled with bright hues and floral designs, while the smell of a roast dinner
filled the air. He imagined Beth sitting at the dining-room table, eating the
meat and veggies.

“Beth!”
he called out.

“She’s
not here,” Josie said. “I think she went out with that gorgeous guy who came
round earlier.”

Dante’s
eyes snapped back to Josie. “What guy?” A sick feeling punched him in the gut,
telling him that Beth was fucking someone else to get payback.
No, calm the
fuck down, she wouldn’t do that to me.
He swallowed, knowing it
was
possible,
because she’d cheated on Ash with him. He remembered his mate warning him about
hooking up with Beth,
‘Once a cheat always a cheat’
now playing across
his mind.

Looking
smug, Josie crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you jealous?”

No,
I’m fucking furious!
“What’s the prick’s
name?” he growled, barely able to get the words out without yelling.

Josie’s
smug smile faltered. “I don’t remember. It’s none of your business anyway.”

“Beth
is
my business, so tell me his goddamn name!”

Josie
took a step back. Dante knew he looked vicious when he got mad, and could scare
a hardened criminal let alone a small chick like Josie, but he didn’t give a
shit right now, because he was sick of being treated like crap, sick of it!
He’d done things he’d never thought he would for Beth, broken the only rules he
had, yet she’d moved on with barely a glance back, like he’d meant nothing to
her.

“Honest
to God, I don’t remember the guy’s name,” Josie said.

“Then
where does he live?”

“I
don’t know.”

“Liar!”
he yelled, unable to control himself.

“I
am
not
lying!”

Dante
unclenched and clenched his hands, trying to calm himself down, because he
actually believed the skank. “When’s she due back?”

“I’ve
no idea; I only returned from work an hour ago.”

“Then
I’ll wait for her.” He shifted Josie aside and headed for Beth’s room.

Josie
followed him. “But she might bring that man back.”

“She
better not or he’s dead.” He opened Beth’s door, his eyes instantly latching
onto the messed up bed, which was weird considering Beth was a neat freak, and
oh
shit
,
no, no, no, don’t think about it
,
she wouldn’t have
done the guy there, she wouldn’t. He brought his hands to his head. “This ain’t
happening, this ain’t happening...”

“Dante,”
Josie said. “Please, just leave.”

He
spun around. “Not until Beth’s in front of me, telling me that she didn’t fuck
someone in that bed!”

“She
didn’t, well, I don’t think she did, maybe after I left for work she could’ve.”

“Shit!”
He pulled out his phone and hit Beth’s number, which went straight to
voicemail. He stuffed it back into his pocket. “What does this guy look like?
Where’s he from? Do I know him?”

“I
wouldn’t have a clue if you know him, and he was either Samoan or Tongan, real
sexy and tall. He reminded me of The Rock, and oh God, I loved the way he
spoke.” She did a little shake as though the memory of it was turning her on.
“And he had great taste in clothes, which made him look even sexier, if that
wuz possible...”

Dante
let her blather on, trying to think of who the guy could be, but only came up
with Saul and Tiana’s brother, but it wouldn’t be either of them. He frowned,
wondering whether it was her aerobics instructor, because from memory he was
Samoan, although Dante wouldn’t describe him as tall, but then again, Josie
probably thought everyone was tall in comparison to her, plus the dude was
muscular like The Rock.

“You
should leave now,” Josie said, catching his attention again.

“And
you should get fucked.”

Her
eyes bulged. “Don’t be rude!”

“Why
not? You’re rude to me.”