Authors: Helen Harper

High Stakes (33 page)

BOOK: High Stakes

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‘Do you need a light?’

I look up and immediately recognise with shock that it’s Joseph, the good Samaritan. The woman I’d thought was a potential is no longer looking in my direction and I can feel tension coiling in my veins. This could be bad.

‘Thanks,’ I mutter.

He pulls out a Zippo lighter engraved with the Medici coat of arms and flicks it open, sparking the flame. Not sure whether he’s about to thrust it in my face and kick me in the stomach, I lean down carefully to light my cigarette. Even though we’re inside and there’s no breeze to speak of, he cups his hands round it. Then he bends his head. ‘Something’s about to go down,’ he says in a low voice. ‘Whatever you do, don’t trust her.’

Ice runs down my spine. I pull back, lit cigarette in one hand and tightly clenched fist in the other. He gives me the perfunctory smile of a stranger and moves away.

I turn back to the bar, puff on the cigarette and wait. Was he referring to the woman behind me? Is she about to come over? I glance at her reflection. She’s standing up.

Taking a deep breath, I try to remain casual. I throw a confused look at Joseph to enquire whether this woman is who he meant, but he’s sitting with his back to me. I take another a drag as the woman walks up.

‘See you, Yuko!’ she calls out cheerfully. The bartender smiles and waves. Then, bafflingly, the woman strolls out without so much as a word to me.

I stub out the cigarette, tossing down money on the bar top. ‘Cheers,’ I say, as sunnily as I can. ‘See you again.’

Yuko acknowledges my farewell, scooping up the money while I try to follow the woman.

The doorman gives me a wink on the way out. ‘Leaving so soon?’

‘Gotta take my dog for a walk,’ I tell him. Then I escape into the cold night air and search for a sign of the woman.

She’s nowhere to be seen. I curse. If Joseph didn’t mean her, then who was he referring to? I look around again, checking the small street in case she’s waiting for me. There’s no one: she’s already gone.

I’m still frowning when I walk into the New Order office. Peter has apparently already left for home and Arzo is shrugging on his coat to do the same.

‘Evening, Bo.’

‘Hey.’

The phone rings and Connor answers. He flicks a glance at me. ‘Do you want to talk to the
Daily Flag
?’ I shake my head. ‘They’ll pay you twenty thousand for an exclusive.’

I gape. ‘Pounds?’

Arzo looks at me pointedly. ‘You’re a popular person. You’re going to have to talk to one of them. We can’t afford to let the opportunity to spin our own story slip by.’

‘I know,’ I groan. ‘Just give me a day or two to get my head together first.’

He nods at me. As if on cue, my grandfather appears. ‘Bo.’

I peck his cheek, then check anxiously for the cat.

‘She’s not here,’ he says. ‘It’s not fair to bring her along when you have that mutt around.’

I try not to look too happy. Judging by the stern look I receive in return, I don’t do a very good job.

‘Something’s just happened,’ I tell them all quietly. Matt looks excited, bouncing up towards me. The others turn expectantly. ‘I was just at Medici’s bar and…’

There’s a loud banging on the door and a figure bursts through. Kimchi barks wildly and I immediately take an attack stance. Knees, then throat, I decide, before the figure collapses in a heap on the floor. Arzo wheels forward. The figure raises her head, revealing not only her identity but also her scratched and bruised skin.

‘Help me,’ Dahlia whispers.

Everyone rushes towards her – apart from my grandfather and me. I give him a grim look, which he returns in spades. I squeeze the stone in my pocket and take a very deep breath. So much for some quiet time, then.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read
High Stakes
. I hope you’ve enjoyed it! Even if you didn’t, your feedback is very important to me. It would mean a lot if you left a review on Amazon here:
http://amzn.to/1vMmzLa
, or contacted me via my website:
http://www.helen-harper-books.com
Look out for the next Bo Blackman book coming in 2015.

All the best,

Helen

Other titles by Helen Harper

The
Blood Destiny
series

Bloodmagic

Bloodrage

Blood Politics

Bloodlust

The
Corrigan novellas

Corrigan Fire

The
Olympiana
series

Eros