Page 34

“I-”

“Just like you’re doing now.” He smirked, bringing his face down and brushing his lips against mine.

“Now, what do you say?” he said, his lips only centimeters from mine. I frowned up at him, completely distracted by his soft but firm lips. “Shall we keep him?”

“Who?” I asked.

“Monty.” He laughed, planting another kiss on my lips and turning around and going back into the room. Why did he always do that?

He could distract me so easily and I both hated and loved it at the same time.

After another week of following Daley, we still weren’t any closer to finding the girls and it was frustrating me to no end. Monty had taken a turn for the worse when they tried to get him to eat so he was still with ma at the vets.

Covering for Kay after my night shift, I pulled a double watching Daley so that she could catch up with some of the office work. Once Luke had pulled up behind me, I took a detour on the way home; driving past Kay’s old apartment block.

I’d started to do this once a week, just to check if Max’s car had turned up. It hadn’t yet but there was no harm in checking. He’d disappeared after what he did to Kay and I couldn’t find a trace of him anywhere. He’d disappeared off the face of the earth and I’d come to the conclusion that he must have had some help, no one could go that dar

k without help.

Spotting an old lady struggling to carry her bags, her wild gray hair flying in the wind, I smiled. Only Miss Maggie would carry all that shopping home on her own.

I pulled up outside the building, turned the truck off and jumped out jogging towards her.

“Miss Maggie?” I asked when I was closer to her. Speeding up, I stepped beside her.

“Oh!” she startled. “Hi there, Tyson.”

“Let me get those for you,” I said, taking the bags from her. She huffed and told me she could manage just fine, but I smiled and followed her through the building door and up the stairs.

“Ooh, these stairs are getting worse and worse for my poor hips,” she moaned when she got to the second set of stairs.

“They should really have some elevators,” I said.

“They wouldn’t spend that kind of money.” She laughed, shaking her head.

When we came to her floor and walked past Kay’s old apartment, I kept my eyes on the door. Just because Max’s car wasn’t outside, didn’t mean that he wasn’t in there.

“He ain’t been back,” Miss Maggie announced, pushing her keys in the door.

“He hasn’t?” I asked, following her inside.

“No.” She shook her head and shuffled through to her kitchen. “Want some tea?” she asked when I put the bags down on the table.

“Err…”

“Have some tea,” she said, putting her kettle on.

“Okay…” Looking around the apartment, I stared with wide eyes when her cat hissed at me. Kay had told me about that thing and I’d had the pleasure of meeting it once. Needless to say, I never wanted to cross the thing again.

“How’s my girl getting on?” Miss Maggie turned and watched me with knowing eyes, assessing me.

Shifting on the spot, I cleared my throat. “She’s doing good.” I nodded and took the cup that she handed me, looking down and frowning at the green liquid.

“You making sure she’s being taken care of Tyson?” She raised her brows. “That poor girl has been through enough.”

“Yeah, Miss Maggie, she’s taken care of.” Shifting uncomfortably on my feet, I looked anywhere but at her. Why did she make me so nervous?

“How’s Eli getting on? School okay? Is he watching the new series?”