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I smile, amused at the sentiment. These girls can ask for whatever they want, material things I can provide in abundance even as I work on the emotional support. “We can get you some more things,” I say but look at her sternly. “But you don’t need makeup, you’re young and beautiful.”

She frowns at me like I’ve just said a stupid thing as I sit on the end of the bed next to Mabel to buckle my red Louboutin’s. My ankle twinges with the residual pain from my injury. I’ve been in a hideous medical boot for weeks while I healed and still, walking in my usual heels is uncomfortable. It’s probably the thing I’m most angry about. After the fact my girls had been so scared.

“But you wear it, and you’re young and beautiful.” Keeley says.

“And old enough and wise enough to realise that I don’tneedmakeup but choose to wear it for myself. Once I’m happy that you’re mature enough to understand the same, you can wear makeup.”

She pouts, slumping on the little chair. “Okay.”

“But you can buy every shade of nail polish under the sun, if you’d like.”

She brightens, bouncing where she sits. “Yes, please.”

“Fine.” I chuckle.

“When’s Harvey coming by to see us?” she asks.

Mabel looks up from her book and darts her eyes between Keeley and me. Of course, I never told the girls of Harvey’s betrayal because I don’t want them turning any more cynical about this world than their past traumas have already made them. But Mabel is perceptive enough that she’s known something was wrong from the first day I returned home without him.

I clear my throat. “Harvey doesn’t work for me anymore. He won’t be coming around again.”

Her bottom lip pushes out so far it practically covers her chin. “I miss him.”

“It’ll pass,” I say rather coldly and regret it immediately, I should be comforting her, not dismissing her feelings. “I’ll be back later,” I continue as if I haven’t just been a bitch to a six-year-old, because talking about Harvey is too hard.

Stuart accompanies me today, travelling outside of the city to a warehouse for electronical goods. He follows behind as I click along the concrete floors, the place is empty of people, just the stacks of boxes on the miles of shelving units. Through a large open doorway with plastic sheet curtains, I enter a completely bare room with four people stood in a circle waiting for me.

“You made it,” Lance says, his smile warm and welcoming, so I don’t believe he is trying to comment on my tardiness.

Brent, stood next to him on one side, gives me a brief nod in greeting, his arms folded over his chest and a scowl on his face. Hayden stands the other side of Lance and gives me a big grin with an exaggerated bow as I join the formation. The fourth person surprises me a little.

“Why am I here?” Ruby asks. Right now, I can see her resemblance to her cousin. Brent is tall and broad, whereas she is short and petite. But her pose matches his and unlike when she surprised me in my living room, there is no humour in herexpression. She glares at Lance, looking mean and every bit the daughter of the infamous Declan O’Reilly.

“We thought it important for you to be aware of what’s going on,” Lance says calmly, ignoring the daggers her eyes are throwing at him.

“You know I can’t have anything to do with this,” she says angrily, directing her attitude at Brent this time.

“Just here him out, Rubes,” Brent says gently.

Lance looks pointedly at all of us before speaking. “We followed Javier’s advice with regards to our mysterious texter and chose to believe the information he’s provided with caution.”

I shuffle slightly on my feet, having Harvey come up in conversation unexpectedly twice in such a short time is playing havoc with my stupid heart. I look around and find Hayden watching me with his all too perceptive eyes and manage to stop my fidgeting.

“Since the warning that The Kukris are aware of our alliance, we’ve been vetting newcomers and looking out for anyone suspicious around any of our businesses.” He looks at me knowingly. “We’ve found four Kukris so far.”

“Did they make themselves obvious?” I ask, putting my hands in my pockets to stem any restlessness.

He frowns slightly. “No, we found them out. Why?”

“Both of the men we found had caused a scene somehow, they weren’t trying to blend in. They were obviously trying to get caught.”

Lance nods thoughtfully. “So Volkov knows we’re working together but doesn’t want us to know they’re on to us?” He directs his question more to Brent.

“Sounds about right,” his cousin says.

“Why. Am. I. Here?” Ruby growls.

Brent tilts his head at her sympathetically. “Rubes,” he sighs. “Things are changing and we wanted to give you a chance to—”