Page 126

Story: The Unseen

“I presume everyone knows why he’s miserable?” Alfie asks.

“Are you really Doctor Angel?” Danny turns to him, eyes wide.

“I prefer Alfie or Dr. Adams,” he pouts, still looking gorgeous, the bastard.

“I thought it might have been you that was the Masked Man. A few of the comments on my sister’s videos suggested it might be. But I knew she was seeing Austin, so I wasn’t convinced.”

Alfie glances at me; he doesn’t look concerned, but he’s assessing my reaction.

“I mean, I wouldn’t blame her. Look at you! No wonder they call you Dr. Angel.”

“Alright, Danny, that’s enough,” I say, trying to get a grip of this ambush.

They all look to me; at least, I command some level of respect.

Knock, knock.

God dammit.

Augustus saunters in, sniffing at the others as he does.

“Austin. We need to talk.”

“I’m in a meeting,” I say, waving my hand at the eclectic group in front of me.

“It’s about your girl.”

Have they planned this? Am I in some kind of alternate reality where every person I’ve ever met is going to walk into this office and bring up Olivia? I was about to book my flights before they all interrupted.

The scene of all four of them looks comical. Alfie and Augustus are tall and broad, elbowing each other for space as Danny and Callum shuffle closer to the desk, both only coming up to the taller one’s chin. They’re small, but they pack a punch when they need to.

Danny hobbles a little. I forget he’s still so injured.

“Sit down, Danny.”

“Thanks, boss.” He's quick to pull up a seat, and his shoulders relax as soon as his ass hits the chair.

“Now. To get this over with, yes, I’ve watched the video. Yes, I’m the Masked Man. Yes, I’m in love with her. And yes, I’m going to get her back. So if you all don’t mind fucking off, that would be wonderful.”

“Oh, excellent, because I don’t really need a week off. I bought the ticket in your name.” Danny hands me a paper.

I scan the ticket quickly, checking the location. My heart somersaults but dips just as quickly when I realize where I’ll be sitting.

“Fucking coach, Danny? Couldn’t spring for business? You did just kill my father!”

“Boss, you don’t pay me enough to buy business flights. And you’ve been fucking my sister behind my back. I’d call us even.”

“That is not even by a long fucking shot.”

“You didn’t even like your dad!”

“You don’t kill people because you don’t like them, Danny.”

“He threatened Olivia! And he tried to kill me first,” he adds as an afterthought.

“Which is the only reason you’re still here living, breathing, and giving me shit,” I add.

Silence fills the air as the room shuffles awkwardly. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Augustus. He knows Danny is off-limits. But I’m not sure how he feels in general about our father’s death. I would suggest he talk to Alfie, but I think he’d rather go a more violent route. Maybe I’ll take him on an axe-throwing excursion.