Page 17 of Beautiful Secrets

“The fuck is he going on about his kid?”

I purse my mouth with annoyance and start nibbling on the inside of my lip. But it is not Cole who said it this time, so I cannot be angry with him. And I suppose Father didn’t mention anything about my age or—

“Said if we didn’t bring back his girl, he’d have our heads on spikes.”

The tires hum.

My heart pounds in my chest.

It does not matter, Mika. You are still the one holding the gun.

I press it against Cole’s skull, just in case I need to remind him.

“Fuck knows,” Cole says, keeping his eyes on the road. “Man’s delusional.”

“Aye, I mean, that place is so big, she could be anywhere. So why the fuck is he trying to pin it on us?”

“Sound like he’s sending someone after us?” Cole asks—casually, as if he’s barely interested in the answer.

Oh my God. Would Father do that? Could he even find us? We have made several turns since we left the estate, but for all I know, this is the only route back to the city.

“Nah,” the other Scot says. “I mean, maybe, but I doubt it. We could have killed her and dumped the body already if we wanted.”

I swallow hard.

Cole doesn’t respond to this, but his hands do tighten on the steering wheel.

“So listen,” the Scot says, “we were thinking—”

“Look, sorry mate, but I can’t have a pint with you tonight,” Cole cuts in hurriedly. “I need to go back home. Something’s come up.” Cole’s eyes flash to the rearview mirror.

He shrugs a little.

I nod and ease up on the gun a little as a reward for good behavior.

Another voice comes through then. Perhaps the older of the Scots—I can barely understand him. “We need ta talk, boyo. Your other thing can wait.”

“It’s Kill,” Cole says, making no sense. “They’re having issues with the scrogs. He needs me over there.”

“Oh, aye,” the older man says after a moment. “But then t’morrow, ye hear?”

“Sure.” Cole’s eyes narrow a little. “My day’s wide open.”

I donotlike the way he says that. Not one bit.

But I am still the one holding the gun. That must count for something.

I should just tell him to drop me off, but I cannot do that until the other Scots are no longer driving behind us.

“They follow us all the way?” I ask Cole. There is no point disguising my voice anymore, so I don’t bother.

“Aye,” he says, but then he shrugs. “Want me to lose ’em?”

I stare at his reflection in the rearview mirror. “Yes.”

He doesn’t say anything. Instead, he reaches into his pocket. I press the gun into his head, and he lifts his hand out again. “Trust me, if I’d had a gun on me, sweetheart, I’d have used it already.”

But I don’t ease up until he adds, “I’m just getting a smoke.”