Page 113 of Red Retaliation

Would we have kept it under wraps until things were less fraught?

I swallow dryly, my tongue feeling too big for my mouth.

But we didn’t discuss anything, and now it’s out of our hands.

Still, on the scale of it, there are more important things at stake here. So much so that Liam hasn’t even used the excuse of still being in the same room as me to throw more insults and threats around. But the time to face the music will come, and I don’t know which tune is best to play. Or which way Red wants to play it.

We need to sing from the same sheet, but I know nothing: not what to do or how to handle this, which means things really are bad.

And I don’t like it.

I don’t like that there’s a bomb somewhere in this building either. That’s if it’s true?

I reach for one of Red’s long T-shirts and hastily pull it on before Liam’s accusing eyes swing back on me. I’m just in time because Del bursts through the bedroom door.

“The staff have been evacuated, and a message sent to all customers informing them the casino won’t be open tonight. I’ve quoted a pipework emergency.” Seeing me in a state of half-undress, with my hair and face guiltily revealing everything me and Red have been doing, stalls him for a couple of beats before he drags his eyes away and clears his throat. “The only people left on site now are the inner circle and second tier.”

“Good.” Red stares at his mobile like it might provide answers. “Del - organize a car for Arianna. Get Cal Bennett on the case.” Striding to a drawer in the dressing table, he pulls out a set of keys and throws them to Del. “These are for my Mayfair apartment. Give them to Cal. He’s to takeArianna there and stay with her until further notice.”

“Fuck me!” Liam mutters. “The ghost of Lorna will haunt you!”

I blanch.Red lived there with Lorna?

“Is that relevant, Liam?” Red snarls, showing me he’s losing his temper.

“But Cal Bennett?” Liam continues. “Why Cal Bennett? He’s good with bombs, so he’d be...”

“WhynotCal Bennett? I trust him,” Red snaps. “I’m good with bombs too, however, we need to fucking find it first!”

I jump off the bed, not caring if the T-shirt only just covers my ass. Rushing to Red, I grab his arm. Our secret is blown now, so whatever I do doesn’t matter. “I don’t want to go. I’ll stay here with you.”

“No, you won’t.” Red cups my face with his hands. “I need to know that you’re safe, baby.”

“For Christ’s sake!” Liam mutters, but he’s ignored. Del is talking on the phone, and the air is heavy with urgency.

I search Red’s eyes. “What about you? What will you do?”

“Find the bomb and diffuse it for a start!” Red glances at his watch. “Get some clothes on and go. You must hurry.”

Del eyes our intimacy curiously. “Cal’s on it now. The car will be here shortly.”

“What if it’s a false alarm again?” I want to be the voice of reason. I don’t want to leave. I want to stay here with Red - the place I’ve only just realized I belong. “It’s happened before, so why not now?”

Red’s face softens as he strokes my hair, his actions reassuring me that he meanseverythinghe’s said. To make such gestures in front of his men and brother, he’s telling me without words that wearedoing this. We are somehow going to do “us”.

If we live...

“Baby, whether it’s a false alarm or not, I can’t risk it, but time is ticking, so I need you ready to go.” Red kisses me full on the lips. “Del will stay with you until Cal texts, so make sure to take this.”

Pulling a mobile phone from his pocket, Red hands it to me. “Answer it to no other number apart from the contacts in there. The only one you won’t have is Cal’s. You can’t dial out to anyone but those numbers either.”

“You’re giving her a phone?” Liam barks. “What the fuck? Why?”

Red cuts Liam a glare and ignores him, leaving me to cling to his arm, his strong presence everything to me now that I’m starting to panic. Is hesaying someone else could contact me? “How will I know it’s Cal?”

“He has a code that he’ll text to you.” Releasing me, Red pulls another gun from a drawer and tucks it in his waistband. By the looks of it, he has weapons stashed all over the place. “The code is 4292. Have you got that?” He waits until I nod. “4292, okay?”

“Okay.”