Page 3 of Trust In Me

Thankfully, Kian doesn’t seem to mind, and he takes a step forward to introduce himself with his arm outstretched. “Well, I will take the compliment coming from a girl as beautiful as you. I’m Kian, Bree’s left-hand man.”

On autopilot, I clasp to shake his hand, my brow furrowing in confusion over his words. “Don’t you mean right-hand man?”

With a laugh that confirms this guy is the whole package, he releases my hand and replies. “No, Liam is her right-hand man. Nobody messes with that. Besides, I’m left-handed, so the analogy fits.”

I can’t help but smile at his joke, and I don’t miss the way Kellan rolls his eyes before snapping at Kian. “What do you want, Kian?”

Kian looks perplexed, clearly unsure as to why Kellan would suddenly snap at him, and I look over at Liam, who up until this point had only been concerned with holding on to his fiancée, but now he’s giving Kellan a very apt stare, and shaking his head. I think I may have even caught an eye roll.

“Erm, I was just coming to see if boss lady needs a hand,” he replies, in an upbeat way that I’m guessing is the norm for Kian. He seems like one of those generally perky guys. He then turns his attention to Bree, his manner whilst remaining chipper is still confident. “I’ve gathered everyone like you asked. Most are grumbling since I took their weapons off them. Also, Paddy told me to let you know he personally made sure the package left the country, which is code for he shipped your parents off on a plane yesterday. He says he isn’t telling anyone where they’ve gone, and since your mother has no remaining family, she chose to stay with Vernon. Paddy gave him a small amount of money, but nowhere near enough for him to be comfortable. And thanks to your boy Kellan here, there’s no money stashed away.”

I catch the cocky grin on Kellan’s face when he’s given credit for the work he did. There’s no denying this guy is good at his job. Liam tells me he can hack anything, even going as far as to contacting police and government organisations to inform them of breeches in their security software, and telling them how to fix it. He could use his skills for so much evil, but I just don’t think he’s capable of that. I don’t know much about him, but I get the impression he’s one of the good guys. Which is music to my ears, since all I’ve ever met are bad guys.

Bree ignores the mention of her father, and sets her face into the mask she’s known for. “Let’s get on with this then, please.” I reach out to grab her free arm when I notice she stumbles slightly and turns to address me. “Mia, this is not going to be easy to watch. You might not want to come in.”

I release the breath I’m holding, letting out a sigh. “I promised we would do this together. I may not have the courage and the strength you do, but I can stand by your side and give you as much support as you need.” I mean it. No matter how much it terrifies me being part of this world—and by going into this warehouse, I really will be part of the world—but I’m not backing out now.

“What about the baby? I was kinda hoping you would look after her, Mia? Then I can go with Bree. I need to film this so we can send it to the people who are absent today,” Kellan explains. I cock my hip, placing my hand there in a very obviously pissed off way.

“Well, if only you had a nanny, huh.” I’m interrupted by chuckles from Kian, Bree, and Liam, which only seems to frustrate Kellan more. I can see his hands fiddling with the clips of the harness, and he’s jigging from one foot to the other. His anxiety is beginning to flare up and I feel for him. I know what it’s like to be enslaved by anxiety and panic attacks.

As I look between Kellan and Bree, I’m torn. I want to help Kellan, but I also want him to see how well I get on with Hallie. I’m starting to get desperate for a job. Now I don’t have to worry too much about rent, Bree is more reasonable than my previous landlord, and I’m able to concentrate more on my studies. But, if I don’t find a nannying job soon, I could fail my studies. As part of my early years childcare degree, I need to get work experience. I can either do a placement at a nursery, or I can make money at the same time as a nanny. I have a supervisor in place who will regularly review my progress, and if Kellan hires me, he will be required to assess me. I haven’t told him any of that yet. First things first, get the job.

Just as I am about to relent and say I will stay with Hallie, Kian chips in. “I don’t need my bodyguard, Callum. He’s got a couple of kids, so he’ll be fine watching her.”

Kellan looks unsure, and he twists his gaze to Hallie, looking perplexed, until Liam reassures him. “Kel, we’ve vetted him, and he’s a good guy. If you like, I can leave my phone in the pram next to Hallie. We can call each other and you can wear your ear piece, so you can hear her at all times. What do you think?” Liam asks, and within seconds Kellan is smiling from ear to ear.

“I think that sounds like a plan.” Kellan walks over to the car and opens the boot to begin getting the pram out.

I know he’s going to struggle with Hallie strapped to him, so I follow behind, offering to help. “Here, let me take Hallie so you can get the pram set up easier.”

Holding my arms out, he hesitates slightly before unclasping the harness and handing the sleeping baby to me. I adjust her until she’s sleeping peacefully in my arms. Hallie grumbles a bit at being manhandled, but never really wakes up. As soon as she is in the pram, and Liam and Kellan have handed Hallie over to Callum, we are ready to go. Given the way the colour drains from his face, the boys have obviously issued Callum with a threat over Hallie’s wellbeing.

The warehouse is a lot bigger than I was expecting, and the main room is almost the size of a big assembly hall in a school. There’s a main stage at the front, which is basically some wooden boxes secured together. There are a few seats and tables near the front of the stage, and given the type of people who are occupying the seats, they’re obviously the people higher up in the organisation. Everyone else is standing, with the exception of a few people who are sitting on the floor, or the nearest surface they can find.

I notice the people at the tables, most are wearing suits, but some look highly unprofessional in sweatpants, vests, and more gold jewellery than I’ve ever seen men wear. It’s not difficult to see who deals in which bit of the organisation. The ones who look like chavs are clearly the ones who utilise too much of the product they are supposed to be selling.

Just as Liam and I have discreetly helped Bree up onto the stage, a young guy who looks shockingly like Liam, and a bit like Kellan, begins walking onto the stage. He’s wearing a suit, so he must be someone important, but his walk lacks the confidence a true boss would have. As he approaches Liam, he hesitates, his face scrunched up as he thinks about what he’s going to do. Liam, however, doesn’t hesitate and he pulls him in for a hug. At first it seems awkward, as though the guy doesn’t know how to respond, but when he finally does put his arms around Liam and shares the hug, everyone seems to relax.

Just as they were about to pull away from each other, Kellan throws himself on top of the duo, so he’s hugging them both. “Evan, bro. Nice to see you,” Kellan shouts, as their little rabble pulls apart.

Bree, who is still clutching hold of me, leans over so her voice is barely above a whisper, but it’s still enough for just me to be able to hear. “That’s Evan, Liam’s oldest brother. He works for Liam’s super crazy father, and he’s a bit uptight. They were estranged until Evan and Desmond stepped up and helped to find me. I think Liam is trying to build bridges with his brother, but his dad could be too far gone.”

Before I have a chance to reply, Evan approaches Bree. “Hey, Bree. How are you doing? You look a whole lot better than when I last saw you in the hospital.” Bree gives him a small smile before pulling him in for a quick hug.

It's clear by the way he reluctantly puts one arm around her, he isn’t a hugger. “I’m good, thanks to you. I don’t think I’ve ever really had the chance to thank you and your dad properly for coming to help Liam. It means a lot to us both.” I can hear the sincerity in every word. Bree’s face is full of gratitude, but I don’t think praise is something Evan is used to because he blushes and tries to turn away, but Bree is far too forceful.

“I think the aged bottle of Irish whiskey you sent him went down a treat. He asked me to come today because he’s busy with another matter. He didn’t want to cause any offence, though, since this is your first big show as leader, as he put it,” Evan says to Bree, and her laugh catches everyone’s attention.

Okay, so I don’t think mafia leaders are supposed to laugh. Now all eyes are on Bree, I guess she decides it’s time to get started. There are two seats on either side of the fake stage; Evan takes the farthest on the left, leaving a space near him that I’m assuming Liam will take, as Kellan and I take the ones on the right. Liam seems reluctant to let go of Bree, and I know why. She’s still a bit wobbly on her feet, but I don’t think she wants to come across as weak, which is why she shoos him off.

The room descends into silence, and I watch as my best friend, despite being battered and bruised, dressed in sweatpants and a vest top, changes in front of my eyes. It’s like she holds herself differently, taller almost, and it has an instant reaction on most of the crowd. There are still a few tittering and talking amongst themselves, and that doesn’t go unnoticed.

Bree appears to take a deep, calming breath before she addresses the room. “Thank you for being here. I know it’s not often we have these types of gatherings, and there’s a good reason for that. But I feel the need for this far outweighs the risks involved.”

Oh shit, does she mean the police? Fuck, I hadn’t even thought about what it would do for my career if I got caught. I mean, I’m guessing this is one of the biggest criminal gatherings London has ever seen. I must have physically tensed because Kellan, always so perceptive, takes hold of my hand, clasping our fingers together. I try to ignore the bolt of electricity shooting up my arm, or the way his closeness makes my skin prickle in the best kind of way.

He leans closer, whispering in my ear, and I know he can see my body shudder. “Relax, Flower. I have wiped all records of this meeting. Everyone’s phones are scrambled, CCTV has been erased, any form of communication regarding this event has been erased, and if that wasn’t enough—which it totally should be—the new police commissioner is on the take. So, we are fine. I promise, and even if you don’t trust me, I know you know I would never put Hallie in danger.”

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