Page 87 of Midnight Racers

“What happened?” I asked, moving forward to check his injuries, but he clutched his hand tighter to his chest.

“I was fiddling with the spare car and the winch gave way.” His face pinched in pain and his skin paled as I stood there.

“Come on,” I said. “I’m taking you to hospital to get that hand seen to.”

“I’ll call Flynn.”

“Flynn has an appointment today. You’ll just have to put up with my driving.” I took the keys to one of the spare Range Rovers outside and grabbed some extra towels to wrap around his hand. “Try to keep it elevated.”

I had been cooped up too long and not allowed to drive since Flynn tended to always drive. Even though it was an emergency, I enjoyed driving the car and feeling a little freer. I dropped Joshua off at Accident and Emergency and was looking for a parking space when a familiar figure came into view.

Flynn was standing talking to a petite woman with waist-length black hair. She started crying, and he wrapped her in his arms, his chin propping up on her head as he talked to her. Everything finally made sense: the secrecy, the way he withdrew into himself, the messages and phone calls.

Sickness rolled up the back of my throat as I parked the car and my hands gripped the steering wheel. I was so stupid to trust him, so naïve to believe someone like Flynn was interested in a woman like me.

I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing. When I finally opened them again, Flynn and the mystery woman were gone. I climbed out of the car on shaky legs and walked toward the building where I’d dropped Joshua off. I had to walk past where I had seen them, and my gaze lifted to the sign above the door—Maternity Unit.

A cold, hard lump formed in my chest. Where had they disappeared to so suddenly? My legs felt like they were filled with lead as I walked toward the Accident and Emergency Department. A practiced smile fell into place as I went to join Joshua. For the past few months, I hadn’t needed to use this smile since it had been sincere in my new life.

Joshua had cut the side of his hand badly. He was lucky the injury stopped just before his fingers. They had to keep him in for the vascular surgeon to operate on in case there was nerve damage.

“I was supposed to be keeping you safe,” he groaned. “Flynn will kill me.”

“Flynn will never know. I’ll go straight back to the warehouse and he’ll pick me up later as usual.”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “Maybe I should phone Declan and get him to pick you up from here.”

“And maybe you should sit your ass back down and allow the doctors to do their job,” I reprimanded him.

“That sounds like good advice,” the doctor said as he pulled the curtain of the cubicle back. “Let’s see what’s going on here.”

He pulled the towel back and my stomach roiled at the sight of all the blood. My hand covered my mouth and I ran from the room. I really needed to see a doctor myself. My stomach always played up in times of stress, but it had been bad since that first attack at my house and the stress it brought. I probably needed some of the tablets they gave me the last time this happened a few years ago.

“You okay?” Joshua asked when I returned. “You look really pale.”

I gave him a shaky smile. “I’m not very good with blood.”

“Head home, I’m in good hands and there’s nothing more you can do here. Text me when you get back safely.”

I nodded once and leaned forward to hug him. “Thanks for everything.” I meant it, Joshua had treated me like a little sister and made me realise how bad Dale had been to me in recent years.

Every step out of the hospital solidified my plan. I didn’t return to the workshop, but to Flynn’s house. He taught me the art of packing quickly to avoid detection, and I had never fully unpacked all my bags. In record time, I shoved armfuls of clothes in, lifted my laptop and hard drive, and packed Pixie up before loading everything into my car that was stored in the garage. The Range Rover from work sat in Flynn’s normal parking space.

I reversed outside and stopped for a moment to run around to the side and give Matilda and Mavis treats of the fresh peas I had bought them and left in their feed box.

“Be good, girls,” I said, kissing the tips of their beaks when their heads came up for attention. “I’ll miss both of you.” Tears burned down my face because this place had become home, these two funny geese following me around like puppies looking for treats and cuddles, and Flynn being the sun my world revolved around.

I put them in their pen with extra treats before running back to my car. I’d overheard the guys talking when they thought I was in my office, and knew they could track mobile phones, so I turned mine off and did what all heartbroken girls did—I ran back to Mum.

Her house had a double garage I hid my car in, only relaxing when the door slammed into place. Pixie prowled around, glaring at her new world with disdain since she didn’t like change.

I knew the feeling.

My old bedroom remained the same, and I dumped my bags in the corner, leaving my laptop bag on the desk. Mum always kept a healthy supply of food in the fridge freezer, so I delved into ice cream, sitting in the window seat Mum tended to read in. I didn’t even bother to use a bowl.

She took one look at my face when she arrived home from work and opened her arms, holding me together with all the strength of her motherly love.

“Who was it?” Mum finally asked when I stopped crying. “Please don’t tell me it was Jordan because I like him and would hate to cut his testicles off.”

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