Page 297 of Phobia
“I tried, Dom… really, I did.”
Before I can respond, the room becomes thick with the scent of Chanel, and I turn to see my mum walking down the stairs, carrying the bin from my bathroom because the woman has no boundaries. “Here he is,” she scoffs. “I should at least be relieved you used condoms.” She holds up the bin for effect.
Most mums would avoid this subject—not mine.
“What are you doing here, Mum?” I don’t hide my irritation because she never responds to it anyway.
“Taking out some more rubbish,” she snorts, nudging Billy.
At least he has the good sense not to smile.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” Mum chastises. “She was halfway out the door when I arrived.”
My eyes land on Billy. “That right?”
Laughing, Mum leans against the worktop and taps her manicured nails against the marble. “What did you expect him to do?”
“What I asked him to.”
“Maybe you should have some breakfast, darling.”
Whiplash. That’s what you get from Mum. Not because she’s changing the subject to keep the peace but because her mind goes a million miles an hour, and when she thinks it’s time to move on, she does.
Rubbing my head, which is now pounding, I sigh deeply, holding her gaze as she slides a plate towards me.
Mum smirks, and I brace myself for what’s to come. “Judging by the state she was in…” Her smile widens. “I’d say you’re hungry.”
Mum bursts out laughing and turns to Frank—the only one who’ll humour her—and proceeds to tell him about the teeth marks I left on Naomi’s skin. Whatever she’s thinking—ifshe’s thinking—the only hunger it riles up in me is that brought on by the memory of feeling Naomi’s skin between my teeth.
Fuck this.“Billy,” I bark, and the room turns silent. “I’m going for a shower, and by the time I’m out, there had better be meetings arranged with Spencer and Nigel.”
“Nigel, the pharmacist?” Billy stutters.
“Get it done,” I order before walking away.
***
The shower did little to ease the tension, but wanking into Naomi’s underwear did. Still, I stare at the mirror, seeing her reflection, not mine.
“You done?” Frank calls, knocking at the door.
Nobody has any fucking boundaries today.
Wrapping a towel around my waist, I walk into my room, side-eying Frank, who’s leaning against the oak dresser. I won’t ask since what he wants to say clearly can’t wait.
“The loan shark and the pharmacist,” he utters. “Do you think this is a good time after what we’ve just learned?”
What we’ve just learnedisn’t much in the grand scheme of things. All I know for sure is that I need to keep my friends—and enemies—close; play the game better than my opponent.
I shrug. “Perhaps this is the only time.”
“As one of the people charged with keeping you alive, I take that as a fucking insult.”
Frank stares at me, stoic. “Dom…” He pauses, rethinking his approach. “You’re family. I have your back—yourmenhave your back. We follow you willingly, but if you’re leading us towards a jail cell, I think-”
Laughing, I yank a shirt over my head and stalk towards him. “Every decision I make has the potential to lead us to a jail cell—we all know this.”
“She’s not one of us, though, is she?”
