Page 12 of Bully's Darkness
He hands it to me, and I immediately plug it into my laptop. “Mouth made a good point,” I tell him while I wait for it to load. “He reckons the Scorpions came here cos of Hawk dying. Maybe they didn’t expect me to be out of prison?”
He nods thoughtfully. “You got ten years. They probably thought you were inside for another couple years yet.”
“We need to show we’re not weak. Get Boss to sort out a ride. Make it a charity thing so we get some coverage.” He nods and heads out.
I take my attention back to the screen while bringing up Liv’s details on my mobile phone. I press call and put it on loudspeaker.
The screen flickers through cameras. I select the one that overlooks the entrance just as the call connects. “Bully, I’m busy.I’ll call you back.” I like that she remembers how persistent I am when she ignores my calls.
“You left without saying goodbye.”
“Yeah, well, I knew you wouldn’t have let me go otherwise.”
I spot her arriving on the camera and zoom in. She arrived with her friends, no men in sight. I flick on the camera that covers the bar, watching as she orders her drinks.
“We can’t go back to how shit used to be, Liv.”
I hear some rustling and then a door open and close. “I agree,” she eventually mutters.
“Are you free for lunch?”
“Today?” I note a slight rise in her voice and frown. “Erm, no, I can’t make it today.”
“Then dinner tonight?”
“Bully, you don’t do dinner,” she says, sounding exasperated. “You don’t do dates.”
The next camera only just catches the booth she was sitting at, but she’s out of my view. I notice Bria going off, leaving the rest at the table. “I just told you, things need to change. Starting with making more time for you.”
She sighs heavily. “Tomorrow?”
“It has to be today,” I say firmly. I don’t want to give her time to overthink. “Where are you, anyway?”
“While you were away serving time for your precious club, I was making a life.”
“I know about that,” I say, narrowing my eyes when Bria returns to the table with a group of men, none of which I can make out.
“I have friends to see, and a job.”
“Stop pretending like we didn’t talk every week, Liv,” I snap. “I know about your friends. I know how much you love working at that damn dog sanctuary.”
“Then you’ll also know that Saturdays are my busiest day.”
“Liv, I just got out of prison. Surely, you can make time to see me at lunch. They give you a break, right?”
She scoffs. “Are you shitting me? After what you pulled yesterday? Why is it that when I want to see you, you don’t give me a second thought, but when you want to see me, I have to drop everything?”
I briefly close my eyes. “You’re right,” I mutter. “I’m sorry. I just want to make things good between us.”
“Then start by listening to me and hearing what I’m saying. I can do tomorrow.”
“Fine. Tomorrow it is.”
“Great. I’ll text you where to meet.”
“Actually, I thought I could come over and see your place.”
“You’re doing it again,” she snaps. “I’ll text you.”
