Page 20 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

She woke with a start, realising she’d fallen asleep and was drooling slightly on the dark leather Chesterfield. She stretched feeling the crank in her neck from where she’d slept at a funny angle. The day was just breaking, she looked out seeing the red streaks across the skyline. She never drew the curtains, she didn’t see the point. No one below could see her from the height she was at and besides, if she did she’d miss that view.

She jumped in the shower scrubbing herself again and then she carried the black sacks one by one down to her car. The bag of underwear she put on the front seat. The rest she chucked in the back. She started the engine, hearing the old girl rev and she smiled. She fucking loved this car. It wasn’t just that it was a classic, it was how it felt to drive.

Most people thought she was mad, mad to have it and especially mad to have it while living in a city but that’s because they didn’t get it, the freedom, the fun, the fact that whenever something went wrong, whenever something broke she could just unscrew it and fix it herself. That was the point with a Landrover Defender, they were built to be repaired, built to be worked and built to perform in a way that a modern plastic car just couldn’t.

She pushed the remote for the carpark doors to raise and she dropped the handbrake. The clutch was temperamental at best and she’d meant to switch it out months ago but hadn’t got round to it. She felt the Landy chugged as she forced gas into it to stop it from stalling. That was the secret with her 90, choke her a little to start and she loved you for it.

She drove out, seeing the little traffic on the road and headed off out of the centre, out the city, and away, stopping at the first charity shop she saw to dump all the sacks except for the one still on her passenger seat.

When she hit the motorway she glanced back, wondering if someone was tailing her but she couldn’t see anyone. Besides there wasn’t enough traffic even at that time for them to hide and especially as she was sitting at 65mph in the slow lane.

It was another reason she liked this car, other cars were built for speed, and if there was someone driving in her lane and they weren’t either old, clearly a mum, or just in a car that didn’t fit then they’d stand out right away. It was hard to tail the Landy and worse case she could always take a few green lanes and loose the fuckers off roading.

She smirked at the thought. At the thought of Cole Black having people tailing her and she took it off road, easily navigating the tracks while their slick no doubt brand new performance cars couldn’t even make it clear of the first rut.

She pulled into a services, grabbed a triple shot espresso and then checked no one was watching before dumping the bag of underwear in the bin. She couldn’t explain why she did it, she just did. She wasn’t a prude, she wasn’t even embarrassed but just the thought that someone had touched her clothes, had searched through it made her want to burn it all.

She got to Winchester in good time, parking in the outside carpark down the bottom of town because it was the only one she wouldn’t crash into due to the height of the 90.

She got out, locked it, and crossed the road before heading up the high street. She knew he’d be there. He was like her. Like clockwork. It was one of the few things they had in common. One of the few things they shared apart from the sarcasm and the dark hair.

She sat outside the Square, just down from the Cathedral drinking a coffee and more playing with a croissant than eating it. Her eyes were focused on the walkway, the narrow, dark alley that linked through to the high street.

Any minute now, she thought and then she smirked seeing him bang on time. He was scrolling through his phone, oblivious. She called his name and he frowned and looked at her.

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

“Missed me much?” She joked and he shook his head.

“What’ve you done this time Maddison?”

She rolled her eyes. “You know a sister doesn’t need a reason to go see their siblings.”

“You do. It’s been almost two months since you even messaged me.” He stated.

She shrugged. “I lost my phone.”

“Sure you did.”

“I did. I need to buy a new one.” She stated.

“And you’ve waited two months to decide you need a new one?” He asked clearly not convinced.

“Maybe. Besides I’m your sister, you should be pleased to see me.” She quipped.

“You look like you’ve been in a fight Maddie.” He said sitting down and she sighed.

“You could say that.”

“Everything okay?” He asked seriously.

“Not exactly but you know me, I’ll figure it out.” She smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring manner.

“Anything I can do to help?” He asked.

She screwed her face thinking for a moment. She hadn’t gone to him for help. She had just wanted to take a few hours space. It was illogical, uncharacteristic but that’s also why she’d done it, because if anyone was predicting her next steps they wouldn’t have guessed this.

Her brother was ex-military too, he’d have contacts, connections and she thought just for a second about giving him the low down, not everything just the basics but she decided against it. She didn’t want to put him at risk. This was her problem, her issue and she’d handle it alone, just like every other time.

“Maddie?” He asked again.

“Sorry, just got lost in my thoughts. Guess I haven’t had enough caffeine today that’s all.” She smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way.

“Sounds like you’ve had too much to me.” He said looking at the empty cup on the table.

“How can anyone have too much caffeine?” She laughed.

He smirked. “Want another?”

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