driving so at least you can have a drink.”
“Well don’t let me drink too much” I warned. “My
medication doubles the effect.”
She smirked at me, “Nice to know, you’re fun when you’re
drunk.”
***
“So,” I shifted my gaze through the car window as we made
our way to the restaurant. “Have you seen much of Mason?”
She was silent for a moment and I turned to look at her.
Her eyes were flicking between her rear view mirror and her side one, “What,
sorry?” she blinked and glanced at me.
“Mason?” I asked again as I studied the black car behind
us. “Do we have a tail?”
“Not sure yet,” she murmured as she shifted gears. “But
there’s one way to find out.”
I kept my eyes trained on the car as Grace cruised along
the street, at the very last minute turning the car into a side street. The
other car flew past, braked then reversed.
“Shit,” she hissed as she hit her Bluetooth and sped up,
rounding the next corner so sharp I fell into the window, my head bouncing off
the glass harshly.
“Hang on, Ava,” she snapped angrily, her concentration
making her sharp with me.
“Beaumont?” Liam’s voice filled the small interior of the
car.
“Black Lexus LS, Reg TH14 YEW, currently pursuing us east
on Raymond Street, roughly 89Mph.”
“Turn right at the end,” Liam spoke proficiently, “Then
sharp left into Larth view Drive, there’s a gap leading to a dirt track between
houses numbered five and seven.”
“Got it.”
We ploughed around each corner, Grace controlling the car
expertly as I clung to the seat with both hands. My phone was bouncing in my
bag and I bent to retrieve it, rolling my eyes when Steed’s number popped up. “Not
now,” I told him as I answered.
“Tell Grace we have a duplicate car waiting for you on
the dirt track.” He barked at me. “Turn into the garage left of the dirt track
as soon as you turn on to it.”
I repeated everything to Grace as she manoeuvred the car
between the two houses. Gravel spun up behind us as our speed caused the car to
drift. Another silver Mercedes shot out from the right hand side of the track
as we pulled into the garage on the left.
The doors clanged shut behind us making me jump. “You
okay?” Grace asked immediately as she poked the bump surfacing on my temple.
I nodded to her, “Any idea?”
“Nope,” she huffed but narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t lie to me Grace.”
She sighed and turned to me. “Steed was followed a few
weeks ago. We intercepted a… parcel that was due for delivery to you and…”
“And?” I urged when she sighed and paused.
“And Mason received some rather… intimate pictures of you
and…”
“Oh God,” my eyes widened on her as panic cramped my
stomach.
“Yeah, of you and Steed kissing in the Panther’s
corridor.”
I breathed out silently, the pit of my stomach loosening
slightly. “And that’s all?”
She nodded as she climbed from the car then turned to me
and tilted her head questioningly. “Should there be more that I need to know?”
“No,” I defended a little too quickly. “It was just a
kiss for god’s sake.”
Her eyes flicked over every inch of my face before she
sighed. “You do know that I used to interrogate for the bureau, Ava?”
I gave her a nod as I climbed as casually as possible
from the car.
“And I can tell a lie from a truth.”
“Don’t be silly,” I scoffed. “Why would I lie?”
Her brow quirked, “Because of your husband by any
chance?”
“Why the hell won’t people realise that Mason and I are
separated and free to do as we please? It was just a kiss,” I reiterated. “No
big deal.”
“Okay,” she smirked as she held her hands up and opened
the replacement car door, snatching the keys from the sun visor before pulling
out of the rear doors in the garage and holding a hand up to our assistant as
he shut the doors behind us.
She circled round and brought us back on our original
course. “What the hell
“Well don’t let me drink too much” I warned. “My
medication doubles the effect.”
She smirked at me, “Nice to know, you’re fun when you’re
drunk.”
***
“So,” I shifted my gaze through the car window as we made
our way to the restaurant. “Have you seen much of Mason?”
She was silent for a moment and I turned to look at her.
Her eyes were flicking between her rear view mirror and her side one, “What,
sorry?” she blinked and glanced at me.
“Mason?” I asked again as I studied the black car behind
us. “Do we have a tail?”
“Not sure yet,” she murmured as she shifted gears. “But
there’s one way to find out.”
I kept my eyes trained on the car as Grace cruised along
the street, at the very last minute turning the car into a side street. The
other car flew past, braked then reversed.
“Shit,” she hissed as she hit her Bluetooth and sped up,
rounding the next corner so sharp I fell into the window, my head bouncing off
the glass harshly.
“Hang on, Ava,” she snapped angrily, her concentration
making her sharp with me.
“Beaumont?” Liam’s voice filled the small interior of the
car.
“Black Lexus LS, Reg TH14 YEW, currently pursuing us east
on Raymond Street, roughly 89Mph.”
“Turn right at the end,” Liam spoke proficiently, “Then
sharp left into Larth view Drive, there’s a gap leading to a dirt track between
houses numbered five and seven.”
“Got it.”
We ploughed around each corner, Grace controlling the car
expertly as I clung to the seat with both hands. My phone was bouncing in my
bag and I bent to retrieve it, rolling my eyes when Steed’s number popped up. “Not
now,” I told him as I answered.
“Tell Grace we have a duplicate car waiting for you on
the dirt track.” He barked at me. “Turn into the garage left of the dirt track
as soon as you turn on to it.”
I repeated everything to Grace as she manoeuvred the car
between the two houses. Gravel spun up behind us as our speed caused the car to
drift. Another silver Mercedes shot out from the right hand side of the track
as we pulled into the garage on the left.
The doors clanged shut behind us making me jump. “You
okay?” Grace asked immediately as she poked the bump surfacing on my temple.
I nodded to her, “Any idea?”
“Nope,” she huffed but narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t lie to me Grace.”
She sighed and turned to me. “Steed was followed a few
weeks ago. We intercepted a… parcel that was due for delivery to you and…”
“And?” I urged when she sighed and paused.
“And Mason received some rather… intimate pictures of you
and…”
“Oh God,” my eyes widened on her as panic cramped my
stomach.
“Yeah, of you and Steed kissing in the Panther’s
corridor.”
I breathed out silently, the pit of my stomach loosening
slightly. “And that’s all?”
She nodded as she climbed from the car then turned to me
and tilted her head questioningly. “Should there be more that I need to know?”
“No,” I defended a little too quickly. “It was just a
kiss for god’s sake.”
Her eyes flicked over every inch of my face before she
sighed. “You do know that I used to interrogate for the bureau, Ava?”
I gave her a nod as I climbed as casually as possible
from the car.
“And I can tell a lie from a truth.”
“Don’t be silly,” I scoffed. “Why would I lie?”
Her brow quirked, “Because of your husband by any
chance?”
“Why the hell won’t people realise that Mason and I are
separated and free to do as we please? It was just a kiss,” I reiterated. “No
big deal.”
“Okay,” she smirked as she held her hands up and opened
the replacement car door, snatching the keys from the sun visor before pulling
out of the rear doors in the garage and holding a hand up to our assistant as
he shut the doors behind us.
She circled round and brought us back on our original
course. “What the hell