Denied Read online

  With only her house keys in one pocket and her passport in the other, she followed Cameron from the apartment and into the elevator. They stood awkwardly together, and she had to break the silence.

  “Did you tell this guy my name?” she asked.

  “Nah, I just said you were a friend.”

  “Do you think he’ll recognize me from the papers?”

  “To be honest, he’s not really a news reading kind of guy, so I doubt he’ll know anything about you.”

  She relaxed slightly at this news. The fewer people who knew about her, the better. Depending on how things turned out, no one might ever see her again. Cigarette Hands might kill her before she got the chance to kill him, or maybe she would die while she was taking him out. Or perhaps she would change her mind about the whole thing and walk out into the wilderness and try to forget Lily Drayton ever existed.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  She forced a smile. “Yeah, sorry, but you don’t need to keep asking me that. I’m just over-thinking things.”

  He smiled back. “I’ve heard that can be bad for your health.

  He had a good smile—kind and genuine. Why hadn’t she ever noticed him before? It was as though Monster had woken her up to the opposite sex, while ruining her for anyone else. Perhaps that had been his intention all along.

  “My car is parked across the street,” said Cameron.

  “You mind if we stop by the bank first? I need to get some money.” She paused. “Umm, how much do you think I’m going to need?”

  His lips twisted. “A grand, at least. Is that doable?”

  “Yeah, that’s doable.”

  Within fifteen minutes, Cameron pulled up outside the bank and she hopped out of the car.

  “Do you want me to come with you?” he asked, leaning across the passenger seat she’d just vacated.

  “I think I can manage making a withdrawal myself,” she said. “I’m a big girl.”

  He gave a shrug. “Only offering. I’ll wait out here for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  She slammed the car door shut and turned to walk into the bank. A cashier was free, the bank relatively empty for so late in the afternoon. She made her way up to the woman sitting behind the Plexiglas and removed her passport, setting it down, open at the identification page.

  “Hi, I’d like to make a withdrawal, please.”

  The woman reached to take her passport, checked it, and then looked up at her with a smile.

  “Good afternoon, Ms. Drayton. We thought you might be stopping by to see us soon.”

  Her stomach did a slow flip, the hairs on the back of her neck standing to attention. That was the last thing she’d been expecting, especially since everyone else had been shocked to see her. “What do you mean?”

  The woman hesitated, uncertain, clearly picking up on Lily’s awkwardness. “Well, because of your recent deposit.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t deposited any money in the last month.”

  She gave a thin-lipped smile. “Shall we go into a private office? We probably shouldn’t discuss this here.”

  “Okay, fine, but I have somewhere I need to be, so this has to be quick.”

  “Of course. Please, follow me.”

  She followed the cashier to an office at the rear of the bank.

  “I’ll just send my manager in to see you,” the woman said. “Can I get you anything to drink? Tea? Coffee?”

  “No, I’m fine, thank you. I really am in a rush.”

  Luckily, the bank manager appeared at the cashier’s shoulder. “That’s fine, Ruby. I can take things from here.”

  The cashier gave her a smile and disappeared.

  The manager approached, extending his hand. “Ms. Drayton. I’m so glad you called in to see us. I was going to call you myself today.”

  She braced herself to make contact with him and shake his hand in return, and then hazarded a guess. “About the deposit?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Can I ask how much it was for?”

  “Of course. Let me print you out your statement.”

  He printed out a sheet and pushed it over the desk toward her. She glanced down. Five hundred thousand dollars.

  Fucking Monster.

  She had no doubt he was responsible.

  “I don’t want it,” she said.

  “What?”

  “I don’t want the money. Send it back.”

  “I’m afraid it’s not as simple as that, Ms. Drayton. Deposits of that size trigger our Anti Money Laundering division, and they’re going to want to investigate where the money has come from to make sure it’s legal. Are you saying you don’t know where the money has come from?”

  Aware she might be implicating herself in a crime, she just said, “I don’t know anything about it. I didn’t even know the money was there until your cashier mentioned it. All I wanted was to take some money out of my regular fund so I can pay my bills. I don’t know how much you’re aware of, but I’ve gone through some trauma myself recently. Someone stole my purse and bank cards, and I need money to live on.”

  His cheeks heated. “Yes, of course, you can take money from whatever was previously in your account, but please understand that you cannot touch the half a million until it’s been investigated.”

  “I don’t want the half a million. I thought I’d already said that. I only want the money I’ve worked hard for and saved all these years.”

  He cleared his throat. “Yes, we can do that, but we will be in touch about the rest of the money.”

  Lily sighed. “That’s fine. Please, I just want what’s mine.”

  The bank manager processed her withdrawal and she got the hell out of there. What did Monster think he was playing at? Didn’t he realize that sort of money was bound to get the attention of people it shouldn’t? If they tracked it back to him, he’d be investigated.

  But no, she was sure he would have taken precautions to avoid that happening. He might have no clue about the value of money to regular people, but he did know how to hide his tracks.

  She didn’t know whether to be insulted or to feel exasperated by him. Was this his warped idea of trying to look after her? She didn’t want or need his money. He knew she had a decent career of her own. Sure, it wasn’t a multi-million-dollar illegal business, and she lived in an apartment rather than a walled mansion, but that didn’t mean she needed him throwing money at her as a way of making himself feel better for washing his hands of her.

  Cameron was loitering on the sidewalk, waiting for her. She grabbed his arm as she passed and dragged him toward where his car was parked.

  “What happened in there?” Cameron asked her.

  “Nothing you need to know about. I have the money.”

  He looked like he was considering pressing her on the topic, but then changed his mind. “Okay. My friend’s apartment is on the other side of the city. It’s not a great district, kind of rough, so prepare yourself.”

  “Don’t worry,” she said, her tone cool. “I’m sure I’ve seen a lot worse.”

  Seven

  Cameron’s car pulled up outside an apartment block.

  Numerous teenagers hung around outside, rap music blasting from some high-tech speakers which sat on the steps. They were laughing and ribbing each other, but as Cameron opened the car door and climbed out, they all stopped to turn and look at him.

  Lily’s stomach churned. What the hell was she thinking, coming to a neighborhood like this? But then she reminded herself that she’d seen a lot worse, and been in far more threatening situations. This was just a group of kids trying to appear tough. Chances were they had no idea what it was really like to be in a life-threatening situation.

  Holding her chin up and straightening her back and shoulders, she opened the passenger door and stepped out of the car. She wouldn’t allow herself to be intimidated by a bunch of teenagers.

  “Hey sweet-thing,” one of the guys called ou
t to her. “You want a date for tonight?”

  She wouldn’t even fuel his comment with an answer.

  Cameron came around to her side of the car and moved in close to her, as though to shield her with his body. She didn’t want his protection, but was grateful for his company. She was glad she’d not had to come here alone.

  A sudden pang of longing for Monster hit her. If he’d arrived here, these kids wouldn’t have dared say a single thing. One look from him would have sent the whole lot of them scurrying home to their moms.

  Lily blinked back tears at the thought of him.

  I’m angry at him. I hate him. He’s not a good guy.

  Maybe if she told herself that often enough, she’d start to believe it?

  “Ignore them,” Cameron said quietly, as they pushed between the group of teenagers to trot up the steps, toward the apartment block. “Don’t let them get to you.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not them, I promise. I’m fine.”

  They pushed into the building. The concrete walls were covered in graffiti, and a handwritten notice taped to the doors of the elevator told them it was out of order.

  Cameron gave a tight smile. “Looks like we’re taking the stairs.”

  They walked up, trying to ignore the stench of urine and stale beer. What appeared to be a homeless guy sat in the stairwell, but he didn’t even acknowledge them as they passed.

  “I feel bad I’ve brought you here,” Cameron said once they’d ascended a couple of floors. “I hope it’s worth it.”

  “It’s worth it,” she confirmed. “Believe me, I’ve seen a lot worse.” She thought back to the conditions she’d been kept in during her time in the shipping container. Those poor girls, raped and beaten, and forced to urinate where they sat. At least the people who lived here had some sort of choice about it, even if it was a very limited one.

  Cameron pushed out of the stairwell and onto one of the floors. “We need apartment sixty-three,” he told her. “I think it’s down this way.”

  She followed his leather-jacketed back as he walked down the corridor and located the correct door. He lifted his hand and rapped with his knuckles. Her heart thumped in her chest, her mouth running dry. Who would the gun dealer be? A drug-addict who would threaten and frighten her? He couldn’t be much worse than what she’d already dealt with, and she needed this gun. There was no going back.

  Movement came from inside, and then the door opened. She’d been expecting a waft of smoke to billow out, but instead a young guy, reasonably well dressed in dark blue jeans and a shirt rolled up at the sleeves, stood in the doorway. He spotted Cameron and a smile spread across his face.

  “Cameron, man, good to see you!” He stuck out a hand and Cameron took it, smiling back.

  “You too, Jake. It’s been too long.”

  The guy—Jake—stepped back. “Come in, both of you. You don’t want to be hanging out there. It’s a shithole.”

  Cameron laughed. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

  “Yeah, well, the rent’s cheap and I have a whole host of willing customers on my doorstep.” He shrugged. “Not planning to be here much longer, though. The neighborhood sucks.”

  He glanced over at Lily and gave a half grin. “So you’re Cameron’s friend?”

  “I’m not sure friend is quite the right description …”

  “No?” He cocked an eyebrow at Cameron. “You do something to piss the lady off?”

  Cameron gave a laugh. “You could say that.”

  “As long as you’re not the reason she needs what she needs.”

  “I don’t think I’d be bringing her here if it was.”

  Jake chuckled. “True.” He nodded toward the couch. “Take a seat. I’ll bring you out what you came here for. I’m going to assume you understand this is completely confidential. If I find out you’ve passed on my name to anyone, but especially the cops, I won’t hesitate to pay some of the guys hanging around outside to come and track you down and teach you a lesson about keeping things to yourself.”

  The atmosphere had suddenly taken on a chill.

  Lily nodded. “Of course. I know how to keep my mouth shut.” She thought about Monster and what he did to her, and how she hadn’t told the police the whole story.

  Jake’s tone remained cold when he spoke. “Good, because there are always people willing to shut it for you at the right price, and when I say shut it for you, I mean permanently.”

  Her body was rigid on the couch. She didn’t want to appear weak, so resisted the urge to glance over at Cameron to gauge his reaction to his friend’s threats. She’d known what she was getting into. She just hadn’t expected the switch from best buddies to death threats to happen quite so abruptly.

  She kept her eyes locked on the young man. “Message heard and understood.”

  He grinned, instantly relaxing back into a hip, relaxed guy. “Great. Let’s get on with this, shall we?”

  Jake pulled a dresser back from the wall. A small door was placed in the plasterboard behind. He produced a key from a chain around his neck and used it to unlock the door. Pulling the door open, he reached inside the small, dark space it revealed and removed a metal case.

  “Here we go,” he said, carrying the case over to the coffee table before them. He placed it down and then worked the code on the lock. The case clicked open. He lifted the lid to reveal a number of guns of different sizes, each attached as a display to the top and bottom of the inside lids.

  He reached in and removed the smallest weapon. “Cameron said you needed it for self-defense, so I assume this is the kind of thing you’re after. This is the Glock 19. It’s great for someone with small hands, such as yourself, and is perfect for conceal and carry. It’s got a dual recoil spring system, so you’ll barely feel the recoil when you fire.”

  He handed the gun over and she weighed the weapon in her hands. The size felt comfortable, but she wasn’t sure it would have enough firepower for what she needed.

  “What about that one?” she asked, jerking her chin toward a much larger gun.

  “Honestly, I think you’ll struggle with anything larger. If you take a bigger weapon, the recoil will be greater and it’ll just ruin your aim. The Glock 19 can take up to a thirty-three round magazine which is more than enough firepower to deal with an immediate threat.”

  She chewed her lip and lifted the gun, pointing it at the wall on the opposite side of the apartment. It felt good to have the weapon in her hand, as though it elevated her somehow—making her stronger, more powerful. For the first time, she understood the love affair some people had with their guns.

  “How much?” she asked.

  “Twelve hundred.”

  “Cameron said a grand.”

  Cameron lifted his hands in defense. “Hey, don’t get me involved. It was just a guesstimate.”

  Jake laughed. “Let’s say eleven hundred, then. Do we have a deal?”

  Lily smiled and put out the hand not holding the gun.

  “Deal.”

  Eight

  Cameron drove them back to their apartment block.

  Lily was glad to get away from the rough area, though she felt like she’d brought a piece of it with her by the handgun she now had placed into the waistband of her pants. Though the piece was small and lightweight, it felt like a massive bulge beneath her clothing, and she was certain everyone who saw her would know what she was hiding.

  Spotting a parking space, Cameron pulled up on the opposite side of the street from their building and they both climbed out.

  “How are you doing?” he asked her, resting his forearm on the roof of the car as he looked over at her.

  “I’m fine, thank you. Feeling better now I have some protection.”

  “You really think these guys will come and find you?”

  She nodded, tamping down on the fear threatening to rise inside her. “Yeah, I do. I don’t know if it will be today, or even tomorrow, but the minute they discover I’m still alive
and back in the country, they’ll come for me.”

  “I can’t believe the cops aren’t going to do more to protect you.”

  She shrugged. “What can they do? I’ve given them descriptions, but they’re not going to station police officers outside of my apartment just because I’ve told them I think I’m in danger. I don’t think they completely believe my story, anyway.”

  Cameron glanced down, and then looked back up and offered her an awkward smile. “Yeah, sorry about my part in that.”

  “It’s not your fault.” Lily tapped her waistband where the gun was held. “And you’ve done your bit to make things up to me.”

  She turned toward their building, and her heart lurched.

  Someone darted into the alley beside the property—she was sure of it—someone the shape of a large man. It hadn’t just been a passerby; they’d moved too quickly, as though afraid of being seen.

  Not giving herself enough time to change her mind, she stepped away from Cameron’s car and strode across the road.

  “Lily?” he called out to her, but she ignored him, focused only on the spot where she’d last seen the figure. Had Cigarette Hands and his buddy found her already? She’d thought her reappearance wouldn’t have made the news for at least another twenty-four hours, but perhaps they had friends in the police force who had tipped them off, and they were already after her.

  Her heart thumped, her mouth running dry, but she refused to be a victim again. She would stand up to these people—kill them if she had to. Even if it meant she spent time in prison herself, it would be worth it to know these bastards were no longer on the street.

  “Lily? What’s going on?”

  She didn’t reply.

  With her hand resting on her newly acquired weapon, she ran across the street, toward the opening of the alley. She slowed as she reached the spot, the tall walls of the buildings either side swallowing the light.

  Lily pulled the gun and stepped into the alley, the weapon drawn. Her gaze scanned the narrow space, but, from what she could see, no one was there. A tall, chain-link fence blocked the far side, so they couldn’t have gone that way. Was the person hiding? Perhaps he’d climbed one of the fire escapes when he realized he’d been seen.