Head On (Strength And Love)(41)

“Christ, Luka. What is Isla’s dad into?”

“Money laundering. Got involved with some nasty people. Rick’s involved with those same people. Pete, Isla’s dad, has been trying to get out of it for the last few years, and this meeting in New York is part of that. He’s trying to go legit, and that’s where good old Uncle Dave comes in.”

I pull up outside Isla’s house as Luka continues talking.

“Dave doesn’t want to go legit because they’re making too much money. And he’s teamed up with Rick, who Pete screwed over big time a few years back, to basically get Pete to hand the business over to them. They know the only thing he cares about is Isla. He may well be a dodgy fucker in his business dealings, but Pete loves his daughter, that much is clear, and now because of that, she’s a pawn in a very dangerous game. Some very unsavoury people are linked to Dave and Rick. We’re not sure how involved they are in all this, but you need to be careful.”

“Thanks, Luka. I’ve got to go, but can you email me everything you’ve got?”

“I’ll send you flow charts with nice arrows on them linking everyone up and everything,” he deadpans.

“Later.”

“Hey.”

His voice stalls me.

“Do you need me there, mate?” he offers.

“No time. I’ll let you know what’s going on as soon as I can. I’m at Isla’s now. Speak later.”

I hang up and climb out of the car. I’m wearing cargo pants with a long shirt over them. There’s a Sig Sauer tucked into the holster under my shirt at my hip, and a knife on the opposite side. My Beretta back-up is in my ankle holster. None of which is legal in the UK. If I need to use these, I could be looking at a long stretch inside, but I’m not going to risk Isla’s life. Hopefully, I won’t need them.

Getting to her door, I try it and it’s locked. No surprise. I run around to the back and scale the wooden fence surrounding their garden. I use my knife to jimmy the French windows leading into the conservatory, and I’m in luck because when I try the door from the conservatory to the dining room, it’s unlocked, which surprises me.

I enter quietly, in case she’s still here and not alone. Sadie trots over to me and whimpers at me as her whole body wriggles side to side with her wagging tail. I stroke her head, all the time being alert for any sounds or movement in the main body of the house. I do a quick sweep of the downstairs. There’s no one here, and I head upstairs. It’s empty. I frown and look around Isla’s room. Nothing seems particularly out of place.

Clearly, she came back and left again, but where has she gone? Back downstairs, I notice a printed-out news site page on the coffee table. I see a familiar picture. It’s the picture of me, Luka, and the guys from when the shit went down in Afghanistan. We were investigated for it but in the end found to have acted in accordance with the regulations. Luka even got the fucking St. George’s Cross for what he did. But this print-out tells a different story. It states we were under investigation for murdering and raping citizens in Afghanistan. That fucker, Dunn, must have doctored this. He showed it to Isla when she was already upset and paranoid about me.

I jog back out to the car and punch in Liam’s number.

“Ethan.” He picks up on the first ring. “What can I do for you?”

“Can you run a trace on a mobile phone if I give you the number?”

“Sure.”

I rattle Isla’s number off and wait. It seems to take forever as he does his thing. About five minutes later, he speaks up. “She’s moving. Seems like she’s heading toward York.”

Fuck. I gun the engine and shoot out into the quiet road, putting my foot down.

“Send me the details of the route she’s following.”

“You want back-up?”

I hesitate. It might take some time to wait for Liam and Luka to reach me, but going in alone is reckless, and puts Isla at more risk. “Yeah. Be good. Call Luka, too, can you? I’ll start heading in her direction, let me know when you’re on the road and we can meet up. And bring some flash bangs, we need a distraction.”

“Will do.”

He hangs up, and I take a right to head toward York.





Chapter Twenty



Isla



Dave is quiet as we drive. I hate going to his house, but I know Dad will feel better to know I’m there. Dave may creep me out these days with his glances at my boobs and his extra hugs, but I’ve known him all my life. He’s my dad’s best friend. I’ve simply been overly paranoid about him, and my total mistake about trusting Ethan shows me I’ve not got very good instincts when it comes to judging people. Plus, his housekeeper, Sally, will be there, and I’ve known her for years. We get on well, and maybe some girly talk and a big old tub of ice-cream is what I need right now.

He takes a left turn, and I’m confused. This direction heads more toward York, rather than his place.

“Uncle Dave?” I turn to him.

“I need to pick something up, honey. I won’t be long.”

“Okay.” I settle back in my seat and close my eyes.

Ten minutes later, we pull up at a big warehouse complex. I don’t think this is part of their business holdings, but they buy and sell property so quickly I can’t always be sure.