Saving Blu (Kings Reapers MC #4) - Nicola Jane Page 0,8
love to do.
I pull a blanket from my bed and wrap it around myself before stepping out. Police sirens sound in the distance, which is normal for London but I always wonder what they’re rushing towards. I take a seat on a wooden bench and breathe in the cold air.
“I like the night sounds,” comes that deep, gruff voice. I jump in fright but then spot Blu sitting on the floor at the far end of the balcony. Shadows hide his face and I notice his hood is pulled up.
“You scared the shit outta me,” I mutter, clutching my hands to my chest. “For the second time tonight.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” he mumbles. “It’s cos I’m tired.”
“So you often zone out like that and grab hold of women?”
“You were yelling,” he says. “Took me back to another time is all.”
“Thanks for the heads up. Next time, I’ll whisper yell when you piss me off.”
“You don’t know how good a life you got,” he says quietly, shaking his head.
“I do actually. You don’t even know me to make that judgement.”
“Well, you got the next week or so to convince me,” he says. “From tomorrow, I’ll be hanging around that office of yours, watching you make people's dreams come true.”
“You’re my bodyguard?” I snap.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I’m there to watch Eva at Riggs’ request. Luckily for you, she works at your office, so you get to see me every day.”
I head for my room. That's the last thing I need.
BLU
I stare down at my phone, pretending not to listen to the awkwardness of the room. Eva and Gia had an appointment on a caravan site with a Traveller bride who’s got a dress fitting. I’m sitting at the far end of the luxurious caravan as the bride's family stare in horror at the bride-to-be. The bride looks delighted with the bright pink puffy dress as she looks at herself in the full-length mirror.
Gia is tapping her chin thoughtfully, probably trying not to laugh. “It’s gorgeous,” she finally says and murmurs of distress come from the bride's mother. “But,” she adds and a sigh of relief slips out from a few of the family members, “it’s too much. Everyone will be discussing the dress, which is what we want, but not to the point where they forget to look at you. We need something beautiful yet subtle.”
“But this is perfect,” says the bride, plucking at the puffy skirt.
“For a toilet roll holder,” snaps her mother.
“And virgins wear white. If you wear that, everyone’s gonna think you’re not pure,” says one of the other women. The bride's mother sniggers.
“I have a back-up dress that I think will be perfect,” says Gia. Eva rushes off to the car and returns with a bagged-up dress.
An hour later, we’re packing up and heading back to the car, leaving behind one happy bride with an even happier family. “Oh Christ, how the hell did you pull that off?” whispers Eva. We get into the car and the girls burst into laughter. “That dress was hideous!” says Eva.
“I thought her mum was going to explode,” says Gia.
“Fuckin’ crazy women. This is what weddings do to people,” I mutter.
“Oh yeah?” asks Eva. “Speaking from experience?”
“You telling me she wasn’t crazy?” I ask and Eva laughs again. “You get a lot of work from the Travellers?” They don’t have the best reputation amongst society, but I’ve known a few in my time from the cage fighting scene and they were all good men.
“I get loads of work from them. I’ve never had a problem with any of them and now my name’s out there, I get their friends and friends of friends and other family members. Vinn isn’t too keen. He gets worried they’ll cause me trouble.” I snigger to myself because Vinn knows full well they won’t. The Romano name is enough to scare most people.
Hannah places a plate of food down in front of me. “Thanks for coming,” she says.
“You know I can’t resist your homemade curry,” I mutter.
“I thought we could talk,” she says, taking a seat opposite me at the table.
“Where’s Alice?”
“Work. She should be home in an hour or so.”
I begin to shovel food into my mouth. I dropped Eva and Gia safely home at the club and Hannah texted me to say she was making curry for dinner if I wanted to join her. I’m a sucker for good food. “You thought you could sweet talk me with Alice out the way?” I ask.
“Not exactly,