Beautiful Liar (12 page)

“How does next Sunday suit you?”

Relief coursed through me. If he kept using me for the games each week, I'd be able to maintain the payments to Sergei. “That would be great.”

“Alex?” the leggy brunette called impatiently from the
other side of the room. “You ready to go?”

He frowned, clearly irritated. “Give me a minute.”

“Don't hang around on my account,” I said lightly. “Although whatever will Tori say about your new friend?”

“She won't say anything. Tori knows the score. She knows I'm not a one-woman man. In fact, say the word and I'm happy to ditch her.” He inclined his head towards the brunette.

“I told you before, I'm not sleeping with you.”

“I know. I'm just saying—I'm happy to ditch her if you want me to drive you home.”

For once, he looked serious, and I wasn't sure how to react. I attempted to look disdainful. “As flattering as your offer is, I'm not planning to get into a car with someone who's been drinking or doing drugs.”

“Who says I have?”

“Well . . . I've seen you.”

He frowned, looking genuinely confused. “What? Tonight?”

Now that he said it, I realised I hadn't. “I suppose I just assumed . . .”

“So just because I've been known to have a drink or indulge in some recreational pharmaceuticals, you assume I'm out driving around drunk or coked out of my brain? That's quite a leap.”

I realised he was right. I swallowed hard, and tried to
bring things back to the original question. “Still . . . I'd rather get a cab.”

“Fair enough. Suit yourself. But just for the record, I haven't had so much as a sip of low-alcohol beer tonight. Just because I don't play by the rules like Giles doesn't mean I'm an idiot.”

He turned away without another word, and I watched him walk over to the brunette, who I was sure I recognised from the front cover of one of that month's magazines. I couldn't hear their exchange, but he offered her his hand and pulled her to her feet. They laced arms and walked towards the exit.

As the door slammed closed, the noise echoed around the empty room. I realised then that I was the last one there, alone in the vast room. I suddenly felt a huge sense of anticlimax. I'd enjoyed the night more than I wanted to let on, even to myself. Even though I hated to admit it, it felt good for once to do something wild and dangerous.

I pushed the thought away, and tucked my money into the inside pocket of my jacket and headed out into the cold, bright day. Sergei's enforcers were due round to collect the first instalment of his money, and I had no desire to make them wait.

“Nice work the other night,” Alex said. It was the following Friday evening, and he'd cornered me just as I was dropping some glasses at the bar. I hadn't seen him at the club so far that week, but he'd turned up tonight about an hour earlier. “Are you still up for Sunday?”

I felt adrenaline course through me—fear mixed with excitement at the prospect. “Sure.” I tried to sound casual, but secretly I was pleased to hear that the game was still on. I'd paid Sergei the first instalment, but another was due on Monday.

Something must have caught Alex's eye, because his gaze shifted upwards. He looked amused as he said, “I think we have an audience.”

I looked over and saw Jas watching us. I could see the quizzical look on her face, and knew she was wondering why I was talking to Alex again. Great. The last thing I
needed was her jumping to conclusions and assuming I'd become one of the gold-diggers who fawned all over the wealthy clientele.

“I'd better go.”

“Why the rush?” Alex was standing in front of me, and I had my back pressed against the wall, so the only way I could get out was for him to move aside to let me. But instead of backing away, Alex took a step closer, his eyes glinting with mischief. Before I could stop him, he reached out and took a strand of hair that had fallen across my face and smoothed it behind my ear, his hand trailing down my cheek and coming to rest on my shoulder in a deliberately intimate gesture. “Worried your friend will disapprove of you fraternising with me?”

His hand was still on my shoulder, and he began to gently massage my collarbone. I knew he was trying to cause trouble—and trying to get a rise out of me—so I made sure to return his gaze levelly, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing a reaction. “I'm just surprised you're trying to draw attention to the fact we're hanging out together. I thought we'd agreed no one was meant to know about this?”

“Hmm.” He cocked his head to one side, studying me, and for a moment I wondered if he was going to make a scene. But then he held up his hands in mock surrender. “You're right. As always.” He looked over again at Jas. “I'll leave you to explain our little tête-à-tête, and text you the
details about Sunday later.”

I walked over to where Jas was standing.

“You two seemed very cosy,” she said. “What was that all about?”

“Nothing.” My eyes flicked over to where Alex was walking across the floor to his usual group. Two girls—blondes, of course—made room for him on the sofa. As he dropped down between them, I watched his arms snake round their shoulders. It gave me an idea. “He was just trying it on with me.”

Jas groaned. “You and every other girl in the room. I hope you told him where to go.”

I forced a smile. “That's exactly what I did.”

“It's like that scumbag Hugh,” she muttered darkly. “He's here tonight, giving me puppy-dog eyes. Like I'm just supposed to forget him blanking me last week.”

I followed her gaze, and saw that Hugh was sitting across the room, staring back at her. He gave her a hopeful little smile and a wave, but she just huffed and turned away. I couldn't help feeling proud of her for not caving in.

Then, just before three, I stood by the bar, taking a quick break. It was coming up to closing, which was always a slower time for us. Pretty much everyone was on the dance floor, so there was no point trying to collect glasses until the clubbers had begun to filter out.

I glanced around the room, and caught sight of Jas
standing over to one side in the corridor leading to the powder room. Hugh was there, too. She stood with her back against the wall, arms folded, while he was in front of her holding her hand and, from the anguished look on his face, clearly apologising. She looked stony-faced, like she was refusing to accept what he said, and I felt proud of her.

Then, a moment later, Hugh dipped down onto his knees, clasping his hand over his heart in a theatrical gesture as he spoke. I watched as Jas's mouth twitched. She was clearly trying not to give in to him, but a second later she lost her battle and started to laugh. I rolled my eyes as she gestured for him to get up off the floor.

Jas obviously felt my gaze, because she glanced over in my direction. The disapproval on my face must have been clear, because she said something quickly to Hugh and then hurried over to me.

I probably shouldn't have said a word, but after so many years of seeing my mum make a fool of herself over a worthless man, I couldn't hold back.

“What the hell, Jas?”

“Oh, don't be cross. It wasn't how it looked.”

“Oh?” I crossed my arms, waiting for the explanation.

“Honest. Hugh explained everything. He was with these clients he was trying to impress, and they can kind of be chauvinist pigs. He didn't want to introduce me because they wouldn't understand me working here, and he thought they'd
take liberties.” She chewed at her lip, her voice growing smaller under my gaze. “He was just protecting me, really.”

“I see.” I didn't bother to keep the scepticism out of my voice.

“Oh, babes, I know you don't buy it. But he's a good one, I know it. He said he's sorry, and I believe him.”

“And what—you're just happy to give him a second chance? How can you trust him after what he did? What if he hurts you again?”

She thought about it for a moment, and then shrugged. “Then I guess I'll cry about it and move on. But I'd rather risk getting hurt than pass up the chance to be with someone I really like because I'm scared.”

Her reasoning drew me up short. I'd assumed she was just being naïve, but it seemed like she'd given it a lot of thought. Still, it didn't mean she was doing the right thing.

“It's up to you, Jas. But just be careful of him, that's all.”

“Don't worry, babes.” She patted my cheek. “I can look after myself.”

I watched as she ran over to him, her face lighting up as they spoke. But however happy she looked, I couldn't help feeling that she was making a huge mistake.

* * *

Over the next couple of weeks, my life settled into a routine.
I saw April on Tuesday evenings; got an update from my mother's rehab counsellor every Friday; and worked at Destination Wednesday through Saturday. And then on Sundays, I acted as dealer at Alex's poker nights.

The second game ran much the same as the first one. There was another the following week, and that went smoothly, too. I got paid a thousand pounds for each, plus healthy tips. After the third game, I'd already paid off four and a half thousand of the twelve thousand owed to Sergei. The money was so good that it began to make me forget all about the risk.

But the night of the fourth game, just before we started, the door of the Empire Suite opened, and Giles appeared. At first I thought he'd been invited—but then I saw how unhappy he looked.

Alex was in one corner, briefing the bouncers. When he spotted Giles, he stopped and held out his arms in a theatrical welcome. “Brother! I don't remember inviting you.”

But Giles didn't seem in the mood to be charmed. “Jesus, Alex. I can't believe you're up to your old tricks.” He gave a pointed glance around the room. “Using our hotel suites for your illegal poker games?” He ran a hand through his short sandy hair. “You know if you're caught you'll go to jail and the hotel could get closed down. Or is that what you're hoping for?” I stood up from the couch where I'd been sitting, feeling like I needed to make my presence felt. Giles's
eyes widened when he saw me. “And you've dragged Nina into this, too?” He shook his head, as though my involvement upset him most. “What the hell's wrong with you?”

“Nina's perfectly fine.” Alex looked unperturbed. “You worry too much. We're not going to get caught. As long as you're not going to blab, that is.”

The last part was said almost as a question, and Giles shook his head. “You know I'm not about to do that.”

“Good.” Alex waited a beat. “And just how did you find out about this, anyway?”

“It wasn't that hard to figure out. I remember all your tricks from last time. I saw you recruiting players at Destination, and then I checked the hotels to see which suite you were using.”

“Well, aren't you the smart one? Now I remember why you're our father's favourite.”

Alex made to walk away, but Giles caught his arm. “You can't keep holding games here, Alex. This is the last one, or I will tell Dad.” Giles's eyes flashed over to me. “And if you do anything to get Nina into trouble, so help me . . .”

They stared at each other for a long moment, and then Alex wrenched his arm away and walked off to speak to his guests, leaving me alone with Giles.

He turned to me. I could see his disappointment. “Oh, Nina—how the hell did he rope you into this?”

I couldn't help feeling ashamed. Giles had been good to
me these past few weeks—always stopping in the corridor to ask how I was getting on, and seeming genuinely interested in the response. Now I felt like I'd let him down—he'd asked me to stay away from Alex, and I'd managed to get myself caught up in one of his schemes.

“I needed the money,” I said in a small voice.

“Then why didn't you come to me? I'd have given it to you—no questions asked.”

Maybe he would have—but I'd still have felt obliged to pay him back at some point. And earning the money doing these games was so easy—a quick way of paying off the loan.

When I didn't say anything, he sighed. “Look, I don't know how Alex managed to drag you into this, but I just want you to think twice before you continue working for him. He's my brother, and I care about him, but he's self-destructive. Don't let him drag you down, too.”

“It's just a few games—” But even to my own ears that justification sounded weak.

“No, it's not. What you have to understand is that Alex wants to be caught. That's his way of hurting our father.” I went cold at the thought. “I'm not going to tell Dad about your involvement, but understand this—if he finds out, then you'll be gone. And that's not the worst of it. If the police raid one of these things, you'll end up in prison. I'd hate that to happen to you.”

First Jas, and now Giles. The warnings from these people—people
I trusted—about Alex made me think twice about what I was doing. Somehow I'd begun to warm to him. But now I realised how important it was to remember the kind of person he was. He was jaded and dangerous, someone who lived on the edge. My association with him was through necessity—and I would do well to remember that.

Movement across the room made us both look up. The players were taking their places at the table. The game was about to begin.

“I'd better get out of here,” Giles said. “And if you've got any sense you'll do the same. Just give what I said some thought, will you?”

He squeezed the top of my arm reassuringly, and then left. I had no doubt that he was right—I should have been leaving. But my situation gave me no option but to stay.

* * *

Later that night, after the game, I stood waiting for Alex to pay me. I still felt shamed by Giles's words. Alex must have noticed the dip in my mood, because just as he was about to hand the money over, he cocked his head to one side, studying me closely. “What's up with you?”