The Temp (25 page)

60

Nick stared again at his wristwatch.
“They’re late.”

“Who’s they Nick?” her voice quivered. “Go on at least say who
they
are?”

“You know who it is,” irritation lined his voice. “Come on, we’ll get started without them.” They stepped forward to the ticket booth. Nick showed the woman at the front desk the tickets.

Eve’s brow sweat, her palms were moist and Nick would not let go of her. She could scream, why didn’t she? Would someone else get hurt if she involved them?

Other people queued along waiting to get inside. People. Public places.
Oh,
Eve was in over her head, with phobias and imminent family drama of the worst kind.

And Nick, traitorous Nick.

How long had he been one of them?

Had they always known where she was?

They walked passed the exhibition doors to the first display.

A black and white photograph of a group of men stood before them blown up to the size of a door. With the heading beneath
;
The Berelli family immigrates to America
.

It was followed by a paragraph.

The family settled in New York and soon became known throughout the area as having a part in every business and happening in the city. The family would go through many changes through the decades to come, however the order has always remained the same.

The hierarchy of the family;

The Boss. The Underboss. Caporegime. Soldiers. Associates.

“So what are you, an Associate soon to be promoted? Nick, why did you bring me here?” her skin prickled all over.

“I thought it would be the perfect place for a meeting.”

“When did they get to you?”

Nick’s phone vibrated. “Good that’s them now. Stay here, I’ll go get them.”

“What?”
they’re coming?

“Won’t be a minute. I’ll come find you.”
I’ll come find you.

They’re here. They’re really here.
“Don’t run, I’ve got the exits covered,” he winked.
He winked!? Oh my god, he’s a psycho!
Her chest seized, the adrenaline slicked hard and fast against her veins.

She couldn’t be here, she couldn’t.              

Nick let go of her hand, stepping back to the exit. He turned his back on her, he was so confident, so assured in his power.

She had nowhere else to run.

The only exit was the same one Nick was going through.

Oh, god.
She couldn’t be here. She couldn’t, no matter what.

This was her chance, her only one. A wave of people walked in and Eve sifted around the side, hiding from the ticket booth through another wave of on-comers.

The museum doors were so close.

Then she ran.

61

“Oh god, oh god, oh god.”

Eve sunk against the wall of her new apartment. She’d run home, it hadn’t been far. They’d look for her here. She couldn’t stay. She couldn’t…Time was of the essence.

Oh god,
she gripped her head. All this time, all this time and Nick…
Nick.
Had she ever been safe? Had she ever…? She’d let herself believe it.

Eve grabbed the duffel bag. After the last time, she’d never unpacked it in case she needed it.

Her phone vibrated. She ignored it.

She didn’t have to check to know it’d be Trigger, he could smell trouble a mile away.

Her phone vibrated again. Eve grabbed the duffel, double checking she had everything this time. This time, she had saved money. Taken it out in small amounts, collected it, saved it and accumulated it. A wad of notes stared back at her.
Good.

It wasn’t much. It was a hell of a lot more than last time.

Her phone vibrated again.

Eve would leave any second.

She just needed a few more things.

Her phone vibrated again.

Then came the knock at the door.

“Eve.” Bang. Bang. “Eve, if you’re there, open up.”

No.
Her chest lurched.

It was Nick.

Eve froze. He’d go away. He would. If she didn’t respond.

“I saw your light on.”
Crap.
Bang, bang. “Come on Eve.”

She grabbed a bread knife. “Go away,” she yelled. “I’m calling the police.”

Then came a lighter knock. “Eve sweetie, it’s Trisha are you alright?”
Trisha?
Oh god, no. No, no, no, no, no.
All this time.

Her knees folded under, her weight sinking into the sofa. How? “Are you alright? We were worried when you weren’t at the exhibition.”

“Evee,” it was Jack’s familiar voice. What the hell was going on?

“Nick, you’d better come back another time. Eve must have really had a hard time in there.”

After a moment of tense silence…

“Bye, Eve,” Nick sounded deflated.

Eve listened to Nick’s muffled steps and watched from her window as he left the apartment building. What was going on?

“Eve, sweetie, was it that bad?” Trisha said through the door.

“What?”

“The claustrophobia.”

“What?”

“I told Nick, you might have issues going in. Fear of crowds, small spaces, confined spaces etcetera. We were going to meet you two there.”

“What?” Eve blinked. She stepped towards the door, staring at the faded paint job.

“Why?” It didn’t make sense, “but the exhibition”-

“-Was my idea. We were supposed to all go together.” Eve braced against the door, her heart pounding out of her chest. “Eve, sweetie open the door.”

“Evee,” Jack chimed in.

Eve finally opened the door. She hadn’t been sure until she’d opened the door. There stood Trisha with Jack, the two of them. Alone. No family, no danger. What the hell was going on?

*

“You thought what?!” gone was Trisha’s motherly love. “How in the”-her voice climbed. “I cannot believe you did that to him? Do you know how long he was waiting to ask you out and this is what you do?!”

Eve crumpled under Trisha’s shouts, “I thought he was going to attack me.”

“At a museum exhibition?” Trisha’s voice rose again.

Eve didn’t want to say that the exhibition itself had been a big factor, after all that was her heritage, the same past she kept running from.

“He was being cryptic.”

“He was trying to surprise you.”

“He said others were coming.”

“He meant us. He wanted to surprise you since he knew we’d moved away!” Eve cringed, Trisha was only getting louder and louder. Jack was off again with his music and headphones, Eve really wished she could do that too. “I told Nick you had problems in crowds and in small spaces and”-

“And the wristwatch? Nick works in a coffee shop, how can he afford to have a silver wristwatch like that?”

Trisha sighed. “He doesn’t like to tell people,” she looked away. “His family have money; he’s trying to disassociate himself with them.”

Eve bit her lip. “You sure know a lot about him.”

“I work with the guy,” she threw up her hands. “Eve, you’re got to relax, you’ve been on edge for a while and I can’t make heads or tails of it. Has this got anything to do with Roman? Or me? Is this my fault? It is isn’t it? If I hadn’t told you about the van”-

“No, Trisha, stop-” her problems had started long before the van.

Trisha sighed again. “Eve, you’re not in any danger.”

Oh
, how she wanted to believe that. 

62

Two weeks later…Eve stepped into the familiar alley.
             

She wasn’t far away from home, though it took her out of her comfort zone like it had the first time, familiar or not. The familiar wet sucking-the-colour-out grey cobblestones and gutter. The familiar reek of rotting food from the dumpster bins a few metres down. The familiar man materialised before her and took her breath away. Trigger was different. His chin had stubble, his hair was dishevelled.

“Trigger, are you”-Eve didn’t know how to finish her words. She hadn’t seen him since the night he’d helped her get away and the morning thereafter when they’d planned her new fake life to divert those who’d watched her.

Her past was catching up to her and so was the present.

Trigger stepped into the sparse light, sucking the colour out of his flesh. “I’m fine. What about the men? Are they still following you?”

She shook her head. “I wasn’t sure if it would work.”

“Neither was I.”

“I’ve been going through the back street entrance.”

“Good.” he stepped forward, he looked hesitant as if he wanted to close the gap between them but resisted. “Unfortunately, I need you to get back in the game again.”

“Trigger”-

“Eve, I’ve given you as much time as I can. I tried with them, I really did. They want you to take action. They’re impatient,” his grey eyes burned. Eve shook her head. “What kind of game are you playing Eve?” the clouds sunk into the alley. Trigger appeared darker, a constant shadow clinging on his skin. 

“You look awful,” she said.

His brow rose. “He really did a number on you didn’t he?” Eve bit her lip and turned away. She was protecting her virginity; didn’t that mean something? He stepped in closer. “Eve, you’re hurting,” he placed a hand on either side of her. “What did he do to you?” his gaze bored into her, she had to look away. His arms pressed her in until her head rested on his shoulder. She hadn’t felt the touch of another human in so long. Trisha hadn’t needed her to babysit for a while.

She was so alone and so forgotten.

“Eve,” he breathed into her hair. “I was afraid of this.”

“Afraid of what?” she pulled back.

“You were too inexperienced to know when you were being played.”

“You think he played me?”

“Eve, he wants what he wants and he’s willing to do whatever he can to get it.”

She blinked. “I need you to go back to him.”

“What?” she stepped back. “No. Please don’t make me do this.”

“It won’t be long before you’re called upon to do what it was you were sent here to do. It’s a few more days; it’ll all be over soon. They need you as close to him as possible when it happens. They’ve given me their word they’ll get you out after. They’ll provide you with a new identity and enough money to live off in another country of your choosing.”

“What?”
this changes everything.

“Eve. I did the best I could at the sacrifice of”-

“Trigger what did you give them?” her voice lost its fight.

“Myself,”
no.
“In exchange for you getting out when the time comes.”

Eve’s hand flew to her mouth, “no.” She couldn’t think. Her fingers graced his skin, cupping the side of his face, those stray gold hairs. “I can’t do it anymore. Tell them I’m out. I’m not changing my mind. I can’t have you taking the blame for me.” Eve stepped off the curb and almost made it out of the alleyway.

“I didn’t want to have to do this,” he said.

Eve stopped in her tracks. She should keep going. She should.

“Please Eve, don’t make me do this. I’m putting everything on the line for you, everything,” there was an edge to his voice.

“I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” she whimpered, she didn’t turn back.

“Especially you.”

“You’re leaving me no choice. There’s something else they wanted to use against you, I told them they wouldn’t need to.”

“You’re lying.” Eve looked at him then turned back again.

“Please Eve, don’t make me do this,” the way he said it shattered her insides.

“I’m not. You’re doing this”-

“Eve, they told me they would use this if you weren’t willing. I’m warning you of what it is so you can be ready. Take a look. They’ve been snooping into your life again and found this. It’s quite”- Eve turned back.

What was it? Papers?
More documents?

“They’re photos.” Trigger held them in his hand.

She snatched them from him. 

…

…

…

Her eyes widened.

Her mouth opened. Closed.

“Oh my god, how did they get these?” the world was caving in on her. 

There was a moment of false calm as she studied the photos again. It repulsed her to look, disgusted her. How could she look away?

Another skeleton in another closet. She’d thought she had nothing left to hide. She’d thought it was all buried…

“Is this really you?” Trigger said. “You said you hadn’t”-

“It’s not me. It’s someone else,” the tears flowed freely. “I swear it.” She couldn’t look at him anymore. It was betrayal of the deepest kind.

A silence swept up in the alley amidst muffled tears.

“I feel like there’s a story there you don’t want to tell me.”

“This isn’t what it looks like”-Eve stopped, knowing it was so cliché to say it in the first place. “You were trying to protect me from this? How long have you known they had this?” she turned on him. “How could you?” her voice broke.

“I only found out this morning.” 

“I feel sick,” Eve clutched her stomach. Her body numbed.

The photos had haunted her for so long. She almost believed she’d buried them in her past, she never thought she’d be seeing them again.

The photos were spilled in shadows and light in a bedroom with mood lighting. The girl was naked and sprawled in various explicit positions throughout them.

Girl, meaning under age. What’s more-

It was Eve.