We climb out of the car, followed by Ronin, and walk up the path to the door. The hostess seems to have been expecting us. She gives us the ogling once-over before bringing us to a private room in the back.
“Danny’s waiting for you,” she says, indicating that we should go on in. She touches my arm and gives me a seductive pout. I scowl and shake off her hand. This isn’t the time or place for a come on, as if I’d ever even consider fucking anyone associated with my disgusting brother.
Dax snickers under his breath as we enter the room, Ronin right behind us. In front of us is my brother, sitting at the head of a large table like he’s some sort of Godfather, a spread of food covering most of the space. A ridiculously dressed thug is sitting next to him and is immediately told to move by my brother.
Danny smiles at us, a man who looks so much like me, yet not like me at all. We have the same dark hair, same hazel eyes, but Danny’s are hollow and lifeless, indicative of someone who has seen and done things that most people won’t. He’s much thinner than me, a sign of too little exercise and too many drugs. His skin is pasty and there are dark circles under his eyes. The red rims around his nostrils are like a neon sign pointing to his drug of choice.
“Adam! Dax! If it isn’t the famous rock stars. Have a seat and grab a plate,” Danny says, acting like this is some kind of family reunion instead of a forced get together because of my brother’s supreme negligence.
I reluctantly sit, but refuse to eat anything. I don’t want Danny thinking that this is a friendly meeting. Plus, this place is repulsive. There’s probably rat crap in the teriyaki.
“Danny, we’re not here for food,” I say tersely. My body is so tense it feels as if the slightest movement will set me off, ready to explode in fury. I hate it, it reminds me of our dad.
“Oh come off it, Adam. Humor your brother.” Danny sniffs and wipes his nose, his eyes gleaming as he leans back in his chair like he’s a respected Mafioso. What a fucking joke, he’s a small time drug dealer in the East End, not the head of a notorious international crime syndicate.
“No!” I slam my fist down on the table, rattling flatware and dishes. “I want to know what you’ve been doing with the thousand quid a month I’ve been sending you, because it sure as hell isn’t being used to protect Ellie Palmer!”
“Thousand quid!” Dax says incredulously. I hold up a finger to silence him.
“I’m sure you’re mistaken…” Danny squirms uncomfortably under my sharp gaze. “My men…”
“Shut the fuck up! I’m not mistaken, Danny! That sodding bastard has gone for her twice, and succeeded in hurting her once! Why the fuck weren’t your chavs keeping him in line?” I lean forward in my chair, within striking distance of Danny, whose smirk is really starting to piss me off.
Right on cue, his idiot thug stands up and moves closer to me, which causes Ronin to move forward, shooting an intimidating glare at Danny’s thug.
“Hey!” my brother says, holding his hands up in a sign of peace. “Let’s keep this civilized, shall we?”
“It stopped being civilized the second Ellie was assaulted by that prick! What the fuck am I paying you for?”
“Well, I would think it was because you wanted to share some of your good fortune with your brother,” Danny says in his slimiest voice.
“Like I give a fuck about you,” I snarl. “I only care about Ellie, so if you can’t keep her safe, the money stops. Today.” I pound the table one more time to show him I’m serious.
My brother’s face goes white, then he quickly regains his composure. He doesn’t like looking a fool in front of anyone.
“Don’t threaten me, little brother. It won’t turn out well for you to be associated with someone like me. One call to the press and your reputation is shit.”
“Like I said, I don’t give a fuck about anything but Ellie.” I grit my teeth together in frustration. “So quit the fucking around and tell me what happened.”
Danny sighs tiredly and rolls his eyes, as if this is just so beneath him to discuss. “The idiot was in prison, armed robbery I think, or maybe assault. So we stopped worrying about him until his scheduled release date. I guess none of my men noticed when he was let out early.” He waves his hand carelessly, not concerned in the least that he failed at doing the one and only thing I’ve ever asked of him.
I bolt out of my seat, too furious to be calm anymore, and get right up in his face. “She could have died! He cut her and terrorized her and broke her bones and all you can say is no one noticed? I should beat the crap out of your worthless piece of shit arse!” I fist his shirt in my hands and yank him up out of his chair, his glassy eyes pop open in shock.
Danny’s chav leaps towards us with the intent to separate me from my brother, but Dax and Ronin hold him back easily. “Let them have it out, it’s a family thing,” Dax growls.
“The money’s done, Danny. It’s over. You won’t get another pound from me, ever.” I release his shirt and shove him back down into his chair. “Come on, let’s get out of this shithole.”
Dax and Ronin follow me out of the restaurant as I seethe silently. My hands are shaking with the urge to do violence to my brother. It took everything I have to not throw him to the ground and beat on him until he begged for mercy.
I will not become my father. I will not become my father.
We climb back into the car for the ride back to the hotel, and then off to the airport to whatever city our next show is in. None of this crap is important anymore. All I want to do is go to El and curl up under the covers with her and shut out the rest of the world. Fuck all the rest of this shit.
Dax claps me on the shoulder. “Sorry man, I had no idea about Ellie and Callum.”
“I know.” I watch the city I grew up in pass by, wondering where Ellie is in the tangle of buildings and eight million people. Soon enough, she’ll be with me all of the time and I won’t have to wonder.
I smile at the thought and close my eyes so I can daydream about our future.