Instead of grabbing Liberty off the street to keep it real, like we’d agreed, and just securing her for a couple of days, what did they do instead? They grabbed Libby’s friend Troy Ealing as well. Troy Ealing, for God’s sake. Just my damned luck. What was Misty thinking? Company for Libby? There was no other earthly reason to bring him along. For Shaka’s sake, he’s just a teenage boy. One punch and they could’ve knocked him on his arse and out cold, left him on the pavement and fled with Libby. Sweet as a honey-roasted peanut. But no – they just had to take Troy along for the ride as well. And who is Troy’s sister? Callie Rose Hadley. I mean, you couldn’t make it up!

Just my damned luck.

Oliver must’ve persuaded the other two that, though greed was good, to cut me out of the deal and go it alone would be even better. Well, look where that got them. Weighed down and feeding the fishes in the River Thames. The word is out that they breathe no more. Where does that leave me? Precisely nowhere – for now.

Liberty Jackman, or rather her father’s money, was supposed to be my all-expenses-paid ticket out of here to a stress-free, very comfortable existence. Damn it, it’s my due. Now all my plans have been shot to hell. So I have no choice but to play a waiting game.

What I need to do now is keep my mouth shut, my eyes open, and watch and learn. Then maybe, just maybe, there can still be a pay day at the end of all this for me. Perhaps there’s even a way to turn this fiasco to my advantage. After all, who knows of my involvement? Damn few and they’re all dead – or they soon will be. The first thing I need to do is get to Liberty and Troy before they can be interrogated by anyone else.

Lord knows what Misty might’ve revealed about me before she was killed. Did she tell Liberty that I was the one who masterminded the whole plan in the first place? If Liberty and Troy know enough about me to spill the tea before I get to them, then I’ll be up to my bottom lip in churning-crap creek with my mouth wide open. The bullets in my gun have their names on them and the choice is simple – it’s them or me. And it sure as hell isn’t going to be me.

I wish it hadn’t turned out like this, but it is what it is. I’ve come too far now to turn back. I can’t and won’t let anyone get in my way.