BooksBarbecue
Back The Last Guests
Chapters (54)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. PART ONE
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. DEADLY SAS RAID IN AFGHANISTAN UNDER SCRUTINY
  11. FIVE
  12. SIX
  13. SEVEN
  14. EIGHT
  15. NINE
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. TWENTY
  27. PART TWO
  28. TWENTY-ONE
  29. TWENTY-TWO
  30. TWENTY-THREE
  31. TWENTY-FOUR
  32. TWENTY-FIVE
  33. TWENTY-SIX
  34. TWENTY-SEVEN
  35. TWENTY-EIGHT
  36. TWENTY-NINE
  37. DANIEL MOORE: ‘A SINGLE BLOKE, HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, A BIT OF A DUNCE BUT WITH A GOOD HEART,’ BEST FRIEND SAYS.
  38. THIRTY
  39. THIRTY-ONE
  40. THIRTY-TWO
  41. THIRTY-THREE
  42. THIRTY-FOUR
  43. THIRTY-FIVE
  44. BREAKING: POLICE CONFIRM DANIEL MOORE ACTED ALONE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. SECOND ARREST MADE IN WESTAY HIDDEN CAMERAS CASE
  50. EPILOGUE
  51. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  52. Discover More
  53. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  54. Also by J. P. Pomare

He trains people out of Axel’s gym. Despite his injuries, the scars and a knee that barely bends, he still manages to keep strong. Suits and yuppies like the idea of training the way the SAS do; they’ll pay extra to know they’re in the hands of a trained killer – that’s the gimmick, but Cain’s had a hard time gaining the sort of early traction Axel experienced. He doesn’t have the same gameshow-host charisma. He couldn’t get a business loan, so he put most of the set-up costs on the credit card, and he was still gambling back then. The debts piled up. And then there were the medical bills.

‘The guests must love this?’

‘This is the first booking we’ve taken since the renovation,’ Claire says. It’s clear from the way she oscillates her wineglass, almost spilling the chardonnay, that she’s at least halfway drunk. I had always assumed cool girls like Claire would drink negronis or craft beer, not the wine I associate with middle-aged housewives.

‘Have you guys had any bad reviews?’

A long silence, she takes a sip and the air becomes thick and cool.

‘Not yet,’ she says. Then she turns away from the skyline, facing me. ‘How are you guys going?’

‘Us? We’re good,’ I say, guarded. There is something off in her tone. Did she notice I’ve been preoccupied tonight? She continues watching me until I feel the urge to speak again. ‘Cain’s good. He seems to enjoy working and it’s getting him out of the house. Business seems to be picking up for him.’

Her eyes don’t leave mine as she takes another gulp of wine. ‘Can I talk to you about something that might seem a little…’ Her free hand dances in the air between us. ‘What’s the word… gauche?’ she says. ‘Is that it?’

‘I don’t know,’ I say, a feeling of alarm resonating inside me. ‘It depends.’

A moment passes, I see her uncertainty.

‘What is it?’

‘Look, this is a little awkward but I know you guys are struggling. Axel won’t bring it up directly with Cain.’ A pause. ‘It’s just Axel’s gym is at capacity, and he’s giving up some of his own clients for Cain.’ I can see the colour in her cheeks. She’s holding her glass in two hands but takes one off to twist a finger at the corner of her eye. ‘Axel told me Cain has had a couple of arguments with people at the gym, he snapped at one of the regulars. I guess I’m wondering if everything is okay with him?’