Steal My Heart (WAYHAUGHT)

Chapter 18

Dolls needed Nicole. And, yet. And, yet. She was a serial thief. Beautiful, with a beautiful girlfriend. Still, a serial thief. He had to be sure what she was telling him rang true.

He needed Doc. If what Nicole was telling him was the truth, Doc was the bigger player in all this. If he could get Nicole and Doc on his side.

He didn't yet know Doc was being pursued by the Russians. Doc had gone to ground. If the Russians were after him, he needed to stay hidden. Doc didn't yet know Nicole and Waverly had been arrested in New York. He assumed they were safe in Nicole's flat. He needed to take care of his own life at this very moment.

A text appeared on his phone.

GCHQ: Nicole in custody.

Doc's initial thought. What the fuck? His second thought. GCHQ. As in, UK's intelligence and security unit. Guessing Nicole had handed over his contact details, he sat looking at the message. Could he trust Nicole not to say too much. Clearly not. OK, think, think. If GCHQ had his phone location, could they, might they get him out of the trouble he was in with the Russians?

He hated relying on others. He had got out of situations on his own before, but he knew the Voi would catch up with him eventually and they never played nicely. He was screwed either way. If there was a slim chance of the good guys getting him out of this bind, at least he would be alive. Locked up, probably. But, alive. Worth a shot.

Doc: Russians on my back. Need help.

GCHQ: We can get you to a secure location.

Trust.

Everything in this life is a question of trust. Yourself. The parent and child. The teacher and pupil. The lovers.

Doc had a hard choice to make. Who do you trust when your life is in danger?

If the Russians got to him he would be screwed. Worse, he would be dead. Nicole was in custody. He needed help.

He sent GCHQ a text to say OK. He prayed the good guys got to him before the bad guys.

Nicole had been moved to a holding facility. She didn't know what was happening. She did know, or hoped she knew, Waverly was safe. Everything else was inconsequential to that being true.

Waverly sat in the interview room. Dolls returned, reading notes in his folder as he entered. He looked up, briefly.

"You're free to go. We'll arrange a hotel for you here in New York. You'll get your passport back when your flight to the UK has been arranged."

Waverly couldn't believe what she was hearing. More tears. The relief. She was free.

"Wait. What about Nicole?"

"She's staying here to help us."

"I'm not leaving without Nicole."

"Miss Earp. You have no choice."

"NO. I am not leaving."

Dolls sat down at the table. He looked tired. He was successful, ruthless, but not cruel.

He motioned to the chair behind Waverly.

"Waverly. Sit please. Listen, what Nicole has done, the crimes she committed will send her away for thirty years or more. She knows this. She's agreed to work with us, but only on the condition you are out of the picture. She's protecting you."

He paused, closing his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Waverly, she's trading her freedom for yours. That's not something you push back in her face."

"I'm not leaving."

He stood. A thought on his mind. He looked at Waverly.

"Why? Why would you stay?"

Waverly returned his look, realising he had never felt what she felt for Nicole.

Nicole spent a lonely night in a cell. She had had no word on Waverly. She couldn't eat. She couldn't sleep. She had screwed up in epic proportions. She had grassed on her partner. It was all a mess. She hugged herself, wishing Waverly was there beside her.

What a fucking mess.

Doc was in Rome. He feared the Russians would have already picked up his phone trace and be on their way. Either that, or be putting in a request for a hit job to the Italian mafia. When you operate in this line of work, there are contacts, favours asked. Favours called in. He might end up being someone's favour.

He sat in his hotel room. He knew the next knock on the door might be last he ever heard.

Or, room service.

Hours had passed since he sent his reply to GCHQ. Too long, he thought.

What a fucking mess.