𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 • 𝙟𝙤𝙝𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙗𝙮

• 4 •

A COLD wind whipped across my face, making me regret leaving my bed that morning. As I stood outside the bakery, shivering in my boots, a car finally pulled up. I prepared to hurl insults at Tommy for arriving so late, but I bit my tongue and was filled with both disappointment and confusion when Michael left the vehicle.

"The fuck are you doing here?" I asked, my arms folded tightly across my chest in an effort to preserve some warmth.

"Good fuckin' morning to you, too, Alex," He greeted with a shit-eating grin, the look of smugness on his face making me want to punch it. "You ready to go?"

"What do you mean?" I frowned, glancing behind him to look into the car. "Where's Tommy?"

"He isn't coming," Michael revealed, leaning against the door. "He said he trusted that the two of us would get results."

"I can get results myself; you may as well go home," I grumbled, just as Alfie walked over while throwing his half-smoked cigarette to the ground.

"Don't be horrible to him; the more the merrier," He said before shaking Michael's outstretched hand. "Alfie Solomons, at your service."

"Michael Grey," He replied before raising his eyebrows. "We should leave soon. The Mallow twins don't seem like the type to appreciate lateness."

I rolled my eyes before taking the keys out of Michael's hand, ignoring the frown on his face and getting into the driver's seat. While Alfie got into the passenger's seat, Michael just huffed before silently climbing into the back.

I wasn't sure what message Tommy was trying to get across by sending Michael instead of coming himself, but I wasn't happy about it.

"By the way, Alex," Michael began, leaning forward, "You look well nice."

Turning to face him, I said nothing, giving him the dirtiest look I could muster.

"Fucking hell, Tulip, the boy only paid you a compliment," Alfie laughed, before hitting his leg. "Right. Let's go and get this day over with."

"Not excited to meet the twins?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him while I started the engine.

The smile on his face dropped as he glared out the window, shaking his head. "No, I fucking am not."

•

"THESE PEOPLE are the fanciest I've ever seen," Michael said as I drove up the long road, his tone filled with wonder. "They must all be millionaires."

"They may look pretty on the outside, but on the inside they're all scum," Alfie grumbled, his jaw clenched. "I wouldn't wanna be on their good side, let alone their bad."

"This is the one," Michael called out. I slowed down the car before parking outside the enormous manor, taking in the sheer size of it.

I turned the car off before sighing, feeling almost nervous to go in. As Michael and I left the car, Alfie stayed put. Walking around to his side, I stopped by his window and threw up my hands. "Well? What are you just sitting there for?"

Alfie snorted. "If you think I'm going in there, you're absolutely barking mad."

My eyes narrowed, "And why the fuck not?"

He leaned forward, his face void of any emotion. "Good luck, Tulip."

Rolling my eyes, I gave up with trying to get an answer out of him and turned to walk onto the long, winding pathway. I tried not to let my nerves show, but on the inside I was shaken. How bad must the Mallow brothers have been for Alfie fucking Solomons to be scared of them?