The Mission (11 page)

‘I got us some chips to share also,’ said Marcus as he sat back down. ‘I missed lunch so I’m starved.’

‘So you all ready for the ball? What time shall I get there?’ asked Jaz.

‘Around eight-ish. I don’t care if we arrive late. I want to get away from the folks as fast as possible so Mum doesn’t fuss.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘I’m apologising in advance for my mum.’

Taylor began to laugh. ‘You haven’t met Anna and Jaz’s mums yet, so I wouldn’t worry too much. You should just be lucky you have her,’ Taylor said with a sad smile.

‘Tay’s mum passed away a few years ago,’ Anna said softly.

‘Oh, sorry man. That’s rough,’ said Marcus. He picked up the saltshaker and rolled it through his fingers. ‘My sister died when she was young. Not as young as Jaz’s sister though. Rach was seven. She drowned in our pool. Since then, Mum’s been more protective of me as I’m all they have now. Are you and your dad close?’ he asked.

Jaz reached under the table and squeezed Marcus’s leg to let him know she cared. He found her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

‘Sort of. He works a lot.’ Taylor shrugged.

Their coffees arrived, giving them a break from the deep conversation. After they all took a sip, it went back to safer territory like school and skateboarding.

‘I prefer going to the range and having a shot. Clears the head,’ said Taylor. ‘And I don’t end up with grazes or bruises.’

Marcus looked confused. Jaz watched him carefully for a reaction of any sort. ‘Tay means shooting guns. He loves it,’ she added.

‘Wow, really? Guns?’ Marcus screwed his face up. ‘Isn’t that weird?’

Jaz liked his reaction. It didn’t look like he’d been around guns, so that was a plus.

‘No, just something I’ve grown up with. My dad has a gun collection. It’s no different to any other sport.’

‘Yeah, dude. Whatever you say,’ said Marcus with a chuckle. He shot Jaz a look as if to say ‘is this guy for real’.

All it did was confirm that Marcus’s dad didn’t walk around with guns or have guards with guns near his kid. And kids find stuff hidden in their parents houses, so if his dad had them around the house somewhere, it was more than likely Marcus would have found them by now. Jaz realised she kept basing her opinions on drug lords from TV shows. Ones with armoured cars, armed guards and vicious dogs. She had to keep remembering that people didn’t have to look like a bikie or the mafia to sell or import drugs.

After they had finished their coffees and eaten all the chips, they made a move.

‘Jaz, you need a ride home?’ Taylor asked.

She glanced at Marcus and he shook his head. ‘Na, I’ve got one. Just make sure Anna gets home safe,’ she said with a wink.

Taylor frowned and she remembered that he didn’t know that she knew he liked Anna. Whoops.

Marcus reached for her hand as they left the coffee shop.

‘I like your friends,’ he said, pulling her close as they stood on the path while her friends walked off to where Taylor had parked the Mustang. ‘But I can’t wait to have you to myself on Saturday.’ He smiled at her, his green eyes swimming with suggestion.

‘I’m looking forward to it too.’

He lent across and gently brushed her lips in a fleeting kiss. It was sweet and it held a promise of what was to come.

‘Let’s go before I lose my control on a busy street,’ he said with a cheeky grin.

‘That I’d like to see,’ she teased.

He groaned as he pulled her towards his car. ‘Get in.’

All the way to her house, the car was filled with an emotional energy, the kind that spoke of his anticipation for their date and the guarantee of something more. Even though they had yet to define their relationship verbally. Jaz felt the excitement herself but was unsure which part was greater, being with Marcus or meeting his parents, as per her job.

Outside her house, he walked her to her door. ‘I’d get you to meet everyone, but no one is home. Do you want to come in anyway?’

He shook his head but pulled her close to him so their bodies touched. ‘No, I’d better not. I have to go pick up Kaino from his place to meet up with the other guys. I’m already late.’ He made no move to leave, even after his declaration. Instead he tightened his arms around her and smiled. ‘But there is one thing.’

‘Yes?’

‘Can I call you my girlfriend?’ he asked softly. His cheeks slightly flushed pink.

She could tell he was holding his breath as he waited for her answer. ‘You may.’

His smile was large and catching. Marcus brought his hands up and gently caressed her face as he kissed her lips. This time it was longer. This time he parted his lips and the pressure was more urgent. This time Jaz felt herself torn between a terrible guilt and the enjoyment of being wanted.

Marcus pulled away. ‘I so have to go. Talk to you soon.’

Jaz waved as he jogged back to his car. But her thoughts were still on that kiss as she tried to decipher her feelings towards it. And the kicker was, she had no one to talk it over with. No one to help her through the emotional rollercoaster of what she was doing. She felt like she was cheating on Ryan when they weren’t even anything and she felt like she was deceiving Marcus even though she found herself enjoying his attention. With a frustrated breath, she spun on her heel and headed inside.

She was burning in anger and frustration. A whole week and still no word from Ryan.

A pain burst from her chest as Tick connected a hit. She doubled over, catching her breath against the pain. But it was good pain, the sort that rendered her mind blank from her thoughts. This fight with Tick was exactly what she needed.

Jaz glanced up at her opponent. His Asian eyes were watching her carefully, his body, covered in tattoos, was still primed.

‘You okay?’ He never said sorry. They had a rule that you never apologised for connecting.

‘Yep,’ she said, trying to stand up as her breath came back. ‘Don’t bruise me too much, I have a dress to wear tonight and purple and green is not a great colour combination.’

Tick laughed and flipped his dark fringe back with his hand. ‘Well, you just better move your arse a bit quicker if you don’t want bruises,’ he teased. He reached out and gripped her shoulder, his brown eyes hinting concern. ‘Nothing broken?’

‘Na, I’m okay. Just needed to get my breath back.’ Tick was the best, he treated her like another fighter: even though he cared for her, he still didn’t take it easy on her. And that’s what Jaz loved. She wanted to be pushed, she wanted to be treated like the others and she loved a fair, hard-worked fight. Tick gave her one every time.

‘Ready?’ he asked.

Jaz didn’t reply. Instead she spun around, lifting her leg to hit him high. She’d caught him a little off guard, but not enough, as her foot brushed past him. He grinned, bright white teeth standing out against his tinted skin. Tick threw a punch, which she deflected. He tried two more consecutively, which she blocked before throwing her own. The hits came and went before the pain could register and Jaz thrived in the release it gave her. Arriving at The Ring this morning to find Tick keen for a fight was God sent. Pax had been away for the week on another mission, the details of which he wouldn’t share with her, so she had been literally on her own waiting for Ryan to reply to her message. And because he hadn’t got back to her she was imagining all sorts of horrible things. Was his mission dangerous? Was he captured? Was he hurt? Jaz was at the point where she thought maybe she should go to James with her information and request a meeting with him sometime soon. But her gut instinct was to go to Ryan. She trusted him and, maybe, if she was true to herself, she was using this information to get to see him.

Tick’s foot brushed through her hair, narrowly missing her head. Jaz laughed. ‘Hey, no high stuff. I have a ball on tonight, remember. The swollen face look is not currently in fashion,’ she puffed, before aiming a punch to his abs, which connected. ‘And on that note, I think we should finish up.’ She shot Tick a winning smile while he rubbed his gut.

‘God I love fighting with you, Jaz. Let’s do it again soon,’ he said, pulling her into a sweaty hug.

Even though Tick was covered with tattoos and scars from his time in his old street gang, they didn’t define him. When his mother had got sick with cancer and died, leaving him to raise his sister, his whole world had changed. He got a serious job, moved his sister to a better area and left the gang. He regretted his life as a young teenager; the things he’d seen and done, and the turf wars they’d had, all seemed so trivial after losing his mum.

‘Yes, soon. What are you doing this arvo?’ she asked as they stood in the gym alone.

‘I’ve gotta take Annaliese to her netball game. Just so you know for later, don’t have girls. All the drama that comes with turning thirteen is nightmarish.’

Jaz laughed. At twenty-five Tick seemed like any normal parent, except he was much too young to have a teenager. One had to admire his love and devotion to his sister. ‘I’m going to have a shower and hang around here for a bit.’

Tick nodded as he headed for the door. His house was only a block away so he never used the showers here. ‘Righto. Have fun tonight, Jaz.’

Jaz followed him out, locked the front door and then went for her shower. She opened the door to her cubicle and started to undress. She turned to throw her clothes over the door and nearly dropped them. Jaz had been so preoccupied with Tick and their fight she had forgotten about Ryan. But here he was. His handwriting was familiar and she felt as if he was standing in the shower cubicle with her. Jaz reached for the note. This time he hadn’t bothered with a code. It simply said ‘my place. 7.30pm’. Her heart was racing. Finally he’d contacted her. Finally she’d get to see him. Finally she felt the relief wash over her as the week’s tension eased out of her limbs.

She felt like shouting with joy. The note clutched in her hand felt so precious, as if she was touching Ryan. She resisted the urge to hold the note against her heart in case she ruined it with her sweat from the fight. Reluctantly she put the note in her bag, after reading it again another three times. While she showered she couldn’t control the tingling in her skin and the nervous buzz like a million bees circling her body. He was finally home. Back at his house.

But his timing sucked as she realised she had to be at Marcus’s at eight. She’d have to go to Ryan’s on her way to the ball. It wasn’t ideal. She wanted more time with him, not a rushed half hour. But it was better than nothing, she reassured herself. Any amount of time was better than nothing.

Later in the day, as Jaz was getting dressed for Marcus’s ball, she kept looking at Ryan’s note. Only three words, but they kept her on edge all day as if she was about to take flight with nervous energy. She had it stuck on her mirror after she got sick of pulling it out of her bag to look at every five minutes.

Jaz pulled her sage dress from her robe and hung it on the door.

Anna was with Ricky but had requested a photo of her in her dress. Taylor had got bored at home, more like didn’t want to be there, and had insisted on helping her get ready. Luckily she knew he wasn’t serious and he was actually downstairs playing games with Simon. But Jaz much preferred Taylor at her house than thinking of him alone at his home. She felt that he wasn’t safe, that the man was still out there, lurking in the shadows waiting to come back and finish the job. That’s why seeing Ryan tonight was important. She was hoping he could help.

Jaz slipped the dress on. Her hair she’d tied back into a lose knot at the nape of her neck. Her make-up she’d left light, with a hint of green eye shadow, but thickened her long eyelashes with mascara. The dress said it all, really.

Sinking her feet into her silver heels, she grabbed her silver clutch purse. Before leaving her room, she took Ryan’s note and hid it in her book on the desk.

‘What do you think?’ she asked Simon and Taylor.

Simon stared at her for a bit, then shrugged and went back to his game. Taylor, on the other hand, let his controller drop as he went to her.

‘Wow.’

Jaz smiled. She hoped she would get the same reaction from Ryan. The dress was a soft sage green with a wide V-neck that went out to the edge of her shoulders, where short soft sleeves draped towards her elbows. Just under her bust was a soft wraparound belt in the same material, which knotted at the front and fell with the rest of the soft flowing material. The dress was almost backless, showing off her smooth skin.

‘Thanks. I’m just going to call a taxi and then I’m off. You gonna stay with Simon?’ Jaz pulled out her phone from her clutch.

‘Hey, no. I’ll drive you.’

‘No, don’t do that. I can take a cab.’

‘And sit in something sticky or smell of some incense or bad body odour, I don’t think so. The ‘Stang chariot awaits,’ he said, with that stern look in his eye.

Damn it. Taylor wasn’t going to let this go. She didn’t want Taylor to see she was going to Ryan’s. How could she get out of this?

‘Whatever you are about to say, I don’t care. I’m still driving you.’

Shit. ‘Fine, but I need to go somewhere else first if that’s okay.’ Now she just had to figure out a story. Taylor already knew that Marcus lived in Cottesloe, so she couldn’t pass Ryan’s house off as his.

‘Let’s go,’ he said as he pulled the car keys from his pocket. ‘Si, I’ll see you soon. I’ll be back for another game.’ Simon nodded but didn’t turn away from his game.

‘Your folks won’t mind if I hang around here with Simon, will they?’ he asked as he held the car door open for her.

The sun had gone down; the night was pushing the last of the dying light with it. The air also had a cool crispness to it, making Jaz shiver. But most of that was from the turmoil of emotions raging inside her. She was about to see Ryan again.

Jaz tucked the soft material of her dress inside the Mustang so it wouldn’t get caught in the door. It was full-length, all the way to the floor, and she didn’t want it torn. ‘Not at all, Tay,’ she said when he got back in the driver’s side. ‘You can stay the night too, then I have someone to talk to when I get back,’ she offered.