12

A loud buzzing noise shocked me awake, sending vibrations through my body. I felt a hand lift off my back and Alex move off the sofa where he’d been sitting next to me.

As he got up to answer the door, he looked back and said, ‘Don’t worry, it’s just Jack and Sara.’

I uncurled my aching body, kicking the blanket off me and pushing my hair out of my face. The dying sunset threw a few last notes of colour into the room. I wondered what the time was and how long I’d been asleep.

I got up, my heart leaping as I heard Jack’s voice in the corridor.

He came through into the living room, Alex and Sara following. Jack came right over to me and held me tight for a minute or two.

‘You OK?’ he whispered into my hair.

I just nodded my head against his shoulder.

‘So, what did you find out?’ Alex had crossed to the windows and pulled down the blinds. He flicked a switch and a sidelight came on, casting a warm orange glow around the room. Sara sat down next to me on the sofa, Jack perched on the arm.

‘It’s all good. It was a false alarm,’ he said. ‘We’re still not sure what triggered it, but it must have been an electrical fault because there was no security breach. We checked all the surveillance films and there was no sign of anything out of the ordinary.’

‘Least we know it works,’ Alex said with a little shrug.

‘Yeah, I guess so,’ Jack said. He looked at me now. ‘And you don’t need to worry about anything, Lila, you’re not in any danger. We’ve managed to pick up their trail. They’ve crossed the border into Mexico.’

I glanced at Alex. Did that mean he was free to let me out of his sight again?

‘If you know where they are, why don’t you arrest them?’ I asked.

‘It isn’t as easy as that,’ Alex said.

Man, how hard could it be? A whole unit of trained Marines hadn’t been able to catch my mum’s killers, and now they were telling me they couldn’t stop these guys, either. I was starting to wonder how good Marine training actually was.

‘Listen, can Lila stay here tonight?’ Jack said, diverting the conversation. ‘I have to get the window fixed in her room.’

I glanced sheepishly at Jack. He was giving me a look.

‘How did you manage that one?’

‘Um, well, I . . .’

‘It’s cool,’ Alex cut in, saving me. ‘Of course Lila can stay. I’ll drop her back tomorrow morning.’

I peeked at him through my lashes, grateful for the save. Maybe he realised I didn’t want to explain to my brother that I broke a window because I was pissed with him and his boss.

Jack stood up and motioned to Alex and the two of them wandered off into the hallway. I looked at Sara and she smiled at me.

‘Jack told me you were just outside when the alarm went off, that must have been a bit of a surprise.’

I thought back to the crush of Alex’s weight as I lay on the pavement and my first ride on a motorbike. ‘Yeah. It was pretty exciting.’

‘It’s never happened before. You should have seen the reaction inside the building.’

‘Really?’ I asked. ‘I didn’t see anyone coming out to check what was going on.’

‘Lockdown,’ Sara explained. ‘The entire building shuts down when the alarm goes off. We can’t get out.’

‘I’m glad I was outside, then.’ If only Rachel had been a few minutes behind schedule I’d never have met her, I thought. I wouldn’t have run off. But then I wouldn’t have found out I was being guarded and I wouldn’t be getting to spend the night with Alex.

What did it matter, anyway? Alex and Rachel obviously had a thing going on. I shut my eyes. When I opened them, I saw Sara looking at me with a concerned expression. I tried to smile but it came out as a grimace.

‘Don’t worry. The Unit are on top of this. You’ll be perfectly safe until you go back to London.’

My jaw clenched. Go back to London. Like I needed a reminder about that.

Jack came back into the room. He strolled over and kissed me on the top of my head. ‘I’m going back to the base with Sara now. We’ll see you tomorrow.’

I looked quizzical. ‘It’s Alex’s birthday tomorrow, remember? You’re still on for a party, right?’ she said, looking at Alex.

He looked at her. ‘Do I have a choice?’

‘No!’ She laughed. ‘But we’ll do dinner beforehand. Just the four of us.’

At least it wasn’t five. If I had to sit through a double date with Rachel the chances were that more than a window was going to get broken. It would be far too dangerous in a room with forks. And knives.

Alex followed them out into the hallway and I heard him setting the alarm.

‘Come on, let’s get you to bed,’ he said, when he came back in.

‘No, really, I’m fine here on the sofa,’ I protested.

‘Listen, if I have to pick you up and carry you in there, you’re sleeping in my bed.’

The words sounded so good – it was a shame they didn’t mean what I wanted them to. I thought about protesting some more, but decided it would be more dignified to walk.

In his bedroom, Alex opened the wardrobe. I stared at myself in the floor-length mirror. Still dressed in my shorts and pink vest, my hair hanging in waves down my back, I noticed the scrapes on my knees. My eyes looked tired, with faint shadows under them. I felt like I’d lived through the longest day.

Alex turned and threw me a T-shirt. ‘Here, you can sleep in this if you want. Just don’t go stealing it again.’

‘I didn’t steal it,’ I stammered in protest. I had so stolen it.

‘I’m just kidding with you. You can keep it if you want.’ He was laughing.

I turned away so he wouldn’t see my face turning beetroot.

He crossed over to the windows and drew down the blinds then came over and put his arm around me. ‘Sleep well,’ he said, then bent and kissed me on the top of my head.

Always the top of my head.