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knew he’d impressed Tommy. Well, why wouldn’t he? He was good at what he did. Tommy said he was a cocky little bastard but then he offered him the job on the spot. If Nathan could prove himself, he could move up the ranks quickly, and one day maybe even run things himself. It was the opportunity he’d been waiting for. His whole life had been in preparation for this. The thought that he was destined for greater things was the only thing that got him out of bed every morning. Working for someone like Tommy was what he was born for. Nathan Conlon was well aware that he was only good at one thing – hurting people. After all, he’d learned from the best.
Then there was that bird – Grace. There was something about her. She was gorgeous, but she seemed to have absolutely no idea of that. He closed his eyes and pictured her. Big brown eyes and long dark hair. She’d been wearing a baggy T-shirt and jeans, but he’d still been able to see her big tits and slim waist beneath. She was shy too, and different from the girls he usually fucked about with. He smiled as he remembered how she blushed and almost ran away when he spoke to her. And then of course there was the fact that she owned that pub. The place was a gold mine. Eighteen years old and it was all hers. The things he could do with that kind of capital behind him.
He was looking forward to seeing her again later. If he played his cards right, she’d probably let him spend the night. Sitting up in bed, he took a cigarette from the packet on the bedside table, lit it and took a long drag.
Yes, this was going to be a good year for him.
Present Day
Grace could see Ivan waving frantically through the coffee shop window, trying to get her attention. She ordered a latte from the young barista and joined him at his table.
‘Thanks for meeting me here, Grace,’ he said. ‘I didn’t fancy the prospect of your Nathan turning up and giving me another grilling.’
‘Not a problem,’ she said. ‘But he’s not my Nathan.’
She had other plans that required her being out of the way for the day anyway, now that Nathan was calling into the pub almost every day, as he had done for the past two weeks. Always under the pretence he was there to see Jake, of course. Jake, who neither worked or lived there. It was infuriating. Knowing that he could turn up at any moment made her feel like she always had to be on her guard. It was bloody exhausting.
Ivan Golding had been Grace’s accountant for almost twelve years. He handled all her money and investments and he was very good at what he did. He had become a dear friend and she trusted him implicitly.
‘What did Nathan say to you, then?’ she asked Ivan.
‘He came to my office and asked me why I was visiting you at home and what business we had together. He started getting a bit aggressive, Grace. So, I had to tell him I’m your accountant, just to get him to stop glaring at me like that.’ Then in a voice that was barely a whisper, he said, ‘I think he thought we were, well – you know.’
She stifled a laugh. Ivan was a lovely man but he was over twenty years older than her and a few inches shorter too. Not Grace’s type at all. Not to mention he was as camp as they come. She was sure Nathan didn’t think that anything was going on between them, it was just one example of his many intimidation tactics.
‘So, then what did he say?’ she asked, anxious to find out just what exactly Nathan was up to.
‘He kept asking me why you needed an accountant and what pies you had your fingers in, or something like that. He really is quite vulgar, Grace; I truly don’t understand what you ever saw in him. Well, aside from the obvious,’ he said, raising his eyebrows in a gesture so comical it almost made her spit her coffee at him.
‘Whatever do you mean, Ivan?’ she asked him with a smirk, feigning her ignorance.
He let out a short laugh. ‘You know exactly what I mean. You cheeky mare; he looks like he just walked out of a photo shoot for GQ magazine.’
She nodded then. ‘Ah yes, that, and there’s also the fact that he’s hung like a donkey.’
Ivan looked at her in mock horror, his mouth agape, until they both started laughing so loud they started to draw attention to themselves.
‘Anyway,’ Ivan continued, ‘I told him you just like to keep the pub books in order, and that was that. I was quite firm with him, and I think he got the message. I told him nothing of the restaurants. And certainly, nothing of your other investments and activities,’ he said quietly. ‘And obviously, I never would.’
‘Thank you, Ivan. I appreciate your discretion,’ she told him, giving his hand a squeeze. She had no doubt that Nathan would keep digging and find out about her involvement in what had once been his domain soon enough. But the longer she could keep it from him, the better. While he still thought she was nothing more than a pub landlady, he’d be more likely to divulge information about his own business dealings – and that could prove very useful.
Ivan and Grace discussed her finances over another cup of coffee and a pastry.
‘So, everything has been sorted and is in order, Grace, just like you asked. I’ve moved what money I needed to, so everything in your new place will be entirely above board. Well, it will be as far as the taxman is concerned anyway.’
‘Thanks, Ivan. You are a legend,’ she told him, before giving him a kiss on the cheek as she got up to leave.
He took hold of her hand as she started to walk away. ‘Be careful, Grace. That Nathan seems like a real nasty piece of work. If he ever finds out what you did …’
‘Don’t worry. He won’t. Not unless I want him to anyway.’ She smiled at the irony of Ivan warning her about Nathan’s character. As if she didn’t know better than anyone else in the world just exactly what type of man Nathan was. It was that knowledge which sometimes kept her awake at night, but also what made her certain that she could take him down if she needed to.
Stepping outside into the street, Grace cursed as she felt the drops of rain falling onto her bare arms. She’d forgotten her umbrella and was supposed to be meeting someone on the other side of the city centre. She’d get soaked to the skin if she walked there. Taking her phone out of her handbag, she dialled his number.
‘Can you pick me up? I’ve forgotten my coat and my umbrella.’
‘I hope you’ve forgotten your underwear too,’ he laughed.
‘Behave yourself,’ she said, feigning her indignation.
‘Be there in five, babe,’ he said, and she could imagine his smile as he said it; that lovely relaxed grin of his that made her want to kiss him all over his face. She smiled too, thinking of the wonderful afternoon they were about to spend together. For a few hours at least, she would forget that Nathan Conlon even existed.
Grace had just finished serving one of her regulars as she heard the doors of the Rose and Crown burst open. The sun rushed in behind him, illuminating his silhouette against the doorway. She groaned inwardly as he approached her. It had been almost four weeks since he’d walked back into her life and she’d had to endure seeing him almost every day since.
‘What are you doing here, Nathan?’
‘Is that any way to greet the love of your life, Grace?’ he smirked.
‘Jake’s not here,’ she snapped.
‘That’s okay,’ he said as he took a seat at the bar. ‘I’m here to meet a friend of mine. I’ll have a whisky