VIRAGO

outsmart the fuckers

"What color is this one called?" John's youngest daughter Alice had managed to find her way into Zoey's makeup bag, not that she minded as the girl was very gentle with her belongings, unlike Katie who'd managed to smash that perfume bottle within an hour, she'd clearly inherited her father's heavy-handedness.

Letting her attention drift briefly from painting her lids with pale gold, she quickly registered the item the little 6-year-old was holding up in front of the mirror curiously. "That's caramel nude I believe." She told her absent-mindedly, still immersed in fulfilling her make-up routine.

"Can I try it on?" At this point, Zoey didn't even know why the kid had asked as before she'd even gotten the chance to respond, Alice was already coating her lips in the stuff.

Taking a moment to process, Zoey eventually found it amusing, "Knock yourself out kid," she shrugged and returned back to her task.

"Zoey, can you do my hair like yours, please?" Katie piped up from the other side of her, the girl had been attempting to style her hair for school for the past twenty minutes. It was the quietest Zoey had ever seen her.

"Of course love, just let me finish doing this first." Still preoccupied with perfecting her look.

"Zo, there's a telephone call for you in the living room." John crowed from behind the door with a knock before he turned the handle. "Ally what the bloody hell have you done to your face?!" Both adults turned to the young girl who simply looked up at them unseemingly, her lips looked almost triple their size from the amount she'd caked on. "It's caramel nude Dad," She babbled happily up to her father with a grin causing the three of them to erupt into laughter at the sight of her.

"It's bloody scaring is what it is. C'mon, let's get you cleaned up" He chuckled lifting the small girl off the toilet and onto the sink counter, Zoey shuffling out of his way to go answer her phone call.

She couldn't stop herself from glancing over her shoulder, watching as John worked at scrubbing off the lipstick, laughing every time his daughter stuck her tongue out at him. Despite his line of work, John was an amazing father, and she truly did admire him for it- but more often than not every time she'd notice him doting on the children afar off look would replace her smile. Zoey's heart would swell and twist in bitterness at the memories of her own upbringing, she frequently caught herself coming back to that same little voice that sat somewhere deep in her, 'why didn't I have that?'

"Hello?" She swiped the telephone off the side table, leaning herself up nicely against the wall as she lit a cigarette.

"Hey, Zo." It was Frankie but he sounded different, he sounded unsettled- perhaps even guilty. It lulled more when he was uncomfortable. And everyone knew Frankie was only ever uncomfortable when he was sitting on some bad information.

"Frankie? I didn't think I'd hear from you again." Her voice rang down the line, and a coldness lingered in her tone as she prepared herself for whatever he was going to say next.

"I want you to listen to me carefully, Zoey." His words were almost toneless as the volume lowered, indicating to her he was calling up in secret.

"I'm listening." She assured, taking in a deep breath of smoke in the hopes it would calm her heart rate slightly.

"If anyone finds out I've contacted you I'm dead do you understand me, kid?" She felt 12 again when Frank used to have to pull her aside and explain complex situations she'd witnessed or overheard. The penetrating earnestness radiating off his words snapped her back into that survival mode she was so used to as a girl.

"I understand you, Frankie, now what is it? You're scaring me." She croaked slightly under the pressure. Frank could be calling her up to tell her anything at this point, no matter how much Zoey thought she had control, after Emma's death, it was a wake-up call and one she didn't particularly accept fully yet. That no matter what she did, nothing was in her control.

"Your brothers are backing the Sabinis." He divulged.

"What?" Her eyes widened slightly, she didn't think Charlie would snoop low enough to work with a man he claims to hate.

"That's not the worst part." He continued, "Charlie has made it known, that he's coming after you. And I hate to say it Zo, but I do truly believe he'll kill ya."

"Fuck." She muttered under her breath, taking another intense drag.

"Zoey, can you do my hair now?" Katie appeared from the corridor, hairbrush in hand.

"Just a second love," She called over her shoulder sending the girl off in a huff. "What am I supposed to do with that Frank?! I'll never be able to come back to London if he wants me dead too." It was unlike her, Zoey rarely lost her cool but these last few days had been trying, she was tired she hadn't slept as guilt had begun to disrupt her dreams. Rendering the girl, once again insomniac.

"You'll be alright Zo, you'll think of something you always do." Frankie comforted the girl, he knew her well and he knew this information wouldn't go down well after the death of Emma Reed. "Just do what you do best."

"And what's that Frank?" She snapped, sarcastically. "Apart from implicating myself into shit."

"Outsmart the fuckers." Before she could part her lips in response the line went dead and she was left in a whirl of worry.

"Zoey, Katie's been sick and the dogs pissed on the carpet." John's eldest son, Jack droned from the doorway peering in.

"Brilliant."