Gangs and Roses

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

After Seb's statement, everyone fell completely silent. We began to walk around the living area, stepping on broken glass and punctured pillow feathers. My throat ran dry so I was unable to speak. In front of me, Sam was feeling under the sofa's cushions, a pained expression on his face.

"They've taken the spare key," he said finally with a sigh, standing up empty-handed.

Will put his head in his hands, leaning against the kitchen counter and shaking his head. For a moment, I thought he was crying. But when he lifted his head, the only expression was a blank mask. "Right," he whispered. "Paige?"

Looking at me, I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Yeah?"

"Did you deliver the package to the right address?"

Gobsmacked that Will would even say that, I retorted, "Yes!"

"Who did you give it to?"

I thought for a moment, remembering the young man in joggers who came to the door. "I don't know," I said with a shrug. "Some young lad, about our age."

Beside me, I saw Seb's eyes open so wide they looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. He swore, making me turn in his direction and ask what the hell I had done wrong.

Seb didn't answer. Sam had to answer for him. "That's Harry McFields Dad, Liam."

"So?"

I didn't know who either of those people were.

"The package was supposed to go to Harry McFields. Liam and him don't get on. The person you saw was Liam McFields."

"So?" I repeated. "What was in the package?"

Sam sighed, not answering my second question but my first one. "Meaning that Liam probably didn't give it to his father. Harry is mad at Mack because he didn't receive the package and because you gave it to the wrong person, Paige, Harry and Mack are now after us."

"Did you give out any personal information to Liam?" Luke interjected, coming over from the kitchen.

"Urm." I thought - hard, trying to remember the conversation I had had with him. "I gave him my name."

"Your full-name?"

"Yes."

Seb groaned loudly. "What?" I asked. "I don't get it. Someone please tell me what's going on here."

"There was something really valuable in that package, Paige," Will said, looking straight at me. "No-one knows what apart from Mack and Harry. But they got someone from outside the business - like you - to deliver it because you know nothing and if you ever get questioned by the police you wouldn't know anything they're going on about."

"But - but...but..." my voice trailed off as I held my head, trying to obtain all this new information. "Know what?"

Sighing, Sam said, "Exactly. You don't know what so that's why Mack asked you to deliver it."

"Deliver what?"

Seb gave out a short exclaim, kicking a fallen chair so one of its legs flew off, narrowly missing Luke in the leg. "We don't know!" he bellowed, full-on angry. "And stop asking so many questions!"

Ignoring him, I said to everyone else, "So who are after me?"

"Mack and Harry," Sam answered. "But they'll be after us all."

"But they have our keys," Luke muttered, slapping is hands against the counter in frustration.

"They're after me?" I quivered, the vision in front of me becoming blurred. "As in kill me?"