The Formidable

16

The phone only rang once before Jase answered.

"They realised they were chasing the wrong car. I lost them a minute ago. What now?" Sam asked.

"Meet me on Magdalene Street, by the takeaway. I'm getting Mia." He hung up, hoping and praying nothing happened when Mia was in his car. He looked over his shoulder at the car seat in the back. The night had taken an unexpected turn and things had grown heated much sooner than he had anticipated. He was sure of one thing, Greg was the one feeding back information which meant he would have closer connections to Casper than Chris or Paul. They had a lead.

Jase knocked three times and waited.

"It's Jase," he called through the door. A chorus of two locks sliding across and the chain unhooking proceeded. He stepped in, closing the door behind him.

"What's going on?" Lily asked. Her voice was steady which could mean one of two things, she knew everything and felt she had no reason to panic, or she knew nothing and had no idea of the depth of the situation. He wasn't sure how much Madison had told her in private.

"Why were you so prepared to grab a tool?" Jase asked calmly. Lily's eyes flickered around and he tilted his chin up, staring down his nose at her. She'd been intimidated by him three and a half years ago and the pink tinge spattered across her cheeks told him he still had that effect.

"When Madison called and she sounded that worried, telling me not to let anyone in, I figured me and Mia might be in danger," she said. Nothing too suspicious about that, she was Adam's sister, after all. 

Jase couldn't determine if this made him trust her more, or less. He narrowed his eyes and took a step forward.

"Are you hiding something?" he questioned. Initially, Lily went to take a step back but she stopped, folding her arms and scowling at him instead. 

"I'm not in your pocket anymore, Jase. I won't be bullied by you." 

"Answer my question," he responded, fixing her with a dangerous glare. 

Lily stood her ground, though her knees felt like giving out. 

"No, I'm not hiding anything," she ground out. "What could I possibly gain from hiding something from Madison, or you?" 

Jase had wondered as much but he hadn't been keeping tabs on who Lily affiliated herself with after he'd cut her loose. He didn't know if she had something to gain. 

She rolled her eyes. "I get it. Madison comes back to London and the peace is thrown out the window and I'm the only connection you know of between now and then. But I don't have anything to do with whatever the hell is going on with you two. I lost my baby. I'm too busy being fucking depressed to go on side quests and the only reason I agree to watch Mia is because Madison pays well and Mia fills some of the void," she said. 

Jase studied her, checking for any signs of deception. Of all the people that could blindside them, Lily felt like the least likely which is why something about her babysitting Mia still didn't sit right. She'd jumped at the chance to get out of a world Adam had dragged her into and she'd reinserted herself at the first opporunity. If he'd learned anything from Madison, it was to not underestimate people, regardless of how harmless they portrayed themselves. However, if she trusted Lily, he had little choice but to trust Madison. Besides, if Lily was any danger to Mia she would have taken her chances tonight. Finally, he nodded, taking his wallet out and handing Lily five twenties. 

"Madison pays me-"

"Take it, you've done more than babysit tonight," he said. She didn't argue further and Jase walked down the hall, into Mia's room. The child was nonethewiser to him standing over her, analysing the steady rise and fall with each breath. And his chest hurt as he looked into the crib because he couldn't think of anything worse than being a parent in such a cruel world.