Chapter 8

I'msilent on the short walk home, letting my brain catch up with all the shit that's just happened. Then I stop and Josh also comes to a halt, watching me carefully as I stare back in the direction we just came. "Bear shot Ray," I mutter, frowning.

Josh begins to walk ahead. "Yeah, well, I wouldn't go shouting about that if I were you."

I rush to catch him up, falling into step with him. "Well, do you think he's okay?"

"Bear?"

"No," I snap, "Ray."

"Who cares? The bloke's a prick." I take his arm and halt him again. This time, he sighs heavily and asks, "How do you even know him?"

My eyes widen. "How do you know him is the damn question."

"He was recruiting kids from this estate to push his drugs."

"Drugs?" I repeat. "But Ray's a nobody."

"Don't be so na?ve, Nora," he spits, shaking his head in annoyance before continuing home.

"What about Bear, how do you know him?"

"I returned his kid, for a start. Would've been nice if you'd told me she was a biker president's daughter before I walked into his own club with her."

"Just stop," I yell, and he slows before turning to me. I can't make sense of anything he's saying, and there's no way we can walk in the house talking like this as it'll upset Mum. I sit on a garden wall. "How do you know Bear?"

He joins me, resting his arse against the wall and staring across the street. "I told him about Ray."

"Why?"

"Because he runs this area and Ray was trying to scare him out."

"Runs this area?" I shake my head in dismay, wondering how my seventeen-year-old brother knows this. "But what's that got to do with you, Josh?"

"Jesus, Nora, don't you get it? I've been trying to get in with the club to make more money."

My frown deepens. "How?"

"Selling," he says, his voice a lot quieter.

My blood runs cold as I ball my fists with anger. "Not drugs, Josh, right? Tell me you've not been selling drugs."

He side-eyes me. "I didn't know how else to help," he admits, and my heart shatters.

I wrap my arm around him and pull him closer. "Oh Christ, why didn't you come to me?"

"Cos you were so stressed and unhappy. I was trying to make things easier."

"There are better ways to make money."

"Like? Cos I thought about all of them, trust me. On this estate, it's the quickest and easiest way."

"But not the right way," I say on a sigh, releasing him. "Mum wouldn't want this. I don't want this. Josh, I came home to support us so you didn't have to. I just want you to go to college and be a normal seventeen-year-old."

"But I'm not normal," he mutters. "My mum is dying."

It's the first time he's acknowledged it out loud, and the pain in his eyes almost breaks me all over again. "I know," I whisper, resting a hand on his shoulder. "It's shit."

"I fucking hate cancer," he spits, and my eyes fill with tears.

"Me too."

"What do we do now?" he asks.

I jump down from the wall and pull Bear's jacket around me tighter. "We go home and sleep. Tomorrow is a new day, and we can talk about everything."

He gives a nod, and I hook an arm in his. "I love you," I tell him.

He grins. "I'm not saying it back."

We round the corner, and I'm still smiling. He's not one to show emotion, especially with hugs. "Oh fuck," he mutters, and I look up. There's an ambulance outside our house and we break out into a run, stopping at the gate just as Mum is being brought out on a stretcher. "What's going on?" I ask.

The carer moves us to one side so the paramedic staff can transfer Mum to the ambulance. "It doesn't look good," she whispers, her eyes full of sympathy. "I tried to call you a few times."

"I'm sorry, I was at an interview," I mumble, keeping my eyes trained on Mum. She looks so pale and lifeless. "What happened?"

"I don't know. One minute, she was awake, and the next, she just slumped. The paramedic thought maybe a stroke, but he's not certain."

The paramedic pops his head out the door. "Is anyone travelling with us?"

I glance down at my bare legs. "Let me grab some clothes. Josh, get in. I'll be two seconds."

I run inside, gathering some leggings and a jumper from the clean pile of washing that I left on the kitchen side earlier. I snatch a pair of trainers and rush back out to the ambulance.

I give Josh's shoulder another reassuring squeeze as I sit in the seat in front of him and begin to dress. The paramedic eyes me with amusement. "Should I ask?"

"Long story," I mutter. "Is she going to be okay?"

His expression tells me she's not, but he forces a smile and says, "We're gonna do our best."

By the time we get to the hospital, she's already dipped, and they rush her off into ICU.

BEAR

It's beentwo days and I've heard nothing from Nora. I've tried calling and I've turned up at her house. Nothing. I don't like being fucking ghosted, and it's also setting the brothers who think she might be thinking of calling the police on edge. To top it off, she hasn't been to work either, so Elsie is unsettled and more challenging than usual.

The teacher walks over to where I'm waiting on Tuesday afternoon. Elsie is beside her with her head hung and her hair in her face. I roll my eyes. "What now?"

"She bit three children today."

"Tinks," I say on a groan.

"And her grandmother also called with concerns."

I frown. "Did she now?"

"She wanted us to run a welfare check on Elsie because she hasn't seen her recently."

"She knows damn well Elsie is fine."

"Her behaviour has deteriorated."

"So, where's her one-on-one?" I demand. "You put that in place, and now, she's disappeared, so of course, Elsie is upset."

"It's unfortunate that Miss Coles had to leave us, but we're finding a replacement."

"Leave?" I repeat, my heart slamming hard. "She's left? Why?"

"We can't disclose the reasons, but we're sure we'll find someone to fit Elsie's needs."

I grab Tinks's hand and lead her away. "Why are you doing that?" I ask her.

"Because they were being mean to me," she yells angrily, stopping me in my tracks.

I crouch down. "What are you talking about?"

"They're always mean to me." And then she bursts into tears. Hot, angry tears.

"Who?"

"Three boys."

Anger pulses through me. "What do they do that's mean?"

"They laugh at me and call me names."

I sigh, taking her hands in mine. "That's not nice, Tinks, but sometimes people are mean to us and we just have to stay away."

"They laugh about Mummy dying," she sobs. "They pretend to be her."

I clench my jaw, trying to remain calm. "What do you mean?"

"They chase me and say that they're Mummy coming back to haunt me."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you and Uncle Hunter said if people are mean, I can hit them." I wince cos we have said that a lot. "When Miss Coles is there, they don't do it."

"Tinks, if you'd have told me about all this, I could have stopped it."

"They said if I told anyone, they'd tell everyone in my class that I wet the bed."

I clench my jaw, trying to keep my cool. "I'm gonna sort this, Tinks, I promise."

Another parent passes, and Tinks lowers her head. I glance at her and realise she's holding the hand of a boy around the same age. "Is that one of ‘em?" I ask.

She doesn't need to answer for me to realise because the look of sadness in her eyes tells me all I need to know. "S'cuze me," I call as I stand, and the woman glances back. "I need to talk to you."

"I don't want your apology," she spits angrily, taking me by surprise.

"Apology?" I repeat.

"It's happened one too many times, I'm afraid. I'm speaking with my husband, and he can deal with it."

I narrow my eyes. "I wanted to talk to you about your son bullying my daughter."

She scoffs. "Are you serious?" She proceeds to grab her son's arm and lift his sleeve, revealing a faint bite mark. "This is the third time it's happened, as well as kicking and punching. I've had enough."

I glare at the little kid. "You wanna tell your mum why Elsie bit you?"

"Because she's feral," his mum snaps.

My blood boils, so I take a calming breath. "He's been tormenting her for weeks, laughing about her dead mother." She glances down at her son, whose eyes are now downcast. "So, I'm gonna say this once, lady," I continue. "Sort him out cos Elsie has my full permission to go crazy on him, and it'll be more than a bite mark on his arm."

I turn my back and open the car door, lifting Elsie and strapping her in. I slam the door, and she's still there. "Did I stutter?" I ask, arching a brow. She shakes her head before turning and leading the boy away.

I drop Elsie home before heading to Nora's place. I want answers as to why the fuck she's left my little girl.