Free Fake by D. Breeze

tell him that giving you a new phone number and moving you to London but letting you keep the same job is not the way to do it. Looking forward to seeing you again soon ladybug. F x”
    Holy fucking fuck.
    Ruben said I was safe.
    He clearly lied.
    My hands shook as I dialled his number. Only one of two that I’d had time to programme into my phone.
    “Hello?” He answered.
    “You’re a God damned liar.” I whispered in shock.
    “Huh?”
    “You told me I was safe, you told me I didn’t have to worry about Freddy anymore. You lied.”
    I could almost hear him cringe. “I didn’t lie as such. You are safe...providing he doesn’t see you again, ever.”
    “He knows where I work you stupid idiot! He could be outside right now and there’d be nothing that anyone could do to stop him!” I shouted and then shot an apologetic smile to the single customer that stood in the shop. I noticed she glanced outside warily, wondering what she might find.
    Ruben sighed on the end of the phone, “I know that, but I was banking on the fact that he’d contact you.”
    My eyebrows shot up. “You wanted him to find me?"
    “God no!” He denied, and then explained. “I had nothing to go off. He’s playing this game with us, he has the upper hand and we know it. But let me guess, he text you, instead of calling...right?”
    How did he know that?
    “Well, yes...” I said slowly, not understanding where he was going with that.
    “And what happens when someone texts you?”
    “My phone vibrates?” I answered, even more confused.
    He sighed. “No, it leaves a number, which gives us a trail. Text me that number and within an hour, maybe two, I’ll have lock on his location. He’s more powerful than us, I’m not denying that, but if we can access the location services on his phone, we’ll know where he is twenty-four seven...Providing it’s not a throwaway obviously.”
    “Are you speaking French?” I asked.
    “Huh?”
    “I didn’t understand a word of what you just said.” I explained.
    “Doesn’t matter. Will you just send me the number that he text you from? This is a good thing Lyds, I promise you.”
    Wrong, wrong thing to say.
    His promises were not worth a single thing to me.
    I hung up, but I still text him the number. It seemed important.
    Ruben still didn’t realise that he’d royally fucked up though. I’d basically known the ‘new’ Ruben for five days, and for four and a half of those days, he’d lied to me.
    Some things never change.
    You could bet your ass that he’d be hearing from me about it when I finished work.
     
    *~*~*
    Ruben
     
    Staring at the phone in my hand, I growled under my breath. She hung up on me!
    In five days, we’d done nothing but argue. She was rude and bitchy and the fact that I was helping get everything in order to start her new life...apparently meant fuck all.
    The phone buzzed and I glanced down.
    Huh.
    She sent the number. It surprised me, I figured she’d just be stubborn and ignore me – just like she had when I’d asked her to send me a text every now and then to let me know she’s ok. I shook my head; I’d break down her new bitchy persona and release my Lydia, whom I knew was still hiding underneath.
    I was at ‘Blaze’, the new club that my brother, Jackson, owned and I’d been doing all the security updates for the computer systems and double checking the DBS security files on the staff before the launch which was happening in about eight hours.
    Nightclubs were his business of choice. He could have easily wasted his life away doing nothing but living off inheritance money he was given from some crazy old man he knew. If Jax knew that I thought the old man was crazy, he’d probably put me on my ass pretty damn fast.
    He had some odd connection to the guy.
    But he didn’t waste a penny. It’s weird, that I’m proud of him, because he’s older than me. He’s my idol, my mentor, the one person in life that I genuinely look up to.
    I just don’t do