The Promise Read online

  They’d eaten all the leftover curry that she’d scraped into the bin last night and half a punnet of mouldy grapes that she’d thrown away too.

  By the looks of it, the food had played havoc with their stomachs as the two dogs had been shitting through the eye of a needle. Proceeding to crap all over the kitchen floor. Ashleen grimaced at the trail of diarrhoea, her eyes following the dogs’ pooey little footprints that they’d walked in a zig-zagged trail all around the kitchen floor.

  ‘Oh my God, please tell me you haven’t?’ Screeching, Ashleen walked over towards the breakfast bar, and picked up the half-eaten shoe. Covered in dog saliva, she eyed the big jagged chunk missing from the leather.

  ‘My Jimmy’s! They cost me £600,’ she cried. ‘You horrible little bastards.’

  Throwing the shoe back down onto the floor, Ashleen fought the urge to cry.

  ‘That is it!’ she cried. ‘You are going. I’ve had a-fucking-nuff!’

  Picking up her phone, she dialled Delray’s number. So annoyed now, that she no longer cared that she was pissing him off by calling him.

  He was pissing her off by not answering, and these dogs were pissing her off by basically ruining her entire life.

  She was surprised when Delray picked up.

  Explaining that she couldn’t look after the dogs anymore, Ashleen couldn’t hide her astonishment as Delray actually sounded fine about it. Happy almost.

  He told her to bring the dogs straight over.

  Shaking her head, confused, Ashleen wasn’t going to argue.

  Slipping her feet into her trainers, ignoring her pounding head, Ashleen grabbed the dog’s leads. Shooting a fleeting glance at herself in the hallway mirror she didn’t care that she looked like shit warmed up. All she cared about was getting rid of these mutts out of her house once and for all.

  ‘Right, you two, move it.’ Ashleen spoke through gritted teeth as the dogs jumped around excitedly and she led them out the front door.

  At least outside Ashleen could breathe again. Taking a few long deep breaths, she couldn’t shake her bad mood.

  Reaching Brixton High Street she had half a mind to turn around and, instead of heading over to the Albert Embankment, she thought about taking the two little ratdogs down to the RSCPA and telling them that she’d found them wandering the streets. Make out they were strays.

  That would teach the little bastards for eating her favourite shoes.

  Instead she was going to hand deliver these little fur balls personally to Delray, and have great pleasure in the knowledge that it would be Delray’s plush apartment that they’d be tearing up. His floors they would be shitting all over. See how he liked it for a change.

  Tugging at the dog’s leads, Ashleen felt a little bit happier now. Once she’d dropped the dogs off, they’d no longer be her problem.

  The quicker she ditched these two mutts, the quicker she could crawl home to her bed and deal with her hangover properly. This time in peace.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Sitting at the manicure station at Beauty Within salon in Marylebone, Javine Turner watched in amazement as the beauty therapists almost fell over themselves to ensure that she was given five-star treatment.

  She was Delray Anderton’s girl. His fiancée.

  They’d surrounded her now. The small group of beauticians all huddled around her, admiring the huge rock that adorned her engagement finger.

  She could see the look in their eyes.

  The envy, the jealousy.

  The way they wondered how Javine had been able to bag herself someone as wealthy and notorious as Delray.

  ‘Wow, that is one of the most beautiful rings I’ve ever seen. It must have cost your fiancée an absolute fortune.’ Tilting Javine’s finger so that the diamond sparkled under the manicure lamp, Trina Woods tried to hide the surprise in her voice.

  Delray Anderton settling down? Marriage? Trina knew Delray. Better than most people around here did. The man wasn’t the type to settle down and get married. He was a player. The man was known for having a different woman for every night of the week, and the only ones that ever stuck around were the ones he had working for him.

  ‘I know; I’m so lucky, aren’t I?’ Javine said forcing a smile.

  Trina smiled back. She wasn’t sure about this Javine. She certainly looked the part. She was beautiful, of course, but that was standard with Delray’s girls these days. Even dressed down, with no make-up, Javine looked like she could have stepped out from the pages of a high fashion magazine. Delray always went for that model-type look. There was just something about Javine’s mannerisms that didn’t fit the bill though, and Trina couldn’t put her finger on exactly what it was. She didn’t seem like the usual bimbo; maybe that was it.

  But there was something else too.

  Considering the girl had just bagged one of London’s most sought-after, eligible bachelors, she wasn’t exactly cartwheeling around the salon with excitement, like Trina would have expected a girl to do. In fact, come to think of it, she had barely even cracked a smile. Not a genuine one, at least.

  Most of the girls that had been through these doors over the years had been nothing but airheads.

  All of them had been exactly like Javine looks-wise, but full of big ideas about what their futures held. About how Delray was going to help them to change their lives and make some real money.

  Most times, Trina had struggled to get her head around the mentality of them all. It baffled her how deluded these girls could be. I mean, come on, beauty therapists got a bad rep for being a bit thick and ditzy but these girls were in a class all on their own. It was as if they had fallen under some kind of spell. They all hung on to Delray’s every word, and believed everything that the man told them. Trina didn’t know how Delray did it, she really didn’t, but whatever he was doing, he was clearly doing something right.

  Javine, though, didn’t seem to be under any spell. It was like there was something going on behind those dark mysterious eyes of hers.

  She sat there sipping the champagne that Trina had poured her, and nodding and smiling in all the right places but, apart from that, the girl seemed so distracted she almost seemed stand-offish.

  Trina wasn’t getting anything out of this one today. It was a shame because not only did Trina like to hear what Delray’s girls said about him – whether they adored him, and couldn’t sing his praises high enough, or whether they told Trina how he’d mistreated them; how they asked her to help them get away – but Trina had been counting on her ‘extra bonus’ from Delray for reporting back to him what the girl said.

  Javine wasn’t saying anything; she seemed closed off.

  Trina couldn’t help but feel disappointed; she quite enjoyed being able to help Delray out if she could. He knew full well that discretion was Trina’s middle name. The stories some of the girls had confided in her over the years, before they realised that Delray had her in his pocket. Unlike most beauty salons, whatever Trina heard inside of these four walls didn’t go any further. Unless, of course, she was reporting back directly to Delray, in which case he always made sure that she was given an extra ‘gift’ for her loyalty to him.

  He’d done right by Trina over the years. Supplying her with enough business now with all the girls he had on his books – and a little ‘extra’ revenue on top for her discretion – over the years that Trina had managed to buy the salon outright.

  It was early yet. Delray had Javine booked in for the full works today. Trina still had time to do a bit of digging.

  ‘Well, Delray must be smitten with you!’ Trina said, making small talk. She hoped that showering Javine with compliments might soften her up a bit. ‘And I can see why, an’all. You’re stunning. So, go on then, tell me. How did Delray propose?’

  ‘Oh, you know, he cooked me a surprise meal. Three courses. Then just after dessert, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.’

  ‘Wow, that sounds so romantic.’ Trina eyed the girl. She coul
d tell a well-rehearsed story when she heard one. For some unknown reason, Javine was lying.

  For starters, Delray didn’t cook, and for seconds the man didn’t possess a single romantic bone in his body. Something was going on here, and Trina had a feeling that she might never get to the bottom of it either.

  ‘Ahh, he must be a big softie deep down. He just keeps it hidden well,’ she said, hoping the girl missed her sarcasm. ‘Ahh, it’s a shame he couldn’t come in with you today; you could have both had a lovely full body massage in our double treatment room,’ Trina said cautiously, digging to find out why she was spending her first official day as a fiancée on her tod when Mr Casanova had just proposed to the girl.

  ‘Oh I know, he was gutted that he couldn’t come in with me, but he just has so much work on right now. Someone’s gotta pay the bills.’ Javine smiled.

  Trina was starting to get on her nerves.

  The girl was asking far too many questions and, right now, Javine couldn’t even be arsed with the pretence.

  When Delray had told her that he was booking her in for a spa day, Javine had been looking forward to it purely because she needed a few hours away from the apartment, away from Delray. She needed to get her head straight.

  ‘Well, he’s got a very lavish wedding to pay out for now, hasn’t he?’ Trina continued to babble on, oblivious to Javine’s mood. Then spotting Javine’s champagne flute looking low she grabbed the bottle and topped it up. ‘How about another chocolate, babe?’

  ‘Oh no, I’ve got to watch my figure now.’ Javine rolled her eyes up, and then said playfully: ‘Bridezilla.’

  The truth was, Javine couldn’t stomach another single thing. Not even the champagne was taking the edge off her anxiety, which had rocketed this past week.

  ‘Right, I’m going to go and set the room up ready for your massage. You sit back and relax. I bet you’re floating on cloud nine, aren’t you!’

  Javine smiled once more, glad of some time on her own. She’d forced her smiles so much today that her jaw ached, but not half as much as her head.

  Today had been a complete and utter mind fuck. Waking up to find Delray so apologetic for the way he’d treated her. Then the ring; his proposal. He was offering everything that she wanted. The plush apartment; the glamorous lifestyle.

  Everything she’d ever dreamed of. Or, at least, so he said.

  Javine didn’t believe any of it – not for one single second.

  Gulping back the rest of her champagne she prayed that the numbing effect of the alcohol would start kicking in soon. She thought about something her grandma used to say: ‘The eyes are the window to the soul.’ Javine had looked into Delray’s eyes this week; she’d seen inside his soul and all that had stared back at her was a very dark place indeed.

  She’d figured Trina out from the off. The girl was far too nosy. She was another one on Delray’s payroll, Javine was certain of it.

  For now, though, Javine was happy to play along. To feed the girl with nothing but nice things, making sure it all went back to Delray so the man was thrown completely off the scent.

  Delray Anderton was still playing games with her, she was certain of that. What the man hadn’t anticipated though, was that Javine was playing them right back. He could keep all his money. His fancy apartment. His extravagant gifts. After what Delray and Lenny had put her through this week, there was only one thing that Javine wanted now, and that was revenge.

  Delray had tried to break her.

  Well, two could play at that game.

  * * *

  Stepping out of the salon, Javine took a deep breath of fresh air and smiled to herself.

  It was amazing how a day of being pampered could make her feel like her old self again.

  She felt like a million dollars. Her hair was tousled into long, voluminous curls, her nails shaped and coloured to perfection, and she’d even had her make-up airbrushed on.

  Spotting Delray waiting for her, Javine sauntered over to the car. Opening the door, she slipped into the passenger seat.

  ‘Fuck me, Javine, you look amazing, girl.’ Delray grinned.

  ‘Thank you. I so needed that. That Trina is lovely. Think she gave me way too much champers though; I emptied the bottle. God, I don’t half feel tipsy,’ Javine said, making out that her and Trina had got on like a house on fire.

  Delray was lapping it up. That had been exactly what he’d been hoping to hear. Good old Trina; the girl was on the ball when it came to keeping him happy. She’d followed his instructions to a T.

  ‘I’ve got another surprise waiting for you at home, babe!’

  Unable to keep his hands off the girl, he leant over and gave Javine a long lingering kiss on the lips.

  ‘Uh, uh!’ Javine wagged her finger at him. ‘I told you, it’s all on my terms now. You still have a lot of making up to do.’

  ‘Oh, don’t you worry about that. I intend to, babe.’

  Pulling up at the apartment a few minutes later, Delray ran around to the passenger side and opened the door for Javine, before leading her up to his apartment.

  Holding out his hands as they finally reached the top floor and the lift doors opened, he encouraged her to step out first. Opening the front door of the apartment, he nodded at her to go inside.

  ‘Go on then,’ he said with a smile, letting Javine go first.

  Unsure what to expect she raised her perfectly drawn eyebrows before stepping into the hallway.

  Within seconds, two small dogs came bounding towards her.

  ‘Dolce! Gabbana!’ she shrieked with joy. The first genuine bit of happiness she’d felt in a long time at the sight of seeing her little babies jumping up and down with excitement, yapping loudly at the sight of their owner

  ‘Oh my God, Delray. You got my dogs for me!’

  Delray grinned.

  ‘I can’t believe it. Thank you so much!’

  Javine knelt down on the floor and picked the dogs up. Hugging them tightly to her, she began crying with joy. She’d missed her little babies so much.

  ‘Oh, I love you, Dolce and Gabbana. Did you miss your mummy-girl? I missed you too! Yes, I did.’ Javine was kissing the two little doggies now. Rubbing their fur, she was overjoyed at how happy they seemed to see her. The feeling was definitely mutual.

  ‘Thank you, Delray. I know how much of a sacrifice this is to you.’ Standing up, Javine gave Delray a small kiss on the cheek to show her appreciation.

  First the engagement ring, now the dogs,

  Fucking hell, he really was pulling out all the stops.

  ‘I meant what I said to you this morning, Javine. I want to show you how sorry I really am. How committed I am.’ Shrugging modestly, Delray averted his eyes to the floor. His voice thick with emotion. ‘I know it will take time for you to believe me.’

  ‘I do believe you,’ Javine said, holding onto the memories of the previous week. If she hadn’t endured the hellish abuse from Delray and his sidekick Lenny herself, she wouldn’t have even believed it now.

  Delray was acting so odd. The polar opposite of the man he’d been last week. She didn’t have a clue what he was playing at, but he was definitely playing.

  ‘There’s something else too. Someone else I’d like you to meet. Two people, actually,’ Delray said cryptically as he led Javine around the corner to where the two girls were sitting waiting on the couch. Just as he’d told them to before he’d rushed out to pick Javine up from the salon.

  The girls looked nervous. Delray had told them that he wanted to surprise his new girlfriend by introducing them to her.

  ‘Oh wow?’ Javine was surprised all right. Staring at the two girls, a flicker of confusion spread across her face. She recognised the younger one. ‘Aren’t they Josie Parker’s kids?’ she asked. Curious as to what the two girls were doing in Delray’s flat, and what they had to do with her.

  ‘Yep. This is Georgie and Marnie.’ Delray grinned as all three girls eyed each other warily.

  ‘Only Ma
rnie isn't just Josie's kid. She's mine too. Marnie is my daughter.’

  Chapter Forty-Four

  ‘I’ve got to go out, babe.’ Delray hugged Javine to him, breathing in her heady perfume.

  She seemed a lot happier now she’d spent the day at Trina’s salon, much more relaxed.

  Trina had reported back to him too, letting him know that Javine seemed genuinely besotted with him; she hadn’t bad-mouthed him once.

  That was something, Delray thought. The girl was clearly intending to stick around.

  Getting the dogs back here for her had been the icing on the cake. Personally, he couldn’t fucking stand the stinky little bastards but, as long as they stayed the fuck away from his furniture, and didn’t crap anywhere, then for now they could stay.

  Fingers crossed it wouldn’t be for too long anyway. Once Javine was dealt with, he’d be dealing with her little fur balls too.

  ‘You all right to keep an eye on the girls for me, babe? I got a couple of things I need to do tonight. You know, a bit of business. I wouldn’t ask you, it’s only, well, it’s nice, isn’t it – this? You me and the girls. It’s a bit like being a family.’

  ‘I suppose.’ Javine shrugged. Not sure that she could cope with playing stepmum to a child that was only five years younger than she was herself.

  She was still in shock to be honest. She and Josie Parker hated one another, and Javine had always wondered what type of a hold the woman had over Delray. She’d always wondered why Delray had kept the woman on. I mean, compared to most of the girls that worked for him, Josie was nothing but an old, fat has-been.

  Now though, it all made sense.

  She was the mother of his kid.

  Though what Delray had ever seen in the woman was beyond Javine’s comprehension.

  She wasn’t really into kids, and playing mummies, but she could see that Delray was trying to include her and, for now, she figured, what harm could it do to go along with it all?