Page 44 of Any Kind of Life

Juliet stumbled out from behind the bar, holding her phone against her chest. If Paige called, she would answer it before it had the chance to make a sound. “Cara, is everything okay?”

“I think you know why I’m here. Now that you know who I am…”

“You’ve been here for over a year. Why now?” Juliet followed every move Cara made, but it was hard to stay focused. “If you’re here to hurt me, why wait?”

“I had one instruction from Uncle Ronnie. And that was to wait until you were at your happiest. No time frame, no rush, I just had to wait.”

Oh, no. This was where it ended for Juliet. Cara was here to make good on that threat. Fuck! Juliet’s phone buzzed in her hand. It was Paige.

Hi, babe. I’ve just got off the train, so I’ll be at the bar in about twenty minutes. Need to put my bags in and then I’ll be with you. Can’t wait to see you and the amazing transformation of the bar. See you soon! I love you! x

Juliet’s heart ached as she read the message from Paige. If this was where it ended, she wouldn’t allow her girlfriend to be a part of it. Still, she would try to spook Cara by telling a slight lie. “That’s Paige. She should be here soon. About fifteen minutes. Now is your chance to let whatever you’re thinking go.”

“It doesn’t really matter to me if Paige is here or not. Actually, it’s probably best if she’s not. I wouldn’t want her to interfere.”

Stay at home. I’ll be back soon. I’m almost finished here. I love you, baby. Always. Forever x

Juliet swallowed down the lump in her throat, refusing to show her emotions. “I’ve told her to stay at home. This is between me and you. Not her.”

Cara shrugged. “Whatever.”

“What exactly do you have planned, Cara? And what makes you think that you’re going to one, succeed, and two, get away with it?”

Cara turned her watch towards herself. “In a few minutes, you’re going to struggle to stand upright. And as for getting away with it, I made my peace with the fact that I won’t. But this is for the family. For Ronnie and Mandy. You took the chance to be with her away from him, and now I’m going to take the chance for you to be with Paige away. It’s really that simple.”

“Because I couldn’t keep him out of prison.” Juliet had never felt so deflated. How was she supposed to keep an already previously convicted drug dealer out of prison when they had all the evidence they needed? “You’re willing to ruin your life just to see me suffer? That’s not who I thought you were, Cara.”

“You have no idea who I am.” This had to be the calmest Juliet had ever seen Cara. There was no anger, no bitterness, just calm. Her voice, her demeanour.

Juliet felt her mouth dry, her body shaking much more than it was before. “Can I call Paige?”

“What for?” Cara laughed. “She’s not going to help you. It’s too late.”

“To…say goodbye.” God, those words hadn’t been easy to say. But it was important that Paige knew how Juliet felt. She knows how you feel. You made sure of that in the short time you had with one another. “Please? I just need to hear her voice. At least allow me that.”

“Oh, stop. Paige is about to become an extraordinary musician. I’m sure she’ll be just fine without you.”

Would she be? Fine without Juliet…

Of course she would.

“You’re right.” As Juliet’s vision blurred further, she caught a glimmer at Cara’s side. The glimmer of light bouncing off metal. “Cara, think about this. Please.”

Cara stepped forward, holding up a blade. “I would have been happy walking in here and doing this last year, but he wanted me to wait. I never did like you, Juliet. Stuck up, poncey bitch. That’s all you are. You walk around here thinking you have it all, but you don’t. One thing you’ve never had is peace. Your job meant you were always watching your back. At least I’ll feel at peace knowing Ronnie got justice for Mandy. Forty years of marriage, and you stopped him from holding her as she took her last breath.”

“I tried, Cara. I couldn’t do any more than I did.”

Cara reached out and dragged Juliet to her feet. She wanted to fight back, to wrap her hands around Cara’s neck, but Juliet couldn’t lift her arms. It was becoming clear that Cara had drugged her.

“I would have been more impressed if you’d fought me one-on-one. But to drug me? That’s pathetic.”

“Is that so?” Cara smirked, pressing the tip of the blade to Juliet’s stomach. Juliet’s phone clattered to the floor, her hands unable to grip any longer, giving Cara the perfect opportunity to crush the screen with her foot. “Oops. Definitely no chance of that call to Paige now.”

“Whatever you’re going to do, just fucking do it.” Juliet jutted her chin, her legs practically numb at this point. “Even if I know you don’t have the balls to go through with thi?—”

A searing pain shot through Juliet, radiating and pulsing to every last inch of her body. She gasped when Cara pulled her arm back, and then she felt another blow. She slumped, holding her stomach as Cara grinned and took a calm step back. And then she turned and left as though she’d simply been calling in to say hello.

Juliet dropped to her knees, the pain lessening but the blood now dripping to the floor where she knelt. She ached to hear Paige’s voice, to feel her arms around her, but she could only memorise that beautiful face until her body gave up.