It Happened at Cafe Nix

Under His Persuasion

"Well fuck me, looks like we've confirmed the connection. Kavac and his gang have been up on charges for possession with intention to supply numerous times. They've got off every time thanks to Albero and Bennetti's fancy defence tactics. My bet is they're the suppliers the Tag Raiders were doing the running for." Lily's fingers tightened on his, her grip fierce. He turned to her to find her cheeks pale and her eyes haunted.

"George Kavac? Mark, he's a dangerous bastard." She shivered and leaned into his shoulder. "Please, please promise me you won't go after him?"

Mark's heartbeat snagged in his chest. He'd give the world to promise her he wouldn't but knew he couldn't. The reign of terror the biker gang had over Perth's nightclubs had to end. He and Harold only had one lead left to follow in this case and that was the youngest of the Tag Raiders, Connor Cappelli. This new information only added another level of danger.

Not today, please God, not today. He'd brought them all to Sydney to get away from the horrors of the last few months, to reward the boys for their hard work sticking to the program, to celebrate the official opening of TJ and Scott's rehabilitation centre and to pay tribute to Tiny Watts, the boy who'd sacrificed his life to save his friends.

Most of all, he'd chosen Cafe Nix on Circular Quay with its beautiful view of Sydney and the harbour bridge as the place to propose to Lily. Here, with the people he considered his extended family.

Harold closed the magazine and tossed it onto the empty table behind him for someone else to read. "Bugger it. We won't let those tossers spoil our day. I'll send word to HQ to pull some files and we'll sort it out when we get back to Perth. No point getting all worked up about it here. Where the hell's the waitress? I'm hungry."

Mark sent his partner a grateful look for his attempt at diversion. Harold was right. They had a new lead and would have to examine the evidence in detail before they followed it up. He released Lily's hand, put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug.

A squeal from the end of the table caught his attention.

"Marty!" TJ scolded across the table.

"What? I got her attention, didn't I?"

"By stomping on her toes? Boy, you need dancing lessons." Harold's lips twitched but he tried to remain stern.

"It worked." He grinned at Harold, twirled and dipped the waitress in one last dance move. He smiled cheekily at her and said, "Now I have your attention, can I have your phone number?"

The waitress shot him a warning look. He let her up, waited until she was steady on her feet, then removed his arm from around her waist.

"Marty! You apologise for that move right now." TJ's tone meant business and young Marty knew better than to disobey.

All charm, and with his fist on his heart, he said, "I am deeply sorry for my actions. Please forgive me." He took her hand and lifted it. Not quite touching her knuckles, he dropped a kiss in the air above them.

"Apology accepted." The waitress sighed, pulling her hand out of his. "Kids," she muttered as she walked away, leaving them to study their menus.

Mark smiled. The waitress couldn't be more than four or five years older than Marty's eighteen, six at a pinch. Not much more than a kid herself. If he was Marty's age, he'd have given it a shot at getting her phone number too. Now he had Lily, and thanked the angels for looking after him so well.

"Don't you dare do that again," growled TJ. When Scott chuckled beside her, she turned on him, "And don't you encourage him either."

"Sorry, TJ," said Marty.