Prologue

Two years ago

Kathleen Wallis entered the empty building flanked by two men who hadn’t spoken a word to her all day. They were her protection. She was returning to London from Paris after three years, reduced to a puddle of anxiety.

She’d spent a week ordering service and watching daytime TV in a hotel suite until the woman ahead of her knocked on her door.

It was three and a half years since they attacked her in what was supposed to be a safe place. Once the people responsible were sent to prison, she fled to France to her Great Aunt Etta’s apartment in Paris.

The woman with a tablet in her hand talked at a million miles an hour. Kathleen wasn’t listening. She was too busy, feeling that the building would be perfect for what she wanted.

Where they were standing was the fourth premises they’d looked at that day, and Kathleen felt this place was it. The royal blue carpet tiles were mostly in place. Someone had ripped a few up and tossed in a corner. Stark white walls everywhere she looked, with shadows where pictures once hung.

“What do you think?” the woman asked.

“What was this place? Before I mean,” Kelly asked, looking around the space with flyers face down. A podium stood in the corner with a penholder on the top ledge.

“A building society. It was the business’s main London premises, so it’s big and super secure already. It’s an affluent area, so presumably, the wealthy deposited here before the internet. There’s a walk-in safe that’s bigger than most London studio flats. Upstairs are five rooms, one staircase and no roof space or attic. Out here, where we’re standing, is the main customer area. There’s enough space to have the seating you’re thinking about. The kitchen layout you wanted and the walk-in safe could be what you need for a bedroom and living area. Or you could sleep upstairs.”

“No. No to sleeping upstairs,” Kelly said.

The woman nodded and walked the perimeter of the room. Kelly looked at both men, who were sharp and assessing the room.

“What do you think?” Kelly asked the man to her left while the man to the right walked further into the premises.

“I looked at the floor plan yesterday. It had a good layout. The back door leads out to a side lane where your delivery guys can come right to the door, which means the door wouldn’t have to be open for long. The kitchen you’ve designed is like a slalom of countertops that will slow anyone down trying to get in.”

Kelly shivered but kept nodding, appreciating he wasn’t just there for muscle. The second man came striding towards her.

“Upstairs is good, too. I think they had them as store rooms for customer details, so it’s solid. I’d knock two rooms together and get yourself a kick-ass bathroom. If you’re going to move in and never leave, then at least get all the comforts you want. Two other rooms can be bedrooms.”

“No one else will sleep here,” Kelly pointed out.

“Just in case. Futureproof the place, sweetheart,” he said with a soft voice.

Kelly nodded and looked around the open space.

“There’s a store room already with shelving. You could have that for your paperwork and tax stuff.”

“You like it?” the woman asked.

She wasn’t hurrying Kelly. They set another ten properties up for viewing for the rest of the week. They assured Kelly they would keep looking until she was happy.

“We’d remove the frontage and replace it with floor-to-ceiling glass windows with a double front door. Metal shutters would be placed at street level and can be lowered when you close the business. All glass means no one can hide. The street pavement is so wide we would easily see the road from anywhere in this room.”

“You favour this place to know what you’d do with the property?”

“You told us what you wanted. So, when the properties were drawn up and sifted through, we worked with our security team to see how we could install what you wanted. If it didn’t work, then the property was dropped from consideration.”

“That’s a lot of trouble to go to for me.”

The woman stepped forward. Her tablet was away in her giant handbag, and she moved until she was right in front of Kelly, but not touching.

“Our boss has a living grandmother, mother, wife, sisters and daughters. It’s been years since you had to endure the attack. He is still not over the fact he put you in danger. He’s super rich and not in a flashy way. You’ll have to let him do this for you, seeing as you won’t spend his other gift. Let him protect you.”

“The other gift,” she said, scoffing. “What did he expect me to do with it, get a display cabinet?”

“Not a bad idea. Easier to protect,” the security guy said.

“Hmm, plain sight,” Kelly mumbled.

“You’ll be in plain sight here, sweetheart. We’ll set up cameras. A panic button. You’ll have privacy in your bedroom and bathroom.”

“Okay,” Kelly said, agreeing to everything.

She’d felt safe in Paris because the attackers were in prison, but she knew it wouldn’t be long before she got out. Her short, cropped pink hair was now shoulder-length brown hairstyle. She had a slim figure now where before she was very overweight. Her eyes were brown like millions of others, so she didn’t need to worry about having distinctive coloured eyes.

One other thing Kelly had matured into was a frightened woman.

“We’ll take care of you,” the man to her right said. “If you’re going to trust anyone, then trust us.”

“The Diamond Men to the rescue,” she muttered.

The woman coughed but was smiling. “Diamond women too.”

“Damn straight. Let’s get the final designs agreed upon. We’ll come to your suite tomorrow and get to work. There’s no budget, so pick what you want.”

“I’m not going for flash. No point hiding if I’m going to put the place on the map. Something understated will do.”

“Whatever the lady wants,” she said.

Kelly wanted not to feel like she was looking over her shoulder. This was her compromise. Open a café, make French delicacies and live inside a fortress.