Cash Hungry

By Ben Cole-Edwards

The prequel to Adrenaline tells the tale of Chris and his wife, Laura, and their journey through crime. Packed with humour, romance and almost too much cash to handle, will the duo come out the other end in one piece - or will they become too selfish and... cash hungry?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rowanvale Books Ltd
• Release date: Nov 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9781911240570

Ben Cole-Edwards

Ben Cole-Edwards is a young writer who has always had an active imagination. He has been writing since he was very young, and Adrenaline was his first published novel. When he's not writing, Ben enjoys playing guitar and entertaining people. He is very passionate about fitness and travelling; in fact, he often draws inspiration from his travels when writing.

Book preview

Cash Hungry

Ben Cole-Edwards

Text copyright © Ben Cole-Edwards 2017

Design copyright © Rowanvale Books 2017

All rights reserved.

Ben Cole-Edwards has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

This title is intended for the enjoyment of adults, and is not recommended for children due to the mature content it contains.

No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by electronic, mechanical or any other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying or recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the Publisher and Author. You must not circulate this book in any format.

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, or you were not provided with a review copy by the Publisher or Author only, then please return to rowanvalebooks.com or our online distributors and purchase your own copy, as well as informing us of a potential breach of copyright. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

First published 2017

by Rowanvale Books Ltd

The Gate

Keppoch Street

Roath

Cardiff

CF24 3JW

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBNs

e-Pub: 978-1-911240-57-0

Mobi: 978-1-911240-58-7

PDF: 978-1-911240-59-4

My heart triples in size with every step that she takes towards me, and butterflies become eagles within me as my eyes begin to flood; to say that I am in awe would be an understatement. Every one of my senses is overwhelmed with too many sensations to describe, and I know that it’s showing. Her gentle stride carries with it a dense atmosphere that creates a visual orbit for everyone in the hall.

Stuart squeezes my left shoulder from behind, which tells me that he knows I’ve made the right decision. I open my mouth to take a deeper breath and the taste of salt introduces itself as tears and taste buds merge. Whether it’s the sun, piercing the glass from outside, or my fiancée, the building is illuminated and her smile is glowing. I look to Laura’s lips as she mouths ‘I love you’ and the beating organ in my chest flutters. I’m ready to see God and give him my gratitude because I know that life itself cannot get any better than this; I am enlightened – or is that a different religion?

I gaze at her as her eyelashes bounce off each other and I see the colours of the forest in between each blink. Her stepfather keeps her arm firmly locked with his as she slowly and gracefully approaches the altar. He has zero doubt within his mind that Laura has also made the right choice; I’m a catch. I can tell that he’s trying to assert his masculinity by forcing back his tears and not letting any emotions out. I feel her feet as they caress the wooden floor and I wait for her to slow down completely, a few metres away from where I stand. Her stepfather lays a kiss upon her cheek and gives me a nod that says that he approves of us but also tells me to be careful. Try me, big boy. I wipe the tears from my face and giggle at the fact that the voice in my head called him big boy. Laura composes herself before heading my way.

My body turns to follow her as she stands beside me. I look at her and she looks back at me, and we share the same smile; there’s my girl.

‘Hi.’

‘Hey.’

Josh and Laura are ahead, running. I feel the sweat glide off my jaw as I pick up the pace – this is by far the fastest that I’ve seen Josh run. A few notes fall from Laura’s bag but picking them back up couldn’t possibly make a difference now.

‘This way!’

My wife and I follow Josh down a narrow, oneway street. Within five metres we are directed to an old, barely silver Land Rover – what a getaway vehicle. Laura and I share a sarcastic smile. I yank open the passenger door and find the steering wheel; I’m not used to these foreign cars yet. I run back around the vehicle and get in on the other side. Laura slams her door first, followed by Josh and then me. The key is turned and the engine starts. I swivel to see the look on Laura’s face to make sure it matches mine and I scream with excitement – a very masculine scream, of course. Josh switches the vehicle’s headlights on and we drive.

I bring my t-shirt to my face and wipe the sweat from my eyes. The lampposts light the pavements and I, for one, see no sign of our recent targets. Perfect.

‘Are we making any more stops before we head back?’

‘Chris, my friend, you are very greedy.’

I guess that’s it for tonight. I take the rucksack from my back and drop it in between my legs. I turn my head and see that Laura still has hers, thank fuck. The three of us have been out for the majority of the day, yet I have never felt this fresh. I look down at my chest and see my heart beating; calm down, Chris, you’ve got the money. I speak with Josh about the contents of our bags and we each vaguely describe what’s inside. Josh and I decide that Laura and I will take most of the money and Josh will keep the possessions. Perhaps my wife and I are getting the worse end of the deal, but I know for a fact that I won’t be able to sell the stuff we’ve collected like Josh will. I close my eyes and begin to calm the pounding organ in my chest.

We arrive at Josh’s place before the hour is up and I wait for the driver to park and switch the engine off before adjusting myself. The vehicle’s exterior lights fade out, the engine judders and the sound diminishes. I hear Laura unfasten her seatbelt behind me; I didn’t even know if she was awake or not. I grab the handle on top of my bag and open the passenger door. The door closes quietly and the three of us head to the building. I hear a click and see a flash as Josh locks his jeep. I am the last to step indoors and I meet the other two in the kitchen. The three of us gather around a wooden, circular table and empty our rucksacks onto it. I let Laura and Josh split the piles, and I head upstairs to the bathroom.

The building itself is a bit on the small side but the bathroom is rather spacious. I head for the sink and stare at myself in the mirror before me; I look dirty, slimy. I twist the tap to the left and the water pours out. I cup my hands and soak my face. I tell the others that I’m using the shower, and I take off my clothes before jumping in. The most bizarre thing about my brief stay here is this shower. No matter where you shower in the world, be it at a friend’s house or at a gym, you can never quite get the hang of it like you can at home. An unknown shower is like stepping on board an alien spacecraft and being told to take control. But not this bad boy. This shower works a treat.

I wash my hair and body before finding a moment to breathe. I place my head under the effortless stream and let the water flow down my face. I open my mouth like a cave behind a waterfall and take a few broken, wet breaths. The sound of the water on my face blocks my exterior hearing but I feel the presence in the room. I pull my head back slightly and reboot my senses. I hear Laura’s clothes hit the floor and her feet squeak as she steps into the shower behind me. I remain facing forwards and I feel her palms caress my shoulders. She squeezes and I realise how oblivious I was to the tension in my upper back. I’m not sure what Josh’s sense of humour is like, so I turn around sharply to make sure it’s not him behind me. I look into Laura’s eyes and keep my line of sight fixed. I look into her and feel her warmth.

‘Hi.’

‘Hey.’

‘I thought you might have been Josh.’

‘Not quite.’

‘Shame.’ I turn around, laughing.

Laura grabs my arm and twists me back around in her direction. I pull her in close and hold her. I place my right hand on the back of her head and pull her face in close to mine. The heat on my back drops completely and is replaced with an ice-cold blast. Laura isn’t directly under the shower, so she becomes slightly confused when I headbutt her; reflexes, honestly. I turn the dial behind me and the shower comes to a stop.

‘Thanks a lot, Josh!’ I shout sarcastically; he must’ve realised we were both in the shower and turned a tap on somewhere.

‘Not in my house!’

Fair enough. Laura dries her body with the only towel in the room as I stand shivering. Once her physique is more than dry, I am handed the wet towel.

‘Nice one.’

Laura throws the majority of her clothes back on and carries the rest out of the room as I dry myself. Women are a peculiar species. I fold the towel and neatly place it back over the rail that it came from, before bending over to pick up my underwear. I dropped my underwear by the sink before I stepped into the shower and now the area around the sink is spotless. I look around the room. Laura. The supposed ‘love of my life’ took all of my clothes with her when she exited the room, and I’m surprised I can’t hear her giggling in our bedroom. I walk to the door with a fresh breeze in a place where it isn’t welcome and turn the handle. I pop my head into the hallway before opening the door fully and check that the coast is clear. Looking right, I see the stairs; I look left and see no one. I take my chance and gun it. I exit the bathroom, accompanied by an unpleasant clapping sound, and begin to dart towards my room. As I land my fourth step, I hear an exhausted shout in a foreign language. I turn sharply and see Josh trying to avoid eye contact with my bare arse as he ascends the staircase.

‘Sorry!’ I try not to laugh as I get to the room that Laura and I have been allocated. I bust in and see my wife sitting up against the bed-board in tears of laughter with a camera in her hand.

‘Laura!’

‘Say cheese.’

‘Is that even your camera?’

Laura switches the camera off and throws my clothes at me. I dodge the garments and jump into bed.

‘Ew, keep that arse away from me if you’re going to sleep naked.’

‘At least I washed.’

* * *

Saliva fills my mouth as I awake to the smell of bacon. I roll over in bed to notice that I’m the only one in it. I take a few breaths and then sit upright. I stretch my neck to the right and then to the left, waiting for the click at each side. I bring my shoulders to my ears and swing them around in a circular motion before swivelling my body and getting out of bed. I grab some underwear from a small, worn chest of drawers and put my legs through the holes before heading to the wardrobe. I pick out a pair of dark blue jeans, nothing fancy, and head downstairs.

‘Morning.’

‘Morning.’

‘Good morning.’ Josh’s welcome sounds a little less enthusiastic than my wife’s; can’t imagine why.

‘Good sleep, Chris?’

‘Breezy.’

My right eye twitches and squints slightly as the sunlight from the kitchen window creeps in gently.

‘Nice day, Laur.’

‘Makes our plan work perfectly too, according to Josh.’

‘Is that so?’ I turn to Josh for confirmation; I have absolutely no idea what he has in store for us.

‘Did you bring swimwear?’ Josh hints at our day ahead as he returns a carton of milk to the fridge.