“You’re stuck with me now,” she grinned.
“Thank Christ.”
Jules straddled him, unfastening his trousers.
“What are you doing?” he said, eyes flicking to the driver.
“Consummating our marriage.”
“But someone will see.”
“No they won’t,” she grinned as the driver hastily put up the privacy glass. “The windows are tinted, I made sure of that when I booked it.”
“You planned this,” he said, pushing up her skirt.
“I couldn’t wait to make love to my husband.”
Mikey exhaled shakily as she took him inside her. “If you’re afraid I’ll try and get out of this marriage then don’t be. I’ve wanted to marry you since we met.”
“Even though I was a raving loon back then?”
“What do you mean by was?” he said, laughing when she playfully slapped his arm. “Oh Jesus,” he groaned, gripping onto her thighs as she moved faster.
He tipped her onto her back, driving up into her.
“Don’t crease my dress,” she gasped, writhing beneath him.
“Fuck the dress. God, I have the most amazing wife in the world,” he breathed, moving faster.
Jules yanked her dress down off her shoulders, baring her breasts so Mikey could kiss them.
“I’d love to spank you right now,” he panted.
“That’ll have to wait until later, we’re nearly there.”
“In more ways than one,” he replied as they came together, crying out with pleasure, not caring about the close proximity of the driver.
Mikey gazed down at her, unable to believe she was his wife. He had everything he’d ever dreamed of. He was the luckiest bastard in the world.
Ryan and Rachel watched Mikey and Jules climb out of the limousine, both red-faced, Mikey’s hair tousled and Jules’s dress creased.
“You don’t think they…,” began Rachel.
“Yes I do,” said Ryan.
“What about the driver?”
“I think he’ll be having a good wank tonight,” he grinned as the flustered-looking driver stared at Jules’s backside.
“What’s a wank Dad?” said Aaron, making Leah and Jacob laugh.
“I’ll leave you to field that one,” Rachel told her husband before hurrying inside the barn, leaving Ryan looking down at his youngest son, lost for words.
As ever Jules was the life and soul of the party, flying about the dance floor with Mikey, gazing up adoringly at her new husband. When he inevitably tired he joined Ryan, Riley and Jez for a drink, only half-listening to their conversation as he was unable to take his eyes off his bride.
“I had hoped these soppy looks would stop once you were married,” said Jez. “But it seems it’s only going to get worse.”
Mikey realised they were talking about him and dragged his gaze off Jules. “What?”
“Never mind,” said Jez, shaking his head. “It’s a bloody shame the boys couldn’t be here today.”
Mikey’s smile faltered. “Yeah but the poor little mites were throwing their guts up.”
“Probably because you keep mooning over Jules.”
“Cheeky sod,” he replied but he was smiling.
“Where are Mark, Grant and Shane?” said Ryan.
“Still outside,” said Jez. “I’ll call them in, they’ll be needing something to eat.”
“Leave one of them outside,” said Mikey. “Just in case.”
“Will do,” he said, getting on his phone.
“We can go inside to get something to eat,” said Mark, slipping his phone back into his jacket pocket. “But one of us has to stay outside to keep an eye out.”
“You go,” said Grant. “I can’t be doing with all that racket in there, I have a bit of a headache.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, go on. Enjoy yourselves. I’ll be fine, it’s warm and peaceful out here.”
“Getting old?” grinned Shane.
“Not too old to kick your arse. On you go before I change my mind and make you stay outside instead.”
“I’m gone,” said Shane, already running for the huge oak door leading into the barn.
“Thanks mate,” said Mark, patting Grant on the shoulder.
“No worries,” he replied before continuing his patrol around the building, not that he thought anything was going to happen. The only movement he’d seen was from a couple of crows.
He meandered around the side of the building, enjoying the sun on his face. He was going to ask Mikey and Jez for a holiday, he hadn’t had one in a while and he longed to get some decent sun, chill out on a beach and maybe pick up a pretty senorita.
As he walked around the back of the building his every muscle tensed. He couldn’t have said why but something didn’t feel right. The breeze picked up slightly, the sun briefly obscured by a cloud.
He spun round and blocked the knife thrust to his back, twisting the man’s arm. Grant wrapped his free hand around the man’s throat and squeezed, making his eyes bulge.
“Who the fuck are you?” he demanded.
There was a dull thud in the centre of his back and his legs suddenly lost all feeling. He released the man and toppled to the ground, scrabbling for the phone in his jacket while trying to roll onto his back, his legs refusing to respond.
A knife was raised above him, the same knife covered with his own blood that had severed his spinal column, paralysing him.
“Oh shit,” he said before the knife was slammed into his heart.
“Bastard,” rasped Max, a hand to his neck, kicking at Grant’s inert body.
“You okay?” said Nathan.
“I will be. Let’s get this done.”
The music from the barn drifted up to Hayden, who was still perched on the hill. “All set?” he said into the radio.
“One’s primed,” came back Nathan’s voice. “Working on the second. We had to take out the guard on patrol.”
No doubt that was Grant, he’d seen him wandering around outside while Mark and Shane had gone back inside. Shame, Grant had been very skilled. “Any trouble?”
“Nah, it was easy. We did it nice and quietly.”
Hayden glanced at his watch. They were on schedule. “Good work.” At least this lot were professionals, unlike the amateurs Jared Slattery had employed. It made a refreshing change. “The signal blocker’s already up and running. No one’s calling for help.”
He disassembled the sniper rifle before reassembling it, a mechanical task that took him minutes and that he could have done with his eyes closed, calming him. He wasn’t delighted with this operation, he knew there were kids in that building but they were all Laws and Maguires. This was about survival. All the enemy had to die if he was to protect his own family. One day Mikey, Jez and Ryan’s sons would be big, strapping men, just like their fathers and they might decide to come after them, or even attack his own children. That could not be allowed and he would do anything to stop that from happening, including slaughtering innocents.
If he was honest with himself he was also a bit down about taking out Ryan. They’d been friends for years, before he’d defected to Katia’s side and he knew that basically he was a decent man. But he was also a very dangerous one, so he had to go too.
No one came before his own wife and kids.
CHAPTER 20
Jules grabbed Cathy’s arm as she passed her by. “Where’s Mikey’s present?”
“In the car. Do you want to give it to him now?”
Jules grinned and nodded.
“Great, I’ll come with you. I could use some fresh air.”
Jules paused by Mikey on her way to the door. “Me and Cathy are just popping outside. I got you a surprise.”
He pulled her down to him for a kiss. “Are you sure it’s the sort of surprise you can give me in front of children?”
“Yes. That surprise I’m saving for later,” she said, flashing her mischievous smile.
“C
ome back soon,” he said, thrusting his tongue into her mouth, making her moan.
“Err, do you mind?” said Ryan. “There are children present. And Jez.”
“Hey,” frowned his brother.
“Won’t be long,” she smiled down at Mikey before leaving with Cathy.
They hurried outside to Jez’s car, which was parked at the side of the building. Cathy unlocked it, leaned into the car, popped open the glove box and took out the black box.
“Here you go,” she said, handing it to Jules.
“Thanks.” Her lips twitched into a smile. “He’s going to love it.”
“Who’s that?” said Cathy when voices drifted to them from around the back of the building.
Jules was instantly alert. “There isn’t supposed to be anyone else here.”
“It’s probably a gardener or something.”
“Still, I’ll check it out. You go back inside.”
“Shall I get the others?”
“And have that lot scare the shit out of some poor maintenance man? Probably best not to.”
“Alright but I’m coming with you.”
“Fine but stay behind me.”
Jules slipped the watch under a bush and crept along the side of the building, peering around the corner.
“Jules,” cried Cathy.
She spun round to see a huge man with his thick arm around Cathy’s neck, attempting to throttle her. It was only Cathy’s eyes widening that alerted her to the danger behind her and she leapt aside, avoiding the knife thrust.
Without pause Jules turned and kicked, her foot connecting with the attacker’s chest, knocking him backwards. A second kick caught him full on the nose, knocking him out. She snatched up the knife he’d dropped and turned on his partner.
“Stay back,” said Nathan, who still had hold of Cathy, producing a knife and holding it to her throat.
“It’s okay,” Jules told her friend, stricken by the fear in her eyes. “This thick twat isn’t going to hurt you. Who the fuck are you?” she demanded of the man.
“Your family’s dead in the water. It’s time for a new order.”
“A fucking scouser? What are you doing here?”
With his free hand he produced a small device from his jacket pocket and pressed a button. Immediately a beeping started up from the side of the building.
“A bomb,” breathed Jules.
Her instinct was to run back inside and tell everyone to get out but if she left Cathy he’d kill her.
“My kids are in there,” shrieked Cathy, eyes filling with tears. “Jez…”
Resolve filled her eyes and she slammed her elbow into his chest, winding him. Jules leapt at him, plunging the knife into his heart.
“Tell them to get out of there,” said Jules. “I’m going to find out how many bombs there are.”
Not needing to be told twice, Cathy nodded and raced back around to the front of the building.
Jules slapped the man she hadn’t killed, who jumped awake, eyes widening at the sight of his own knife being waved before his face.
“How many bombs?” she hissed.
“Two but we’ve only primed one.” Max pointed with a shaky hand in the direction of the beeping.
“Where’s the second one?”
“The opposite side of the building. Please don’t kill me.”
“Who sent you?”
“Andrew Clayton, our boss. He’s in on it with Katia Brody and her crew.”
“The fuckers,” she snarled. “How do I stop the bomb?”
“You can’t. If anyone tampers with it it’ll go off.”
“Then what use are you,” she said before jamming the knife into his heart too.
Jules leapt up and ran in the direction of the bomb, finding it hidden beneath a bush, the beeping sound guiding her. With shaking hands she pushed the foliage aside but it was no use, she couldn’t defuse it. But Riley was inside, she was certain he could, no matter what that dick had said.
Just to be on the safe side she raced to the other side of the building to check the bomb there, which was silent with no flashing lights. It seemed he’d been telling the truth. Another thought occurred to her. Where was Grant?
“Jules,” she heard Cathy wail.
The horror in her tone had her racing back around to the front of the building.
“The door won’t open,” she screamed, tears running down her face. “It’s been chained shut.”
Jules regarded the massive, thick chain with dismay. There was no cutting through it without bolt cutters and the padlock was a combination one, so she couldn’t pick it.
The door jumped beneath the weight of the men throwing themselves against it from the other side but it wouldn’t open more than eighteen inches.
Ryan’s head popped through the gap. “We can’t get it open. The back door’s sealed too.”
“Smash the windows,” said Jules.
“We can’t,” he replied grimly. “They’re plexiglass.”
“Oh fuck,” she cried, grabbing her brother’s hand through the gap. The dismay in his eyes broke her heart.
Riley appeared beside Ryan. “Have you seen the bomb?” he asked her.
She nodded and described it, relaying what the scouser had told her, praying he had a solution.
“He was right, it can’t be defused,” he said when she’d finished.
“Why not?” she said, on the verge of tears.
“It’s not like in the movies where you snip a wire. I need equipment that I don’t have here, plus it would take me about eight hours and we don’t have that sort of time. There’s only one thing we can do - reinforce this side of the building, which is the furthest from the bomb and hope it absorbs the blast. Hopefully it’ll be enough to protect us from the worst of it.”
Ryan nodded. “It looks like it’s our only chance.”
“Let me know if the beeps get faster,” said Riley before ducking back inside.
Through the gap Jules could see him ordering everyone about, telling them to pile up the furniture, barricading a quarter of the room off from the rest.
“Pass the kids out,” cried Cathy, bordering on hysteria. “They can fit through that gap.”
“Here,” cried Daina, passing her son Magnus to her, Cathy snatching him from her arms. Emily came next. Riley handed her little Ellie.
“Take them over there,” Jules told her, indicating the copse of trees at the foot of the hill. “They’ll protect you from the blast. I’ll stay here to get them out and send them over to you.”
“I can’t stand there doing nothing,” she said, tears rolling down her face, clutching Magnus and Ellie to her.
“The kids need you,” she yelled. “Now go.”
“Jez,” she cried. “Jez I love you.”
“Go,” said Jules.
Cathy nodded and ran for the shelter of the trees with the children.
Hayden sighed as he watched the scene below. He’d repeatedly tried to get Nathan and Max on the radio but neither were answering. Obviously Jules had either incapacitated or killed them.
Instead he called Katia. “We’ve got a problem,” he said when she answered. “Jules is outside the barn and it’s about to blow.” He gazed down the sniper scope, watching her pull Jez and Cathy’s kids through the gap in the main door. The small figures ran for their mother, who was frantically yelling at them to come to her. He felt sorry for Cathy, she was a nice woman whose only crime was loving Jez Law. At least she got to keep her kids and her life. He wasn’t going to bother shooting them, their targets were the ringleaders. “Want me to take her out? I’ve got a clear shot?”
“No, let her be. If you fire now it will let them know there’s a sniper and it might make it more difficult for you to pick off any survivors. Kill her after the explosion.”
“Will do,” he said before ringing off.
Jules helped haul first Aaron then Ethan through the gap in the door, her arms shaking with strain and fear. “Go to your Aun
ty Cathy,” she told them.
Both boys shook their heads. “Not without Mum and Dad and Leah,” said Ethan, folding his arms across his chest.
“We don’t have time for an argument,” she told them. “You need to go now.”
“No.”
“If you don’t get over there right now I’ll skelp your arses,” Ryan bellowed at them through the gap.
Both boys’ eyes widened, never having heard their dad shout before and they raced off towards the trees.
“Thank God for that,” breathed Ryan.
Holly and Archie swiftly followed.
“Leah, you’re next,” said Ryan.
“I can’t fit through there,” she exclaimed.
“Yes you can,” said Ryan, pulling her towards him. “Now go.”
He and Rachel assisted her, pushing her through the gap, Leah grimacing with pain when Jules started pulling on the other side.
“Ow,” she cried. “You’re hurting me.”
“You’ll cope,” said Rachel, pushing as hard as she could.
With another pained cry Leah slid onto the grass, her legs and arms bruised. “Ow,” she repeated when Jules dragged her to her feet.
“The trees. Now,” Jules told her, shoving her towards them.
“But…”
“Don’t make me knock you out,” Jules yelled in her face, the pain and fear in her aunt’s eyes causing her to go silent.
Alfie tried to go next but he was far too broad to fit through the gap.
“You might be able to fit through there,” Ryan told Jacob, who was more slender than Alfie.
“But I can help,” said Jacob, indicating the men piling everything they could up across the room, following Riley’s cool, calm directions.
“You’re leaving now,” said Rachel. “Imagine the fuss your mum will make if you get blown up.”
Before he could say another word Ryan shoved him towards the gap headfirst and Jacob found himself painfully wedged in the door.
“Pull Jules,” said Ryan, putting all his weight behind the door, trying to get it to open just a fraction more.
“I’m fucking trying,” she grimaced. Her eyes widened. “Oh shit, the beeps are speeding up.”
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