“Fine,” she hissed. “You can at least give Jules her wedding and engagement rings back, so she has something of him and don’t give me any crap about Trust rules.”
The nurse swallowed hard, reached under the desk, produced the rings in a plastic bag and held them out to Rachel at arms’ length.
“Thank you,” she said, snatching the bag from her hands before turning on her heel and stomping down the corridor towards Jules’s room.
Everyone looked round when she entered.
“I got your rings back,” she said, handing Jules the plastic bag.
She tore open the bag and placed the rings on her fingers, feeling a little calmer just for having them back. Her mind drifted back to the ceremony, recalling the moment Mikey had placed the wedding ring on her finger. The memory made her want to scream.
“I’m sorry Jules,” said Rachel. “They won’t wheel your bed into Mikey’s room.”
“Then I’ll just have to walk,” she said, pushing the sheet aside.
“You’re bloody not,” said Jez, painfully getting to his feet.
“Yes I am,” she said, dragging her legs to the edge of the bed.
“How can you even move anyway? You were shot in the chest.”
“Technically it was my shoulder,” said Jules. “And I want to see my husband.”
“You’re not,” said Jez.
“You going to stop me?” she said when Jez swayed on his feet.
“Yes.” His eyes rolled back in his head. “Oh shit.”
“Sit down before you fall down,” Rachel told him, gently pressing him back into the chair. She turned her attention to Jules. “Lie back down right now.”
“No,” she rasped, dragging her legs to the side of the bed. She paused, breathing rapidly, sweat standing out on her forehead, skin paling.
“You look like you’re going to throw up,” said Rachel.
“I’m fine,” she mumbled, attempting to push herself upright but lacking the strength. “Crap,” she sighed, tears filling her eyes.
Rachel’s heart went out to her, able to imagine how she’d feel if it was Ryan’s life hanging in the balance. “Mark?”
“Yep?”
“There’s a wheelchair outside the room next door. Could you get it please?”
He nodded and left the room.
“You’re an awesome sister-in-law,” Jules smiled at Rachel.
“Is this wise?” said Dane. “What if she hurts herself?”
“If we don’t do this she’ll drag herself down that corridor and then she definitely will hurt herself,” said Rachel.
Jules nodded weakly, although her eyes were full of challenge, indicating that was exactly what she’d do.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” said Jez when Mark returned with the chair and parked it beside the bed.
“How would you feel if you were in Jules’s position and it was Cathy down the corridor?” Rachel asked him.
He sighed and nodded. “Fair enough.”
“Put your arms around my neck,” Dane told Jules.
“You what?” snapped Jez.
“I’m going to lift her off the bed and put her in the chair,” he said. “I’m not trying to pull her.”
Jez magnanimously nodded. He grimaced when Dane lifted her off the bed. “Jesus Jules, cover your bare arse for God’s sake.”
Jacob crooked his head in an attempt to see, hastily looking down at the floor when Dane glared at him.
He placed Jules in the chair and Rachel wrapped a blanket around her knees and a second one around her shoulders.
“Don’t give me that look,” said Rachel when Jules scowled. “You want to see Mikey, this is how you go.”
Jules nodded, pale and sweating, obviously in pain but she made no complaint.
Mark peeked out the door. “All clear.”
Dane wheeled her out of the room and down the corridor, Rachel following, who held open the door to Mikey’s room for them.
“Quick, get her in before the nurses see,” she said.
Dane pushed her inside. Rachel entered too and quietly closed the door behind them. Jules released a small cry of horror, hands flying to her mouth, eyes filling with tears.
“I’ll leave you to it,” said Dane before leaving.
Rachel waited at the back of the room, her heart breaking as Jules took her husband’s unresponsive hand and started to cry, something she’d done only a handful of times in her life. This made her chest hurt and she grimaced, putting her free hand to the wound.
“I know it’s hard but you must try and control it,” said Rachel. “You’re going to make yourself worse.”
Jules nodded, taking a few deep breaths, calming herself down. She glanced at the clock on the wall. “We’ve been married nine hours.”
“And you’ll have plenty more to come, I promise. Do you think that after waiting for you for so long he’s going anywhere now?”
“He might not have a choice,” she replied, gazing at him.
The charge nurse walked in, doing a double-take to see Jules by his side. “What are you doing out of bed Mrs Maguire?”
Jules didn’t reply, keeping her gaze on Mikey.
“You don’t have permission to be out of bed,” she pressed.
Jules continued to ignore her, lacking the energy and inclination to argue.
The nurse looked to Rachel instead. “She shouldn’t be out of bed, the post-operative period is so delicate.”
“I know but nothing and no one was going to stop her from seeing her husband.”
She looked back at Jules. “You’ll be no use to him if you end up with an infection or a pulmonary oedema.”
Still Jules said nothing.
“I really must insist that you return to bed Mrs Maguire.”
“She’s here now,” said Rachel. “Let her have a few minutes with him. They were married today.”
“Well, okay but straight back to bed afterwards,” she replied before leaving, realising they were giving her no choice.
Rachel felt like she should give Mikey and Jules some privacy but she didn’t like to leave Jules alone in her condition so she waited at the back of the room while Jules anxiously watched Mikey, gripping onto his hand, waiting for a sign that he was waking up but there was nothing. After twenty minutes she began to sag in the chair, one hand wrapped around herself, shaking with pain.
“Time to get you back to your room,” said Rachel.
“No,” she groaned, gripping tighter onto Mikey’s hand.
“Have a rest and you can come back and see him. The charge nurse was right when she said you’ll be no use to him if you make yourself worse. The entire family needs you strong. You’re the only one who has a chance of holding the deal with Toni until Mikey’s back on his feet.”
“Okay,” she sighed. “Take me back.” She kissed Mikey’s hand. “See you soon babe.”
Rachel manoeuvred her out the door, Jules looking back over her shoulder at Mikey, her head slumping onto her chest when the door swung shut, blocking out the sight of him.
CHAPTER 30
Dane was waiting for them in the corridor outside Mikey’s room and took the chair from Rachel, steering Jules back to her room.
“How is he?” said Jez when they entered.
“No change,” sighed Rachel.
“He’s holding his own.”
Dane lifted Jules back into bed, tenderly tucking her in, his actions telling everyone his feelings for her hadn’t lessened.
“Do you need some painkillers?” he asked when she curled into a ball, grimacing, jaw gritted.
Jules nodded. “Have you got anything from your special stock?”
“No I haven’t,” he retorted. “You’ll have something prescribed by a doctor.”
“I’ll fetch someone,” said Rachel.
As she headed back to the nurse’s station, she realised it was dark outside. Already the nightmare at the barn seemed a distant dream. She wished she could wake up an
d everything would be back to normal. Jules, Jez and Mikey would be fine and Battler and Grant would be alive.
After requesting a top-up of pain medication for Jules, Rachel was about to return to her room when she was distracted by a tall, broad figure striding down the corridor, everyone moving out of his way, his eyes riveted on her.
“Bruiser,” she said, stepping forward to greet him, taking his huge hands. “Have they found him?”
He nodded once.
“He’s gone?”
Another nod. He crushed her to him when she burst into tears. As she clung onto him she thought how, for the first time in their acquaintance, Bruiser felt fragile. Battler was the older brother, he’d taken care of him when they’d been living rough on the streets before Frank Maguire had spotted their potential and given them a future. He’d never had to cope without him before.
“Let’s go into Jules’s room to discuss how we’re going to slaughter the bastards who did this,” she said.
He nodded and released her, Rachel linking her arm through his as they made their way down the corridor. She frowned at the figure at the other end who she glimpsed through the bustle of nurses and porters, a thin figure in gaudy clothes, peroxide blond hair tumbling over her shoulders.
“Estelle?” she murmured. She blinked and the figure was gone. “It’s nothing,” she said when Bruiser looked at her questioningly. “I’m overtired.”
The figure was forgotten when she walked into Jules’s room, the nurse she’d spoken to injecting her drip with more painkillers.
“Is she okay?” said Rachel, noting how Jules shifted with pain on the bed.
“She won’t be if she keeps getting up like that,” replied the nurse.
Jules’s uncomfortable movements ceased, resting easier, eyes already closing.
“I know she’s desperate to see her husband,” said the nurse. “But if she doesn’t rest she’ll only be in here longer.”
“We’ll do our best to keep her in bed,” said Jez.
They all went silent and, sensing they wanted privacy, the nurse left them to it.
Jez looked to Bruiser. “Battler?”
He sighed and shook his head, looking down at the floor, hands clasped together.
“Christ,” he said.
“I can’t believe it,” said Mark, stunned.
“I want it known that Battler died saving me and Ryan,” announced Rachel. “He literally held that building up so we could escape through the window.”
“It’s what any father would have done for his kid,” said Jez. “He always thought of you as a daughter.”
“And it got him killed,” she rasped.
“You’re not responsible for this,” said Jez. “We know who is. Now we need to formulate a plan to get the bastards back.” He looked to Bruiser. “I take it you’re in on this?”
Bruiser’s eyes burned with the mayhem that hadn’t existed in them for a long time, not since his heyday working for Frank Maguire when just the mention of his name had terrified the Mancunian underworld into submission. “What the fuck do you think?”
Jacob blinked at him. “He can talk.”
“What’s he still doing here?” Jez asked Rachel.
“He won’t be for long. You’re going back to Devon Jacob.”
“Aww but I can help. I did at the barn, ask Jules…oh,” he said when he saw she was out for the count.
“Yes you did and we’re very grateful,” replied Rachel. “But things are going to get even more dangerous.”
“Which is why you need my help.”
“Like we need the help of a pimply adolescent,” said Dane.
“I do not have spots,” he seethed. “And Shane’s not much older than me.”
“Riley’s taking all the children down to Devon, for their own protection,” said Rachel. “You can help him look after them.”
“Really?” he said, puffing up with importance while Dane turned away to hide a smile.
“Really and Leah’s going to need you too, especially with me and Ryan staying in Manchester.”
“Okay,” he nodded, expression serious. “I’ll go.”
“Good lad. Why don’t you get something to eat? You must be famished. When you’re done I’ll come back to the station with you, I want to see my kids before they go back to Devon.”
“At risk of sounding a wuss, I know I pissed off that bloke with the sniper rifle big time.”
“What did you do to him?” said Dane.
“Drove a car at him, threw rocks at him and threatened him with a bomb.”
“Alright, maybe you’re not a spotty little oik after all.”
“Yeah, thanks,” he frowned.
“Dane, could one of your men take him to the canteen?” said Rachel.
“Yeah, no worries,” he said, opening the door and talking to another huge slab of a man covered in tattoos.
“Where did you find this lot?” said Jacob. “Or are you growing them somewhere?”
“I recommend you stop talking before Brick pulls your lips off.”
“Brick?” grinned Jacob before Dane shoved him out the door and pulled it shut.
“Now that’s sorted, let’s discuss the plan,” said Jez. “My guess is Hayden’s definitely hanging around Liverpool. He’ll be wanting to take another shot at us before we can regather our strength. The question is, is Katia up north too or still down south, giving herself a nice cosy alibi?”
“With something as serious as this,” said Rachel. “My guess is she’s in Liverpool, coordinating things with Clayton.”
“Agreed,” said Jez. “Clayton will want her as culpable as himself.”
“We need everyone thinking we’re still in chaos,” said Rachel.
“We are.”
“We’re still strong and we have Dane’s backing.”
“Too right you do,” he said. “No way am I doing business with that dodgy orange scouse dick or the Slovakian slapper. They’d have me topped within months.”
“But we need everyone to think the family’s in disarray,” she said. “Put it about that we’re arguing and falling out, that we’re weak.”
“Draw them out?” said Jez.
“Yes and make them underestimate us. Katia and Andrew remained behind in Liverpool while they sent in a hit squad to kill us. But it’s not the foot soldiers we need to target, it’s the leaders.”
“Hayden too. He won’t stop until he’s avenged Katia.”
“Exactly.”
“And Clayton’s brother Luke,” said Dane. “They’re thick as thieves that pair, Andrew practically raised Luke when their mum died. He’s also a small, skinny lunatic who enjoys killing and torture. Clayton uses him as an attack dog.”
“So they’re our main targets,” said Rachel.
“You’re saying we put it about that we’re weak and in chaos,” said Jez, looking at Rachel. “Which will draw out the foot soldiers leaving Clayton, Katia, Hayden and the skinny lunatic vulnerable and we send a hit squad after them?”
“Yes.”
“Nice plan. Who?”
“Just a small group, we need to be low-key. I propose we send Mark, Bruiser, myself, Ryan, Shane and you too if your arm’s feeling better. Dane and his men stay here to protect Jules and Mikey.”
“You?” said Jez.
“Yes.” Her eyes flashed. “Why not?”
“Ryan won’t allow that.”
“I don’t need his permission. He’s my husband, not my keeper.”
“He still won’t sanction it.”
“Because I’m his wife or a woman?”
“Err…” Jez looked to Dane for help, who winced for him, sympathising with the awkward position he found himself in. Rachel’s eyes were turning blacker by the second. “You’d be better staying in Manchester, helping protect Jules and Mikey. You’re a nurse too, that could be valuable.”
“Correction, I was a nurse and they have plenty of professional ones helping them. I’m going and no one is going to s
top me. I’m doing it for Battler.”
Bruiser nodded, resting a hand on her shoulder in mutual support.
“Who am I to argue?” said Jez wearily. “But you’ll have a harder time convincing Ryan.”
“You just leave that to me.” She looked to Dane. “Do you know where Clayton will be hiding out?”
“Hard to say, he does own a lot of properties in Liverpool.”
“He’ll want somewhere private,” said Jez. “So no one will spot Katia. They won’t want anyone telling Toni they were together when someone attacked her business partners.”
“Has anyone spoken to Toni yet?”
“Jules did earlier, when you went to the police station. Thankfully she’s taken this as an attack on herself too, so our deal with her is holding but she’s not sending any of her men to help.”
“Cheeky cow,” said Rachel.
“When she was at war she begged us to help her. But when the shoe’s on the other foot she can’t be bothered dragging her lazy, pampered arse out of its feathered nest. Our backing helped her win, which is another reason why she’s maintaining our deal with her.”
“Thank God for that. At least we don’t have to fight her too.”
“And another reason to get this shit wrapped up fast,” said Dane. “We need someone who can locate Clayton.”
“What about Raven?” said Rachel.
“Raven?” replied Jez. “You mean the creepy bounty hunter we met in Devon?”
She nodded.
“Oh yeah, I know Raven,” said Dane.
“I take it from that smile you know her intimately?” said Jez with a raised eyebrow.
“It was before she married that psycho Aidan Gallagher. Me, Jules and Raven, well we…”
“Yeah, I can guess,” frowned Jez.
“So you can call her and ask her to come?” Rachel asked Dane.
“There’s very few people in this world Raven gives a shit about but Jules is one of them. It would be better coming from her.”
“Then we’ll have to wait for her to wake up,” said Jez, glancing at his sister, who was knocked out from the painkillers and the strain of visiting Mikey. “Does Clayton know Raven?”
“No idea,” replied Dane.
“Let’s hope he doesn’t. She could be our way in.”
Half an hour later Brick returned with Jacob who, after stuffing himself silly in the canteen, was exhausted.
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