Bad Blood

by Kelleher, Casey

  ‘My phone’s off for a reason, Christopher. I’m kind of in the middle of something here.’ Getting up from his seat, Nathan picked up his packet of cigarettes and then, walking over to the balcony, he stood just outside the door and lit one up.

  ‘Look, Nath, if you’re still wound up about the opening night, I said I’m sorry. I didn’t realise that the bloke was a journalist, did I? I would never have fucking nutted him one if I’d have known. What more do you want me to do, huh? Go round and personally kiss the bloke’s feet?’

  ‘No.’ Nathan shook his head, angrily. The word ‘sorry’ rolled off Christopher’s tongue far too easily, and far too often. ‘I’ve already cleared up your mess. I stumped up fifteen grand so that Wayne Barnes wouldn’t slaughter us in GT magazine. That bloke could have shut us down. You go so much as within fifty feet of that man and he said he’s going straight to the Old Bill. It’s sorted now, so don’t you go anywhere near him, you get me?’

  Sensing the tension in the room, Cassie tried to intervene. ‘Do you fancy a cuppa, Christopher?’ she asked, then catching Nathan’s glare she shrugged. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck with Christopher when they still had so much to discuss. But she was only being polite.

  ‘Nah I won’t, ta. Seeing as you’re both so busy and all that . . .’ Christopher scowled at his brother now. Nathan hadn’t even offered him so much as a seat let alone a brew.

  Slinging the bag of cash down on the table, Christopher had taken the hint. Not wanting his brother to realise that his indifference was starting to bother him, Christopher did what he always did and got his hackles up.

  ‘I’ll get off then, yeah? Let you two lovebirds get back to whatever it was you were doing. Don’t bother seeing me out.’

  Nathan stood with his back to his brother, inhaling the smoke from his cigarette down deeply into his lungs.

  Hearing the front door slam, Nathan stubbed his cigarette out and came back inside.

  Christopher could be such a disgruntled stroppy shit sometimes. Ah well, he was a big boy, Nathan was sure that he would get over it. Besides, he had bigger things to think about now. Like the fact that he was going to be a dad.

  Perched on the edge of the sofa again, Nathan stared ahead at the floor. He could feel Cassie’s eyes burning into him as she waited for his reaction to her news.

  ‘Well? Are you going to say something?’ Cassie asked, feeling anxious. Standing by the dining room table, she fiddled with her hands awkwardly. The room had been silent for what felt like forever and suddenly Cassie felt uncomfortable.

  Maybe she had read the signs wrong after all.

  Maybe Nathan didn’t feel the same way about her as she did about him?

  She’d said it now, there was no taking it back. She was pregnant.

  She was in just as much shock as Nathan was, having only had the day to get her head around the notion herself.

  So caught up in her anguish, she had thought that the sicky feeling that had overwhelmed every day this week had been grief. It was only when she had been lying in bed late last night, unable to sleep yet again, that she had figured out that she had missed her period. She was late.

  She’d racked her brains to try to work out how it could have happened. She and Nathan had always been so careful.

  First thing this morning she’d nipped out and got herself three tests. After doing them all she got the confirmation that she knew she would: PREGNANT. Spelled out right there in bold, dark letters.

  She’d since spent the day pacing her flat, rehearsing what she was going to say to Nathan when he got here tonight. In fact, she’d been dreading how Nathan was going to react, but now, Nathan sitting there speechless, it was a bit of an anti-climax.

  He hadn’t responded at all, and she was feeling sick to her stomach that maybe she’d read it all so wrong.

  ‘I just . . . don’t know what to say.’ Finally finding his voice, Nathan ran his fingers through his hair. This had been the last thing that he’d expected to hear tonight.

  But now, with just one short sharp sentence, everything had changed. Just like that, in a heartbeat. Glancing up at her, he could see the anxiety written all over her face as she waited for his response. He was still in shock, still trying to digest Cassie’s words.

  ‘How? We’ve always been so careful. And you’re on the pill.’

  Cassie nodded. ‘I know, Nathan, but no protection is guaranteed as a hundred percent. It just happened. It was an accident. Trust me, Nathan, I had the next five years all mapped out for myself too, this wasn’t part of my plan either.’

  Her career was everything to her and she’d worked so hard to get her promotion as senior staff nurse. Now pregnant, everything would change.

  ‘Look, I know we’ve only been together for six months and it’s not the ideal situation but, well, I guess we have to look at it as a blessing in disguise.’

  Feeling calmer now that she had told him, Cassie sat down next to him. Placing her hand on his knee she searched his face, serious now. ‘I want you to know that I’ll understand if you don’t feel ready for this. If you don’t want this then you can still walk away. It’s not some sort of a trap.’ Cassie stared at him hard in the eyes. ‘It is what it is. But I’ll understand if you don’t want it.’

  She meant it too. There was no way that she expected anything from Nathan. If he wanted to walk, then she’d let him. Men had that luxury; it was always the woman who was left holding the baby, who had to shoulder the responsibility no matter what. Whatever happened tonight, Cassie needed to know that if Nathan wanted to stand by her and the baby one hundred percent, he was doing it because he wanted to. Not because he felt like he should.

  ‘But I want you to know, Nathan, that there is no way that I could even contemplate getting rid of my baby, so you just let me know where you stand. Because I can either do this with you or without you. I’m strong. Independent . . .’ Cassie stopped herself; everything that she had rehearsed earlier was coming out wrong. She sounded cold, harsh. Like she was giving some kind of a speech. She couldn’t help herself. She hadn’t expected Nathan to react like this. It unnerved her.

  He was just sitting there staring at the floor.

  Saying nothing.

  She’d been pacing the flat all day, worried out of her mind that Nathan would want to run a mile. She wouldn’t blame him, but if he was going to bail on her, she’d rather he do it now than further down the line.

  She would understand. Six months into a relationship was nothing really in the grand scheme of things, and time-wise they were still just getting to know each other. This was a lifetime commitment.

  It was a lot to take in, she knew that herself. Still, she had hoped that maybe, somehow, they would work it out together.

  Nathan got up.

  Mirroring her own footsteps earlier that day, he too paced the room, digesting the news just as she herself had. He was in shock. She had been exactly the same. All this silence was making her feel on edge. Looking at him, she willed him to speak. To say anything, she didn’t care what. As long as it was the truth, as long as he meant it and she knew where he stood.

  ‘Jesus! I’m going to be a daddy?’ Pulling himself together, staring Cassie straight in the eyes, Nathan grinned now as the news sank in.

  ‘You are.’ Cassie smiled back.

  He was smiling. Thank God. He looked happy.

  As relief swept over her, Cassie couldn’t help but let her tears escape now. ‘God, Nathan, I’ve been dying to tell you all day.’

  ‘Come here.’ Nathan held her to him. ‘Seeing as this seems to be a night for revelations, I’ve got something I need to tell you too.’ Nathan looked serious. Staring her in the eyes, his hands on her cheeks.

  ‘What?’ She knew it.

  Her mother had always said if it seemed too good to be true then it probably was. Here it was. The pun
chline. Bracing herself, Cassie waited.

  ‘I love you, Miss Wright. And that little baby in there is going to be the most loved little thing on this earth. I’m bleeding over the moon, girl.’

  Nathan meant every word.

  Hugging him hard now, Cassie had never felt so relieved. Nathan had worked so hard these past few weeks to prove to her that he wanted to leave his family’s firm and set out on his own. Legitimately. Cassie knew that he had meant it. He’d promised her that he was going to make a success of himself, and make her proud. He already had. There was no doubt in her mind that she loved the bones of this man. Now he’d said it too.

  ‘Shhh,’ Nathan soothed, as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. ‘So, in here . . .’ Nathan moved his hand down, placing it on Cassie’s stomach, ‘there could be a very strong, independent girl.’ Repeating her own words, Nathan couldn’t resist winding Cassie up. ‘With a beautiful smile and a full head of wild curly hair?’

  Cassie smiled and then added, ‘Or an outspoken little boy, with piercing blue eyes, who gets moody when he’s tired and is a very fussy eater.’

  ‘Fussy eater?’ Nathan jibed. ‘Ah, he’ll only be fussy if his mummy is cooking,’ he teased.

  ‘What’s up?’ Cassie asked seeing Nathan suddenly looking all serious on her again.

  ‘Well, actually, now that I’ve let the news sink in a little bit, there is something that I’m not very happy about.’

  ‘What? Tell me.’

  ‘I’m not happy about not having a ring for you . . .’

  As Nathan got down on one knee, Cassie sucked in her breath. ‘Nathan, you don’t have to do this . . .’

  ‘Don’t,’ he insisted. He didn’t want anything to spoil their moment.

  ‘I know it wasn’t planned and I know that I haven’t got you a ring . . . yet. And I know that this is going to sound cheesy as hell, but you make me feel like one of the happiest men alive.’ Nathan was tearing up himself now. He meant every word that he was saying.

  Meeting Cassie had changed his life.

  She showed him the good in people. She made him feel like he wanted to be a better person too.

  ‘Cassie Wright, will you do me the great honour of being my beautiful wife?’

  Crying now too, Cassie couldn’t speak. Nodding she leant forward and kissed him hard on the mouth.

  Cassie felt overwhelmed with love.

  Nathan Woods was her everything, and them being a family made her feel like the happiest person alive.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Having just been made to feel less welcome than a dose of the clap, Christopher slammed the car door and slumped down in the driver’s seat of his Audi.

  Whacking his fist against the dashboard, he was seething.

  Nathan had muttered something about it being late and that they were ‘busy’.

  Busy? At this time of night. Busy at it like a pair of rampant rabbits more like.

  Nathan had asked him for the poxy takings, so if he had a problem with him turning up at Cassie’s with them, he should have stopped being such a stubborn twat and answered his phone to him. Instead of bloody ignoring his calls.

  All of this over a poxy argument with some fucking queer. The bloke couldn’t have been that traumatised if he’d accepted Nathan’s hush money. Nathan was just being pathetic.

  And his brother wasn’t the only one with a life; Christopher had better things to do than run around for his brother like a fucking delivery boy.

  Christopher had spotted the look on that stuck-up bitch’s face when she’d opened the door tonight. How she’d quickly plastered a forced smile on her face and had half-heartedly invited him inside.

  Christopher hadn’t been fooled by Cassie’s fake niceties. Even buzzing from the coke, he hadn’t missed a trick. He’d seen windows less transparent than that bitch, and not only could he see right through the girl, he’d also clocked the look that she had shot Nathan.

  Of course, Nathan couldn’t have shooed him out of the place quickly enough after that. The bloke was so blatantly pussy-whipped, it was almost as if Cassie had placed some kind of spell over him. If it had been any other bird that his brother was shagging Christopher would have had no qualms in telling the bitch to stick the kettle on regardless of how late it was, or how unwelcome she tried to make him feel.

  Now Christopher was physically reeling. He was his brother for fuck’s sake, what did he need to do, book a fucking appointment?

  So, Cassie didn’t like him. Christopher didn’t really give a shit to be honest. He’d never been concerned about whether any of Nathan’s previous little tarts had liked him, and he had no intention of starting now.

  Nathan was so loved up it was laughable, only now the joke was wearing thin as it was becoming more and more apparent with each passing minute that all the while Nathan had Cassie, he didn’t need Christopher anymore.

  That girl had Nathan wrapped around her finger and it was starting to really get on Christopher’s tits.

  ‘Fucking women always fuck everything up. Cunts.’ Christopher spat the words out.

  Agitated, he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Staring out of the window, he glanced up towards Cassie’s shitty flat. He could see Nathan up at the window, drawing the curtains that led out onto the balcony.

  Christopher sneered.

  He was making a point of purposely shutting him out. Shutting everyone out.

  Well, if Cassie thought she could keep Nathan all to herself, she was in for a shock. Because Christopher wasn’t going anywhere. He was his brother. He’d been there for him all his life.

  Nathan was a mug to allow himself to get blind-sided by a fucking woman.

  They couldn’t be trusted.

  Christopher would never, ever be that weak.

  Placing his hand down under his seat he felt around for the small plastic bag that he had carefully concealed earlier. Ripping it open, he poured a small line of powder onto the back of his hand, before snorting it quickly and rubbing the small powdery remainder into his gums. The drug hit the back of his throat and instantly his mouth went numb.

  The gear always took the edge off his moods, and instantly he felt himself gain some control again.

  Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Christopher took a long deep breath. It was late, but he didn’t want to go home, he was too riled up. Revving the engine, he decided to make his way back over to the wine bar.

  His wine bar.

  It had just gone closing time, and Kelly would have fucked off up to bed by now, so he’d be left free to sit and drink himself into oblivion without anyone getting on his case.

  Yeah, fuck it, why not? It was his bar too.

  Nathan might swan about acting like he was the head-honcho, but Christopher’s name was also on the deeds; he was a legal partner, they were equals.

  Waiting for the car that was coming along behind him to pass, Christopher pulled out, driving carefully; after the amount of nose candy he’d been snorting, he didn’t want to give the Plod any reason to pull him over.

  Nathan would love that. Then he’d have even more ammunition to use against him.

  People were quick to notice his fuck-ups, he realised. It had always been that way. Like it was almost expected of him. His dad in particular. He treated him like he was a fucking no-mark sometimes. The way he talked down to him, as if Christopher needed to be told. His dad had this way of looking at him sometimes, with such disappointment. He didn’t even need to say anything, Christopher just knew.

  He was a fuck-up, a let-down.

  Having lived in both his dad’s and Nathan’s shadows all of his life, Christopher was used to being overlooked.

  Nathan was the brains. He was the smart one. With his business head and his astute ways. Christopher was just fucking brawn.

  The only thing he reall
y excelled at was getting inside the ring and pummelling the shit out of people. He loved fighting, and it came so naturally to him that it actually required little effort.

  Of course, he’d managed to fuck even that up, hadn’t he? He’d stunted his career before it had even taken off. He’d never even come close to being the boxing legend that his father had been.

  Fighting was in his blood. Battling it out in the ring was his only real release. He had a raging temper on him, and very little room for tolerance. It would pay for people to remember that.

  Especially his family, it seemed.

  If Nathan wanted to act like a prick and keep holding a grudge against him over the opening night, then so be it.

  He’d fucked up. He could admit that.

  Nathan had always forgiven him in the past, but just because he had Cassie now, he was treating him like he was nothing.

  Like he was only good enough to collect the takings and run pointless errands.

  Well, it was about time everyone realised that Christopher Woods was no-one’s fucking errand boy.

  Least of all Nathan’s.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  As she cashed up, Kelly’s feet throbbed; squashed into her new black stiletto heels, the skin on her ankle was raw from where they’d been rubbing all night, and she could feel the start of a whopping great big blister forming. Still, no pain no gain, she thought to herself, and tonight, dressed in all the new clobber she’d bought when she’d gone shopping with Evie, Kelly knew she was looking good. She’d lost a few pounds this week too, and tonight three punters had bought her drinks. And they’d been straight.

  ‘Blimey, don’t know about you, Kel, but I’m cream-crackered.’ Monica, one of the barmaids, was standing by the door, pulling on her jacket. ‘Can’t wait to get in me bed.’

  ‘Tell me about it.’ Grabbing the keys so she could see the girl out and lock up for the night, Kelly nodded in agreement as she walked across the pub. ‘I’d say that was probably our busiest night yet. Looks like things are picking up a bit now, thank God.’ Christopher had already picked up tonight’s takings. He hadn’t stopped long, and Kelly put that down to the fact that Nathan had probably warned him off hanging around the bar because of his Neanderthal display on the opening night.