Dividing Line

by Heather Atkinson

  “I forgive you.”

  “Oh Rach,” he murmurs, burying his face in her hair and breathing in her scent, the scent he has missed so much. “You won’t regret it, I promise.”

  She closes her eyes, enjoying the feel of him again. She’s missed him too.

  When Danny wakes the following morning to find himself at home beside Rachel he smiles. He props himself up on his elbow and watches her sleep. Her eyes flicker open and she stretches and gives him a languid smile.

  “Morning,” he says.

  “Morning,” she replies, rubbing her eyes blearily. “What time is it?”

  He glances at his watch. “Half seven.”

  “Is that all?” she groans.

  She turns on her side to face him. As she moves the duvet slips to reveal her toned, naked thighs and Danny starts to get aroused. Gently he kisses her, relieved when she responds. He moves his lips over her cheek and down her neck and shoulder and she sighs, enjoying the sensation. When she runs her hands over his bare back and down to his buttocks he groans and presses himself against her. However when he hitches up her nightie and tries to part her legs she freezes, panic starting to rise.

  “Danny, wait.”

  “What's wrong?”

  “I can't, not yet. It's too soon.”

  He smiles and kisses her on the forehead. “It's okay. We'll wait until you’re ready.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Don't be. It's understandable after what you've been through.”

  She smiles and nuzzles into him, the feel of her body against his not helping dispel his straining erection.

  When Danny and Rachel walk into the Wherry Tavern hand in hand Frank is filled with relief.

  “Rachel, sweetheart, how are you?” he says as gently as his gruff voice will allow.

  “Much better thanks,” she smiles, appearing much more relaxed than she has in weeks.

  “Glad to hear it,” he replies sincerely.

  Rachel spots Beth across the room with Alex. “I'm just going to have a word with Beth.”

  “Okay Babe.” They kiss and Danny watches with a smile as she walks over to her friend.

  “So you're back on track then?” says Frank.

  “Yeah we are. Listen Dad, I want to say thanks. You made me realise what a dick I was being.” He extends his hand for Frank to shake, which he accepts heartily.

  “You're welcome son. Just don't blow it this time.”

  “I won’t.”

  Frank lowers his voice. “Speaking of blow.…,” he lets the sentence trail off and looks meaningfully at Danny.

  “Don't worry, I've kicked the habit. I don't touch the stuff now.”

  “Good lad.” Frank looks over Danny's shoulder and smiles. “Hello Ryan.”

  Danny turns to look at him. “Alright Ryan?”

  The two men regard each other with dislike.

  “Very thank you,” replies Ryan. “You look pleased about something.”

  “I am. Me and Rachel are back together.”

  Danny is gratified to see the flicker of disappointment in Ryan's eyes.

  “Oh really? That is excellent news,” he says through thin lips.

  “Yes it is,” grins Danny.

  He strides off with a smirk, leaving Ryan to fume. He can't believe she's taken that idiot back. Ryan waits until Danny is in deep conversation with Terry and Alex before he approaches Rachel. Her eyes light up when she sees him.

  “Ryan. It's good to see you,” she says warmly.

  “You look wonderful,” he replies, running his eyes over her appreciatively. “And I hear you and Danny are once again the happy couple.”

  “Yeah. We had a good talk, got a lot of stuff sorted.”

  “Well, as long as you're happy.”

  “I am,” she smiles radiantly.

  He is dismayed to see she means it. He leans forwards to whisper in her ear. “If he hurts you again let me know and I will kill him.”

  His breath brushes her neck, making her tingle. She smiles up at him, her expression turning serious when she realises he isn't joking. “Thank you Ryan for being there. It means a lot to me.”

  “I always will be,” he says, eyes boring into her.

  His steely eyes capture her own and for a moment all she wants to do is stare into their enticing depths. He gives her hand a gentle squeeze, breaking the spell before turning and walking away.

  Beth comes up behind her. “See, I told you he fancies you.”

  “I know,” she replies, watching him cross the room to the bar.

  Max Crawford enters the pub, looking for the Maguires. At six foot four and thin as a rake he certainly stands out in the crowd. He wears tight drainpipe trousers and a clingy t-shirt which only serve to accentuate his thinness. He sweeps his straggly blond hair out of his eyes as he scans the crowded room then he spots Danny and Terry in conference. Max takes a deep breath and approaches them.

  Danny looks up as he reaches their table. “What can I do for you Max?” he says with distaste in his eyes. Danny doesn't like Max Crawford, no one does. A petty thief and vandal with arsonistic tendencies he has pretensions towards the big time but he is too weak and stupid to make it.

  Max looks around nervously then bends down to whisper in Danny’s ear.

  Danny is amazed by what he has to say. “You're having me on?”

  “What did he say?” says Terry. Danny repeats Max’s message in his uncle’s ear. “I don't believe it,” he frowns.

  “It's true. Straight up,” Max says defensively.

  “Go and wait in the back room Max,” orders Danny. “We'll round up the others and join you in a minute.”

  Max nods and does as he's bid. Danny spots Alex chatting with Beth and Rachel and wanders over to them.

  Alex meeting, back room. Something's come up.”

  “What?”

  Danny whispers in his ear.

  “No way.”

  “Yeah, according to Max Crawford.” He turns to Rachel. “Sorry Babe, we’ve a bit of business to deal with.” He hands her a roll of notes. “Why don't you go and enjoy yourselves while we get it sorted? I'll see you at home later.”

  “Okay,” she says, slipping the money into her bag, feeling the knot of tension in her stomach. She hates it when he does this, it makes her feel like she's being kept, which is hard for a working, independent woman. Alex does the same with Beth, whose eyes widen in amazement and she kisses him full on the lips.

  As the men disappear into the back room Beth asks: “What do you think that was about?”

  “I've no idea and I don‘t want to know. Fancy going shopping?”

  “Yeah. You know, I could get used to being a kept woman.”

  “Take my advice Beth, don't fritter it all away. Spend half and keep half. You never know what's just around the corner.”

  “How much have you managed to save so far?”

  “About twenty grand.”

  Beth's eyes widen. “Bloody hell Rach, that's a hell of a nest egg.”

  While Beth continues to gape at the wad of money in her hand, Rachel watches the men file into the back room and the door close behind them. She has a feeling something bad is about to happen.

  “What's this about Danny?” says Frank.

  Danny gets to his feet to address them all. “Max here has just told me that the Austin Brothers have held up one of our bookies with sawn off's.”

  They all look at Max, who nods affirmatively.

  “Which bookies?” says Alex.

  “Chorlton Street,” replies Danny grimly.

  “I don't believe it,” says Frank grimly. “They're just a couple of small time thieves who occasionally deal a bit of grass and shotguns are way beyond them. They can barely cope with light switches.”

  “I saw it with my own eyes,” interjects Max. “They did it while I was in there.”

  “Did anyone else see them?” says Ryan politely.

  Max glances at Ryan nervously, unable to meet those steel gr
ey eyes.

  “No, I was the only one there.”

  “Surely there was a member of staff present?”

  “Oh yeah there was.”

  “You just said there was no one else.”

  Max tugs at his collar nervously, feeling the sweat begin to trickle down his back as Ryan’s sharp eyes bore into him.

  “I thought you meant customers.”

  Ryan rolls his eyes in annoyance. “So what happened?”

  “They came in the door shouting for everyone to get down, pointed their guns at the young lass on the counter and told her to open the safe. She said she couldn't, only the manager could do that, so they took a load of loose change instead.”

  Ryan snorts derisively. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah, why not?”

  “Because Gerard Austin was banged up last night for GBH.”

  Max freezes and his white skin somehow becomes even whiter. Ryan leans back in his chair, smiling triumphantly.

  “That tells me you’re lying. So I have to ask myself, why would you do that?”

  Max nervously looks at the sea of angry faces surrounding him, the faces of the most dangerous men in the city and he swallows hard.

  “It was them, I swear. I saw them with me own eyes.”

  None of them reply, all regarding him with mistrust.

  “I’m telling the truth,” he shrieks.

  Ryan snorts derisively.

  “I suppose Gerard could have been released in time to commit the robbery,” reasons Frank.

  “Yes that’s got to be it,” exclaims Max loudly and with some relief.

  “I think we should pay the Austins a visit,” says Terry getting to his feet. He jabs a finger at Max. “You’re coming with us and if we find out you’re lying you’re fucking dead. Got it?”

  Max’s face falls and he nods his head vigorously.

  Danny returns home later that evening looking downcast, sending Rachel into a panic.

  “What's happened?” she says, reluctant to even ask the question. She isn't sure she wants to hear the answer.

  “Nothing for you to worry about Babe,” he replies, kissing her.

  She regards him with a hard stare. “Don't patronise me Danny.”

  He should have known better than to try and fob her off. He grins disarmingly. “Alright, if you really want to know.”

  “I do.”

  They sit together on the couch in their living room as he relates to her what Max Crawford told them.

  “So we paid the Austin Brothers a visit.”

  “And what did you do to them?” she says.

  “What makes you think we did anything?”

  “Oh come on. I bet the moment you heard you all flew round there and hammered lumps out of them.”

  “That was the idea but when we got there they were already dead.”

  Her eyes widen. “What?”

  “They'd both been shot in the head, execution-style.”

  She releases a long breath as she processes this information. “Any idea who did it?”

  “Not a clue.”

  Rachel sits back, thinking hard. “Who could possibly gain from this? Setting up two retards to rob the bookies, badly, and getting a third to let everyone know. Why?”

  “That's what we've all been trying to work out. It's got to be The Coalition, it's the only explanation.”

  “But Jarvis is dead.”

  “Maybe they're carrying on without him?”

  “Maybe,” she replies thoughtfully.

  “Its made me a bit edgy about the job tomorrow.”

  “You're not still doing it, not after everything that's happened?”

  “We considered cancelling it but the pay off is too good.”

  “Is it worth going to prison for, or worse?”

  “That won’t happen.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “I just am,” he soothes. He attempts to put his arm around her but she shrugs him off.

  “Well I'm glad to see you've thought this through,” she says sarcastically.

  “I have, we all have. Even my dad thinks it's safe.”

  Frank's approval reassures her somewhat. “Really?”

  “Yes,” he smiles. “You don't need to worry.”

  Rachel sighs and takes his hands in hers. “I'm sorry Danny, I know you leave nothing to chance. I'm just so scared you'll get caught, or…,” She lets the sentence trail off, not wanting to form her horrible thoughts into words. It would make them too real.

  He hugs her tightly. “You know that will never happen. By this time tomorrow we'll be a couple of million richer. Hey, how do you fancy a holiday? Wherever you want to go. I think we could use it after what’s happened.” He doesn't want to say the word miscarriage because he hates the pain in Rachel's eyes whenever it’s mentioned. It’s also like a knife in his own heart.

  She nods in understanding. “I've always wanted to go to Italy.”

  “Rome?”

  “Yeah,” she replies eagerly. “And Florence.”

  He is pleased with her enthusiasm. “Why don't you pick up some brochures and we'll have a look together?”

  “Alright, I will,” she grins happily.

  “It's good to see you smile.”

  “I think some time on our own will do us good. It might help me, you know.”

  “I'm sure it will.”

  Since they’d reconciled Rachel hasn't been able to have full sex. She is fine with heavy petting but any further sends her into a flat panic. It isn't that she doesn't desire Danny anymore, he is just as attractive to her now as the day they first met, even more so in fact, and there's nothing physically wrong with her. The problem is psychological and she is considering seeing a therapist. She is willing to do anything to get them back on track.

  So when Danny kisses her she knows he is hoping it will lead to more. As usual she feels the excitement inside her as he lies her back on the couch. She even lets him remove her jeans and still she is okay but the moment he tries to remove her panties she freezes.

  “Stop,” she gasps.

  He tries to hide his disappointment but she can see it in his face, just as he can see the shame in her own eyes.

  “I'm so sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me.”

  She nestles into his chest and he rocks her gently in his arms, breathing hard, trying to calm himself down but it's difficult. He has a high sex drive and his passion for Rachel is all-consuming.

  “It's alright,” he soothes, wondering if the shabby way he treated her when she was pregnant has done this to her.

  As she sobs in his arms tears prickle his eyes as he realises he has damaged his own wife with his selfishness.

  CHAPTER 21

  When Danny arrives at the warehouse the morning of the robbery he finds Terry already there, checking all the guns are in working order.

  “Alright Danny. Raring to go?”

  “Yeah. Are we the first?”

  “It would seem so.”

  Danny glances at his watch. “We need to be leaving in half an hour. Where are the others?”

  “Relax, they'll be here.” Terry watches Danny pace the floor. “What's up with you? Nervous?”

  “What? No.” He seems surprised by the question.

  “Well something's wrong. Is everything okay between you and the lovely Rachel?”

  “Yeah it's great,” he replies, the hint of sarcasm not lost on Terry.

  “I take it everything's not hunky dory?”

  Danny desperately wants to confide in someone but he knows Rachel won’t thank him for discussing their sex life and he doesn't want to upset her anymore than he already has.

  “It's fine,” Danny replies thinly.

  “Fair enough, if you don't want to talk about it.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small clear plastic bag full of cocaine. “Here, take this. It'll cheer you up.”

  Danny is sorely tempted but he resists. “No thanks. I promised Rachel I wouldn't.
”

  “Go on, take it. She'll never know.”

  Terry stuffs the bag into Danny's hand but he tries to give it back.

  “Thanks all the same Terry but I'm finished with the stuff.”

  When the door opens Danny hastily shoves the bag into his jeans pocket just before his dad sees it.

  “Alright boys? I just wanted to wish you luck,” says Frank.

  Terry frowns. “Why? We don’t need it.”

  “Well you’re getting it,” snaps Frank.

  Danny looks from his father to his uncle as they stare each other out. Something is definitely wrong between them.

  Battler and Bruiser arrive, sensing the frosty atmosphere immediately. Terry turns his anger on them. “And where the bloody hell have you two been?”

  “Sorry, got held up in traffic,” says Battler.

  “Amateurs. I'm working with fucking amateurs,” he seethes. “And where's Alex?”

  “He'll be here, don't worry,” says Danny, immediately leaping to his brother's defence.

  “He'd better be,” glowers Terry.

  The door bursts open and a sweating Alex flies into the room. “We've got to call it off.”

  “Why, what's happened?” demands Frank, startled by the state of his eldest son who is normally so cool and collected.

  Someone's grassed us up. Cops are crawling all over the Townley Estate.”

  The Maguires all look at the Laws warily, who scowl back.

  “Don't look at us,” snaps Ryan. “We’re not grasses.”

  “Well it wasn't any of us,” says Terry.

  “How do you know this Alex?” says Frank.

  “Sharples tipped me the wink. He said it was all last minute. Benton took a call in his office and the next thing they were being mobilised out to the Estate. Twenty of the bastards, including armed police.”

  “Fuck me,” breathes Terry. Anger fills his eyes and he storms to the door.

  “Where are you going?” demands Frank.

  “To find the bastard who dobbed us in.”

  “But everyone who knew about the robbery is here.”

  Terry stops in his tracks as Frank's sense permeates the red mist that has descended.

  “There is someone else.” His eyes fix on Danny. “Isn't there?”

  “What the fuck are you trying to say?”

  “Who is it?” says Frank.