“Rachel, wait,” called Ryan, pushing Katia down ahead of him.
But she didn’t hear him and continued in pursuit.
“Riley, go after her,” yelled Ryan.
He didn’t need telling twice. Riley rushed after Rachel and spied her ahead of him, racing down the corridor leading towards the rear of the house, firing shots at Alex’s retreating back, each one coming close to hitting him but just missing. He counted she’d let off seven rounds, which left just one in the clip. A figure lunged at her from the kitchen doorway, a knife in its hand and Riley watched in amazement as Rachel grabbed the hand holding the weapon, punched him in the gut and head butted him. As the man went down she jammed her taser into his ribs, causing him to jump and jerk. Riley paused by the fallen individual when he saw who it was, the big devil face on his jacket grinning up at him. He hesitated, torn between finally getting some revenge or protecting his sister-in-law.
“Dammit,” he muttered, chasing after her. The bastard wouldn’t be getting up for a while anyway.
Rachel raced down the hall towards the back door. She just had time to duck as a fist shot out at her. She turned the corner and found herself staring down the barrel of a gun. Fortunately she was prepared and had her own weapon raised in response, pointing at Alex’s face.
“Nice scar Rach,” he grinned.
CHAPTER 27
Rachel and Alex glared at each other, both secretly surprised by how quickly they’d gone from firm allies to deadly enemies.
“Your ear’s bleeding,” said Rachel. “I surprised you, you didn’t think I had it in me to kill you but if you hadn’t moved I would have blown your head off. I’ve thought about nothing else since I woke up in hospital.”
“And I’ve thought about nothing but cutting your throat. I really enjoyed that. Next time I’ll take your fucking head off.”
They circled each other warily, not daring to take their eyes off each other.
Riley sped to a halt but before he had chance to take aim at Alex, Col and his brothers charged down the back stairs and pointed their guns at him. He was left with no choice but to aim right back at them.
The back door erupted in a mess of splintered wood and Battler and Bruiser charged in, shotguns at the ready.
“Put the gun down now Alex,” bellowed Battler, incensed.
“Not a fucking chance mate. What we’ve got here is known as a standoff. Lower the shotguns or I’ll shoot her.”
“Don’t do it Battler,” Rachel said, voice calm and steady.
Battler was fit to burst with frustration. There was no way he and his brother could let off a single round without Rachel getting caught up in the deadly spray of shot, which Alex was fully aware of.
Ryan rushed in, pushing Katia before him, who stumbled on her heels and fell onto all fours. Mikey and Jez followed, both clutching guns while the three Russians and the two remaining MC crew raced down the back staircase to join Alex, the two groups aiming their weapons at each other.
“Get your gun off my wife,” Ryan told Alex, advancing on him.
“Hold it right there or I will shoot her,” he retorted.
“Not before I shoot you,” said Rachel.
“Alright everyone, just take it easy,” said Mikey.
“Shut it you,” Alex snarled at him. “Fucking backstabbing traitor.”
“You’re the traitor Alex,” said Bruiser, “to the Maguire name.”
Everyone turned their heads to regard him with surprise. Outbursts from Bruiser were rare. Then they turned their attention back to Rachel and Alex, both of whom seemed capable of pulling the trigger any second.
Ryan grabbed Katia, held her before him and jammed his gun under her chin. “Put the gun down or she’s dead.”
“You won’t shoot a pregnant woman Ryan, you don’t have it in you,” said Alex.
“You know I’d do anything for Rachel.” He cocked the weapon, the noise loud in the tense silence. “Anything.”
Katia took in a long deep breath, forcing herself to contain the scream she was desperate to release. She knew full well Ryan would do it if he was pushed.
“She’s carrying the heirs apparent,” Ryan continued. “The heirs to an empire that’s going to crumble and burn.”
Alex looked into Katia’s deep blue eyes and sighed. “Alright Ryan, I’ll lower my weapon if you give me Katia. On the condition Rachel puts down her gun.”
“Not a fucking chance,” she told him.
Ryan was immensely proud of his wife, aiming a gun so calmly and determinedly at the biggest lunatic in Manchester.
“Stand off at the fucking OK Corral,” said Frankie, storming in, bloodstained hatchet in one hand, gun in the other. Paul and Jamesie followed, similarly blood-soaked. “Shoot the tit Rach.”
“Christ Frankie you’re a pain in the arse,” said Alex. “I was hoping you’d be dead by now.”
“Course not you prick. I want your head mounted on my wall, it’ll be the jewel in my collection.”
“Not going to happen I’m afraid.” He turned his attention back to Ryan. “Give me her back. Now.”
The tension in the room steadily built up, everyone sweating with the strain. If a single round was let off in this confined space it would ignite a shoot out that would leave them all dead so both sides were unwilling to be the instigators. There was only one option. Retreat gracefully.
“Get your weapon off Rachel.”
Frankie sniggered. “Is that an innuendo?”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “Do it Alex. On three.”
Alex nodded, getting increasingly agitated, eyes flicking between Rachel and Katia.
“One, two…”
On three Ryan shoved Katia towards Alex, who caught her in one arm, simultaneously swinging the gun from Rachel onto Jez.
“You only asked me to take the gun of Rachel,” grinned Alex.
Ryan felt real fear for his brother as Alex’s eyes widened and glittered with the madness that had taken him over. Rachel drew Alex’s attention from Jez by turning her weapon on Katia, who nestled into his arm, seeking shelter.
Alex desperately wanted all these people before him dead but Katia was in the line of fire and he could not risk her. It was time for a tactical retreat. Even in his insanity he knew opening fire in this small space wasn’t an option.
“I suggest both sides leave quietly,” said Alex.
“Reluctantly I agree,” replied Ryan.
“We’re leaving now. Don’t try to follow us.”
They backed up towards the door, the two groups keeping their weapons trained on each other. Alex flashed them a smile before he disappeared out the door, taking Katia with him. Robbie was last out.
“This is for Beth and Nick,” said Rachel, raising her gun.
The bullet struck him in the shoulder and he fell forwards, staring in shock at the wound. Col and Jason grabbed him and hauled him out backwards screaming in pain.
Rachel holstered the gun and sighed. “I missed. I was aiming for his head.”
“Well that was one almighty fuck-up,” said Ryan, extremely pissed off.
“I had great fun,” grinned Frankie. “We got some more trophies, didn’t we boys?”
Paul and Jamesie nodded.
“Who did you take out?” said Mikey.
“Three of those greasy motorcycle jessies. One of them started crying,” he laughed. “Wild thing my ginger cock.”
“It wasn’t a total loss,” said Riley. With that he turned on his heel and disappeared back down the corridor towards the kitchen.
Rachel and Ryan looked at each other curiously before following. They found Riley standing over the MC member Rachel had taken down with the taser, who was just starting to come round. When he saw Riley staring down at him he tried to get up in a flat panic, but Riley stood on his chest and pushed him back to the floor.
“Meet Stoner, vice president of Lucifer’s Shadow. After raping Zoe this piece of shit stubbed lit cigarettes out on her face and brea
sts then threatened to cut her stomach open.” Riley’s voice was like ice as he spoke. “Made you feel big did it Stoner? Did you feel like a man torturing a helpless heavily pregnant woman? Fucking coward.” He started to lay into him with his feet, punctuating each word with one brutal kick. “Did it?” he roared.
“N…no. I’m sorry,” stammered the man.
Riley produced a knife from his belt. “You should be careful what threats you make. They might just be turned on you.”
With that he plunged the knife into the man’s belly and started to drag the blade upwards, ripping open his stomach, the man screaming in horror.
Rachel was forced to turn away. This wasn’t something she wanted ingrained on her memory. Ryan followed her out of the room and closed the door, leaving Riley alone with his vengeance.
Charlie and Kian picked their elder brother up off the floor. Declan’s eyes were wide and confused and he didn’t appear to know where he was.
“Get him to A&E, he doesn’t look right,” Mikey told them.
“I’m sorry, I messed up big time,” Rachel said to Ryan.
His calm slipped. “Don’t you ever go running off like that again. Do you hear me?” he bellowed in her face. “If Alex had been thinking straight he could easily have killed you.”
“Alright, I said I’m sorry. There’s no need to shout at me,” she yelled back.
“There’s every need. It was fucking stupid and that is something you are not. You let your heart rule your head and it could have cost you your life. We could have ended this here and now if you’d just stuck to the fucking plan.”
“I know what I’ve done but you shouting isn’t going to help. Pull yourself together.”
“You’re the one that needs to pull herself together.”
“Hey, go easy on her. She said sorry,” said Battler.
“Stay out of it. This is between me and Rachel,” said Ryan.
“Don’t speak to him like that. What’s wrong with you? Where’s the famous Ryan Law calm gone?” she said.
“Out the window along with your fucking brains.”
“And your posh accent. We’re getting the true Manc council estate now aren’t we? It’s never far from the surface.”
“Don’t turn this on me. This is about the major disaster you just caused. Maybe I made a mistake promising not to keep you out of it. You’re obviously not fit for the job.”
Rachel’s cheeks burned with shame and humiliation as he dressed her down like he would one of their children when they’d been naughty, the others looking on in embarrassed silence. Suddenly she erupted. “I’m the one whose throat he cut, I’m the one he tried to rape.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, a torrent of pain and hurt pouring out of her that she was helpless to prevent.
“What?” said an appalled Battler.
“This is my revenge and you will not stop me,” she screamed in Ryan’s face, jabbing him hard in the chest before turning on her heel and storming out.
“Give her time to calm down,” said Battler, holding Ryan back when he moved to follow her. “I’ll stay with her.”
Ryan watched Battler and Bruiser go outside after Rachel, feeling like a complete bastard as his anger deflated.
“You were out of order there Ryan,” said Mikey.
“No he wasn’t. He’s right, she did fuck up,” said Frankie. “I could have Alex’s head in a box by now and be on my merry way back to Glasgow if she hadn’t got carried away.”
“She’s not ready for this, I should have made her stay behind,” muttered Ryan. “She’s been out of this life for too long, she’s forgotten how to do it. I hate to say it but I think she’s lost her edge.”
“No, you’re wrong there,” said Frankie vehemently. “Any woman who can tear after Alex Maguire hasn’t lost her edge. She just needs to find her mojo again. You’d better help her find it fast before we kill Alex because she’s going to need it when she’s helping you run this city.” Frankie’s gaze was hard and unflinching.
“We’ll get started on the clean-up in here. Go and talk to her,” said Jez. “But for God’s sake keep calm.”
Ryan sighed and walked out of the house to find Rachel sat in the back of the black four by four Battler had procured for today’s outing, the brothers sat up front. When they saw Ryan approach they got out of the vehicle to give them some privacy.
Ryan got in beside her and shut the door, hanging his head penitently.
“Well?” she said coolly.
“It didn’t work. Frankie still wants us running things when this is done.”
“Shit,” she sighed. “What do we have to do to get him to change his mind?”
The attack on the house had never been a serious prospect at ending this war. If Alex had been killed then all well and good but they knew the odds were stacked against it. It had all been show to convince Frankie that he and Rachel weren’t as capable as they used to be and to turn him to Mikey instead. But it seemed he wasn’t for convincing. Only Battler, Bruiser and Riley had been in on their scheme, their remit to protect Rachel, a task they’d accomplished well.
“What a waste of time,” sighed Rachel. “And Alex is stronger than we thought.” It had surprised her that he was so fit, she’d expected him to still be weak and sickly. For a second she’d thought their plan was going to go spectacularly wrong because of their misjudgement. “What do we do now?”
“Pray that Dane comes through for us.”
“Do you think he will?”
“I hope so. What did you mean about my accent anyway?”
“It slips slightly back into Manc when you shout.”
“Really? I had no idea.”
“It’s quite cute.”
“Arguing with you was very exciting,” he said, letting his accent slip again.
She gave him a grin. “Me too. Maybe we should do it more often so we can enjoy the making up.”
He leaned towards her, pinning her in her seat, making her eyes turn jet black. “I’m going to punish you for what you said about my accent.”
Her eyes danced. “I think your visit to Dane’s club has got you back into your old ways.”
“Maybe it has because the second we get back to the farmhouse I’m dragging you upstairs and fucking you until you beg me to stop.” He pressed her back harder into the seats, so his body was directly against hers, his hardness between her legs.
It took her a moment to find her voice, her face flushing again but this time for a very different reason. Sometimes violence could have this effect on the libido. “Then you’ll just have to keep going because I will never ask you to stop.”
He kissed her, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. As she wrapped one leg around his waist he groaned and undulated his body against hers.
“You were naughty though in there,” he said, pulling back slightly to look directly into her eyes. “You should not have run off like that. Anything could have happened. I am genuinely angry at you for that.”
“I know and I’m sorry. I just really want this to end.”
“Do not do it again.”
“Yes Sir,” she replied with a saucy smile.
He became even more inflamed. “I want to be inside you right now.”
“You can’t, Battler and Bruiser are just outside.”
“Dammit,” he growled aggressively, sending a thrill through her. “Then you’ll come for me.”
“Now?”
“Yes,” he said, sliding his hand inside her black trousers.
“Ryan I…oh my,” she gasped when she felt his fingers inside her. “But the others…”
“It’s tinted glass they can’t see in.” He moved his hand and she moaned louder. “Do you like that?”
“Oh yes,” she breathed.
“Just there?” he whispered, adjusting his fingers slightly, revelling in how wet she was.
“Uh-huh,” she nodded, biting her lower lip in an effort not to cry out.
“Then qui
ckly Rachel, do it for me. Now.”
His fingers knew exactly where to probe and she kissed him desperately, trying not to make a sound as he sent her soaring in seconds. He moaned with desire when she tightened around his fingers. He loved to her watch her like this, eyes tight shut, cheeks flushed, spine arched, pushing her beautiful breasts heavenwards. Knowing he was giving her so much pleasure in turn gave him tremendous pleasure.
When her eyes slowly opened they were filled with peace and love. “You are the most amazing husband. Now it’s my turn,” she said, rubbing her hand against his crotch.
But he took both her hands and pressed them down against the seat. “Not yet. When we get back to the house.”
She writhed beneath him, liking it that she was at his mercy. Despite recent experience it didn’t upset her because she loved and trusted Ryan so much. “That club has definitely brought something out in you.”
“You’re the one that has the effect on me, nothing and no one else.”
The sound of cars approaching burst their very pleasant bubble and they both sat up, drawing their weapons.
Battler pulled the door open. “Don’t worry, it’s just Mikey’s crew come to do the clean-up.”
“That’s a relief,” said Rachel, holstering the gun.
Battler took in their dishevelled appearances. “Glad to see you’ve made up. Sorry for interrupting,” he grinned before closing the door.
CHAPTER 28
“How the fuck did they find us?” bellowed Alex. “Shut it Robbie, I can’t think.”
Robbie lay in agony in the backseat, Katia beside him pressing down wads of tissue onto the bullet wound in his shoulder.
Katia’s eyes locked with Col’s through the rear-view mirror. She knew exactly how they’d found her, Ryan had told her and she knew Col suspected the truth but there was no way either of them were telling Alex.
“Did they say anything to you?” Alex said, turning in his seat to face Katia.
“No. Someone must have betrayed us.” She didn’t like lying to Alex but she had absolutely no problem with it to protect herself.
“You’re right, they must have and I’ll find who it was,” he said darkly. His expression softened into tenderness. “Are you alright Sweetheart? They didn’t hurt you?”
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