Reckoning

by Heather Atkinson

  “Pricks,” she snarled.

  Jules pulled up alongside the chunk of cyclists, flipped back the visor and bawled at them, “why don’t you go into single file so everyone can get past?”

  “Piss off you stupid bitch,” one of them called, the rest of his moronic friends laughing in response and gesturing with their fingers.

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she called. With that she rammed the bar through the spokes of the lead bike, revelling in how the smug git’s smirk turned into an ‘o’ of panic as his bike flipped and he was catapulted into the road. The rest of the bikes, trying to swerve in panic to avoid their fallen comrade, crashed into each other and went down in a tangle of wheels and lycra. The cars behind erupted into an approving chorus of beeping, some winding down their windows to laugh and point at the flailing cyclists. Jules’s bark of laughter joined the cacophony and she revved her engine and sped off, not giving a shit about the stupid cameras on their helmets. The bike was registered under Jared’s name anyway. Besides, the footage would show any court that they were behaving like arseholes.

  Jared receded in her mirrors, stuck behind the tangled heap of cyclists. She fully expected another phone call from him but her helmet remained silent. Even at this distance she could feel his rage at being thwarted.

  “Mikey.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Just coming onto Pleshey Road.” This road was much quieter, only one car on it, which passed her coming the opposite way. The perfect place for Jared to pull his gun. If he caught up with her here she could be in serious trouble.

  “Thank God. You okay?”

  Her knees ached horribly with cold, so painful it made her feel sick. “Fine,” she said, gripping the handlebars tightly in an effort to contain it. “Almost there.”

  CHAPTER 35

  Mikey was standing outside The Leather Bottle with his phone pressed to his ear, practically hopping with impatience. He listened to Jules on the other end, who had ceased talking and was concentrating on driving, heard her agitated breathing, the snarl of the engine. He thought he might explode with frustration and he was terrified something might happen to her before she could reach them.

  “Can you hear that?” said Isaac. “Sounds like an engine.”

  Mikey strained to listen. “It’s a bike. She’s here.”

  They all expectantly looked up the road as the sound grew louder, turning from a buzzing wasp to a roaring lion and a blue bike homed into view.

  Mikey started jumping up and down and waving his free hand.

  “Alright, calm down, I see you,” she said.

  His smile fell when a second bike appeared not far behind her. “Is that Jared on the black bike behind you?”

  Pause. “Yep. That’s Mr Unstoppable.”

  Mikey thought of the gun tucked into his belt but was very conscious of the customers in the pub so he left it where it was. Isaac and his men stepped out onto the pavement with Mikey to show Jared they’d come mob-handed. Mikey watched, his heart in his mouth as Jared’s hand moved inside his jacket, obviously to draw a weapon. In response Mikey slid his hand around his back, fingers resting on the steel, ready to pull it should it become necessary.

  “Come on Jared, be smart,” he muttered.

  “That’ll be a first for him,” said Isaac.

  The blue bike steered into the car park. The engine cut off and Jules practically slid off the bike, hitting the tarmac hard.

  “Jesus,” said Mikey, rushing to her side.

  Jules pulled off the lid and angrily cast it aside where it rolled, coming to a halt by bumping into the wheel of an ugly minivan.

  “Are you injured? Did he hurt you?”

  “Calm down, it’s just my bloody knees. They’ve gone so cold I can’t move them.”

  The purr of an engine drew their attention and Jared’s bike slowed as it passed them, Isaac and his men glowering at him from the pavement. Jared snapped up his visor to glare at Isaac before he looked to Jules. “This isn’t over. I’ll be back for you,” he called.

  “Whatever,” she yelled back, cold and pissed off.

  With one last glare he revved the engine before slamming it into gear and speeding off.

  “Well that was easier than I thought it would be,” said Mikey.

  “Easy?” she exclaimed. “Are you bloody mad?”

  “Christ I’ve missed you,” he grinned.

  “Missed you too. Now do you want to help me up? I feel ridiculous.”

  He helped her upright and took a moment to drink her in. She was alive and well and overflowing with life, as always. The woman was a living, breathing miracle. He was desperate to kiss her but was conscious of Isaac and his men.

  Jules spotted Isaac and her eyes lit up. “And who are you?”

  “This is Isaac, he helped us find you,” replied Mikey, not liking the way she was looking at his friend.

  “May I say how grateful I am,” she purred. “If there’s ever any way I can repay you…”

  “Alright, let’s get you to the car,” said Mikey, taking her by the elbow and steering her none too gently towards Isaac’s car.

  “What? I was just being friendly,” she protested, limping along. “Ow.”

  He stopped. “What’s wrong?”

  “My knees…the cold from the bike.” She bent over to rub them. “They really hurt.”

  Mikey briefly considered carrying her, then thought that would look ridiculous so instead he went at a slower pace, holding the door open for her to slide into the back of Isaac’s car. She unzipped the bike jacket and Mikey burst out laughing. It felt good. For a while he’d thought he might never smile again.

  “What’s so fucking funny?” she demanded.

  “You. In pink. In a skirt.”

  “It’s not by choice. Jared made me wear this and his psycho mummy tried to turn me into a lady.”

  “You, a lady?” laughed Mikey.

  “Yeah, I know. It was well creepy at their house, I’m telling you.”

  Isaac got into the front passenger seat, his brother taking the driver’s seat. “Airport?”

  “Yes please Isaac. We need to get back to Manchester ASAP.”

  “What’s been going on down there? Is Jez okay? What about Ryan?” she said.

  “They’re both fine and working together in Manchester to bring down the two-faced fuckers who did us over,” he said as the car set off.

  “That’s a relief. I’ve been so worried about them.”

  “You’ve been worried. How do you think we feel? We thought you were dead. Jared sent us a video of you getting shot.”

  “I thought he was going to. He forced me on my knees and pointed a gun at my head then I was replaced by this poor woman whose only crime was looking like me.” She pushed the memory of that woman aside, wishing she’d known her name. “Do we have time for me to get some real clothes from somewhere?”

  “Nope,” said Isaac from the front seat. “The plane leaves in half an hour.”

  “You’ll have to go back to Manchester looking like a marshmallow,” grinned Mikey.

  “Don’t start little cuz,” she said, rubbing her knees, willing the life back into them. “I can’t wait to have a long, hot bath.”

  Mikey tried not to think about her all hot and soapy.

  “So have you killed the Starklaws yet?” she demanded.

  “Not yet. We decided to wait for you.”

  Her smile was evil. “Good.”

  “Did you get a good look around the Homestead?” Isaac asked her from the front.

  “Most of it. You wanting some details of the interior?”

  “I’d fucking love it darlin’.”

  “Then you shall have it,” she said with a wicked smile. What a pleasing revenge that would be on Tanya. “In exchange for a cigarette, I’m gagging. Please tell me one of you big handsome blokes has one,” she said, addressing Isaac and his colleague sat up front.

  “Fair exchange. Keep the packet,” he rep
lied, passing it over to her.

  Jules practically snatched it from his hand, yanked out a cigarette and sparked it up. She leaned back in the seat releasing a loud aah in a cloud of smoke.

  “Better?” said Mikey, trying to waft the smoke away from himself.

  “Much. Better than sex,” she smiled, taking another deep drag.

  “Sounds like you’ve been doing it wrong,” he said, drawing a raised eyebrow from her.

  “How did you know I was still alive?” she said.

  “Jackson.”

  Jules smiled but this time it was tender. “And how did he know?”

  “He insisted on watching the video Jared sent us. He said it couldn’t possibly be you because the person in the video didn’t have a snake tattooed on their back.”

  “Good old Jax,” she said.

  Mikey ignored the grating sensation her happy smile engendered within him. “Good old Jax indeed. He’s been going crazy over all this, just like we all have. Ryan and Jez will be so relieved to have you back. Rachel too. Apparently when Ryan told her you were dead she started to cry.”

  “Really?” she said, surprised. “Rachel Hard Woman Law cried over me?”

  “She does have a soft side.”

  “And you Mikey, did you miss me too?”

  He glanced sideways at her. “Course I did and now you’re finally back we can finish our enemies once and for all.”

  Tanya was waiting for Jared in the lounge when he arrived home, bursting through the front door like a huge thundercloud.

  “Well, where is she?” demanded Tanya.

  “Gone. Mikey Maguire was waiting for her at Pleshey.”

  “Fuck,” she screamed. “How did she escape?”

  “I know how,” said Curtis, pushing Irina into the room.

  Tanya stormed up to her and slapped her across the face. “You stupid, silly little bitch. What did you do?”

  “Nothing,” replied Irina, seriously scared. “She hit me…”

  “And how did she do that? You were supposed to keep the door locked.”

  “She pretended she was ill, so I went in and she attacked me.”

  “You said you were in the army?”

  “I was.”

  “Then why didn’t you try to defend yourself, you’re more than capable.”

  “There was no time, she surprised me.”

  Tanya stared into her eyes. “You’re lying.”

  “I am not.”

  “Yes you are you slag,” Tanya yelled in her face.

  “Go easy on her Mum,” said Jared, taking Irina’s hand. “Come here honey.”

  Irina smiled up into his face, so glad his eyes were gentle, like they used to be when he looked at her.

  “We know it didn’t happen like that but it’s okay, you can tell me the truth. I won’t hurt you,” he said.

  “Really?” she said doubtfully.

  “Really. How could I hurt you?” he said, kissing her hair. “You’re my little milacik,” he said, using the Slovakian word for sweetheart.

  “Alright, I tell the truth, for you,” she smiled at him. “I let her go because she is horrible and nasty and she make you fall out with your mother and I know how much you love your mother. She not good enough for you.”

  Tanya’s eyes narrowed and her mouth curled into a cruel smile. “But you think you are? Is that what this is about?”

  “He deserves better than her,” Irina cried defiantly. “She betrayed Katia…”

  Tanya slammed her fist into Irina’s mouth, silencing her. “Oh you bitch,” she said, frowning at her hand. “I cut myself on her tooth.” Tanya displayed her displeasure by punching Irina in the side of the head and kicking her in the stomach “You’re nothing but a dirty little whore,” she screamed at her before laying into her again, punching and kicking her repeatedly in an attempt to obliterate her face.

  “Jared, help me,” cried Irina as she was knocked to the floor. Irina wasn’t exactly soft but Tanya was a mad woman, relentless and possessed of a considerable strength and Irina was helpless to defend herself. Through the blood and pain she looked to her lover for help, now having to beg him with her eyes because her jaw was broken. When he just looked down at her blankly she started to cry. What had she done?

  Tanya only stopped when Irina was a wheezing wreck on the floor.

  “What now?” said Jared distractedly, busy thinking about how he could get Jules back.

  “Get rid of it,” said Tanya, pointing at Irina. “Not like that,” she exclaimed when Jared aimed his gun at Irina’s forehead. “Do you think I want a mess all over my carpet? It was only fitted last week.”

  Shrugging, he stuffed the gun into his belt, straddled Irina and cradled her head between his large hands, as though he was about to kiss her. Her eyes flickered open and filled with delight when she saw him so close, holding her. Jared jerked his hands, there was a crack and the pleasure in Irina’s eyes faded before turning glassy.

  Jared let her head drop into the thick, expensive carpet, lying at an awkward angle thanks to her broken neck.

  “Bitch,” Tanya screeched at the corpse before kicking her in the stomach. She wheezed in a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair. “So how do we get Jules back?”

  “I don’t think we can,” said Jared. “She’ll be on her way back to Manchester by now and once she’s there she’ll be heavily protected.”

  “Fuck,” screamed Tanya. “The one major advantage we had over Mikey and Jez and we lose her. Go to Manchester and bring her back.”

  “It’s not that easy. We have to be careful. The Maguires aren’t to be taken lightly. Then there’s her brothers too.”

  “I don’t care about them. They’re all finished.”

  “Ryan Law’s in Manchester helping them.”

  “If you’d had him killed like Katia wanted then we wouldn’t be having to worry about him now.”

  Jared thought this over. “That’s given me an idea.”

  “Care to share?” she said sarcastically, still furious over Irina’s betrayal. For good measure she gave her body another kick.

  “I’ll send a couple of men down to Devon to take care of Rachel. I’ll let it slip to Hayden. Even though he’s one of us now he’s an old friend of Ryan’s, he’ll warn him and Ryan will go back to Devon to protect his wife. That gives us one less enemy in Manchester and one less person to protect Jules.”

  Tanya smiled proudly. “That’s my clever boy. Do it. Get onto the Starklaws, tell them to take her back, gently of course. I don’t want her damaging.” I want that pleasure myself, she thought, although she decided not to tell her son that.

  “They won’t go near her. Joel’s scared of her because she beat him up once.”

  Jared’s men sniggered while Tanya looked livid. “What sort of wussies have you partnered us with?”

  “You know as well as I do that Jules is no ordinary woman, it’s why I chose her,” he replied.

  “True,” she sighed.

  “We need to finish crushing the Maguires and Laws first. Once they’re all dead she’ll have no choice but to come back to me willingly.”

  Tanya nodded and cradled his cheek with her palm. “Once again you’re right. If only your dad had had half your brains.”

  “He’d still be dead now,” he frowned.

  “Yes but I might have had some respect for him. Oh this is such a mess.”

  “But we’ll get it sorted.” He nodded at his men to leave and when they’d gone he pulled Tanya tighter against him and pressed his nose into her hair.

  She pointed at Irina’s body without removing her face from her son’s chest. “Get that out of my house.”

  “I will, just leave everything to me.”

  “And let Katia know how displeased we are with her for bringing us Irina. Don’t hurt her though, she is very useful and makes us a lot of money.”

  “Okay. I’ve got the perfect way to do that.”

  “What do you make of this Hayden?
Can he be trusted?”

  “He betrayed Mikey Maguire so I don’t think so. He has no loyalty.”

  “He’ll have loyalty to Katia. She knows how to manipulate a man. I respect that but she already has Robbie and Jason and Harry Sugar.” Jason and Harry were the only two brothers of Col Sugar - who had been second-in-command to Alex - to survive the last war. “Now she has Hayden too. She’s building a crew around her. She needs to be watched.”

  “I’ll keep a close eye on her and if she gets too big for her boots I’ll snap her neck too.”

  “Good.” She kissed him on the cheek then pulled away. “Now I really need a shower, I’ve got that bitch’s blood on me,” she said, holding up her hands for him to see.

  Tanya paused on her way to the door to stomp on Irina’s face, her high heel puncturing her left eyeball, which gave way with a soft pop. She pulled the heel back out, grimacing at the mess stuck to her shoe.

  “Leave them, I’ll sort them out too,” said Jared.

  “Thanks Son,” she replied, kicking off the shoes and padding barefoot out of the room.

  When the door had closed behind her Jared threw himself to the floor, picked up one of the shoes, pressed it to his face and inhaled, feeling himself harden.

  “Focus Jared,” he muttered, forcing himself to put down the shoe. He took out his phone and called Katia. “Katia, it’s Jared,” he said when she answered. “Just to let you know that I’m sending a couple of my men down to Devon to take care of Rachel and Ryan for you. When I make a promise I always keep my word.” He smiled at the hesitation in her voice, she wasn’t so fucking demanding now. She was probably worried about her new man turning against her. “Well, aren’t you grateful?” he said, enjoying listening to her squirm. He smiled when she said she was. “Good,” he replied before hanging up, confident she’d tell Hayden, she wouldn’t want him thinking it was down to her.

  CHAPTER 36

  “What do you mean he went to Essex?”