“How many women do you know who could survive having their neck slit?”
Kirk didn’t know what to say to that.
“Great, looks like she’s heading out into the countryside,” said Curtis. “Fucking perfect.”
“This is going to be fun,” smiled Kirk. “Capture her, torture her then use her to draw Ryan out, kill her before he gets there then when he arrives we’ll top him too when he’s all torn up with grief. Job done, back to Essex, after I’ve spent some time with that nice little bird.”
“There might not be time for that.”
“Aw,” he whined.
“For fuck’s sake, you’re like a little kid,” said Curtis. “We’ll see, okay? That’s all I’m saying on the matter.”
“Great stuff,” grinned Kirk.
“They’re three cars behind you Rach,” said Battler, his gruff voice filling the car through the hands-free system.
“I see them,” she replied, glancing in the rear-view mirror.
“How’s Ryan holding up?”
“He’s quiet, probably getting grumpy.”
“I heard that,” came a voice from the boot.
“We’re only five minutes away,” she called back to him.
“Good, it’s getting very hot in here.”
“You’ll be fine,” Rachel smiled, amazed by how calm she was. She was being followed by two men intent on killing her and she was acting as though it was just a pleasant drive out into the country.
As she drove through the metal gate that led to The Tower she noticed the light blue car continue on its way but she knew it would be back. Battler and Bruiser’s car rolled to a halt on the other side of the fence at the rear gate then reversed, so it was out of sight. There was no security guarding the site, Ryan had seen to that before they’d left the house, making a call and depositing a generous amount of money into the security guard’s bank account to disappear for a couple of hours. More than enough time.
“Perfect, she’s gone to The Tower,” said Kirk, turning the car around in a lay-by and heading back the way they’d come.
“I didn’t spot any security either,” said Curtis, taking out his gun and checking the clip before sliding it back into his jacket pocket.
Kirk parked the car just inside the gate, out of sight of the main road.
“Deserted, just like I thought,” smiled Curtis before getting out of the car. “Looks like she’s already gone inside,” he said, indicating the empty Mercedes.
“I can hear high heels,” said Kirk.
Curtis nodded. “Let’s go.”
They both drew their guns and crept inside The Tower, assailed by the stink of damp. Inside, The Tower was dark and eerie, black brick dripping with water. No wonder they were bringing it down.
“This is fucking creepy,” whispered Kirk.
“Ssh,” hissed Curtis.
The click of high heels sounded on the next level. They melded into the shadows as a pair of slender legs descended the stairs from above. From their dark corner they watched Rachel descend the steps then head for the door.
“Don’t move,” called Curtis, aiming the gun at her back.
Rachel slowly turned to face them. “So you finally got here,” she said casually.
Curtis’s bowels turned to ice as he realised the creeping sensation he’d thought was caused by the old, spooky building was in fact his instinct telling him to get out of there. “On your knees,” he yelled louder than he’d intended, starting to panic.
There was a click and cold steel was pressed to the back of his head.
“That’s just what I was about to tell you,” said a cool, cultured voice from deeper in the shadows. “If you don’t take your gun off my wife I will split your head in two.”
“I’ll shoot her before you get the chance,” retorted Curtis, eyes flicking to Kirk, begging him for help but Kirk had frozen, unsure what to do. He had his back to Ryan and couldn’t turn in time without being shot too.
“May I recommend you look up,” said Ryan.
Curtis and Kirk both looked up to see two bald giants on the stairs aiming huge shotguns at them.
“Oh shit,” said Curtis, finally realising they’d walked straight into a trap. Again.
Oblivious to what had happened to their co-conspirators, Brogan and Duane were larging it up at the nightclub owned by Nilsen, the ruined fish tank wall already replaced. Everyone was sucking up to them, ensuring they had their goodwill, hinting at future business deals to come. The women were flocking round them too and Brogan was delighted to realise that a couple of them were Mikey Maguire’s cast-offs. It would give him great pleasure to fuck them. It would be like fucking Mikey over for a second time.
When the door opened the collective intake of breath everyone took made it feel as though the air had been sucked out of the room. Brogan could only watch in mute horror as a ghost floated into the building and regarded them all with vengeful, malicious eyes. A second ghost followed and stood beside him, having purposefully removed her leather jacket to clearly show the knives strapped to her wrists. The wraiths were backed up by Jez Law, Mark, Grant, Declan and a young lad he didn’t recognise.
The two busty blonds sat either side of Brogan hastily got up and scurried away as the Laws and Maguires advanced on their table. In fact most people were tactfully collecting their coats and bags and leaving, only the hardy and curious remaining to watch.
Jules plonked herself down beside Brogan and threw her booted feet onto the table, knocking his drink into his lap.
“Sorry,” she grinned. “Looks like you pissed yourself. I bet you had a little accident when you saw us walk in.”
“You…you’re dead,” stammered Duane.
“That’s the second time we’ve heard that tonight, isn’t it Mikey?” she said.
He nodded. “Yeah. Seems everyone in Manchester has been labouring under a delusion.” His eyes darkened. “That’s very dangerous.”
“But how…” Duane trailed off, unable to comprehend what was happening. “Ollie Starklaw won’t stand for this.”
“You’re right, he didn’t,” replied Jez, enjoying himself. “Actually he’s lying down, turning cold and stiff.”
It took Duane a moment to puzzle this one out. “You mean he’s dead?”
“Yeah. So are his moron of a brother, Nilsen and three of the other fuckers he tried to carve up our empire with. We left Denny alive to tell the story, just so this time there’s no confusion.”
“Jared Slattery‘s going to kill you,” said Brogan.
“He’ll do fuck all,” snarled Mikey. “He lied to you all, he faked a video of him killing Jules. He’s a loony with a mummy fixation and he has no power up here. He got all of you fucking monkeys to run around taking the risks and when he couldn’t fulfil the promise he made you about killing us he pretended he had. Now you’re going to pay for his sins.”
“It wasn’t my fault,” said Brogan indignantly, noting more people slipping out the door, all his so-called friends. Only a few, well-respected hard men remained, casually drinking at the bar, watching the scene, men with long-standing and highly thought of reputations who had the Maguire’s and Law’s respect, who had been sensible enough not to assume the old order was finished. It was probably them who’d told Mikey and Jez he was here. “Come on, I mean if you were in my position, kept at the bottom of the pile by you lot for years, wouldn’t you have grabbed at the chance to get ahead if you were given it?”
“Kept at the bottom?” said Mikey. “We raised you up in the world, paid you more money that you’d ever had in your life but it wasn’t enough, you greedy, treacherous bastards.”
“Do you know what Ryan said is the secret of staying at the top?” said Jules.
Shane eagerly leaned in, praying she finally revealed to him the big secret.
Brogan looked at her with a frown. “What?”
“It’s having the balls to do what no one else will, to always go further than your enemies are willing to go.”
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With that she drew one of the knives from their sheaths and plunged it into Brogan’s neck, hitting the artery with perfect, practiced precision. Brogan’s expression was pure surprise, unable to believe he was being assassinated in front of all these witnesses. In his final moments, as the blood pumped out of his artery, he realised it was testament to the power the Maguires and Laws wielded - they could kill someone in a public place and they would get away with it. No one would question them about it, everyone would suddenly come down with amnesia, any CCTV footage would disappear and he would go down as an unsolved murder. His legacy. How pathetic.
Jules yanked the blade out of his neck, ensuring the spray hit Duane full in the face, who cried out in horror and frantically tried to wipe the blood away.
“Shut him up will you?” said Mikey.
Mark grabbed the man’s head and twisted, snapping his neck and he fell forwards onto the table, lifeless.
Without another word they departed from the club, taking their time. They rushed for no one.
“How are you holding up?” said Jez, clapping Shane on the shoulder.
“Fine,” he replied bravely, although admittedly he was feeling a little shaky. He’d never seen anyone killed before.
“Don’t worry, violence on this scale isn’t the norm. You’ve done bloody well lad. Mark, Grant and Declan are heading to Martina’s Bar for an almighty piss-up. Go with them, you’ve earned it. All on the house.”
“Yeah thanks, sounds good,” he smiled. Getting drunk was exactly what he wanted to do. “Aren’t you coming?”
“Can’t. Me and Mikey have got to pick our wives up from the airport. We’ll see you at work tomorrow. You’ve got a job with us full time, if you’re up for it?”
“Definitely,” he grinned.
“I knew you wouldn’t let me down. You’re going to be a valuable part of the team Shane, I can feel it.”
Shane’s grin was so wide his face started to hurt again. On top of that he knew the secret, finally, something he resolved never to forget.
Mikey glanced sideways at Jules and smiled. Walking alongside this woman with the bloodied knives strapped to her wrists he’d never felt so strong and powerful in his life. All their enemies were dead, they were still on top. Plus watching Jules dispatch two of those enemies had been a huge turn-on. She caught his gaze and smiled back as they stepped outside into the warm evening air.
“Are you going to the club too to celebrate?” Mikey asked her.
“No, there’s someone I need to see.”
“Who?”
“Someone I owe a big favour. I’ll catch you tomorrow.”
“Jules…,” began Mikey as she walked away.
“Let her go,” Jez told him. “It’s for the best.”
“I suppose,” he murmured as he watched her disappear around the corner.
CHAPTER 39
Curtis was woken by a high-pitched ringing in his ears. His arms felt like they were glued to his sides and blood had trickled into his eyes and set, crusting them shut.
“Curtis, wake up for fuck’s sake,” shrieked a panicked voice.
He forced his eyes open and blinked myopically as a tunnel of fading purple light greeted him. “Where am I? Am I dead?” he said, confused, squinting into the light.
“Not yet but we soon will be if we don’t get out of here.”
Finally he figured out that it was Kirk talking to him. Why was he so anxious? The light was so pretty. When Curtis tried to get to his feet intense pain started up in his wrists and ankles and he groaned out loud. He looked down at his body through his crusty eyes and finally realised he couldn’t move because he was sat on the floor, back against the wall, rope knotting his hands and feet together and every time he moved it tightened. “What the fuck’s going on?” he cried.
“We got our arses kicked, that’s what’s going on. It was a trap,” said Kirk. “They knew we were there all along.”
“Where the hell are we?” said Curtis. They were in a large, circular brick room. Cold air washed over his face, blowing his hair, which was thick with blood.
“We’re at the top of The Tower. Can’t you see you daft bastard? We’re up in the fucking air,” screeched Kirk.
Curtis saw the purple light was actually a twilight sky, dotted with stars, deepening to indigo before it turned black. It was almost beautiful. “I don’t get it,” he said. “Why put us here?”
“I don’t bloody know and what’s that noise?” said Kirk, eyes bulging with panic.
The sound of the alarm was obliterated by a huge roar hundreds of feet below them and the whole building rocked and shook.
“Oh fuck,” cried Curtis as they started to plummet.
Rachel peered at the phone Ryan held in his hand, enjoying the shock on the faces of Jared’s men as the detonation began. Then the screen went blank. He was careful to let no one else see, quite a crowd had gathered to watch this landmark fall.
“Job done,” smiled Ryan, slipping the phone back into his pocket. “And we don’t even need to clean up.”
He slipped his arm around Rachel’s shoulders and she leaned into him happily. The danger was gone, for now, but it would come back at some point, there was no doubt about it. When it did return they would deal with it in a similar way. They could never have a completely legitimate life, she’d realised that. They were Ryan and Rachel Law and they were laws unto themselves. She looked up at Battler, who was standing beside her, still in bodyguard position and he gave her a wink.
Jackson was hunched at the bar, taking a leaf out of Dane’s book and getting slowly drunk, only he wasn’t on tequila, he was on vodka shots. He’d tried calling Dane back but he wasn’t answering. He had no idea if Mikey had managed to find Jules or if she was even alive and it was driving him crazy. His stomach kept turning over, his in-built shit detector telling him something bad was happening.
“Get the fuck off,” he growled when a pair of hands clamped themselves down over his eyes.
“And I thought you’d missed me.”
He froze. “Jules?” He spun around, wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up, lifting her off the floor. “Bloody hell I’ve missed you girl.”
“Missed you too,” she just had chance to say before he ground his mouth against hers.
When the kiss finally ended Jules realised everyone was gaping at her. “Look at them,” she grinned. “They think I’m a ghost. Want to take me back to your place and shag me senseless?”
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to wait until we get home,” he said, kissing her again.
“Try to look more cheerful,” said Jez.
“I’m fine,” Mikey replied tightly.
They were at the airport, waiting for their wives’ plane to land. Jez was riding high, they were back at the top where they belonged and no one would even think about taking them on again, not for a while at least. But Mikey’s miserable face was bringing him down. “What’s wrong, for fuck’s sake?”
“Nothing.”
Jez’s jaw tensed. “It’s Jules, isn’t it?”
“No.”
“Yeah it is. Why can’t you just get over her? Right now she’ll be tucked up in bed with Jackson Driscoll doing unspeakable things to him and she won’t be thinking about you.”
“Just let it go, I’m fine.”
“No you’re not. You went charging down to Essex with no thought for yourself or anyone else. For all you knew Isaac Jones could have topped you or been in on it with Jared and you went down there alone with no back-up.”
“He wouldn’t, I’ve known Isaac a long time.”
“And you know as well as I do that personal feelings and friendships mean sod all in business. Isaac might like you but it wouldn’t stop him killing you if it gave him the advantage, it’s just how it is.”
“Look, I had a chance and I took it. If I’d missed out Jules might have ended up dead. I know I should have spoken to you first but there wasn’t time. Jesus Christ, I though
t you’d be pleased, she is your sister.”
“Of course I’m pleased she’s alive and back where she belongs but you are worrying me.”
“I don’t know why.”
“Because you’ve got your head in the clouds and not on the job and in about two minutes your wife will be here. Get your mind off Jules and back on Amber. You love her, don’t you?”
“Which one?”
“Amber,” he exclaimed.
“Oh. Yeah.”
“You don’t sound too sure.”
“Course I love her, now will you stop going on about it?” he said, getting angry.
“You’d better get over Jules and quick because if you don’t there’ll be a shit load of trouble falling down on your head.”
“Is that a threat?”
“No, it’s a warning and I don’t mean trouble from me, I mean from that little redhead of yours.”
“Amber will be sweet, she always is.”
“Don’t be so sure of that. It’s the quiet ones you’ve got to watch out for and women have a funny way of sussing things out. Get a grip or she’ll catch on to your crush and then she’ll make you suffer.”
Mikey wanted to retort but he was forced to remain silent when Amber and Cathy appeared with the children. He felt almost envious when Jez ran up to Cathy, gathered her in his arms and kissed her passionately, making her giggle. The way they looked at each other made something inside him yearn, but he wasn’t sure who for.
He pushed the feeling away, deciding to take Jez’s advice and concentrate on his wife. “Babe, good to have you back,” smiled Mikey.
“Are you okay?” she said, flying into his arms.
“I’m fine,” he said, gently rocking her, running his fingers through her thick red hair.
“It’s over?”
“Yeah, it is.”
She puffed out a breath. “Thank God for that, it’s been horrible. I hate it when you send me away.”
“I’m sorry but it was necessary. Hello little man,” he said, stooping to pick up Josh. “Did you have a nice holiday?”
The boy grinned and, despite how messed up he was inside, Mikey found himself smiling back. But one thing struck Mikey right then. He wouldn’t have married Amber if it hadn’t been for this boy.
Reckoning Page 37
