The Reckoning (Carter Brothers), page 15
Biting down on her lip, Stacey shook her head. It was the first time Jimmy had ever directed his anger towards her and, as much as she wanted to stand up for herself, she knew he was right. They should have warned Danny. She should have warned him. ‘I just couldn’t do it, okay, can we drop it now?’
Jimmy narrowed his eyes and, taking a step away from his sister-in-law, he threw his arms up into the air. ‘What are you talking about?’ he demanded. ‘You wanted this, it was you who wanted to have it out with Maria.’
Stacey’s cheeks flushed pink. ‘I’ve already told you,’ she murmured, ‘I couldn’t go through with it. I’m not her.’
‘Her?’ Confusion swept over Jimmy’s face. ‘Who’s her?’
Swallowing deeply, Stacey averted her eyes. ‘I’m not Bethany Johnson. I don’t want to interfere with Danny and Maria’s relationship, I don’t want to be the reason they break up.’
‘Bethany?’ Jimmy’s jaw dropped open. ‘Where the fuck does Bethany Johnson come into this?’
Her cheeks flushing pink, Stacey shook her head again. ‘You know,’ she cried, ‘you know what she tried to do; she tried to take Tommy away from me.’
Stunned into silence, Jimmy rubbed his hand over the stubble covering his jawline. ‘You’d best start talking, Stace,’ he hissed, ‘because right now, none of this is making sense to me.’
Heading for the car, Stacey wrapped her arms around herself and tears swam in her eyes. She was a fool, that was what she was, a stupid lovesick fool who should have known better at her age.
Jogging across the car park, Jimmy caught up with his sister-in-law and pulled her around to face him. Noting the tears that glistened her eyes, he looked up at the sky, then sighed as everything finally slotted into place. ‘Jesus fucking Christ,’ he muttered under his breath. ‘Seriously, is that what all of this has been about, you and Danny?’
‘There is no me and Danny,’ Stacey snapped. Swiping away her tears, an image of her late husband sprang to her mind, and a hard lump formed in her throat. She’d loved Tommy so much that she’d fully believed she wouldn’t be able to breathe without him by her side, let alone live each day without him. She’d been prepared to mourn him until the end of her days. She’d even made him a silent vow that for as long as she lived, she would never so much as look at another man, let alone find it in her heart to love him. And yet here she was, a fraud, a trickster. Not only had she broken her promise and looked at another man, but she’d also grown feelings for him too; she even likened herself to being in love. And if all of that wasn’t bad enough, the man in question had been Tommy’s closest friend. She should never have even looked at Danny in that way; he of all people should have been off limits to her.
‘He’s been gone eighteen years, Stace,’ Jimmy said gently, ‘you can’t live alone for the rest of your life, it isn’t healthy. And Tommy wouldn’t have wanted that for you, you know he wouldn’t have. You were his world, he loved you, he would have wanted you to be happy.’
‘Stop,’ Stacey cried. ‘Please, Jimmy, just stop.’
Jimmy regarded her for a moment, his voice becoming gentle. ‘It’s the truth, Stace.’
‘That’s easy for you to say,’ Stacey sobbed, ‘you’ve still got Aiden,’ she said, referring to her brother-in-law’s partner. ‘How would you feel if he’d been the one to have…’
‘Tommy was my brother.’ Taking a deep breath, Jimmy closed his eyes. ‘Not a single day goes by without me wishing he was still here. I mean,’ he said with a laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood, ‘look what he’s left me to deal with! I know they’re my brothers, but they don’t quite have Tommy’s business acumen, do they? It’s hard enough prising Jonny’s phone out of his hand, let alone getting him to do a day’s work.’
Laughing, Stacey wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. It was true, Jonny’s only concern was the women in his life, and over the years, there had been plenty of them. As Jimmy’s arms circled around her, she rested her head upon his chest. ‘I’m a silly old fool,’ she stated.
‘Nah.’ Jimmy shook his head. ‘You can’t help who you fall in love with, Stace, and let’s face it, I better than anyone know that to be a fact. Look at what I’ve lost because of…’ He swallowed deeply and looked away. ‘I haven’t seen my dad in years. I don’t think he’ll ever forgive me,’ he said, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. ‘I’m not the son he wanted, in more ways than one; you know what he’s like. The only time he ever showed an interest in any of us was when we were boxing; he only cared about us when we were champions. But do you know what, Stace, I wouldn’t change a single thing about my life, and if my old man can’t accept me for who I am, then bollocks to him, it’s his loss.’
Stacey nodded at the truth of his words. Her in-laws had all but disowned Jimmy, her father-in-law more than her mother-in-law, Janet, who she knew for a fact still tried to keep in touch with her son whenever she could, and all because they hadn’t been able to accept his choices, his way of life, the fact he loved another man. ‘You won’t say anything, will you?’ she begged of him.
‘Course I won’t.’ Jimmy shook his head. ‘You should know me better than that, I’ll take it to my grave.’ He winked. ‘But’ – he looked back towards the club and blew out his cheeks – ‘keeping schtum puts Danny’s life in danger, who knows what that mad bitch Maria is planning?’
Stacey followed Jimmy’s gaze. He was right, of course, for all they knew, Danny was next on Maria and the Manns’ hit list. ‘Just give me a few days to think the situation through,’ she pleaded, ‘and then we’ll tell him.’
Reluctantly, Jimmy nodded.
As they walked towards Jimmy’s car, Stacey had a feeling that there were a lot of secrets her brother-in-law would be taking to his grave, the circumstances surrounding her husband’s murder being just one of them. She had a nasty feeling that he knew a lot more than he’d ever let on. The fact his brother Gary had been killed in a gas explosion not long after Tommy’s death had never sat quite right with her, not that she would ever outwardly ask him if he’d had anything to do with his younger brother’s death, she’d always lived by the rule that if he’d wanted her to know what had happened, then he would have told her by now.
Climbing into the car, she glanced back at the club, wondering not for the first time if Jimmy had confided in Danny. It wouldn’t surprise her; she knew that Jimmy trusted him, that they all trusted him, maybe Danny himself had been involved. A wave of guilt washed over her; Jimmy was right, they should have warned Danny about Maria, he deserved to know the truth, regardless of her reasons for wanting to tell him.
Moray’s patience was beginning to wear thin. In fact, it would be fair to say that it had all but left him, where his eldest son was concerned. Tapping this thumb on the steering wheel, he reached into his pocket for his mobile phone, scrolled down to Aaron’s telephone number, pressed dial, then brought the device up to his ear. Just as he’d expected it would, the call rang off. Irritation swept through him and, tossing his phone on to the passenger seat, he threw open the car door and jumped out. Just as it had been the previous day, Aaron’s flat was in darkness.
His ears straining for any indication that his son was home, he tilted his head to one side before thumping his fist upon the front door.
‘Aaron,’ he called through the letterbox. There was no answer, nor any movement from inside. Stepping away from the door, he turned his attention to the window. Cupping his hands against the glass, he peered through the tiniest of cracks in the curtain. ‘Bollocks,’ he mumbled under his breath when he could see nothing.
A sense of dread filled Moray and he absentmindedly rubbed his thumb along the length of his scar. If he didn’t know better, he’d think that his son had dropped off the grid; either that or he was avoiding him, which wasn’t too surprising, considering their rocky relationship.
As he made his way back to the car, Moray glanced over his shoulder. He could only hope and pray that his son’s disappearance was nothing to do with Danny wanting a friendly, and he used that term loosely, chat.
Aaron was becoming increasingly paranoid. He hadn’t heard from Skinny in days; his mobile phone had been switched off, and considering what had gone down with Mann and Christos, the fact he couldn’t get hold of him was highly alarming.
Chewing on his bottom lip, he sunk down on his brother’s doorstep, dug his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a tiny zip bag containing white powder. With a glance around him, he checked that the coast was clear, licked his index finger, dabbed at the whizz, or speed as it was more commonly known, then rubbed the white residue across his gums. Of late, he’d begun taking more and more speed, he needed the buzz it gave him to get through the day, and more importantly, he needed something to stop the paranoia that seemed to plague his thoughts day and night. The fact the drug was contributing to his paranoia was conveniently wiped from his mind.
Moments later, the headlights of a car pulling up outside the flat broke his reverie, and he hastily repeated the process before shoving the tiny polythene bag back into his pocket, out of sight, or to be more precise, out of his brother’s sight. Since coming out of prison, Colm had turned into a right pussy, and he really wasn’t in the mood for another lecture from him.
‘What are you doing here?’ Colm called out, his forehead furrowed as he made his way down the path.
His throat dry, Aaron got to his feet and, ignoring the tone in his brother’s voice, he shrugged. ‘Thought I’d come and see you,’ he said, forcing a grin.
Colm narrowed his eyes. His brother looked shifty, which in itself wasn’t unusual, Aaron had always looked cagey. ‘What’s going on?’ he asked as he slid a key into the lock and pushed open the front door.
Aaron attempted to laugh off his brother’s concern, only it sounded hollow to both of their ears. ‘Can I stay the night?’
Looking over his shoulder, Colm groaned. He should have known this would happen. Not for the first time, he regretted agreeing that his brother and Skinny could stay the night. He should have put his foot down from the off and said no; now it seemed that Aaron thought he had a free pass to turn up whenever he wanted.
‘Come on, bro,’ Aaron pleaded, ‘just one night, I swear you won’t even know I’m here.’
‘One night,’ Colm reluctantly agreed. Shrugging off his jacket, he placed it over the arm of the leather sofa, not taking his eyes away from his brother. After a few moments, curiosity got the better of him. ‘Are you in trouble?’ he asked. ‘And don’t bullshit me, Aaron, I want the truth.’
Aaron shot his brother a nervous glance. He swallowed deeply and dragged a hand across his clammy forehead. How was he supposed to explain to Colm that he’d made a deal with Joey Mann to kill their father, that Skinny was on the missing list, and now Mann and Christos were after him, that they were after his blood, that they were intent on causing him some serious harm, that maybe they’d even go so far as to kill him.
‘Aaron,’ Colm urged.
From his position beside the window, Aaron turned his head. Thanks to the tree directly outside his brother’s flat, he could see fuck all. ‘Some heavy shit went down,’ he said over his shoulder. ‘But you know me,’ he said with a nonchalant shrug, his voice full of the usual cockiness, ‘it’s nothing I can’t handle. I’m not some muppet; I can take of myself.’
Colm frowned. He didn’t doubt that Aaron could look after himself, they both could; after all, they took after their father in that respect. Moray had a reputation as a hard man, he was tipped his due by those who knew him and was feared by those who only knew him by name. ‘What kind of shit?’
‘Just some shit.’ Forcing himself to move away from the window, Aaron took a seat on the edge of the sofa. The speed he’d taken was beginning to kick in and he could barely keep still. His knee bobbed up and down and as he chewed on his thumb nail, a hundred thoughts ran through his mind. Had Mann and Christos followed him? Had Skinny told them where Colm lived, had his dad worked out the truth, did Danny know who was behind the shooting that had almost killed his daughter?
Colm continued to study his brother; he knew Aaron well enough to know that he wouldn’t talk. ‘I’ll make us both a coffee,’ he said, gesturing to the kitchen.
Once in the kitchen, Colm leant against the worktop. He sucked in his bottom lip and thought the situation through, before hastily pulling out his mobile phone. If Aaron was in trouble, then their dad needed to know what was going down. Without giving the matter a second thought, he sent his father a text message. Knowing the relationship between his brother and Moray was fraught at the best of times, he knew that Aaron wouldn’t thank him, but under the circumstances, if his brother really was up to his neck in something heavy, then Aaron and their father going at it hammer and tongs was a darn sight better than the alternative.
Twenty minutes later, Aaron took one look at his father’s large frame standing in the doorway to his brother’s lounge and screwed up his face. ‘Fuck this,’ he growled, pulling on his trainers, ‘I’m off.’ His expression full of contempt, he glared at his brother. ‘You should have told me that he was coming here,’ he spat.
Moray groaned. It didn’t take a genius to tell that Aaron was buzzing off his nut; not only were his pupils dilated but he was practically bouncing off the walls. ‘What the fuck have you taken this time?’ he roared.
Locking eyes with his father, Aaron sneered, ‘Fuck off, Dad.’ He got to his feet, snatched up his jacket and made to move forward. ‘I don’t answer to you.’
‘I asked you a fucking question.’ Bounding across the room, Moray was fast, a lot faster than his son had given him credit for. ‘What have you taken?’ He grasped Aaron’s jaw in his fist and tilted his face from side to side, inspecting his pupils as he did so.
Aaron wrenched himself free, his chest heaving. ‘I told you to—’
Before he could even finish the sentence, Moray’s hand shot out, grasped him around the throat, and slammed him up against the wall.
‘Do yourself a favour and shut the fuck up for two minutes,’ Moray growled. ‘What do you know about the shooting?’
Aaron visibly paled, and as he struggled to catch his breath, he protested his innocence. ‘I don’t know anything,’ he choked out. ‘I was with you, wasn’t I?’ Averting his gaze, Aaron could barely look his dad in the eyes.
The action was not lost on Moray; if nothing else, in his mind, it only cemented his son’s guilt. His boy, his own flesh and blood, had been behind the attempt on his life. Right from the start, he’d had his suspicions, only he hadn’t wanted to face up to the truth, he hadn’t wanted Aaron to be responsible, he hadn’t wanted to admit that his own child despised him, so much so that he’d attempted to kill him. All along, Danny had been right, and the very notion made him feel sick to his stomach, and to think he hadn’t only defended his son, he’d also been prepared to go up against his best mate. Of late, he and Danny barely spoke, and when they did, it was with hostility. Over forty years of friendship down the drain, and for what? For a son, who’d tried to destroy him. Moray’s body shook, so intense was the rage that pounded through his veins and as he pulled back his arm, from behind him, Colm screamed out in fear.
‘No, Dad, don’t.’
The terror in his younger son’s voice was enough to make Moray pause. ‘You tried to fucking top me,’ he growled, tightening his grip around Aaron’s throat.
Shaking his head from side to side, Aaron shot a look at his brother. He could see the shock that resonated across Colm’s face, and as guilt surged through him, his stomach dropped that little bit further. ‘I didn’t, I swear to you I didn’t,’ he choked out.
‘Stop lying,’ Moray spat. ‘It was you who shot Lexi; you could have fucking killed her!’ He shoved his son roughly away from him.
As he landed on the floor in a crumpled heap, Aaron looked up at his father, his eyes wide and fearful.
‘Do you have any idea of what you’ve done, what you’ve caused?’ Moray’s heart began to pound faster, and the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention. There was no way of undoing what had already been done, he couldn’t put things right, and no matter how much he might want to, he couldn’t turn back time. ‘Danny’s going to kill you over this, he’s going to tear you limb from fucking limb. He’s gunning for you, boy,’ Moray spat, ‘and believe me when I say this, when he catches up with you, you’re going to wish you’d never been fucking born.’
Aaron’s fear was quickly replaced with anger as he scrambled to his feet. ‘And I bet you’d love that, wouldn’t you? You’d finally get rid of me, once and for all.’
Taken aback, Moray frowned. ‘What the fuck are you talking about? You’re my son.’
‘Yeah.’ Regaining his composure, Aaron gave a tight laugh. ‘I’m your son when it suits you. Mum told me everything; you didn’t want me and Colm, you’ve never wanted us, you even told Mum to abort me.’ He stole a glance towards his brother. ‘And you wonder why I fucking hate him,’ he stated.
Looking down at his feet, Colm shook his head. Just like Aaron, he’d heard the same story over the years, only he’d chosen not to believe their mother’s ranting. When it came to their father, their mum was bitter, she always had been. She despised the fact Moray had done well for himself, that he’d remarried, and had had another child, a daughter, when she herself had only been lumbered with sons, who were the image of the man she protested was the devil himself.
Moray’s forehead furrowed and eyes narrowed into mere slits as he studied his son. He should have known his ex-wife’s name would come into the equation – she’d do and say anything to score a point, to fuel the animosity between him and his eldest son, it was one of her favourite pastimes. And she had the front to go to church and preach to people. At least he was no hypocrite, at least he didn’t pretend to be someone he wasn’t, and more to the point, he’d never gone out of his way to poison their sons’ minds against her. ‘I was a kid,’ he protested. ‘I could barely look after myself, let alone a baby.’
