The Reckoning (Carter Brothers), page 2
As his cousin placed the bottles of beer on the table, Carlos motioned for Giorgio to sit down with them.
Wearily, Giorgio lowered himself onto the chair. He was a handsome man with an olive complexion and dark hair that was beginning to prematurely turn grey at the temples, just as his father’s had done, before his life had been so horrifically cut short.
‘We’ve made contact with Garner’s son,’ Carlos stated, before casually reaching out for a small bowl of sunflower seeds. ‘Everything is in place.’ He prised open one of the black and white shells to reveal the seed inside and popped it into his mouth.
Dread filled Giorgio and he shot a nervous glance in the direction of the bar, where Rosita and their two daughters Bianca and Elsa busied themselves. From the very beginning, he’d wanted nothing to do with his cousin’s quest to avenge his father’s murder. The man had been like a stranger to him, and he had no recollection of him other than the stories his family told. He rubbed a hand over his pale, clammy face and gave a weary sigh. ‘I want no part in this.’
The muscles across Carlos’s shoulder blades tensed and, sitting back in his seat, he studied his cousin through narrowed eyes. ‘Those bastards,’ he growled, ‘they left your father to swing on a hook. By the time his body was found, he was so badly decomposed the filth believed they were dealing with an animal carcass, and I know it was them, I can feel it in here’ – he pointed to his stomach – ‘they may have pulled the wool over our uncles’ eyes, but in my gut, I know Garner and McKay were responsible for the murder of your father.’
Giorgio clasped his hands together and, bowing his head, he pushed the sickening image of his father’s rotting corpse left dangling from a rusting hook to the back of his mind.
‘Is that how you want your old man to be remembered?’ Joey goaded. ‘I heard there were that many flies swarming over him that his body was one swirling black mass, and the noise’ – he shook his head and blew out his cheeks – ‘it was deafening. Ain’t that right, Dad?’
His expression sombre, Gerry nodded. ‘It makes me sick to my stomach, what they did to him. He was a good man, your dad.’ He shook his head as though conjuring Adam Christos to the forefront of his memory. ‘He was one of the fucking best and me and him we were like that’ – he crossed two nicotine-stained fingers over one another to emphasise his point – ‘we were more like brothers than mates.’
Giorgio swallowed deeply and, lifting his head, he watched as Bianca and Elsa worked. The love he felt for his own children made his heart constrict inside his chest. Whether he liked it or not, it was his father’s blood that ran through his daughters’ veins and, as much as he disagreed with Carlos’s murderous plan for revenge, he knew he was right about one thing: his father deserved justice and that justice had been a long time coming.
‘Giorgio.’ Carlos snapped his fingers in front of his cousin’s face in a bid to regain his attention. ‘Are you with us on this?’ he urged him.
Reluctantly, Giorgio nodded. ‘Are you certain that this won’t lead back to us?’ he asked with a second glance in his wife’s direction. ‘This won’t bring trouble to my family’s door?’
Shaking his head, Carlos placed his muscular forearms on the table. He and Joey had hardly been able to believe their luck when Skinny had actively sought them out to buy a firearm for his pal Aaron Garner. In fact, they’d likened the situation to fate or perhaps a sign from Adam himself, not that either of them believed in the supernatural, or any other kind of mumbo jumbo bollocks, for that matter. They wouldn’t even need to get their own hands dirty; the stupid bastards had no idea they were being used, that they were about to become the scapegoats in their murderous plan. ‘The weapon is clean,’ he answered, ‘and as long as that little prick Aaron doesn’t bottle out of pulling the trigger, then the plan to kill his murdering cunt of a father is fool proof.’
A smug grin spread across Gerry’s face and he rubbed his hands together with glee. ‘It’s a win-win situation,’ he said with an arrogant laugh, ‘at least for us, anyway, I’m not so sure the same can be said for Garner and McKay.’
Giorgio sighed. He couldn’t help but think they were sitting on a ticking time bomb. Old feuds were about to be reopened and the last thing the Christos family needed was to be embroiled in another violent, bloody war.
2
From his position at the bar, Danny McKay watched as the woman up on the stage belted out the final chorus to Beyonce’s ‘Survivor’.
To say that Maria Aylott had a pair of lungs on her was an understatement and, as she gave a mock bow to the empty club that he co-owned, Danny gave her a round of applause.
‘You smashed it,’ he called out to her.
As she climbed down from the stage, Maria waved his praise away and feigned coyness. The truth was she already knew she was a star; she could have made it to the very top of her game and would have done too if the opportunities had come her way, she was sure of it.
‘What?’ Danny asked as he pulled her towards him and kissed the top of her head. ‘You’re going to blow them away’ – he gestured towards the empty seats – ‘you just wait and see, darling, they’re gonna fucking love you.’
Suppressing a giggle, Maria flicked a lock of blonde hair over her shoulder, then looked down at her left hand for what felt like the hundredth time that day. A two-carat diamond and platinum engagement ring glistened on her wedding finger. She was so happy that she felt fit to burst. It might have taken more than her fair share of dropping hints, but after a whirlwind romance, Danny had got down on one knee and popped the question – she was about to become Mrs Maria McKay. Even the name had a nice little ring to it and the kudos Danny’s surname would bring her was enough to make her feel giddy with excitement.
Not only that, but he was also absolutely loaded. From now on, nothing but the very best would be good enough for her. She was done with men who rarely put their hands in their pockets, or whose idea of taking her out for the night consisted of a meal in a steakhouse, followed by a quick fumble between the sheets. No, her new life would consist of champagne lunches in the most exclusive of restaurants, designer clothes and handbags, and if she so wished, she could even bathe in her favourite perfume, Chanel No 5. No longer would she be regarded as just one of his many birds, she was about to become his wife, an honour that until now only the first Mrs McKay had been afforded. The thought of Danny’s ex-wife Maxine was almost enough to make Maria’s forehead furrow and her lips curl down at the corners. Still, she thought to herself, Maxine was history, nothing more than a stuck-up, dried-up old has-been. No, this was Maria’s time to shine, it was her time to hog the limelight, and hog it she most definitely would.
‘Look who I found lurking outside.’
Striding across the dance floor as he made his way towards his office was Danny’s oldest friend and business partner, Moray Garner, and he jerked his thumb towards the younger man beside him. Just the mere glimpse of Danny’s son was almost enough to make Maria puff out her cheeks with annoyance. From day one, Danny’s children Logan and Lexi had had her sussed out; she could see it in their eyes and in the way they spoke to her. As far as she was concerned, Danny’s kids were like bad pennies, always turning up when they weren’t wanted, at least on her part, anyway. The same couldn’t be said for Danny, who idolised the little brats. Not that she would show her displeasure, of course, she knew how to play the game. Until she had the wedding band on her finger, her upcoming nuptials were not written in stone, but once they were, Logan and Lexi had better watch their backs.
‘What are you doing here?’ With a quick glance at his watch, Danny slipped off the barstool and gave his only son a concerned look. ‘Why aren’t you at work?’
‘I’m on my lunch break.’ To prove his point, Logan waved a pre-packed tuna sandwich and a bag of ready salted crisps that he’d picked up from the meal deal section in Tesco underneath his father’s nose.
Danny shook his head. ‘What are you wasting your money for?’ he scolded. ‘We could have rustled you up something to eat here.’ He gestured in the direction of the laminated menus that were dotted around the club.
‘Nah, you’re all right, Dad,’ Logan said as he ripped open the cardboard packaging, ‘it’s no problem. I can pay for my own lunch.’ His words were loaded with meaning, and he shot a glance in Maria’s direction. It was no secret that his father’s latest girlfriend liked to spend his money quicker than he could earn it.
Logan was a good-looking man and had inherited Danny’s dark hair and green eyes, although it was fair to say that after turning fifty-six, Danny’s hair was more salt and pepper these days. Somehow, his new image suited him and made him look all the more distinguished for it.
The uncanny resemblance father and son shared was where the similarities ended. Before buying the club, Danny had lived a life of crime, and it was only the murder of one of his good friends that had made him sit up and take a good look around him at the life he was living. These days, he liked to keep his nose clean, and although his name alone still instilled fear in those who knew of his reputation, he was proud to say that he lived his life on the right side of the law. Logan, on the other hand, had done well at school and had gone on to study business at college. Much to Danny’s pleasure, their lives were poles apart; not for one minute had he wanted his children to follow in his footsteps. In fact, show him a man in his line of work who did, and he’d show you a liar.
‘Well.’ Throwing Maria a wide smile, Danny gestured towards the diamond ring glinting on his newly-appointed fiancée’s finger. ‘I was going to wait until I saw you tomorrow night, but seeing as you’re here, I’ve got some news to tell you.’
Thrusting out her hand, Maria waved her ring finger in Logan’s direction. ‘We’re getting married,’ she gushed.
His eyes widening, Logan almost choked on his sandwich. ‘When did this happen?’ he spluttered as he tried in vain to force the bread down his throat in one large gulp. He was no expert when it came to diamonds, but even he could see that his father had paid out a hefty sum of money for the engagement ring.
‘Last night.’ Maria’s voice was high as she answered. ‘But don’t worry,’ she laughed, ‘I don’t expect you to call me Mum.’
Logan narrowed his eyes. As if he’d even contemplate calling her by anything other than her name. ‘I’ve already got a mum,’ he stated, ‘and I don’t need another one, thanks, so I’ll stick with Maria, if that’s all right with you.’
The smile slipped from Maria’s face and, snaking her tongue across her teeth, she glared at her fiancé’s son, wishing more than ever that he and his younger sister would just disappear out of Danny’s life.
‘Well, congratulations, I suppose,’ Logan added, somewhat reluctantly. Not for the first time since his dad had met the singer, he wondered just how much his father knew about his latest squeeze; she’d certainly wasted no time in getting her claws into him, that was for sure. ‘When’s the happy day?’
‘As soon as possible,’ Maria chipped in before Danny could even open his mouth to answer. In fact, as far as she was concerned, the sooner they were married, the better. What was the point of them having a long, drawn-out engagement when they could be man and wife within a matter of months? She quite fancied herself living in his opulent home in Hutton, Brentwood, and it would be one hell of a step up from her rented flat in Romford. ‘I’ll leave you two boys to it,’ she said, giving Danny a swift peck on his lips, leaving a trace of lip gloss behind, ‘but don’t be too long’ – she pouted – ‘I’m going to need help with my zip.’ Taking one last look at her engagement ring, Maria sauntered across the dance floor as though she already owned the club.
Wiping away the sticky residue from his lips, Danny smiled as he watched her go, then turned to study his son. ‘You’re all right with this, aren’t you?’ he asked with a flick of his head in Maria’s direction. ‘I mean, you do like Maria, don’t you?’
Logan was cautious of how he answered. He wanted to say no, that it had been a case of loathing at first sight, and that he had a pretty good idea the feeling was mutual, especially if the daggers Maria shot his way were anything to go by, but not only that, he didn’t trust the slapper not to take his dad to the cleaners once she had the wedding ring on her finger. Instead of voicing his concerns, Logan clapped his father on the back. The last thing he wanted to do was burst his father's bubble. His dad had been on his own for too long and he deserved to be happy. ‘Yeah, of course I do, I’m happy for you, Dad, you deserve this.’
Relief washed over Danny and, cocking his head to one side, he asked, ‘So what brings you here?’
Logan looked around him. ‘I just wanted to check everything was ready for tomorrow night. Lexi’s already been on my case.’ He laughed. ‘You know what she’s like, if it ain’t perfect, she’ll end up blowing a gasket and as it is, I think Mum’s all but ready to lose her rag with her.’
Rubbing his thumb across the rough stubble that covered his jawline, Danny sighed. From the moment he’d agreed that his daughter could host her eighteenth birthday party at the club, he’d regretted his decision and knew for a fact that his ex-wife Maxine would have something to say about the situation. As it was, she could barely stand to be in the same room as him, and despite the fact they’d been divorced for almost eighteen years, time hadn’t proved to be such a good healer after all. ‘Are you sure that your mum’s okay about this? I mean’ – he gestured around the club – ‘if it’ll make life easier, I could fuck off someplace for the night.’
‘Nah, don’t be daft, Dad.’ Logan gave his father a wide smile. ‘Besides, Lexi will go fucking spare if you’re not here. I think she likes you even more than I do,’ he said with a playful wink.
Danny gave a hearty chuckle. He’d often referred to Lexi as a firecracker; she was hot-headed and had a temper on her, one that she’d inherited from him – he could certainly see nothing of Maxine in her. ‘Don’t worry, everything’s sorted,’ he answered. He was thoughtful for a moment and, tilting his head to the side, he studied his son. ‘Are you sure that you’re all right about me and Maria getting married? Because the last thing I want is for this to cause any aggro between you, me or Lexi. You’re my kids and if you’re not happy, then…’ His voice trailed off.
Logan swallowed deeply, then, shoving his hands into his trouser pockets, he gave a tight smile. ‘Of course I’m all right about it, why wouldn’t I be? And Lexi too, she likes Maria.’ It was a lie, and he knew for a fact his sister was of the same opinion as he was – they’d discussed their dad’s girlfriend enough for him to know that Lexi couldn’t stand Maria.
‘Good.’ Beaming from ear to ear, Danny winked. ‘Because I want you to be my best man.’
Careful not to let the smile slip from his face, Logan inwardly groaned and, as the words ‘no fucking way’ formed in his mind, his lips involuntarily opened and before he could stop himself, he answered, ‘It’d be my honour, Dad.’
Thirty minutes later, Moray stepped out of his office and joined Danny at the bar.
‘Has Logan gone?’ he asked as he helped himself to a shot of brandy from one of the optics.
‘Yeah, he had to head back to work,’ Danny answered.
‘And how did he take the news?’ Taking a sip of his drink, Moray jerked his head towards the stage where Maria had gone through her set in preparation for Lexi’s birthday bash.
Nodding his head enthusiastically, Danny grinned. ‘Good, he’s happy for us, he’s agreed to be my best man.’
Moray was thoughtful for a moment. ‘Do you think this is a bit too soon?’ he said, voicing his concerns. ‘I mean, you’ve only known her five minutes, why not wait a while, give it a year or two and then think about popping the question?’
Danny’s smile slipped away. In his heart, he knew Moray was right, that it was too soon, that he and Maria barely knew each other, but what he did know about her he liked. ‘I’m not stupid,’ he protested.
As if on cue, Maria called out Danny’s name, her voice sickly sweet and grating to both men’s ears.
‘I think you’re wanted,’ Moray said, suppressing the laugh that threatened to force its way out of his throat.
Danny rolled his eyes.
‘What?’ Moray chuckled. ‘If you go through with this, then you’d best get used to that ball and chain around your ankle, mate; you’re about to become a married man.’
‘Leave it out,’ Danny groaned with a half laugh, ‘Maria’s not like that, she’s a fucking diamond.’
‘She’s a woman, of course she’s like it, they’re all the bloody same.’ Moray held up his hands. ‘I’m only speaking the truth, you just wait and see, before you know it, she’ll have you exactly where she wants you and that’s under her thumb.’ To prove his point, Moray pointed his thumb downwards and twisted it from side to side.
‘Yeah, all right.’ There was a twinkle in Danny’s green eyes as he set off across the dance floor. ‘Hasn’t done you any harm, has it?’ he called back over his shoulder. ‘From what I remember, you couldn’t wait to get Sophie down the aisle,’ he said, referring to his friend’s wife.
‘True,’ Moray laughed.
It was only once Danny was out sight that the smile slid from Moray’s face and his fingers instinctively reached up to touch the pale scar that ran the length of his cheek, a sure sign that he was feeling troubled. He’d never fully been able to take to Maria; there was something about her that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Her presence put him on edge, and even talking to her made him feel uneasy, as though she was storing away information that could be used against him at a later date. It also hadn’t escaped his notice how hostile she became whenever Logan or Lexi were in close proximity. He was more surprised that Danny himself hadn’t cottoned on to his fiancée’s behaviour around his children. Trouble was brewing, Moray could feel it in his gut, and not for the first time since Danny had become involved with the singer, he wondered if his best mate had any idea of what he was letting himself in for.
