The Reckoning (Carter Brothers), page 22
She inched her way across the hallway. She’d almost reached the table when the kitchen door was flung open. Stacey was so startled that she almost cried out in fright.
Within a matter of seconds, Stacey’s fear was replaced with fury and, pulling herself up to her full height, she screamed at the intruder, ‘What the fuck are you doing in my house?’
20
Giorgio Christos took one look at the men who had just entered his restaurant and instantly felt his insides turn to liquid. He would recognise them anywhere, especially Danny McKay. Years earlier, he’d been tasked by his uncles to follow McKay and his business partner Moray Garner around, to gather information on them and then report back his findings. He’d done so without question; he’d been young and naïve, and to begin with, he’d wanted his family to seek revenge for his father’s murder, until his cousin Nico had also been murdered.
A few years younger than him, Nico had been nothing more than a kid, a law student who’d never harmed anyone in his life. In fact, it would be fair to say that he wouldn’t have said boo to a goose.
It had been Nico’s murder which had made Giorgio re-evaluate his life; he hadn’t wanted to be embroiled in a war with Garner and McKay, he’d wanted to settle down with Rosita and marry her. Only, by the time he’d realised he wanted out of the family, it was too late, he was up to his neck in his uncle’s plan for revenge.
Swallowing deeply, Giorgio attempted to smile, his gaze deliberately avoiding McKay just in case he recognised him. ‘Can I help you, gentlemen, would you like a table?’ he asked, gesturing around the empty restaurant.
The silence which followed was enough to make him sweat, and as perspiration peppered his forehead, he used the cuff of his shirt sleeve to wipe his face clean.
‘Nah,’ came the reply.
For a few short moments, he watched the men speak amongst themselves, their voices low, so low that he was unable to hear what was being said. To his relief, they took one last look around them, then headed for the door.
Giorgio exhaled a breath. He’d been about to turn around when a voice called out to him, a voice that he recognised only too well: McKay.
‘Oi, I know you.’
In that instant, Giorgio could honestly say that he thought his heart was going to give out on him.
Stacey’s expression was a mask of anger as she took a step closer to the kitchen. Her gaze automatically went to the French doors and, just as she’d suspected, a pane of glass had been smashed to smithereens, the debris littering the parquet flooring. ‘I asked you a question, lady, what the fuck are you doing in my house?’
Maria’s hair was in disarray and her face was devoid of make-up. Gone was the perfect image that she presented to the world; in its place was a woman on the edge of insanity. The thought made her want to laugh out loud. They had driven her to this, both Stacey and Danny, they had pushed her so far that there was no coming back. ‘I should have known,’ she spat, ‘that you’d go running to him, that you would tell him about our little chat.’
Stacey narrowed her eyes; she’d said nothing to Danny, why would she? The last thing she wanted was to see the confirmation in his eyes, that she made him feel uncomfortable being around her, not that she fully believed this was the case. Danny had never given her any indication that he felt uneasy in her presence; in fact, the complete opposite, he always seemed relaxed and at ease.
‘Look at you.’ Maria gave a high-pitched laugh. ‘Little miss fucking innocent. All along, you wanted to take him away from me, and you hate the fact that he wanted me. It eats away at you, in here.’ Maria thumped her first against her chest. ‘In here, you can’t bear the fact that it was my bed he climbed into.’
Glancing at the two-carat engagement ring that glistened on Maria’s finger, Stacey swallowed deeply. Maria had obviously not received the memo that Danny had ended the relationship, that he knew she’d been the one who’d planted the weapon at the club. ‘It’s over, Maria. Danny knows about the gun, he knows it was you.’
Fury etched its way across Maria’s face. She’d been so close to securing his money, and she would have done too if it hadn’t been for Stacey, miss high and fucking mighty, sticking her oar in. Reaching into her back pocket, she pulled out a flick knife and, sliding it open, she waved it in the air. ‘Looks like we’ve got a bit of a problem then, doesn’t it?’ she said, with a wide grin.
As he slowly turned around, Giorgio’s breath caught in the back of his throat.
‘You’re one of the Christoses,’ Danny said, narrowing his eyes.
‘No.’ As he gave a tiny shake of his head, Giorgio glanced behind him. Other than Jerry visiting the restaurant, it had been a quiet night, and he was only thankful that he’d had the hindsight to tell his family that they could have the night off.
‘Yes, you are.’ Stalking forward, Danny tilted his head to one side. ‘I know you,’ he reiterated.
In his haste to back away, Giorgio bumped into the table behind him, upsetting the small white vase that held a single red rose. ‘I’ve never heard of the Christoses,’ he lied.
The fear in Giorgio’s voice, not to mention the panic in his eyes, gave him away, and as Danny laughed, a menacing chuckle that resounded around the restaurant, Giorgio inwardly groaned. Right from the start, he’d told Carlos that he wanted no part in his and the Manns’ bid to destroy Garner and McKay, and now look at the upshot, it was him who was paying the price.
Danny’s fist when it shot out knocked Giorgio to the floor, and as he curled himself into a ball, he braced himself for the attack that was certain to come, only to his surprise he was hauled to his feet, then slammed heavily down on to a chair.
‘So, this is how it’s going to work,’ Danny growled. ‘You,’ he said, stabbing his forefinger in Giorgio’s direction, ‘are going to get on the blower, and you’re going to get that cunt Mann here. Now, I don’t give a shit what you tell him, but if he’s not here within’ – he glanced at his watch – ‘the next ten minutes, I’m going to start taking my anger out on you, do you understand what I’m telling you?’
Nodding his head profusely, Giorgio patted down his pockets for his mobile phone.
‘Oh, and one more thing,’ Danny said. ‘Once I’ve dealt with Mann, if I find out that you had any involvement in the attempt on my daughter’s life, I’m going to kill you, and believe me, it will be so slow and so painful that you’re going to wish you’d never been born.’
Fear radiated in Giorgio’s eyes, and as he struggled to unlock his mobile phone, he clumsily tapped at the buttons. He was so terror-stricken that it took him three attempts to unlock the device, and by the time his cousin had answered, Giorgio was all but a blubbering wreck.
Stacey eyed the knife in Maria’s fist warily. It wasn’t a particularly large blade, but could, much to Stacey’s dismay, still cause her some serious harm, and just one glance at Maria’s deranged expression was enough to tell her that her adversary meant business, that she’d come here to maim her, maybe even kill her.
‘Put the knife down.’ Despite her fear, Stacey’s voice was surprisingly calm.
The command only served to fuel Maria’s fury and, thrusting the blade out in front of her, she screeched at the top of her lungs, ‘I could have had everything!’
‘I know that you love him but it’s over.’ Dodging out of Maria’s path, Stacey moved across the kitchen, oblivious to the shards of glass that nicked at the soles of her feet. ‘You need to move on.’
‘Love him?’ Maria threw back her head and roared with laughter. ‘I don’t love him – I’ve never loved him.’
Narrowing her eyes, Stacey faltered. If Maria didn’t love Danny, then why had she warned her away from him, and more to the point, why was she waving a knife towards her?
‘Is that what you actually think, that I love him?’ Maria mocked. ‘It’s his money I love, not him; I couldn’t give a flying fuck about Danny, I was counting down the days until Gerry killed him.’
Stacey gasped. ‘You evil bitch,’ she hissed.
Stacey’s words were like the equivalent of a red rag to a bull. Maria raised the knife in the air and lunged forward.
Pulling back her arm, Stacey knew that timing was everything, and, as Maria’s face came into view, Stacey delivered a blinding right hook to Maria’s chin. For a split second, confusion was etched across Maria’s face, before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she crashed face first to the floor.
Shaking out her hand, Stacey looked to the ceiling. ‘Thank you, my darling,’ she whispered. It had been Tommy who’d taught her how to throw a punch and he’d been a good teacher too; Maria sprawled out on the floor was proof of that.
The front door slamming shut broke Stacey’s reverie, and as she limped several spaces forward, she gripped the worktop and lifted each of her feet in turn to inspect the damage the splintered glass had caused.
As he entered the kitchen, Thomas rocked back on his heels. His mouth dropping open, he looked from Maria to Stacey. ‘Nan,’ he exclaimed, ‘what the fuck is going on?’
Stacey rolled her eyes to the ceiling. ‘What does it look like?’ she replied. ‘Now do me a favour and get rid of this.’ Swooping down, she picked up the knife and placed it in her grandson’s hand. ‘And be quick,’ she ordered him, ‘before this bitch wakes up and goes for round two.’
21
The atmosphere in Joey’s car was so charged that Gerry could almost taste it. Years he’d waited for this moment, and as much as he proclaimed that he was seeking revenge for his old friend Adam Christos, he had to admit that he wanted to see Garner and McKay brought down for his own reasons, too. He’d never liked them; even when they’d been youngsters, they’d been cocky little bastards and had had a bit too much to say for themselves.
It was bad enough that Adam had been murdered, but what had been done to him went beyond any kind of killing that Gerry had ever known. No, this had been personal; the murder had all the hallmarks of a revenge killing, committed by someone with a grudge to bear, and if he knew Adam as well as he thought he did, then he knew that Garner and McKay would have more than one grudge.
As he lit a cigar, Gerry’s hand ever so slightly shook; it was the excitement, he supposed, the adrenaline that coursed through his veins. Beside him, Gibbs lit a cigar of his own; they were celebrating early but, what the hell, it was only a matter of time until they had McKay exactly where they wanted him, and that was at their mercy.
Moments later, they pulled up outside the restaurant. Flinging open the door, Gerry stepped outside the car and adjusted his navy-blue cashmere overcoat. With his entourage behind him, he walked across the pavement with the swagger of a man who believed that he owned the town. And, as far as Gerry was concerned, he did, or at least the East End of London. He was the top dog, and those around him had better tip him his dues. He demanded respect, even Gibbs was wary of him. It was laughable, really; for years Gibbs had truly believed that he called the shots, that he ran the show, and it wasn’t until Garner and McKay had bundled him into a car and then proceeded to torture him that he’d finally been brought down a peg or two. Now he lived on his nerves, terrified that they would capture him again and give him a repeat performance. Waiting in the wings, Gerry had taken this as his opportunity to emerge as the boss, a position that he excelled in.
As he reached the restaurant, he gave a small jerk of his head for his son to open the door. Oh, he had been looking forward to this, and with McKay exactly where he wanted him, he knew without a doubt that he would treasure this moment for the rest of his life.
‘Fucking hell, Nan.’ After stashing the knife away, Thomas returned to the kitchen and shook his head in wonder. ‘We’ll have to start calling you fucking Tyson.’
‘Oi,’ Stacey chastised, ‘enough with the language; one more word and I’ll smack your bleeding arse.’
The fact Stacey herself had just sworn was enough to make them both burst out laughing, although Stacey’s laughter was tinged more with hysteria. As the enormity of the situation finally hit home, Stacey brought her hands up to her face. Her shoulders heaved and she began to weep. Maria could have actually killed her; it was only by a miracle that she was still alive to tell the tale.
‘Hey, Nan, come on, don’t cry.’ Thomas’s voice was gentle as he pulled his grandmother into his arms. ‘Do you want me to call Mum?’ he asked.
Stacey shook her head. She didn’t want to worry Karen; as it was, her daughter didn’t like the idea of her living alone and wanted her to move somewhere less rural. Looking down at Maria, Stacey patted Thomas’s arm. ‘Be a love, will you, darling, and stick her in the utility room, and make sure that you lock the door when you come out.’
Happy to oblige, Thomas grasped Maria by the ankles and began dragging her towards the utility room. ‘What are you going to do with her?’ he asked.
For a moment, Stacey thought the question through. ‘Give Danny a call, I suppose.’ She shrugged. ‘Let him deal with her. But before I even think about doing that, I want a large glass of wine. I need to clear this place up, and then have a bath, in that particular order.’ Amongst the shattered pieces of glass, Stacey’s blood was streaked across the floor; she was lucky there wasn’t even more. If Maria had had her way, then Thomas would have walked in to find his grandmother dead on the kitchen floor. The very thought was enough to make her shudder.
To say that Gerry was surprised would be an understatement. Not for one single moment had he expected to walk into Giorgio’s restaurant to find the Carters waiting for him. And there were plenty of them, not that he’d stopped to actually count them; he didn’t need to, he already knew they were a large family and they seemed to be growing larger by the day.
Ever since his run-in with Tommy, Gerry had made it his mission to steer clear of the Carters, and as they crowded around him, he could feel himself shrinking underneath their hard stares. There and then, he wanted to berate his son; he’d warned Joey that this would happen, that he would end up causing a war that even he wasn’t foolish to think they had a chance of winning.
‘Well, well, well, if it ain’t my old pal Gibbs.’ Danny’s voice was loud. ‘Or should that be Detective Chief Superintendent Gibbs?’
As they all turned to look at the man in question, Gibbs’s skin turned ashen.
‘Pig,’ a voice shouted out.
Danny gave a carefree laugh and, spreading open his arms, he gave Gibbs a knowing wink. ‘Don’t mind them,’ he said, ‘they’re not so keen on the filth.’ He scratched at his chin. ‘But do you know what they hate even more than the Old Bill?’ He cocked his head to once side, his eyes becoming hard. ‘They like nonces even less.’
In that moment, the mood changed, and as the enormity of Danny’s words sank in, the atmosphere became filled with hatred; the Carters were baying for blood.
‘Do what?’ Screwing up his face, Joey Mann took a step away from his father’s friend. ‘What’s he talking about, nonce? Who’s a fucking nonce?’
‘Gibbs’ – Danny raised an eyebrow – ‘do you want to fill him in, tell him all about what you get up to in your spare time, what you like doing to young boys?’
As Gibbs flinched at Danny’s words, Joey turned to his father. ‘Dad, is this true?’ he hissed.
‘It’s true, all right,’ Jake snarled. Before anyone could stop him, he’d launched himself forward, his fist connecting with Gibbs’s face.
And that was when pandemonium well and truly broke out.
As far as brawls go, the fight in the restaurant was nothing to write home about and, despite the fact Joey and Carlos were big men, and that they were more than capable of holding their own, all too soon, it became apparent that they were outnumbered. There were far too many Carters on hand for the situation to ever escalate out of control and, within a matter of minutes, the men had been subdued and bundled outside onto the pavement and into a waiting van that Jonny had had the hindsight to bring along with him.
About to leave the restaurant, Danny reached the door and suddenly stopped. Turning his head, he studied Giorgio. The moment he’d clapped eyes on him, recognition had torn through Danny, only it wasn’t Giorgio as such that he recognised. He and Adam Christos looked so alike that the resemblance they shared was uncanny; it could only mean one thing – this was Christos’s son.
‘Your old man,’ Danny said, ‘he was Adam Christos.’
Straightening up the chairs that had been knocked to the ground, Giorgio looked up and nodded.
In Danny’s eyes, Adam Christos’s son had had a lucky escape. Adam couldn’t be trusted, and certainly wouldn’t have been trusted around a boy, his preferred choice of victim. Giving a nod of his head, Danny flung open the door and stepped outside the restaurant.
Fifteen minutes later, they were back at the Carters’ scrapyard. And after the rear doors had been opened, the four men were dragged, kicking and screaming, out of the van and into the office.
Holding back, Jimmy tugged on Danny’s arm.
‘What?’ Danny asked.
Jimmy sighed and, looking back at the office, he lowered his voice. ‘Moray.’
‘What about him?’ Danny answered, barely able to keep the scowl from his face.
‘He should be here.’ Jimmy held up his hands. ‘Fair enough, you and him have got your problems, but that bullet was meant for him.’
Shaking his head, Danny made his way forward. ‘Forget about Moray,’ he called over his shoulder, ‘he’s got his own problems to deal with, mainly that treacherous son of his.’
Sighing again, Jimmy pushed his hand into his pocket and pulled out his mobile phone. As much as he could see Danny’s point, Moray had as much right as any of them to be here.
