A Family Divided (Dividing Line #3) (3 page)

Mikey waited until Frankie had left, everyone breathing a sigh of relief, before cornering Alex in the kitchen. “What the hell are you playing at?”

“
What do you mean?” frowned Alex, helping himself to a beer from the fridge.

“
Backing Frankie up with the Slatterys down south. What the fuck is that to do with us?”

“
Because if we get them on board we’ll be able to distribute much more effectively through the country. Frankie in Scotland, us in the north and the Slatterys in the south.”

“
The Slatterys are a bunch of sodding animals and their rivals, the Jordans, aren’t any better. The Jordans will do all they can to sabotage this.”

“
The Jordans are coming to heel, Frankie’s already seen to that. Tony Jordan and his son Andy have agreed to help.”

“
The Jordans and the Slatterys have been tearing each other apart for years. It’ll never work.”

“
It worked for us. Who’d have thought Ryan Law would ever come to my house for a party?”

“
If it wasn’t for Rachel how do you think that would have played out? It’s only because of her that he didn’t kick off at us when he came out of prison.”

“
He’d have been topped in prison if it hadn’t been for Rachel.” Alex scowled through the window when he saw the pair of them kissing. They couldn’t leave each other alone, even when they were in company. “I think she had feelings for him even then, when she was supposed to be with Danny.”

Mikey noted the dangerous glint in his eye.
“Don’t go there Alex, you know she was mad about Danny and it was her idea to set Ryan up in the first place and that got him put away.”

“
Getting nicked saved his life and Danny only agreed to let him live because it was what
she
wanted. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were shagging while my brother was still alive.”

Mikey was gobsmacked.
“Of course they weren’t, don’t you know Rachel at all? After everything Danny did to her she still took him back when most women would have kicked him into touch because she loved him. If Danny hadn’t died they’d still be together now.”

“
Only because he made her his second-in-command.”

“
Y
ou
were Danny’s second only you didn’t want it at the time so she was left with no choice. Anyway, she couldn’t have wanted the power that much because she gave it up after Danny died when she could have been head of the family, you even offered her the position.” Alex’s reasoning was starting to scare Mikey, it was paranoid and illogical.

Although he hadn
’t told a soul, Alex’s malice for Rachel had been steadily growing ever since Gary - the barman who his mum had covered in champagne - had inadvertently let something slip a couple of months ago when he was drunk. Apparently one night after work years back, when Rachel had been married to Danny, Gary left the bar after his shift then went back to pick up his mobile phone and saw Ryan and Rachel together in one of the booths. Apparently the dirty slag had allowed Ryan to put his fingers inside her and she was writhing and moaning under him with everything on display. Gary hadn’t told him out of malice, he’d been pissed out of his head and had thought it was actually a good thing, said since then he’d always known they’d become a couple. Apparently Gary couldn’t remember he’d told him because he’d not mentioned it since and Alex was sure if he knew he would have been mortified. Now Alex had lost all love and respect for Rachel. The past tormented him as he wondered if they’d been at it all the time she’d been married to his brother. Seeing how close her and Ryan had become so quickly, he’d already decided that they had been. If it hadn’t been one hundred percent certain that Benton had killed Danny, he’d have suspected the pair of them of conspiring in his murder. He even wondered if Beth and Mikey had known about their affair because they were both so close to Rachel. These thoughts had steadily turned him toxic, the trust in everyone around him diminishing. He watched Ryan and Rachel curled up together on a sun-lounger, Rachel leaning back against his chest, her fingers threaded through his, looking wondrously content.

“
They’re happy Alex. Don’t spoil it for them,” said Mikey, intruding on his thoughts.

“
Yeah, well, things can change.”

“
What are you talking about?”

“
Nothing. This deal with the Slatterys is going ahead, so get used to it.”

“
I thought we were supposed to talk things through before making a decision.”

“
Jesus you sound like my missus. We’ve already discussed it.”

“
No, you discussed it with Frankie, not me.”

“
It’s done, so leave it.”

“
This is going to bring us a shitload of trouble.”

“
No, it’s going to bring us a shitload of money.”

“
The Jordans already hate Frankie because he fucked them over in business a few years back. Tony might have agreed but the rest of the family won’t.”

Alex was getting irritated with the conversation.
“What the fuck do you think they’re going to do against the Slatterys and Frankie? Sod all.”

“
I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“
Forget about your feelings Psychic Sally, this is business and making money comes first.”

“
That’s all you care about these days.”

Alex
’s jaw set. “What the fuck is that meant to mean?”

“
You used to have a conscience Alex, you thought through how your actions would affect others but not anymore. All you care about is the filthy lucre, regardless of who you have to steamroll over in the process. That’s how you almost got Beth killed.” That was the real reason Alex had bought this house, to get his wife out of the city centre after a rival gang threatened to kill her.

Alex slammed down the bottle, causing it to froth and spill onto the counter.
“Keep your mouth shut about that. She knows fuck all about it and if she does find out I know who to come to.”

“
Just you keep that in mind when you press ahead with this new deal with Frankie.”

“
Have you told anyone about Dragovic?”

“
No, course not.”

“
Not even Rachel?”

“
No way, she’s out of the business. I wouldn’t do that to her.”

“
You’d better not because if anyone finds out then I’ll plant you six feet under.”

Mikey squared up to him.
“I’d like to see you try.”

Alex thrust his face into his.
“You threatening me little boy?”

“
I’m not a little boy anymore. You might do well to remember that.”

“
I suppose you think you should be running this family instead?”

“
At least I’d put the family first and leave Ryan and Rachel alone. He makes her happier than Danny ever did.”

With that Mikey turned on his heel and walked back into the garden, leaving Alex fuming. But it was Rachel his eyes were fixed on, the anger inside him seething against her as he watched her cavorting with Ryan.

He was regretting the alliance with the Laws too, he always thought they should just have killed Ryan and Jez and taken what they had. He’d perceived it as a weakness on Danny’s part when he’d not only helped get Ryan out of prison but then handed him everything back. The city had been theirs for the taking but Danny had let go of that chance because of that bitch who had wanted to save her secret lover from a life sentence. If it wasn’t for her then Superintendent Benton wouldn’t have killed his brother because he was so obsessed with her, Danny would still be alive and they’d own Manchester. But his brother was gone forever and he was forced to share the heroin and prostitution - the most lucrative businesses - with the fucking Laws, their arch enemies. Not anymore. The Laws’ time was coming, Rachel’s included. As she was so fond of reminding him, she wasn’t a Maguire anymore.

Beth popped her head round the door.
“Are you coming back outside?”

“
In a minute,” he replied, not wanting to have to be around Rachel and Ryan.

“
Please don’t talk business today of all days, this is about our family.”

“
I’m not, I’m just having a rest from the sun. It’s bloody hot out there.”

“
Good because you’ve been stuck in here for ages talking business.”

“
I said I’ll be out in a minute, will you stop nagging me?”

Beth bit down the retort, not wanting anyone to know that her marriage was failing. She couldn
’t bear the shame of it. Not even Rachel knew that Alex hardly spent any time at home and when she did see him they rowed.

“
I’m not nagging Alex, I just want to spend time with my husband. Is that too much to ask?”

He sighed.
“I suppose not.”

She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his broad back.
“Let’s just have fun today and forget about everything else.”

“
Okay,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Rachel and Ryan were destroying his marriage too because he couldn’t stop wondering if Beth knew about their affair and kept it from him, helped cuckold his brother and make a mockery of the Maguire name. He watched Mikey playing football with Alfie, his number two and closest rival. If anything happened to himself, Mikey would be the one to take over. He was very close to Rachel too and for that reason he couldn’t trust him either. Alex felt the world around him shrinking, isolating him from everyone.

“
What are you thinking?” said Beth. “You feel so tense.”

“
Nothing,” he replied, finding it a struggle to touch her, wondering if she knew the truth about Ryan and Rachel.

“Aaron’s finally asleep,” said Rachel, closing the bedroom door quietly behind her.

Ryan watched from the bed as she removed her jewellery and carefully put it away. He continued to watch as she stripped off her summer dress, revealing black bra and panties and, of course, her trademark stockings. Ryan still couldn
’t quite believe that Rachel was his, even after six years of marriage and two sons. He’d been elated when she’d taken his surname, he had assumed she’d become Maguire-Law but she’d said it was a fresh start and she wanted to distance herself from her old criminal past. Rachel Maguire was notorious, but Rachel Law was legitimate.

“
Lost interest in your book?” she said, indicating the thick volume of Nietzsche’s Beyond Good And Evil that had fallen onto the bedclothes. She wondered if he was having a crisis of conscience but didn’t ask.

“
There’s something much more interesting to look at.” He raised an eyebrow. “Why have you stopped?” Ryan threw the book onto the bedside cabinet and turned on his side to watch as she removed her bra and cast it aside. “And the panties.” Tantalisingly slowly she slid them down her legs and kicked them off, her eyes turning jet black, as they always did when she was aroused, or angry. “Ah ah,” he said, waving his finger back and forth. “Leave the stockings on.”

Rachel sashayed over to the bed and yanked back the covers to reveal an equally naked Ryan in all his glory. She took a moment to admire him, running her fingertips over his rippling stomach, causing him to release a sigh of pleasure. He still worked out religiously and even though his fortieth birthday was three years behind him, he was in phenomenal shape.

“Did I tell you I’m ovulating?” she said, straddling him.

“
You say the most romantic things and no, you didn’t.”

Rachel dipped her head and let her long dark hair run lightly up and down his chest and stomach. Ryan
’s slate grey eyes slid closed and he groaned, enjoying her caresses. Her fingers and lips joined in and built up the pleasure inside him to such a degree he couldn’t take it any longer. His eyes flew open, the passion and want in them taking her breath away.

“
Hold on tight beautiful,” he said.

Holding her to him he leapt up off the bed and pushed her up against the wall before thrusting inside her.

“Oh God Ryan,” she cried, holding on tightly as he drove into her.

She clung onto him as he continued to move, the pleasure hitting her hard and fast.

“No you don’t not yet,” he said when he felt her getting close.

“
Yes, now” she groaned.

“
No,” he said, tipping her back onto the bed. “When I say.”

Her eyes flashed with defiance, she hated being told what to do and he knew it. In response she started to drag her nails down his back, which always got him going, so he took her hands and pressed them back onto the bed.