Fractured (Dividing Line #4) (26 page)

“Do you think they scare me? Me, Alex Maguire,” he yelled, jabbing a finger in his own chest. He studied her thoughtfully. “You’ve always been close to Mikey. Have you been fucking him too?”

“Don’t be disgusting, he’s like a brother to me, just like you were once.” She hoped to reach the man he used to be and make him remember what they had once meant to each other but she feared he was too far gone to bring back. “We used to be so close, we can be again. Let me and Laila go and we can smooth things out with Ryan, Frankie and Mikey, we can go back to how we used to be, the Maguires and Laws standing together. No one could touch us, we were so strong. By tearing us apart you’re making us weaker.”

“I’m cutting away the dead wood, which will leave me stronger than ever.”

“You can’t beat Ryan and you know it. Your dad knew it too, which is why he decided to make peace with the Laws rather than fight them.”

“My dad went soft. You made Danny weak and it got him killed. Now you’ve done the same to Ryan. Besides, I’ve got what’s most important to him in the world,” he said, pressing the gun to her temple.

“At least let Laila go, she’s nothing to do with this.”

“She betrayed me after I put a roof over her head and food in her belly.”

“Betrayed you? You brought her here under false pretences, threatened to kill her if she didn’t pander to your clients’ disgusting needs then destroyed her sister with drugs. You’ve hurt her enough, let her go.”

Alex slowly lowered the gun, sighed and nodded. “Alright. Col, pull over.”

“Thank you Alex, you’re doing the right thing,” said Rachel as Col steered the car into a lay-by next to a small wood.

“We need to lose some dead weight. Kill her,” said Alex, his eyes never leaving Rachel.

“No,” screamed Rachel, making a grab for Alex’s gun but he backhanded her across the face. Laila calmly waited while Col got out of the car and opened the door, a single tear sliding down her cheek. When he tried to pull her out Rachel held onto her arm and refused to let go.

“Alex don’t do this,” Rachel begged.

Laila’s blue eyes bored into her. “You keep your promise?”

“Yes, I swear I will on my dead son’s grave, I will find her.”

Laila kissed her cheek. “Thank you.” With that she prised Rachel’s hand from her arm and got out of the car. Rachel tried to follow but Alex pulled her back and Col shut the door in her face. She pulled at the handle but it had been locked and refused to open. Alex pinned her arms behind her back when she attempted to wind down the window.

“This is on you and you will watch.”

Rachel was forced to look on helplessly as Laila was marched deeper into the woods. She glanced up and down the road, hoping to see another car come along bringing someone who could stop the madness but the road was deserted, which was probably why Alex had told Col to drive up here in the first place.

Col made Laila kneel before him, her back to him. Rachel had never seen anyone so coldly executed before. The gunshot made her jump, the sharp crack breaking the stillness, sending a flock of nesting birds up into the sky. Laila toppled forwards and Col pumped two more shots into her, her body jumping in a parody of life. Casually he pocketed the gun then made his way back to the car.

“No,” sobbed Rachel, hanging her head.

CHAPTER 29

Katia frowned when she heard the splintering of wood followed by shouting.

“What is that?” she asked Danielle, who shrugged. “Wait here,” she told her.

Katia exited her office and strode down the corridor, determined to put in their place whichever silly little bitch was causing the fuss. She gasped when she saw four big men armed with guns storming through the place, methodically searching each room, sending half-naked girls and fat naked men scattering before them. They were here for Rachel. What would they do when they found she wasn’t here? Thinking quickly she rushed into one of the empty rooms, stripped down to her underwear and curled up in a corner, trying to keep calm when she heard them getting closer, screams and shouts filling the air.

The door was kicked open and a man filled the doorway. Katia took in his features in an instant; tall, broad, grey eyes set in a handsome face, thick tousled hair. She’d done a lot of research on the Laws, fascinated by her lover’s most hated enemies. It was Ryan Law and he looked furious.

She held out her hands before her and started screaming in Slovak. Keeping the gun trained on her he scanned the room, pulling open the door leading into the bathroom. When he opened the wardrobe to reveal the instruments of sexual torture the hard man look briefly fell, revealing his pain. Katia felt suffocated by his presence, real fear filling her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up on end with the danger radiating off him. Then he was gone, slamming the door shut behind him and she could breathe again. She released a sigh of relief, attempting to keep calm for the sake of her baby.

Katia remained where she was for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of mayhem slowly dying into silence before pulling on her clothes and creeping to the door. All seemed quiet. Clutching her shoes she tiptoed down the corridor back to her office, hesitating when she heard shouting. Holding her breath she crept towards the door and peered through the crack. She saw Ryan Law holding a gun to a sobbing Danielle’s head, demanding to know where his wife was.

“She’s gone, they took her,” she wailed, face as red as her hair.

“Where?”

“I don’t know. She try to escape, Laila help her but they catch her and take them away in their car.”

“What car?”

“Is black. That all I know.”

“Bullshit, you’re Alex’s right hand here.”

“What is right hand?” she said, bewildered.

“You run the place.”

“No, not me, that is Katia.”

He jammed the gun under her chin. “Who the fuck is Katia?”

Katia didn’t stick around to listen to Danielle’s reply. Instead she turned and ran for the exit. Her two bouncers were dead on the floor, shot in the chest, all the customers gone. She knew they’d never come back. All the girls had escaped too, the bitches.

Katia rushed outside and down the alley, slowing her pace when she reached the main street, breathing a little easier now she was safely surrounded by people.

“Alex it’s me,” she said into her mobile phone. “Ryan Law and his friends found the business.” She had to hold the phone away from her ear when he yelled into it. “Yes I’m fine. Danielle was in the office when they arrived, they think she runs it. They were questioning her when I left but she knows nothing. The girls all ran away too. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t blame you Babe. Get yourself home and lock all the doors. Don’t open up to anyone but me or Col. Pack a bag, it might be best if you went away for a while.”

“I am not leaving you.”

“And I’m not losing you or the baby.”

“I saw those men, there were four of them, maybe more. They will be coming for you.”

“They won’t be able to find me.”

“They found the business.”

“I bet that’s down to fucking Mikey, sneaky bastard. Don’t worry, I’ll sort them all out. Don’t forget I’ve still got Rachel.”

Katia thought of the grey eyed man with the gun and was afraid for her lover. “Be careful, her husband is very dangerous.”

“Don’t worry, I can handle him. I’m going to send Col round to you, he’ll take you away. I want you safe and you will go without an argument.”

“Okay, I will, if that is what you want.”

“It is.”

“I love you.”

“Love you too Babe.”

Katia hung up, shoved the phone back into her bag then jumped into her car. Before starting the engine she took a moment to calm herself down, her hands shaking as she rested them on the steering wheel. She felt sick and it was nothing to do with her pregnancy. It was the same feeling she’d experienced the day her parents died and she prayed this wasn’t a sign that fate had the same in store for Alex.

Danielle screamed with fear, clamping her hands over her ears when Ryan upturned the desk.

“We’re too fucking late,” he yelled. “Alex was going to have her tortured and raped. I’m going to rip his nutsack off and stick it down his throat.” His eyes settled on Danielle, who started to shake. “You,” he said, dragging her to her feet. “How many men got in the car with Rachel?”

“Please don’t hurt me.”

“Then answer the fucking question. How many?”

“Three.”

“Who were they?”

“Mr Maguire, the man they called Col and another, I don’t know his name.”

They were all startled by a polite knock at the door.

“Jez, answer it but be careful,” Ryan told his brother.

Gun at the ready, Jez opened the door just a crack then took a step back and pulled it open wider. “It’s alright, it’s only Stephen.”

Stephen Strang walked into the room looking very sheepish. Ryan’s first instinct was to be furious at him for using a place like this, then recalled that he could be the one to lead him to Rachel.

“Don’t take it out on her, she’s telling the truth, she doesn’t run this place,” Stephen said, gesturing to Danielle.

“Thank you,” she wailed.

“Shut it,” snarled Ryan and she went silent. He released her and turned his attention back to Stephen. “Rachel was here?”

“She was but she tried to escape, with Laila’s help. I think Alex got her. I love Laila, you have to get her back.”

“If she helped Rachel then of course we will Stephen,” said Ryan, seeing the genuine emotion in the other man’s eyes.

“She’s the reason I come here, I want to set her free but Alex took them.”

Ryan swallowed hard. “Do you know where?”

“Unfortunately no. I saw them bundling them both into a black BMW. It sped off before I could do anything.”

“Has Alex bought any properties recently?” said Mikey.

“Actually he has, a disused warehouse on Moss Lane East in Moss Side. He said he wants to turn it into a huge leisure complex, he asked me to get in on it. I refused. He’s become very unpredictable.”

“Is it still disused?” said Ryan.

“Yes, the building work starts next week.”

“Is it isolated?”

“Very. The buildings either side are empty too.”

“He’s taken her there,” said Ryan, sticking his gun in his jacket pocket. “Let’s move.”

“Wait a minute, how can we be so sure?” said Riley.

“He took her to Moss Side originally, he feels comfortable there and it’s quiet.” He groaned inwardly and closed his eyes. Plenty of privacy to torture her. She could scream and scream and no one would hear her.

“What if he’s taken her back to the Maguire compound?” said Mikey.

“Too risky. He’ll want somewhere you don’t know about.” Ryan looked to Stephen. “You’d better take a nice long holiday until this is over. If he finds out you helped us he will come after you.”

“I’m not going until I know Laila is safe.”

“We’ll bring her to you.” Ryan was surprised to find himself softening towards his old rival. “Look, I know how you feel, believe me, but you’re no use to her dead.”

“If she helped Rachel she might already be dead.”

“It’s possible. I’m sorry.”

“If she is you will kill Alex?” said Stephen coldly.

“He’s already a dead man, I promise you that. Now go, we’ll be in touch.” Ryan looked to the other three. “Let’s move.”

When all the men strode out of the room Danielle sank to the floor, sobbing with relief.

“Who was that, your bit on the side?” Rachel asked Alex when he hung up. After witnessing Laila being executed she’d lapsed into a traumatised silence but she was slowly coming round again. They’d driven back into Moss Side, through streets she wasn’t familiar with, dilapidated red brick terraces giving way to large factories and warehouses.

“You’re back with us, are you?” said Alex.

“You’ve got a nerve accusing me of cheating on Danny when you’re having an affair yourself. Does Beth know you’ve knocked up your tart?”

“I couldn’t give a fuck what she thinks. She’ll come to heel or she’ll end up like Laila.”

Rachel thought she might burst into tears at the mere thought of what he’d done to her. “You evil bastard, you didn’t need to kill her.”

When she tried to punch him one big hand went around her throat and pushed her back onto the seat until she was lying beneath him.

“We can pick up where we left off if you like,” he leered.

Her tears dried up in an instant, rage gripping her like it never had before. She brought up her knee, which connected with his crotch, then head butted him. Before he could react she pushed him off her, rolling him into the space between the back seat and the front seats. A surprised Col sitting in the front passenger seat struggled to get his gun out of his inner jacket pocket with the seatbelt wrapped around him. Rachel grabbed hold of Gus’s right arm and pulled, causing the car to veer to the right. Col abandoned his grab for the gun and snatched at the steering wheel instead, attempting to steer it through the gates of a large abandoned warehouse. Rachel punched Gus in the side of the head, knocking him out and he slumped onto the wheel, his foot still on the accelerator. As it sped into the compound the car bounced off the metal gate, jolting everyone inside. Col hauled Gus backwards by the scruff of his shirt, allowing him to steer but he couldn’t reach the pedals. Rachel flung herself back in the seat and pulled on her seatbelt as the car accelerated into the compound at high speed, stomping on Alex to keep him in the footwell. Col turned the wheel but not far enough. The car clipped the side of the massive red brick building, the engine roared and Rachel screamed as the car left the ground and flipped onto its roof, the screaming of metal filling her head. She brought her arms up just in time to protect her face from Alex’s body as he was thrown out of the footwell and hit the roof. The screech of metal was deafening, sparks flying as it tore across the tarmac the wrong way up. Rachel screamed again when she saw a big brick wall getting closer and closer. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact. There was a sickening crunch, she was jolted back and forth in her seat then all went quiet.

Slowly she opened her eyes to find the world upside down and rocking slightly as the car tilted from side to side. The front end had completely concertinaed in with the force of the impact, but it said a lot for the car that it hadn’t folded in on the people up front. Gus and Col were both unconscious and Alex was crumpled on the seat beside her, unmoving. She felt sick and dizzy, her head thumping but she couldn’t afford to waste a single second. She unfastened her seatbelt and dropped, hitting the roof hard, landing on Alex, but he didn’t stir. Her head was spinning so much it took her a couple of attempts to grab the door handle. Still it refused to open.

“Shit,” she whispered, afraid of waking them.

She leaned forwards, reaching down the side of Col, straining to reach the door release. Her shaking fingers brushed it and there was a loud click. This time when she tried the door it opened and she scrabbled out. Once outside she staggered to her feet and managed to take three steps before falling over. Looking back over her shoulder she saw the car rocking, as though something inside was moving. She couldn’t tell who through the cracks in the windscreen then Alex’s head emerged, blood trickling from a cut to the side of his head. “Get back here you fucking bitch.”

She dragged herself to her feet and stumbled forwards, her legs refusing to cooperate. She could hear Alex talking into his mobile phone and the panic surging through her forced her on towards the gates, one of which hung limply from the wall, buckled from the impact.

“You walk through that gate and Beth is dead,” he yelled.

Rachel hesitated, looking towards the gates and freedom. “You won’t do that, you need her.”

“Look up.”

She scanned the massive frontage of the building and saw Beth pressed up to a window on the first floor, Gavin Sugar holding a gun to her head.

“You leave and she will die. You’ve already killed one woman today, do you want to make it two?”

Rachel slumped to her knees with exhaustion and despair, thinking of Ryan and her kids. So close.

There was a grinding noise and the large metal door leading into the warehouse rolled up to reveal two more of the Sugar brothers and the three goons she’d seen at the wake. All had their guns drawn. Alex finally managed to crawl out of the car and wrenched open the front passenger door. Col slid out sideways and lay on the ground blinking up at him.