Hunted (8 page)

Chris sighed. “Do you ever feel like you’re the luckiest bastard in the world?”

“Every day,” replied Ryan, puzzled as to where this was going.

“I know I am. I’ve got a great wife, healthy sons, money in the bank, a beautiful home, but somehow it’s not enough.”

“You mean you feel you’re lacking something? I think we all experience that at one time or another.”

But Chris wasn’t listening, he had already drifted into his own world. “I mean I love Angela, I really do, I couldn’t live without her but sometimes I would like…”

Ryan leaned forward in his seat. “Yes?”

He recoiled when Chris attempted to kiss him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” demanded Ryan, jumping up off the stool.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

“I don’t know about you but I am not attracted to men in the slightest. In fact I’m not attracted to anyone except Rachel.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” whispered Chris, looking absolutely stricken. “I don’t know what I‘m doing, it’s this whole body being found thing.”

“What has that got to do with you?” said Ryan suspiciously, thinking he might just have solved the mystery and way ahead of the police too. How gratifying.

“I had an…indiscretion a few years ago…with a man. Daniel Tebbs. One of the missing men. Don’t look at me like that, I didn’t do anything to him. I miss him.”

Ryan was appalled when tears filled Chris’s eyes. Crying women were bad enough but a crying man was even worse. “What happened?” he mumbled, gingerly patting the man on the shoulder.

“I’d had these feelings for years, since high school. Don’t get me wrong, I like women too, I find them attractive, you know, sexually. Angela to me is gorgeous, but there’s this part of me that likes men too. Daniel was so handsome and fit and strong, you remind me of him. He had this elegance about him, like you do.”

“I’m elegant?” he frowned.

“Very. We met at the local gym, I’d decided to try and lose some weight. We got talking and one thing led to another. Finally I felt complete, like these two halves of me were being fulfilled after years of feeling empty. Then he disappeared and I never saw him again. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t in love with him or anything, I love Angela, but he was my good friend, he helped me and I miss him every day.” Chris hung his head, looking ashamed. “I’ve never really been attracted to another man since, I was happy with Angela, getting on with things. Then you had to take your top off in my kitchen and it started up again.”

“Sorry about that,” said Ryan, feeling guilty. He’d knocked this man back into torment because he’d wanted to test a theory. “I think the best thing we can do is just forget this ever happened. Your secret’s safe with me.”

“I love Angela, I truly do,” wailed Chris before burying his face in his hands and sobbing.

“Yes, I’m sure you do,” said Ryan awkwardly, just wanting to get out of there. “Thanks for the drink but I’d better check on Leah. Will you be okay?”

The sobbing stopped and Chris raised his head and wiped his eyes. “Fine,” he sighed wearily. “Thanks Ryan, it felt good to get that off my chest, its weighed me down for years and thanks for not punching me, I wouldn’t have blamed you if you had.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He hesitated at the bottom of the stairs. “What do you think happened to Daniel?”

“I think some bastard killed him. He was so happy, he wouldn’t have committed suicide or run away like the police said. He’s dead and it’s killing me that his body might be the one under your annex.”

“Why would it be? Seven other men are missing.”

“Because the night he disappeared he was walking back from here through the fields after we’d spent some time…together.”

Ryan was stunned. “Did you tell the police?”

“Of course I did, but I just made out that he’d come to fix my computer, he was a genius with them. What I didn’t tell them was that it wasn’t the first time he’d been here, we met regularly for a few weeks.”

“Same time and day?”

“Yes. Wednesday evening at seven, after Angela left for her pottery class and the boys were playing football.”

Ryan thought this was interesting, very interesting indeed.

“You won’t forget your promise to keep this to yourself?” Chris called after him as he walked up the stairs.

“You have my word,” Ryan called back. Well, he didn’t intend to tell anyone, except Rachel, Battler and Bruiser, but they could be trusted to keep it to themselves.

“How did you find the man den?” Angela asked Ryan as he strolled up to the paddock.

“It was very interesting,” he replied. “How’s she doing?” he said, gesturing to Leah riding her pony.

“Really well. She’s a natural.”

Ryan’s heart soared. Leah looked so happy, so untroubled, the way a nine year old girl should look. Maybe it was true what they said about the healing effects of horses?

Once again the hairs on the back of his neck pricked up and he spun round, scanning the surrounding countryside, but there was nothing there. His instinct had been honed from years of living dangerously and taking on the worst elements of society. He wasn’t the type of man to imagine danger where there was none. But what could he do if he couldn’t even see it coming?

CHAPTER 10

It was a relief when Mikey returned home to a quiet house, everyone already tucked up in bed. Before going up himself he had a sneaky whisky in his office, he really was getting too fond of Ryan and Rachel’s Abercraig whisky. Then he crept upstairs, looking in on Jamie, who was fast asleep. He’d always been a good sleeper, right from birth, for which he was very thankful. The sight of this little boy he’d made with Amber softened him to her after their argument earlier.

He crept into his bedroom and found her wide awake reading a book. Angrily she cast the novel aside when he walked in and folded her arms across her chest. “Where have you been?” she whispered so as not to disturb the rest of the house.

“I had a bit of business to attend to.”

“How do I know you haven’t been out with some woman? You stink of alcohol.”

Mikey was non-plussed. She’d never accused him of cheating before. “I’ve had one whisky and I had that in my office when I came in.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“Yes because it’s the truth. You’ve never called me a liar before, not until your mum came to stay. Been telling you I’ve been seeing other women, has she?”

He knew he’d hit the nail on the head when she pouted and evaded the question. “Stop dragging my mum into everything, this is between us. Do you fancy her too?”

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I want her to go home to Ken so we can be a family again.”

“You leave my mum alone. I want to know where you’ve been.”

“I told you I had some business with Jez.”

“What business?”

“You know I can’t tell you that.”

“Because it would be dangerous for me to know?”

He nodded.

“It’s just a bit too convenient is this. You can’t ever tell me what you’ve been up to because it’s supposedly dangerous knowledge. You could be up to anything and I’m stuck here like a lemon.”

“You’re not a lemon, you’re too cute,” he said playfully.

She was unable to resist a half-smile. “Mikey, please, I’m trying to be serious.”

He kicked off his shoes and crawled across the bed to her on all fours. “You’re so adorable with your big red curls and your pouty little mouth. I want to kiss that delicious little mouth.”

She allowed him to plant a kiss on her lips before she said, “we need to talk Mikey.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” he said, burying his nose in her curls, enjoying her delicate perfume. “I really have been with Jez on business then I came straight home, had a cheeky whisky then came up here to you because it was where I wanted to be.” He pulled back slightly to look into her sea green eyes. “Because I love you Mrs Maguire, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and all evening all I could think about was coming home to you and making love to you.”

Amber’s resolve melted. “You haven’t been cheating on me?”

Gently he cupped her face. “Where’s this come from? I’ve never cheated on you, not once. You’ve never doubted me before.”

“I know, I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Mikey thought he knew exactly what was wrong but decided to keep it to himself, for now. She looked so beautiful he just wanted to devour her. “I love you Amber, you’re the first and only woman I’ve ever loved and I won’t cheat on you, I couldn’t.” He kissed her neck and her arms went around him. “Tell me you love me too.”

“I love you Mikey,” she breathed as he pressed her back into the pillows and pushed her nightgown up to her waist.

He ran his fingers up her left leg, starting at her ankle and slowly travelling all the way up to her thigh, which never failed to get her going. He gave her a long, deep kiss, full of reassurance and love. “You’re my girl Amber, no one else.”

She smiled up at him from the pillow, her cloud of red curls fanning out around her face, the light from the lamp turning her creamy skin caramel and making her eyes sparkle. “I know.”

As his hand slid between her thighs there was a knock at the bedroom door.

“Amber, I’ve just had a really horrible dream about your dad,” called Joyce.

“Just wait there,” Amber called back, pushing Mikey off her. “I’m coming.”

“Or not,” sighed Mikey.

“Sssh, she’ll hear you,” whispered Amber, sliding her nightgown back down. She jumped out of bed and pulled on her robe then bent over to give him a quick peck on the lips. “I’ll get her settled with some hot chocolate then we can pick up where we left off.”

When she’d gone Mikey stripped off and clambered into bed, horny and expectantly awaiting his wife’s return.

By the time she came back two hours later he was fast asleep.

Joel Starklaw was seriously fucked off. Mikey and Jez had done him and his little brother over good and proper with the help of the fucking traitor Dane Black who, it turned out, was in bed with the Maguires. He’d kept that bloody quiet. The beating he’d been given had made him furious, he’d not ordered any attack on Jez. Why would he? Ollie had sworn he hadn’t done it. He might be a little scrote but Joel could always tell when he was lying and he’d been telling the God’s honest truth in that nightclub. So, if it hadn’t been Ollie then who had attacked Jez? None of his men, he was certain of that. That meant it was someone who wanted to set him up and it had worked. Only problem was he couldn’t figure out who was responsible. Thanks to Ollie’s antics they’d pissed off a lot of people, so the suspect list was huge. Now he was stuck in a hospital bed with sod all to do all day except look at the nurses, who were a bit fucking butch.

“Who the frig are you?” he scowled when a big man with blond hair sat down next to his bed.

“Take it easy, I’m here as a friend.”

“Piss off you cockney wanker.”

“I’m not a cockney, I’m from Essex actually.”

Joel could spot a gangster when he saw one and this man screamed
dodgy
. “You’ve strayed a bit far from home,” said Joel, injecting menace into his tone.

“I’ve come all this way to see you so shut up and listen or I might have to upgrade you to Intensive Care.” His dark brown eyes were as hard as flint.

“Get on with it then, I haven’t got all day.”

The man smiled. “I like your nerve. If you’d shut it for a fucking second I might be able to get down to business.”

Now he had Joel’s attention. “Business?”

“I know Mikey Maguire and Jez Law put you and your brother in here.”

“How did you find that out?”

“I have my sources. How would you like some payback?”

Joel was instantly suspicious. This man could have been sent by the Maguires to test him, so he refused to commit to an answer.

“Wise man,” smiled the stranger, “but I’m not here on their behalf, I’m here for mine. I have specialised business interests down south and I’m looking to expand up here and certain people in Manchester are standing in my way. I need some help shifting them and when I do I’ll need someone up here who can help keep an eye on things, someone I can trust. Do you think that’s something you might be interested in?”

This prick was giving him a shot at taking down the Maguires, he couldn’t believe his luck. In Joel’s experience if something seemed too good to be true then it probably was but he wasn’t about to dismiss the man so easily. “Go on.”

“Here’s not the place to discuss it. Contact me when you get out of here.” He tossed a business card onto the bed beside him. “I look forward to your call.”

Joel watched the big man swagger away, drawing admiring glances from the scary nurses. He picked up the card and frowned. On it was printed a mobile phone number but nothing else. Joel didn’t need anymore details. It was Jared Slattery, he was sure of it. Normally Joel would have baulked at the prospect of getting into bed with a southerner but he was his only shot at getting revenge on the Maguires and he would take it gratefully.

“You look better today,” said Mikey when Jules walked into his office. “Calmed down?”

“I’m fine. I told you it was just a nicotine deficiency.” It had been a relief when she’d woken up feeling much calmer than she had the day before. Hopefully Mikey would think it was just a one off.

“I’m glad because Mark will be here in a few minutes.” She was standing beside him, her musky perfume overlaid with cigarette smoke wafting over him. He didn’t know how such a mixture could be alluring but it was to him. “Stand over there,” he said, pointing to the far corner of the room, needing her away from him or he wouldn’t be able to concentrate.

“Have I been naughty?” she said saucily.

“No, I just don’t want Mark thinking we’re crowding him,” he snapped back.

She held up her hands. “Fine,” she said, retreating to the spot he’d indicated. “Don’t wind yourself up, Mark will detect it and it’ll make him nervous.”

“I know that,” he barked. How could he be so attracted to someone who got on his tits so much? Maybe that was part of it, attraction and anger all rolled up together. It was an explosive mix.

“What happened to your knuckles?” she said, nodding at the small cuts there.

“Me and Jez had a word with the Starklaw brothers after they attacked him outside the MMA arena.”

“Are they alive?”

“Yes but they’re currently enjoying the best care the NHS has to offer.”

It took Jules a lot not to laugh out loud. She’d arranged that attack on Jez. The man she’d hired to do it had been instructed not to actually hurt him, he’d just made sure Jez thought he was going to so she could jump in and play the heroine. It had worked and she’d gone up in Jez and Mikey’s estimation. The fact they’d thought the Starklaws had been responsible had been a bonus, she hated the annoying little tossers.

Mikey frowned up at Jules. She had that odd look again and he was glad when there was a knock at the door and Mark was escorted in by Grant.

“Glad you could make it Mark,” said Mikey, getting to his feet to shake his hand. Grant closed the door, leaving the three of them to talk in private.

“Good to see you again,” said Jules, from behind Mikey, making no move to shake his hand. Mikey had instructed her beforehand to ditch her trademark black leather biker jacket so she stood there in just a sleeveless black vest and jeans to show Mark she carried no weapons, especially her knives.

“And you,” said Mark.

Jules gave him a flirtatious smile, which he returned.

Mark turned to Mikey and smoothed his expression out into an emotionless mask. “So, what’s the offer?” he said, straight to the point, as usual.

“Please sit and I’ll explain. Drink?”

“No thank you.”

Mark listened with interest as Mikey outlined what his duties would be, which mainly included bodyguarding, ensuring the security of the compound and removing anyone who got in Mikey’s way, which was pretty much what Mark had been expecting. The salary however was more surprising.

“Trying to buy my loyalty, are you?” said Mark as he stared at all the zeros Mikey had written down.

“I’d rather earn it. You’ll be fulfilling the role Grant is currently performing but I want him working on other projects. If you decide to accept my offer he’ll show you the ropes and once you’re happy you’ll take over from him full time.”

“It’s a big job.”

“You’ll have some help. Jez is talking with Hayden Brody. Do you know him?”

Mark nodded to indicate that he did. “He’s a good man.”

“If he accepts you’ll work together.”

“I don’t think I’d have a problem with that. There’s been some rivalry between us but its always been friendly.”

“So, are you onboard?”

Mark reclined back in his chair as he considered Mikey’s proposal. It was a good offer, they all knew it and he’d be working for the top family in the north of England. But Mark had seen too many top people fall in his lifetime. If Mikey ever was toppled he’d go down with him, but on the flipside he needed the cash. Plus there was always a position for a man with his specialist skills. He admired how smart Mikey was being. With Jules Parker and Hayden Brody onside too there was no one else in the city capable of taking on him and Jez. They had all the best people in their camp and only a madman would think of challenging them. If Jez succeeded in getting Hayden onside then they would be surrounded by the impenetrable ring of steel they’d envisaged. But he didn’t want to appear too eager. He looked to Jules. “How have you found working for Mikey and Jez?”

“No one’s ever given me a chance before but they have. So far I’m not regretting it.”

Mikey cringed, thinking that half-hearted statement would only put Mark off, but on the contrary, it seemed to persuade him.

“Alright, I’m in.”

“That’s great,” said Mikey, trying not to show how over the moon he was. His plans for the family were finally coming to fruition. With Mark’s help they’d be untouchable. “When would you like to start?”

“No time like the present.”

“I was hoping you’d say that. Grant’s waiting outside the door, he’ll show you round.” Mikey got to his feet to shake his hand. “Welcome on board.”