Shattered (Dividing Line #5) (21 page)

“No it won’t. Time runs backwards in this place.” She frowned when he appeared to drift into his own world. “Ryan, whatever it is you want to tell me, just spit it out.”

“How did you know?” he smiled.

“Because I know
you
. Now spill.”

He couldn’t put it off any longer and if she found out he was keeping her in the dark she’d be furious. “Frankie wants me and you to take over when Alex is gone.”

“What?”

“I’ve tried talking him out of it. I’ve told him repeatedly that Mikey’s the perfect replacement but he just won’t listen. I can’t get through to him Babe, I’m so sorry.”

“You have to try again because we are not doing it.”

“You know what he’s like, he’s blinkered when it comes to getting what he wants.”

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard. “You make him listen Ryan. If anyone can make him see sense you can.”

“I will.”

“You’ve known this for a while now, haven’t you?”

He nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell me? We don’t keep things from each other.”

“Because you’d been through enough and I wanted you to concentrate on getting better.”

“I can cope with it, I’m not a child Ryan.”

“I was hoping I could get him to change his mind so you wouldn’t ever have to know. Mikey’s doing so well, I thought he could impress Frankie, but he thinks he’s too young for the responsibility.”

“Bullshit. Frank was younger than Mikey when he took over. He’s more than capable.”

“He’s matured so much, I can’t believe how smoothly he’s taken over. Frankie’s a fool if he can’t see it.”

“Promise me you’ll try again.”

“I will.”

“We are not getting back into our old lives.”

“I know. Don’t worry, I’ll sort it. Leave it to me and concentrate on getting well.”

“What do we do if he won’t back down?”

“It’s not an issue because he will.”

“But what if he won’t?”

“I don’t know Babe, I really don’t.”

Rachel wasn’t sure she had ever heard Ryan admit he didn’t know the answer to something before and she didn’t want him starting now, not when so much was at stake.

CHAPTER 21

“Alex,” exclaimed Katia excitedly.

He was laid in a huge four-poster bed in the large country house he was using as a safe house, feeling much better just for being out of that busy, noisy hospital and away from the Laws.

Katia rushed to him and threw her arms around his neck, sending pain shooting through his torso.

“Ow bloody hell, steady on Katia.”

“Sorry my love I would never hurt you. I’ve just missed you so much.”

“It’s alright. I’ve missed you too.”

“I have been so scared, I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Now you have so you can relax,” he said, unable to repress a smile, touching her face.

“I have some news that I have been bursting to tell you but I haven’t been able to. Col said he would tell you for me but it just has to come from me.”

“What news Babe?”

She pulled a small white envelope out of her handbag. “I had my first scan, for the baby. Here it is.”

She handed it to him and he eagerly opened it up and frowned. “What am I looking at? I’ve never been able to see anything in these, they’re all blobs to me.”

“Blobs,” she sighed, shaking her head. “Let me show you,” she said sitting beside him. “This is our baby. Do you see it?”

“I see something,” he said good-naturedly.

“And you see that?”

“You mean that other blob?”

“Yes. That is our other baby.”

Silence reigned as Alex processed her words. “Other baby?”

“Yes,” she replied, a smile playing on her lips.

“There are two of the buggers?”

“I do not like our babies being called this word,” she pouted.

“Twins? We’re having twins?”

“Yes we are.”

He released a shriek of joy and kissed her. “Twins? I can’t bloody believe it.”

“And they will both be boys, I feel it.”

“Yes they will.”

“This pleases you?”

“Fucking loads Babe. After the last shitty few days this is just the news I needed.”

When they started to kiss Col decided it was time to withdraw. “Congratulations both,” he told them.

“Cheers Col.” Alex’s first instinct was to share his good news with his family then he remembered they were all gone and what remained would blow his head off given the chance.

“What is wrong my love? You look so sad,” said Katia.

“My mum would have been over the bloody moon to hear this. On second thoughts maybe not, she wouldn’t have approved that you were the mother.”

“She is gone now and she can’t tell you to get rid of me anymore.” She’d launched into a frenzy when Alex had told her his mum had encouraged him to dump her and work on his marriage. It had taken him ages to calm her down.

“I wouldn’t get rid of you for anyone, you understand, no one. You are mine.”

Katia lapped it up when he got possessive like this. It made her feel wanted and loved. She also derived great satisfaction that she had been the driving force towards Martina getting exactly what she deserved. She and Col had agreed to drip poison in Alex’s ear about his mother because that woman had stood in both their ways. Alex would never have plotted with Col to get Mikey out of the way if she was still alive. Neither would he have put aside his wife for his mistress. Alex had been reluctant at first until Martina’s nagging pushed him to breaking point. Katia herself had come up with the idea of killing her in her sleep. She’d dropped the idea to him casually after they’d made frantic love and she lay in his arms, feeling wonderfully content. She’d said how convenient it would be if Martina fell asleep and never woke up again, how free they would be. When the thoughtful look had come into his eyes she’d realised he was seriously considering it. A couple of weeks later she was dead and Katia had rejoiced. Everything was falling into place. Then the fucking Laws had struck.

“What’s the matter Babe? You look like you could kill someone,” he said.

“I could kill the Laws and Beth. Everything was perfect and now they have spoilt it.”

“No they haven’t, it’s just a temporary setback. I’ll plant them all six feet under, Beth included. Someday soon she’ll come home and I’ll be waiting. Then Katia, I’ll marry you.”

“Finally,” she exclaimed.

He smiled and took her hand. “Come closer.”

She leaned so close their noses touched.

He tilted his head to whisper in her ear, brushing back her hair. “I want you to be my number two,” he whispered so softly she had to strain to hear.

Katia gave a cat-like smile. “What about Col?” she whispered back, aware he could be listening on the other side of the door.

“He’s not number two material. He’s too busy telling me what I want to hear. But you are perfect, it is what you were born to do.”

Katia was thrilled and she knew she was more than up to the job. “I will fight by your side. I can’t imagine anything better.”

“And we will raise our boys to take over when we want to retire.”

“We will destroy the Laws and Manchester won’t know what hit it,” she said determinedly.

“You are so fucking sexy,” he smiled before kissing her.

Jeremy Hammond threw his briefcase onto his very expensive cream leather couch, pulled off his tie and poured himself a large scotch. It had been a long hard day and all he wanted to do was get drunk. He hated it when the Laws and Maguires hit the news, which they had the habit of doing on a regular basis. He had never forgotten the night Ryan Law had cornered him in the car park just outside his office. The threat had been quiet, casual even, but it had scared the crap out of him. Ryan hadn’t threatened him with physical harm that night, he hadn’t needed to come out and say it, the warning had been in his eyes and voice, in the way he’d stood, in the air surrounding him. He’d ordered him to make Rachel out to be an innocent businesswoman, victim of the obsessive Superintendent Benton, and he had. Once again he’d ordered his newspapers to report that she was an innocent woman unfortunate enough to be abducted for a ransom, although all his staff knew it was a complete lie, but fear of her husband compelled him to keep his promise.

Now he was meeting with May Roberts, Crown Court Judge and the only other surviving member of The Coalition, the shadowy outfit they’d formed to take down the Maguires by means that had been less than legal. The Maguires had killed the other members. Jeremy cringed at the memory of their complete stupidity. The Coalition’s actions had led to nothing but death and heartbreak.

He answered the doorbell to May, who appeared equally troubled.

“Come in,” said Jeremy. He had hoped never to clap eyes on the woman again, she reminded him of the biggest mistake of his life. From the look on her face, she thought the same about him.

May swept inside, placed her handbag on the coffee table and removed her black shawl, carefully hanging it over the back of the couch.

“Drink?” he said.

“Scotch please.”

She followed him to the small bar in the corner of the room. “What is the meaning of this meeting?” she said. “We agreed never to speak again.”

“What are you talking about? You contacted me to arrange this.”

“No I didn’t, I got a message from you.”

They stared at each other in surprised silence.

“I sent the messages.”

The deep cultured voice from the back of the room raised all the hairs on the back of Jeremy’s neck, taking him right back to that night in the car park years ago. A lamp went on behind them to reveal Ryan Law sat in an armchair.

“How did you get in here?” said Jeremy.

“Don’t be so naïve. Please sit, we have much to discuss.”

“Jeremy,” said May, her eyes riveted to Ryan. “Make my drink a double.”

Ryan waited until they’d settled down with their drinks, sitting next to each other on the couch in solidarity. His lips curled into a sardonic smile. “The Coalition. It feels like old times.”

“We’ve kept our promise,” said May. “We haven’t started it up again and we have no intention of doing so.”

“I’m well aware of that. Don’t think I haven’t been keeping a close eye on the pair of you. I’m not here about that. I’m here to offer you the chance to redeem yourselves.”

“Redeem ourselves?” said a haughty May. “We’re not criminals.”

“But you are. Your actions caused people to die and you set Martina Maguire up to be murdered by a man she thought was a friend. If myself and Rachel hadn’t arrived when we did she would have been killed because of you two. And you set Benton on the loose and he tried to kill Rachel.”

Jeremy wanted to run out of the room when Ryan’s countenance turned dark and threatening.

“I saw him shoot her,” continued Ryan, eyes narrowing. “You unleashed him on her, you made him think he could get away with anything.”

“We were tired of the gang warfare plaguing our city,” said May. “Your feud with the Maguires was causing death and mayhem.”

“Those deaths were entirely in-house. Both sides made sure no innocent people got caught up in it. Then you lot decided to stick your noses in and tried to arrange the murder of Martina Maguire, a woman who had never hurt anyone in her life. She only lived because we realised what you were up to. Anyway, that’s all in the past,” he said, forcing himself to relax. “How would you like the opportunity to bring down a ring of corruption on a massive scale?”

“We’re listening,” May said coolly.

Jeremy marvelled at her, he wished he had an ounce of her courage. However she was more used to dealing with criminal elements than he was. He started to shake all over again when Ryan’s eyes focused directly on him.

“I want to thank you Jeremy for the way you have portrayed Rachel in your newspapers as the innocent businesswoman, which is what she is now. This recent fiasco is not her fault. However, what you have been writing is incorrect.”

Jeremy was overwhelmed with panic. “Is it? I do my best to make sure my people report only the verified facts. If I’ve done anything to cause offence I would like to apologise wholeheartedly.”

May turned in her seat to give him a disgusted look. “You crawling little worm.”

“You misunderstand me,” said Ryan. “I am not displeased. We purposefully put the lie out there because it suited our purposes. The incorrect part is the bit about Alex being a hero and trying to save Rachel when in fact he was the one who orchestrated her kidnapping then tortured her and tried to kill her.”

“What?” said a totally bewildered Jeremy. “But I thought…”

“I know what you thought but it’s not true. Alex Maguire has gone mad. He’s paranoid and greedy and for some reason he thinks Rachel and I are a threat to his position, which we’re not. Let me assure you we are now entirely legitimate. We even pay taxes,” he said with grim humour.

“Then why did you lie to the police?”

“Oh don’t be naïve Jeremy,” said May. “Do you think these sort of people ever tell the police anything truthful?”

“I have to admire your nerve May,” said Ryan. “You have the courage of a lioness.”

She gave him a nod in acknowledgement of the compliment.

“Alex’s insanity almost killed Rachel,” continued Ryan. “He’s paranoid and thinks everyone has turned against him, including Mikey.”

“It’s another war,” said May.

“Yes but no one knows that. The police think Alex is on our side.”

He was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Who’s that?” said Jeremy, sitting bolt upright, terrified someone would see Ryan Law in his home.

“I’ll get that, it’s someone else I invited to join our little meeting,” said Ryan, getting up out of his chair.

Jeremy and May were convinced that another member of the Maguire-Law faction was about to enter the room. So it came as a pleasant surprise when DCI Taylor walked in.

“Hello,” he said, regarding May and Jeremy curiously. He’d come into contact with May professionally and although he had never met Jeremy before he knew who he was.

The same couldn’t be said for Jeremy. “Who’s this?”

“This is DCI Taylor,” said Ryan, retaking his seat while Taylor took the spare armchair.

“I take it this is about Alex Maguire?” said Taylor.

“It is,” replied Ryan. He turned to May and Jeremy. “DCI Taylor is as keen to get him off the streets as we are and I might just have found a way to do it.”

“And how’s that?” said May.

“Soon. There’s one more person to arrive.”

When Ryan lapsed into silence May and Jeremy looked at each other and shrugged.

Two minutes later there was another knock at the door.

“Would you be so kind DCI Taylor?” said Ryan, gesturing to the door.

Taylor opened it warily, afraid it was some sort of trap. Instead he found a tall slender man in an expensive suit. “Who are you?” said Taylor.

“Come in Stephen,” Ryan called.

Stephen Strang followed Taylor back through to the lounge. Stephen recognised Jeremy, they’d met enough times at various social functions but he had no idea who the woman was. After introductions were made Stephen sat beside Taylor and took an iPad out of his briefcase, the others watching in bewilderment. Once he was settled he nodded at Ryan, who continued with the explanation.