Carnage Read online

  Carnage

  Dividing Line #12

  By Heather Atkinson

  Copyright Heather Atkinson June 2018

  This book is dedicated to my wonderful father, Anthony Clark. I love you so much Dad xxx

  CHAPTER 1

  The two figures crouched in the bushes watching the house, dressed all in black, faces hidden by balaclavas. The house was large and luxurious, three high-end cars parked on the driveway, including a large black Range Rover.

  “What do you think?” the smaller figure whispered to the larger one.

  “We have to make our move soon. We can’t stay here all night.”

  “Agreed. How do you want to play it?”

  “As we planned,” he said, picking up a baseball bat.

  The smaller figure nodded. “Let’s do it.”

  Together they approached the house by the side, the larger figure cautiously peering through the window into the kitchen to see a large male sat at the huge dining table drinking red wine with an attractive, dark haired female.

  The larger figure slammed the baseball bat through the pane of glass, making the two people in the kitchen jump. Before they could react the smaller figure threw a gas canister into the room. The man and woman leapt to their feet and sprinted for the back door, legs buckling beneath them as the gas took effect.

  The larger figure kicked open the back door, the lock snapping with a clang and strode in with his partner. The man wasn’t out yet, fighting against unconsciousness, attempting to drag himself to his feet. The larger figure kicked him in the face, knocking him out before grabbing him by the back of his expensive Armani jumper and dragging him to the door. His partner took the woman, sliding their arms under her shoulders and hauling her out backwards into the garden.

  “Wakey wakey,” said the larger figure, slapping the man about the face.

  He forced his eyes open, putting a hand to his face where he’d been kicked. “What’s going on?” he mumbled.

  The figure pressed the tip of the baseball bat to his throat. “Your time is up. You’re done.”

  The woman started to come round too, roused by the fresh air. When she saw the two figures looming over her she sat bolt upright, dark eyes flashing. “Who the fuck are you to tell us what to do?”

  “We’re the ones who will break your kneecaps if you don’t do as we say,” said the larger figure. “You’ve been throwing your weight about too much around here and you’ve put some noses out of joint. Well it’s over. Your time is up. You’re to leave Newton Abbot and never come back.”

  “Go fuck yourself,” said the woman, attempting to punch the smaller figure, who was standing beside her but she was still woozy from the gas and missed, falling back onto the grass.

  “Time to go,” said the larger figure, dragging the man across the lawn by his left leg.

  The woman was dragged to her feet by the second figure, her arm wrenched up her back as she was led around to the front of the house where waited a tall, thin man with a goatee beard and a stern look, arms folded across his chest.

  “You bastard,” the woman snarled at him, eyes black in the moonlight.

  “You’ve had enough warning. You’re out.”

  He nodded at the two figures, who nodded back and hauled them kicking and screaming down the driveway. As they were still recovering from the gas their movements were slow and lethargic. They were shoved through the gates where two huge glowering men waited to whisk them away. The man pulled the woman to him, both of them glaring defiantly back at the men before they were shepherded towards a waiting transit van.

  The stern man’s face relaxed into a smile as he regarded the two figures in black. “I’d say thank you but it does nothing to convey how grateful I am. I’ve wanted that pair out of the way for so long.”

  Rachel Law pulled off the balaclava and smiled. “You’re very welcome Nigel.”

  Her husband Ryan pulled off his balaclava too, grateful to feel the cool night air on his skin. “We’re happy to help.”

  “They’ve squatted in my house for a year, damaging everything and the authorities were less than useless. I’ve spent thousands trying to get them evicted and nothing. If it hadn’t been for you two…” He broke off, choking up with tears.

  Ryan shifted uncomfortably while Rachel patted Nigel on the shoulder. “They’re gone now. You’ve got your house back.”

  He smiled and wiped his eyes. “Thank God. I’ve been struggling without the income from renting this place out.”

  “Good luck getting it all sorted out,” said Ryan, the look he gave Rachel telling her he was uncomfortable with Nigel’s overt emotional display.

  “We’ve got to get home,” she said. “Let us know if you need any more help.”

  “Yes, I will. Thank you so much.”

  “Say hi to Linda for me,” said Rachel as she followed her husband through the large wrought iron gates and back to their car parked on the street. The transit van the squatters had been whisked away in had already vanished, driven by Battler and Bruiser.

  “Thank God for that,” said Ryan as he climbed into the driver’s seat. “I thought he was going to start crying on our shoulders.”

  “He’s just relieved. That pair have driven him demented with their antics. A whole year they’ve been in that beautiful house and they’ve paid one month’s rent. It’s not like they can’t afford it, you saw the motors on the drive.” She sighed and shook her head. “I’ll never understand people like that.”

  “Judging by the mess we saw through the kitchen window they’ve not looked after the place. I’m willing to bet it’ll cost him thousands more to get it back up to spec.”

  Ryan started the engine and set off down the street. It was almost midnight, so they were alone on the road.

  “Poor man, he’s only trying to make a living.” Tracey, the manageress of the beauty salon they owned had put Nigel Brooks in touch with them as he’d been a good friend of hers for years. He’d been at the end of his tether, the stress making him physically ill.

  “Well it’s done now and we can go home,” said Ryan.

  Rachel glanced admiringly at her strong, handsome husband. “You were very impressive back there.”

  “I wasn’t the only one,” he replied with a wink.

  Her hand slid up his thigh and he gripped the steering wheel harder.

  “If you want to get home any time soon I recommend you don’t move your hand any higher.” He groaned, jaw tensing when her hand moved to his crotch. “A detour it is then,” he said, steering the car into the woodland at the side of the road, pulling on the handbrake and killing the engine.

  Rachel straddled him and kissed him.

  “Ah, ah, ah,” he said, waving his finger back and forth.

  Her eyes turned jet black, making him smile.

  “What do you mean ah, ah, ah?” she demanded.

  He popped open the door. “Come on, out.”

  “Why?”

  “Please humour me.”

  “What are you going to do?” she said suspiciously.

  “If you’d do as I ask you’d find out a lot faster.”

  “If you’re going to drive off and leave me I will not be impressed.”

  “Why on earth would I do anything so cruel?” He gave her a deep kiss that made her moan. “How could I ever leave you behind?” he whispered in her ear.

  “Okay,” she grinned, climbing out of the car, excited about what he had in mind.

  She watched as he got out too and held the back door open for her.

  “Well,” he said.

  “Well what?”

  “Get in.”

  “You got me out of the car to get back in it?”

  “Rachel, if I don’t get inside you very soon I will explode a
nd every word you say is delaying that moment.”

  “Far be it from me to torture a man,” she smiled, getting into the back seat.

  “Lie on your back,” he told her.

  She obeyed, gasping with surprise when he grabbed her legs and pulled her lower down the seat, so her legs were dangling out of the car.

  “You can’t do that here,” she said when he unfastened her jeans.

  “Why not? There’s no one here to see.”

  “We’ve already been done once for indecent exposure.”

  “I can guarantee there’s no police officers here,” he said, indicating the darkened woods with a sweep of the arm. “There’s no one around and it’s not the first time we’ve done it al fresco, especially after something that involves violence and we’ve not been caught yet.”

  “But you never know who’s lurking about.”

  “Granted, there could well be an inquisitive bat, or perhaps a curious fox but I hardly think they’ll go running to the police.”

  “Oh you’re so funny.”

  “Right now I’m trying to be seductive,” he said, sliding his hand inside her panties.

  Rachel moaned and reclined back on the seat, allowing him to remove her boots and jeans.

  “Ryan,” she cried when he buried his face between her thighs, wrapping her legs around his neck.

  All thoughts of indecent exposure went out of her head as she lost herself in the pleasure and freedom, enjoying the wash of the night air over her bare burning skin.

  He raised his head, kissing her while pulling her further out of the car, so she only just touched the ground with her tiptoes.

  “Take off your jumper,” he said, flicking open the top button on his jeans.

  “Only if you take off yours.”

  He obliged, the sight of all those rippling muscles causing her to tear off her top with abandon and hurl it into the front seat.

  “Bra too.”

  She obeyed, her heart thudding with excitement as he positioned himself between her thighs.

  “Your skin burns,” he whispered, scattering goosebumps across her skin.

  “Stop teasing me Ryan, for God’s sake. You took your time,” she gasped as he entered her.

  “I enjoy tormenting myself,” he breathed.

  He drove into her, the heat in the air building up, the rumble of thunder in the distance quickly growing in crescendo, as though drawn by the passion erupting between them.

  “Yes,” cried Rachel, her spine arching up off the seat, sweat pouring off them both as the humidity became almost unbearable.

  The bellow Ryan released almost matched the thunder, which gave one last crack before rolling off into the distance.

  The air lightened, making it easier to breathe.

  Ryan climbed onto the seat with her, the two of them gently kissing as they caught their breath.

  “It’s so hot,” said Ryan when she pulled the door shut.

  “I feel like I’m on display.”

  “To who?” he smiled. “The owls?”

  She grinned and curled up in his arms, taking out her phone when it beeped. “I’ve had a message from Ashley. There’s something he wants to discuss with us.”

  A couple of years ago news like that would have had Ryan sighing and rolling his eyes but now things were very different. The daughter of Detective Inspector Ashley Boyle of the Devon and Cornwall police had been kidnapped along with their eldest daughter Leah by local thugs with a grudge. Ryan and Rachel, along with other members of the family and a few acquaintances had rescued them both and killed the kidnappers. Ever since then Ashley, who had been against their vigilante ways, had completely changed his tune and now helped them, giving them tip offs and inside information.

  “Interesting,” said Ryan.

  Rachel smiled. “You actually like him now.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far but I do enjoy listening to what he has to say.”

  “Yeah, right,” she said.

  “Come on then, let’s go home.”

  “I’m comfy here,” she said, nuzzling into him.

  “But the boys are spending the night at your parents and Leah’s staying with Sarah. We have the house to ourselves.”

  She clambered into the front seat. “Well don’t just sit there,” she grinned, pulling on her clothes. “Let’s go.”

  CHAPTER 2

  Mikey stood in the kitchen doorway, smiling as he listened to Jules preparing his eight year old son Josh for a day at school.

  “Now,” she said, kneeling before the boy and handing him his lunch bag. “Where do the carrot sticks go?”

  He grinned and pointed to his mouth.

  She nodded. “And where do they not go?”

  “Up my nose,” he exclaimed, throwing his arms wide theatrically. Josh had always had a worrying penchant for sticking vegetables up his nose.

  “Good boy,” she smiled, hugging him.

  Next she helped four year old Zach with his backpack, hugging him too. Mikey’s heart swelled with love at the contentment in his son’s eyes as he held onto Jules, resting his head on her shoulder. He’d never looked so comfortable with his biological mother who, since their divorce, had shown zero interest in either child, to Mikey’s fury. Still, Jules was more of a mother to them than Amber had ever been. The arrangement worked both ways as Jules couldn’t have any more children of her own. Two years ago she was stabbed in the stomach and had to have an emergency hysterectomy to save her life, leading to her spending seven weeks locked in a coma. Her only daughter, Cara, stayed over twice a week, which was a huge step given that when Jules had woken from the coma Cara had been terrified of her and it had taken time to rebuild their relationship. Now mother and daughter were close once again and Cara thought of the boys as her brothers.

  “Ready to go to school boys?” he said, walking into the room, brandishing the car keys.

  When Jules looked at him her eyes flared, as they always did when they made eye contact, a fact that gave him enormous pleasure. They’d been living together for a year but he was making plans to cement their relationship even further. No way was he letting this woman go. They’d been together almost two years now and every day that fact still amazed him.

  Jules planted a kiss on his lips. “They’re going to be late,” she smiled when he kissed her harder.

  “Right, come on boys.” He winked at Jules. “Won’t be long.”

  “Good,” she winked back.

  After dropping Josh off at school and Zach at nursery Mikey eagerly returned home. When his marriage to Amber had started to fail he’d dreaded coming home, using work as an excuse to stay away. Now he couldn’t wait to get back. Finally he had the loving home life he’d always dreamed of. Even as a child home had been a cold, cruel place, Mikey shunned by his mother and older brother. With Amber it had become the palace of a self-obsessed narcissist. With Jules it was finally warm and loving.

  Jules was happily humming to herself as she washed up. Mikey hadn’t thought it possible to hum along to heavy metal music but she was managing it, consequently she hadn’t heard him enter. He took a moment to watch her, smiling when she swayed her hips from side to side in time with the music. Jules moved like a cat in everything she did, dancing included.

  “Jesus,” she exclaimed when he slid his arms around her waist. She turned to face him, eyes dancing. “You scared the crap out of me.”

  “I thought no one could sneak up on you.”

  “They can’t, unless I’m listening to Machine Head,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  “You could have taken the rubber gloves off first,” he grimaced when warm water trickled down his back.

  “It won’t do you any harm,” she said, snapping off the gloves and tossing them onto the worktop.

  “I’ll have to change my shirt now,” he said, wiping the suds off the back of his neck.

  “I’ll help you,” she grinned, unbuttoning his shirt.

  “You do that and we
’ll never get to work,” he said, kissing her.

  “They can get on with it. They’ll only be banging on about the usual old shite anyway.”

  “You make it sound like your job’s boring,” he said, sliding his hands beneath her black hoodie, stroking the smooth skin of her stomach.

  “The talking bits are.”

  “So you only find the violent bits interesting?”

  “Pretty much.”

  One reason this woman fascinated him was how she was a mass of contradictions. She was a loving and loyal partner, a doting mother and a good sister to her brothers and sisters-in-law. But she was also the top assassin in the city and a rock-hard bodyguard. Both lived comfortably inside her. She certainly kept him on his toes but that was one of the things he loved about her.

  “I’ve had an idea,” he said.

  “Ooh,” she said, eyes lighting up. “Does it involve jelly and bondage?”

  Another thing he loved about her. She was insatiable. “No but I wish it did.”

  She pushed his shirt off his shoulders and kissed his chest. “So what was your idea?” she murmured into his skin.

  “I’ve forgotten,” he breathed, running his fingers through her hair. “Oh yeah, that was it. I thought we’d take a trip to the cabin tomorrow, just the two of us. Cathy and Jez said they’d have the boys.”

  “Sounds good,” she said, kneeling on the floor before him and unfastening his trousers. “Any particular reason why?”

  “I thought it would be nice for us to spend some time alone together. Things have been hectic lately.”

  “It would be great having the cabin to ourselves.” The cabin belonged to Mikey and it was set in secluded woodland on the outskirts of the city, offering complete privacy. The thought of spending the weekend there together was an exciting one.

  “Great,” he said, relieved the first part of his plan was in place. “Oh Jesus Jules,” he breathed when she took him in her mouth. “We’re going to be late.”

  She gazed up at him with her trademark malicious smile that never failed to get him going. “You want me to stop?”

  “Course I bloody don’t. Oh my God,” he groaned when she returned to her ministrations, clutching onto the edge of the sink so hard his knuckles turned white. “On your feet lady,” he told her when he couldn’t take it anymore.