Carnage Read online

  “Fine,” he smiled, shoving aside all thoughts of his twisted sister.

  “Good,” she said, sliding her arm around his waist. “You going to kiss me then?”

  “In front of everyone?”

  She nodded, gaze playful.

  “Too right,” he said, taking her face in his hands and kissing her, the kiss so good he even failed to notice Ricky Cotton passing them by, scowling.

  “My parents invited you round for dinner tonight,” she said. “My snotty little brothers will be there too but hopefully they won’t spoil it.”

  “Me?” he said.

  “Yes.”

  “In your house?”

  She smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Why is that so hard to believe?”

  “Dunno. I’m just, you know, not good at the whole social thing.”

  “Don’t sweat it, they’re really easy going.” Her eyes clouded with uncertainty. “Unless you don’t want to come?”

  “No, I do. I’ve just never been to a dinner party before.”

  “It’s not a dinner party, it’s just tea with my family. You don’t need to wear a tuxedo.”

  “Well, okay.” Shit, what should he wear? All his clothes were old and falling apart. “What time?”

  “About six okay? Mum and Dad have got a business meeting this afternoon, so they’ll be back late.”

  Business meetings? It was like a different world and it just went to highlight the differences between their families. “Yeah, fine. I’ll be there.”

  “Don’t look so scared,” she said, misconstruing the reason for his nerves. “I know they’ve got a fierce reputation but they’re really nice.”

  “I’m not scared,” he said as nonchalantly as he could. On the bright side, it went to show she was serious about him and that she wasn’t ashamed.

  Moving about the college together they got more odd looks, some people whispering, others openly pointing and laughing but Leah didn’t seem to care so why should he?

  They walked into biology class together holding hands, Sarah smiling while everyone else gaped at them.

  Leah headed to her usual seat beside her friend, who grinned at her while Jacob glowered down at the boy in the seat at the desk in front of Leah.

  “Move,” said Jacob.

  The boy tried to ignore him, glancing back over his shoulder at Leah, who glared at him too. Hastily he gathered up his things and retreated to the seat Jacob had once occupied.

  Jacob looked over his shoulder at Leah and winked and she grinned back at him.

  Mr Mitchell strode in and dumped his briefcase on the desk, looking like someone who really didn’t want to be there.

  “Open your text books to page eighty seven.” He did a double take at Jacob. “What are you doing there?”

  “I want to sit closer to Leah,” he retorted.

  “Why?”

  “We’re together now Sir,” replied Leah.

  “Together? Really?”

  “Yes, really.”

  “Well….okay.” He frowned at them again before shaking himself out of it and turning to the whiteboard.

  Jacob slumped in his seat. What the hell did he do? He couldn’t turn up at the Laws’ no doubt posh drum in his scruffy clothes. Neither could he borrow his dad’s or uncle’s clothes as they were so much bigger than him. He was going to make a horrible impression on her mum and dad and they were going to tell her to dump him, then everything would go back to how it was before. Misery engulfed him. It had been nice while it had lasted.

  “Fuck,” bellowed Jez, hurling his phone across the room.

  “Jesus,” said Mikey as it exploded in a mess of plastic next to his head. “What the hell’s up with you?”

  “The Slovakian slag killed Derek and his crew,” he yelled, face purple.

  “Oh shit.”

  “Oh shit. Is that all you’ve got to say?”

  “What do you want me to say?”

  “Something useful.”

  Mikey didn’t take Jez’s anger personally, he understood it was just his way. “We tried, we failed.”

  “Is that it?”

  Mikey shrugged.

  Jez sighed and threw himself back in his chair, staring miserably at his desk. “I don’t know. That bitch has the luck of the devil.”

  “Her luck will run out one day. It has to.”

  “You could say the same about us. No doubt she’ll know we were behind it. We could have just started the war we were trying to avoid.”

  “She knows Toni’s our business partner, she wouldn’t fucking dare. Plus her crew isn’t strong enough to fight a war on the other side of the country.”

  “There is that,” he said, feeling a little better.

  “Exactly. Now relax. We’ll have a rethink and come up with something else.”

  “Maybe we should let Jules go down there with her syringes?”

  “No.”

  Jez frowned. That answer had been a little too quick for his liking. “You can’t stop her from going into dangerous situations. It’s who she is and if you try stopping her you’ll only alienate her.”

  “I know but I can’t help it,” he sighed.

  “I get how you feel but you’ve got to keep your private life and business separate or you and Jules won’t work. She won’t take kindly to you trying to shelter her and she’s the last person who needs protecting.”

  “I’m trying but I can’t stand the thought of her hundreds of miles away in enemy territory.”

  “Me neither, she is my sister but it’s what she does and she’s good at it.”

  “It’s a moot subject anyway because Toni vetoed that idea,” he said, wanting this conversation to end.

  “Yeah. Maybe there’s someone else we can get to do our dirty work for us?”

  “Probably,” said Mikey, relieved Jez was moving away from the idea of using Jules to take out Katia. “There’s usually someone willing for cold hard cash.”

  “No doubt about it,” said Jez, settling back down at his desk and returning to his paperwork.

  Mikey sighed and threw down his pen. There would come the day when they would have to send Jules into a truly dangerous situation, much more so than beating up an arsehole like Richie Meadows for a few quid. If he didn’t have the strength to do it then it might spell the end of his relationship with the woman he loved.

  “What’s up with your face?” said Michelle when Jacob came home from college later that afternoon. She’d had such a good day working with Battler and Bruiser. They’d been on a stakeout and tackled an angry husband who had been beating his wife. They’d let her handle it and she’d taken great pleasure in putting the bullying dick on his arse. Both Battler and Bruiser had been very pleased with the way she’d dealt with the situation and she was looking forward to going to work tomorrow. She’d told the rest of the family she’d got a job as a cleaner. Only Jacob knew the truth.

  “Leah invited me to dinner at her house tonight.”

  “That’s wonderful. So why do you look so down?”

  He gestured at his clothes. “Her parents will take one look at me and that’ll be it.”

  Her heart went out to him. “You really like this girl, don’t you?”

  “She’s awesome and she’s not ashamed of me. We walked right through college holding hands and she liked it that I swapped seats in biology to be closer to her.”

  “Right, get your coat back on. We’re off out.”

  “Where?”

  “The shops to get you some new togs.”

  “Can we afford it?”

  “Battler gave me cash to get some clothes for work. I can spare some to get you a fresh pair of jeans and a shirt. God knows it’s been ages since you had new.”

  “You sure?”

  She smiled and nodded.

  “Thanks Mum.”

  “That’s alright. She’s a good girl is that one and she makes you happy. It’s been so long since I saw you smile.”

  He hesitated before flinging h
is arms around her, Michelle hanging on before he released her, blushing.

  Michelle beamed at him, knowing how hard it was for him to show affection. “Well let’s not stand around here all day. Let’s go.”

  Once they’d gone Danielle emerged from her hiding place on the stairs where she’d overheard every word of the conversation. So he was going to have dinner at that slag’s house. She pulled the flick knife from her jeans’ pocket and opened up the blade, caressing it. No one took her brother from her.

  CHAPTER 15

  “Dad, promise you’ll be nice to him,” said Leah.

  “What do you think I’m going to do, throw him through a window?”

  “It’s possible,” she retorted.

  “I promise I won’t injure or frighten him in any way.”

  “Good. And don’t call me Cupcake in front of him either.”

  “Why on earth not?” he said, amused.

  “Well…you know,” she mumbled.

  “I’m afraid I don’t. Please enlighten me.”

  “Stop torturing the poor girl,” said Rachel, putting the finishing touches to the dining table. “She doesn’t want to be embarrassed in front of her man.”

  “Aww Mum, what have you put the silver out for? He’s not the Queen.”

  “I want to make a nice impression.”

  “He’ll think we’re throwing our wealth in his face. Please put it away.”

  “Okay sweetheart, if it’ll make you feel better I’ll replace it with the plastic stuff.”

  “Mum,” she exclaimed.

  “I’m kidding. Calm down or you’ll be all overwrought when he gets here.” Rachel had never seen her daughter so het up before and it went to show how much she liked Jacob.

  “He’s here,” she gasped when the doorbell rang.

  “Relax,” said Ryan. “I’ll get it. It’s fortunate I left the baseball bat behind the door.”

  “Dad,” she shrieked.

  He held up his hands. “Kidding.”

  “Oh God,” she sighed. “I’ll come with you,” she added, leaping after him when he made for the door.

  “Leah’s boyfriend’s here,” smirked Ethan who had been drawn into the hallway by the doorbell, a sniggering Aaron beside him.

  “And you two had better behave yourselves,” she told them. “If you embarrass me I’ll make sure to do the same to you when you bring your girlfriends home.”

  “I don’t like girls,” said Aaron. “They’re stupid.”

  “Alright, when you bring your boyfriends back,” retorted Leah.

  Aaron scowled at his brother when he burst out laughing.

  Jacob’s eyes widened when Ryan Law himself opened the door looking tall, handsome and scary all at the same time. He’d Googled the Laws on the computer at college. Some of the stories he’d read had intimidated him, not that he was going to let the Laws know that. So he threw up a wall of nonchalance but not before Ryan had spotted the nervousness in his eyes.

  “You must be Jacob,” he said in a voice so smooth and sophisticated Jacob was shocked for the second time. He’d expected him to snarl and swear, like his dad. He’d been shocked twice and he hadn’t even got through the door yet. He looked uncertainly at the large hand Ryan extended to him before shaking it, able to feel the power in his grip. The bruises his mother had sported after tussling with Rachel Law had shocked him too. He’d seen her tackle huge, violent men and not get a scratch, so it said a lot about Rachel’s capabilities.

  “Come on in,” added Ryan.

  “Thank you Mr Law,” he mumbled, stepping inside, trying not to gawp at the house. It was huge and beautiful, everything expensive and tasteful. He was so glad his mum had bought him the new pair of black jeans and deep purple shirt from a big named clothes shop, not a supermarket or charity shop.

  All thoughts of the house and the scary parents went out of his head when he saw Leah.

  “Hi,” he said shyly.

  “Hi,” she replied, giving him that smile that always made his heart stop.

  Rachel looked from one to the other, smiling. Ryan was amused while Ethan looked like he wanted to be sick.

  “Nice to meet you again Jacob,” said Rachel, breaking the spell.

  “You too Mrs Law,” he mumbled, dragging his eyes off Leah.

  “This is Ethan and Aaron, Leah’s brothers.”

  Jacob nodded at the two boys, who both nodded back seriously, Ethan folding his arms across his chest, grey eyes hard, doing a good impression of his dad. Jacob sighed inwardly. He got the feeling he was in for a tough evening.

  Danielle hadn’t dare follow Jacob up the driveway to the Laws’ house, she’d been quick to spot all the cameras and alarms ranged about the place. She could have snuck in behind him as the electric gates had swung shut but she thought it more sensible to wait outside the walls for him to come out again. Usually knowing he was so close to Leah would have driven her into a frenzy but she figured they wouldn’t be getting up to much with the parents in the house. She knew they were there because she’d seen the father answer the door.

  So she hunkered down in the foliage to wait. Jacob wouldn’t even notice her, he’d failed to spot her following him here, his head had been so full of thoughts of Leah. She couldn’t understand why he didn’t want her. So what if they were brother and sister? What did it matter if the love was there? And she did so love him. They could go away somewhere no one knew them and live like a married couple. These thoughts constantly tormented her, she wanted no one but him. Every other man was boring and ugly. Only Jacob was special.

  Danielle opened up her backpack, carefully sliding her hand inside so she wouldn’t cut her fingers on the large knife she’d hidden in there and took out the cheese sandwiches wrapped in tinfoil that she’d made earlier. After all, it was tea time and she was starving. But it was a nice sunny day, so she didn’t mind the wait. Plus now she knew where Leah Law lived. That in itself was worth it.

  “So Jacob,” said Ryan, scooping the roast potatoes onto his plate and passing the dish to Rachel. “Leah tells me you’re the smartest student at college.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” he muttered to his dinner. He hated talking about himself.

  “He is,” gushed Leah, who was sat opposite him. “He can do all the work with his eyes closed while we’re all still trying to get our heads around it.”

  Jacob blushed deeper and shovelled some peas into his mouth so he wouldn’t be able to reply.

  “What do you want to do when you leave college?” Ryan asked him.

  “Dunno.”

  “Surely you must have a career path in mind with the subjects you’ve chosen?”

  “Not really. I just picked what I find interesting.” He didn’t want to say his parents couldn’t afford to send him to university, it was too embarrassing.

  “What are the other subjects you’re studying?”

  “English Language and History.”

  “History?” smiled Ryan. “One of my favourites too.”

  “You like to read?” he said incredulously.

  Everyone ignored the way Ethan sniggered, Leah glaring at her brother.

  “Yes,” said Ryan smoothly. “I always have and history is a particular favourite of mine. I’m currently studying Ancient Egypt.”

  Jacob’s eyes sparkled with interest. “I love that, especially Tuthmosis the Third, he was a brilliant general. It must have been so hard for him ruling alongside his stepmother, Hatshepsut. She’s equally interesting, the first female pharaoh.” He went abruptly silent, blushing. “Sorry, I sound like a proper geek.”

  “Not at all,” said Rachel. “You sound very clever and you shouldn’t be ashamed of it.”

  “Thanks,” he said, casting a sideways glance at Leah, relieved that she was smiling at him.

  “I particularly admire Amenhotep the Third,” said Ryan. “And of course his son Akhenaten and the entire Amarna period is fascinating.”

  “It is,” said Jacob, failing to hide
his surprise.

  “Dad’s a genius, literally,” said Leah, bursting with pride. “So’s his sister, my Aunty Jules. Dad went to Cambridge.”

  “Cambridge?” he said, looking back at Ryan. “How did you put up with all those snobby gits?”

  Ryan chuckled. “I did find them irritating at first but they soon learned not to cross me.”

  “I bet they did,” he said, full of admiration for the man. He looked to Rachel. “Did you go to university Mrs Law?”

  “No. I trained to be a nurse.”

  “You’re a nurse?”

  She had to smile at his shock. It was a reaction she was used to. People were so surprised she’d trained to heal people when she’d physically damaged so many. “Was. Now we just run our businesses. Legitimate businesses I might add.”

  Jacob didn’t know what to say to that, so he just nodded. Often in social situations his mind froze and he couldn’t think of anything to say and the harder he tried the worse the problem got. One reason he acted so moody and distant was so people wouldn’t talk to him and he wouldn’t be put in that excruciating position. Except with Leah. With her it was different.

  He glanced at her and smiled, jumping when her hand grabbed his knee under the table.

  “Are you okay?” Ryan asked him.

  “Fine,” he mumbled. “Sorry.”

  Rachel looked to her daughter and gave her a warning look, which she returned with an impish smile.

  “What will you do when you’ve finished college Jacob?” continued Ryan.

  “Dunno,” he said, feeling himself turn red.

  “What would your dream career be then?”

  “Archaeologist,” he said, eyes lighting up. The light faded. “But I probably won’t make it.”

  “Why not?” said Rachel. “You’ve obviously got the brains.”

  “You have to go to uni and I can’t. My family…you know…” He couldn’t bear to say the words out loud, he couldn’t even bear to look at them, staring at his plate.