A Dark Fall [ORIGINAL & UNEDITED VERSION]

Prologue

I want to kill him.

I really want to kill the rat-faced lying little shit. Instead, I need to count to ten and calm the fuck down. It was my idea to give him a pass, to convince Danny that I could sort it my way. Which means that I have to stand here and pretend that the fact he's lying through his crooked fucking teeth is something we can work out.

I'm not complaining though. I refuse to complain. Complaining is for pussies. It's just that I always wanted a respectable life and there was fuck all respectable about this - about being fed bullshit from lying cunts like Eddie fucking Cartwright. Instead I'd traded respectable for being respected. Which I'm not complaining about either. People respected me because the consequences of not respecting me were normally painful. And being respected is a consolation I'm happy to live with for now. Mainly because I was the sort of person that felt as though I was dropped into a life I didn't belong to, or even deserve, and that soon enough my real life would come walking through the door wondering where the fuck I'd been for the last thirty years. It would work out. Everything happens like it's meant to. That's what I tell myself anyway.

"I told you Jay, I don't know where the hell he is," Eddie says not meeting my eyes. I take another deep breath. He's white and sweating. He's lying.

"Yeah yeah I heard that Ed. But you smell of bullshit to be honest." I tell him as I look over at Kev. He has a smirk on his face that would make your blood run cold. Not mine - I'd seen it too many times for it to have any effect - but Eddie looks like he's about to piss himself. Which was understandable. Kev had that effect on people. He wore the kind quiet malice that tells you he could smash your skull in with his fists without even breaking a sweat. His typical expression was the kind that told you that everything you were afraid was about to happen, is in fact about to happen. He's a violent fucking psychopath to be honest. But he's my best mate. 'Don't get on the wrong side of Kevin Fillon - he's a fucking psycho,' folk say. But then, folk say that about me too.

"He said he was going to Spain Jay. That was what two weeks ago?" he runs a hand over the back of his neck and drops his eyes again. "That's the last I heard from him."

I close my eyes on a sigh. I'm fucking tired. I hear Kev's knuckles crack and I look back at Eddie who pales a little more. Spain. Spain sounds perfect. I really need a holiday. And a new life. Yeah a new life would be better. Get on with it then. Why the fuck are you still taking out Danny's trash for him?

"So you do know where he is then? He's in Spain?" I rub at my forehead feeling totally knackered all of a sudden. Eddies shoulders drop and he looks at the floor. "Tell me something Ed, why would Tony go to Spain when he knows I'm looking for him? That Danny's looking for him? When he owes Danny 20k? Why would he do that?" I know why he'd do that. Eddie knows too. We're playing a game here. A game Eddie is shit at. I rub the bit between my temples as the headache starts to creep in.

"Why don't you ask him that?" Eddie's voice is louder, braver. Clearly he thinks he's more in control of this situation than he actually is. Danny wanted a bullet in him. Kev offered to do it. I'd talked them both down. Mainly because I don't find that kind of solution benefits anybody. It's just a mess that needs cleaning up and no one is any better off financially. Kev moves forward to speak, his huge muscled shoulders pulled back in a fighters stance.

"And how do you suppose we ask him ourselves Ed? You got a number for him over there? An address?" Kev barks crossing the room to where Eddies sitting on the dining chair. I can tell Kev wants to throttle him and to be honest I don't think I'd have the energy to stop him if he did. I pull a chair over and sit down facing Eddie leaning forward on my knees. I rub my hands over my face a few times, I feel like slapping it but it wouldn't look right in front of other people. That's an in front of the mirror thing. Alone.