The Tie That Binds

- The Truth Unravelled

To live a life like this, to find that the only way to feel safe is to have a blade in one hand and the feel of a shooter against my new suit from Saville Row and it is such a rush. This life, is not for everyone and everyone is not cut out for this life but the day I turned fifteen it was my life and I have every intention of going all the way to the top. - Mickey Maguire

Work at the meat market had been frantic recently, some new high end restaurants had found themselves without a supplier after an unfortunate accident. A fire had swept through three meat markets similar to Maguire Meats, the accident appeared to have been caused when petrol canisters had found themselves alight. The Krays and Sean knew nothing about it of course, word was that money had been owed to The Richardson Gang who controlled South London.

Sitting in his office Sean thought of the upcoming trip to The Double R and what it symbolised. He and his brothers were truly now working with and for the twins until the possible and somewhat distant chance of freedom found him. That chance of freedom in Sean's eyes and mind had one name...

Louisa.

The new man on the floor, Ethan, had Sean interested and if he was honest with himself he knew the one answer that had been running through his mind the last few days. There was no denying that Ethan looked like the Maguire brothers, and was the image of Sean senior bar his eyes, those were definitely not a Maguire feature being green as the grass of Ireland. Slamming down the book he'd been entering the accounts into, Sean make his way down onto the market floor – his eyes slowly, calculatingly taking in everything around him. The butchers were hard at work with the new carcasses, the floor boys scrubbing down the large tables and getting them clean from blood and sinew before a new cow or pig was placed on it to be cut into the various joints. The work was hard Sean knew first hand from the long hours he'd worked on this very floor as a young boy and then adult, his brothers knew that when the staff went home, they would sometimes find Sean still carving up the carcasses just to keep him in touch with the men he employed and in shape. After all, lugging a heavy animal carcass and then setting to work with the saw and various knives took both talent and strength. There at the farthest table from Sean, was Ethan.

Making his way to Ethan, Sean kept thinking of the girl who had come into his life and made it all the brighter. He was going to find out the truth, whether he told his brothers and his Ma was a different story but Sean had to know the truth about Ethan's parentage. Leaning over the man's shoulder he spoke quietly and firmly.

“Ethan, a word. My office when you've finished with that pig.”

It wasn't Sean's imagination that he saw the younger man flinch at his words. Ethan probably feared he was losing the temporary job that Sean had given him. As much as Sean at times wanted Ethan gone, there was no denying that Ethan could do his job, and do it well. Sean also knew that Ethan had been the one sent to get his Ma the night he lay bleeding in the small room of Louisa's. Catching the eye of Danny and Mickey the three men made their way back up the stairs, tonight they would be in the opulent surroundings of the Double R and Sean was nervous, no, paranoid that something would happen either with his hot headed brother, or with the other who failed to think before opening his mouth.

Closing the door to the office quietly after sending the girl who worked as a receptionist on an early lunch, the brothers sat together, the bottle of whiskey that was housed in the bottom drawer of Sean's desk now being used to fill three tumblers with a two finger measure.

“Tonight, we have to make sure we show the twins what the Maguire brothers can be, what we are.

Gentlemen.

We may live in the small street we grew up in but so do the twins and Violet, they stay loyal to where they were born and yes we moved here but it's been home since we were children. We're proud men and pride can cause a fall, but not for us. It can't too much hangs on this, we all know what can happen if you fall out of favour with Ron and Reg, you're never seen again.

We can't let that ever happen it would devastate Ma. I won't allow anyone or anything to upset her any more. Not even my flesh and blood, I let that happen too many times with Pa, and that was a mistake. I don't like mistakes.”

The three men nodded silently, when Sean spoke like that, no further words needed to be said. They would be visiting the club with their significant others as well as their Mother and Aunts – a family affair and for Sean, a risk as Louisa would be on his arm and he was still wary of what his Ma thought of her.

The glasses were emptied and Mickey and Danny made their way back down onto the floor to supervise the work and the deliveries that would be leaving in the next few hours. No matter how the three men were feeling in regards to the upcoming visit to the club, work had to be done. Sean sat back in his chair, returning to the accounts that his bank would be wanting to see at some point as he was looking at expanding the business, he found himself thinking once more of Louisa or rather in this case of the book store she worked at and how he was going to buy not only the business but the building in which it was housed. Sean wanted to ensure the woman he had grown to care for's security.

The sound of the door being knocked on loudly tugged Sean back to reality as he called for Ethan to enter he quickly through the suit jacket he'd hung up earlier than morning and adjusted his tie. If Sean was honest with himself he wanted to give the younger man an element of insecurity and show some dominance over him. His large hand directed Ethan to the chair across from him and sat down, his back poker straight in large, somewhat intimidating chair that had been his predecessors.

“What I need to talk to you about Ethan is nothing to do with work, I can see clearly that you are nervous and in regards to that, there is no need.

Before we continue, I want to thank you for your help and discretion the night I er, had my accident shall we say. You were a great help to both Miss Kelly and my Mother. However, there is something serious that I need to discuss with you and I do expect an honest answer.

You Ethan, seem to have come from nowhere... I now seem to see you wherever I go, I know my brothers have said the same and we want to know why you're following us? You are at the gym we go to, and before you say you're a regular there – you're not. I asked aoround and you appeared there a little over a month ago about the time that you got laid off from your job, fair enough you suddenly found yourself with time on your hands but I also know that you could have got work elsewhere probably the very same day you got laid off. No man if he has responsibilties at home should be without work, that is my personal opinion but a good one certain enough.

So, I am going to ask you this question and trust me it is not one I ask lightly and I would wish to have never found myself wanting to ask.

Ethan... are you in anyway related to my brothers and I? I can see the resemblance, I am not a blind nor naive man.”

Ethan went white, the skin on his forehead beaded with sweat despite the coolness of the room. He took the proffered glass of water before clearing his throat and began to tell Sean the truth about his heritage.

At every break in his tale, Sean went a shade paler.