Chapter Twenty-Three
The one with the goatee stepped forward cracking his knuckles & an undeserved smirk at his thin lips. My eyes connected half with the knuckleduster glistening under the dark lights and the other on Tony to make sure nothing dirty happens.
What could I use to counter? The chair? That was the obvious choice. Hmm, the glass in my hand? Smash it over his head?
He took the fatal step forward, ramming the glass over his head, he ducked to try and avoid but my aim was never in doubt. A left hook straight to his face, a quick right hook knocked him backwards. Blood streaming from his nose I shoved him over and while down stomped down hard onto his face. His nose cracking under the pressure. Lights out.
I let out an annoyed breath through my nostrils, bending down I grabbed the knuckle duster from him and slid it nicely onto my fingers.
"Next?"
"What is the point you want to prove here Jamie?" Tony asked. A short grunt escaped from the guy below me but there no worry he'd wake up while I was still here.
"The point." I started. "Is that there is incriminating information that I could use in order to put you behind the bars that you are afraid of." I told him in a slow, menacing voice. "I may be young and rusty but I am not stupid."
With that I turned around, kicked the guy from out of behind the door and left the room.
I was never going to go to the police – they had more shit on me (or at least, they wanted me more) than they did Tony fucking Holt but the Maguire Contract kept me in good favour. It had been turning at the back of my mind since I arrived in this God forsaken city but it didn't mean I was going to pull rank.
The Maguire Contract was complicated and when Luke brought it back up, it clicked. It was going to be the last straw. It was good to let him know that I know about it. He needs to stew, make him paranoid – Tony's only weakness is prison, he's been before and they didn't like him when he arrived.
Tony had no family, apart from his nephew and although he liked Mason and kept him around, if I put a bullet between his eyes he wouldn't blink. Kind of like Stanley and Jay in that respect. Tony made sure we knew about his lack of empathy for his family and we all did. Mason was just a pawn.
Now, next on the agenda was Lucy. The bartender gave me a rough look as I barged past him and into the main area. It had only been half an hour but the place was a little more packed. My watch told me it was nearing midnight, possibly the reason.
Scanning the crowd, I couldn't find Lucy (or Lily if she was going by that name now). Glancing at the podiums, I winced when I saw her. I didn't want to make a scene and put her in danger if she wasn't Lucy – hell if she was Lucy, what was I going to do? Tony would smell a rat straight away.
I pushed through the crowd but couldn't get close enough to get a real look. Fucking hell. Maybe Chantelle would know? If it definitely was Lucy, I'd get her out of her discreetly, or wait for her to finish her shift and re-introduce myself to her but it was dangerous doing something now in here without a plan or some sort.
I hope it wasn't Lucy. I'd obviously seen her sister stark naked but I didn't want to see Lucy bare all which is the way things were gonna go if I carried on staring.
If that was Lucy – was it another life I'd ruined? She was in college when I'd left. Can't remember the course exactly but it wasn't hairdressing like Megan and when did she get that tattoo? It was quite a distinct tattoo to have. Why the footsteps? Was she on a journey? To where?
There were so many questions! If it ended up not being Lucy and was just some poor girl, I'm going to look a right prick but I am seriously not sure. She has those eyes that I remember and the shape of her face just stuck in my mind as she walked past me.
She gave no indication that she knew me and I hadn't changed much. My hair was still short, all that was different was the three-day stubble I had going on (I used to be clean-shaven at all times as Megan hated it when I kissed her as it made her ticklish and it did look unprofessional).
The smell of smoke and sweat was catching at the back of the throat making me cough. Rubbing a hand down my face, I took one more look at Lucy – I was sure it was her – and left. I needed to get out before Tony decided to corner me with more of his heavies.
It was surprising he didn't send the other two after me once the first one went down. He was obviously spooked and wanted me gone. Seriously though, what would giving me a few kicking's going to accomplish? I mean, the more he went after me, the more I wanted to just catch him out and ship him off.
He'd end up in Wandsworth if found guilty of anything and with the information that Luke gave me earlier, it looks like he might have sent himself there. I mean, the evidence from the Maguire Contract will secure his plea but he does have some great lawyers and you can't throw all your hands at the same time.
Bursting through the door, the fresh air felt good on my lungs. Dumb and dumber were still sat on the door, arms crossed in front of them like they were the Mitchell Brothers from 'Enders. Swarmy gets.
I stood between them, a smirk at my face. "So, what was Tony going to do again?" I asked, glancing between them both, my smirk getting bigger.
The one on my left, the smaller one, threw off my hand with a shrug of his shoulder. "Don't touch me." He sneered.
"You see Derek, your brother used to work for me. Malcolm was his name, wasn't it?" I asked rhetorically. "Malcolm was a good boy, behaved and it is a shame the way he went. Tragic as well, he must have only been in his late twenties – I bet your mother still cries-"
"You shut up now or I'll break your neck! Don't you dare mention my mother!" He shouted, his finger pointing at me like he wished it was a gun.
"Well, don't test my patience or your mother will have two sons to cry over." I warned him. The one next to him was his cousin, Barry. "I know everyone single one of you – inside and out of this building – and I know where you come from. I'll show you a certain amount of courtesy and I expect the same from yourself. Follow that and we'll be grand."
I turned my back to him and disappeared into the larger crowds wanting to get to my car. I needed to ring Chantelle – I know it was late and she was working but I did need answers. I needed to know whether I was going to spend the next couple of hours waiting inside this car or if I was going to be allowed to go back to Luke's.
Should I ring Lexi first and ask her if she needs picking up? I don't want her staying at Mason's – especially now but then, isn't it safer to just go back to my grandma's house and stay there so look after Zak also? If he lets me through the threshold that is – I did just stupidly punch his face in.
I shouldn't have done that but it pissed me off and I saw red. He threatened me with the police, my own brother. How could he do that? What the fuck was going through his mind? The spiteful little shit.
I clenched and unclenched my fists. Tony will go after anyone related to the Maguire Contract and he will go after Zak and Lexi. It may be best if I stay there, even if it is in my car in front of the house.
I grabbed my phone from my jacket pocket and text Luke quickly to tell Vince to keep quiet for the time being for safety reasons and then dialled Lexi's number.
Come on Lexi, now isn't the time to ignore me.
"Hello, this is Lexi. Please leave a message after the tone and I'll try to get back to you." Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Was she still angry over that? She heard what he had fucking said! How can she blame me?
My hands were shaking with the lack of control I had. I found Chantelle's phone number and pressed ring.
"Eurgh, hello?" Her voice was heavy with sleep. What time was it?
"Chantelle, it is Jamie."
"Yes I know who it is." She muttered, her voice had an underlying tone of anger. "What is up?"
"Did I just wake you?"
"Yes."
"Sorry. Anyway, I was hoping we could talk."
"What?" She sounded a bit more awake now. "Why? What has happened?"
"We can do it over the phone. It is about Lucy."
"Who is Lu- Ahh you mean Megan's little sister?" She wondered. "What is up? Have you just seen her or something? You are allowed to speak with her you know, if that is what you are ringing about."
"No." I told her. "What does she do as a living?"
"Ooh, Lucy? I haven't seen her in a couple of months since she moved to Bournemouth for University."
"What?" I cried. "How can that be? It is at the other end of the country!"
"Yes I know Jamie. I was there to wave her off. What is up with you? I didn't even know that Lucy was back at home."
Who the heck was it in that club then? I was sure it was Lucy, it looked just like her. The eyes, the facial structure... I was sure it was her! Who else could it have been?
"I... I..." Should I be telling her this? What if Lucy had been lying to all of her family and was secretly making a living here instead? Nobody would be telling their parents that they were secretly a stripper. But then how does she get the holidays off? My head was scrambled and I was struggling to think about anything.
I needed to say something. I didn't want to use up the battery by sitting in my car with the heating on and for June it was pretty cold. I needed to be sure that it was Lucy in there so I could go and get her.
"I... I am out in Kingston City Centre and I have just seen a girl in a club... she looks really like Lucy and she was doing some things that I wouldn't expect from her." I danced round the subject.
I heard a sharp intake of breath down the phone from Chantelle. Did that mean it was true? "Jamie, come to mine now. I think we have something to discuss." She commanded. Her voice was monotone and she suddenly sounded cold.
"What is that supposed to mean?" I cried. "If that is Lucy in that club stripping – I am not leaving her there. I am going to go and get her now."
I heard her mutter 'fuck' under her breath. "No, trust me. It isn't Lucy. Just come to mine." She put the phone down and I sat there in suspense trying to process her words. If it wasn't Lucy who was it? Someone we went school with? Chantelle didn't know anything about my previous profession so she couldn't know of anything else.
She didn't even try and call me out for being in a strip club – which, to be fair, I was worried about. I wasn't in there for the same reason like some of them sad fucks who can't get a lay anywhere else and I didn't want to be tarred with the same brush.
What she did do instead was intriguing. She knew who I was talking about but I was out of the loop on this one. Would Luke know?
I clicked on the home screen. It was nearing midnight. I sighed, I best just get to Chantelle's – I can ring Luke later.
Hey! So what does Chantelle know? Do you think it is Lucy or is it someone else? Hmmm....
Hope you have had a wonderful time at Christmas if you celebrate and I hope you also have a great New Year. I've not stopped listening to George Michael since I found out he had died on Christmas Day. Heartbreaking. </3
I'm not doing anything fancy for New Years Eve like I did last year, I am just going down into my local town with my friends which I hope is good. I enjoy going out with my mates, just hope they all behave haha!
Hope you are still enjoying this story and if you are, please vote and comment! Thank you xx