“Alright?”
As greetings went, it left a lot to be desired. He also realized that that one word and the brief touch of hands was all he was going to get.
“May I offer you tea?”
“Nah, you’re alright.”
“But I insist.”
“What ya gonna do, pour it down me throat?”
“Well of course not but–”
“Look, mate, I ain’t interested in any of ya tea. You can show me the car or I can just leave.”
Things weren’t going as he had expected and Ollie was intrigued. He had intended to portray the lord of the manor and Shane couldn’t have been less interested.
“Please, follow me, Mr. Tierney.” Ollie strode off not waiting to see if Shane followed because he knew he would.
His inspection of the car completed, Shane quoted his price for its repair. Although shocked at the exorbitant amount, he was willing to pay it. If this youth got the old car running, he was the person he was looking for. Not to mention, he could then go on to sell the vehicle at a huge markup.
Years ago, Ollie’s father had started a Formula 1 racing team. They had the means for participation in such a money guzzling sport, but their engine composition couldn’t match that of the other vehicles on the circuit. For that reason, his father had pulled out. Ollie had aspirations of not just reentering the racing world but taking it by storm.
The old MG he wanted Shane to fix contained the engine of the car his family had used for racing. Ollie didn’t fool himself that Shane didn’t recognize that the engine and car were a mismatch. But neither of them mentioned it.
Six weeks later when Shane returned the vehicle, he had him deliver it to the purpose built race track a few miles from his home in Lower Shiplake, Oxfordshire.
Ollie had immediately put the car through its paces. He was impressed. Shane hadn’t just repaired the beat up old, 1949 Lester MG, he had it purring as though it was brand new.
The speed checks his crew gave him, had Ollie smiling from ear to ear. Whatever Shane had done to the engine had worked. He’d just clocked his fastest lap time ever. Beaming at the younger man, he was pulled up short by something in his eyes.
“You don’t seem particularly impressed,” Ollie said with rising ire.
“She can go faster than that.”
The nonchalant response caught his attention. Nothing he did seem to impress the younger man. Unaccustomed to being treated with disdain, Ollie tossed the keys in the air. “If you can do better, show me!”
Shane caught them without a change of expression. Moments later he was behind the wheel. By the time he completed a circuit and came to a screeching halt beside him and his crew, he had shaved thirty seconds off Ollie’s fastest time.
Shane’s accomplishment didn’t sit well with him, but he didn’t let it show. He needed the younger man to work for him. Whatever he had done to the engine, he could teach to his mechanics.
However, having that kind of touch at driving such a high powered car was special. It was innate, and Ollie intended to make good use of his skills both as a mechanic and as a driver.
“I want you to work for me.”
“Nah, I don’t think so.”
“Why not. I’m sure by now you understand what I’m attempting to do.”
“Yeah, I know. I looked ya up when the engine didn’t match the car.”
“Well then, you know with the right components this team could make a name for itself in Formula 1.”
“Yeah, it could. But ya don’t have the right engine to mix it with the big boys.”
“Then come onboard and help me.”
“Nah, I don’t work for no-one but meself.”
“What would it take to get you to come and work for me? You must have a price—everyone has a price.”
Shane raised an eyebrow as he looked Ollie up and down. “I’d say it was more about your price.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, I’d at least want a share in your company.”
Ollie laughed at Shane’s nerve. “You actually think I’d allow you to buy into my company?”
“Nah, I didn’t think so,” Shane responded without inflection. “But I know you’ll keep trying to get me, because you need me, not the other way around.”
Ollie was stunned when Shane walked away. The younger man was right. He had moved the company forward, but they were now at a standstill. The car and his driving ability were letting them down. Factor in that his father had become stingy with money, and he knew that if he didn’t act soon, he would be in serious trouble.
During the ensuing four years, he did everything within his power to woo Shane, all to no avail. Over the years, they had become friends of a sort. Of course, what he knew about Shane’s background he had used in subtle ways as a means of influencing the younger man.
He even went so far as to take him on an all-expenses paid trip to the Monaco Grand Prix. Their cars hadn’t even made it through the whole race. He had invited Shane on the trip because he wanted to give him a taste of the lifestyle that could be his if he accepted his offer of working for him. And he was prepared to do anything to make that happen.
After the race, Ollie took Shane into Monte Carlo to further show him what he was missing. He made sure he took him to one of the best restaurants. Then they went on to a nightclub. To finish off the night, Ollie took him to a casino. He even ensured that Shane had his pick of the most beautiful women the city had to offer. To Ollie’s surprise, he declined his selection of the women available to him. Instead, he left the casino to meet someone he’d met at the track.
It wasn’t until Shane met Crystal that Ollie began to see a change in him—a softening. During the course of conversation, Shane had told him that he had met the woman he intended to marry. Ollie had been intrigued. When he finally met Crystal, he thought the relationship wouldn’t last. How wrong he had been.
~~~
Ollie was pulled out of his reverie of the past by the sound of an angry voice.
“What do you want?”
“Ahh, the lovely, Ms. Ashford. Always a pleasure,” Ollie said with a smile that only raised the corners of his mouth but never reached his eyes.
“Cut the crap. I’ve got things to do!”
Ollie took his time looking Dara over. He supposed she was pretty in a sort of classless way. It always surprised him how similar the cousins were. But none of them really interested him. In all honesty, he could never understand what Shane saw in Crystal.
“I need you to accompany me to the hospital and inform Shane that Crystal no longer wants to be a part of his life.”
“You know where Shane is?” Not waiting for a response, Dara rummaged through her oversized purse to find her phone. “Thank you, Lord. Crystal’s been going crazy. She’s been calling him for days and from what she’s said, he hasn’t…” Dara’s words trailed off as Ollie snatched the phone from her hand.
“Did you hear what I just said, simpleton?”
“Fuck off! If you think I’m going to do anything for you, you’re the simple one.”
“Oh, you’ll do what I want,” Ollie said, his voice and eyes devoid of emotion.
“You know what, you don’t even have to tell me which hospital he’s in. We’ll find out for ourselves. You can keep the phone. My upgrade is due so you can shove it up your arse!” With that parting shot, Dara turned to hurry away.
“Take another step and I’ll ruin you.”
Shane’s current situation was way too perfect for him to pass up. And this little piece of nothing wasn’t going to stop him from using it to its full advantage.
“Ruin me. Are you serious?” Dara turned back to laugh in his face. “You sound like you really believe the shit that comes out of your mouth.”
“But of course I do. And so should you as you have aspirations of being an actress. I’m sure you recall that it was me who set up your meeting with Charles Oakfield. What did he promise you, a starring role in one o
f his productions?”
Ollie was furious, but he didn’t show it. Who did this little bitch think she was laughing at? When he was finished with her and her little cousin, he would be the one laughing.
“Well he was a rancid piece of shit and so are you.
“Take a look, Dara,” Ollie said holding up his mobile phone. “Recognize this scene? I must say, your talent would be wasted on the stage.”
“How… how did you get those pictures?”
“My dear talentless girl, do you think someone like Charles Oakfield would waste his time with you if I hadn’t made him. There is one thing you should know about me, I always get my way.” The stupid woman looked stunned. “I should also mention that if you force my hand, I’ll have to send copies of these enlightening shots to your lovely parents. Imagine their horror at seeing their little girl sucking dick with so much fervor. Please also consider, although unlikely, should your acting career ever take off, I will still be in possession of these images. And I’m sure you know that our past always has a way of emerging at the most impromptu moments.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“That’s none of your concern. All you need to do is carry out my instructions. Do I make myself clear?”
A nod was her only sign of consent, but it was enough for him. People always professed how much they loved their families, but in his opinion, the word love was banded around far too often. When one’s own skin was at stake, love more often than not was a commodity easily discarded.
“This is what you’re going to do…”
Chapter 8
Shane opened his eyes and his heart gave a thud. Crystal sat at his bedside. His gaze latched on to her even as his exhilaration ebbed away. It was Dara.
“Where’s Crystal?”
“How are you feeling, Shane?” Ollie broke in.
Ignoring the question, his gaze remained firmly fixed on Dara as he willed her to look at him instead of the floor. Her body language was too controlled. She was too tense and her posture told him that he wasn’t going to like whatever she had to say.
“Crystal’s not coming. She’s seeing someone else. In fact, she was seeing him before she met you. After what she found out at her birthday party, she thinks being with someone like you would hurt her business and her mother’s reputation. I’m so sorry Shane.”
Dara spoke so quickly, Shane had difficulty holding on to what she was saying. When she finally looked up, he saw she had tears in her eyes. “What exactly are you sorry about, Dara?”
That she glanced over at Ollie didn’t sit well with Shane. Something felt off. Although he couldn’t pin down why, he didn’t believe a word of what she was saying.
“Come on Shane. You can see how upset she is, give the girl a break.”
“Why the tears, Dara?” He persisted.
“You look so awful,” she finally answered. “Ollie told me what happened to you and I’m so sorry.”
“Did you tell Crystal?”
“I…” Again, she glanced at Ollie and his suspicions grew even more.
“Why do you keep looking at him? Look at me when I’m talking to you!”
“I’m sorry. I can’t. I’m so sorry, Shane!” Jumping to her feet, Dara rushed away.
Shane didn’t miss the look of anger that passed across Ollie’s face. He was up to something, he just didn’t know what.
He knew Crystal. He knew she wasn’t seeing anyone else. But how can you be sure, asked the same voice that had been tormenting him for days. The truth was he couldn’t be, but he knew what they shared. Their relationship was sound. They were committed to each other. Then why does she keep you on the peripheral of her life? The voice continued to taunt him. Why has she only introduced you to two members of her family?
Rattled by Dara’s visit, Shane dismissed the idea of another man and latched on to her rejection of him because of his family.
“Enough!” He shouted pulling looks from the patient across from him. No one had spoken. His bellow was his attempt at dislodging his troubling thoughts.
Shane looked his friend over with a deadly intend. “If I find out you played a part in any of this, I’ll cut out your heart and dump your body in the Thames.” Ice dripped from his modulated voice, and he took a form of perverse pleasure from the shudder that passed over Ollie’s body.
“For God’s sake, Shane. We both know I’m a prize bastard, but if you think I had something to do with any of this, I may as well leave now.”
Shane didn’t know what to think. During the time he’d known the other man, he’d come to understand that he was a manipulative bastard. He just didn’t know if Ollie was capable of doing this to him, or why he should even want to.
“You think you know me, but you don’t. You have no idea what I’m capable of. If I find out you had anything to do with this mess, you’ll regret the day you met me,” he warned again.
He had never spoken to Ollie in this way. In fact, he went to great lengths to keep this side of his personality suppressed. He had obviously succeeded because someone thought they could mess with his life. He wanted to dismiss Gwendolyn. As a Judge, she had too much to lose, but her disapproval of his and Crystal’s relationship was all too evident.
The only other culprits that came to mind were the family of the man his brother had killed in revenge for their father’s death.
“Go away, Ollie,” Shane said needing to be alone to attempt to gather his thoughts.
“Shane–”
“I said, get lost!” He bellowed, his veil of barely suppressed civility beginning to fragment.
~~~
Shane, for the most part, was an even-tempered, albeit distant man and not much riled him. He generally spoke his mind and left others to take or leave his comments. Today Ollie had seen a side of his personality that he never knew existed. He’d underestimated, Shane. That meant he would have to bring his A-game.
His instructions had been implicit. The men he had hired had been instructed only to rough Shane up. That their actions had escalated to the point where he had barely survived had never been his intention. However, the situation worked for him, so he would take it without remorse.
Shane had yet to mention the thugs departing threat but Ollie knew he had heard it and it was playing on his mind. Congratulating himself for his fast thinking of using Dara against her cousin, he left Shane’s bedside.
~~~
Shane didn’t tell Ollie he was being discharged from hospital. The man had been hanging around so much, he was getting on his nerves.
His first stop was to the bank to get some cash so that he could replace his mobile phone. Next he headed over to his garage. Knowing it was fruitless, he took some time looking around the outside of the building for clues as to the identity of his attackers. As he expected, he found nothing.
Inside, everything in his workshop was exactly as he had left it. Rows of engines in varying states of repair remained on workbenches. Standing before a grey metal door, he tapped in a series of numbers, and pulled it open. Seeing that nothing had been touched and that his nose cones were safe, he withdrew.
He had asked Ollie to change the locks even though the police had assured him that his place hadn’t been broken into. They had also notified him that they had found his car. It was now a burnt out husk, but that was the least of his worries.
Going up the cast iron stairs that led to his flat, Shane walked inside. Crystal’ influence remained stamped all over the place. Then he remembered that she was nowhere in sight and he turned away.
Returning downstairs, he collected the keys to his old Porsche Cayman S and spent a few moments looking at the car. Knowing this wasn’t the right vehicle he opted for his motorbike.
His first stop was to her new studio. Pulling up outside the building, he didn’t even remove his helmet as he saw that the lights were off and the building was deserted. Next he went to her house but she didn’t answer the door.
Driving around for hours, he fi
nally drove back to her house and got lucky. There she was, standing outside her home wrapped in Owen’s arms.
From his parked position a few car lengths from where they stood, Shane watched them embrace and he saw red.
His vision blurred…
Shane walked up to the embracing couple and stood silently by until they noticed him and pulled apart in surprise.
“I didn’t believe Ollie and Dara when they said you were seeing someone else. Even lying in me hospital bed with you nowhere in sight, I believed in ya.”
“Shane, my God. You were in hospital. I didn’t know.”
“Liar. You knew and you didn’t care because you were too busy with him.” Shane spat as he turned his attention to Owen. “Get your hands off her!”
“You need to back off.”
“Shut your mouth you fucking scavenger,” he shouted giving Owen a hard push to the chest.
“Shane don’t,” Crystal cried standing between them to keep them apart.
“Move out me way.”
“No. I won’t let you hurt him.”
Shane saw that she meant what she said and his fists fell to his sides. “Is he the reason you wouldn’t leave your party with me?”
“You should have told me about your family. It wasn’t fair that you kept that from me. You know who my mother is, how this could affect her career.”
“Well, it’s not fair that after a week hearing nothing from you, I find ya standing on a street corner with another man!” She turned as though to walk away, but he couldn’t let her go. He grabbed hold of her arm, so that she had to listen to him… hear how much he loved her. “You know me Crys. You know how much I love ya. That I would never do anything to deliberately hurt you.”
“But you did hurt me.”
“If you really loved me, like I love you, you would have left your party with me. Instead, the minute you found out about me family, you chose your mother and him over me!” Shane spat out his words of hurt.
“I’m sorry, Shane.”
“I can’t help who my family is, Crys.”
“I know you can’t and that’s the problem,” she said with a sad smile as she turned her back on him.
Crystals Page 9