Shattered (Dividing Line #5)

by Heather Atkinson

  Mikey, Jez and Riley jogged back, breathing hard.

  “You’re alright,” said a relieved Jez, still trying to catch his breath after the chase.

  “I’m lucky I was wearing Kevlar. Who was it?”

  “See for yourself,” replied Mikey.

  The three of them got to their feet and found Col on his knees, clearly in pain, blood staining his shirtfront. He was held by Declan and Charlie. Kian cradled the gun they’d taken from him.

  “Oh God, this is my fault. I shot him but I didn’t check he was dead,” gasped Rachel, appalled with herself. Because of her carelessness Ryan could have been killed.

  Mikey held a gun out to Ryan. “Do you want the honour?”

  “No, I’m tired of killing. You do it. You’re king of this city now.”

  Mikey walked up to Col and aimed the gun at the centre of his forehead. “I just want you to know before you die that Andy led us to you. Maybe your brothers weren’t worth dying for after all?”

  Col stared back at him defiantly and spat on the ground at his feet. Mikey pulled the trigger and he fell sideways. Rachel thought it was a fitting end for a man who had executed Laila with equal coldness.

  “Get yourselves off, we’ll sort this mess out,” Mikey told them.

  Rachel hugged him, deciding to keep her fears for his future to herself. This was the path he’d chosen, despite how he’d seen it destroy so many people he loved. She wouldn’t change his mind so she would support him instead. It pleased her that he still felt the same when she hugged him, despite how much he’d changed recently. Then she hugged Jez. “Stay safe and please you two, work together. Learn from this.”

  Mikey and Jez turned to each other and shook hands. “We will. The truce between the Maguires and Laws still stands. It always will,” said Jez.

  “If you get into trouble again, don’t call us,” said Ryan.

  “We won’t,” replied Mikey and they both grinned.

  “Come and see us when everything’s quietened down, bring your families,” said Rachel.

  “Really?” replied Mikey, pleased.

  “Yes really. We’re not hiding away anymore. It doesn’t work anyway.”

  “We will, thanks.”

  “Don’t forget, that invite is extended to you two as well,” Rachel told Battler and Bruiser. “If you don’t come I’ll be up here wanting to know why.”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll be there,” said Battler.

  She smiled and hugged them both.

  Ryan shook hands with Dane. “Thank you so much.”

  “No, thank you. My path’s free and clear now. It was good working with you again.” He turned to Rachel. “Its been a pleasure Mrs Law.”

  “I could say the same Mr Black.”

  “Let me know if you’re interested in those leashes,” he replied with a wink.

  “What leashes?” said Mikey. Then he realised. “Oh.”

  Wanting to change the subject, Ryan looked to Riley. “What are you going to do now?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve still got a couple of month’s leave.”

  “Why don’t you come abroad with us, see the kids?” suggested Ryan and Rachel nodded.

  “I won’t be in the way?”

  “Course not, you’re family.”

  “Yeah thanks. I will,” he replied, delighted.

  “Let’s go then. I can’t wait to get away from this place,” said Rachel.

  “I just need to collect something first.”

  They watched curiously as Riley walked to the crumpled Land Rover, the body still stuck beneath its wheels and opened the boot.

  “I take it that’s Jasper White?” said Rachel when he dragged a struggling ferret-faced man out of the back.

  “It is,” replied Ryan.

  Battler popped the boot of the Range Rover they’d driven up here in so Riley could dump the man inside then slammed it shut. Riley climbed into the back with Ryan and Rachel while Battler and Bruiser got into the front. Only they knew where Gill, Rick and the children were so they would have to escort them out there. Rachel was going to invite them to stay on with the family for a while. They could all use a holiday.

  “Where are we going?” she asked them.

  “The Caribbean,” replied Battler.

  “Perfect,” smiled Rachel, thinking a couple of weeks of sun, sea and rest was just the ticket.

  As they drove off, leaving Mikey’s clean-up crew to sort out the carnage, Rachel wondered just how different life would be from now on because after recent events she knew it was changed forever. Both her and Ryan were different inside.

  “Venom said she’s your sister,” she told Ryan.

  They both looked to Riley, who shrugged. “Not from our side she’s not. She was probably bullshitting.”

  “Well I was about to hit her with a plank of wood,” said Rachel. “At first I thought she was just trying to stop me but I got the feeling she was telling the truth. She got away, I’m sorry.”

  Ryan ran his fingers through her hair while he thought. “She was probably lying to avoid physical damage. Forget about it.” But Ryan knew he wouldn’t, he needed to think about that. Venom had escaped so she was still a viable threat. He thought he might do something utterly repellent to him. He’d pay his useless druggie bitch of a mother a visit. It wouldn’t surprise him if she’d had a kid no one else knew about.

  Rachel sank into his arms as they drove to the safe house to get cleaned up and collect their things. She was exhausted and all she wanted to do was sleep but she was determined not to until she was back with her children and her parents.

  “We’ll put all this behind us and rebuild our home,” Ryan murmured into her hair, feeling equally tired, the gentle rocking of the car lulling them both to sleep. “No one’s going to hurt us again.”

  She just nodded into his chest, watching the world whizzing by, envying those who walked in it, their lives untainted by murder and mayhem.

  He tilted her face up to his. “Are you okay?” he said, his eyes searching hers.

  “I will be.” As they kissed she knew it was true because she had him.

  Robbie watched Katia anxiously as he broke the news of Alex’s death. He was starting to think he had his own personal guardian angel because the bullet that had hit him had glanced off his shoulder bone, causing a slight crack in the bone and a cut to the skin, but that was it. He’d survived two gunshots. However the bullet had been fired from quite a distance so it had lost a lost of its momentum by the time it had hit him. He’d watched everything from the shadows, unwilling to risk his neck to save Alex. His only thought had been about getting back to Katia, who he was wildly in love with. All that remained of their crew was Robbie himself, Katia and the two youngest Sugar brothers. All the others were gone.

  Katia had gone so still and quiet he was becoming very concerned.

  “Katia, are you…”

  The scream that tore from her throat was ear-shattering and Robbie winced. Tears started to run freely down her face and her bright red lips drew back over her teeth in a snarl.

  “Who did it?” she shrieked.

  “Ryan Law. He cut his throat.”

  Katia launched into a fit of screaming and yelling, interspersing English swearwords with Slovakian ones. Robbie just let her tear the room apart around him, smashing ornaments, destroying pictures and furniture. When it was done she stood in the middle of the room panting, tears coursing down her face, make-up smeared and hair all over the place.

  “I swear that one day I shall kill Ryan Law and his wife for this. I shall avenge Alex and make them suffer as I will now suffer for the rest of my life,” she screamed. “I know his contacts. We will start again somewhere else, we will rebuild the brothels and we will make much money and power. When that is done we will take our revenge. I promise you Alex, I will avenge you,” she yelled zealously, staring up at the ceiling as though expecting to see his spectre hovering there. A shiver ran down Robbie’s spine and he
glanced over his shoulder, certain he could feel someone standing behind him.

  Katia’s manic blue eyes settled on him and she pointed a long taloned finger in his direction. “You will help me, yes?”

  “Of course.” He would too. It wasn’t like he had anywhere else to go. He only wanted to be by her side.

  “You two,” she spat at the Sugar brothers, who nodded, too afraid of her to say no.

  Katia picked up a solid silver letter opener and started stabbing the coffee table with it. “Ryan and Rachel Law I will find you and cut you open, just like you did to my Alex. Appreciate every single breath you take because I am coming for you.”

  THE END

  Many thanks for downloading my book. I hope you enjoyed it. Ryan and Rachel will be back in summer 2014.

  Thanks to my sister Suzy for her input and my mum Stephanie for her proof-reading ability. Last but certainly not least, thanks to my husband Paul for his knowledge about motorbikes and for putting up with me spending so much time on the laptop.

  Heather Atkinson, February 2014.