by Edie Baylis
She was his wife. No one else’s.
Shrugging, Seth swigged out of his can, realising he couldn’t see Jane anywhere. Several people were staring at him and he sighed, clenching his jaw tightly. He’d find her first and have it out with her before even thinking about sorting them out.
“JANE?” Seth roared over the music and roughly pushing someone out of the way, clumsily stumbled from the room.
“WHAT IS THAT FUCKWIT Stuart’s problem?” Digger muttered.
“We don’t like each other,” Jane said quietly. She was feeling drunk now the adrenalin was wearing off and thoroughly exhausted from the constant stress and grief that followed her around. “Seth’s accusing me of having a thing with Stuart!”
“Oh, you know what he’s like!” Digger smiled. “You should have stayed with me.”
Jane laughed, despite her annoyance. “Maybe I should have done.” Swaying slightly, she stumbled towards the wall realising she needed the boost of some more coke because the vodka was fast catching up with her.
“Whoa!” Digger caught Jane before she slammed into the wall. He pulled her into his barrel chest. “I didn’t like what that twat was doing to you just then.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” she smiled up into Digger’s stern face as he wrapped his arms around her. “I’m tougher than I look and let’s face it, I’m used to it!”
He guffawed. A big belly laugh that vibrated through her. “Oh I know for a fact you are!” Digger’s face washed with concern. “But you shouldn’t have to be used to it, Jane.”
Unable to help himself, he gently brushed his lips against hers. It was no good. He wanted her. Fuck Seth.
The combination of vodka, coupled with strong arms around her was too tempting and winding her arms around Digger’s thick neck, Jane raised her face towards his.
As Digger brought his mouth down fully onto hers, neither of them noticed Seth leaning against the doorway.
“JANE!” ELIZA SHOUTED. “Jane!”
Digger was frantically unbuttoning his jeans, his cock desperate to be inside Jane when she suddenly pulled away from him.
Jane tugged her tight black top down over her exposed breasts and angrily turned towards Eliza. “WHAT?”
“You need to sort this out,” Eliza yelled. “It’s Seth, he’s gone off on one again!”
Jane glanced apologetically at Digger before taking off back into the house.
“Seth, always Seth!” Digger muttered to himself, his balls aching.
Eliza glanced over her shoulder as they rushed up the hallway. “He threw some stuff around and stormed out. I tried to stop him...”
Jane sighed and stumbled out the front door, the glare of the streetlights hitting her full bore in the eyes. Staggering along the driveway she squinted up and down the road, but could see nothing.
Maggie and Eliza watched Jane from the doorway. “Just let him get on with it!” Eliza shouted.
Maggie sighed. She couldn’t be doing with this. She didn’t want to be here anyway and shouldn’t have come. That was it. She was leaving.
Hearing a horrible screeching of tyres, she swung her head around just in time to see a car lurch around the corner, its headlights on full beam amid a plume of smoke and exhaust fumes.
Before Maggie had chance to register what was going on, the car sped at breakneck speed along the road straight towards Jane. “JANE!” she screamed at the top of her lungs whilst Eliza ran down the driveway.
SETH GRIPPED THE STEERING wheel, his bleeding knuckles white as he bombed down the road. His eyes were fixed on Jane who was conveniently illuminated in the blinding headlights of the Senator.
He’d had enough. She’d taken liberties one time too many and it was game over. First that shit with Stuart and now Digger. Digger was supposed to be his friend for fuck’s sake. In fact, what she’d said about Lee the other night was probably true as well.
Everyone was taking the piss out of him. Everyone. And she was the common denominator. Well it all stops here, he thought fixing his glare on the figure in front of him.
Pushing his foot down harder on the accelerator, the smell of burning rubber from his tyres made Seth’s eyes water. “No one else is having you, Jane!” he screamed, letting the car mount the kerb.
FORTY NINE
SETH WIPED THE SWEAT from his brow and he slumped heavily into the driver’s seat, grateful that was the last lot. Dodge would pay for doing this to him, but first he would go home to see if Jane had turned up. If she hadn’t then he’d find her and kill her.
Squinting against the sun streaming through the windscreen Seth felt like crap. As well as the raging hangover, he hadn’t got to bed last night because of her and then he’d had to move this fucking gear.
He’d been in a bad enough mood returning from that party without finding the flat’s entrance piled sky high with all the stuff from Dodge’s lock up.
The fucking stupid, stupid bastard. The silly cunt had left bags of coke, guns and God knows what else in full view of all and sundry.
Pushing the Beretta under the seat, Seth turned the key in the ignition. He’d be blowing Jane’s fucking head off with that if he found out she’d been with some bloke instead of coming home to him.
Pursing his lips, it appeared he’d overreacted about both Digger and Stuart. Digger had looked hurt when he’d explained he’d been hugging Jane, not kissing her and that he must have misread it if he’d thought otherwise. He was his friend after all.
Seth wasn’t sure. Admittedly the night was a bit of a blur, but he could have sworn Digger was kissing her. Was he was going mad?
Then he’d been filled in about what Stuart had done to Jane. Something else he’d now have to rectify. Again.
Pushing his foot to the floor he roared back towards the flat. He’d have time for a couple of hours kip before they went out tonight. That’s if Jane turned up of course.
SETH WATCHED AS JANE walked into the lounge and shrugged her leather jacket off. “Where the fuck have you been?”
“Do you ever ask anything else?” she snapped, wanting to knock the whisky bottle out of his hand.
Propping himself up on his elbows on the mattress in the middle of the floor, naked apart from a sheet draped across his waist, Seth eyed Jane angrily, his green eyes piercing into hers. “So who did you fuck last night, because it wasn’t me!”
Instantly enraged, Jane swung around to face him. Stripping off last night’s clothes, she threw them onto the floor in a messy pile. “You mean apart from that wanker Stuart, who apparently I’m having an affair with? Or maybe Clint again?” She glared at him. “Oh no, it couldn’t be him because you’ve offloaded him already haven’t you!”
She sighed. Ok, so Digger was a close shave, but Seth was like a stuck record. On and on and fucking ON. What did he expect in the end? Besides, she wasn’t about to tell him she’d stayed at Eliza’s.
Reaching for a bottle of vodka Jane chucked a couple of heavy duty painkillers into her mouth. She’d taken loads already, but still felt like shit so therefore a few more wouldn’t hurt.
She looked at Seth with narrowed eyes. “Let’s get this straight. You try to kill me and now you’re asking me who I’ve been shagging?”
“For a start I didn’t try to kill you and yes, that’s about the extent of it.”
Jane stared at him incredulously. “You tried to run me over!”
Seth tried not to laugh. He’d completely forgotten about that. He hadn’t planned it. She’d just been standing by the road when he’d driven past and it had been too much of a good opportunity to pass over.
For fuck’s sake, he couldn’t even remember how he’d driven home, so how could she expect him to remember every detail. “So where’ve you been the rest of the time?”
“Fuck you!” Jane screamed, launching a book at him. Sailing across the room, the corner of the spine hit Seth squarely on the cheekbone.
Yelling in shock Seth flew off the mattress Gathering Jane’s c
lothes and boots he stamped angrily to the window and threw the pile onto the street below.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jane screeched whilst Seth dragged her down the hallway by her arm.
Opening the front door Seth shoved Jane roughly outside. “Off you go! You won’t have to bother taking your kit off when you next see whoever you’re fucking behind my back now, will you!” he roared, slamming the door.
JANE SLOUCHED AGAINST the sticky seat in the Barrels. She hadn’t been happy having to get dressed in the high street, but now she was almost at the point where she was incapable of thinking - thanks to the non-stop amount of spirits and pills she’d poured down her throat.
She didn’t care that the flashing strobe lights were hurting her eyes either and was just grateful the volume of the music removed the need to talk to anyone. All she was interested in tonight was oblivion.
“Are you sure you’re ok, babe?” Maggie shouted for the four hundredth time as she placed her hand on Jane’s arm.
Nodding, Jane kept her gaze on the hypnotic swirling flashing lights and robotically moved her arm away from Maggie’s touch, hoping she’d get the hint and fuck off. Her head was in a dark, strange place and despite trying to quell her rage, her mood was getting worse.
Shoving another pill in her mouth, she shook the bottle, dismayed to see only a few left. All she could see in her mind’s eye was the blackness and the anger she felt for everything and everyone and could feel herself spinning out of control.
Should she go back to the flat? No, she’d drive somewhere. It didn’t matter where. She’d keep driving until all of this shit had stopped and she wasn’t angry anymore.
Until it was over.
Watching Eliza staggering towards her with a wide grin and her drink spilling down her black fishnet tights, Jane sighed. Was no one going to leave her alone?
SETH WALKED SLOWLY up the road to the Barrels. “Jane reckons she’s not going ahead with the wedding,” he muttered savagely. “Said she’d rather be dead.”
Digger sighed, having heard it all before. “Why don’t you two just sort it out?” he snapped impatiently. “Either that, or go your separate ways?”
Seth stopped and glared drunkenly at Digger. “Separate ways?” His eyes narrowed suspiciously. Was this a plan so Digger could step into his shoes? He put his hands into his deep pockets. “Why would we want to do that?”
“I meant if you’re both unhappy, call it a day?”
“I’m not unhappy!” Seth hissed, his eyes flashing menacingly.
Well, he wasn’t. He’d be unhappier without her. “Do you think Jane’s unhappy then? Are you saying I’m making her unhappy?”
Digger stood uncomfortably. There was no reasoning with this guy. “No, you said she wanted to call the wedding off.” He tried to backtrack and say something useful. “Besides, why are you getting married again anyway?” Let her go so I can have her. I’d treat her better than you, he thought angrily.
“Oh, this is just the church one.” Seth muttered, waving his hand dismissively. “You know I don’t want to be with anyone else,” he said quietly, “I love her.”
“I know you do mate,” Digger put his hand on Seth’s shoulder, feeling guilty again for his overwhelming feelings for Jane. “You need to sort out your anger though.” He hesitated. “And your paranoia. It makes you kind of mad.”
“I can’t help it,” Seth carefully scrutinised Digger. “Besides, Jane’s just as bad.”
Digger laughed. “Well, I won’t argue with that. You’re both pretty fucking mental, truth be known.”
“Come on. Let’s just get in there,” Seth smiled and took the steps to the Barrels two at a time. Giving Spooner a friendly slap on the back, he jumped the queue.
SETH HELD JANE UP AGAINST the wall in the toilets and reached for her mouth. “Let’s fuck it all away, baby.”
Jane’s brain was rolling. She’d no idea how Seth had got her into wherever she was and all she could see was ten copies of him. Her head lolled slightly to one side and she tried to shake it to clear it.
Tonight the pills had even managed to overshadow the effects of the coke, however her body still seemed to be working even if her mind wasn’t. Somewhere in the fog of narcotics and alcohol the stirrings of an orgasm rose.
“You and me, baby. You and me,” Seth groaned, his pace relentless.
Millions of tiny coloured stars danced in the blackness of Jane’s mind as the multiple world in front of her eyes rotated on its axis. A flashback from the annals of time popped into her mind from when they’d been doing just this many moons ago: in another universe when everything was shiny and happy and new. When it was pretty.
Alive.
DIGGER LAY BACK IN his bed and stared at the ceiling. He felt like shit for betraying Seth again, but felt even worse now he knew for certain he wasn’t going to get Jane back.
When she’d knocked on his door earlier, he’d hoped she’d finally come to her senses and left Seth. He’d glanced around for a suitcase, but there had been nothing. She’d been totally off her head and in all the years he’d known her, he hadn’t ever seen her that wasted. When he’d finally sat her down and fetched her a vodka, she was still popping pills like they were Smarties.
Running a hand over his head, Digger sighed. He shouldn’t have done it, he knew that. Jane had been in no fit state, but he hadn’t been able to help it. He so desperately wanted her, but not only had he done her wrong, he’d also completely humiliated himself.
Leaning over to grab his cigarettes from the bedside table, he cringed. When Jane had responded to his kisses, he’d wasted no time in getting her clothes off, but he’d only succeeding in making a fucking prize fool of himself. He’d wanted to make love to her, but she only wanted hard and frenzied fucking.
Involuntarily covering his face with his hands in embarrassment, Digger could have strangled himself. Kissing Jane lovingly, he’d begged, yes begged her to leave Seth to be with him. He’d then told her how much he loved her. And then even worse - he’d asked her to marry him.
He groaned. Ok, so it was true. It’s what he wanted, but he should have just kept it to himself.
Jane had looked at him in a strange unfocused way, but instead of taking the hint, he’d kept on. “I’m in love with you for God’s sake Jane. I need you. Marry me!”
Jane had staggered off the bed. “Didn’t realise you felt that strong, Digs,” she’d slurred. “Sorry babe, but I’m with Seth - you know that.” Picking her knickers off his bedroom floor, she’d lurched from the house.
Digger hadn’t been able to let her walk around in that state so he’d run after her, but before he could stop her, she’d flagged a car down and jumped in.
He wished to God she’d agreed to what he’d asked. The aftermath with Seth wouldn’t have been pretty, but it would have been worth it to get her back. Now he’d probably ruined a perfectly good friendship because he couldn’t keep his feelings to himself.
He sighed. With any luck Jane might not remember what he’d said.
“WHERE THE FUCK HAVE you been?” Seth screamed when Jane fell through the front door with her knickers in her hand. As she staggered up the hallway his teeth felt like they were going to snap.
Noticing a man standing at the bottom of the steps, Seth rushed towards the short, greasy guy shifting from foot to foot uneasily. “And who the fuck are you?” he roared, grabbing the man savagely by the collar. “Have you been fucking my wife?”
“No. No!” the man squeaked. “She flagged me down! I gave her a lift that’s all.”
“A lift?” Seth stared at him, his eyes rabid. “Where from?”
“I-I don’t know. Some house out of town. I don’t know whose. I just brought her here. I didn’t kn...”
“Why would you have agreed to that unless you were intending to get some?” Seth yelled.
“B-Because she asked me to drop her here an...”
“You didn’t know I was here, you mean?” Seth raged. �
��DID YOU TOUCH HER?”
“No. No, I....”
Seth crashed his head down onto the man’s nose. “Shut the fuck up.”
Screaming in pain and shock, the man scrabbled around trying to get out of Seth’s grip as punch after punch rained down onto his head.
Somehow resisting the urge to crush the bloke into the concrete, Seth dragged the bloodied man across the courtyard to the stairway, before launching him down the dark steps. Hearing the man thud to the ground out of his view he wiped his hands down his jeans and stalked quickly back to the flat.
Jane swayed unsteadily against the kitchen work surface thankful there were more pills in here she could have. Clumsily unscrewing the vodka, she tipped it into her mouth.
“I don’t believe this!” Seth raged, stomping into the kitchen. “What the fuck have you been doing? Why did you disappear when the Barrels kicked out?”
He’d thought things were ok again between them, but then she’d fucked off and now this. Seth scowled, contempt written over his face. He wanted to smash her head in. “Look at the fucking state of you! What the fuck are you on?”
Jane laughed and shrugged her shoulders, spilling vodka down her front. She’d no idea where she’d been. She just wanted to go to sleep. “Fuck off and leave me alone,” she slurred, unscrewing the bottle of pills.
“I’ll leave you alone alright, you bitch!” Seth turned away, too angry to deal with her right now. “I’m going to bed.”
FIFTY
CLINGING ONTO THE METAL rail, Seth feared his legs would go from under him. Alternating waves of nausea and freezing cold rushed up and down his body like moving stripes. This couldn’t be happening.