The Downfall Series Box Set

by Edie Baylis

  She knew she’d miss that once she’d left. She’d miss Bill’s easy companionship, even though that was all it had been for a very long time, courtesy of her refusal to be anything more.

  As the time drew closer for her to hang up her reins for the final time, she knew there was a big part of her that would miss both the club and Bill, but she’d made her decision on both a long time ago. Her grandkids were the most important thing and she was adamant she would spend more time with them.

  When Bill had topped up her glass and after the usual pleasantries and general chit-chat, Sheila had known there was something else on his mind. She’d silently waited for him to get to the point, but had been taken aback when he’d filled her in with what was planned.

  She’d known shit was due with the Carter’s, but couldn’t help but feel horribly uncomfortable that if Charlie had not been in a position to dish the dirt on Carter’s plans, then they’d all have been put in a horrible position.

  She should be used to it by now. It wasn’t the first time people had tried to take Bill out. She’d never liked it, but also knew it was part and parcel of the world they frequented. It had been the combination of another threat to Bill and that she was about to leave him on his own which had got to her this time and made her feel more emotional.

  It didn’t change the fact she’d made her decision not to be involved with him in that way ever again She’d stuck to her promise for the last twenty-five years, regardless of being in love with him since day one.

  After years of begging her, Bill had finally given up and accepted her decision and married. Not just once, but twice and she’d had to live with that.

  Sheila sighed and quickly swigged at the wine on her desk, hoping it would get rid of her hangover. For the first time in over two decades she’d fucked up and now her head was all over the place.

  It was her own fault. It had been a combination of her leaving, the threat to Bill and his club and far too many glasses of wine which had tipped her normal steely self-control over the edge and she’d succumbed into what her heart wanted.

  When Bill had walked over to her and pulled her up from her chair, that was what had done it. “Don’t look so concerned, Sheila,” he’d muttered softly, his hands on her shoulders. “You know I won’t see any harm come to you.”

  She’d nodded and tried to turn away. His close proximity to her was making the blood heat in her drunken veins.

  “I want you to know though,” he’d murmured, his lips close to her ear, “that I’ll miss you Sheila.” With a finger under her chin, he titled her face up to his. “More than you know.”

  Sheila had been unable to move her eyes away from his mouth. The mouth that didn’t and couldn’t belong to her.

  “I-I wish I could have given you what you’d asked,” she’d uttered before she could stop herself. She’d meant it though. She always had.

  It had been her own stupid stubbornness that hadn’t allowed herself happiness. She’d always felt she’d never be good enough. That there would always be a part of him which would only ever see her as a hooker like she’d been the first time she’d met him. When his mates had set him up for his birthday, she’d been the one who’d been given the job.

  Even when he’d taken her off the game and given her this job, she’d still couldn’t believe he’d real feelings for her. How could he? She’d been a whore.

  Sheila had felt tears forming in her eyes and hardly noticed Bill’s hands move from her shoulders to the small of her back, pulling her towards him. Even though since that day all those years ago, she’d never turned tricks again, she’d always felt dirty. Damaged. Soiled.

  Not good enough for Bill Benson.

  Even when he’d got her pregnant and wanted to marry her - begged her even - she’d still been too stubborn. Too self-conscious of her past to accept. A single tear had run down Sheila’s face as the wine pulsed further in her bloodstream and the proximity of Bill’s body so close to hers accelerated in her churning mind.

  “I still love you, Sheila,” he’d muttered, his lips lowering. “But you know that don’t you? Don’t push me away tonight.”

  Sheila had been rooted to the spot, unable to think about anything apart from the avalanche of emotion and need that flooded her mind as his mouth had pressed down hard on hers.

  Surrendering to her needs, she’d responded and kissed him back and suddenly like crazy loved-up teenagers, they’d frantically pulled at each other’s clothes. She hadn’t felt self-conscious or uncomfortable about her body being a lot older than when he’d last saw it as he’d explored every inch.

  Sheila topped up her wine glass and glanced at her watch. Only ten minutes until the off now. She hoped everything would go to plan.

  She’d been unsure how she would react when Bill had arrived today, but they’d been just as comfortable with each other as they’d always been.

  She’d been stupid, but not anymore. She finally accepted what had always been obvious. She knew now he wouldn’t let her down. After he’d taken her last night, he’d told her he was leaving his wife and they were going to be together.

  They belonged together. God, they’d wasted so much time. No. She’d wasted so much time with her stubbornness, but not any longer.

  Totally thrown from her thoughts when Tom knocked her office door and ushered someone in, Sheila sat up and scrutinised the woman in front of her. “Yes?”

  “Hi,” Eliza said, extending her false-nailed hand. “I’m Eliza. Chantal, one of the girls from downstairs said to come and speak to you regarding a job.”

  “I know who Chantal is,” Sheila snapped, before pulling herself together. She looked Eliza up and down. A bit plastic-looking. Obviously had a fair bit of work done, but she was attractive enough, albeit a bit short. “What sort of work?”

  Eliza faltered, slightly unsure of what to say. “Well, I don’t know,” she frowned. “Dancing?”

  “Where have you worked before?”

  Eliza tried not to let the nervousness show on her face. Should she mention Crystals? Probably not. She knew there was a serious rift between the bosses of the two places. “Various places, but I haven’t done any of that sort of stuff for a while.”

  Sheila frowned. She recognised this girl but couldn’t quite put her finger on where from. “Don’t I know you?”

  Eliza tried to smile, fearing her face may crack. “Erm, I don’t think so.”

  Sheila glanced at her watch. Five minutes to go. Shit. She needed this girl out of here. “The best thing to do is speak to Marie about this another time. I’m really busy right now.” She picked up a sheaf of paperwork and glanced at the door, signifying that Eliza was to leave. “Marie’s dealing with the girls here now rather than me.”

  “Oh, erm,” Eliza fidgeted on the spot, unsure what she should do.

  Sheila stood up and ushered Eliza towards the door. She’d got to go. Like now. “Why don’t you watch the show and then if it’s something you feel you would like to do, come back – say in a few days and ask for Marie.”

  As Eliza was herded through the door, she turned back, only to find the door had closed in her face. With a miffed sigh, she huffily made her way back down towards the stairs.

  CHARLIE TRIED NOT TO fidget as he sat with Brian around the corner from the Glint in the car. He looked at his watch. Five minutes to go. He hoped to fuck Jim and Dan were on time and that they’d taken on board what he’d said.

  When he’d left Dan’s place earlier, Jim’s concentration had seemed fixed more on the lines of coke he was snorting one after the other rather than on anything he’d had to say. He knew they’d been given the brief by Bill earlier in the day, but he wanted to make sure they understood that the pasting needed to be superficial.

  Dan had assured him it was all in hand and to disappear, so he’d had to leave. Either way he had no choice but to go with it, but the closer it got, the more nervous he became about what would happen if Jim and Dan weren’t on time or got held up.<
br />
  He’d have to go through with the attack and firebomb the place and then he’d be well and truly a dead man.

  “Isn’t it time we made a move?” Brian muttered, clocking the trickle of sweat running steadily down Charlie’s shiny forehead.

  Startled, Charlie glanced at his watch once more. He couldn’t afford to make himself look suspicious in front of Brian. “No, no! Not yet. Ernie said it had to be exactly on time. We can’t do anything until we know the show has started and we know it hasn’t yet.” He pointed up the road where it could be just about seen the thick red rope designating the queue area had not yet been closed off.

  “Well I hope they’re running on time,” Brian muttered, wiping the back of his meaty hand over his mouth. “I’m taking the missus out for a curry tonight. It’s her birthday.”

  Charlie grimaced. That’s what he thinks. Christ. Why did he put himself in these sort of positions?

  “Hang on, look. That bonehead’s closing the rope off now,” Brian said, nodding towards the club.

  Charlie quickly looked up. Fuck! He glanced up and down the road. No sign of any van. They said they were going to be in a van. Where the fuck was it? “Let’s give it another couple of minutes.”

  “Why?” Brian snapped. “What the fuck are you waiting for?”

  “I’m not waiting for anything!” Charlie countered, trying to put more sternness in his voice than he felt. He wanted to run in the opposite bloody direction. “Think about it for God’s sake! We’ve got to give it a few minutes before we steam in. We need the girls on stage after all. That was Ernie’s orders, remember?”

  “Fair enough,” Brian muttered contritely. “Let’s just hope they get a move on. I’ll never hear the end of it if I’m late for this fucking meal. They’ve got three minutes then we’re doing it.”

  Charlie nodded, feeling sicker by the second.

  BEN SPARKED UP ANOTHER fag and hastily tipped the contents of the glass in front of him into his mouth. Clicking his fingers at the fit-looking waitress nearest to him he ordered a refill, his eyes lingering on the woman’s bust straining against her low-cut top.

  She gave him a dazzling smile as she sashayed away from the table and he grinned inwardly. So she wanted him as well did she? He knew he still had it, regardless of the comments that stupid bitch Shelley said all the fucking time lately, obviously not thinking he’d noticed.

  He sniffed hard, hoping there was a bit more coke stuck at the back of his nostrils he could dislodge. He couldn’t be arsed to get up just yet for another line in the toilets, besides he didn’t want to miss the start of the show. He’d been sat almost rigid with anticipation for the last half an hour and had got through quite a few of these extortionately expensive beers in the meantime.

  It would all be worth it to see Marie again. He’d already planned it out. Once she realised he was there it would be easy. He’d have to be patient and wait until the show was over, but once she realised he was serious about her she’d give him a chance.

  Ben glanced around the plush club, unable to stop himself from eyeing the fit waitress. She’d do for a bit of extra as well.

  Smiling widely as she returned and deposited his fresh drink in front of him, he was tempted to try and cop a quick feel, but the sudden start of the music signifying the show was starting caused him to sit back in his seat.

  SETH SCREECHED AROUND the corner in the van the minute he’d seen Charlie and the large baboon run up the road. His teeth clenched together into a manic grin and he pressed his foot further down on the accelerator.

  Dan glanced over at him with unease. What the fuck was he doing? “Slow down, Jim,” he cried. “We need to stop around here.”

  “What for?” Seth grinned, heading straight for the larger man breaking into a run toward the front door of the club. “You’re fucking joking aren’t you? We’ll spare Charlie, but I’m having this one.”

  “W-What? I thought we w...” There was no time to finish his sentence and Dan put his hands out towards the dashboard to brace himself as the nose of the van hit the big man, sending him flying off to the side of the pavement. “Fuck!” Dan screamed and hastened to follow when Seth threw himself out of the door of the van.

  Seth looked like a wild man running behind the van like lightening and quickly delivered a crushing head-butt to the bridge of Charlie’s nose, then following up with his fists.

  Charlie, who had been frozen in suspended animation as he’d watched Brian fly like a rag doll in slow motion to the side of the road, barely had time to register that his face had exploded before he crumpled to the floor.

  “Get that fucker in the back,” Seth shouted to Dan who was standing in shock like a dummy. He went towards Brian, whose legs, having taken the full impact of the front of the Transit, lay twisted at impossible angles on the pavement.

  Seth pulled open the back doors whilst Dan moved towards Charlie who groaned loudly on the road.

  Hastily dragging Brian’s body from where he lay, his head thudding horribly down from the kerb, Seth pulled him into the back and jumped over the body to stand inside the cavernous hulk of the Transit where he’d be in a better position.

  “Come on, for fuck’s sake!” Seth muttered when Dan finally snapped out of his trance and began yanking Charlie towards the open doors.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Charlie suddenly yelled, unable to get his scrambled mind together enough to get off the floor.

  “Shut the fuck up!” Seth growled, booting Charlie in the ribs and grabbing one of his ankles.

  “Charlie?” a woman’s voice screamed.

  Dan glanced at the open door of the club seeing a woman looking out. He watched the club’s bouncer nod knowingly, quickly pull the woman back in through the door and then slam it. Shit! This was going tits up.

  “Who the fuck was that?” Seth muttered angrily, quickly tugging Charlie into the van and giving him a quick right hander to stop his loud groaning.

  Stunned from the swift clump he’d just received, Charlie’s eyes darted around thoroughly confused. “W-What do you mean?” he stammered. “Just a girl.”

  He could do without having to go into the ins and outs of his fucked up relationship with Eliza. It was bloody confusing at the best of times – especially when his head was spinning like a tumble drier.

  Seth squatted down on his haunches and dragged greedily from the cigarette he’d sparked up. He glared at Charlie. “I can see she’s a girl, you thick fucking twat,” he growled. “I’m wanting to know how she knows you and as to why she’s in there!”

  Jerking his head towards the club, he grabbed Charlie’s face in his hand and met his eyes with menace. “Are you setting us up as well as Carter?”

  Charlie stared at the hard green eyes drilling into his. “You know I’m not Jim. For fuck’s sake, I wouldn’t do that!” What the hell was going on? This was supposed to be for show wasn’t it? He glanced at Brian’s inert broken body at the other end of the Transit and felt quite sick.

  Taking several further drags from his cigarette, Seth increased the hold on Charlie’s face, and then pushed his head backwards against the van wall.

  He pulled the fag out from between his lips and smiled savagely. “Don’t be getting any ideas about pulling a fast one on us or Benson, Charlie because you won’t get away with it.”

  Carefully inserting the glowing red tip of the cigarette into Charlie’s left nostril, Seth pushed it in hard, the sizzling and crackling loud as it burnt the flesh. “NOW TELL ME WHO THAT BIRD IS!” he yelled loudly to make himself audible over Charlie’s screams.

  Pulling the cigarette back out of Charlie’s nostril, Seth held it poised ready to insert again should the need arise. He stared at Charlie in anticipation of the required information.

  Charlie held his hand over his nose and sobbed in agony, sweat pouring down his face. “It’s a woman called Eliza. Carter’s ex. I’ve been fucking information out of her to help shaft Carter,” he wailed. “Nothing sinister
in it, I swear Jim!”

  Rocking back on to his haunches, Seth stood back up and ground the cigarette out on the floor of the van. “I hope not,” he muttered.

  “Why the fuck did you have to burn me?” Charlie howled.

  Seth smiled. “Just for effect, Charlie. Just for effect.” He glanced at Dan who was staring at him in horror. “Come on,” Seth muttered, quickly jumping out of the van and slamming the double doors on Charlie and Brian. “We need to dump the big one at Carter’s fucking shit hole.”

  Getting into the passenger seat, Dan lit a cigarette with trembling fingers. “What the fuck have you done, Jim?”

  Seth glared at Dan with steely eyes as he fired the ignition and spun the van around. “What do you mean what have I done? I’ve done my fucking job, you thick cunt! What the fuck were you doing, apart from standing there like a fucking girl?”

  “But it was supposed to be superficial?”

  Seth sighed and drove quickly away from the Glint towards Crystals. “It was wasn’t it? Charlie only got a bit of a dig.”

  “But the other guy? I think you’ve killed him.” Dan felt like he was going to choke on the cigarette smoke stuck to the sides of his mouth. He felt like he had no air to breathe, let alone to take in the smoke.

  “And?” Seth glared at Dan once more. “Are you stupid or something? That bloke would have put two and two together if he’d realised we weren’t giving Charlie a proper fucking pasting. Besides, he was nearest the club door.”

  “But what if Charlie had been first instead?” Dan wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer, but got it anyway when he watched Jim raise one eyebrow and smile.

  “And before you start fretting about whoever stuck their head out, Barry will see to her.”

  “But she knew Charlie!”

  “Dan!” Seth laughed. “You fucking worry too much.”

  ELIZA SHAKILY MADE her way to a table and sat down, trying to concentrate on the beautiful girls gyrating in front of her. She wasn’t sure what Charlie had been doing here tonight, but wasn’t even remotely bothered that he’d got a whack. Served the two-faced bastard right.