Aftermath (Dividing Line #6)

by Heather Atkinson

  “Will someone please tell me what’s happened?” said Ryan, pulling Rachel into the crook of his arm, hating how she trembled.

  “Some men came after Lexie and they almost took her and Rachel,” replied Battler.

  Ryan shook his head. “No.”

  Rachel stared up at him, watching the anger build and build until it erupted. “No,” he roared, releasing Rachel and striding through the kitchen into the living room. “Lexie? Lexie, where the fuck are you?”

  He found her tugging at the front door, looking terrified, but it refused to open because it was locked.

  “I’m sorry,” she cried. “I didn’t think he’d find me here.”

  “Who?”

  “Cole Cochrane. My husband.”

  “You’re married?”

  She nodded. “I only found out what a psycho he was after the marriage, so I ran.”

  “I couldn’t give a fuck. Pack your stuff, you’re out on your arse. I don’t want you anywhere near my family.”

  “You can’t throw her out,” said Rachel.

  “Why the fuck not? What is she to me?”

  “Your sister.”

  “Half-sister.”

  “She’s still blood. What would Riley do if he was here?”

  “He’d help me, I know he would,” said Lexie. “It’s why I came here. I didn’t know he’d already left.”

  “You didn’t see those men Ryan,” continued Rachel. “They’re professionals, stone cold. They won’t hesitate to kill her if Cole gave the order.”

  “He’d do it himself, he’d enjoy it,” replied Lexie.

  “Do you hear her Lexie?” said Ryan, pointing at his wife. “All you’ve done since you arrived is wind her up, throw what happened between us in her face and you almost got her kidnapped but still she wants to help you. That’s the type of woman she is. You on the other hand are vicious and spiteful, a spoilt little brat. You’re completely useless but you know what, I’m going to help you.”

  “Thank you,” breathed Lexie.

  “I’m not doing it for you, I’m doing it for Rachel and Riley and your father - our father.”

  “I…I know and I appreciate it.”

  “Then I suggest you start showing it, especially to Rachel.” He towered over Lexie, grey eyes cold. “If anything happens to her or our kids because of you then family ties will mean nothing. Got it?”

  “Yes, I do. Thank you so much.”

  He turned away from her in disgust, taking Rachel’s hand and raising her bruised knuckles to his lips. “Thank God you got away.”

  It was Rachel’s turn to feel him shake. His worst fear had almost been realised. Again.

  “Actually I had some help.”

  Ryan extended his hand to Battler. “Thanks lads.”

  “Wasn’t us. We only got here after Rachel called us.”

  “Then who?”

  “Let me show you,” said Rachel, leading him by the hand to the stairs.

  Ryan was incredibly curious but patiently followed Rachel upstairs then waited while she unlocked the bedroom door.

  “Just when I thought this couldn’t get any worse,” he said when he saw Jules lying asleep on the bed.

  “I sedated her. She’ll be out for a couple of hours.”

  “What happened to her shoulder?”

  “She got stabbed helping me.”

  “You should have let her bleed to death.”

  “Ryan, she’s your sister.”

  “She tried to kill you.”

  “She also saved me. If it wasn’t for her I would have been abducted.”

  “Shit,” he sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. “I thought all this was over and done with.”

  “After everything we did in Manchester did you honestly think there would be no repercussions?”

  “No, not really, but I lived in hope.”

  He looked so forlorn it broke her heart. “It was inevitable,” she said. “We took so much life, there was always going to be someone wanting revenge. I’m just glad it’s not Toni McVay.”

  “There is that I suppose,” he replied before drifting off into thoughtful silence, watching Jules sleep.

  “She’s got your eyes,” said Rachel.

  “That’s the only similarity between us.”

  “What do you want to do with her?”

  “Dump her in the fucking ocean, but it’s not just my call. I’ll phone Jez and Mikey, she’s their sister and cousin too. I’ll leave the final decision with them. I just want her gone.”

  Rachel knew trying to argue with him would be futile. “Okay, if that’s what you want. Do you want me to make the call?”

  “No thanks Sweetheart, I’ll do it. Hey,” he said, pulling her back to him when she made for the door. He touched her face with his fingertips. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine and that’s thanks to Jules. Just remember that.”

  He kissed her. “I will.” He let Rachel go on ahead, pausing to stare down at Jules, the temptation to snap her neck strong. He had the feeling it would make life a lot simpler. With a heavy sigh he quietly left, closing the door behind him. Rachel was waiting for him on the landing and he knew she’d read exactly what had gone through his mind.

  “No more of our family dead, please,” she said quietly.

  “If she’s still a danger to you then she’s gone,” he said darkly. “You come first, above them all. End of story.”

  The tension was returning to his body so she kissed him and it went away. His eyes were sad and heavy, his shoulders slumped. This was never going to stop and they both knew it.

  “Come on, you need to make that call,” said Rachel, taking his hand and leading him back downstairs. She sat in silence at the kitchen table with Battler and Bruiser while he phoned Mikey and Jez, Lexie still hiding out in the living room after her telling off.

  “Jez and Mikey are both coming,” said Ryan, ending the call. “But they can’t get here until tomorrow morning. Can you spare a couple of your men to guard Jules?”

  “This is a family matter. We’ll do it ourselves,” replied Battler.

  Rachel took his hand. “Thank you.”

  “Anything for you love.”

  She smiled up at him adoringly. Her second dad. Rachel glanced at her watch. “I need to pick the kids up soon.”

  “Battler, Bruiser, go with her,” said Ryan. “Then arrange for your two most trusted men to go back to the house with them in case Cole’s men decide to turn up there. I’ll stay here until you get back.”

  “Will do,” said Battler, both brothers getting to their feet.

  “Lexie can stay here,” added Ryan. “Pack up her stuff and bring it with you when you return. I don’t want her anywhere near our home.”

  “You’ll need to bring Jules’s stuff here from the B&B too,” said Rachel.

  “We’ll sort it, don’t worry,” said Battler.

  “Stay alert and carry your taser,” Ryan told Rachel.

  “I will.” She kissed him on the lips. “Be careful.”

  “You too,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers.

  With one last backward glance she left. After the three of them had gone Ryan stomped into the living room where a scared-looking Lexie was huddled on the couch. He took the armchair opposite her, elegantly crossing his legs and folding his hands in his lap. Lexie wasn’t fooled by his cool demeanour, she could sense he was struggling to contain his rage.

  “Tell me about Cole,” he said icily.

  CHAPTER 20

  Lexie sat up straighter, wiping the tears from her eyes. “We met in Benidorm,” she began.

  “How sophisticated,” he said sarcastically. “I take it with a name like Cole he isn’t Spanish?”

  “No, he’s from London.”

  Ryan pulled a face.

  “He was charming at first, rich, handsome.”

  “He’d have to be or you wouldn’t have bothered with him.”

  “He told me he was a
businessman and stupidly I thought he meant a legitimate one. Anyway, everything was great, he treated me like a princess. After six months we were married. He took me around the world for our honeymoon - Rome, Paris, Athens, Riga.”

  “Basically, all the capitals.”

  “Yes.”

  “Get to the point, you’re starting to bore me.”

  “When we went back to Spain his bad side came out. He got really controlling, telling me how to dress, what make-up and jewellery to wear, who I could be friends with, all that crap. Then the verbal abuse started.”

  “Did he hit you?”

  “No, he was too smart for that. He didn’t need to anyway, his words were enough. They hurt more than any punch or kick. But that’s not the worst of it. I saw him execute someone in our own home. That’s why I ran, I couldn’t take anymore and I was afraid he’d kill me too because I was a witness.”

  “What business is he in?”

  “God knows. Drugs probably. He likes to stuff cocaine up his nose, something else I didn’t find out until after the wedding.”

  “You should have told us. Why didn’t you give us some warning?” he practically yelled, leaning forward in his seat, his anger flaring up again.

  “I should have done, I see that now and I really am sorry but I honestly didn’t think he’d track me here.”

  “You idiot.”

  “I am, I know and I can’t apologise enough but I was so scared I couldn’t think straight. When I was with you I felt less alone, less afraid.”

  Ryan was unmoved. “Don’t touch me,” he said when she leaned forward to rest her hand on his arm, causing her to hastily retract it. “As yet I don’t know what I’m going to do about this.”

  “Call Riley, he’ll come back to help. I want Riley,” she whimpered, giving way to tears.

  “I don’t give a shit what you want. Riley’s in the SAS, no one knows where he is you stupid cow. He’s not coming to help. Now you’ve lumbered us with this.”

  Lexie flinched when he got to his feet and started pacing.

  “You’ve no idea what we’ve been through, how close we’ve come to losing everything and now you bring this to our door.” The look in his eyes when he turned his gaze back on her was almost feral, like he wanted to tear her apart with his bare hands and it terrified her. Stupidly she’d thought their past and their blood would protect her, that he’d go out of his way to defend her, but she’d not considered she was putting them in danger. Rachel had almost been kidnapped and he hated her for it.

  “I never meant for this to happen. I thought I could lie low here for a while then move on.”

  “No you didn’t. You hoped we’d protect you if Cole came calling but you didn’t even have the decency to warn us first. You came to our home, you put Rachel and our children in danger. Every part of me is screaming to give you back to him. At least I’d never see you again.”

  “Ryan no, please.”

  “You’re a user Lexie, you always have been. You thought you could use Cole but instead you hooked up with a meal ticket with teeth. I don’t know how this is going to turn out but I swear to God when this is done so are we. I’ll protect you then I never want to see you again.”

  Lexie nodded. That was fine with her too.

  “You stay here out of sight. You don’t make any outgoing calls and you stay away from the windows. Give me your phone.”

  Lexie handed it over, not daring to protest. Ryan removed the sim card then tossed the phone back to her before snapping the sim in two.

  “For all we know he could be using it to track you,” he explained.

  “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  “Why am I not surprised? You stay in here and you stay quiet. If you moan or get in the way you’re out. Those are my terms.”

  “I’ll stick to them.”

  “Good.” His lips curled contemptuously. “How did a great man like Stuart Cutter ever spawn you?”

  With that he stormed back into the kitchen, slamming the door shut behind him.

  Lexie practically fell onto the couch, wanting to throw up, tormented by the terrible feeling that she’d jumped from the frying pan straight into the fire.

  The pain that woke Jules wasn’t a pleasant one. In fact it was a bloody horrible ache that made her feel a bit sick. She tried to stretch out her muscles then recalled her left arm was in a sling. Her body was heavy and lethargic and pain pulsed in her temples.

  She attempted to push herself up with her one good arm but the task was beyond her so she flopped back onto the bed with a groan. It wasn’t the first time she’d been stabbed but she’d never lost so much blood before, apart from that one time when she was thirteen. Jules closed her eyes as a shudder ran through her. With a concerted effort she pushed the appalling memories aside, which still had the power to reduce her to tears, even now. No time for moping about, she had to get out of here. A low humourless cackle sounded in the back of her throat. Like that was possible, she couldn’t even sit up and now she was at the mercy of the Laws. At least she was alive, that was quite a surprise. Although she couldn’t see anyone else she knew they were there somewhere. The daylight shining behind the closed curtains was like a beacon of hope, encouraging her to escape, despite how weak she was.

  Battler and Bruiser’s arrival had put the wind right up her, they were her jailors and probably her executioners. After what the Laws had been through with Alex they might not want to take any chances. They’d killed him so why would they think twice about her? Why hadn’t she listened to Dane? Finally she understood he’d been speaking sense.

  Footsteps ascending the stairs had her dragging herself to a sitting position. She was forced to pause when her vision whited out and her head spun. The footsteps were slow and deliberate, without purpose. They were not the steps of a person who had just decided to commit murder. Nevertheless she wanted to get back on her feet, at least then she would stand a fighting chance.

  “Shit,” she sighed when she fell back into the pillows, her body refusing to cooperate. She was forced to lie there and listen to the jangle of keys. The door slowly swung open to reveal a large figure framed in the doorway. It took her a moment to work out who it was with her hazy vision.

  “Hello big brother,” she smiled weakly.

  Ryan walked inside and shut the door. He stood over her and looked down at her with pitiless eyes. “I know all about it. I spoke to Estelle.” His lip curled. “Look at you, the bastard of a druggie slag and a dead psychopath. Chip off the old block, aren’t you?”

  “So I believe are you, Stuart Cutter’s son. I know everything about you.”

  “I only want to know one thing. Why are you here?”

  “To meet my new family,” she replied with false sweetness.

  “How long have you known you were my sister?”

  “About twenty years. I knew I never belonged in that posh house, all my life I felt like a cuckoo. I made adopted mummy dearest tell me.”

  “Made her?”

  “I tied her up and burnt her with a lighter until she gave in.”

  “You sick cow.”

  Her eyes flared. “She was the sick one. You have no idea what she put me through.”

  “If you’re going to give me a sob story to make me feel sorry for you it’s not going to work.”

  “I wouldn’t waste my breath.”

  “You went to see Estelle. I’m guessing she tried to poison you against me.”

  “She did, just as I was expecting but I didn’t believe any of it. I couldn’t take the word of a woman who tries to use her daughter to hurt her son.”

  “Very intelligent of you. I repeat, why are you here?”

  “I’ve already told you.”

  “The last time you were around you tried to kill my wife.”

  “No I didn’t. She attacked me first.”

  “Bullshit. You sided with Alex. Big mistake. Your club was annihilated and now you’re here for revenge.”

  “How can
you be so sure?” she said, eyes alight with cunning.

  “You think you’re clever but you’re pretty transparent.”

  “Actually I am clever big brother. My IQ’s higher than yours.”

  This irritated Ryan but he remained tight-lipped about it.

  “I know your life inside out Ryan, I’ve had years to research you and you had no idea I was even there.”

  “Why are you supposedly trying to get to know us now when you haven’t bothered before in twenty years.”

  “You weren’t in my life so you were nothing to me. Then you came along and murdered the men who had been my family for two decades,” she said, using the daggers in her eyes as she didn’t have the ones that were normally strapped to her wrists.

  Ryan’s worst fears were being confirmed. She was here to hurt them. “It was very clever of you to rescue Rachel and make yourself look like the heroine.”

  “You’re lucky I was there because you were nowhere to be seen. Rachel nearly got kidnapped again and what could you have done to stop it? Nothing, just like before.” Jules released a cry when he pressed down on her shoulder wound. The pain was not pleasurable and made her stomach heave. “Bastard,” she yelled.

  He grabbed her by the throat. “I can be, especially when I think someone’s a threat to my wife. Are you?”

  “No.”

  “I don’t believe you. Jez and Mikey for some reason are curious to meet you. They’ll be here tomorrow, but I think it might be best for everyone if you quietly disappeared.” His grip tightened and she went rigid, their identical grey eyes locked on each other. “I could say you attacked me and I was forced to defend myself. They’d believe that. After all you’re Venom, Lucifer’s Shadow assassin and all round hard bitch. It wouldn’t be a stretch for them to think you tried to take me on. I’d bury your body somewhere nice and isolated, there’s plenty of places around here. No one would ever find you and we’d be free to continue our lives in peace, never having to worry when you were going to take your revenge for your loser friends we killed.” His grip tightened again just slightly, but with each squeeze Jules felt more of her oxygen supply cut off.

  “Rachel would know what you did and she doesn’t want me dead. What would she think if you killed your own sister, your injured helpless sister? She’d probably go right off you.”