Aftermath (Dividing Line #6)

by Heather Atkinson

  It was a relief when he pulled a knife and gestured for her to come to him. Hadn’t the pillock realised yet that he needed a better arsenal?

  When she shook her head he advanced on her and she stood poised to fight, her earlier fear gone. This prick had come into her home, he was just a few feet away from her babies. He was fucking dead.

  Before she had the chance to make a move the thunder of footsteps coming up the stairs had the man running back the way he’d come, through the spare room Jez had been staying in. Rachel led the charge after him, closely followed by Ryan, who managed to grab her before she ran into the room and pulled her back so he could enter first, just in time to see the man’s legs disappear out the window. He snatched at them but his arms closed around empty air.

  In the garden below Fletch made chase but the man had too much of a head start. He moved with the speed and agility of a cheetah and was through the hedge before Fletch could reach him.

  “We’ll make sure there aren’t any more of the bastards,” said Jez as he and Mikey rushed into the room. They split up to check the rest of the house.

  “It was one of Cole’s men,” said Rachel, gazing down into the garden. “He had a balaclava on but I’m sure of it. He was so close to our children.”

  “I’m going to kill Lexie,” seethed Ryan, slamming the window shut.

  After checking on Leah and the boys, who were all still sound asleep, they headed back downstairs to the kitchen where their houseguests had gathered, Fletch holding a cold compress to the back of a dazed Leo’s head.

  “Let me help,” said Rachel, taking the first aid kit out of a cupboard to tend to the wound.

  “I’m sorry, I fucked up,” said Leo, furious with himself. “Bastard sneaked up on me from behind. I never heard a thing. He moved like a ninja.”

  “Don’t worry about it. The important thing is everyone’s okay,” said Rachel, cleaning blood from the wound. “But you do need to get this looked at properly.”

  “I’ll run him to the hospital if you don’t mind keeping an eye on things here?” Fletch said to Mikey and Jez. “I don’t think they’ll be back tonight anyway.”

  “Not a problem,” replied Mikey.

  “Rachel thinks it was one of Cole’s men. This is fucking Lexie’s fault,” snarled Ryan. “I want this sorting now. I am not having my family put in danger any longer. I want her gone and I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.”

  “Ryan, calm down,” said Rachel. She felt strong and in control again. Facing that figure in the hall had done her the power of good. “I’ve cleaned the cut as best I can,” she told Leo. “Now you need to go to hospital.”

  Fletch helped him to his feet, everyone taking a step back when the big man swayed on his feet. Fortunately he regained his balance and Fletch helped him out to the car, Jez locking up behind them. Now they could talk freely.

  “I need to talk to Cole,” said Ryan.

  “Why?” said Rachel.

  “It’s the only way to make this stop. I need to do a deal with him.”

  “What sort of deal?”

  “That’s what I want to find out.”

  “You’re going to hand her over to them, aren’t you?”

  “If I have to then yes.”

  “You can’t, she’s your sister.”

  “No she’s not,” he yelled, banging his fist down on the table top.

  “Keep your voice down,” she told him. “Stay right where you are you two,” she said when she spied Mikey and Jez backing out of the kitchen door, her gaze never leaving Ryan. “We all need to discuss this.”

  “You Rachel are my family, you and the kids and that,” he said, waving a hand at Jez.

  “I got all the charm genes,” Jez told Mikey, who nodded in agreement.

  “You are all my priority, not her. She’s some stranger who turned up on our doorstep with a suitcase full of trouble and didn’t even bother to warn us. If serving her up to Cole is the only way to keep us all safe then that’s what I’ll do.”

  “That is ice cold,” she said, eyes narrowing. “You know what will happen to her if you hand her over to them.”

  “She should have fucking thought about that before.”

  “Take it easy you two,” said Jez when they began to raise their voices. “Ryan does have a point Rach. You have to put yourselves first.”

  “Lexie is your blood,” she told Ryan. “How can you stab her in the back like that?”

  “If we’re not careful we’re the ones who are going to get stabbed in the back,” he retorted.

  “This isn’t going to get sorted out any other way except by facing Cole,” reasoned Mikey.

  “All he wants is Lexie. He won’t go without her,” said Rachel. “Can you really hand your sister over to be murdered, because that’s what he’s going to do to her or at the very best he’ll lock her up for the rest of her natural life, however long he may allow that to be.”

  “At least talk with Cole,” said Jez. “Try and negotiate. Then you know where you stand.”

  “He sent his goons after us. He’s not interested in negotiating,” she said.

  “Then what do you suggest Rachel?” said Ryan impatiently.

  She didn’t appreciate being spoken to like that and gave him a haughty look before turning her attention to Mikey. “Is there any way to contact Cole?”

  “Yes. Wait. He’s tried to snatch Lexie twice and failed twice. He’ll contact us. I’m also waiting for a couple of contacts to see what they can find out about him. I’m reluctant to make a move until I know for sure who he is.”

  “Brilliant,” said Ryan sarcastically. “Sit on our arses and do nothing. Genius, why didn’t I think of that?”

  “I’m right and you know it,” said Mikey, face tightening.

  Needless to say Ryan wasn’t best pleased when Cole rang their home phone four hours later. He hated being proved wrong. However Mikey, Jez and Rachel were all in bed, Fletch patrolling the garden with another bodyguard from Battler and Bruiser’s company after Leo was signed off work for a few days with mild concussion.

  “Cole, I was hoping to speak to you,” he smiled, a plan already forming in his mind.

  As he talked he failed to notice Rachel, roused by the ringing of the phone, hovering at the bottom of the stairs. She buried her face in her hands as she listened to her husband talk.

  “How have they been?” said Ryan when he and Rachel arrived early the next morning at Lexie and Jules’s makeshift prison. They’d collected Dane from the hotel and brought him with them and he walked in behind Rachel looking tired and hangdog. They’d left Mikey and Jez fast asleep, worn out after the previous night’s adventures.

  “Pretty quiet,” replied Battler, throwing Bruiser a warning glance. “They’re in the living room. We thought it best to keep them in one place.”

  “Good thinking,” said Ryan before heading for the door.

  “Err, I don’t think they’re awake yet. They hit the wine pretty hard last night,” called Battler.

  He was too late. Ryan had already opened the door and was staring in amazement and disgust at the two naked figures asleep on the couch entwined around one another.

  The noise of the door opening disturbed Jules and she raised her head and gave them a bleary smile. “Morning,” she yawned. She pushed herself up to a sitting position, completely unabashed by her nakedness. In fact she was proud of it, tilting back her head to better display her bare breasts.

  In stark contrast Lexie released a shriek and wrapped her arms around herself.

  Ryan shook his head and walked out, followed by Rachel.

  “What’s wrong with you Jules?” exclaimed Dane.

  “I was horny and you weren’t sticking around. I did ask Bill and Ben in there but they were unwilling to satisfy me, poofs.”

  “What planet are you on? Have you any idea of the shit you’re in? You should be trying to get on Ryan’s good side, not having sex with his sister.”

  “I ca
n’t believe it,” whispered a shell-shocked Lexie. “I’m not gay.”

  “Me neither love. Oh get over yourself, you enjoyed it,” tutted Jules when Lexie’s eyes filled with tears.

  “No I didn’t.”

  “For someone who didn’t enjoy it you had a lot of orgasms.”

  Lexie turned beetroot red and buried her face in her hands.

  Jules turned her attention back to Dane and smiled. “Admit it, you’re turned on.”

  “I am not. Get upstairs and put on some clothes.”

  “Fine,” sighed Jules, getting to her feet and walking to the door.

  “I meant put these on first,” he said, picking up her clothes off the floor and hurling them at her.

  “You really should make your instructions clearer,” she smiled. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”

  Her smirk so enraged him he thought the top of his head might explode. “God you’re arrogant.”

  “Just honest Dane.” Confidently she sauntered up to him while he desperately tried to keep his gaze off her exposed body, the red eyes of the snake on her shoulder fixated on him. “You want to throw me down on the floor right now, don’t you? Go on. I’ll even let you tie me up.”

  For a second he looked sorely tempted, sucking in a breath when her hand pressed against his crotch.

  “The Great Dane’s awake,” she whispered with a wicked smile.

  “I’ll throw you down alright Jules, down a fucking cliff if you don’t put on some clothes,” he snarled, taking a step back.

  With that he stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

  “Love you too,” Jules called after him mockingly. She looked to Lexie. “Stop snivelling. It happened and I don’t know about you but I enjoyed it.”

  “I am not gay,” she repeated forcefully.

  “Me neither. I love men, frequently, but it’s fun to have a change.” She bent over Lexie, who shied away. “You were great by the way. If you ever feel like a change again I’ll be waiting,” she said, running her hand up her thigh.

  Lexie shivered with pleasure before recalling herself. She jumped to her feet, wrapped the throw from the couch around herself and rushed upstairs.

  “Something I said?” Jules called after her.

  She pulled on her clothes, ran a hand through her hair in a futile attempt to untangle it then walked into the kitchen to find the others gathered around the dining table, drinking coffee in solemn silence.

  Jules threw herself into the empty chair beside Dane and smiled. “I like Devon, I’m having a great time. I think I’ll visit more often.”

  “You bloody won’t,” said a furious Ryan.

  “Have I done something to upset you big brother?”

  “No man should have to see his sisters shagging on the couch.”

  “Technically we weren’t shagging, it was more of a post-coital nap. Neither are we sisters. We’re both free and single. Well I am anyway. We didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “You only did it to wind me up.”

  “Wow, someone’s self-obsessed. As I explained to Dane, I was horny. He wouldn’t oblige, neither would that pair,” she said, pointing at an embarrassed Battler and Bruiser. “So I was left with the sexy blond. Much more fun than my hand.”

  “Stop being filthy,” he glowered.

  “That’s just me being me. Any coffee going?”

  “There’s some in the pot,” said Battler, nodding at the machine steaming on the counter.

  Jules got to her feet, whistling a happy tune, the sound piercing Ryan’s brain. Rachel took his hand and gave him a look instructing him to contain himself.

  “Is she always like this?” Ryan asked Dane.

  “Pretty much.”

  “It’s a wonder she’s still alive.”

  “She’s had a few close calls, especially when I’ve had my hands around her neck,” he replied, drawing a reluctant smile from Ryan.

  “So what’s the big pow-wow about?” said Jules, retaking her seat, warming her hands around the coffee mug.

  “You’ll see,” replied Ryan, unable to bring himself to look at her.

  “Can I help?”

  “Maybe. You do have certain…skills.”

  “A compliment from big brother. Things are looking up.”

  “Do you have to be so irritatingly cheerful?”

  “Someone has to be. You’re a miserable bunch.”

  “We weren’t until you arrived. In fact life was pretty damn good until you brought your shit and Lexie brought her husband and his henchmen.”

  “And that’s why we’re here, to discuss what we’re going to do,” said Rachel. “Jules, you’re returning to Manchester with Mikey and Jez. That just leaves Lexie to be…”

  “Taken care of?” said Jules with a raised eyebrow.

  “Her situation, yes. Someone invaded our house last night, they got close to our kids,” she said, eyes turning black. “It needs sorting today.”

  “I love it when your eyes do that,” purred Jules.

  “And we’ve come up with an idea to resolve all this,” said Ryan, talking over her. “But we don’t want Mikey and Jez involved. The last thing we need to do is make this about the Maguires.”

  “What’s taking Lexie so long anyway? You’ll have to be going soon,” said Rachel, face expressionless, being careful to conceal how this was making her feel.

  Well aware of his wife’s feelings about his plan, Ryan took her hand under the table, rubbing his thumb against her palm, encouraging her to stay strong. Her gentler side was rebelling against what they were about to do.

  “She’s still getting over the fact that she had sex with a woman last night,” smiled Jules, draining the last of her coffee and getting up to refill her cup.

  Ryan’s grey eyes settled on her. “You’re coming too. We need one more body in this.”

  “Happy to help,” smiled Jules.

  “We can do it. You need someone you can trust,” said Battler, glancing at Jules.

  “I appreciate that but your presence might make them nervous,” said Ryan. “Fletch is keeping an eye out at the school. I want you to stay here with Rachel while we do this.” His eyes flicked to his sister. “It will also be your chance to prove yourself to us Jules. Don’t let us down and we’ll be willing to overlook you sleeping with Lexie and shooting at us outside the clubhouse. Rachel has very graciously agreed to forgive you for attacking her in the barn. I will only do the same if you prove yourself today.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  He went over the plan he’d agreed with Dane and Rachel that morning.

  “Cold,” said Jules, surprised.

  “You understand what you’ve got to do?”

  “Perfectly.”

  Ryan glanced at his watch. “We’ve got to go.” He got to his feet and bellowed up the stairs, “Lexie, get down here.”

  “Why?” she called back.

  “We’re going to sort this out once and for all.” He looked to Jules. “Not a word to her about the plan.”

  “I can keep a secret big brother.”

  Ryan was doubtful.

  CHAPTER 26

  Lexie was curled up in a ball on the backseat of the very plain and very dull Vauxhall that Ryan had selected for this particular errand. Ryan and Dane were sat up front and Jules was beside her looking tense and solemn for the first time since they’d met, which scared her. Whatever was going on was very serious. She’d asked where they were going but they’d refused to tell her. What frightened her most was Rachel being left behind. Whatever was about to happen was obviously something Ryan didn’t want her near and if it was dangerous for Rachel Law then it was going to be bloody lethal for her.

  “Please tell me where we’re going,” said Lexie for the fifth time.

  “You’ll see,” replied Ryan from the driver’s seat.

  Lexie bit her lip as her vision blurred with tears but she refused to start crying. They all thought she was weak and silly
and she refused to prove them right.

  “Jules, what’s happening?” she whispered.

  “Sshh baby girl,” she replied, taking her hand.

  Annoyed, Lexie snatched her hand away. She’d liked the nickname last night but being called baby girl in the cold light of day made her furious. She wanted to scream and shout, lash out, do something to get a serious reaction from them but if she tried she’d come off worse, especially with Jules. She was under no illusions as to what type of people these were, even the really hot nightclub owner up front. Growing up with Stuart Cutter for a dad had taught her to spot a dangerous man when she saw one. It was what had attracted her to Cole in the first place. Despite his protestations at being an innocent businessman she’d known what he was but it had excited her. The same thing had attracted her to Ryan, but of course she hadn’t known he was her brother back then. That lust for danger was leading her to her doom, she was sure of it.

  Lexie wiped her hands on her jeans, feeling dirty from Jules’s touch. Her stomach churned whenever the fragmented memories of last night came back to her and she closed her eyes, cringing with embarrassment and - if she was really honest with herself - lust. She didn’t know why, she wasn’t attracted to women, never had been, but Jules had known just how to touch her. Lexie chanced a sideways glance at Jules’s hands folded neatly in her lap, recalling what they were capable of, her gaze sliding up her body to her red lips.

  Jules caught her looking and smiled wolfishly. Flushing red, Lexie snapped her head round the other way, eyes firmly fixed on the window for the rest of the journey.

  Her heart started to frantically drum in her chest when Ryan steered the car up a road that was nothing more than a dirt track, leaving civilisation behind.

  Oh my God, they’re going to kill me, she thought, sitting bolt upright, seatbelt tightening around her painfully, keeping her trapped.

  “Where are we going? Tell me?” she practically screamed at Ryan.