He’s still my brother.”
“He doesn’t deserve your compassion.”
“Ryan and Jez didn’t think you deserved theirs once.”
“I didn’t poison two people and set up my little brother to take the fall.”
“True.”
“I know the main reason why you’re going.”
“I’ve already told you why.”
“You want to see if he’s a liability.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s a weakness. He knows things about the Maguire inner circle.”
“He did years ago, when Frank was alive. Everything’s changed.”
“Someone could still use his knowledge against you. How often was he in the compound? I bet the layout hasn’t changed since the day it was built.”
“The compound?” he frowned.
“I know you think your stronghold is your strength but it’s a huge weakness.”
“How? It’s impossible for anyone to break in and I’ve made sure no copper will ever get a search warrant for it.”
“The whole city knows where it is and what goes on in there, it’s part of local folklore and nowhere’s impregnable, no matter how good the security.”
“Impossible, I’ve thought of everything.”
“There’ll be something you’ve missed and my advice is that you move your headquarters.”
“I couldn’t do that. Frank built that compound.”
“There’s no room in our business for sentiment. Keep it by all means, let everyone think it’s still your main base and quietly set up elsewhere, but only let a select few know.”
“A decoy?” he said thoughtfully.
“Exactly.”
“You know Jules, once I had serious doubts about you but you’ve turned out to be a real asset.”
“Is that all I am to you, an asset?”
Their eyes locked and Mikey cleared his throat.
“I meant I’m your cousin too,” she said as he grew increasingly uncomfortable.
“Oh, right,” he said, relieved, heart thudding a bit harder than he would have liked. He still couldn’t understand the powerful effect this woman had on him. He got to his feet before he ended up kissing her again. “Well, thanks for your time. I’ll let you get back to it.”
Jules considered many jokes and comments that would embarrass him but she decided against them all. “I’ll do my best.”
“I left the field wide open for you there,” he grinned.
“I know but I got the feeling you’re not really in the mood for jokes.”
He nodded. “Thanks.”
When he’d gone Jules tried to return to her studies but her concentration had been broken. Instead she stared at the chair Mikey had occupied, her mind ticking over his words.
After seeing the three gorillas off the estate, limping and bleeding but cowed, Thane took Ryan and Rachel back to the bar for a drink.
“Whisky,” exclaimed Thane, jubilant. “Just give me the bottle, I’ll pour,” he told the barman. “Those three loons have been an albatross around my neck for years,” he said, pouring out three shots of his best whisky from the estate’s distillery. “I hope they’ve finally got the message.”
“I anticipate the name McVay will keep them at bay,” said Ryan, enjoying the smooth burn of the whisky.
“I think you’re right. I thought they were going to wet their pants,” he grinned.
“So are they the reason why you were desperate for us to invest in the estate?” said Rachel.
“Part of the reason. What I told you was true, the recession was partly to blame.”
“Why didn’t you tell us about them sooner?” said Ryan. “We could have seen them off before now.”
“Pride I suppose. I couldn’t bear to tell you I was being bullied by three inbred sheep-shaggers. I thought I could handle them on my own.”
“But you couldn’t,” said Ryan.
“No but they’re gone now,” he said cheerfully. “To my fantastic business partners,” he said, raising his glass and wrapping an arm around Rachel’s shoulders.
“Cheers,” smiled Rachel.
“Yes, cheers,” replied Ryan non-too enthusiastically.
Gill and Rick arrived with the children,
“He doesn’t deserve your compassion.”
“Ryan and Jez didn’t think you deserved theirs once.”
“I didn’t poison two people and set up my little brother to take the fall.”
“True.”
“I know the main reason why you’re going.”
“I’ve already told you why.”
“You want to see if he’s a liability.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s a weakness. He knows things about the Maguire inner circle.”
“He did years ago, when Frank was alive. Everything’s changed.”
“Someone could still use his knowledge against you. How often was he in the compound? I bet the layout hasn’t changed since the day it was built.”
“The compound?” he frowned.
“I know you think your stronghold is your strength but it’s a huge weakness.”
“How? It’s impossible for anyone to break in and I’ve made sure no copper will ever get a search warrant for it.”
“The whole city knows where it is and what goes on in there, it’s part of local folklore and nowhere’s impregnable, no matter how good the security.”
“Impossible, I’ve thought of everything.”
“There’ll be something you’ve missed and my advice is that you move your headquarters.”
“I couldn’t do that. Frank built that compound.”
“There’s no room in our business for sentiment. Keep it by all means, let everyone think it’s still your main base and quietly set up elsewhere, but only let a select few know.”
“A decoy?” he said thoughtfully.
“Exactly.”
“You know Jules, once I had serious doubts about you but you’ve turned out to be a real asset.”
“Is that all I am to you, an asset?”
Their eyes locked and Mikey cleared his throat.
“I meant I’m your cousin too,” she said as he grew increasingly uncomfortable.
“Oh, right,” he said, relieved, heart thudding a bit harder than he would have liked. He still couldn’t understand the powerful effect this woman had on him. He got to his feet before he ended up kissing her again. “Well, thanks for your time. I’ll let you get back to it.”
Jules considered many jokes and comments that would embarrass him but she decided against them all. “I’ll do my best.”
“I left the field wide open for you there,” he grinned.
“I know but I got the feeling you’re not really in the mood for jokes.”
He nodded. “Thanks.”
When he’d gone Jules tried to return to her studies but her concentration had been broken. Instead she stared at the chair Mikey had occupied, her mind ticking over his words.
After seeing the three gorillas off the estate, limping and bleeding but cowed, Thane took Ryan and Rachel back to the bar for a drink.
“Whisky,” exclaimed Thane, jubilant. “Just give me the bottle, I’ll pour,” he told the barman. “Those three loons have been an albatross around my neck for years,” he said, pouring out three shots of his best whisky from the estate’s distillery. “I hope they’ve finally got the message.”
“I anticipate the name McVay will keep them at bay,” said Ryan, enjoying the smooth burn of the whisky.
“I think you’re right. I thought they were going to wet their pants,” he grinned.
“So are they the reason why you were desperate for us to invest in the estate?” said Rachel.
“Part of the reason. What I told you was true, the recession was partly to blame.”
“Why didn’t you tell us about them sooner?” said Ryan. “We could have seen them off before now.”
“Pride I suppose. I couldn’t bear to tell you I was being bullied by three inbred sheep-shaggers. I thought I could handle them on my own.”
“But you couldn’t,” said Ryan.
“No but they’re gone now,” he said cheerfully. “To my fantastic business partners,” he said, raising his glass and wrapping an arm around Rachel’s shoulders.
“Cheers,” smiled Rachel.
“Yes, cheers,” replied Ryan non-too enthusiastically.
Gill and Rick arrived with the children,
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