Trying Not to Love You - Part Thirty Two

Chapter Thirty Two

Sonny watched her enter the farmhouse then heard the rewarding sound of the door locking behind her. Finally she starts to listen to reason, shaking his head, he followed the sound of the car engine around the back of the house and along the track to the road. They’d cut the lights, and there wasn’t much moonlight so he was glad his eyes had accustomed to the dark, probably a lot more than whoever had climbed out of the car. He had an advantage.

As he approached the car, he could recognise Johnny immediately, he was wearing a baseball cap and a black jacket, as invisible as he could be, but he’d recognise those ears anywhere, and his companion despite also being dressed head to foot in not at all suspicious black,  he couldn’t miss the physique and height of Gripper next to him. They were unbolting one of the gates, fortunately it wasn’t a busy field, though that wasn’t the point. they were doing it to cause damage, and he had to fight the surge of anger that cause.

Sonny still had the benefit of the darkness in his favour; the two buffoons were now using torches, so he could see them clearly. He just needed to ensure that there were only two of them, he wasn’t about to be jumped and rumbled by others, that would potentially be the worst thing that could happen. Circling around of the back of the car they’d abandoned at the top of the driveway, he was glad to see the vehicle empty. There was no sign of any other vehicle either.

He’d have the element of surprise over the two, this was an ambush he couldn’t lose, but it was all about the end result. He had to keep up the pretence that Johnny was both a stranger and in this situation an enemy, so she had to attack him first, that was essential. Then Sonny saw an avenue, a way to push Johnny closer to Oldbury, and Oldbury further towards the set up.

Moving away from the two he sent a text message to Martha, ‘Intruders, call the police’.

He waited a moment until the return message said, ‘on their way, you ok?’

Crouched behind the hedge he smiled, ‘yes. Following your instructions, letting the professionals deal with this.’

He was determined to bide his time, but once the gate to the filed creaked and fell to the floor, and the two burst into hushed laughter, he knew he had to act. They weren’t going to stay there forever, and who knew how long the police would be, they were as rural as this community got.

Flying from his hiding position he launched himself at Johnny who was in a half squat position, the two rolled on to the floor, with a grunt he got a punch in, but it was then he spotted the other figure starting to escape.

Jumping up from his position over the prostrate Johnny, he hissed at him, “run, police!” Then hurtled after the rather cumbersome Gripper. After a few seconds Sonny had closed on him and rugby tackled him to the floor. Ignoring the grunts and groans, he pinned the lump to the floor face down, and sat on his back just as the blue lights and sirens of the police cars appeared on the horizon. Pulling the hood of the sweater from around his captive’s head, Sonny let out a theatrical gasp.

                “Gripper! YOU! What are you doing damaging the gate?”

Gripper grunted, and at that moment Sonny called out to the police officers who had come to a stop near the abandoned car.

As two officers came across to him, he pulled Gripper to his feet, just as Martha appeared; she’d jogged across the fields wanting to help surprise the assailants.

                “GRIPPER?” She screamed trying to lash out. “YOU are the one sabotaging the farm?”

Sonny stopped her hand connecting with the restrained man, and she lashed out at him too. So instead he pulled her into his arms, “don’t rise to it, let the police deal with it, they’ve got him.”

He turned to the police officer, “there’s another one, he headed that way,” pointing across the field and three officers set off on foot with flashlights.”

                “What happened?” The remaining officer turned to them.

Martha stepped in, “we’ve had a lot of vandalism lately, so when we heard noises, Sonny ran up here and I called you guys.”

                “Can we take formal statements please?”

Sonny sighed, “can we come to the station tomorrow? Martha’s shattered.”

                “Normally we’d say no we need you tonight, but this seems fairly straight forward.”

Gripper was bundled, scowling into the back of the car, and they watched as he was driven off, and fortunately for Sonny, there was no sign of Johnny, he was long gone.

As the last of the police cars drove off, Sonny, who’d temporarily replaced the gate, the field was at least secure, threw an arm around Martha’s shoulders, “come on, we may need a cocoa before we hit the wine, it’s bloody freezing!”

Back at the house Martha sighed, “thanks for catching him, if you hadn’t been there...”

Sonny hated the guilt he felt at that, after all he’d KNOWN, this catch may have made him look heroic, but he’d planned his own accolade almost, instead he smiled, “go inside, let me do a quick recce of the rest of the place. Check there’s nothing else amiss.”

She nodded, “I’ll open the wine, like we’re ever going to drink cocoa.”

He laughed as she disappeared into the house, then pulled out his phone as he moved around the corner of the building.

Johnny answered on the second ring, “I’m away, safe. Good call. Great move tying up Gripper. Oldbury’s en route to pick me up. Call you in a couple of days.”

Sonny smiled, though he didn’t have time to answer before his friend hung up, everything was falling into place. Soon Martha would be free to spend time with Ethan, and that was more important than anything else.

Martha was sat in the lounge, the bottle of wine on the coffee table in front of her, a glass poured for him.

                “Warmer in here tonight,” she offered as he sat at the opposite end if the same sofa.

Nodding in acknowledgment as they always seemed to sit in the kitchen, he took a sip, “all fine, though I note Mickey isn’t in the feed room, does that mean that bloody animal is on your father’s bed again?”

Martha laughed, the adorable puppy got away with whatever he wanted, “probably.”

They drank quietly, and it was a while before she asked him what had happened up in the fields.

                “I realised it was Gripper, didn’t recognise the other guy, but there was no way I was letting him get away with it.”

                “Does this mean that we’re back on Scott’s radar?”

He shrugged, “we’ve got that video, it isn’t in his interest, in fact, I might go to him tomorrow, remind him of that, I mean if we hand that to the police he’ll have to squirm really hard to get out if it.”

                “So Gripper will get done for it?”

Sonny shrugged, “where Oldbury points, Gripper goes. He was involved even if it wasn’t his idea.”

Martha hated it all, the lies, the deceit and the backbiting. Sonny sighed reaching out to touch her shoulder, “it’ll be over soon, hopefully this will see Oldbury back off.”

She rolled her eyes, “like that’ll ever happen. You and him will still be rutting like stags until either one of you is six feet under or back inside.”

                “I’m not going back there. Ever.”

Looking at him over the top of her wine glass she sighed, “I hope not. You’re too good for that.”

He laughed, “I’m no angel darling.”

She didn’t answer; she just studied him for a moment. But the silence wasn’t awkward, it was tense, and made her aware of him, but she wasn’t in a rush to change anything. She was tired, and wasn’t up to the fight, not now.

                “You’re not the monster you like people to think you are.”

He lifted an eyebrow as she slumped back against the cushions, lifting her feet to curl up on the sofa. Sighing he reached for them and lengthened her legs out over his thighs. Martha stretched luxuriously, then groaned when his hands didn’t leave her instep. Hot fingers that overwhelmed her senses.

                “You told your father?” She closed her eyes and he gave a dry laugh. “He needs to know. This has gone on too long.”

She sighed, still avoiding his scrutiny, her eyes tightly closed, “I didn’t intend to tell him, I don’t know when I ever would, but you made me see that I have to. But he was drunk...he’s going to the races on the weekend, it’s his first trip away.” Finally she looked at him, “I’m telling him when he gets back. He deserves this time away. He deserves that fun first. He’s had a hard time.”

Sonny nodded, “and telling him isn’t going to be easy.”

Closing her eyes again she tried to ignore the sensation of his fingers pummelling her feet, “he’ll hate me, and then himself.”

                “But he’ll love Ethan, and he’s the one that matters.” He thought for a moment, “maybe he’d be the softener?”

Opening her eyes she stared at him again, “what do you mean?”

                “Have him here...when you tell him. One night will be ok. Bring him here, Sunday, they can get to know each other, it’ll soften the blow, and one night, no one will know.”

Could she? Could she merge her two worlds so easily? Whatever happened it was going to be hell, but Sonny was right, Ethan would win her father over.

                “I’d have to get rid of Lucy for a while; I can’t put this on to her. It’s not fair, and when she has a couple of sherries she’s known for her loose lips.”

                “I think she’d be better than you think...” He laughed at her look of amazement, “ok, so the old girl is growing on me. Don’t underestimate her. She thinks the world of you...and hates Oldbury more than anyone else.”

His hands were driving her wild, his ministrations had moved to her ankle and she could barely concentrate, let alone think about Aunt Lucy. When she dropped her head back and sighed, he laughed.

And that was the moment breaker she needed.

                “I’ve got a lot to think about.”

When she managed to meet his eyes, he looked at her with the same heat, the same passion and the same desire that his hands were eliciting in her.

Giving herself a little shake, she lifted her feet from his lap, “see you in the morning?”