Trying Not to Love You - Part Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Four

 

Marcus Thomas was sat behind his desk at the club that housed his businesses and stared at Sonny sat opposite him. Sonny had always been on his radar, but the younger man didn’t know that. He loved these situations where circumstances in one place had a domino effect on to so many others. He appreciated the irony of it all and this particular one was about to blow in an almighty explosion, and he was waiting with baited breath.

                “So, Oldbury? He’s a problem?”

Sonny sighed, he hated that he’d been summonsed here, again. He’d managed to avoid meeting the king pin for years, now he’d met him twice in two months. But it was his own fault, the jungle drums must have sounded as soon as he turned up at some old stomping grounds. He’d lasted just over a week before he started to get requests for a visit from Marcus, but then he knew that he wanted to take this to its conclusion himself, and Marcus was hooding all the cards. His ideas of getting free of this life were narrowing as he spoke.

                “He’s trying to buy farm land, wants to develop houses, but he’s also using bully boy tactics to snap up some businesses in a neighbouring town. He’s a mug but seems small fry. I told Dave all this.”

Dave the ‘assistant’ or rather bodyguard nodded from the corner.

                “I know,” Marcus sighed, “but I want to make sure we’re doing the right thing. He’s treading on my toes, I need him silenced.”

Sonny hid a sigh, all these months and Marcus chose now, as he was settled, as he was formulating his own plans and his own solutions, to do this? He wanted to scream. But he couldn’t let the older and more worldly man see that chink in his armour. “Silenced how?”

Marcus smiled, “I want to end him, but I think he’s got more value than that...but I’m thinking a trip inside might mean we can...coax him around to our way of thinking.”

                “I’m not sure he’s that malleable.”

Grinning Marcus tossed a packet down onto the table, “you chance to pay him back. If you still want to?”

Sonny looked down at the table, then back at the older man. This was the moment he’d been waiting for, but there was that unspoken extra thing that concerned him, the bargaining chip that had been held over his head for months.

                “And the other stuff?”

                “If you immobilise Oldbury, you will have the information within twelve hours...wherever you are.”

                “Then I’ll be free?”

Marcus didn’t agree, but he didn’t fight it either.

Sonny groaned, this was the last thing he wanted, but he had to be free, and this was part of the deal. Two weeks ago he had envisaged a future that involved Martha, Carl, the farm, and more, but now that was all in arms too. Regardless he wanted to be free of this life, this undercurrent and underworld. And as he travelled back to the farm by train, his mind was full of all that was going on. He’d gone to prison for a set up, a set up by Oldbury. Now he had information to implicate Oldbury in a huge crime, something he wouldn’t be able to get out of.

Was an eye-for-an-eye really a good thing? He knew what Martha would say, that it would make the whole world blind, but that wasn’t how this world worked, and he was still part of that, he wasn’t free to leave yet. This was what was expected of him. He thought back to the Post Office aggravated robbery that he’d almost been framed for a few months earlier. With his track record, he’d have been looking at a long stretch. But thanks to Martha and her quick thinking he wasn’t. He sighed, would he ever get over her?

Oldbury was a threat, to everyone; it would be a god send to everyone if he got himself put away. He laughed; he was trying to convince himself that he was doing right. But two wrongs didn’t make a right...well he was one big walking cliché, and that made him laugh.

The house was in darkness when he got back, and for the first time in ages Sonny was relieved. Pouring himself a large shot of vodka, he finally opened the envelope that Marcus had given him. It contained details on a security van, one that was going to be full of cash and parked in a lay-by twenty miles away in a few weeks time, a plant. The sort of information that any self respecting greedy man would go for. But in this case, it had to be Oldbury and not his minions. The target was that he got implicated. How the hell was he going to do that?

He buried the paperwork in the bottom drawer in his bedroom, away from prying eyes and tried to forget. He had a few weeks to act, a few weeks to work out what he was going to do. He had a lot to weigh up, because this could cost him everything. Everything he’d ever truly wanted. But it would also clear a huge threat for the Mansells’, and he was only too glad to help out the people who’d treated him like family.

Martha couldn’t believe how much she’d missed Sonny. He said he was going away for a few days, but this was the tenth day without him at the farm and she missed him terribly. She hadn’t laughed, bickered or been exasperated since he’d gone. And was no one to defend her when Scott turned up to the restaurant on the tenth night. There was a table booked for ten people, which was an unusual thing for a Wednesday night, and that was what tonight was. There were three other booking of four, two couples, and then the surprise and piece de resistance that was Scott and a bunch of cronies. She recognised two of the men, and a couple of the women, but that was all.

                “I’ll serve them,” Paul offered, “I don’t think you should be anywhere near him.”

Martha shook her head, “no, it’s fine. I have to face him, and to be honest he can hardly hurt me here. I’m not scared Paul, I haven’t been in a long time.”

The other man looked sceptical, but she was insistent.

                “Hi guys,” she stood at the top of the table and smiled, glad that Scott was the far end, as much as she said she wasn’t scared, him being too close was a threat to her balance and she could do with avoiding that. “The Specials are up on the board to your right, and the chef’s recommendation is the venison medallions. Can I get you any drinks?”

Scott laughed haughtily, “do you have any decent champagne?”

She grinned in a genial way, “well the Cuvee Blanc de Jourain is our most exclusive bottle, and it won six awards last year for its individuality. It’s £500 a bottle.”

Martha had never been more glad that she’d brought half a dozen cases a few months back, it was worth it just for that moment. He turned a little puce, after making such an attempt to humiliate her, then he could hardly ask for something cheaper.

With another dazzling smile, Martha handed out the wine menus. “Obviously that’s our most special bottle. There are other less...” she deliberately paused there before adding, “extravagant on there.”

With that she turned and left, wishing that Sonny was there to appreciate her winning the first stage of the battle so emphatically. But he wasn’t, he hadn’t been for days.

Paul did most of the serving to the table for the rest of the evening, but at least she’d held her own, the night was quietening, a few of the dining groups had disappeared home, so she waved to Paul.

                “Helen has emailed me the menu for the ball; I need to sort through it and email details to Tom so he can work out what is feasible for him to prepare. You ok for half an hour?”

Paul laughed, “easy, candy to a baby. Need anything else?”

She shook her head, “no. But thanks.”

Grinning he poured her a glass of wine, “take this, and it’s me who should be thanking you. For humouring my two sisters. They can be hardcore on times.”

                “Helen’s been my mate for a long time. And I feel for Mandy, she must miss Kevin being away for six months, that’s without the worry of him being in the midst of a war.”

Paul nodded, “she’s such a tit most of the time, but she deals with him being away so stoically. And the kids are SO well loved, it’s amazing, she’s amazing.”

Martha agreed, “and she deserves THE most special night for the ball.”

Paul looked at her knowingly, “I sense you have something planned.”

With an elaborate wink she disappeared into the office to work on her plans.

Just over an hour later Paul stuck his head in, “only Scott’s party to go...they’re all wined out so I was about to close the bar.”

Martha followed him back into the bar, the place was virtually clean, Paul was nothing if not diligent, “go home Paul, I’m sure the kids will be glad to see you.”

He laughed; “they’re in bed, and anyway, I’m not leaving you with that thug still here.” he nodded in the direction of Scott and his friends. “I’m thinking that the four hundred quid drink bill you bullied him into is enough to piss him off. And I’m not letting him get his hands on you. Ok?”

                “Wise words!”

Both heads snapped up to see Sonny stood there, lounging against the counter, a lazy smile on his lips, “thanks Paul, I’ll take on that role, once I’ve heard all about this drinks bill con!”

                “I’ll grab my coat!”

As Paul disappeared, they stared at each other, and it was a while until Martha spoke. “It was a long ‘few days’.”

He nodded, “I was really busy, lots to catch up on...” Sighing he propped himself on his elbows and sighed, “I presume you still feel the same...” She gave slight nod, she couldn’t open herself up to him again, she couldn’t. And she was relieved when he smiled, “I don’t want to leave here, it won’t be easy, but I want to stay on the farm, working here...I’ve had the best few months of my life living here, with you and Carl, and that means a lot to me.”

                “It’s been special to us too.”

He wanted to thank her for that, but it wasn’t the time or the place, so he could only smile, “so we can be friends.”

                “I’d like that, a lot.”

                “Good, cos I want to hear all about how you’ve wound Oldbury up.”

And she’d wanted to tell no one but him too, though she didn’t share that information.