Without A Trace

Nine.

Walking through town I look over at John who's staring at the dark haired girl behind the counter. I take the cigarette out of my mouth and nudged him, "Go on. You have one hour, meet us at the bake shop when you're done," I say pulling my coat closed and buttoning it.

John stops and stares at us, "What?"

"Dont make me repeat myself John. What your brothers don't know wont hurt. Go on," I say looking at the girl and then back at him.

John shares a smile before walking over to the girl before Ivy, Anna, and I walk into the bake shop and take a big deep breath in with a smile.

"Mornin ladies," The break maker greets us before walking to the counter. "Mornin miss Ivy," he says with a smile.

"Mornin Roger," Ivy says walking up to the counter, "Can I get 3 blueberry lemon scones and 3 cappuccinos please?"

"Of course, on the house love," He says with a smile before walking to the back.

"I want to hear about you and Michael," I say crossing my leg over the next putting out my cigarette.

"Yeah me too. How the hell does someone with that fuckin temper end up with someone like you?" Anna says before Roger comes over and gives us our stuff and walks back to the counter.

Ivy smiles taking a sip of her coffee, "He didn't used to have that bad of a temper. He used to be so kind and gentle."

Anna and I stare at her blinking a few times, "Are we talking about the same Michael fuckin Shelby?" I ask her.

Ivy laughs, "Yes I promise. We met back in primary school. I was in the library when I saw him walk in. He took my breath away for a bloody minute if I say so myself. The whole place was empty and this fucker walks right over to my table. He looks down at the table and then over at me before putting his jacket on the chair and taking a seat. I asked him what he was doing considering there was a whole fuckin building, and he told me theres been two men following me all day," her heart sinks at the memory.

"So naturally I start to panic and he takes my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze and tells me 'I swear to you as long as I'm around, nobody will lay a bloody finger on you' and of course I fuckin die at the sound of his voice," she giggles. "Then like on cue, the two men walk over our table and Michael is smoking of course. But he does this fuckin smoke trick before looking over at them, hes not even bothered or anything with them poppin up, and all he says is 'You lads fuckin lost?' And then it was an all out brawl. Michael laid those fuckers out, they stood no chance," she said with a smile.

"Then I was all paranoid to go home so Michael walked me home and offered to stay at my flat if it made me feel safer which I agreed to. I tell you fuckin what, I dont know how I didn't get knocked up with Pippin that fuckin night," she says with a giggle. "And hes been a thorn in my fuckin side ever since. But hes kept his promise to me. I've never gotten hurt since I've met him that night."

"You bloody slut," I say nudging her. The chime of the bake shop sings through it causing me to turn around as John makes his way over to us.

"We have to get home. Now." He says demandingly before pulling all of us up and heading to the door.

"What the fuck is going on?" Anna asks walking outside with us.

"We're being followed and we're severely fuckin outnumbered. I saw one of Kimbers men peeking in the windows of the bake shop on my walk over. When theres one theres twenty," he says walking down the alley towards our house.

Three men come around the corner blocking the path. Looking behind us is the same predicament. John looks at them and pulls his gun out followed by the girls and I.

"Word on the street is you're fixing races without Kimbers permission," One of the men say.

"Funny thing about words on the street, they dont come from my fuckin mouth," John says.

"You're a little outnumbered to have guns out eh?" The man says with a chuckle.

"Yeah, you're right," Tommys voice echos behind the group behind us.

"I told you lovey, longs you're with me nothing will happen to you," Michael says talking to Ivy making her cheeks grow warm.

"You can either get shot, or turn around and go tell Mr. Kimber we're not fixing anything and maybe not be shot, but no promises," Anna says cocking her pistol.

The men put their guns down and walk out of the alley back towards the race track. Michael walks up to Ivy and gives her a passionate kiss wrapping his hand behind the back of her head, "You alright love?" He asks her.

"Never better," she says with a smile wrapping her hand in the bend of his arm walking home.

"Michael you have to have a talk with Tommy," Ivy says quietly as they walk.

"For what? Is everything alright?" He asks looking at his wife.

"Yeah, the girls and I think we should go on a holiday for a couple days after the meeting tomorrow," she says.

"Have you lost your fuckin minds? And you want me to talk to Tommy about it? Fuck the lot of you," he says angrily.

Ivy stops and presses her finger hard against his gunshot wound thats still healing causing him to wince in pain, "You will fuckin talk to him when we get home. I dont care if you have to play fuckin charades to get the point across, you will fucking talk to him." She says shoving her finger into his would before walking away.

Michael grabs his chest breathing slightly heavy from the pain radiating through his body before fallowing his wife.