The Cunning (18+)

37

"I heard what happened last night," Benny said when Jase eventually showed his face downstairs. Jase ruffled his bed head, lowering himself onto the sofa, starting his morning routine of joint rolling. "We're going to have to get more girls to replace Annabelle and- what was the other one's name?"

"Kasia," Jase replied around a rolled piece of card between his lips.

Benny nodded, "We're going out tonight," he declared.

"Should try a new area. Somewhere the girls haven't been disappearing, so they aren't as cautious," Jase said. Benny studied him, tilting his head to the side.

"I also heard about what you did to Mike." Jase didn't look at him, concentrating on rolling the joint. He'd expected this. "Some of the boys are worried she's getting to you, that Madison." He ground her name through his teeth, nails to a chalkboard.

"Is that so?" Jase asked, disinterested as he sat back, licking the paper.

Benny sighed. "I agree with them. You're softening. Since when did you give a shit about one of the girls getting a bit felt up?"

Jase lit the joint, inhaling deeply. He blew the smoke towards the ceiling, watching it twist and fade before looking back at Benny, poking his tongue in his cheek.

"Firstly, he hit her, he didn't feel her up. Also, last night, I shot a man for beating one of the girls to death. He took money directly out of our pockets doing that. Last week I threatened to cut Oliver in front of his toddler. A week before that I burned a pub down. Some of your boys ought to mind their business."

Benny hummed in thought. Then he bobbed his head, he'd always been easy to sway where Jase was concerned.

"You're right. Everyone's feeling the squeeze a bit, like they're walking on eggshells with this McKinney shit. They want to point fingers."

"Well they can point them somewhere else. I'm sorting it," Jase assured. "I've been doing this for a long time, Benny." He didn't usually pay any mind to gossip but being perceived as soft was dangerous.

Benny was nodding again. "I know, mate. I shouldn't question you, but all this has me nervous, too. He hasn't shot back yet, and I haven't heard anything. It's making me question who we can trust." Now that, Jase hadn't expected. His eyes sharpened at Benny.

"And you want to question if you can trust me?"

Benny waved his hands around animatedly, sitting forward in his chair. "No. No, of course not mate. You're probably the only cunt I can trust." His knee was bobbing up and down. Jase took another few drags on his joint before Benny spoke again. "Shit's just crazy right now. McKinney has really put a downer on everything. I just need to know what the fuck's going on." Jase didn't like letting Benny know what was going on. As much as it was ultimately Benny's operation because it was his contacts that got them started, it was Jase's business. Benny was all reaction, they wouldn't have lasted so long if he was left in control of everything.

"When have I ever let you down?" Jase asked. Benny didn't answer, chewing his lip. Jase had never failed to pull through on anything. Even deals Benny was unsure of, Jase had jumped in and got his hands dirty, bending things to work in his favour. "I'm dealing with it. He's probably shitting himself somewhere. I doubt he thought anything would happen from turning down Ramon's offer. He'll either disappear, or he'll get buried. It's not a problem," Jase said calmly. Benny smiled, his fidgeting ceased as he collapsed back in the armchair.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm worrying over nothing. I can count on you."

Jase continued to smoke, grateful Benny was so easily consolable today and distracted away from a conversation about Madison. It was the cocaine that made him like that. Benny thought it aided in his sharpness because his heartbeat accelerated. In reality, it made him sloppy, missing almost everything. If anyone was losing their touch, it was him.

However, if Benny had picked up on Madison enough to remember her name then Jase would need to take a step back and draw the attention away. Not only that, he hadn't worked his arse off for four years to be pushed out by rumours and a girl he'd grown a little too curious of. It was time to call it a day. The realisation had come to him last night when he was disposing of Kasia and her customer.

There was nothing that separated a person from reality like taking a life. If he was going to rip the proverbial plaster that was Madison off, he needed to do it whilst the numbness was still raw.

Benny went out a little while later. Jase asked Sam to fetch Madison.

"But we've got a guy coming round," Sam said. They were waiting for a potential client to arrive for a chat about the girls.

"I know. That's why I want you to get her," Jase replied.

Sam narrowed his eyes, "Are you giving her her first customer?" he asked. Jase sighed in frustration. He'd been thinking about what he was going to do since Benny had questioned his integrity, and he still didn't know how far he was willing to take things to keep the heat down.

But he needed to put a stop to the rumours before they got out of hand. That would be easiest to do now when he was in this disassociating state. There was something disturbingly satisfying about the detachment that followed killing someone. That cold callousness gave Jase a sense of freedom- of indestructibility.

"I'm not sure yet," he replied.

"What about your plan?" They were sitting at the kitchen table. Jase chewed his lip. His plan had been going well, she was feeling secure around him, she trusted him. She'd said so herself.

"The plan worked. It's time to let her know hers didn't."

Sam sat back, crossing his arms.

"What do you mean?" The front door opened, and both men turned to see Harvey walking in. He smiled nervously.

"Forgot my pack," he said, disappearing into the living room and leaving without another word. Sam turned back to Jase.

"I mean," Jase started, sitting up straight and lowering his voice, "I'm bored of playing games with her. There are too many other things going on. I think it's time to remind her where she is." Sam laced his fingers behind his head.

"You know, for a minute there, it kind of looked like you and Madison had a thing or something."

Jase looked at Sam through his lashes. "Don't be stupid, Sammy. Catching feelings for a girl in this place is more hassle than it's worth," he stood up, walking out as he spoke, "you should know that." As the words left his lips, Jase's resolve strengthened. He'd turned a blind eye to Sam and Janine but he'd never been happy with it. If he carried on with Madison how he had been, it would make him a hypocrite. It was a waste of time. It wasn't as though it could go anywhere and the only place it had gone was too far.