The Cunning (18+)

71

Janine crunched empty cans and dropped them into the black bag, Sam and Kieran were on bottle duty. They were finishing up, emptying ashtrays and opening windows to air the house out when Jase came downstairs. Sam clocked the scratches on his neck and a faint bite mark beginning to bruise at the edge of his collar.

"Fuck me, what happened?" Kieran asked, noticing the same purple blotch. Jase kept a passive expression, lighting a cigarette.

"Madison happened," he replied, inhaling. "She isn't exactly dealing with the direction things are going in gracefully. I think she's got the message though."

Janine wanted to ask how Madison was, specifically whether he'd hurt her or just emotionally abused her for the rest of the night. She wanted to see Madison, to offer a shoulder to cry on and apologise on Jase's behalf. She couldn't wrap her head around his behaviour. He couldn't have flipped that fast. Then again, it was Jase. Who knew how fast he could change his mind and turn his back?

Janine grabbed the hoover and Sam wiped the table. Kieran and Jase took the bags out to the wheelie bins before they all congregated in the living room.

"What time are we going to Ramon's?" Sam asked, collapsing on the sofa. Janine was sent upstairs now the housework was finished. Jase lit the joint he had rolled, tipped his head back, and closed his eyes.

"Half hour," he mumbled, replaying the night in his mind. He took his phone from his pocket, sending a message to see if Ramon was even home. He said he would be around if what they wanted to discuss was worth his time. Ramon was getting impatient, he'd never been short with Jase. The weed dulled all thoughts, cloaking him in warmth and keeping the stress at bay. The drugs did an okay job at convincing him he was genuinely glad to be washing his hands of Madison.

Twenty minutes later, he was back in the bedroom.

"Are you going out?" Madison asked. Jase was stood at the wardrobe.

"Yes," he replied stiffly, pulling a jumper on as he walked around to his side of the bed. Madison glanced at the bobby pins on the bedside cabinet when he picked up the cigarettes.

"Jase, hurry up," Sam shouted from the bottom of the stairs. Jase met her eyes, holding them for a second before backing away, leaving her in a near silence, filled with the low hum of electric.

Madison waited until she heard the front door close and the faint sound of a car starting before launching into action, grabbing the pins. She would sooner kill herself and everyone in the house than willingly go with Mitch. The door took a few minutes to pick but not as long as last time. She was careful to only step on the edges of the hallway where the floorboards were less likely to creak. Whilst Madison trusted Janine, now wasn't the time to risk getting caught.

She tiptoed downstairs, listening for anyone that could be in the house. Kieran and Tommy had keys, and it was unknown whether Benny would decide to stop by. Once she determined the coast was clear, she honed in on her target. A green tin box under Jase's armchair. It took half the time it had taken to open the door. Opening the box revealed two handguns and several magazines along with her ID. Her heart thumped hard, forcing blood around her body. The boys hadn't been gone long, but the anxiety churned through her at the prospect of getting caught. She moved fast, her hands a blur. The gun was smooth and cold, large in her grip, and heavier than it looked. In a few seconds, it was locked and loaded; the box returned under the chair. She ran back upstairs, hiding the gun underneath the mattress, her fingers tingling as an excited giggle slipped out.

It wouldn't be long now. She'd show him, she'd show all of them.

*

"So, you're actually going to get rid of her then?" Ramon asked, leaning back in his chair and lacing his fingers across his stomach. He'd gained weight again.

"We're working on getting Mitch's number," Sam replied. Ramon studied him and Jase in turn before sniffing, clearing his throat.

"Tell me," he tilted his head, "why the sudden change of heart? Because from everything I've heard, this girl had you," he nodded at Jase. "She was taking liberties, attacking punters, she wasn't working. You were practically feeding her cocaine whenever she wanted it. So, why are you about to take the little lamb to slaughter?" Jase stared absently into the corner of the room. Sam could tell it irked him - how Ramon was speaking to him, but even Jase knew when to hold his tongue and respect his elders.

"As Sam said," Jase sighed, "she kept pushing. At first it was here and there, a little bit of excitement. She's pretty and she's clever, and I didn't mind being kept on my toes for a while, you know how it is." Ramon nodded, he was no stranger to falling off the wagon for a moment over skirt. "Then she killed Charlie, last night she attacked someone else-"

"And you," Sam added, missing the flicker of confusion over Jase's face.

"And me. I had a decision to make, and I chose the house. It's been a long time coming and I'm tired now. If we need to hand her over to Mitch as a peace offering so be it, shit happens." Jase took a deep drag on his cigarette, leaning forward to tap off a finger of ash.

"You sick of her making you look like a mug then?" Ramon asked, taunting him. Jase tipped his head back, blowing smoke at the ceiling.

"Something like that," he replied, not rising to it. Ramon grinned that shark's smile.

"I figured it would only be a matter of time before you started seeing sense again. Gotta cut you youngsters some slack, it's only natural you fancy a bit of the product for yourself. Let me know what the plan is when you get in contact with McKinney, I'll be glad when this is over. Hell, he might even want to work with us once he's got her, minimise the competition, eh?"

"Fingers crossed," Jase replied, stubbing his cigarette out as he stood. Sam went to follow him out but Ramon stopped him, speaking in a low voice once Jase had left the room.

"Keep an eye on him. I can see he's not keen on this and I don't want him flaking out. If he gets cold feet at the handover and starts fucking things up, you deal with him, you hear? I've kept him on so far because he's like a son to me but I can't keep overlooking the mistakes he's been making lately because of her. Either she goes or he goes, understood?"