The Cunning

108

"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.

"We're just waiting on getting Mitch's number," Sam replied. Ramon studied each of them in turn, sniffing and 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 was staring absently at the corner of the room, Sam could tell it irked him to be spoken to how Ramon was speaking to him, but even Jase knew when to hold his tongue and respect his elders. He frowned, shrugging one shoulder carelessly.

"As Sam said, she kept pushing. At first it was just 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. Jase continued. "Then she killed Charlie, last night she attacked someone else-"

"And you," Sam added.

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

"You're 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 mumbled, not rising to his provoking tone. 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 all of 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, leaning forward and stubbing his cigarette out as he stood. Sam went to follow him out when 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 any of 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?"

*

Sam, Jase and Kieran sat in the kitchen. Jase's phone was on speaker, it had already rung several times and he was beginning to think Mitch wouldn't answer the unknown number. The last ring was cut off by static when he finally picked up.

"Hello?" he answered, suspicion leaking through the Nokia. Sam held his breath. It hadn't felt real until then, and it struck him that if Mitch didn't agree to call a truce and take Madison off their hands, they didn't have a backup plan. He could tell both Kieran and Jase were just as tense and aware of the fragility of the situation.

"It's Jase." There was a pause.

"Took your fucking time. How did you like the little throwback of Madison?" he asked. Jase ignored the question, he wasn't about to be wound up by this arsehole.

"Madison told us about what happened to her brother and your involvement," he replied.

"Did she now?" Mitch said, all sing-song. Jase could hear his shit eating grin. "So what do I owe the honour of you tracking down my contact details then, Mr Davies?"

"I have a proposition for you." His mouth dried. There was no going back once he said the words. Once the plan was in motion, there would be no point where he could retract his offer.

"I'm listening," Mitch responded after a brief pause. Jase looked at Sam who nodded, urging him to proceed. Jase licked his lips, preparing himself to take the leap. The hesitation made Sam's palms sweat, recalling what Ramon had requested he do, should Jase start having second thoughts.

"If you want Madison, you can have her. You'd be doing us a favour. But if you agree, the shootings, the bombings, the stabbings, it all stops and you either back the fuck off, or work with us." His eyes flickered to the pink scar on his hand and he thought about how quick Madison had been to tend to his wound. There was a short laugh on the other end of the call, Jase would recognise it anywhere; Adam was listening.

"People have been saying you've lost your bottle, but I suppose they underestimated how cutthroat you are when it comes to your money," Mitch said. Jase wanted to rip his throat out.

"Plenty more pussy in the sea," he mumbled. Another laugh crackled through.

"That there is. So, you hand Madison over for me to do whatever I see fit, and we agree to a truce? Is that what you're suggesting?" Mitch asked. He was lapping it up, seeing it as Jase giving in and it boiled his blood to think how much Mitch and Adam were enjoying this.

"That's the idea," Jase replied. McKinney's voice alone made him curl his fists. He could hear the smugness, envision the self-satisfied smirk he had plastered across his stupid face.

"To be completely honest, Jase, I'm glad you've come forward with the suggestion. I was getting bored of the back and forth. You didn't give me as much of a show as everyone said you would but hey ho. Besides, having Madison works just fine for me, it's a better plan than the one I had originally." Jase assumed he was talking about her dad. Madison was a participation trophy on his journey to the real prize. Revenge was best served with long blonde hair in Mitch's eyes.

"Is that your way of saying you accept?" Jase questioned, wanting the phone call over and done with. There was another brief pause.

"Yeah, alright. I'll take her off your hands and you can restore the damage the pair of us have done to your big bad reputation. When's best for you?"

Sam rolled his eyes, even he would love the opportunity to knock seven shades of shit out of that cocky little twat and things weren't half as personal between them.

"The house, tomorrow, half nine. Adam knows where it is. Then all of this ends, understood?"

"Loud and clear." He hung up and Jase sat back, lighting a much needed cigarette.

"So, that's that then?" Sam asked. Jase nodded slowly. It was rather anticlimactic. There was no resistance from Mitch, his confidence and certainty that he'd got his way had gone to his head so much that he didn't even seem nervous or hesitant at the idea of coming to the house.

"Do you think he'll bring people with him?" Kieran asked. Jase shrugged.

"He'll probably bring Adam, but I dare say he knows we won't have many of our own people around considering letting Madison go looks like we're admitting defeat," he muttered. He analysed Mitch's tone throughout the phone call, feeling uneasy about how fast Mitch had agreed with hardly any convincing. The cockiness gave Jase an inkling that he was unlikely to take the win as it was, Mitch had other ideas.