“Aye, I get it.” Ronan grinned at me before punching me in the arm and opening the van door. “Hopin’ t’ be breakin’ down those wee trust issues o’ yas, like.”
I narrowed my eyes playfully but was unable to hold back a smirk. I clambered out, jumping down from the cab onto the grass before making my way over to Darragh.
“How’s the form, now?” He greeted us with a wide grin. When he held out his fist, I nudged my knuckles against his. “Heard ya got a wee party planned f’after hours in the local, aye?”
“Aye, turns out the boss man there has a low opinion o’ pikeys, like. Thought we’d be teachin’ him a wee lesson ‘bout watchin’ his mouth.”
Darragh was like a schoolboy, eyes shining with excitement as he hopped foot to foot. He seemed antsy, on edge, and I recognised the look immediately.
“Eh, ya on somethin’ tonight, now?” I asked, jerking my chin at him. Ronan glanced between us as Darragh laughed.
“Aye, I’d had a line or two wi’ Seamus earlier, like. He’s up f’it tonight an’ all. Said he was goin’ f’a slash an’ would meet us here, now.”
I’d known Seamus for years, whereas Ronan and Darragh’s usefulness was relatively unknown, I knew without a doubt that Seamus could handle himself. I nodded, digging around in my jeans for a cigarette. I balanced it between my lips, patting my pockets down for a lighter when I caught Ronan’s eye. When he subtly wrinkled his nose, his thoughts were made clear.
You’re going to taste like an ashtray if you smoke that.
He wasn’t a smoker and whilst he’d never complained before, I couldn’t deny the idea of putting him off kissing me for the sake of a cigarette certainly dimmed my desire to smoke one. Without a word, I pulled it from between my lips and tucked it behind my ear. I tried to be annoyed about it, but I failed. What Ronan had in store for me later would always be worth skipping a cigarette.
“Oi, oi!” a familiar voice shouted, and we all looked across the camp, spotting Seamus sauntering over to us with his hands in his pockets. “Heard we gotta wee fun time planned f’later, aye?”
“Howsagoin’, boyo?” I greeted him, jerking my chin up.
“Declan not joinin’ us?” he asked, eyes darting around the group.
I laughed. “Nah, drownin’ in his wee buffer again, aye? Sent us ta do his dirty work, like.”
“What’s new?” Seamus smirked. “Just as well we’d not be mindin’ an excuse t’ get our hands dirty, now.”
Seamus pulled a pair of leather gloves and a face mask from his pockets, waving them around proudly.
“Aye.” I turned to Ronan and Darragh. “Y’got some kit t’ cover yaselves up wi’, like? Gloves, masks, anythin’ like that?”
Darragh nodded, nudging Ronan to follow him. “C’mon. We’ll meet ya fellas back here in five?”
“Sound.” I watched the two of them disappear into the dark before turning back to Seamus. “What y’reckon? Y’think they’re up f’it?”
“Only one way ta find out, now,” he replied with a shrug. “They’re good lads. I’d no problem trustin’ ‘em, but whether they got what it takes t’ hang wi’ us… Well, we’ll see, aye?”
“Aye,” I muttered.
“‘Ey.” Seamus jerked his chin. “Y’smokin’ that wee ciggie or no?”
I snatched the stick from behind my ear and handed it over. “Crack on, like.”
“Quality, thanks fella.”
By the time Seamus had finished the cigarette, Ronan and Darragh returned. They’d swapped their clothes for dark, plain colours with long sleeves, each with face coverings bundled at their necks. Darragh had a crowbar resting on his shoulder and cast me a cocky grin as I eyed it.
“Be thinkin’ it’d come in handy, like,” he said.
I simply grinned and nodded. “A’right, lemme grab me gloves an’ shite, then we’ll be on our way, now. Scout the place out an’ wait f’closin’ time.”
I clambered up into my caravan, zipping a hooded jacket over my t-shirt. It was too hot, sweat already breaking out over my back, but it was better than getting glass stuck in me. I grabbed a tatty pair of leather gloves and a thin snood-like face covering, tucking the gloves into the back pocket of my jeans, and tugging the face covering over my head to gather at my neck.
There was one last thing I needed to bring with me. I opened my wardrobe and dug around inside, shifting a pile of shoes and my ma’s keepsake box to one side. I lifted the loose edge of the carpet to reveal a small hole I’d cut into the plastic floor and reached inside, hand clasping what I’d hidden there. I pulled free a large hunting knife, slipping the blade out of its case briefly to check it over beforestrapping it to my calf. I hoped I wouldn’t need it, but you never knew when you’d be forced to defend yourself. If it came down to a standoff and the choice was me or an assailant? The winner would always be me.
I pushed all my belongings back into place and grabbed a tatty, old cricket bat. I’d had this thing since I was a wain, and it had seen far more action than any cricket bat should have ever rightly seen. I tucked it under my arm, closing up the wardrobe before returning to my mates.
