“Yeah, he’s found me. As did some other fucker.” He made no effort to move. “I’m going to get back out of here as soon as I’ve sorted some shit out.”
“Not my problem.” I picked the weight up that I’d dropped and added it to the bar.
“Tommy, we need you to help.”
“Nope.” I picked up another weight. Thought about ramming it into his head and blaming someone else for it. A hit and run, just with a different object than what had killed Leila.
“Tom, this is serious.” He looked around. It was only us in the gym now. “Just do this one thing for me, and I’ll never ask you for anything else. Dad said he’d give you your cut and we’ll be done.”
“Bullshit.” Colm wouldn’t give me anything, even if it meant saving his son’s arse. He’d sell Ashley out if it meant he’d save cash above a certain amount. Everyone had their price.
“I’ve cocked up. I’ve really messed this one up and…”
“I know you have. And I don’t care. It’s nothing to do with me.”
“But it is. They know we’re cousins. They know who you are and if they don’t get what they want from me, they’ll go after you.”
“No, they won’t. Everyone knows that if I had another half a reason, I’d end you myself.” I stood up fully and glared at him. Ash had never been as big as me, never bothering to put much time in, relying on supplements and steroids, which did nothing for his temper. He’d never scared me, being far too slow to respond to a punch, and always relying on the people he surrounded himself with to protect him.
“You’re all fucking talk, Tommy. You think you’ve had all the reasons and you’ve never done anything.”
I put a hand to his chest and pushed him back. “The last favour I did for you was never telling the police exactly who was driving the car that killed Leila, and I wish to God every day that I had.” The second push made him bounce against the wall.
“It was an accident!”
“You were high and driving.” Both of my hands pinned him to the wall by his shoulders. “She should still be alive.”
“I know. You know how fucking sorry I am, Tommy. I wake up every day and fucking hate myself for it.”
“Bullshit. You wake up every day and don’t have a fucking thought. I don’t owe you anything. I don’t owe your father anything. I don’t want a fucking thing to do with you.”
“One last favour, Tom.” He was begging. I could hear it in his voice, the unsteady pitch to his words. “One last favour. You can do this.”
I knew already what that favour was. I knew I’d already agreed to it, but it had nothing to do with Ash or my family.
If it wasn’t me who did it, it would be someone else. And that would mean the ending would be wrong. People who didn’t need to be hurt would be. Blood would be shed, bullets fired.
I hadn’t agreed to protect my cousin; I’d agreed to protect someone else.
A deal with a devil to save an angel.
I’d already sold my soul, and I couldn’t buy it back, but I could keep hold of my conscience.
Some of it at least.
I knew there was a tie to Marcus Lawrence with this. Knew that Jerome had that screw lose that meant he’d never cared for the consequences. I didn’t want Jameson involved in this and if that meant sorting my cousin’s shit out one last time, so be it.
“I won’t do anything for you. If you were on fire, I wouldn’t piss on you. And it doesn’t matter how long ago it happened, I’ll never forgive you for what happened to Leila.” I pulled back a hand from his chest and punched him in his face, then stepped back, rubbing my fist.
Ash dropped straight to the floor, holding his face.
I carried on loading my bar, watching him, just in case he decided to try to retaliate. I didn’t think he would. I knew he’d never expected me to hit him.
“I can’t fucking believe you did that. It was five fucking years ago.” Ash sat up and clutched his face.
I didn’t say anything. There was no point. He would never understand that he’d taken away the best part of me.
“And it still feels like yesterday.” I dropped the bar. I was no longer in the mood for lifting anything, and I knew if Ash said the wrong thing right now, I’d probably stick a weight over his head and not care if no one covered up for me.
