but he tilted his head ever so slightly.
Joel carried on, working the man like a boxer wearing his opponent down with body shots.
"Younger by the look of him. Your little brother come out with you and look what happened to him. I bet it was his first time wasn't it? That explains why he fought like a twat."
The guy stood there looking big and saying nothing. He was pretty good at both.
Joel carried on. "Did he beg you to come out tonight? Did he beg you to have the first go at me? I think I broke his nose you know, felt like it..."
The guy stepped forward and swung.
His hands tensed a fraction of a second before he made the move, telegraphing it. Joel jumped back and the bat sliced through the air an inch in front of his nose. The man had put all his power behind the blow and now he was started he couldn’t stop. The bat continued past Joel and smashed into the wall of the alley. The vibrations of the blow travelled all the way up the bat to the batter’s hands and he swore, dropping it. Joel jumped forward and kicked him in the left knee, driving the toe of his shoe into the kneecap. He followed it up with a punch to the guy’s rounded belly and then another to his jaw. The man stepped back, raising his hands defensively in front of him, trying to buy time to clear his head. Joel stooped and grabbed the fallen bat, he swung it up from the ground, between the other man’s clenched fists, and into his chin. It connected solidly and the man’s head snapped back.
Before he could fall to the ground the last of the trio had pushed past him; the first guy’s bat was held in his hands. Joel was still bent over, struggling to get himself fully upright again when the man swung at his head.
Chapter Nineteen
Joel stared in shock at the pistol. It wasn’t the first time that he’d had a gun pointed at him but the person on the other side of it had never been a friend before. He had liked Danny, admired him, looked up to him. The Danny he was looking at now was a different man from the one he’d respected. He had a wild look in his eyes. Desperate.
“For fuck’s sake,” shouted Paterson. “Put that away while I’m driving,”
“I’m just trying to make Joel see sense,” said Danny. “The job needs to go ahead.”
“Fine with me,” said Reynolds. “How about you put it away though, Danny.”
Danny laughed and slipped the gun into the pocket of his jacket.
“You’re right, I’m sorry.” He said it like he’d made some kind of social blunder. Told an off colour joke or something. “Let’s just get things straight though. Agree what we’re doing,” He sounded under control again now the gun was away; his old charming self. “What happened back there was unfortunate but it doesn’t mean we have to give up our chance to make some easy money. Reynolds are you in?”
“Course I am, mate.”
“Paterson?”
“Aye, as long as you keep that damn thing away from my face,”
“Joel?”
Joel was silent. What would Danny do if he just ran when the car stopped? Would he shoot him? They couldn’t do the job without him, he knew that much. Did the years of friendship he’d had with Danny count for nothing now that he was up against the wall? Had they been real at all?
He ran his finger down the scar on his cheek. It should have taught him; taught him not to trust. His whole adult life it had been a reminder to him that he was better off on his own. It was there every morning when he looked in the mirror, showing him the price he’d paid in the past.
He realised he didn't care about the fucking job. What mattered was that Danny had turned on him. But it wasn't even that was it? What really cut him was the fact that he'd been weak enough to trust th e other man in the first place.
"Joel?" Danny said again, he was staring at right at him. His face smiling but his eyes intense.
Fuck it. He didn't care anymore. £50,000 would buy a lot of distractions. Besides, if he stopped now he might end
Joel carried on, working the man like a boxer wearing his opponent down with body shots.
"Younger by the look of him. Your little brother come out with you and look what happened to him. I bet it was his first time wasn't it? That explains why he fought like a twat."
The guy stood there looking big and saying nothing. He was pretty good at both.
Joel carried on. "Did he beg you to come out tonight? Did he beg you to have the first go at me? I think I broke his nose you know, felt like it..."
The guy stepped forward and swung.
His hands tensed a fraction of a second before he made the move, telegraphing it. Joel jumped back and the bat sliced through the air an inch in front of his nose. The man had put all his power behind the blow and now he was started he couldn’t stop. The bat continued past Joel and smashed into the wall of the alley. The vibrations of the blow travelled all the way up the bat to the batter’s hands and he swore, dropping it. Joel jumped forward and kicked him in the left knee, driving the toe of his shoe into the kneecap. He followed it up with a punch to the guy’s rounded belly and then another to his jaw. The man stepped back, raising his hands defensively in front of him, trying to buy time to clear his head. Joel stooped and grabbed the fallen bat, he swung it up from the ground, between the other man’s clenched fists, and into his chin. It connected solidly and the man’s head snapped back.
Before he could fall to the ground the last of the trio had pushed past him; the first guy’s bat was held in his hands. Joel was still bent over, struggling to get himself fully upright again when the man swung at his head.
Chapter Nineteen
Joel stared in shock at the pistol. It wasn’t the first time that he’d had a gun pointed at him but the person on the other side of it had never been a friend before. He had liked Danny, admired him, looked up to him. The Danny he was looking at now was a different man from the one he’d respected. He had a wild look in his eyes. Desperate.
“For fuck’s sake,” shouted Paterson. “Put that away while I’m driving,”
“I’m just trying to make Joel see sense,” said Danny. “The job needs to go ahead.”
“Fine with me,” said Reynolds. “How about you put it away though, Danny.”
Danny laughed and slipped the gun into the pocket of his jacket.
“You’re right, I’m sorry.” He said it like he’d made some kind of social blunder. Told an off colour joke or something. “Let’s just get things straight though. Agree what we’re doing,” He sounded under control again now the gun was away; his old charming self. “What happened back there was unfortunate but it doesn’t mean we have to give up our chance to make some easy money. Reynolds are you in?”
“Course I am, mate.”
“Paterson?”
“Aye, as long as you keep that damn thing away from my face,”
“Joel?”
Joel was silent. What would Danny do if he just ran when the car stopped? Would he shoot him? They couldn’t do the job without him, he knew that much. Did the years of friendship he’d had with Danny count for nothing now that he was up against the wall? Had they been real at all?
He ran his finger down the scar on his cheek. It should have taught him; taught him not to trust. His whole adult life it had been a reminder to him that he was better off on his own. It was there every morning when he looked in the mirror, showing him the price he’d paid in the past.
He realised he didn't care about the fucking job. What mattered was that Danny had turned on him. But it wasn't even that was it? What really cut him was the fact that he'd been weak enough to trust th e other man in the first place.
"Joel?" Danny said again, he was staring at right at him. His face smiling but his eyes intense.
Fuck it. He didn't care anymore. £50,000 would buy a lot of distractions. Besides, if he stopped now he might end
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