time.”
Payne didn’t say anything and just stared back.
John could feel the situation continue to spiral. “Mr. Payne, set up the meeting, and we’re gone. No one needs to get hurt.”
Payne smiled and looked at the three brothers in turn. “Ok, ok, so let’s negotiate, I’m a business man. Untie me. I’ll get Mickey to come down and then we’ll have a proper chat about your ambitions and what we can do to help.”
“We’re taking over Payne!” Billy shrieked, no sign of control or measure left. “O’Neil’s finished; he’s done, fucked! I’m trying to give you a chance here, to come with us, and build something new…”
“Interesting, I like to vet people I work with. So why don’t you fuck off,” Payne glared back.
The situation was broken down beyond repair. John could feel it. It almost didn’t matter that, on hearing Payne’s last retort, Nick dived on top of him, knocking the seat to the ground and sinking a knife into his thigh. John felt like he was going into shock, as if it was all some bad dream. A ball had started to roll down hill and it couldn’t be stopped. The most terrifying thing to him was that killing Robert might now have become the only way he could get out of this situation and back to Emma safely. And the only way to keep her safe.
But John quickly snapped out of these thoughts; some kind of instinctive humanity flooded his mind, causing him to push his dangerous younger brother off Payne. His brother glared at him, but John ignored it and put Robert’s seat on all four legs again. Blood started to rush out of the fresh wound on Payne’s leg; but he displayed no pain. He just gave a steely look toward Nick, that carried an unsaid message of future retribution.
“Mr. Payne, that wound will kill you if it goes untreated. You'll bleed to death,” John said, crouching in front of the injured gangster. “You’re a clever man; you know you’ll do well to live through this. Listen to me; all we want is for you to arrange the meet. If you do that, we’ll let you go, providing you disappear, never to come back,” he added, turning to Billy and giving him a look to ensure his temporary silence. “This is your only way to get out of here. Do you agree?”
Payne looked at John and started to laugh again. John could not hide the defeat on his face and all but fell to the floor when Billy pushed him to one side, so he could continue his interviewing style.
“Get out of the way John.”
“Nick, do him again,” Billy said.
Nick did not need to be asked twice. He thrust his knife into Payne’s thigh again. This time Payne screamed in agony.
“We’re taking over, you stupid prick!” Billy shouted, almost thrusting his head into Payne’s face.
Payne grimaced for a moment in pain but then began to laugh again. Billy stepped back; even Nick looked unsure how to react to this. The man had a near fatal stab wound to his thigh and he was laughing. It was only now that John started to believe some of the stories his Aunt had told about this man, but they were now right in the middle one.
Then Robert’s laughter stopped and he looked squarely at Billy. “Take over! You haven’t got what it takes,” he said defiantly. “You’re just the guys people bring in to get someone killed, or roughed up, and the truth is; you’re not even good for that. You didn’t even have the good sense to collect on time!”
Billy stared back dumbfounded.
“Everyone knows; you got a shittie job, get the Blake brothers. They'll do anything…” Payne continued.
“Yeah,” Billy said, his eyes darkening.
“Their mum was a wrinkly old whore; every kid has a different Jon for a dad…!” Payne continued, oblivious to any pain.
“Just give us the number of the Mexicans, and we’ll make it quick,” John said, desperate for Payne to stop.
“Well we’ll see about that. The next knife wound is going to be in your bollocks,” Billy said, now shaking
Payne didn’t say anything and just stared back.
John could feel the situation continue to spiral. “Mr. Payne, set up the meeting, and we’re gone. No one needs to get hurt.”
Payne smiled and looked at the three brothers in turn. “Ok, ok, so let’s negotiate, I’m a business man. Untie me. I’ll get Mickey to come down and then we’ll have a proper chat about your ambitions and what we can do to help.”
“We’re taking over Payne!” Billy shrieked, no sign of control or measure left. “O’Neil’s finished; he’s done, fucked! I’m trying to give you a chance here, to come with us, and build something new…”
“Interesting, I like to vet people I work with. So why don’t you fuck off,” Payne glared back.
The situation was broken down beyond repair. John could feel it. It almost didn’t matter that, on hearing Payne’s last retort, Nick dived on top of him, knocking the seat to the ground and sinking a knife into his thigh. John felt like he was going into shock, as if it was all some bad dream. A ball had started to roll down hill and it couldn’t be stopped. The most terrifying thing to him was that killing Robert might now have become the only way he could get out of this situation and back to Emma safely. And the only way to keep her safe.
But John quickly snapped out of these thoughts; some kind of instinctive humanity flooded his mind, causing him to push his dangerous younger brother off Payne. His brother glared at him, but John ignored it and put Robert’s seat on all four legs again. Blood started to rush out of the fresh wound on Payne’s leg; but he displayed no pain. He just gave a steely look toward Nick, that carried an unsaid message of future retribution.
“Mr. Payne, that wound will kill you if it goes untreated. You'll bleed to death,” John said, crouching in front of the injured gangster. “You’re a clever man; you know you’ll do well to live through this. Listen to me; all we want is for you to arrange the meet. If you do that, we’ll let you go, providing you disappear, never to come back,” he added, turning to Billy and giving him a look to ensure his temporary silence. “This is your only way to get out of here. Do you agree?”
Payne looked at John and started to laugh again. John could not hide the defeat on his face and all but fell to the floor when Billy pushed him to one side, so he could continue his interviewing style.
“Get out of the way John.”
“Nick, do him again,” Billy said.
Nick did not need to be asked twice. He thrust his knife into Payne’s thigh again. This time Payne screamed in agony.
“We’re taking over, you stupid prick!” Billy shouted, almost thrusting his head into Payne’s face.
Payne grimaced for a moment in pain but then began to laugh again. Billy stepped back; even Nick looked unsure how to react to this. The man had a near fatal stab wound to his thigh and he was laughing. It was only now that John started to believe some of the stories his Aunt had told about this man, but they were now right in the middle one.
Then Robert’s laughter stopped and he looked squarely at Billy. “Take over! You haven’t got what it takes,” he said defiantly. “You’re just the guys people bring in to get someone killed, or roughed up, and the truth is; you’re not even good for that. You didn’t even have the good sense to collect on time!”
Billy stared back dumbfounded.
“Everyone knows; you got a shittie job, get the Blake brothers. They'll do anything…” Payne continued.
“Yeah,” Billy said, his eyes darkening.
“Their mum was a wrinkly old whore; every kid has a different Jon for a dad…!” Payne continued, oblivious to any pain.
“Just give us the number of the Mexicans, and we’ll make it quick,” John said, desperate for Payne to stop.
“Well we’ll see about that. The next knife wound is going to be in your bollocks,” Billy said, now shaking
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