BNCH1
The night was black, but only because of the clouds. It was rarely this dark in the summer. Not even in Boston. He could feel the wind against his skin, even though the window was closed. He was sweating. He was nervous and scared.
Billy Darley and his gang had come after him after work yesterday and today he had called. He'd been in complete panic when he got home. He hadn't known that the almost-killer of his youngest son Lucas had been Billy Darleys baby brother. He thought he was just a worthless punk. Now he had a gang war on his hands.
Nick sighed and went to bed. Lying next to his peacefully sleeping wife, he envied her. He envied her for not having seen their sons throat slit. He hadn't told Brendan who had done it. He supposed it was for the best that the eighteen year old didn't know.
Across the hall Brendan lay in bed sleeping peacefully when he suddenly heard a gunshot and a loud crash. He heard yelling. His mother was screaming her heart out as someone dragged her down the stairs. Before he knew what was happening, his door was kicked down and someone grabbed him. He didn't fight. The guy was twice his size and was practically carrying him. There were five, maybe six by the sound of things.
In the sitting room his parents were on the floor, looking terrified. The man pushed him to the floor next to his mother. When his head stopped spinning he saw the men clearly. They all had their own personalised tribal tattoo's, just like…. Brendan's breath caught in his throat.
Billy came swaggering in from the kitchen with a bottle of beer in his hand. He was wearing black jeans and a red leather jacket. Brendan knew it wasn't his.
He didn't lift his gaze as he took a swipe and traced his thumb by the corner of his mouth to catch a stray drop of the amber liquid, he didn't have to.
Billy raised his gun to point at his father without even glancing around the room. His voice was raspy and quiet as he spoke.
"You have no idea of how much I want to blow you head off right now." he growled. Brendan felt fear tingling up his spine. "You have no idea of how much a want to kill her –" he cocked the gun towards Nick's wife who let out a loud whine. "- right now." he lit a cigarette and brought it to his lips. He inhaled slowly before exhaling the smoke as he spoke. "Coming here was easy –" the gang chuckled. "- but alas, we have a dilemma." The gang sobered up, wondering what the hell Billy was on about. "A big fucking problem." He sat down on the delicate looking chair, and it squeaked.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm a bit heavy, I know, but don't worry." His tone light. "Well, you see; my – or rather – our problem. There are a few different solutions, listen; either I can kill you-" he pointed at Nick "and get revenge for you killing my baby-brother and I can let your wife live with the terrible knowledge that her husband was a murderer and your sons just couple of messed up balls of confusion. No.2, I could kill your wife, and have you suffer that way, or your son, eye for an eye all that shit, and let you deal with the pain of loosing a loved one." He sat back in the chair and it squeaked again. "I don't mind killing you, quite the opposite actually." Billy really enjoyed seeing them sweat.
"Now, for our problem; if I kill either of you, I will lose something very dear to me. Something more dear to me than seeing you dead." Billy got a mock thoughtful expression on his face.
"So what to do? I mean, I need to get back someone don't I?" suddenly he bounced from his chair, smirking in amusement as everyone jumped. "I have an idea! Let's kill Bones!" he said with a childish grin.
"Who's Bones?" Nick finally dared speak up.
"My father. None of this would have happened if not for that old bastard." Billy said casually, turning his back to the scared family. "The entire initiation shit was his idea, in a 'do it or I'll blow your head off' kind of way. Should we do that?" he asked Heco, who just shrugged.
"Nah…" Billy shook his head. "He's not worth the bullets it would take to work though those tractor tyres. I have a suggestion though-" he waved his gun like it was just a sheep of paper.
Heco had always thought that Billy was a bit like Jack Sparrow; cunning, terrifying and sometimes he seemed a bit unstable. He always had a plan.
"How about a compensation?"
"What?" Nick asked in surprise. "You want money?"
Billy blanched. "No, of course not. I got enough of that. I was thinking; a compensation of the more fleshy sort." His eyes flickered over at Brendan before they settled on Nick again. "Or I could just kill him." he said, shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm not giving you my son!" Nick snapped. Billy spun around and trained his gun on the older man.
"Watch your tone."
"I'm not giving you my son." He repeated in a more controlled voice.
"Of course not! I don't do human trade. I was thinking more in the sense of a loan. I mean, my apartment could use and accessory like him…." he said with a wolfish grin that made Brendan's mother want to throw up.
"Let's ask him shall we? Bodie, let him up, be nice."
Brendan got up from the floor and grit his teeth as Billy circled him. The older man stopped behind him and whispered in his ear.
"So what's it going to be, sweetheart?" Brendan shuddered as he felt the hot breath against his ear and the heat radiating from his body as Billy stepped up so close his chest brushed against his bare back.