Chapter 2.
On the drive home from Romano's, Harry was quiet and pensive and they both knew why. Since getting engaged, they hadn't actually sat down and seriously discussed when to get married, but Rupert had brought the subject right out into the open.
"I know what you're thinkin', honey." he said finally, unable to stand the pregnant silence any longer.
"I know you know." replied Harry, glancing across at him, then back out of her window, watching the stark, winter beaten trees flash by, the only sounds in the car the swishing of the windscreen wipers as they cleared part snow, part water away, coupled with the splashing of the tyres on the wet, soaked road.
"Shall we have some Sinatra?" he suggested, reaching for the car's radio/cassette player, intending to flood the interior with some music and diffuse the tense atmosphere that was building.
"No." she said, grabbing his hand to prevent him pushing a cassette into the machine.
Dempsey had had enough, pulled the car into a side road, switched off the engine, then turning towards her, put his arm around the back of her seat and looked into her eyes.
"Come on Harry, out with it." he said.
"What do you mean, out with it!?" she answered, angrily. "You know damn well what 'it' is!"
"Hell fire, angel!" retorted Dempsey. "You wanna talk about gettin' hitched? Is that it?"
"Yes, you dimwit!" she answered, fire in her eyes. "I want to talk about us getting married!"
"Well we don' have ta fight 'bout it, do we?" he said, slipping his arm from the back of her seat to her shoulder. "I love you with every fibre of my body, mind an' bein' but I wasn't gonna start on the subject over dinner with two people I like, but don' know too well."
While she'd been lying in her hospital bed a few weeks ago and unsure as to whether he'd actually come home to her alive from Paris, the love she felt for him had been overwhelming. She'd calmed down when the sudden knowledge hit her that he was safe, but the images in her mind of a marriage ceremony that may never be, became all encompassing.
When Freddy had suggested they go to Klosters for Christmas, she thought there would be a perfect opportunity for them to discuss a marriage date but it had never presented itself. She hadn't wanted to force the issue, just nudge the conversation in that direction, but the moment always seem to allude her.
And the fact that Dempsey hadn't appeared to twig it either, given their unique telepathic connection, coupled with his immediate 'no idea' reply to Rupert that night, had really brought it all back and set her off.
But she realised she was overreacting now, so took a deep breath and put her hand up to her shoulder to grasp his, gently stroking the back of it with her thumb and looked into his soft, concerned brown eyes.
"Of course we don't have to fight about it." she said, softly. "I'm sorry but I suppose I had a 'Crazy Joe' moment a few weeks back."
"Crazy Joe moment?" replied Dempsey, as ever, slow on the uptake.
"Dear God, Dempsey!" she said, exasperated. "Don't you remember? The mausoleum? Crazy Joe shooting you dead - well to me it seemed you were dead - and the impact that had on me?"
"Yeah, I remember." he said, still a little puzzled. "But that was some time ago. I thought you were over all that."
"I am over all that - that particular episode anyway." she replied. "But the image of you lying dead will always haunt me. And while you were away in Paris and me being utterly useless, brought a lot of it back."
He leaned across the car at that point and took her face in his right hand, then kissed her tenderly on the lips, her left arm reaching round his neck as she kissed him back, both of them instantly feeling the surge of passion for more.
"Listen honey." he said, quietly, looking into those blue eyes that never failed to captivate him. "We can do this one of two ways."
"Yes?" she questioned, her eyes searching his.
"Yeah." he said. "We can either sit down an' plan the whole kaboosh together - or - you leave it to me to make it a day to remember."
"But James, it'll always be a day to remember." she replied, this time her turn to look puzzled.
"Yeah, 'course it will." he said. "But my way you won't know which day."
"What!?" she replied, looking aghast at him. "Are you seriously suggesting you spring a surprise on me? What if I don't want that?"
"Then we do it the conventional way." he said, grinning. "We plan it, just like millions of others have down the years."
"So you're giving me the choice?"
"Yeah, 'course I am, princess!" he said, smiling. "It's your day, mine too, but it's generally accepted it's ultimately the bride's day. But you can decide how you wanna play it. An' whichever you choose we'll always plan a pardy together - ya know, the reception?"
Her initial and immediate reaction was to go the traditional route but something made her stop and think.
She twiddled her beloved and stunning engagement ring around her finger and looked at him, loving him even more for being him. He'd always been a maverick, someone who would do things his way and to hell with the rest of 'em, a person comfortable in his own skin, oozing confidence, fit, handsome, passionate, sexy and anything but traditional.
And that's why she'd fallen in love with him.
"Can I think about it?" she said finally.
"You bet, tiger." he replied, smiling broadly. "We've all the time in the world."
"There's a song about that, isn't there?" she said, returning his smile.
"Yeah, the one an' only Satchmo!" he replied, pushing Sinatra into the cassette player, 'Love and Marriage' suddenly blasting through the speakers, the irony causing them to burst into laughter at each other.
"Take me home, James." she said, still giggling, then, with that unmistakeable look in her eyes. "Then take me to bed!"
The next day, Jason telephoned Wormwood Scrubs and requested a visiting order to meet with Jimmy Hofton.
A particularly nasty piece of work, Hofton had ruled London's underworld for two decades, dealing in drugs, pornography, prostitution and robbery. But his downfall came about when he got really greedy and started organizing child trafficking, kidnapping young negresses in Africa and bringing them to his mansion in Spain where they'd be auctioned to the highest bidder and spend the rest of their lives as drug induced prostitutes.
A team of ex SAS soldiers had been formed by Freddy and, along with Dempsey, Harry, Chas and Spikings they had finally destroyed the gang and hauled Hofton to court where he'd been convicted and given life imprisonment.
In the process of capturing him, however, Spikings had gunned down Hofton's mistress, killing her instantly. And that, together with his entire evil empire collapsing, was why he wanted Spikings dead.
The order was granted and two days later, Jason walked into the high security wing and to a booth, behind which a grinning Hofton was sitting.
"'Allo Guv." he said. "How's ya doin'?"
"Whadda you fink, ya ignorant git." growled Hofton, frowning, his grin vanishing. "Shite food, bastard screws, no pussy and banged up fer twenty-free hours every bleedin' day!"
"Yeah, sorry Guv, wasn't finkin' was I." replied Jason, then lowered his voice almost to a whisper. "Anyways, how do ya want us to deal with that scumbag Spikin's?"
"I want 'im ta suffer an' suffer bad!" snarled Hofton, under his breath. "I want you ta get 'im in a room an' give 'im so much pain 'e'll be pleadin' wiv ya to kill 'im!"
"Yeah? Okay Guv." replied Jason, softly. "Must say I fought you'd just wan' 'im topped."
"Nah you dope!" replied Hofton, quietly. "I wan' you ta film 'im avin' his bollocks sliced off fer starters! You up to it?"
"Yeah 'course." replied Jason, uncertain that he would be, but knew Chang had a black heart and would relish torturing a copper. "'Ow much you payin' for this service?"
"Twenty grand up front." whispered Hofton. "An' anuvver 'undred grand when 'e's dead. Alright?"
Jason whistled under his breath. "Yeah."
"Then get to it!" commanded Hofton, albeit in hushed tones. "An' when you've got the bastard, come an' see me again. Got that?"
"Yeah Guv, got it." said Jason as he got up and left.
Later in 'The Kentuckian' he'd gathered together the other three and was explaining what Jimmy Hofton wanted.
"'E don' jus' wan 'im topped." he reported, downing a gulp of beer. "'E wants 'im 'urt an' 'urt real bad."
"'Ow bad?" asked Davey, sucking on his cigarette and blowing the smoke out as he spoke.
"'E wants his nuts off fer a start." replied Jason, looking directly at Chang. "An' 'e wants us to film it!"
"Jesus Christ!" said Nev, nearly spitting his beer out. "That's pretty sick ain't it?"
"Yeah, thirty grand each sick!" replied Jason, looking at each of them in turn. "Five each up front, then anuvver twenty when 'e's no more. You alright wiv that?"
They all nodded.
"Right, so let's get down to sortin' it then."
Ever since their discussion in the car earlier in the week, the question of how she wanted to marry Dempsey had never been far from Harry's thoughts. Rarely indecisive, she really was swinging to and fro this time with his suggestion.
On the one hand she'd always longed of walking down the aisle on her father's arm to marry the man of her dreams. On the other, she had a shrewd idea that Dempsey would arrange a pretty stunning special day despite his unconventional, cavalier attitude to most things in life.
Since he'd fallen in love with her and especially when they were alone, his rough edges were smoothed somewhat. She'd brought out his compassionate side and, although rarely a romantic, she knew he'd pull out all the stops if she decided to go the unconventional route.
What decided her was simple in the end.
She'd already walked down the aisle once on her father's arm and married, who she thought at the time was the man of her dreams, Robert Makepeace. The day itself had been magical, the life afterwards painful, humiliating and dreadfully unhappy. Although she knew her life with James would be wonderful and the exact opposite, somehow walking down a church aisle with him wouldn't feel so special to her now - she'd done that already.
The depth of her love for James was unique and she wanted their special day to reflect that in its entirety.
Whilst they were relaxing in the lounge after an evening meal, sipping the rest of their red wine and coffee, she spoke.
"James." she said, turning to him and taking his hand in hers. "I've decided."
"You've decided." he repeated, momentarily lost, then suddenly realising what she was referring to. "Oh yeah? So what's it to be, princess?"
"Surprise me!" she said, her eyes shining with a mixture of anticipation, wonder and excitement. "But please don't leave it too long. Promise me?"
"I promise." he replied, the ecstatic look on his face confirming to her that she'd made the right decision.
