CHAPTER THIRTEEN

As Brendan rattled the back doors, club owner Gregory James, sat in the office with his feet up on top of the table and on his phone, "Yep...okay...and to you...love to Jess...bye", Just as he ended the call the constant rattling from the back doors was irritating him rotten, so he got up out of the office chair and bounded across the dance floor to the fire escape door, pushing down on the bar they opened the flood gates to somebody barging past him in a flash, "What the fuck"

He turned his head to see Brendan with arms out wide in a gesture, "Surprise"

Gregory did look surprised to see him, "What the fuck? Jesus! Brendan Brady? Look what the cat dragged in...", He clocked the crew cut hair, "Fuck me, have you gone commando?"

"Seen the news?"

Gregory nodded, "Yeah, but I didn't think you'd show up here"

Brendan pointed his finger at him getting straight to the point, "You owe me"

"for what?"

"For Danny boy Houston, that what", Brendan answered, like he should have know.

Gregory chuckled, "he's not a problem no more"

Brendan shook his head and tapped his own chest, "Thanks to me"

Gregory thought that sounded rather on the sinister side. He had an inkling what the reason being, but he asked him anyway, "How do you mean?"

Brendan tilted his head, "lets just say I put him out of his misery"

Gregory knew what that meant. He knew what Brendan Brady was capable of from old with his volitile temper. Danny Houston didn't live in this world anymore.

He stuck his hands into the pockets of his trousers, "What do you want Brady?"

Brendan paced up and down the dance floor glancing at him as he spoke, "I want money...I want passage out of here and to Ireland"

Gregory couldn't help but mock him, "You do, do you? Haven't you heard of Ryan air?"

Brendan flew at him in temper, but he resisted hitting him, he patted his cheek,, "Don't mess with me Jamsie...YOU were ripping Danny boy off. I saved your neck, now you are gonna be saving mine"

Gregory knew not to poke the bear when he was close to decking somebody, "Okay, okay...but the ports are going to be covered, there's no way you'll get passage, with or without my help"

Brendan shook his head, "Yes there is...YOU know people with boats and I don't mean ferries either"

The club owner looked at him like his mind was ticking over thinking. He then agreed, "Okay...I might know a few people"

Brendan managed a half smile for him, "then get organising one for me...YOU owe me...Danny Houston would have killed you if he found out YOU were ripping him off"

Gregory made for the office, "Okay...let me make a few calls"

Brendan followed him inside and took a seat opposite him, "I'm staying put while you make them, we don't want you making the wrong calls, do we..."

Gregory laughed, "Trusting as always"

Brendan just stared back at him darkly.

Several miles away in a Travelodge motel, Cheryl was pacing the carpet when Nate clicked off the TV, "Well, he's made the local news"

"What's he playing at!"

Nate stood and took her hands into his, "Do you think he'll come here?"

Cheryl frowned at him, "He wouldn't know where here was...and anyway even if he did know, he wouldn't want to put me at risk"

"Yeah..."

She turned and bit her nails, "I wonder if Ste has seen it?"

Nate shrugged as he poured out some room service coffee, "Surly he would have moved on by now"

Cheryl shook her head, "You don't know them like I do...they have a strong bond...very strong...I wonder if I should call him?"

"You think he'd head to Chester?"

Cheryl sat down and put her head into her hands, "No...I don't know...ohhh Bren! What the feck are you doing!"

Back at the nightclub in Liverpool, Brendan sat back as Gregory handed him a tumbler of Whiskey on the rocks, "I have a boat for you...when you get to the dock, you are on your own Brady...we are squared"

Brendan smiled at him as he downed the whiskey, the ice still in the bottle of the glass, "Knew you'd see it my way in the end, Jamsie"

Gregory rounded the table and sat in the chair, "So, tell me...did you kill Danny for what he did to poor little Vinny?"

Brendan screwed his face up at him, "You think I'd kill for that bit of rough trade?"

Gregory hinted a knowing smile in his direction, "Someone else then?"

Brendan glanced at him and was not going to spill, "I better get ready for the off", he stood up.

The club owner's eyes followed him to the door, "Was it for Steven Hay?"

Brendan paused in his tracks but didn't look back at him, "How do you know about Steven?"

Gregory held out his phone and shook it, "Your socials Brendan...or lack of them...", he glanced at the screen and raised his eyebrows, "...good looking lad is that...might want a crack at that myself"

Brendan flew for him and practically had him up against the office wall by his jacket lapels, Brendan was seething angry, but when Gregory lifted the phone and Brendan clocked Steven's smiling face on the screen, his stance turned to that of a forlorn expression. This did surprise Gregory,

"Jesus...you have got it bad"

Brendan let him go and glanced at him, "Leave Steven alone.."

"Or what?"

Brendan's face grew dark, eyes fixed at him, "You don't want to know"

Gregory shrugged it off, "Relax, I was only winding you up...and anyway, I prefer my boys to have a bit more meat on them, do you know what I mean? Now lets get going, the sooner I'm rid of you the better"

Brendan nodded. He watched Gregory leave the office, and whilst doing so, he tried to ignore the hot flush feeling. His injury hurt too. He ignored the pain and followed him to the exit.