Page 47 of The Story of Us
“What the fuck is wrong with Gino, my chef? He has the reputation of being the best in the southeast, it was the menu I came here to try, not the standard of the cooking.”
Jesus, competitive much?
“It was a joke Cam, ‘poaching’ the chef… Geddit?” He closes his eyes for a second, gives his customary headshake and lets out a long sigh.
“That’s a terrible joke Georgia.”
“No it’s not, it’s fucking hilarious, you’re just too old to get my humour.” Shit, the wines kicked in and my brain is no longer communicating with my mouth.
“Are you trying to really piss me off now Kitten? Coz I tell you what,its working.” He kisses me, a little too hard on the mouth, grabs my hand and leads me out to the bar where Benny is waiting.
As we reach Benny, he stands and sort of walks sideways, as if he’s shepherding us toward the door, he steps in front of Cam and holds the door open for us, I just start to step outside when I hear someone call out. “Oi King, there’s no need to leave on our account, stay and have a beer, we owe you at least that mate.”
His hand instantly squeezes mine so hard it’s painful and he stops dead in his tracks.
“Cam, leave it,” I hear Benny growl, I turn and look at Cam, there is a nerve twitching in his jaw, he’s looking down at me but he’s not seeing me, he’s looking straight through me and I suddenly feel scared and I just know that we need to get out of there.
“Cam, let’s go Tiger, you can come and help me wash my knickers.” He doesn’t flinch. From the other side of the bar I watch as an older man approaches, he’s in his fifties maybe, grey hair, pushed right back off his face, which is craggy, with a huge scar running down the right side of it, he’s wearing an expensive suit which somehow doesn’t match his face or the earring in his ear, he has a cigar in his mouth but is still managing a sneer on his lip.
“Get her in the car,” he says between gritted teeth.
“Cam, please…” I start to say.
“Do as you’re fucking told and get in the car Kitten, else I swear to God I will drag you out there.”
“Cam, Robbie and Josh are on their way, let’s just go, we can deal with this when we’ve got the numbers but not like this, not on your own.” He doesn’t move his head, just his eyes shift to Ben’s.
“Get her, the fuck out of here.” I know I’m not going to win; the grey haired man slaps Cam on the back.
“Cam, what you doing in this neck of the woods? Not your usual stomping ground.”
“Get your fuckin’ hands off me Terry.”
“Well that’s fuckin nice, not seen ya in…” He doesn’t get to finish, Cam’s hands are suddenly around his throat, he picks him off of his feet and pushes past me and Ben as he carries him outside to where the Jag is waiting, he keeps hold of the man’s throat but leans him back against the bonnet of the car, he pins him with just one hand as the man uses two to try and prise Cam’s fingers from his throat. I stand and watch in shock as Cam pulls a gun from the back of his jeans and forces it into the man’s mouth.
I know my mouth is hanging open, I cannot believe what is unfolding in front of me, two other men come flying out of the door of the pub and Benny puts out his arm like a barrier to block their way. “You really don’t want to get yourselves involved boys believe me.”
My eyes lock with Benny’s; surely he’s going to do something? Surely Cam won’t shoot him? He’s talking into the man’s ear, his teeth are still gritted and he has froth at the corner of his mouth. He suddenly pulls the gun from his mouth, lifts him once again by his throat and throws him onto the concrete of the car park, then shoots him twice, once in each knee.
I’m frozen to the spot. Benny unlocks the car, Cam guides me into the back seat and we roar off at speed. I suddenly realise that I’m going to be sick. “Stop the car, stop the car Ben.”
“Keep driving Ben, she ain’t getting out.”
“I’m gonna… ” Too late, my lunch comes up all over the leather seat and all over the floor.
“Shit!” I hear Benny say.
“Keep driving Ben, we’ll deal with it when we’re back on our manor, I’m not stopping here.”
I back myself into the furthest corner of the car, away from my own spew and away from him. What the fuck did I just witness back there and how does he think he’s going to get away with shooting someone in broad daylight? He’s fucking mad and he’s just involved me in a crime. Is this what my Dad does? Is this what being an entrepreneur involves? No wonder Bailey and my Mum said he was dangerous if this is his usual behaviour and what if they get to hear of this, what if my Dad and Bailey find out what Cam did and that I was there? My stomach roils again and I can’t hold it down and this time I can’t stop the cry that comes from me either, I’ve just watched someone get shot, fucking shot, right in front of me.
Cam goes to slide across the seat to get closer to me but I put out my hands. “No, no, don’t touch me, don’t you dare touch me.”
I’m amazed at how calm I am when I speak, I don’t feel calm, I can barely breathe and I can’t bring myself to look at him. We drive in silence the rest of the way home, Benny pulls around the back of the shop so I can go straight up the stairs to my flat. I don’t wait for him to open the car door; I can’t wait to be out of there, as I run to the stairs that lead to my front door. Ben and Cam are both out of the car, I turn to Benny about to apologise for the mess I’ve made in the car when I see Cam handing the gun over to him, I turn back and shove my hand in my bag looking for my keys, as I pull them out, Cam snatches them from my hand. “Give them back, you’re not coming in.”
He totally ignores me, unlocks the front door and pulls me inside by my hand; he unlocks the second door and pushes me into my living room. I launch myself at him. “Get out, get out of my fuckin’ house. How dare you involve me in that!”
I scream and scratch and kick at him; he grabs my arms and pins them to my sides and drags me through to my bedroom, throws me on the bed and lays on top of me, my arms still pinned to my sides. He looks straight into my eyes. “You can scratch and snarl all you like Kitten but I’m not letting you go and I’m not leaving here until we talk, or at least I talk and you listen.”
