Chapter Two
Adam
So, it was on to our next assignment of the night. This was a big night for Brinton Manor. Not only because we’d cleared the streets of another dirty paedophile, but the infamous Renaissance men of Sandland–Finn Knowles and his golden boys–were hosting one of their parties in our town. Don’t get me wrong, we weren’t special to them, nor did we have an amazing choice of venues for their illegal events that they usually put on in their hometown. Oh no. This was payback. Blackmail at its finest.
Finn had been one of our game players not so long ago. He was a guy with a lot of secrets, and we used that to our advantage. We knew he’d do anything to keep his past buried, so we taunted him, blackmailed him, and made the knowledge we had about him and his sister work for us. We weren’t stupid. We knew he was a once in a lifetime golden nugget that’d fallen right into our laps, and we’d manipulated him in every way possible. An opportunity like Finn Knowles didn’t come along every day.
One of the tasks he’d been given during his game of consequences was to put on an event in our town. Tonight, we wanted him to put Brinton on the map, but we also had another more selfish reason for our decision to make him jump through this particular hoop. We wanted to get in on the cash cow that was Brandon Mathers and his bare-knuckle boxing matches.
He was a fighter that nobody could touch. No one even came close. And the money that we’d seen gambled on him was something we wanted a part of. We weren’t planning on running the streets forever, we had ambitions of our own, and with the money we’d procured through our vigilante fund, we were pretty damn close to reaching our goal. Add in a little windfall, courtesy of Mr Mathers tonight, and we would be laughing. The soldiers were on their way up.
“So, how exactly are we gonna play this tonight?” Devon asked, referring to Finn Knowles as he kept in step besides me, walking down the dark, empty street. We were making our way towards the old plastics factory where the event was being held, but the spike in our adrenaline wasn’t from the prospect of partying. We had other reasons to be fired up. It was always the same when we were going into battle. Strike first, strike hard, and get the job done.
The other three had gone on ahead, but Devon was more like me than the others. He wanted action of a different kind, and he knew that by staying by my side, he’d get what he was looking for. We were psyched up and ready to destroy anything that got in our way.
“I’m gonna send him his final task,” I answered and took my mobile phone out to do just that. “He’s gonna make Mathers throw the fight. We’ll bet against him, and with the crazy odds they’ll be offering, it’ll be payday all round. A win-win for everybody.”
Devon stared straight ahead and didn’t speak, probably mulling over the logistics of what I’d just told him.
“A win-win for everyone except Mathers.” Devon wasn’t stupid. He knew there was a chance this could backfire for us. Brandon Mathers wasn’t the most stable guy, and the fact we were banking on him choosing his friendship with Finn over his fighting career was a massive risk. But I liked risks. I never shied away from a challenge. I had a good feeling about tonight because no matter where the chips fell, we were going to be leaving with what we wanted. We were going to make damn sure everyone knew the soldiers were on top.
“He’ll do it. If he doesn’t, we’ll get creative with another way to raise the cash. Finn won’t want us leaking his little secret, and Finn’s girlfriend isn’t short of a few bob. I’ve seen where she lives.”
I had no qualms about taking that route. By any means necessary, we would win. I didn’t hurt women, but I wasn’t averse to using them to get what I wanted. Often the threat of violence was all the incentive you needed. I guessed that would be the case in this instance. Finn was one of those old-style gentlemen. He’d do anything to protect his girl, and that gave us another ace to play when it came to dealing with him and his conscience. She was his weakness.
“And after tonight, we walk away? That’s it for Finn Knowles?” Devon asked with a frown. He knew most of the plan, but he also knew I liked to keep a few cards close to my chest. Never show your full hand. Always keep them guessing.
“Maybe.”
Tomorrow, I’d share with them what I had planned to make our dreams of owning our own club become a reality, but tonight, I had to focus on making this last puzzle piece fall into place. We needed that cash, and Mathers losing face in front of his adoring crowd wouldn’t hurt either. It was always fun to watch the mighty fall. An extra cherry on top of our victory cake.
We turned the corner and saw the lines of people waiting to get into the factory. Girls shivering in the cold, wearing next to nothing and wrapping their arms around themselves in an effort to keep warm. Lads eyeing up the girls and swigging from bottles and cans of beer, giving themselves a head start on the night ahead. I had to hand it to them, the Renaissance men certainly knew how to pull in the crowds.
I could see Tyler, Will, and Colton sauntering on ahead, making their way to the front of the queue. When a few girls in the line caught their eye, they gestured to them, and like moths to a flame they left their places in line to join our boys. But unlike them, I kept my blinkers on, heading to where the security were checking people in. I had no interest in anything other than business tonight.
“You need to wait in line like everyone else,” one of the doormen told us as we came to a halt at the entrance. Fucker must’ve had balls of steel to stop and question us. Either that, or he had no fucking clue who we were, and considering this was a party in Brinton, that was pretty fucking stupid in itself. This was our town, our people, our event. No one was going to tell us what to do.
“We don’t wait in line,” I bit back, and one of the men nudged the other and whispered something in his ear. I saw Devon reach into his pocket and run his hand over the knife he kept there. If they knew what was good for them, they’d cut the bullshit and let us through. This was, for all intents and purposes, our party after all.
The first guy clenched his jaw but wisely he kept his feelings to himself as he stood back to let us in. Devon withdrew his hand and the sigh he gave told me he was disappointed that they’d folded so easily. Just like me, Devon preferred to do things the hard way. It was more fun.
“Wise choice, mate,” Colton sneered, side-eyeing him as he pushed his way through the door with some brunette girl hanging off his arm.
“Like he had any other choice.” Will snorted, staring straight at the doorman, goading the prick into fighting back. He didn’t bite though. He knew better.
The girls giggled, over-exaggerating the sway of their hips as they tottered in with us on their ridiculous heels. Colton laughed and gave them a wink, but to me, the sound of their flirting was like nails down a chalkboard. There was nothing remotely attractive about it and their shrill cackles made me grit my teeth and head for the main hall, desperate to get some distance between myself and the vapid air that surrounded them. The lads could have their fun for now, but one word from me and the girls would be dumped. They were nothing special, and despite their actions, the others knew what the priority was here. Soldiers stand united and fight together to the very end.