Duality (29 page)

Jules released a growl of anger and hung her head, humiliated. Incensed, it was Jackson who snatched the glass from Estelle’s hand, dumped it on a table and flung her over his shoulder. “You are out of here you nasty old cow,” he barked, walking briskly to the exit.

“Woo-hoo Jules,” cried Estelle. “Looks like your new husband has finally got some taste and wants a real woman.”

“Don’t,” said Jez when Jules opened her mouth to yell back at her. “You still have your dignity, something she never had.”

Jules shuddered in a breath, hands shaking with rage.

“You know the radiant bride is a dirty criminal,” rang out Estelle’s voice as she was carried to the exit. “And she wouldn’t know what to do with a man like this. She’s a fucking lezzer,” she screeched seconds before Jackson dragged her outside.

Jules released another grunt of anger, hands balled into fists. “I’m going to fucking kill her.”

Ryan took hold of her hands. “Look at me.”

Jules’s furious grey eyes flicked up to meet his, which were equally furious but the control he was exhibiting over his rage went a long way to calming her. “Do not sink to her level,” he said. “You are not like her. You are better.”

Jules breathed deeply, put a hand to her belly and nodded. “Damn right I am.”

Ryan smiled when she grinned mischievously.

“It’s alright big brother, you can let go now. I won’t go on the rampage,” she said with a wink.

He relinquished her, watching with pride as she turned to face the room with a calm smile. “I do hope you all enjoyed the cabaret. If anyone is thinking of hiring her for another event she is available most weekends.”

Laughter rippled around the room, the ice well and truly broken and everyone returned to talking or dancing or doing whatever they were doing.

“Well?” Jules smiled at her brothers.

“We’re so proud of you,” said Ryan, kissing her cheek.

“Damn right,” said Jez. “I don’t think I could have held back like you did.”

Jules looked past them to Jackson, who was walking back to her, a pissed off look on his face.

“My hero,” she said, flinging herself into his arms and kissing him.

“I’ll go and whack our security around the head,” said Mikey dourly. Jez grabbed his arm and pulled him back. He whispered something in Mikey’s ear, who nodded before hastily exiting the tent, telling himself the pain in his chest was a heart attack and nothing to do with Jules.

The incident had left Leah a little shaken. Had that horrible woman been her grandmother?

“You okay sweetie?”

Leah jumped at the sound of her mum’s voice. “Yeah, fine.”

“Do you want to know who that woman was?”

Leah nodded a little uncertainly.

“She’s your dad’s mum as well as Aunty Jules’s and Uncle Jez’s.”

“So she’s not related to me by blood?”

“No.”

Leah was relieved about that. She thought of her lovely grandma Gill and her nana Martina, who she had adored but who was dead now and who she missed every day. They were nothing like that monster and she was glad. “Dad hates her. Now I see why. She treated him really badly when he was a kid.”

“That’s true honey but your dad is so strong, you should be proud of him.”

“I am,” she smiled. “I always am.”

Rachel hugged her. “What did we do to deserve you?” She was distracted by a tug on her dress. She looked down to see Ethan staring up at her. “Mummy, what’s a lezzer?”

“Thank you Estelle,” sighed Rachel while Leah laughed.

When her mum turned to speak to Ethan, Leah ducked outside to see Estelle being led away, hissing and screeching at the men who worked for her Uncle Mikey and Uncle Jez. Uncle Mikey himself was watching her go with a frown, arms crossed over his chest. Leah really liked Uncle Mikey but she’d avoided him today because he seemed to be in a really bad mood about something. Anger grabbed hold of Leah as she watched that evil cow still making a spectacle of herself, shouting horrible things about her dad and Aunty Jules.

Leah stormed up to her and slapped her hard across the face. Estelle was so startled she actually stopped screeching.

“Who the hell are you?” she demanded.

“Who the hell am I?” yelled Leah. “Your granddaughter you stupid ugly old witch.”

Estelle smirked, her cheek reddening. “Little Leah, Danny Maguire’s daughter.”

“Not his, Ryan Law’s.”

“Shame for you pet, going from a legend for a father to a pathetic, snivelling little boy.”

“Don’t talk about him like that,” she cried.

“I should know, I raised him, the little shit. I feel sorry for you with that as the only dad you know.”

Mikey came racing up, putting a hand on Leah’s back. “Get that thing out of here,” he told his men, gesturing to Estelle.

“No, wait,” said Leah.

“Let her go,” Mikey quietly told Leah. “She’s poison. Don’t let her in your head.”

“She hurt my dad and my uncle and my aunty,” went on Leah, blue eyes bright and hard.

“They’re not your family, they’re nothing to you,” sneered Estelle. “Losers, the lot of them.” Estelle’s flint eyes flicked to Mikey. “He’s a real man, a real legend. Forget the Laws, get to know the Maguires. If it wasn’t for them your precious daddy, uncle and aunty would be dead in a ditch somewhere, crushed by the might of the Maguires.”

“You are so full of shit Estelle,” said Mikey. “The Laws and Maguires are all one family now, a family you’re not a part of, so do one.”

“Oh I’m going, I don’t want anything to do with you twisted incestuous lot, all shagging each other all the time.” She looked back at Leah. “You’re probably Ryan’s anyway, your mum’s a right slag who put it about even when she was married to Danny.”

“That’s not true and you know it,” said Mikey. “Rachel never cheated on Danny once.”

“Shows what you know. That’s why Alex went mental, because he found out about her and Ryan. If she hadn’t been such a slag he wouldn’t have cut her throat.”

“That’s it, you’re gone,” bellowed Mikey.

“No, wait,” said Leah. She looked up at Estelle, who was glaring at her with triumph. “Is that true?”

“Yeah it is and everyone knows it, even him,” she snarled, gesturing at Mikey. She looked back at Leah. “So you could be Ryan’s. Judging by the way you look like you’re going to cry you probably are.”

Leah tossed back her head. “You’re so bothered about who my dad is that you’ve forgotten I’m my mother’s daughter.” With that she drew back her fist and punched Estelle full in the face, knocking her flat on her back.

“Get that thing out of here,” Mikey told his men who nodded, dragged a dazed Estelle to her feet and pulled her away.

“You’ve got a cracking right hook there Leah,” said Mikey, actually smiling.

Leah stared at her fist in surprise. “I can’t believe I did that.” She grimaced. “It hurts.”

“You’ve had a shock. Sit down and I’ll get you some ice,” he said, steering her to a wrought iron bench outside the marquee.

Leah nodded dumbly and sat down, cradling her aching hand. Mikey disappeared inside and returned a minute later with some ice wrapped in a napkin.

“Here,” he said, sitting beside her. “Wrap that around your hand.”

“Will it bruise?”

“Maybe.”

“Mum will go ballistic.”

“Probably but secretly she’ll be proud.”

“Was it true what Estelle said about Mum when she was married to Danny?”

“It’s not my place to tell you.”

“Please Uncle Mikey. They won’t tell me because they want to protect me but I have to know…”

“If there’s a chance you really are Ryan’s daughter?”

She nodded, eyes wide and tearful.

“You’re not honey. I’m sorry but you’re Danny’s. There’s no doubt.”

She sighed and flung herself back in her seat.

“Is it so bad being Danny Maguire’s daughter?”

“I love my dad, I want to be his daughter.”

“You are his daughter in every way that matters. He loves you to pieces.”

“Danny hurt Mum. Dad would never do that.”

“Your mum loved Danny and Danny loved you. Yes he behaved like an idiot once but he grew up and he was a good husband to her.”

“If he was such a good husband then why did she and Dad…” She trailed off, not sure how to phrase it.

“Your mum and Danny weren’t together when that happened. They’d split up but they got back together.”

“She loved Dad even then?”

Mikey was surprised by how grown-up she sounded. It seemed Leah understood a lot more than any of them gave her credit for. “Yes she did. I’m really not sure I should be telling you this…”

“I have to know the truth Uncle Mikey,” she said in a way that was way beyond her years. “Please. Everyone treats me like a little kid but I have to know, I just have to.”

“Alright,” he sighed. “I get that but it’s all in the past. Your mum and dad are together and they love each other like crazy.”

“I know. They’re always kissing. It’s gross.”

He released a chuckle.

“Uncle Mikey?”

“Yeah?”

“Is it true that Alex cut Mum’s throat because of what she did with Dad when she was married to Danny?”

“No,” he said firmly. “That happened because Alex was insane. He hurt everyone who loved him. Is that why you don’t want to be Danny’s daughter, because of what his brother did to your mum?”

She nodded sadly. “I don’t want anything to do with them, I don’t want their blood.” She realised what she’d said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean you Uncle Mikey, I like you, you’re nice.”

“Well I’m glad about that,” he smiled. “But not all Maguires are bad. I’m not, your Nana Martina wasn’t.”

Leah shook her head. “No. She was lovely.”

“And you never met your Grandad Frank but he was an amazing man and he would have adored you, he couldn’t wait to be a grandad.”

“But he died too.”

Mikey felt sorry for this little girl who had lost so many people, all of them to violence. “Yes he did but you have so many people around you who love you. Focus on them, they’re the ones you should be thinking about.”

This actually made her smile. “I know, I’m so lucky.”

“You certainly are. Take it from someone who knows, living too much in the past drags you down, turns you bitter. Look at what you’ve got now because you young lady are going to have an amazing life.”

She smiled. “Thank you Uncle Mikey. You’re pretty sick.”

“Is that good?”

“Yeah, the best.”

“Thank God for that,” he grinned, making her laugh. “And if you ever want to be a boxer, you just come to me.”

“I don’t want to be a boxer. I want to be a vet.”

“Probably for the best.”

She removed the napkin and sighed. “I’ve got a bruise.”

“Sorry, not much we can do about that. You’ll just have to wait for it to go.”

“What do I tell Mum?”

“The truth. She’ll figure it out anyway and if you lie it’ll only make things worse.”

She sighed heavily. “I’d better go and tell her.” She got up and hesitated. “Are you okay Uncle Mikey?”

“Me, yeah. Why?”

“You look so sad today.”

Mikey was horrified. If a twelve year old girl had picked up on that then everyone else certainly would, including Amber. “I’m fine honey, just tired. It’s been a busy few days.”

“Good because I don’t want you to be unhappy.”

She gave him a hug before heading back inside the marquee, leaving Mikey alone on the bench with his thoughts.

“Am I interrupting?”

He turned to see Amber making her way over to him, carefully picking her way over the lawn in her dress and heels.

“Course not sweetheart,” he said with a small smile, hoping he sounded enthusiastic when he just wanted to be left alone.

She sat beside him. “What was all that about with Leah?”

“She decked Estelle.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Nope. She’s got a hell of a right hook on her too.”

“Taking after her mum.”

The distaste in Amber’s voice pissed him off. “If you’ve come out here to have a pop…”

She held up her hands. “No, sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound like that. Must be the hormones.”

“What do you mean, hormones? Is it your time of the month?” he said distractedly, gazing out at the view.

“No. I mean it’s probably the baby.”

“Probably,” he said, his mind elsewhere. He sat bolt upright. “Baby?”

“I’m pregnant Mikey.”

His mouth opened and closed like a fish’s. “But we hadn’t talked about having more kids yet.”

“I know but sometimes these things happen. Well, aren’t you pleased?”

Mikey managed to wipe the shell-shocked look off his face and replace it with a smile. “Yeah, course I am.” He hugged her simply so she wouldn’t see his expression of bewilderment. Only recently he’d been planning a new life with another woman. Now this. It felt like his world was spinning out of control and he was helpless to stop it, all he could do was hold on tight and hope he didn’t fall off.