The police weren’t pursuing my case, and after a quick chat to Pat Murphy on the phone the night before, I was itching to get back. Pat said he could offer me fights, pay me really good money too. I wanted that. I missed the adrenaline rush and the high I got from boxing. Getting casual work on the building sites went someway to channelling my pent-up aggression, lifting the heavy bricks and shit, but it wasn’t enough. I needed that raw, electric buzz of energy. The shouts from the crowd. The feeling that nobody, not one fucker in this town had beaten me. Life might’ve kicked my ass when I was a kid, but now I was the one taking it by the balls and showing everyone who was boss.
I followed Ryan to the old waterworks across town. The place had been bought by a local building contractor and they’d already started cleaning out the place. Good job. The last time we were here, scoping it out for one of our parties, it smelt like shit, and anyone stepping their foot through the front door would’ve been knee deep in it too.
Not today though.
The floors had been cleared, plastered over, and there was stuff lying around; scaffolding and materials from the builders. The fencing around the place warned trespassers to stay out. There was danger on the premises. Advertising that was like waving a red rag in front of a bull for the likes of us.
Danger?
We lived for it.
I watched Ryan pick his way through the rubble, and tentatively, so as not to alert him to my presence, I followed him. When he came to the open warehouse area at the back of the works he stopped, and I heard him greet Finn and Zak like they were visiting dignitaries and he wanted to make a good impression. I should’ve known they’d be here. Well, at least my resurrection would be an epic one. Finn had got the prelude, now it was show time.
“The new flooring is gonna make it easier to set up in here,” Zak said, keenly looking around and probably picturing himself as the fucking king residing over proceedings from his decks.
Don’t get too comfortable, mate. I’m back now.
I couldn’t wait any longer. I stepped forward to make myself known and started to do a slow clap of my hands. All three of them spun around, and surprise, surprise, not one of them looked pleased to see me. Well, Finn looked slightly less pissed off, but he was still frowning.
“The fuck?” Ryan spat, crossing his arms over his chest and giving me an evil glare. He stood with his legs wide in a predatory stance, obviously feeling cocky and ready to face off.
Bring it on, fuckers.
“Pleased to see me?” I laughed. “You all look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“A ghost that should’ve stayed dead,” Ryan sneered and eyeballed me like a motherfucker. Didn’t he know that even in death I’d still wanna be heard? I was going nowhere.
“Ryan, let’s hear him out, okay?” Zak cut in, patting Ryan on the chest.
“Yeah, Ryan. Hear me out. Listen to your bitches.”
He didn’t like that, and I couldn’t give a fuck.
“Fuck you, Brandon,” Zak scowled at me like the bitch he was.
I laughed. I liked stirring shit up like this. I’d missed the banter. I held my hand up to my ear, pretending I was deaf to mock him. “Fuck me, was that? Or fuck me over? ‘Cos the three of you have been doing a really good job of that lately.”
Ryan charged forward, panting like a rabid dog. If they could, his nostrils would’ve been blazing fire.
“You fucked yourself over, mate.” He held his arms up like he was the fucking boss. “So, tell us, what are you doing here? It’s a bit of a coincidence that you’ve chosen today of all days to come back. Checking to see how your secret revenge plan is going, hey?”
I had no fucking idea what he was on about. What was special about today?
I didn’t take the bait though. This meeting was going to progress on my terms, not theirs.
“Mate, if I had a revenge plan for you three fuckers, you’d know about it. No secrets here. I’m as honest as shit about how much I fucking hate you and what you did to me. But as usual, I have no clue what you’re on about. Are you that scared of me you’re starting to make things up in your head now?”
I saw anger then exasperation wash over each of their faces, and it spurred me on to know I was getting to them.
“What we did to you? What exactly did we do to you?” Ryan narrowed his gaze at me. He was doing a really good job of looking like a clueless twat.
I ran my hand over my jaw and gave them my signature smile. The one that told them I didn’t take any shit.
“We had a fight over a girl. I can handle that. We lost our heads over a bit of pussy and we went crazy.” I shrugged like it was no big deal.
“You fucking cunt.” Ryan went to launch himself on me, but Zak and Finn held him back.
“That’s it, bitch. Let your guard dogs keep you in check.” I smirked, knowing I was driving him insane and loving every minute.
He pointed his finger at me, leaning over Zak’s shoulder as he shouted. “You call Emily a bit of pussy again and you’ll regret it.”
I pretended to look like I gave a damn, shaking my head and trying to stifle the grin that wanted to break free.
Maybe it was a low blow?
But he’d got a few blows of his own in the last time we went toe-to-toe. It was my turn for a bit of payback.
“I call a spade a spade.”
“Yeah, and you’re a fucking knobhead,” Ryan said, spitting venom. “What do you want? Say your shit and get out of here. We’ve all been better off since you left.”
“Ry, that’s bullshit,” Zak interrupted. “Let’s at least hear what he’s got to say.”
Ryan yanked his arm out of Zak’s grip, giving him a dirty look. Then he took a step back and turned to face me.
“Go on then. Enlighten us. What are you here for?”
“You know what? I fucking hate you right now.” Not my best comeback but it was how I felt.
Ryan lifted his chin, acting all smug and defiant.
“Can’t say I like you all that much either.”
Good. The feeling was mutual.
“We fell out over Emily. That’s cool. I’m over it. But what I can’t get over is how you three fucked me over after. You.” I pointed at Ryan first. “We’ve been mates for years. You were like a fucking brother to me. I was closer to your family than I was to my own. Okay, so you’ve got your girl now. Fair play. But you couldn’t help yourself, could you? Rushing off the next morning to make your statements at the police station about the fight. You couldn’t wait to throw me under the fucking bus. Did it make you feel like a man? You’d hit me, told me what a worthless piece of shit I was, won the girl, and then off you went spilling your guts to the police about what a fuck up I was that night.”
His eyes went wide. He didn’t know I’d been watching them that morning. I knew more than I’d ever let on. Knowledge was power, after all.
“My statement was nothing like that,” he said, shaking with anger as he spoke. “I told them I hadn’t seen you. I also told them that I knew you better than anyone else and that I’d stake my life on it being an accident. I’d go to court and say that shit too. So, don’t come in here with your bullshit accusations and try and paint me out to be something that I’m not. Both me and Em stood by you. We always would. There’s nothing that we’ve done in these last few months to go against you. I don’t care what you think you’ve seen or what you think you know. I know the truth.” He banged his chest with his fist in confirmation. “And my conscience is clear, brother.”