Carnage: Book #1 The Story Of Us (Volume 1)(85)

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 f*ck 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 f*cking 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, f*cking 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 f*ckin’ 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.”

He looks down at me, his eyes dart all over my face and I watch his Adams apple move as he swallows hard, I feel calmer now but he shot someone, I just can’t get my head around it and by the way he did it so casually, he’s obviously done it before. Fuck he was carrying a gun; does he always carry a gun, why?

“I’m so sorry you had to witness that today, I should’ve walked away, I should’ve taken your safety into consideration, and I should never have put you in danger like that. It was possibly the most stupid thing I’ve ever done in my life but when you’re calm and when you’re ready to listen, I want to tell you, I want to explain the reasons I reacted the way that I did but I am sorry, nonetheless.” He rests his fore head on mine. “Please don’t be scared of me Kitten, I’d f*ckin hate that.”