Deep Water by Mark Ayre (best big ereader TXT) 📕

At first, Louis didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on the horizon. It was clear he was not all there.

Reaching out a hand, Angel took Louis’ wrist and lifted his arm, pulling his fingers towards the sheet.

At last, Louis showed a sign of life, recoiling, pulling his hand away from Angel.

"Please," he whispered. "Please don't..."

Angel sighed and tilted her head, looking at her faux date. Turning to her mum, she tutted.

"Men, you know, what are they like? Do you want to open the present, mummy?"

"Angel, what have you done?"

Rolling her eyes, Angel said, "Forgive me, but you don't sound as excited as I had hoped. This is your sixtieth. I'm your eldest daughter. Can you at least try to get into the spirit?"

Abbie wondered if Angel was even more deranged than she had at first seemed. As daughter looked to mother, it appeared Angel was genuinely disappointed that Alice was not more excited.

Alice showed nothing but horror. Angel huffed.

"Fine, mother, I’ll do it. Though if you’re going to be so dour, maybe you don’t deserve a pressie."

Grinning, Angel whipped back the sheet, and Abbie closed her eyes. But too late. In the split second they were open and the sheet was gone; Alice's 'present' was burned into Abbie's retina and memory for eternity.

With her eyes closed, Abbie heard knees buckle and knew Tony had gone down. The sobbing came from Ollie, though he tried to stifle it with a hand. Louis was a zombie. Somehow, Alice managed not to react.

Abbie tilted her head up, then opened her eyes. Alice was staring at Jacob, but Abbie caught Angel's gaze.

"I'm going to kill you."

"Doubt it," said Angel.

Ollie was still crying. His mother didn't even look back. Alice had moved her gaze to Louis.

"Why did you come here?" she asked. "Why didn't you try to kill my daughter? Why aren't you trying to kill her right now?”

"Angel's friends," Abbie guessed. "They're at Louis’ place, their guns aimed at Kyle."

Louis sobbed. The second time he'd shown he was not all zombie. Abbie couldn't imagine what was going on in his head and heart, the way his insides had to be tearing up. How he must have wanted to turn and wring Angel's neck but couldn't. Kyle was alive. Louis knew, deep down, Angel would soon order the murders of Louis and Kyle, but he had to hold out hope. It was all he had left.

"So who are these friends of yours?" said Alice. She spoke with venom, but Angel pretended not to notice.

"Why don't you ask your new friend?” Angel said, gesturing to Abbie. "She's so clever. Seems to know everything."

Abbie didn't wait for Alice to look her way.

"You said Pedro had found a new supplier. I'm guessing we've now met her."

Angel applauded, cackled. "You are good."

"And I've got more. Because I don't believe you'd come here only to gloat. To show off Louis' body. There's a purpose to this." Abbie looked from Angel to Alice. "I wonder, your daughter ran the family firm for nine years while you were in prison. Did you ever tell her where all the guns were stored?"

Alice didn't have to answer. The twist of Angel's face displayed her displeasure at her mother’s secrets.

"I did not," said Alice and turned to her daughter. "That's why you're here?"

"I shouldn't have to be. You should have trusted me."

"The present evidence would beg to differ," said Abbie, then moved on. "Pedro and his team burst into Louis' house and murdered Jacob. They kept Kyle alive to keep Louis compliant, but what about the girlfriend?"

Alice gasped. She had forgotten. Angel gave her mother a curious look, then raised an eyebrow.

"What girlfriend?"

"Louis had fallen in love," said Abbie. "His girlfriend was with him tonight. What did Pedro's people do with her?"

Angel looked at her mother's expression and found herself puzzled. Crouching beside Louis, she said, "Is this true, babe? Were you already seeing someone when you asked me to be your date? That would be most upsetting.”

"Angel, just tell us what you did.”

Rising, Angel stared at Tony following this outburst.

"My, my, Anthony. You didn't care this much about the boy. But whatever. Max," she called to the man in the bar. "Did Louis have a girlfriend with him? He doesn't seem the sort."

"He did," confirmed Max. "Younger than him. Maybe thirty."

"Thirty today, in fact," confirmed Abbie.

This brought it home to Angel. The knowledge that the girlfriend was her sister, Alex, knocked her. The cruel woman might not care about Ariana's demise. Still, it was clear she’d hate to learn that Alex had been slaughtered during the assault Angel had ordered on Louis' place.

"Is she alive?" she asked Max.

There was a drawn-out, horrible silence.

Then Max said, "Yes."

"Oh, thank God," said Alice, clutching her heart, tears running down her cheeks. Tony was taking long, relieved breaths.

Growing more incensed by the second, Angel looked from one to the other.

"Thank God?" she questioned. Then pointed at Tony. "You with this Abbie bitch, Alexandria with Louis. Oh, mum, how you've corrupted our family. How you've torn us apart. This cannot go on."

Angel's eyes flicked to Abbie, and Abbie saw what was coming next.

"It's time to heal," said Angel. "Pedro wants to buy our entire stock of guns. Once I’ve made the sale, mum, you can retire, just like you wanted. You'll leave, jet off and live out the remainder of your days in one of your holiday homes. I wish it didn't have to be that way—I know you'll miss your children—but if you stay, I might kill you, and I could never forgive myself for that. No, it's better for everyone if you go."

Abbie could see Angel's knuckles whitening as her fingers grew tighter on the gun. Unlike Ariana, however, Abbie was convinced Angel had previously committed first-hand murder. There would be no emotional struggle before pulling the trigger.

"Louis,” said Angel. “You want to save your son, so here's the deal. Tell Alexandria she shouldn't have betrayed her family and put