Deep Water by Mark Ayre (best free ebook reader txt) 📗

quit. Given up my crooked ways cold turkey. Alex, I know you kids think you want to be like me because I'm rich, and I've spoiled you. But you don't know everything I've suffered, everything I've done—even Angel and Adam don’t. I want something better for my children. Not financially; you'll always be well off but in terms of your soul. Also, he's a fair bit older than you, didn't you notice?"

This final addition to what had otherwise been an impassioned speech took everyone by surprise. Abbie recovered first.

"A fair bit uglier too," said Abbie. "No offence, Louis. Alice asked for my opinion."

Louis glared but didn't respond.

Alex said, "Louis is just over ten years older than me. How much older than you was dad? What about your first husband?"

"And we return to my earlier statement," said Alice. "I'm a parent, parents are allowed to be hypocrites, but if you want to go down that road, I will point out that the older men I married didn't lumber me with teenage boys. Are you ready to be a mum?"

"She won't have to be," Louis interjected. "My boys have a mum, though I must say, Alex has already formed a strong bond with my Kyle and is getting there with Jacob. It's one of the things I like most about her."

"See," said Alice. "What he likes most is that you're good at looking after his kids. That's what you'll be doing while he's off having affairs."

"Okay, that's enough," said Louis. "My sons are my most precious possessions. It’s only natural that I should value in the woman I love that she’s good with them. Are you going to tell me that when you married Morris, it was of no concern how he felt about the four children you had in tow?"

In response to this, Alice said, "Love?"

Louis’ eyes widened a little. His cheeks flushed, and he cleared his throat.

"Yes. Of course, I..." Louis stopped, turned from Alice to Alex. "Darling, I love you. I know this is an awkward time to say it, but it's true. I love you."

Alex's eyes welled with tears. "I love you too, baby. It’s not awkward. I love you. I love you.”

Abbie said, “I’m finding it quite awkward, actually. Anyone else?”

"Good," said Louis. "Yes, good. And, actually... Hang on."

Clearing his throat again, he took his whiskey from the table and finished it. Still holding Alex's hand, he turned to Alice.

"What happened with my brother and then Aurora got me thinking, but it was Alex who made me sure this was the right decision." Looking at the table, he appeared to be glancing into his glass as though hoping it had magically refilled. It hadn't.

"I'm going legit," he said, blurting it out as though confessing to an affair. Alex gasped. "Yes. Alice, I'm blown away by your bravery in closing everything down at the click of your fingers. I can't do that. I'll have to act in stages, but that's my intention. By the end of the year, I want every penny I make to come from legal avenues. I want to leave something behind for my boys, and I want it to be something of which they can be proud and that they don’t have to hide from the police. So, yes, that's it. Decision made. I love your daughter, and I’m going legit."

"And I should trust your word on that, should I?" said Alice.

"The word of the man I love?" said Alex. "Yes, I think you should."

Alice looked at her daughter. Sighed. "Why was I cursed with such strong-willed, belligerent children? All of you, from when you were old enough to talk and walk, you were desperate to talk back and walk away at every opportunity. Except you, Tony," Alice said, pinching his cheek. "You were always too afraid to misbehave."

"Thanks, mum," said Tony, closing his eyes in embarrassment.

"This isn't about me getting my own way for the sake of it," said Alex. "This is about love. I won't let you ruin what me and Louis have."

"Louis and I," said Abbie as Alice said, "It's Louis and I, darling."

Alice looked at Abbie, chuckled, then returned to her daughter. She wanted to keep fighting, but love is a powerful enemy, even perceived love. Alice feared driving Alex away, so she switched back to Louis instead.

"You say you're ready to pull out of the criminal side of your business. Over time, whatever, that's fine. What about my guns? You fought for those, then did something I would never have expected. Tried to rob me. Me. That's not the Louis I knew. What was that about?”

Louis looked down at his and Alex's hands again. He cleared his throat, and Abbie remembered he had told her earlier he needed to talk to Alice about this very subject. Nerves shot through Abbie. She remembered why she was here and wondered if they were approaching another danger point for Alice.

"You have to remember," said Louis, "I didn't meet Alex until after Aurora died. Before that, when you came out of prison and announced you were quitting, I saw only the chance to expand my empire. Getting into arms dealing is near impossible when your enterprise is the size of mine, but I saw an opportunity. Not only did I think I could get your guns on the cheap, but I knew there were people out there who had contracts waiting to be fulfilled that you'd let down. They would be shopping around, but if they had plans, if they needed to get moving… well, I thought they might not look so unfavourably as usual on a newcomer. So, I struck a deal."

Alice had remained very still, very calm, as Tony spoke. When he finished, she forced herself to pick up her drink and finish it. Abbie didn't know if it was her first, second, or tenth. Alice replaced the glass and met Louis' eye.

"A deal," she said, "that you were so afraid not to fulfil, you put your brother in danger trying to