Pacifier

// Isabelle \\

I lingered in the doorway to Vans study watching my brother, Blakes and Van all leaning back in their chairs throwing a conversation around like it was nothing. But it wasn't nothing.

"Asa Reid?" asked Blakes, "she's about Isabelles age, goes to the same school doesn't she?"

"No," my brother shot him down quickly, "that isn't fair,"

"It isn't fair that they're threatenin Isabelle though is it mate," yawned Blakes as if he were already bored of their debate. As if what they were debating was of no interest at all.

"I don't want to threaten a teenage girl," Johnny crossed his arms, brows knitted together, adamant, stubborn to the bone.

I leant in the frame chewing my cheek, wondering if they'd forgotten I was there at all but they hadn't. I knew that every time Van looked up, at me across the room. His eyes burning into mine momentarily intense. I knew because every time he did it my skin erupted with goosebumps and a chill ran down my spine.

"Bondys right," he said then cutting the discussion in half, injecting silence.

"They wouldn't think twice about threatening one of our girls,"

"Which is why we're going to be the bigger men... Half of Manchester depend on us, they lie for us... They're not gonna keep that up if they get wind we threaten little kids are they..."

Blakes swallowed his idea, acquiesced. I felt the need to ask something important again, but I took after Blakes and swallowed my tongue.

I could tell they didn't really want me there anyway, listening in on them like that. I knew Johnny didn't want me there, he didn't like me having ti hear their plans, finding more and more out each day about the work they did. Who they really were.
But they had no choice. I'd given them no choice when when I snook out the house. When I took advantage of Blakes giving me some privacy last time I was left to my own devices.

"So what are we doing?"

"Not that," hummed Van. "it's not part of the strategy..."

"What is part of the strategy," i could tell Blakes was getting impatient with it all. This strategy I'd heard Van mention a few times.

Every time anyone asked him anything, always the strategy.

Anytime I asked my brother anything, he'd tap his nose, shoot me a wink. Tell me it was all part of the strategy.

And yet no one could tell me what it was that our strategy actually entailed.

"Thing is as far as the Reids are concerned Della is missing... Rubys really played us a good card there, we can use that," Van lit up his cigarette, glanced in my direction again. "Isabelle can go back to school tomorrow, I'll walk her in again, and if anyone asks her anything she'll just tell them she doesn't know..." he looked to my brother with a tight smile, "Now Bondy you're gonna head down to Berry Street tomorrow night where Megan and Kita work and when you get there you're gonna start a fight... If Billy Reid wants our girls off his land we'll take our girls off his land... See where all his loyal Mancunian Perverts flock to when we do eh?"

"I'll..."

"Actually Blakey the strategy requires something else from you," i wondered how he could do that. Read his mind like that, then again he seemed to beable to get inside everyones heads. "Where I found Izzy the other night, up Cheetham way, Reids got a lotta business round that way but its not his land,"

"Still run by the Irish lot int it?"

"Jimmy Gray and the rest of em yeah, but Billys got a nice little give and take with the Grays, a supply chain right and I think its about time we shut that down, make old Jimmy Gray an offer he can't refuse..."

"We don't have the..."

"The sway?" Van kicked his feet up on the table, licked his lips as he leant back in his chair, exhaled a long drag. "Leave that to me," he smirked and in that moment I watched in awe, willing to believe anything he told me.

"And what about..." started my brother but as he did I tuned out and into a hand on my shoulder, a set of perfectly manicured fingernails, blood red and drumming slowly, to the rhythm of a cats purr on my skin.

"You don't wanna bore yourself with this lot Izzy," hummed Megan, offering the boys, my brother a smile as she slipped her hand in mine the gentle caress along my arm on her way down.

"We won't be long Megs," nodded my brother, offering me a small smile as she steered me away.

"That necklace suits you," she smiled at me as we sat down at the bar and she used her pinky finger to stir a glass of whisky. "Makes you look a lot more grown up you know,"

"Van likes it," i said softly, not realising the kind of information i was giving up to her. Not realising what she could do with it.

"I'm sure he does honey," she giggled, made me giggle too, "It's very pretty,"

"Yeah," i said taking it between my fingers admiring it under the warm glow of the bar. Bob wasn't in tonight and the bar was closed, no one else was drinking with us, even the girls, Camille and Nakita were yet to make an appearance that night. It was strange sort of, seeing the place quite as quiet as it was just then.

"You should wear it to school," she said then with a cheekier smile, leaning over to unbutton my shirt, "where your school shirt undone like this," she said pulling the collar of my fred perry polo top apart so that Lyras locket hung out and caught the light. "Draw the boys attention," she winked already messing with my hair, winding a little whisp around her finger, her thumb hovering over my bottom lip. "Oh honey someones got to teach you how to take advantage of yourself," she sighed, "its criminal,"

"I don't think my brother would like that too much," i said hiding away under the rim of my flatcap shying away, a little embarrassed that I was still scared to break Bondys rules.

"Fuck your brother," she said smiling like it was all a big game, as if it was all so exciting. I had to admit it made my stomach flip the way she saw me in a different light. The way she treated me a little like I was the most precious of things and more like I was someone to show off. "Really baby girl," she smiled, "you need to learn how to use all this to your advantage. Sooner or later you're gonna find out, the only way to survive this life, is to find the strong ones, and fuck em,"

For a moment she had me speechless, a little stunned. Blinking back at her, my lips slightly parted, unable to believe what I thought she was suggesting. Uncertain she was suggesting that at all. But when she let out a laugh, held my cheeks between her thumb and forefinger affectionately giggling away, i realised that she was being serious.

"Oh look at you, honey don't be so shocked," she smiled, "Oh my you're adorable," she ran her thumb across my cheek, left me feeling a little self-conscious. Caught between shy and completely transfixed by her twinkling vixon demeanour.

I looked around, trying to decide whether my brother and the lads could hear our conversation from their office. Coming to the conclusion that she never would have said it if that was the risk.

I sat up a little straighter. Forced a pout in an attempt to impress her.

"Teach me then,"

She licked her lips, a develish smile forming, her dimple popping as she leant in, brushed a loose hair behind my ear.

"You didn't have to ask,"