Chapter 1

She looked gorgeous in her black suit with her long blonde hair flowing from beneath the brim of her female styled fedora, her eyes caught mine through her face veil and I caught her sadness.

At last the coffin was lowered into the earth and she threw a handful in after it before taking my arm in hers and leading the way out of the dark and dreary church yard.

We sat close together in the back of the limousine taking us to the reception at a local hotel, her hand in mine and her perfume in my nostrils.

"Thank God that's over" she said softly and I agreed with her,

"Yes it wasn't very pleasant" she turned and touched her lips to my cheek, "I was referring to my marriage to John, as well you know"

"Yes but I didn't want to say it"

"You're lovely aren't you?" and she squeezed my hand, "But I know you never liked him"

"I don't like anyone who hits my twin sister"

"Thank you my love, can I ask you a favour?"

"Anything, you know that"

"It's a big one"

"I told you, anything" I repeated,

"Will you stay with me for a couple of days?"

"Of course I will, did you honestly expect me to say anything else?"

"Well the Army, you know"

"No problem kid, I'll just have to ring the boss though, he'll say yes, I know he will"

"You're S.A.S. aren't you?"

"You know I can't ever admit that Katie"

We pulled up outside the hotel then and she left it as we went in to the room she'd booked for the reception,

Her late husband's dad bought her a drink and she sat down with him and his wife, I didn't like either of them and never had, they thought their scummy son was too good for her and were forever trying to do her down. I stood at the bar just watching and sure enough I saw the tears start, her father in law said something and gestured towards me, that was more than enough for me, I strolled over and asked Katie if she was ok,

"She's perfectly well thank you, kindly leave us, we're discussing a private matter with our daughter in law" the old man said testily,

"Well it seems as though that private matter is making my twin sister cry"

I said pleasantly and pulled up a chair next to Katie, who looked at me with gratitude.

"Look son" her father in law said, "It's a financial matter so just fuck off will you?"

Leaning forward, I said softly,

"Swear like that again in front of my sister and you'll wake up with your balls in your mouth, if you actually have any"

He curled his lips in a sneer and nodded behind me to where his other two sons were standing cracking their knuckles, they were gangster film fans!

"Time you were going David" the smaller one said softly, he might have been smaller than his brother, but he was still well over six feet, Katie looked up at him and said, "Please don't John, you'll get hurt"

John thought that was funny and reached for me, but the only thing he touched was his brother as I pushed my chair back, stood up and in one movement, spun him round, whipped an arm up behind his back at the same time as I pushed his head sharply into that of his brother, both collapsed in a heap without even having the decency to moan, they were both out cold!

"Now then" I spoke to the old man whose mouth resembled that of a gold fish, "Unless you've got any more wannabee James Cagneys for me, let me tell you a couple of things, I don't care what financial matters you wish to browbeat my sister with, but if as I think, they were into you for a loan, I'll repay it, but only when I know more about it and even then it will be in my own good time, got it?"

"We bought the house for them" the old woman found her voice at last, "She owes us a lot of money and we want it"

"I'm sure you do" I said pleasantly, "And like I said, you'll get it, I see now where your son got his bullying ways from, but I'm afraid to tell you that I'll be around yet for a while, so you'll be dealing with me"

"Oh and the second thing is, do not contact her again, do it through a solicitor"

They both sat there staring at me like I was an alien, Katie smothered a giggle and we went over to join a group of her real friends!

"He's my brother" Katie said by way of an introduction, "And a soldier, he's in the --"

"Katie" I stopped her with a look and then smiled as I shook hands with them all,

They were a great crowd and accepted me just like that, Id only intended on staying for one, but as everyone brought a round, I kept hanging on so I could buy one back until one of the guys in the group said that my little display earlier had ensured that my money was no good, "You'll never buy a round with us lot here Dave, we all think a hell of a lot of Katie, you've just proved that you do too"

"Ok but I feel like a bloody scrounger"

"Fuck off" he laughed, "I'm Danny Groves, make that Sergeant Danny Groves, Royal Logistics mob"

"Hey a tip toe boy" (Their nick name is the tip toe boys because they are responsible for bomb disposing)

"Yeah and we've met before"

"We have?"

"Second gulf war, Basra 2003, if I remember correctly"

"Yeah I was there"

"I know" he chuckled, "We marched into Basra, quite proud of our little selves only to be met by a scruffy bunch of ragheads asking in perfect English, what the fuck kept you?"

I threw my head back and roared at the memory, "That was you?"

"Yeah, we were fucking gob smacked, there we were thinking we were first and you scruffy lot of bastards were there scratching your fucking arses waiting for us"

We talked for a while swapping memories before he touched my arm, "Katie's pissed mate look"

I looked and she was, as I watched she threw a double vodka and coke back in one before reaching for another one, she threw that one back and grinned over at me, "Come and join us bruv, I'm getting pissed"

"I can see that" I laughed and reached for one of the many doubles in front of her,

"Cheers everyone, thanks for being here today for my sister"

They all drank and Katie burst into tears, "I'm a widow Dave"

"I know darling" I soothed her making gestures to Danny for a taxi, when it arrived, I'd had two more doubles and was beginning to feel it,