Page 42 of West (The Moral Compass 1)
We pull up in front of my family home. I look in the mirror to see Sutton and Kara looking at each other and then to the house, both mouths agape like goldfish. I smile to myself and then look across to North who is also smiling. These girls have probably never seen a house like this close up unless it was on a school trip to some ancient museum. I want to give them a minute to soak it in, but I don’t get a chance. The front door flies open and out runs my mother.
“West? North? Are you both here? Oh, my dear Lord. Is it my birthday and I’ve forgotten?” she happily shouts, running down the steps.
“Uh oh, North. This is going to be fun.” I look over to North, and he is very nearly pissing himself laughing.
“Oh, Brother. It’s you that is going to be in so much trouble when she finds out you have a lady friend and she didn’t know anything about it.” He’s laughing so hard.
My door is pulled open, and two hands grab my shirt as I’m pulled from the car. She might be tiny, but, hell, she is one hell of a woman, and upper body strength has always been my mother’s thing. I help her along, but I do it carefully so she wouldn’t notice.
Once I’m out of the car, she hugs me like she hasn’t seen me for years even though it’s only been a month. North steps out of the other side of the car and opens the back door for the girls.
My mother steps back and eyes the two new guests. Her face is straight, and she stares at Sutton as she comes to stand by my side. My mother breaks into a huge smile, grabs Sutton by the shoulder, and pulls her into a huge, heart-warming hug. Sutton stands there confused and then slowly wraps her arms around her. I look across to North who is hiding his face in his hands, and Kara looks uncomfortable.
Mum releases Sutton and stands back, getting a better look. “So, to what do I owe this pleasure, boys?” She folds her arms across her chest as we both look at each other. She knows this isn’t a pleasure visit. “Okay, so you’re not talking yet. Come on inside, and I’ll make some of my ‘T Tea’. That’ll get you talking.”
She walked up the steps and back into the house that North and I call 'The Fortress'.
All four of us head inside, but Sutton and Kara are behind us. They are just staring, looking, oohing and ahhhing. It’s quite something to see. They both look like they are in shock.
“Hey, beautiful, want me to kiss you on your head?” I ask.
Fire flares in her eyes as she angrily whispers, “Only if you want me to hit you in the dick.” Then, a sweet smile crosses her lips. Not a real one, of course, rather, it’s one that tells me she’s okay, but she’s also confused and a little pissed off.
We all end up in the kitchen at the back of the house. Mum is fussing with the tea set. I know what’s coming next. We will all be seated at the table in the breakfast room, and we will all be served her ‘T Tea’. It’s called her T Tea as she believes it’s a truth serum. It’s not, but North and I have played this game with her since we were young. The tea is amazing and so good. We would tell her white lies, and she would serve us her T Tea, and then we would tell the truth. We only did it because if we asked for the tea she would have said no as it was expensive and only for special occasions. Like finding out the truth. To this day I don’t think she knows.
A large teapot and five cups are laid out along with milk and sugar. The tea set is Royal Doulton and worth a fortune, but Mum uses it every day. “Why keep it locked away gathering dust when it can be used for what it was intended?” is what she’d say if you asked her.
We sat for a few minutes smiling and laughing a little, and then she coughed.
“Okay boys, enough with the dramatics. What’s going on, and who are we going to kill?” My mother’s directness caused Kara to spit her tea right across the table and all over North.
“For fuck’s sake, Kara. These clothes are definitely going in the incinerator now". North cursed. Sutton was coughing as she choked on her tea. I sat back and watched, patting Sutton’s back to ease the choking.
“Now, Mum. We have guests. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I said softly with my best 'charming son' smile.
“Bullshit, West. Don’t you dare give me the spiel about guests. Sorry, love,” she directed at Sutton. “What is going on, and why are you all here? I know something’s up. I tried to get Jack to pick up some stuff up for me earlier, and he said he was on a job. I was half-expecting you, North, but not a full party.”
North looked pissed again. Mum had a thing about North being in trouble all the time when the truth was that it was usually me. North did the digging and I did the fixing, but somehow Mum never understood that side of things.
“I also called the office this morning, and Sandra said you were out of town for a few days. I need to know what’s going on if I’m not going to put my bloody foot in it every two minutes.”
I looked at Sutton and with one simple nod, I started to explain, and then North stepped in, filling in the blanks as we went along. North watched Kara and her reactions to the whole, unedited story. Mum just sat and listened. A few times she had a tear in her eye but then back to being straight-faced. When everything was out in the open, she sat back and said, “Well, I’m so glad the T Tea still works.” She got up and took the tea tray back into the kitchen.
“Why don’t Sutton and Kara go for a dip in the pool? The roof is over it this time of year, and the temperature will be lovely. There are new suits in the changing area next to the pool. I can show you both where it is,” Mum piped up from the doorway.
It wasn’t a request as such. Mum wanted us on our own. She had questions, and she didn’t want Sutton or Kara to hear them or the answers.
Sutton and Kara had been gone for about fifteen minutes when Mum arrived back at the table. Her face was like thunder, and I knew both of us big six-foot-plus boys were in for a rough ride.
“What the bloody hell have you two boys got yourselves mixed up in this time?” she spat, glaring at both of us.
I was the first to speak, “Listen, Mum, this all happened exactly how I said. I can’t help the way I feel about Sutton, and I’m not leaving her now knowing that Ralph wants her dead. I couldn’t leave her even if I wanted to. I don’t know what else to say to you, only that we need your help.”
“He’s right, Mum. If we don’t help Sutton, Ralph will get to her, and it’s only a matter of time before she meets the ending he has planned for her. We also have Kara to worry about now, as he knows who she is and where she lives,” North supported.
“Mum, I know I promised I’d finished with all this type of stuff, and I did. But this isn’t the same. I have feelings for Sutton. Real feelings.” I felt like a little boy asking for something way out for Christmas.
“Well, I never thought I’d hear those words from you, West. North, definitely, little bloody Romeo that he is. But never you. I’m pleased, and you have my support. The girls will stay here under guard for as long as it takes. You make sure you get the bastards, and you make sure he suffers for every crime he has committed and every life he has taken, and if you can save a few in the process, then that’s all the better.” She smiled as she rose from the table.
