Standing back, away from the eyes of the police and the fire service, Steff watched as the yard burned to the ground. He knew who would have caused this, it didn’t take a genius to work it out. Kev and the rest of the Barrhouse Firm obviously didn’t like what had happened in the pub. And Kev would have a grudge because Donnie had set him up for prison. No one else would have the guts to come at Donnie Black like this. No one.
Steff kept back, stepping away from the scene and heading out of the other side of the woodland path towards his car. Once inside, he pulled out his phone and called Donnie.
‘Where are you?’ he asked, knowing fine well that Donnie had no clue about the yard yet. If he did, he’d have contacted Steff long before now.
‘I’m waiting for Stewart. He phoned, said that Louise had rocked up at the polis station. Gave my name, told them Tam was dead. The lot. He’s going to bring her to me so I can complete the delivery to Goran and get back to the yard.’
Steff took a breath. ‘About that… The yard’s gone.’
‘Eh? What you talking about?’
‘It’s been blown up. There’s fuck all left of it,’ Steff said, almost unable to believe the words himself. Those bastards were going to pay for this.
‘Tell me you’re fucking kidding, Steff.’ Donnie’s voice was low, and Steff could tell that he was about to erupt.
‘I wish I was, Donnie. It’s Kev and the rest of those lads. I’m fucking sure of it.’
‘Fuck!’ Donnie hissed.
Steff didn’t need to hear that they’d lost everything in that fire. Their security accounts, cash, the books for the taxman. Everything was in there.
Donnie was quiet for a moment, and Steff allowed him the time to take everything in. There was no way that Donnie was going to allow the Firm to ruin his empire. No fucking way.
‘We’re fucked, Steff.’
‘Nah, Mel will have backup copies of everything. She wouldn’t have left everything in there. She’s a Black, learned from the best. She’ll have insurance on all this stuff.’
Donnie sighed. ‘I hope you’re right.’ And almost in an instant, Donnie dismissed it all as though it hadn’t happened. ‘Can you get down here and meet me? Once Stewart drops her off, I want us to make the delivery our fucking selves. There is no way I’m going to let anyone else ruin this fucking empire I’ve worked so hard to build after the McAdam collapse.’
Steff felt an annoyance begin to build. All Donnie seemed to care about was the fucking McAdam collapse, and how he was going to be Glasgow’s next big crime boss; the biggest. Bullshit, it was all utter bullshit. Now that someone had blown up the yard, he’d be the laughing stock of the underworld.
‘Fine,’ he said.
But Steff had an idea. This was the perfect opportunity for him, now that Donnie was falling. He could swoop in for Layla. With Donnie looking like a monster, he could come in and be her hero.