Chelsea Dawn

Johnny used the secret exit and quickly made his way out of the Blue Lion, his temples throbbing from a headache. Dickey doesn't get it, I want to sell out to Mick because he an run it better and I can go legit. I got a wife and baby, he thought angrily.

He tilted his hat down and his hand gripped the butt of the gun as he rushed home, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw Mabel sitting in her easy chair sketching a picture. "Are you all right, Johnny?", she asked.

"Aye", he replied.

Mabel set down her sketchpad and looked him straight in the eye. "Tell me what really happened", she said in a deceptively calm voice.

Johnny smiled at his wife, knowing he was defeated. "Dickey is upset because I want to sell my portion of the Blue Lion to Mick, he wants both shares. He's not bright enough to run the place himself, he needs help. Bloody stupid brother I got", he muttered.

"Dickey was always thick, Johnny. He might try something, so you ought to get a bodyguard", suggested Mabel.

"That's a brilliant idea, luv. But I need someone I can trust", he said.

"How about one of your players, or the security blokes at Stamford Bridge?", she asked.

"Yeah, I like that. There is a security bloke, Sean Brennan, I like him. He's Yorkshire Irish and a big fellow and Torres is the biggest player we got on the pitch, one of the Spanish fellows", said Johnny.

"Tell them tomorrow before the match, and you'll have to pay them", said Mabel.

"Aye, you are a clever girl, Mabel Watson", he teased. '

"And you like that, Johnny Watson. Now I have to start supper, since you interrupted me", she chuckled.

"What does Mr. Watson want with us? I need this bleedin' job", muttered Sean as Fernando gave him a reassuring smile.

"Gentlemen, please come in and have a seat", said Johnny, gesturing to the two empty chairs in front of the desk.

Johnny looked right at them, his hazel eyes calm and serious. "Mr. Brennan, Mr. Torres, I have proposition for you. I want you to be my bodyguards, Mr. Brennan can guard me when the team is on the road and Mr. Torres can be my bodyguard while the team is in London, it was my wife's idea. You will be paid extra with my personal check, not through Chelsea FC", he said.

"Gracias, Mr. Watson. And who is going to watch your wife?", asked Fernando.

"Very good question, Mr. Torres. Your wife and Mr. Mata's wife can look after her, even the roughest gangsters will hesitate to shoot a woman", he chuckled dryly.

Sean and Fernando exchanged a look. "How much are you paying us?", asked Sean.

"An extra fifty pounds a week, from my own account. They're legit, they won't bounce", said Johnny.

"Si, bueno. We will take the job, Senor Watson", said Fernando.

Johnny beamed as he shook both their hands, getting out his checkbook and showing it to them. "Next week you shall get your first checks, gentlemen. Tonight I am staying home but after the game Saturday we will go to the Blue Lion to celebrate if we win or drown our sorrows if we lose, there's always an excuse. You will have to tell your wives, of course, they will find out sooner or late. If anything happens to you, I will provide for them", he said.

"Verdad, senor Watson", said Fernando.

"Blimey, we are getting an extra fifty pounds to guard our boss, Fernando. That's a bloody lot of money, I can buy a car soon with that kind of money", said Sean eagerly.

"Why do you want a car if you can take the Tube, London traffic son muy malo", said Fernando as they left the office.

"I want to have a nice roadster so I can drive up to Yorkshire and show my family I made it, everyone is bloody poor up there since the factories went tits up. Me family doesn't want to move down here, they're scared of the city. London is the best bloody place in the feckin' world", said Sean excitedly.

"Verdad, Sean", agreed Fernando.

"Que bueno, Nando. Necessitas a tener cuidado", warned Juan when he heard the news.

"Verdad, Juanin. I have a good feeling about this", said Fernando as he took a sip of his whiskey.

"Juan is right, I did not come all the way back here to become a widow", teased Violette as she and Christina prepared dinner.

"Si, Blanca Nieves. But we will be careful, this is the chance we have to protect Johnny. Sean will guard him when the team is on the road and I will be his bodyguard when we are in London, he will provide us with guns", said Fernando.

Christina looked up from the salad she was preparing and gazed at them in shock. "Guns, for real? Do you know how to shoot?", she exclaimed.

"Si, Christina. I used to go hunting with my grandfather in the hills near our cottage in Castile, I know how to shoot. I will be careful", he said.

"I hope so, gangsters aren't people you mess with with", chided Violette as she checked on the steaks.

"Si, Blanca Nieves", he replied, draining his whiskey.