Betrayal

A man’s character is his fate.

Heraclitus (c. 540-480 BC)

Am I my brother’s keeper?

Genesis 4:9

Chapter Thirty

1990

‘What on earth is Agnes on about, Aiden?’

Reeva was annoyed and it showed. Tony had disappeared again which wasn’t, in itself, a big blow. The bugbear was he had not come back for three days and now Reeva was getting worried.

Aiden shook his head in despair and said patiently, ‘Your young daughter, your “baby” as I believe you refer to her in your more friendly moments, needs money for a school trip to, of all places, Westminster Abbey.’ He pulled his sister on to his lap and hugged her close saying, ‘Don’t worry, sweetheart, I will sort you out.’

Agnes was squirming to get away from him as he kissed her over and over again, his stubble scraping against her skin. Even Reeva laughed at the scene and she didn’t think she had a laugh in her. Aiden slipped his sister twenty quid and she ran from the room to get ready for school. He looked at his youngest brothers and, sighing, gave them both twenty quid too.

Patsy, who was ironing his shirt, said jokily, ‘Costs a fucking fortune, keeping this lot sweet, Ade.’

‘Can’t give to one without the others, can you?’ Aiden smiled at Porrick and Eugene as he spoke and they grinned back, well pleased with this outcome. He poured himself another cup of tea and, as he sipped it, he said in a mock-tragic voice, ‘Don’t worry, Mum. He’ll be back when he’s hungry.’

Patsy chimed in then with a snide, ‘Or when he’s skint!’

The boys laughed and Reeva felt her simmering anger begin to boil. Yet she knew deep down they all liked Tony. The two-faced bastard that he was − he was still her Tony.

Eugene, who was the joker of the family, said, completely deadpan, ‘He must be fucking starving by now. He’s been gone nearly four days!’

They all started laughing again and Reeva willed herself not to react. It wasn’t often her Aiden was home in the mornings. He usually spent most of his nights with his fancy woman; so she didn’t want to spoil the mood.

Agnes came into the kitchen in her school uniform and Aiden looked at her with pride. From her blue eyes to her thick, dark hair and tanned skin, she was absolutely stunning, even at nine.

Patsy was a typical half-caste. You could see his West Indian heritage and he was a good-looking fucker – he turned a few heads when he hit the town. Then there was Eugene, with his African blackness, handsome in an aloof kind of way, and very, very funny. He was also the bookworm of the family; he would read anything from a takeaway menu to The Times newspaper. He had made the entire family join the library so he could get out more books in their names. Aiden had a feeling he would go far in life. Eugene had something about him, he had a stillness, an aura that made people listen to him. Then there was Porrick, with his red hair and milk-bottle white skin. He was quiet, but he could stand up for himself. He wasn’t tall like the other boys, but what he lacked in height he made up for in ferociousness, as Eugene had found out on more than one occasion. Porrick would fight to the death; he wouldn’t give up or admit defeat. He had a Napoleon complex in that he would fight the biggest fucker to prove his worthiness and show that he was not to be fucked with in any way. Aiden, like the others, admired Porrick for that.

It wasn’t easy, being born into a family like theirs; they were a motley crew, each with different fathers, all different colours – and so completely different to the people around them. They were a world apart in many respects, but they worked as a family unit and that was what mattered. Aiden adored his brothers and his sister, and he would never let anyone fucking mug them off.

He watched as the kids sorted themselves out, getting extra slices of toast and drinking the last of their teas.

‘Jade is picking me up in an hour, Mum.’

Reeva took a deep puff on her cigarette and said sarcastically, ‘She’s good at that, ain’t she? Picking up men!’

Aiden closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The atmosphere in the kitchen was suddenly charged and the younger kids went quiet. Aiden started to laugh, a jovial laugh that made them breathe a sigh of relief. Then, straight-faced he said with quiet vehemence, ‘You do make me fucking laugh at times, Mother. You have been round the block a few times yourself, in case you’d forgotten. You fucking old hypocrite.’

Reeva laughed scornfully as she retorted, ‘I’m fucking younger than her!’

Aiden closed his eyes and then he said nastily, ‘Yeah, but you would never know that, would you? Be fair, Mum, though. She looks ten years younger…’

When Reeva launched herself across the table the children scattered out into the hallway. Of all the things they had witnessed in their young lives, Reeva attacking Aiden was not one of them. Agnes was screaming in abject fear as Patsy tried to separate his mother from his brother.

Aiden was holding Reeva by her wrists and, unable to scratch or punch him, she was trying to kick him. With the help of Patsy, Aiden forced her back on to the kitchen table and held her as she screamed profanities and tried to escape until she ran out of strength.

When, finally, she was crying loudly and shuddering with distress they let her go. Aiden bundled her into his arms and held her until she calmed down. Patsy went to Agnes and tried to do the same for her but she was inconsolable with fear and terror. Picking her up, he brought her into the kitchen where Aiden sat his mother on a chair and took his little sister into his arms. Aiden held her and soothed her until she calmed down, but he was feeling an anger that he knew was well founded and liable to explode at any second. He looked at his mother and he knew she saw the turmoil he was experiencing and, for once, she had the grace to look away. This is what Reeva did best − upset everyone and then acted the victim. But this time they knew she had gone too far.

When Jade Dixon came in a few minutes later she took one look at the scene around her and said pointedly, ‘Been playing happy families again, Reeva?’

Chapter Thirty-One

Annie O’Hara loved her daughter with a fierce passion but she despaired of her at times. For everything Reeva was, Annie knew that deep inside she loved her family with all her considerable heart. The trouble with Reeva was that she had what Annie always thought of as ‘a screw loose somewhere’. She could go weeks being as good as gold and then the devil seemed to take over and she was impossible in more ways than one.

Today seemed to be one of those long and pointless days. The kids had filled her in on the morning’s events, and Annie accepted she would have to forego her Bingo this day to keep an eye on her daughter, and make sure she didn’t get into too much trouble. Aiden had asked her specifically to stop Reeva from ruining everything in that particular way she had when she was on a roll. Annie knew that he was absolutely right. Her daughter needed policing. To make matters worse, Aiden’s relationship with Jade Dixon was like a red rag to the proverbial bull to Reeva, who thought it was all wrong. Annie could see that it wasn’t really the age difference − it was just plain old jealousy on Reeva’s part. Reeva would have been the same with any girl that Aiden took up with. In many ways she treated her eldest son as the husband she had never had, and she didn’t like the thought of him putting another woman before her. In her more rational moments, she acknowledged that what she felt was wrong, outrageously wrong. But then the jealousy would overwhelm her and she would lash out. She wound up regretting her anger eventually. But by then the damage had been done.

Annie poured them both more tea and Reeva sipped hers disconsolately.

‘You know, Reeva, there’s a good side to Jade. She’s had a tough life in her own way.’

Reeva sighed heavily and lit a cigarette. Taking a deep pull on it, she said sarcastically, ‘Oh well, that’s sorted then. Shall I invite her round for dinner? Or how about Sunday tea? She’s a fucking infection, that’s what she is. And she has infected my son.’

Annie simply smiled and shook her head calmly and Reeva felt the shame that always accompanied her mum’s reasoning. Because, although she hated to admit it, her mum was always right in the long run. And that rankled.

Annie gently grasped her daughter’s hand in hers. ‘You know your trouble, Reeva? You can’t stand him wanting anyone but you. He’s your son, not your husband, and if you don’t sort yourself out soon you will end up losing him for good.’

Her mother was giving her sound advice, but for the life of her Reeva would never acknowledge that. How could she? Reeva had always been economical with the truth, especially when it pertained to her own actions and feelings.

‘Oh, Mum.’

Annie pulled her daughter into her arms and held her tightly as she talked her down, and tried to make her see reason in the chaos that was her world.

‘I can’t let him leave me. I need him to sort me out, and sort the kids out…’

Annie held her and listened with half an ear; she had heard it all so many times before.

‘He would never leave you, Reeva, or the kids. But I warn you now, if you push him this time and force him to make a choice between you and her, you could lose him. Oh, he would still be there for you, but he will have to take a big step back. Jade is a sensible woman, and she is a good person in many ways. You have to find some kind of common ground with her, because she is not his usual squeeze − she is someone he respects, as well as loves. And that’s a dangerous combination. Take it from me, love, I know what I’m talking about. If only I’d done things differently with your dad…’ She trailed off, seeing the pain flare in her daughter’s eyes as she reminded her of the first man to leave her.

Reeva didn’t want to listen, even though she knew her mother was right. She couldn’t bring herself to admit the truth of the situation. She saw her son as wholly hers, and that was that.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Aiden was immediately aware that there was some kind of crisis. This was one of the premises used for what was termed ‘special requests’. What that actually meant was that the merchandise here was younger than any of them dared admit out loud, even to one another.

As they let themselves in, a tall woman with a hooked nose and expensively styled hair closed her eyes in obvious distress saying, ‘Thank fuck you’re here. I think she’s dead.’

Jade immediately took control and, grabbing the woman’s arm roughly, she said, in a calm voice, ‘Relax, Rita, and show me where she is.’

Relieved that she could now pass the buck on to someone else, Rita Shaw nodded and led them up the small staircase to the room where a young girl, no more than twelve, lay on a double bed covered in blood.

‘Jesus Christ. What the fuck happened here?’

Aiden’s voice was quiet and Jade could see that he was in danger of losing his temper. Turning to him she looked straight into his eyes. He saw the warning there, and he took it on board.

Jade waited a couple of seconds to make sure he had regained his composure before she said assertively, ‘I can deal with this. You go and find out what happened, calm the situation down, eh?’

Her rationality communicated itself to him and, taking a deep breath, he nodded once before leaving the room with Rita Shaw in tow.

In the kitchen he saw three of the younger girls and a boy of about thirteen sitting forlornly around the table. A huge man with sad eyes, sparse blond hair and a crumpled suit was sitting watching over them and, as he caught Aiden’s eye, there was a deep sadness there which was not actually mirrored in his own. But by now he knew how to play the game.

Unlike this man, Aiden was acting a part. Over the past few years he had begun to feel less and less empathy for the people he supplied or dealt with on a daily basis. This was just another part of the business, and that was how it had to be. He was shocked at the girl’s demise and at her youth. But he was, at the end of the day, a realist. Not that he felt the person responsible should get away with it. This was, after all, beyond the pale in his world. But he had become hardened to the world of nonces and he was sensible enough to know that he had to act like he was outraged, even to Jade, who, despite her upbringing, still harboured a lingering care for the youths under her protection. Aiden had guessed some time ago that to admit that he no longer had much of a conscience was not conducive to good work relations, and this bloke here was a prime example.

Joe Redpath was a strong lad, but he was also a softie where certain things were concerned. He had told Eric time and again not to give him the younger merchandise to look after − he was too chicken-hearted for the task. Yet Eric seemed to find that amusing and often put him on duty in these more ‘select’ establishments, as they were referred to in the trade. Joe hated it with all his being but he did what was asked of him nevertheless. He was paid to do a job and he more than fulfilled his duties – that was a matter of pride with him. It didn’t mean he had to like it, as he pointed out at every available opportunity, even though his complaints seemed to fall on deaf ears.

‘Janey!’

Aiden’s call reverberated around the two-storey flat and, within seconds, a girl of about nineteen with long, red, waist-length hair and a noticeable squint rushed into the room saying breathlessly, ‘Sorry, Aiden, I was calming the twins down.’

He nodded and said in a low voice, ‘Take this lot and keep them quiet. Has Rita rung the doctor?’

She nodded and gathered the children together, taking them out of the room with her, grateful to get away from the man who terrified her.

Joe Redpath looked at Aiden with as much contempt as he thought he could get away with and said quietly, ‘I’ve got the fire going in the main front room to burn the sheets and stuff and I have already briefed the kids that it was a terrible accident − though they don’t believe it, no more than I would. I’ve also put the man responsible in the back bedroom. I’ve locked him in, more for his benefit than anyone else’s. If I go near him I’ll break his fucking neck. I have roughed him up a bit, I admit that. He’s a cunt, and that is the long and the short of it. I won’t be fucking buying his records no more, put it that way.’ Joe shook his head sadly and said with finality, ‘I am sorry, Ade, but I ain’t working this shit no more. If Eric don’t like it I will go elsewhere.’

Aiden nodded. ‘I will sort it, Joe, don’t worry. You let the doctor in, mate, OK? And I will take care of Twinkle Toes up in the back bedroom. Fucking nonce.’

Joe nodded and Aiden left him, walking heavily up the staircase to deal with the man concerned. He was a big popstar with a huge following and a reputation as a ladies’ man. The truth was he couldn’t get it up with a real woman; he liked them young and flat-chested. He was a fucking animal, but he paid well. Well, he would have to, wouldn’t he, given the nature of his fantasies and his public persona?

It never failed to amaze Aiden the people they dealt with. Household names some of them, from all walks of life, and backgrounds and environments. The only thing they had in common − other than their penchant for young kids − was the fact they were fucking loaded, seriously wedged up, and well able to pay to indulge in their peculiar tastes. Although he didn’t feel the same shock as he had at first, Aiden still looked down on this particular clientele because they lived a lie in one way or another. But then wasn’t everyone guilty of that to some extent?

He sighed deeply as he opened the bedroom door and looked at the handsome man sitting miserably on the edge of the bed. He looked like what he was to Aiden − a big, debauched bully. It was well known that he was spiteful with the girls and, as such, he paid extra for that privilege.

Plastering a neutral expression on his face, Aiden said softly, ‘I’ll get you a brandy. I am sure you could do with one.’

The man nodded and said in a surprisingly deep voice, ‘I don’t know what went wrong. We have played that game before. If she had only kept still none of this would have happened…’

His voice trailed off and, while Aiden poured him a large Courvoisier, he controlled the urge to slam the bottle into the man’s face. He left the man sipping his brandy; he had heard the doctor arrive and he wanted to know the state of play.

The doctor was a middle-aged man with a balding head, and a bad case of psoriasis. He also had a hygiene problem that included halitosis. He was arrogant and badly dressed and no one on the job liked him, especially not the boys he requested. The girls too loathed him and so did Aiden. He was disgusting in every way. He was useful, though, in that he would sedate the more nervous newbies and, of course, he would prescribe drugs for the clientele’s satisfaction, if requested. He had a big practice in Hampstead and he was known for his willingness to give out slimming pills without any questions. And he had a seemingly never-ending supply of like-minded contacts who had money and status and, significantly, influence − the latter, of course, being the most important.

The doctor had a very big celebrity clientele because of his generosity with narcotics and this was what inflated his already high opinion of himself. Apparently he was a good doctor in other ways and was often called in by the police to carry out autopsies on some of their more outrageous murder victims. This might have been to do with the fact that the Chief Superintendent was also a regular visitor to this particular establishment, although he liked girls of about fifteen so he didn’t see himself in quite the same way as he did the other clients. He saw his girls as almost grown up, and he liked them to pretend that he was doing them the favour of a lifetime. People’s hypocrisy would never cease to amaze Aiden O’Hara. But it was what made him a serious wedge so he was quite willing to overlook a lot of things.

Doctor Flint was washing his hands in the small en-suite bathroom as Aiden entered the room. Aiden noticed that Jade was white-faced and looked as if she was going to be sick − that was a definite first for her, as far as Aiden knew. That she was kind to what she always referred to as ‘the merchandise’ didn’t exactly hide the fact that she had a decent streak running through her somewhere, and he knew she argued with Eric about customers like the quivering popstar who had caused this latest fucking debacle.

‘What happened?’

She was shaking her head, her huge eyes actually glistening with tears, and he instinctively put an arm around her. At least the doctor had had the grace to cover the poor child up.

Flint’s booming voice came out of the tiny bathroom as he wiped his hands. ‘Shoved something up inside her a good few hours ago, I would say. Peritonitis is my guess. Ripped her open inside.’

His voice was matter-of-fact and that was not lost on Aiden or Jade. Just another fucking day to this bloke. Aiden was gritting his teeth in suppressed anger.

‘What? What did he use?’

Flint shrugged. ‘I won’t know that until I remove it but, if it is what I think it is, you don’t want to know, laddie.’

He walked into the room and said to Jade, ‘Get her sent to mine. I’ll do what’s required. Talk to the Chief, he will smooth it over. We’ll have her sorted in a few days and cremated without a fuss. I deal with a lot of street kids in my volunteer capacity. This will be all forgotten about in no time.’

He touched her arm gently and Jade moved away from him. Flint was aware of the move and Aiden saw the anger in the man’s eyes. He was acting the hero and not getting the thanks he expected.

‘How’s our singing star? Does he need a sedative?’

Jade nodded and then, seeming to pull herself together, she said in a quiet voice that was full of forced humility, ‘They all love their chemicals, don’t they? Thank you for coming so promptly, Doctor.’

Flint grinned. This was better, this was what he liked.

Aiden waved him out saying, ‘He’s in the top bedroom. I’m sure he will be delighted to see you. Give him one up the arse for me!’

The doctor actually laughed at what he perceived as a good joke and left the room.

When they were alone Aiden pulled her into his arms and, holding her to him, he said gently, ‘Come on, Jade. This happens, we both know that. It’s part of the game.’ He drew her closer and kissed her gently on her cheek. Then he was all businesslike as he said, ‘Has she any family? Is there anyone who could cause us trouble?’

Jade gave a sad, disgusted shake of her head before she said, ‘We bought her two years ago for an ounce of heroin. She was only supposed to stay a month. Her mother had been pimping her out since she was a toddler by the sounds of it. The heroin was too good for the silly bitch and she overdosed that night. We have had her ever since. You know Eric, he loves a fucking bargain, bastard that he is!’

She placed a hand on the girl’s hair, which was thick and abundant – and the only thing visible now she had been covered up with the blood-stained sheet.

‘She never had a fucking chance.’

Aiden really didn’t know what to say, so he kept silent. Jade walked from the room, and a few minutes later he followed her.

The girl’s body and every piece of furniture in the room was gone within the hour and, by the time Eric was made aware that anything had gone awry, the room had been scrubbed with bleach, repainted and refurnished. This was what he paid them for. And Eric paid them very well.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Jade was lying in Aiden’s arms. Neither of them was in the mood for sex and instead they held each other tightly. The day’s events had thrown them both.

Aiden was Eric’s blue-eyed boy, the clever lad, the problem-solver. That should have made him feel good, but this time it didn’t. He had erased from the world a child who had never known a day’s happiness. It was as if she had never existed. That bothered him for once, because it had hit home that, without him, the same thing could have happened to his brothers or sister. It was a small step for some kids: they ran from one situation only to find that they were in another one, far scarier than that they had left behind.

‘You all right, Jade?’

He felt her move away from him and, as she lit them both cigarettes, he watched her in the lamplight. She was looking older today, and even though he knew she was still a beautiful woman – especially to him – she was nearer forty than thirty and that was something she was very aware of. He noticed the lines around her eyes and her mouth but they didn’t bother him one bit. He loved her − not just her body or the sex they had, but her. His Jade.

He took the cigarette from her and pulled on it deeply.

‘I don’t know, Aiden. Poor little mare.’ She smiled slightly as she said, in a jokey voice, ‘Must be going soft in my old age!’

He laughed with her and, sitting up in the bed, he kissed her shoulder gently. ‘Cost that piece of scum a hundred grand to keep it quiet. Imagine the papers if this came out? Let alone the fucking judicial system, eh?’

Jade snorted angrily and stabbed her cigarette out. Then, immediately lighting another, she said bitterly, ‘He would see the advantage though, wouldn’t he? Always about fucking money for Eric.’

There was a bitterness in her voice that Aiden had never heard before. Where was the hard bitch he had first met? Was she actually going soft like she said? He wondered at her showing such emotion; it just wasn’t like her. He pulled her into his arms and was disconcerted when he realised she was crying. He had never seen her cry.

‘Hey, come on, Jade. You know there was nothing anyone could have done…’

But she cried harder. He was nonplussed at what to do; this was something he would never have expected in a million years. He kissed her gently and tried to pull her face up to his, but she just buried her head in his chest.

Jade Dixon had fallen for this young man. Against her better judgement there was something about him that attracted her. For the first time in her life she actually enjoyed sex with a man and, even though she didn’t feel this way every time they coupled, it was often enough to make her see that he meant a lot more to her than she would have ever thought possible. They worked well together, even with the age gap, and she believed that he genuinely cared for her. He made her feel wonderful when he was with her and he respected her for the right reasons. Now, though, she had fucked it up and she had to tell him.

She pushed him away from her, and saw the concern in his eyes as he looked into her ravaged face. But this was not the time to be thinking of how old she looked – even she knew that.

‘What the fuck is wrong, Jade?’

She looked at this lad, because that was what he was for all his size and his intelligence, and she said heavily, ‘I’m fucking pregnant.’

She saw the mixture of emotions that crossed his face and was surprised to find the first one was happiness. Surely he couldn’t expect her to have a child? Have his child at her age?

Aiden smiled widely. ‘Really? You are having a baby? My baby?’

She nodded and, even though she had cried off her expertly applied make-up and she looked every day of her thirty-six years, Aiden knew he had never loved her more.

‘This is the best news ever, Jade. I know it wasn’t planned but what a baby we will make, eh?’

She couldn’t answer him, because she quite honestly didn’t know what to say. He was holding her tightly to him, and talking nineteen to the dozen, and suddenly she wondered if this might be a good thing. She knew that this was probably her last chance of motherhood even though she had never wanted a child before in her life, and wasn’t that sure she wanted one now. But now she knew that if she did have this child, Aiden would be there for it and for her. He was already a father to his younger siblings and he took family seriously − really seriously, because anyone who could put up with Reeva had to be family-minded. Whereas she had no familial loyalty because she had no family to speak of. None that she wanted in her life anyway. But this child she was carrying would be her family, wouldn’t it?

‘But I will be so old when it’s born, Aiden…’

He laughed at her and said jovially, ‘Stop it, you dozy bitch. You’re beautiful and you’re clever and you are mine. This baby will be like a fucking superchild: with your looks, my brains and our nous, it will rule the fucking world!’

Despite her reservations she was picking up on his excitement and, when he kissed her long and hard on her lips, she responded.

‘This is a gift from God, Jade. A child is a blessing, you know? And after that poor girl today think of how lucky our child will be. Boy or girl, I don’t care. It will be a part of us, won’t it? You and me can live on together in this baby!’

Then he started to really laugh and Jade laughed with him. It was such abandoned laughter, and it felt good to be laughing. But Aiden’s laughter was much longer and harder than hers.

‘Come on, Aiden! Tell me what we are laughing at?’

He was wiping his eyes with glee as he said loudly, ‘Reeva, me mother. She will be a granny! I bet that won’t go down too fucking well!’

He was laughing once more. But Jade wasn’t joining in now. She didn’t find that funny at all.

Chapter Thirty-Four

‘Look at him! He’s fucking terrified, Aiden.’

Aiden laughed at the awe in his brother’s voice. ‘So he fucking should be. Wanker.’

Patsy O’Hara loved working like this with his brother; he had had a lot of making up to do and had learned a lot in the past two years. They were in a small lock-up in Basildon − a row of abandoned garages that Aiden, in his wisdom, had purchased for the company recently. It was the perfect place for jobs like this. They were quiet and the people who lived nearby had no intention of getting involved with anything. Why would they? This was an area where anyone with half a brain kept their noses out of other people’s business.

Patsy poured out a generous measure of Scotch and passed the glass to his brother who sipped it nonchalantly as he studied his prey. Larry Brookmeyer was a big man in every way: wide of girth and loud of voice. It was said mouth that had landed him in his latest bout of trouble. That, and the fact he had had his hands in Aiden’s pockets. Never a good idea at any time, but less so when he had informed his esteemed colleagues that he wasn’t scared of ‘that little runt’.

Aiden was fuming, with what Larry had said about Jade. Jade, who was near her time, was feeling very vulnerable what with her age and everything else. Larry had said he had always wondered what it was like to fuck a pensioner. That was a very unfortunate turn of phrase to use. Some people really should not go near drugs of any kind, especially cocaine. It was cocaine that had signed Larry Brookmeyer’s death warrant.

Aiden could almost have overlooked the insult if it had been Larry’s only crime. If only he’d kept his mouth shut about Gloria – Aiden’s latest bit on the side. Young and lovely Gloria, with her pert breasts and her long legs. And a snatch that could grab you like a vice! Gloria who, thanks to this idiot, had come to the attention of Jade. Not that Jade had mentioned her, of course − she had too much fucking class. But Aiden was sure she knew − there was nothing that went on in the Smoke that Jade didn’t know about. Oh, the once delectable Gloria was next on his list of things to take care of! Mouthy fucking mare didn’t know when to keep her trap shut either.

He sighed in annoyance. Yes, he had fucked Gloria, but that hardly counted as an engagement. And he had expressly told her to keep it on the down-low. Instead, the stupid whore had broadcast it to the nation and for that she would pay and pay big time. He was going to ensure that she never fucked with anyone again − she would always remember that she had fucked him − in more ways than one.

But first things first – Larry was about to be taught a lesson. Aiden rubbed his hands together with relish as if he was the presenter of a Saturday-night programme, delivering the prize to be won to the audience.

‘Now, Larry. I want to revisit a few of the things you have said recently. Namely the “fucking a pensioner” barb. Were you on the fucking Bostik, you dozy shit?’ He sighed theatrically. ‘That was bad enough! But also mouthing on about me and a certain little bird who shall remain nameless, and who should have stayed fucking nameless, especially to my better half, the lovely Jade.’

Larry was in serious trouble, but he was sensible enough to realise that he had to take any punishment coming to him. Aiden possessed a very low threshold for aggravation; he was not a man to cross.

‘Look, Aiden. I can’t apologise enough, mate. It was the drink and the drugs. I’ve promised my wife I would sort myself out, and this lot now has been the wake-up call I needed…’

He was stuttering in fright and Patsy found that amusing. ‘Oh, you will be waking up, all right. Only not in the way you think, mate. You will be waking up in intensive care, methinks. That’s if you ever fucking wake up, of course.’

‘Give me the petrol, bruv.’

Larry’s eyes were like flying saucers as he saw Patsy O’Hara pick up the petrol can and hand it to his brother. The lid was already off and the fumes were suddenly overpowering him. As Aiden poured the liquid all over Larry’s head he started screaming in fear. Aiden belted him across the face with the empty can, and knocked him senseless. He had no empathy for him. He wanted the fucker gone, once and for all.

Finishing his drink, he calmly lit a match and tossed it on to the sodden man. The flames engulfed him in seconds, and the screams were loud, like an animal.

The chair he was tied to was metal and, as it heated up, it added to the man’s pain and terror. The garage door was open and Aiden and Patsy stood together, smoking cigarettes, and watched.

Patsy nudged his brother gently and pointed at the fire extinguisher. But Aiden pointedly ignored him, shrugging him off aggressively.

When the man’s eyes melted, Patsy brought up his lunch and Aiden was laughing so hard as his brother spewed his guts up that a group of young lads riding by stopped to watch the spectacle. When they saw the burning effigy in the garage, however, they quickly went on their way.

Rubbing his brother’s back gently, Aiden finally said, ‘Come on, mate. Let’s go and get you a nice cold drink of water, shall we?’

Aiden was smiling as he picked up the fire extinguisher and put the man out. He then locked up the garage and, turning to his brother, he said jovially, ‘I need a pint. Thirsty work, burning rubbish.’

Chapter Thirty-Five

Jade was nearly on her time. Apart from a small, neat bump, she looked no different from usual. She had watched what she ate, had stopped smoking, except for two in the evenings, and rarely touched alcohol. Aiden had been insistent, saying he had read an article in Woman’s Realm about pregnancy and now thought he was a fucking expert on it. Why and where he had read the magazine, he couldn’t recall. But it seemed he had remembered every word of the article.

Jade was tired, and she would be glad when this baby was out of her and breathing for itself. She did not like this housing of another human being, and wondered at women like Reeva who were prepared to do it over and over.

She had found out about Aiden’s paramour – a stripper who was half her age and who could talk the hind leg off a table by all accounts. A complete airhead of a girl − that was the worst thing. Larry might have opened his big trap but Jade had known about Gloria almost from the off. Gloria had bragged about her conquest to all and sundry.

She squeezed her eyes shut in distress. She had still not said a dicky bird to Aiden, and that was how she was going to play it. She would keep her dignity, but having this child inside her only seemed to add to her humiliation. In a strange way she understood his logic: he still wanted her but he seemed frightened that if they had sex it would somehow harm the child. When they did have sex, he was gentle and almost courteous − not their usual way of fucking each other’s brains out. She knew that he saw her now as a mother, and that was what had changed him.

But she didn’t want to be a mother if it meant he didn’t want her as he always had. Her whole life had been coloured by the sex act, and now she had found a man who could actually make her feel something she was not about to let him go. She felt the sting of tears. Aiden was already crazy about this baby, but what did that count for if he changed towards her? He was too young for her, and she was too old for him, but finally she felt something akin to love and she was loath to lose that.

The baby kicked and she put her hands on her tiny belly and, for a few seconds, she wished the child dead. She couldn’t let anything or anyone come between her and Aiden. She just knew it would destroy her.

Since they had found out about the baby and moved in together, Jade’s feelings had only intensified. She loved being with Aiden every day. Jade Dixon was in love for the first time in her life and that fact frightened her. She saw love as a weakness, and weakness of any kind was anathema to her. She was also experiencing jealousy for the first time in her life and she hated herself for it. She had always prided herself on her even mindedness where men were concerned − she had used them and that was that. She had never had a female friend of any kind, just acquaintances and, again, that had suited her fine. So why did she now crave another woman to talk to about what was happening to her? She could only blame this child, and the hormones, or whatever it was that made her feel suddenly so alone and so vulnerable. Either way, she didn’t like this way of living and she knew that she had to get a grip on herself and her emotions before they spilled over and she said things she would regret for the rest of her days.

But one thing she knew for sure: she would never let Aiden know just how much he had hurt her. She had always seen emotions as a weakness, and now she knew she had been right all those years. They left you exposed, they left you in a state of flux, unable to control your thoughts. She didn’t like it one bit.

She wasn’t cut out for this childbearing malarkey, that much was obvious. She forced herself to concentrate on the ledger in front of her; the books were not going to balance themselves.

But all she could see in her mind’s eye was Gloria, with her girlish breasts and her wide, open smile. All she could see was Gloria’s youth and, with the baby inside her and the dragging feeling she’d had in her back all day, she felt tired and old. She blinked back the sting of tears. If someone witnessed her crying she would lose her hard-won credibility overnight.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Gloria was admiring herself in her bedroom mirror. She was a good-looking girl and she knew that she had to make the most of it while she could. Her mother had been a looker too, but she had saddled herself with three kids by the time she was twenty-two and she didn’t want Gloria to waste her opportunities. It was a refrain that Gloria had heard over and over again; she listened to her mother carefully and acknowledged the wisdom of her advice. There was no way she was going to live like her mum, on social security, robbing Peter to pay Paul, and putting up with men who were beneath her to try and get a few extra quid into the house so she could live a little better.

She had decided before her fourteenth birthday that she wanted a lot more than her mother, and she would go all out to get it. Not being an academic, she had known her only chance lay in marrying money. ‘Lay’ being the operative word!

Now she had hooked the big prize in Aiden O’Hara and she was determined to have him on a permanent basis. She had it all planned: she already had him in bed − eventually she would produce a child and her life would be settled. He would look after her, she was depending on that. Aiden would have to look after her, if she was producing his next heir. If she was going to all the trouble of having a baby, it would be one with a father who could enhance her life − not fucking stunt it like it had her mum’s.

The plus side was, of course, that he was very good-looking, and that made her job just that little bit easier. And the change in people’s attitudes when they found out that he was her boyfriend was amazing. The respect was evident − heady stuff to a girl who had grown up with nothing of value, not even a good family name. Gloria craved recognition and, through her relationship with Aiden, she felt she was finally getting it. She daydreamed of them together, maybe even married, in a beautiful home where they had all the latest appliances, and where they lived in harmony and nothing was denied her.

As she admired herself, she could hear her mother arguing with her latest beau, a hard-drinking Scotsman with a serious amphetamine habit. She closed her ears to the noise, something she had taught herself to do at a young age. She loved her mum, but her taste in men was somewhat questionable. Christ Himself knew she had had to fend off enough of them over the years, and they had tried their best, the fuckers. ‘Helping with her homework’ was a favourite expression, but she had sussed them out from the off. Her mum, for some obscure reason, had always been willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. But, again, she knew the score, even with all that old fucking fanny her mum spouted. Gems like, ‘You got the wrong impression’ and, ‘Why do you always think everything’s about you?’ It was a hard road. She actually felt sorrow for her mum and her determination to hang on to a man, no matter what. Her mum had to do what she could to survive − she knew that she would most probably do the same.

But she actually believed that her Aiden really loved her and, as she had said on numerous occasions, that Jade Dixon, as pretty as she might be, was an old lady in comparison. And Gloria saw herself as a fair person, who would give anyone their due, even a woman who, as she pointed out at every available opportunity, was actually old enough to be Ade’s mother! There was really no competition with that fucking fright. After all, she was young and gorgeous; so, in reality, what more could Aiden want?

Her friend Tamara had pointed out that Aiden had been with Jade for a long time; she was pregnant by him already and, as far as she knew, they were tight. But Gloria had overlooked that shit. How could he want Jade over her? It just wasn’t possible. She had youth on her side. What did Jade Dixon have?

The fighting between her mother and her paramour seemed to be getting louder and no one was more shocked than her when her bedroom door was kicked open and she saw Aiden and his brother Patsy standing before her like avenging angels. Aiden was shaking his head slowly, as if unable to believe what he was about to say.

‘Oh, Gloria. You have seriously fucked me off, lady.’

She looked into Aiden’s eyes and knew immediately that he was not a happy bunny.

He smiled at her as he said seriously, ‘How could you even think that I would put you over my Jade? Are you on fucking drugs?’

She was terrified and knew instinctively to keep quiet and to not answer back. He looked manic, frightening. Murderous.

‘I told you to keep your fucking trap shut, didn’t I?’

He looked at his brother Patsy as if to verify his statement. Patsy nodded in agreement.

‘But this fucking mouthy whore couldn’t keep her fucking trap shut.’

Aiden sighed theatrically, looking around at the bedroom. Somewhere in his mind he was sorry for her; he actually understood her actions. He should know what it was like to want to get on, get away from your life. But this dozy mare had crossed the line, and she had given his Jade cause to doubt him. That could not, and would not, be overlooked.

He smiled at her, that charming smile that had made her drop her drawers in double-quick time. Then he said almost sorrowfully, ‘I fucked you, darling. And now I am in what is called a quandary. See, you have caused me untold aggravation with your fucking opinions and your discussions with people I would cross the road to avoid. And, thanks to you, they now know my business. My private fucking business! So I have to shut you down sooner rather than later. You do see my dilemma, I’m sure?’

Gloria was devastated because she had really believed she had hit the jackpot with Aiden.

‘You are fucking gone, lady. Your big trap has made you talk yourself into some serious aggravation. My heart goes out to you. But anyone who upsets my Jade can only be on a death wish. I will leave you with that thought, you useless fucking cunt. Like anyone would really want you!’

Aiden looked at his brother and nodded. Gloria saw all her hopes and dreams fading before her eyes.

‘But, Ade…’

Aiden looked at her as if he had never seen her before and she saw in his eyes the disdain that he actually had for her.

‘Shut the fuck up! I will leave you in the capable hands of my brother Patsy.’

He turned away from her and then, as he reached the top of the stairs, he turned back to face her and he said seriously, ‘If you ever mention my name again, I will hunt you down like the fucking dog you are. Do you understand me?’

Her beautiful eyes were filled with tears and she nodded her agreement and, for a split second, Aiden felt a small sliver of sorrow. After all, she had been a good little fuck, bless her.

He heard the beating that Patsy was administering as he walked down into the cluttered hallway. He smiled benevolently at the people standing in the doorway of the front room, and tossed a wad of money on to the floor.

‘Make sure she is on a train out of here sooner rather than later. Don’t make me come back and finish this once and for all.’

He heard them scrabbling around for the money he had thrown and sighed inside. There was some serious scum in this world, and he was lucky enough to understand exactly how best to take advantage of them. It was a knack he had.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Eric Palmer was thrilled with his protégé − he had found himself a worthy successor in every way. He saw himself in Aiden – the want and the need that he had once felt in abundance. It was a yearning that only a few people understood and acted upon at the right time in their life. He knew many an old Face that could have gone far but they had not had that fucking burning need, and it was that which drove you on to bigger and better things.

For as long as he remembered, chasing the dollar had been all he had cared about. He had embraced the earn from a very young age and he had been quite happy to do whatever was necessary to keep said earn. He had been a vicious and violent bastard, but that was expected − you didn’t enter the world he had with kind fucking words and a knitting pattern. You went in with the knowledge that you were more than willing to cause serious harm should the need arise. You went in knowing that you were going to make enemies and you had to be sure in yourself that you could happily obliterate those enemies along with your new counterparts. It was all about having the front to put your money where your mouth was. Luckily for him, he had had that front. He had made a point of proving himself to everyone who mattered and also to the people who didn’t matter. It was about getting a powerful reputation for oneself far and wide, and he had managed that quite quickly.

Then, once you had proved your worth, you had to be willing to embrace those people who were wary of you and what you were capable of, and bring them into your businesses. Unless they were troublesome, of course − then you had no choice but to take the fuckers out. Some people just asked for it; all mouth and no trousers, as his mum used to say. Plenty of talk but a bit shy when it came to doing the actual deed required. It was a lot harder than people realised to deliberately bring harm to strangers when it came down to it. It was one thing talking a good fight, but it was a completely different thing when you were asked to violently hurt someone who had never done anything to you personally, who you might even have socialised with, gone to their wedding or drunk with in the local pub − who you might even be related to either by blood or marriage.

But it was what separated the men from the boys, and brought the next generation of Faces to the attention of the powers-that-be. It was how you proved your worth, and how you moved up the ladder of success. There were more than enough fucking strong arms in the world; what set you apart was if you were capable of anything, if you were without conscience. Couple that with a quick brain and a natural aptitude for an earn and you were guaranteed your place in the hierarchy.

In reality, in the world they lived in, there could only ever be a few men who were capable of achieving such importance. That stood to reason. There was only so far most men were willing to go. That was fine with Eric; that was their prerogative. But he had been willing to fight his way to the top, and he had never once regretted any of it. Furthermore, he had ensured that he stayed there. He had understood the need to surround himself with people who could guarantee him a good wage. That was the key − to work with people you knew would want the earn as much as you did.

Once you found them, your job was to bring them onside and give them the respect they deserved and keep them close − so close that they couldn’t shit without you knowing about it. You had to know what they did, why they did it and, of course, who was with them at the time when they perpetrated their ghastly deeds. That was how close you kept the people you delegated to. At the end of the day, a man in Eric’s position had to be wary of trusting anyone. If you trusted someone too much, or gave them too much responsibility without keeping a close eye on them, you were basically making a cunt of yourself. That would be tantamount to suicide in his world. There was always some fucker waiting in the wings to try and take what you had worked for. He should know, because that is exactly what he had done many moons ago as a young man.

Eric had watched and he had waited and, eventually, he had fucked over the man who had given him his first chance. He had never felt any guilt over what he had done – as far as he was concerned the man deserved everything he had got.

But while you might never completely trust anyone, you did need to find people who you could mould and who you could depend on. They were the people you nurtured, who you kept close, who you gave your blessing to and who you allowed to work their magic in your name. That was the secret of success; how you could extend not only your businesses, but also your empire. Other people were suddenly in the frame if it all fell out of bed. You, as the boss, learned early on that to keep yourself safe you needed to surround yourself with the best of the best.

He had done all of that, and he demanded loyalty from his chosen few to guarantee that, no matter what happened, he would never see the inside of a prison cell. No one could fucking usurp him, and that was because he knew enough about his world to make sure that he groomed his workers from a young age.

But with Aiden O’Hara, Eric was breaking his own rules. He thought of the lad as family. He couldn’t help it − Aiden was the son he wished he had. As unpredictable as he could be, Aiden was old school. These days, youngsters thought they were fucking Al Capone because they could provide drugs but they would never put their money where their great big mouths were. They believed they were gangsters because they dealt a few drugs, and yet not one of them had ever proved themselves in any way, shape or form. The closest they had ever got to villainy was listening to American rappers. They were middle-class tossers who couldn’t broker a real fucking deal unless someone like Aiden did it for them. These new customers were quite happy living on the edges of the criminal world because they couldn’t even work out that they were being royally mugged off. It was laughable.

As he waited for Aiden to arrive, he felt a sense of complete and utter contentment. He was at the very top of his game, he had more money than he could shake a fucking stick at, and he had a young man who he had moulded in his own image to step into his shoes when the time was right. He trusted Aiden O’Hara more than he trusted his own flesh and blood; he believed that Aiden had an inherent sense of loyalty that was rare in this day and age. The sixties were long gone, and the big prison sentences handed down had made the new generation of Faces willing to serve up anyone for a sentence they could not, in reality, cope with.

But Eric believed in his gut that Aiden would rather do the time than be seen to betray the people around him. He saw him as a decent lad, a grafter and a family man in every way – especially now he was about to become a father. He had no doubt that Aiden would go all out for this child, as he had for his brothers and sister. Eric felt that he could finally begin to take a well-earned step back and enjoy the fruits of his labour. He would have a big decision to make in the near future but he believed that that future had Aiden in it − as long as he toed the line, of course. That went without saying, as far as Eric was concerned. He might love Aiden like a son but he would never let him forget why he had his power and who had allowed him to have it. That was Eric Palmer’s modus operandi and nothing or no one could or would ever change that.

The phone rang and Eric answered it, before he slammed it down and, calling out to his driver, Dessy Marks, he said happily, ‘Jade’s having the baby so the meeting’s cancelled.’

He was actually pleased for her. He liked Jade; she had been his many years ago and she was a complete user, but it seemed that young Aiden had actually tamed her. Jade was a legend in her own lunchtime − she’d been through more men than the YMCA − but they appeared to be happy. Well, time would tell. He wished the best for them. They were both grafters, and that would always be what mattered most to him.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Jade delivered the baby without any drama and in record time. There had been no complications and she felt wonderful as she cradled her brand-new son in her arms. The force of her feelings had startled her, especially when he had been placed on her belly. She had looked at this new person, this child that she had created, and the sheer rush of love had been as unexpected as it had been wonderful. She suddenly understood the power of procreation and, for the first time in her life, she had a blood relative. The enormity wasn’t lost on her; she had never felt this kind of connection with another human being until now.

She was holding the baby to her breast when Aiden arrived, and she smiled widely at him, high on adrenaline and hormones. Seeing Aiden with his serious and worried countenance she felt a terrible urge to cry, not because she was sad but because, for the first time in her life, she felt an absolute happiness.

She looked into his eyes and said gently, ‘We have a son, Aiden. A beautiful son.’ Aiden looked down at the child and beamed from ear to ear. Then, kissing Jade tenderly on the lips, he took the baby from her. He was clearly comfortable with holding a child. But, then, he would be, with Reeva as his mother − he was the nearest thing to a father his siblings had ever known.

‘He’s beautiful, Jade, like you. He is fucking perfect.’

Jade laughed. ‘He’s over nine pounds! Big lad.’

They laughed together, and Aiden knew that he had never loved anyone like he loved this child and his mother. Jade looked tired and rough, but she had never seemed more lovely to him than she did at this moment. She had given him a son, a beautiful, handsome son.

‘I love you, Jade. You know that, don’t you, darling?’

She smiled and nodded her head. She was aware that he was apologising for his jaunt with Gloria and she accepted it. She believed that he meant it, that he was sorry, but she also knew he would do it again; it was the nature of this particular beast. He was too young for her. But she would hold on to him as long as she could because she genuinely loved him, and sometimes she didn’t understand why that was. But, today, looking at their son, she felt complete for the first time in her whole life and that was a good feeling. She would not ruin this moment with her fears for the future; the future would happen no matter what. Today she just wanted to enjoy the birth of her son.

‘I was on me way, and when I got here and realised you had had him, I was fucking dumbfounded! Quick and easy according to the doctor.’

Jade laughed again. ‘You know me, Aiden. I never turn a drama into a crisis! Honestly, it was over in a few hours! And I feel all right, really − a bit tired, but other than that I feel great.’

He kissed her again and, sitting on the bed, they admired their new son together. Aiden looked at Jade with such love and gratitude she felt the sting of tears. She really loved this man, and she wished that they were of an age. He was a good man, he was the man she wanted − the only man she had ever wanted. But today the fifteen years between them seemed to be enormous and it frightened her.

The baby started to cry and Aiden passed him to Jade, saying happily, ‘Aiden Junior is a bit of a stroppy fucker when the fancy takes him!’

Jade settled him as best she could, aware that Aiden was watching her every move.

‘He’s his father’s son then, ain’t he?’

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Reeva walked into the room, all cheap perfume and camaraderie, determined to be nice and not to cause any aggro. She was on what she liked to call ‘best behaviour’; the prospect of meeting her first grandchild was heady stuff to her.

She looked down at the tiny bundle that Jade was holding out to her. For that gesture alone, she was grateful to Jade. Picking him up, Reeva held him close to her chest and, as she looked down into his little red face, she felt a tug of love that was almost tangible. This was her first grandchild, her Aiden’s child. The love came easily.

Reeva had always loved babies − the way they depended on her, needed her. And this little chap was no different. With all hers she had always tried to waive the drink and the hard drugs until they were at least six months old. Then her usual needs had surfaced and she had suited herself.

She looked at Jade, a woman who had just given birth, and she saw the tiredness and the vulnerability in her. She also saw the hope in Jade’s eyes that Reeva would accept the child and not cause any undue aggravation. For the first time ever, she actually liked the woman who had ensnared her son.

Reeva smiled crookedly and said seriously, ‘He’s beautiful, Jade. Looks just like his dad when he was born.’

Unconsciously they all breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Chapter Forty

1994

Reeva was happy that her grandchild, Aiden Junior, was a big part of her life. After all, he was her baby’s baby. She had struck up a truce with Jade these days. They were not exactly bosom buddies, but they tolerated each other. In truth, Reeva had come to quite like her. Love her or loathe her, Jade was a woman after her own heart in many ways. She didn’t suffer fools gladly and she knew how to take care of herself. She was a survivor and Reeva got that. Despite her initial feelings for Jade, she had come around to seeing that she was a strong-minded woman. And that was an essential attribute if she was going to be with Aiden.

Her Aiden loved Jade but he was not a man who could be depended on to be faithful. He treated her shamefully in many respects and because of that Reeva could find it in her to feel bad for the woman and understand Jade’s wariness where he was concerned. At the end of the day, Aiden was her son, her boy, and Reeva would always stand by him even though, as the years went by, that was getting harder and harder.

Jade had always given her her due, treated her with respect, and Reeva could not fault her as a mother or as a family member. And she was thrilled that Jade was happy for her to look after her grandson.

At four, Aiden Junior was as bright as a button − something that did not escape his doting grandmother. She saw this as proof of her own children’s strength and intelligence rather than something that he might have inherited from Jade or her side. Whether Reeva liked Jade or not, she was devoid of anything even resembling family − that was just a fact.

Now this was Reeva’s happiest time of day, when she had him to herself and his parents were at work. She was dreading him starting school, even though it would only be part-time at first. They would miss him. Tony loved the little fella too, and all her kids were mad on him − especially Agnes. She was like a proper little mum to him.

At thirteen, Agnes was developing fast and, with her blue eyes, she was a dark-haired version of Reeva. But that was where the similarity ended. How it had happened Reeva could only guess, but her daughter was a real Holy Joe, never out of the fucking church. Her bedroom was like a shrine to the Virgin Mary, and she had enough sets of rosaries to start her own market stall. Even her nan was worried about her – and Annie was the one who had always forced religion on them. And, as for their priest, Father Hagen! Well, talk about encouraging her. She went to six o’clock Mass every morning and evening prayers. She spent more time in that church than she spent at home. Still, Reeva was convinced that once she discovered boys that would change. And the change couldn’t come quick enough as far as she was concerned.

As she played with her grandson she sighed with happiness. Aiden was making a good life for their family, and that was all that mattered to her. That and this young lad, who for some reason she treated better than she had ever treated her own kids. She had been on far fewer benders since her little prince had been in her care − only the odd weekend − and, if she was honest, she felt better for it. Tony took the piss out of her and she knew he had a point – she was a better parent to this boy than to all her other kids put together. She loved being a granny, but unlike with her own kids, she could give this fucker back as and when it suited her. That was the best thing of all.

Chapter Forty-One

Jade was not happy. She was being rowed out of Aiden’s latest gig. He was up to all sorts of skulduggery and the fact that she was not a part of it bothered her.

Throughout their whole time together he had listened to her advice, had asked her opinion and respected her thoughts on any of his deals. In reality, she had not just been his sounding board, she’d also been the person who had made sure that his plans came to fruition. He was a clever bugger with a natural fucking knack for the dark side. He could always find a con or a way of making any deal that bit sweeter. But he had always relied on her to be the voice of reason, especially when she was teaching him the different businesses. She had taught him well and they were a fucking good team. Her expertise and his willingness to create new earns was their strength and was what gave them the edge.

This time, however, he was deliberately going out on his own, making sure that she did not have any idea what he was dealing with. That hurt, especially as she made a point of discussing everything she was involved in with him, and she made it clear that he understood just how much she respected his advice. His ego was bigger than Cheops’s fucking Pyramid, but she had always made a point of never treating him like the boy he was, even when she had felt like it. Because for all his fucking so-called nous, without her at his side, showing him the ropes from every angle – not just Eric Palmer’s – he would have been hard pushed to learn everything as quickly and as thoroughly as he had.

Aiden’s problem was that he was an arrogant fuck, and she had the knack of heading him off at the pass, so to speak. She was his voice of reason, even if he would never admit it. He was still a young man, but he looked and acted a lot older − her relationship with him was what kept her at the top these days. That hurt. It really smarted, because she was a serious earner, and she kept the day-to-day shite running smoothly because Aiden could never be bothered with the nitty-gritty. He couldn’t sustain enough of the long-term interest needed to keep all these bright ideas of his going. He left that to everyone else – mainly Jade, as she knew better than anyone else. He couldn’t see that businesses needed nurturing, needed to be looked after and watched over. He was often bored within weeks and then he went on to the next thing that caught his imagination. She would then bring in the right people in the right positions to ensure that everything ran smoothly, so he could swan around like the dog’s fucking gonads looking for his next earn. Without her, everything would fall apart, and she had a feeling that Eric Palmer was as aware of that as Aiden was. But Eric’s attitude was ‘you don’t have a fucking guard dog and bark your fucking self’. The fact that Aiden was now branching out on his own not only offended her, but it also worried her. Without a guiding hand, he wouldn’t look at the fine detail of his latest venture – and then it would be too late. Even more worrying was her suspicion that if he didn’t want her to know about it then it was obvious he did not think she would approve. She had a feeling that Eric Palmer was on board and that he and Aiden were up to something dangerous, something they knew she would not want to be part of. Her fear was that Eric Palmer would more or less hang Aiden out to dry if it all went pear-shaped, and that was something she would not fucking countenance.

Chapter Forty-Two

Aiden was absolutely thrilled with his latest business venture. Eric Palmer was, as he told Aiden at every available opportunity, as happy as the proverbial pig in shit. It was a departure for both of them, new territory, and the whole concept was just full of opportunities that would make them all a really serious earn.

When Aiden had explained his idea initially, Eric had been very wary. But, once he had thought it through, he had seen the cleverness of Aiden’s proposition. The boy had a knack for seeing the potential in a scam and this latest one was fucking perfection. Now, as long as they used their brains and made sure that no one could pinpoint them as the instigators, they were home and fucking dry. It was a piece of piss, which was how Aiden had so picturesquely described it. Eric believed that Aiden was right about using front men to do the deals, and that had all been arranged and agreed upon.

Now they were enjoying the celebration of a deal well done, and an earn beyond their wildest dreams. If Eric had a few misgivings, they were damped down by his greed; he chose not to dwell on them because, when all was said and done, this was Aiden’s fucking baby. If it fell out of bed he could feign innocence − which was Eric’s fallback position with everyone he worked with. He made sure nothing could ever come back to him.

Also, they were now playing with some seriously big boys, and if it did go wrong, the only person in the frame would be Aiden. On the other hand, if it came out on top he would have an in with the men who controlled the international markets. It was a win-win for Eric, but it was a serious gamble for Aiden. And they both knew that.

Chapter Forty-Three

Agnes O’Hara hated being herself. It was not easy being the only girl in a family of boys, especially when her older brother was someone like Aiden. Everyone was scared of him − even some of the teachers at her school. Except the nuns and the priests; they were not impressed by anyone and Agnes liked that. Not that they didn’t try and screw him for every penny they could, and Aiden was quite happy to let them squeeze him for contributions − he relished being in a position where he could give them the readies they needed. Playing the big man proved that he’d been right to follow his own road and not take up the chance of university down the line.

But that was Aiden all over − it was important to him to look and act the big man. And, of course, he loved the opportunity to lord it over everyone in his orbit, playing the rich, benevolent benefactor. Her mum and her brothers ate that all up.

She could hear her mum calling her for her dinner and sighed. She had begun to hate living in this environment, pandering to her eldest brother’s every whim. Her mum thought the sun shone out of his arse; if he told her that black was white she would agree with him. Her mum treated him like visiting royalty, even though he left his son here for days on end, because he and Jade ‘worked’ so hard. They bankrolled this place and that was all her mum seemed to care about. Along with young Aiden Mark Two, of course. Though Agnes loved that little boy with all her heart; he was like another brother to her. Aiden loved that his son was adored and treated so well by everyone – he saw it as a validation of himself and his place in the community. That was important to Aiden − people giving him his due, and her mum loved it as well. That wasn’t hard to understand; after all, Reeva needed that approbation, given she had five kids without a father in sight. Her mum was as good a mum as she knew how to be, and for Agnes, at least, Tony had been a father of sorts − he cared about them all in his haphazard way. And unlike her brothers, he didn’t act as if Aiden was the Messiah coming to visit his followers. Not that her mum or her brothers could see that. They saw Aiden as the answer to their prayers. And Aiden fed on their adoration, because that was what he needed from everyone around him.

Reeva popped her head round her bedroom door, saying gaily, ‘Hello, lady. Your dinner is getting cold!’

Agnes followed her downstairs because it was easier than starting an argument. As she walked into the kitchen Aiden Junior piped up, ‘Aggie, Aggie, tell me the story of Daniel in the lion’s den again. My favourite one, that is.’

Reeva rolled her eyes to the ceiling, saying sarcastically, ‘A right fucking riveting yarn, that is, Aggs.’

Agnes ignored her mother and, smiling widely, she said to her nephew, ‘I always loved that story too. I will tell you it again later, OK?’

Reeva dished up her homemade lasagne and placed a mixed salad on the table. Then, sitting down with them, she lit a cigarette and poured herself a glass of wine.

‘So, Aggs, how was school?’

Agnes shrugged and said nonchalantly, ‘Good, Mum. It’s always good, you know that.’

Reeva smoked her cigarette and nodded her head, but she had no more interest in her daughter’s studies than she had in learning fucking plumbing. Agnes knew she only asked about her because she thought she should. Reeva just went through the motions. It made Agnes’s life easier because the less Reeva knew, the better for everyone.

Agnes ate her food and she enjoyed it. Whatever else her mum might be, she was a fantastic cook. Agnes loved her mum very much, but they didn’t understand one another. Agnes’s life was so far removed from her mum’s idea of happiness that it was like she inhabited another planet.

‘You off to Mass tonight, then?’

Agnes sighed heavily as she answered her. ‘Of course. I go every evening. You know that, Mum.’

Reeva smiled and Agnes knew exactly what was coming next, but she didn’t react − that would be a waste of time.

‘Well, how about me and you go out tonight instead? Have a girlie night together. There’s a big do on at the pub. We could do a bit of karaoke, have a laugh, you know?’

Agnes laughed then, a genuine laugh. ‘You ask me this all the time, Mum, and you know I won’t go. It really isn’t my thing.’

Reeva laughed too but said seriously, ‘How do you know if you don’t even give it a go?’

Agnes couldn’t answer her because she didn’t know how to answer her mother without insulting her.

Reeva sighed gently and rolled her eyes in annoyance. ‘One fucking night, Aggs. Just give it a go.’ She grabbed her daughter’s hand across the table and squeezed it tightly. ‘Just once, darling. Just give it a fucking chance. If you hate it I will never ask you again.’

Agnes knew that her agreeing would make her mother happy so she said lightly, ‘All right, then. But if I don’t like it, promise me you will not ask me again?’

Reeva grinned happily. She was convinced that if only her daughter got into the swing of things, she would find out what she was missing. All her girl needed was an invite into the real world, and the knowledge that going to Mass was not the be all and the end all. She was nearly fourteen years old and she was like Granny Grump. She was a beautiful girl and the world was passing her by. Reeva felt that it was her job to remind her daughter of that.

Chapter Forty-Four

Aiden was irritated and he made no bones about making sure everyone around him knew it. Jade was acting like he was a fucking inconvenience, and he could not get a certain Gerry Murphy on the phone. Gerry Murphy was the stepping stone he needed to complete this deal of a lifetime. Without him, it would all fall apart.

Gerry Murphy had brought this fucking deal to his table and promised him the fucking earth on a plate.

And now the bastard was suddenly not to be found.

Aiden was absolutely steaming with anger and humiliation. He had promised Eric the deal of the century, and now it seemed that it had completely fallen apart. No one fucked about with Aiden O’Hara and lived to tell the tale.

Patsy was frightened of his brother’s colossal temper, which was getting worse by the hour. He could see it in his stance, in his brother’s eyes and in the way he was stalking around the room like a man demented. Patsy wasn’t the Brain of Britain, but he could garner enough about his brother’s dealings without having a government White Paper on it. But Patsy would never let Aiden know that he understood everything that was going on − that was his safety net. His brother trusted him because he believed that he was not capable of working out the economics of their day-to-day dealings. In short, Aiden thought he was a fucking moron, and that suited Patsy, especially at times like this. He loved Aiden but he was sensible enough to understand that Aiden would not like it if he thought his brother knew the score. Patsy believed it was safer to play the fool.

He had no interest in making his brother see him as a threat. He had already had his card marked once, and wasn’t about to make that mistake again. He had a good earn himself these days, and his affiliation with Aiden was kudos enough. But he had cottoned on early as to how his brother’s brain actually worked. He watched his brother stalking around the plush office that he was so proud of, and made a point not to say a fucking dicky bird. He only hoped that Gerry Murphy was dead because, if he wasn’t, he soon would be and it wouldn’t be pretty. Murphy had committed the cardinal sin: he had fucked Aiden O’Hara off big time, and that didn’t augur well for anybody.

Chapter Forty-Five

Jade was cross that she was having to pick her son up from the pub, but she knew there wasn’t a lot she could say to Reeva. She had explained to her on more than one occasion that she didn’t like her little boy being in a public house − especially the ones that Reeva frequented. The principle of the fact that Reeva spent more time with her child than she did rankled, but Jade was honest enough to admit that she wasn’t really the maternal type. God Himself knew she loved her son, but she could not for the life of her imagine endless days in his company. That would be torture to her − she was climbing the walls after the first hour with him if they were alone. And looking after Aiden took up most of her time anyway. She had to be grateful that Reeva was much more suited to that than she would ever be and more than willing to take her son off her hands. She didn’t want to rock that boat. So she gritted her teeth and walked into the pub as if she was thrilled to be there.

Reeva was all smiles and friendliness as she waved her over to join them.

‘Hello, Jade, darling. You sit down and I’ll get you a drink, mate. I’m celebrating! My Agnes has deigned to join me for a night out!’

Jade smiled back and took a seat. Aiden Junior was wide awake and clearly thrilled to be in such an exciting environment. She pulled him on to her lap and, smiling genuinely now, she said to Agnes, ‘Finally wore you down, did she, Aggs?’

Agnes grinned. ‘I am thirteen and my mum thinks I should be out clubbing every night! The fact I do my homework is beyond her comprehension! She thinks I am a boring bastard and I have a feeling that she might be right.’

Jade didn’t laugh at her words, she just shook her head in despair. ‘You know what she’s like − if a man doesn’t fancy her she thinks she’s failed. She’s still stuck in the seventies. I mean, come on, Aggs. Look at her hair!’

They laughed together then.

‘When I think that she was pregnant at my age! I wish she wouldn’t try and turn me into her, you know.’

Jade hugged her son to her, and when she saw the thick make-up and the revealing clothes that Agnes was wearing thanks to her mother’s interference she felt a heaviness upon her. The girl looked much older than she was, and she also looked like a trollop. Reeva had dressed her in what she thought of as fashionable clothes but on Agnes they looked so wrong. The girl had so much going for her, if only Reeva could see that far ahead. Agnes was still a girl – a beautiful girl – but she was not trying to grow up before her time and Reeva seemed to take that as a personal insult. Agnes was developing by the day but, unlike other girls, she wasn’t interested in her body or her looks. As a girl who had been forced to grow up long before she was ready, Jade respected Agnes for that.

‘We are going to sing “Grease” together in a minute, Jade! Me and my mum. I wish I could come home with you.’

Jade laughed again. ‘She means well, Aggs, even though she doesn’t realise how crass she can be.’

Agnes sighed and nodded in agreement. ‘I love the bones of her, but I know that I disappoint her.’

Jade embraced her affectionately. ‘Look, she doesn’t get you, Aggs. You and her are like chalk and fucking cheese.’

Agnes nodded once more. ‘I know, Jade.’

Reeva came back to the table with a tray of drinks. ‘I got us all doubles, girls, and a round of shots.’

Agnes looked at Jade and rolled her eyes.

Reeva necked her vodka shot and, pretending to shiver, she shouted loudly, ‘Let’s get this fucking party started!’

Chapter Forty-Six

Aiden was stripping off in the bedroom, and Jade was lying in their bed watching him. She loved his body; she felt that it was perfect in every way, because it was perfect for her. They suited one another, and when they came together it was amazing, every time. She still felt that they were meant to be together.

‘Only your mum would think that it’s perfectly normal to get her thirteen-year-old daughter drunk. For fuck’s sake, Aiden, you need to talk to her. She seems to think that poor Aggs needs to not just get drunk but, I am assuming, fucking laid! It’s a disgrace.’

As Aiden looked at Jade she realised that he had been drinking and that he was not being too responsive to what she was saying.

‘Come on, Aiden, you know I’m right. Agnes does not want, or indeed feel the need, to drink alcohol. It’s a good job that one of them has a sense of what’s right and wrong.’

Aiden took a deep breath and then, smiling nastily, he said, ‘Look, Jade, I know you and my mum will never ever be bosom fucking buddies, but I’m warning you now. Stop slagging her off to me. Every chance you get you fucking slaughter her. Well, do you know what? She looks after my boy just as she looked after all of us, lady. You should thank her on your knees because we both know you are not exactly fucking maternal, are you? She might not be Mother of the fucking Year, but you knew that and you still let her look after Aiden Junior. So, darling, you fucking tell me if she’s good enough for you!’

Jade looked at the man she adored, and whose life she had tried to make easy, who she had educated in every way she knew how and for whom she had stepped back to give the chance to make something of himself, even though she knew that he wasn’t ready, didn’t have the nous yet that was needed to live and survive long-term in their world. She saw the anger in his face, the complete disregard for her and her feelings. She saw then that he believed that he had overtaken her, that he was her superior, that everything she had done for him, taught him, was forgotten. He was to all intents and purposes his own man.

Well, she wished him all the best with that fucking stupidness and foolishness. She had no choice but to fight her corner, because she was not a woman who would allow herself to be treated so badly.

She turned on him and said ferociously, ‘You do not dare speak to me like that, Aiden. Do I look like I have “cunt” written on my fucking forehead?’

Aiden heard the hurt and the anger in her voice, and he saw that he had gone too far. He had known all along that he was being unfair, but he was on edge over the Gerry Murphy dealing, spoiling for a fight and feeling guilty for leaving Jade in the dark. He had wanted to prove to her and to himself that he could do whatever was needed on his own. Plus he knew that she would have warned him off this venture, so he had not asked her opinion. She would have run a fucking mile. And she would have been right. He had been royally mugged off.

Gerry had decided to have him over, and that was something he could not swallow. Now Gerry was a fucking dead man walking. But Aiden was in too deep to walk away without a serious comeback. Suddenly the enormity of what he was embroiled in had hit him like a sack of shit. He wanted Jade on his side, wanted her input, needed her sensible head. He relied on her more than he wanted to admit.

‘Well, fucking answer me, Aiden, because none of us will sleep tonight otherwise, I can guarantee you that much.’

He shrugged in dismissal, well aware that it would send her off her head. She was a lot of things but stupid had never been one of them.

Jade came out of the bed, all teeth and nails. She had been quiet for too long. And now she needed to remind him that the man who could put her down had not been born yet.

Chapter Forty-Seven

Aiden felt like he had gone ten rounds with Joe Bugner. Jade could have a fight, and fight like a fucking man at that. Last night she had come at him with everything she had and − he held his hands up − she was within her rights. He had still not been able to tell her the truth of the situation though, and that was what was really bothering him.

He opened his eyes and wondered what the day would bring. For the first time in years he woke without knowing what to expect. He didn’t like the feeling one bit. He ached all over, and he deserved it. He had treated Jade like a fucking nobody, had spoken to her like she meant nothing to him, and now he was awake, sober and remembering the drama of the night before, he knew that he had a lot of making up to do. And on top of that, he had to explain to Eric that his latest scheme had fallen apart.

He had invested a lot of money in Gerry Murphy’s fucking bullshit. He had trusted him enough to lay out a fucking small fortune. Serious bunce, as the saying went, and it had been for nothing. Gerry had taken it all. And the fact that he had also talked Eric into investing in it as well… That was what he would not, indeed could not, forgive. No one made a fool out of him, and Gerry Murphy was going to find that out to his detriment. There were some things that could never be forgiven and this was one.

He could hear Jade talking to Aiden Junior, and he wished more than anything that he could take back his stupidity of the night before. Jade came into the bedroom with his son, and he glanced at her with trepidation. She looked good, but Jade was a woman who made a point of always looking the business. Make-up perfect, hair immaculate and her clothes were the envy of most of the women around her. She was a beautiful woman, and he could never deny that. She held an attraction for him that was beyond age, beyond everything. He loved her still and he always would, no matter what.

‘Bye, Daddy. Uncle Patsy is taking me to Nanny’s.’

Aiden kissed his son and felt the force of the child’s love for him. He couldn’t look at Jade, though, and he watched as his son bounced out of the room, unaware that there was anything wrong. But both Jade and Aiden knew that there was a divide between them, and it was because of him and his need to always make himself the main man, even though they both knew their strength came from working together. It was part of what drew them to one another, the way they could think along the same lines, could understand what each other expected, wanted or indeed needed. Now, because he had deliberately chosen to ignore that, he had been bitten on the arse.

Jade stood in the doorway and, looking directly at him, she said quietly, ‘Get your arse out of that bed, and let’s try and salvage something from this mess, shall we?’

He didn’t have the guts to look her in the eyes, and they were both aware of that fact.

Jade laughed sarcastically. ‘Fucking gun-running? You couldn’t run a ladder in my tights, you fucking imbecile. And you think I didn’t know about it? Really? Have you no respect for me at all, Aiden? Did you honestly think I didn’t know what was going on after I introduced you in the first place?’

She shook her head in abject disappointment and he realised that he should have known better, that he should have understood that, unlike him, Jade Dixon would always be aware of everything that was going on in her orbit. She was far too shrewd for anything else.

‘Then you wonder why I won’t fucking marry you. If you don’t fucking start using your brain, boy, I will be burying you. Now, thanks to you and your lack of fucking brainpower we are all going to have to deal with the IRA and, I might add, Eric fucking Palmer who, I know from old, will not be impressed with this latest debacle. Think about it, Aiden. They were my contacts. Eric has made a point of never dealing with the Irish. Now you have involved him in the worst possible way in a deal gone south.’

The slamming of the front door reverberated through the whole house and, against his will, Aiden found himself flinching at the sound.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Agnes was tired out after last night’s shenanigans and she wondered at her mum who thought that the answer to her daughter’s teenage angst was make-up and boys. She hoped that her mum would not start giving out yards as usual. Her mum believed that girls were only put on this planet to make men happy, that they were far below men in the grand scheme of things. It really galled her, even though she could never argue that with her mother. Reeva saw everything in her life as pertaining to the male sex; she believed that without a man, she had failed. Agnes would never point out that, if that was the case, her mum had failed over and over again because every man Reeva had snared had left her with a belly full of arms and legs. None of them knew anything about their fathers except their names.

Agnes wanted a bit more than a drunken tale of a stranger who Reeva had taken up with, and who had eventually been the reason for her kid’s existence. All her mum ever said was that her dad was really handsome, kind and gentle. It wasn’t enough. And anyway, Reeva had said exactly the same thing to Eugene when he’d once asked about his father. Agnes wanted to know where she came from. She guessed she was either Turkish or Arabic; her face told her that much. But, unlike her brothers, it bothered her that she had no knowledge of her heritage. As her brother Patsy had so succinctly put it, ‘Who gives a fuck, Aggs? Mum has always been there for us. She is more sinned against than sinning. Remember that. She kept us and she loved us.’ Then he had smiled as he said, ‘Especially when she had you. She had really wanted a daughter after us lot, and you were her last one. You are her baby.’

Agnes had accepted then that she could never make her feelings known − like her brothers, she had to let it go. She couldn’t ask her mum about her background − anyway, knowing Reeva, she had probably never asked. Agnes appreciated the fact that her mum had kept the children her bad decisions had created. For all her mum’s lunacy, Agnes respected her because she had not once thought of aborting any of her children. Reeva had kept them all without fear or favour, even though she had been looked down on and dragged through the mud where public opinion was concerned. She had loved them with a ferocity that people outside their family could never understand.

Nevertheless Reeva’s lifestyle had impacted on her children’s lives. They had each been aware of that from a very young age. As well as being different colours, they were all different personalities. Whether that was because of their parentage Agnes didn’t know. But what she did know was that a family of both black and white siblings – and everything in between – marked them out as ‘different’ to the average person in their orbit. Coupled with the fact that Reeva had spent her whole life fighting that prejudice, this had probably made them the people they were. It had made her mum the woman she was, because she had never had it easy. How could she? Reeva had stepped outside of everything that was deemed acceptable. Worst of all was that Agnes perceived that her mum’s pretence at not caring about other people’s opinions had been an act from start to finish − it had been how she coped with the consensus of public opinion. Reeva had fronted it out but there had to have been times when that was more than a young woman could bear.

Agnes could not imagine having a baby at fourteen like her mum, and then producing more and more at regular intervals by so many different men. But she understood now that after Aiden, her firstborn at fourteen years of age, her mum’s life had been well and truly over. Until Tony, the only men who would go near her mother were not exactly reliable, were not looking at Reeva as a prospective wife. They were men who saw her as a good time, who had never seen her as viable marriage material, who, as soon as she fell pregnant again, couldn’t wait to run out on her, even though they had left her with their flesh and blood. Her nan had told her that her mum’s trouble was she believed what she wanted to believe in the moment, and that she had never understood the difference between sex and love. What she really wanted was love and that she got from her children when men let her down over and over again.

Agnes had no doubt that each of those different men, who had never even stayed around long enough to see their child born, had what they saw as ‘real children’ with the women they had married. That really galled her, because they had used her mum, her house and her mum’s body without even wondering about the kids they had produced, and left without a backward glance. Agnes hated the men for that, hated that they were able to get away with leaving their children, and no one vilified them. But her mum, who had been used and who had never once thought of destroying her children, had been left to face the music alone. That Reeva had kept them together as a family was something that Agnes would always respect her for, even though her mum did her head in on a daily basis − even though the family circumstances made them second-class citizens in most people’s eyes.

A girl at school had called her mum a whore and Agnes had found herself beating her up in the toilets at break time. She had held in her anger and hatred until she could put her in her place in private. And she had done just that, battering the fuck out of her, and making sure that the girl in question was well aware of her feelings. She had explained in graphic detail what would happen to her should they ever have a similar disagreement in the future.

The news had soon done the rounds at school and she had the satisfaction of seeing that no one would ever say anything detrimental about her mum again. She had not even known she had so much rage inside her until then, but it had proved to her that she could defend herself if she needed to and, thanks to Reeva, she would spend her life defending her mother’s choices, living down her mother’s lifestyle. It had been a big learning curve for her. The realisation that, no matter what she achieved or how well she might get on in her life, Reeva O’Hara was the yardstick she would be measured by depressed her because she was the antithesis of her mum in every way. She was, by her very nature, a good girl, and she was determined to prove people wrong. She was going to get an education, and she was going to make something of her life. That was what she strived for every day.

Chapter Forty-Nine

Gerry Murphy woke up with a blinding headache and a thirst of biblical proportions. He sat up warily, knowing that with the amount he had drunk he could expect the worst. It wasn’t the first time: he drank on a daily basis – it was an occupational hazard. He was a free spirit and he loved nothing more than an Out. Especially an ‘Out Out’, a wonderful cockney term for ‘I will get home at some point in the future’. Gerry loved the whole concept of that. His weakness was always going to be the Out: once he had a few drinks, everything else went to the wall. Well, he didn’t give a flying fuck. And why should he?

Gerry was a handsome man with a fine head of black hair. The drink didn’t seem to affect him too much and he put that down to his ancestors − all good IRA men with what the Irish called a good stomach. They could all take a drink, and then take another drink – and another. They were men to be reckoned with, men who banged their own fucking drums.

God knew, he felt like shit today though. He’d had a great fucking night but now, as he looked around him, he wondered how the hell he had ended up here. It was a shithole – dark, dank, and the bed he was lying on didn’t even have a fucking pair of sheets. It was like a fucking cheap man’s kip! Gerry laughed to himself, wondering what high jinks he had got up to. He must have been drunk as a skunk to have come back somewhere like this. He could only hope that the woman he had pulled was built like a fucking porn queen because nothing less would explain this dive. He had shagged some dogs in his time, but they were good-looking dogs. In fairness, no matter how drunk he got, he had never woken up with a fucking serious fright. He prided himself on having a built-in shit detector, and it had never failed him yet. But this place was fucking rancid.

He stood up, stretched and, yawning loudly, he walked towards the door. He needed a piss, a cigarette and a coffee in that order. As he approached the door it opened and, smiling widely, he said happily, ‘All right, darling? I’m pleased to finally meet you.’

But instead of his usual squeeze coming through the door, he saw Aiden O’Hara.

‘Well, Gerry, this is a real fucking treat.’

The glint in Aiden’s eye told Gerry Murphy that he was in deep shit. He was a man known to be well able to look after himself but he wasn’t going to talk his way easily out of this situation. He had dropped the bollock of a lifetime because he should have taken the money and run. Instead, he had called in to see an old mate in Kilburn and one thing had led to another. As the details of the night before came back to him he wondered at how he could have been such a fool as to think this fucker wouldn’t have tracked him down.

‘Come on now, Aiden. I will hold me hands up. I made a big mistake. But there’s still plenty of room to manoeuvre.’

Aiden grinned snidely. He had him bang to rights and they both knew it.

‘The only room you have now is what I choose to allow you. I trusted you, Gerry, and you took my money under false pretences. That was not wise, mate. That’s what’s called in London, having a fucking death wish. As far as I am concerned, all you need is a last fag and a fucking blindfold. But Kevin Barry you fucking well ain’t.’

Gerry Murphy could not remember how he got to this place but he shrewdly realised that he had been served up by his so-called old mate in Kilburn. That meant that he might not have the backing he usually relied on, which told him that his latest stunt had been frowned upon by the people who mattered. He was suddenly aware that he had been left in the wind, that he was most probably on his own – and the people he dealt with were interested in working with Aiden O’Hara.

Gerry was just collateral damage now. He had pushed his luck on more than one occasion, and he had been warned about his actions and the need he had to con people out of their hard-earned money using his credentials and reputation without fear or favour. He had been made aware as to how that could undermine the cause and now he was paying the price. It was fucking annoying. He had been a crucial part of the cause since he was a lad and, for all his fuckery, he still believed in it wholeheartedly. It rankled that he was being cut loose for the likes of Aiden O’Hara. ‘Look, Aiden, you know this was never personal. Is there any way I can resolve this situation?’

‘Always the fucking same thing with you. “Nothing personal”. Well, Gerry, this is fucking personal to me. I trusted you. I thought you were a diamond geezer. It’s not even the money. It’s the fucking piss-take I’m taking umbrage to. It’s the knowing you believed you could treat me like a complete cunt.’

Gerry Murphy looked truly frightened now, and that went some way to making Aiden feel better.

‘You made the mistake of a lifetime. You, Gerry, my old mucker, are going to tell me everything I need to know. I want the ins and outs of the cat’s arse, and you will tell me, boy. Because now I am dealing directly with your fucking organisation. That means that I need to be not only forewarned but also fucking forearmed. I want to know everything you know.’

Gerry Murphy laughed then. ‘You can’t even imagine what you are dealing with, Aiden. Believe me.’

The arrogance had returned. Gerry still believed in the cause, no matter what might have happened.

Aiden laughed himself. Shaking his head sadly, he said quietly but with venom, ‘You stupid cunt. You will tell me what I want to know.’

Then the beating started. In fairness to Gerry Murphy, as Aiden told anyone who asked, he kept his trap shut until the pliers were brought out. Aiden always gave credit where credit was due. He could not help but admire bravery in all its forms. He had liked Gerry Murphy and it grieved him that the man had seen fit to try and have him over. That was an unforgivable sin.

Gerry Murphy had lost all his fingernails and toenails before Aiden finally gave in to his temper and threatened to remove his eyelids. Then, and only then, did Gerry Murphy realise he was going to have to swallow his knob and tell Aiden everything.

Chapter Fifty

Jade was tired and she looked it. As she wiped off her make-up she stared at herself in the mirror. She had to admit that, although she was ageing well, the bottom line was she was still getting older. But she had a lot going for her, not least her ability to clear up Aiden’s mistakes. When he had told her the full facts of his Gerry Murphy story, she had done what she did best – she had used everyone in her orbit to find the fucker and bring him to heel. Only she could summon that much clout, and she was gratified that Aiden seemed to appreciate that fact. It was her contacts who had found Gerry Murphy in Kilburn, and her contacts who had made sure he was served up without too much trouble. For all his clout, Aiden still didn’t understand that the world they inhabited did not suffer fools gladly. He might have made his mark – she knew that he was well respected, his phenomenal temper was legendary and his violence was something that was capable of instilling fear into the hardest of hearts – but he was still a youngster. Luckily, he had Eric Palmer backing him up, and his reputation on his side. Aiden was over the moon with her for stepping in and delivering Gerry Murphy to him on a plate. He could not thank her more – but they both knew that the damage had been done. It hurt her to know that Aiden had been willing to go into business with people she had introduced him to without including her. That he could be so fucking snide had made her have a complete rethink about their relationship. He was clever in so many ways, but his weakness was that he really believed that he could control everything and everyone around him with his good looks and his ability to turn on the charm if necessary, combined with his temper and penchant for violence.

Now, to save his face, she had ensured that this business with the Irish would go ahead anyway. It had to, because Aiden would not have the sense to see the big picture – all he was focused on was punishing Gerry Murphy for trying to have him over. She had no choice but to make the deal to save his face and stop him being ridiculed. In spite of everything she could not bear to see him brought low, even though she knew in her heart that it would have been the best thing for him. Because if ever a man needed a reality check, it was Aiden O’Hara.

Chapter Fifty-One

Gerry Murphy knew when he was beaten, and he had been royally beaten by Aiden. In a way, he couldn’t blame the man for his ire. He had had every intention of carrying out their plan, which would have been very lucrative for them both. Unfortunately, Aiden had certain rules and guidelines he wanted followed, and Gerry had ignored them. His complete disregard for Aiden had been his downfall. And now he had no choice but to deliver.

Never before had anyone outside the cause had the guts to pull him up, give him a tug. His affiliation had guaranteed him a swerve and he had believed that his unreliability had been all right because he was part of something so much bigger. He had been served up by his own this time, though, and he could never forget that. They were telling him that he had gone too far. Now, lying on a concrete floor in a cellar somewhere, he was much more inclined to agree with Aiden’s way of thinking. One eye was closed, he knew a few ribs were broken and the teeth that had been extracted were all telling him he had fucked up big time. He had lost his fingernails and his toenails and, even though they would eventually grow back, he knew that it was pain that most people couldn’t endure. But he was alive and that alone was enough for him at this moment in time.

It was obvious that he had underestimated Aiden. Now he had to convince him that he had every intention of following through on their deal. But Aiden was not in the mood for chit-chat. In fact, he would lay money on Aiden O’Hara being so fucking aggravated that he was not going to be approachable any time in the near future.

He was absolutely right. Aiden was practically spitting feathers. It was bad enough that this cunt had made a fool out of him, but the fact that Jade had been the one to sort it was like a red rag to a bull. Aiden had trusted him, had known him for years. He had weighed out serious amounts of bunce, and this prick had taken it with a cheeky smile and a cheery wave.

‘Where’s my fucking money? You better have my fucking dough!’

Gerry sighed heavily. ‘I told you before, your money is as safe as houses. I might have gone on the trot for a few days, but that’s me. It’s what I do. I always see my business partners all right. I know you think differently and, Aiden, I get it. But you can’t last as long as me in this business without producing the goods.’

He shrugged painfully, trying to act like he was back on track, that the previous few hours meant nothing to him. ‘I like a fucking Out Out. Where is the harm?’ He could see that Aiden was not in the mood to listen so he took another tack. ‘Look, Ade, I can guarantee you a serious return on your investment. I will arrange for you to meet with the supplier. But you have to believe me when I tell you that your money is as safe as houses.’

Gerry Murphy prided himself on his gift of the gab but he was cutting no ice with Aiden O’Hara. For the first time ever he was feeling nervous. If he didn’t watch himself Aiden would finish him without a second thought. This was about pride and, knowing that he had finally pushed his Irish colleagues too far, he had to broker a deal that would suit everyone, especially Aiden. He was lying on a concrete floor minus his nails and nursing broken ribs; it was the wake-up call he needed. It was obvious that the people he worked for wanted Aiden on board, and that he had told Aiden more than was good for either of them frightened him. His mum always said to him and his brothers, ‘People only know what you tell them.’ Until now he had never understood the power of that statement.

Chapter Fifty-Two

Reeva had sensed there was something not right between her son and Jade, but she didn’t feel confident enough to ask him about it. There was a definite coolness between them. She had a feeling that whatever had gone wrong was her Aiden’s doing; for all Jade’s faults, there had never been a hint of scandal where she was concerned.

Oh, she knew that Aiden had taken a few fliers over the years and, as long as the girls concerned had not brought any trouble to the family door, she had swallowed. Although, as a woman who had been used by men all her life, she had not been too impressed with his antics. As she had got older, she found that she didn’t have the temperament to allow such shenanigans in her own family.

She admired Jade: without her, Aiden would be adrift. Meeting Jade was the best thing that could ever have happened to him – not that she would ever say that out loud, of course. In spite of their fractious beginning, Jade had somehow inveigled herself into Reeva’s heart. She was a fucking diamond. For all his reputation and his friendship with Eric Palmer, Reeva knew that without Jade Aiden would have fucked everything up for himself a long time ago. And he had nearly lost everything thanks to his foolishness. Tony had told her enough to make her see that her Aiden had dropped the bollock of a lifetime.

He was lucky that Eric Palmer adored him and he was grooming him to be his successor. But her lad was still only twenty-five. He was going to have a long wait until Eric finally let go of the reins. And Aiden was going to have to watch himself because he was being watched by all and sundry – people only too happy to see him fall off his pedestal. He was of the opinion that he was beyond reproach and, until now, that had been the case. He had been given plenty of rope by Eric Palmer only to go and virtually hang himself. Thanks to Jade, though, he was basically home and dry.

Reeva knew her son; he would not suffer this shit without swearing that he would get his own back at some point. Her eldest son was the love of her life in many respects and she worshipped him. He had just never understood that not everyone in his orbit felt the same way about him as she did. He had always been the main man in their home, but out in the real world he was still seen as up-and-coming. Because there, Eric Palmer was the main man. And if Aiden carried on this way he was going to be a fucking liability. He was so arrogant, acting like he was so much better than everyone else. He needed to be brought down a few pegs by Eric and Jade, for his own good.

Plus, his treatment of Patsy bothered her. He was his brother, but Aiden talked to him like he was a fucking mug or a fucking romancer. Patsy would follow him into the bowels of hell without a second thought. He loved his brother and he worked for him happily. He trusted him to look out for him, to take care of him. But Aiden treated him like dirt, and that was starting to irritate her. Aiden was of the opinion that without him they were worth nothing, acting like they were dragging him down. He was even short with her at times.

It was only the thought that she could lose her grandson that had stopped her giving him a piece of her mind. In her heart she knew that Aiden was more than capable of taking the boy away from her. He could be very petty-minded and very vindictive if thwarted. That she even thought that her son was capable of such actions told her everything. Suddenly, she didn’t trust him any more.

She especially didn’t like the thought of Jade and Aiden at loggerheads. It worried her. The fact that Jade refused to marry Aiden had once pleased her; now their marriage was something she craved. It would cement her place in Aiden Junior’s life. Jade Dixon loved that she was looking after their boy − she had never once tried to keep Reeva and her grandson apart. Even though Jade wasn’t exactly motherly, Reeva knew that she loved that boy with all her heart. And it meant the world to Reeva that Jade trusted her with her precious son, and appreciated her for everything she did for him.

She sighed as she took a large steak and kidney pie out of the oven. She had the whole family for dinner tonight, and she was looking forward to it. They were all growing up and growing away from her, but that was real life.

Tony let himself in the front door. He had picked Aiden Junior up from school and, as the boy ran to her and grabbed her legs in a tight grip, she felt her usual happiness at having the child around her.

‘Hello, my little darling.’

She picked him up into her arms and hugged him tightly to her, loving that he hugged her back.

‘Hello, Nanny. Granddad Tony said he was going to take me to the park.’

Reeva grinned happily. Her Tony, who she had never thought would have stayed so long with her, loved this child as much as she did. She had been surprised to realise that she actually loved Tony too. Really loved him. Not just because they had amazing sex, but because she had finally understood that, against the odds, they had become genuine partners who cared for each other.

Tony poured himself a cup of tea from the teapot that was constantly on the cooker. ‘Go and get changed, champ. Let me drink me tea and then we will hit that park.’

Aiden Junior ran upstairs to get changed and, going to Tony, Reeva put her arms around him. Kissing him gently on the lips, she said quietly, ‘He loves you, Tony. You’re a good man.’

Tony laughed and, grabbing Reeva’s arse, he pulled her to him tight. ‘Come on, Reeve, after all these years! Of course I love him! Like I love you, girl.’

She knew he meant what he was saying and she laughed with happiness. ‘Who would have thought it, eh? Me and you, Tony.’

‘Listen, Reeve. You always rang my bells, girl. Stop selling yourself short. You’re a good woman.’

Aiden Junior came back into the kitchen shouting, ‘Come on, Granddad Tony. You promised me the park!’

Tony rolled his eyes with mock annoyance. ‘Oh, all right then, mate. Off we go.’

Reeva watched them leave and felt the urge to cry. Tony had stayed with her longer than any other man and had also been the only one to ever make her feel even a modicum of safety. He was also the only man ever to make her feel that life was about more than her kids. All those years when she had been alone with yet another baby, that had been her mantra: I don’t need a man, I only need my kids. But it had been a load of old bollocks. Every time she had been left holding the proverbial baby it had broken her heart. Every time she had hoped that the father of her latest child would stand by her. None of them had.

Finally, in His own way, God had been good to her. He had given her Tony. He had given her a man who accepted her no matter what, and He had given her kids someone to rely on. She had come out on top. After every disappointment, after every time she had given birth alone and had been forced to pretend that none of it mattered, Tony had made her see, finally, that life could be good. That she could be loved; that she could be needed.

Chapter Fifty-Three

Jade was exhausted. She had been having trouble sleeping since the aggravation with Aiden. There was a terrible void between them. She was partly to blame but, for once, Aiden had to understand that without her he just wasn’t in such a position of power. At least, not the kind of power that he imagined was his. He had his creds but that was because of Eric Palmer, and because she had always made sure that he had all the back-up he needed. Now he had been made aware of those facts, his pride was killing him. But she was not about to assuage his ego; this time he would have to acknowledge that she had as much clout as he did in certain areas. More, if she was being honest. There were a lot of Faces out there who, even though they might give him his due and respect him for what he had achieved, had been in the game longer than he had, and they were still active earners. Aiden needed to understand that a lot of their business was about dealing with other people with creds. And it was about keeping the fucking peace and working alongside them. Just because you might be the main earner didn’t give you the right to throw your weight about and demand what you wanted. The latest debacle had brought this home to Aiden. Even he couldn’t pretend that he didn’t understand it.

Jade had allowed him to do whatever he wanted because of their age difference and that was what really fucking burned. Standing back and letting him have his head had landed them all in a situation that no one in their right mind would be in if they had even half a brain. She was annoyed with herself for pandering to his ego for so long.

Right now, she was meeting with Eric Palmer. She wished she had never agreed to this latest deal to save Aiden’s skin. Eric trusted her and respected her decisions, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try and blame her if it didn’t go to plan. People like Aiden and Eric Palmer spread blame around like fucking jam. There was no way any of this was ever going to be their fault. People in their world were only as good as their last earn. It was wrong but it was the way it worked. She knew that better than anyone, and it was why she had stayed at the top for so long. She had always fucking earned her keep, she’d made sure of that.

Chapter Fifty-Four

Eric Palmer thought the world of Jade, he always had. He appreciated her business acumen and, more to the point, her loyalty. Jade was a one-off really− she was a Tom who’d had the nous to take herself that one step further. She was a grafter in every sense of the word. She had proved herself worthy of his interest and he had never regretted that. He admired her and he trusted her, which was something he would never admit to anyone.

It had been a bonus to find she’d taken Aiden under her wing. Because, as clever as that fucker was, Eric Palmer depended on Jade to keep him on the straight and narrow. Aiden was an earner, but Eric had begun to see that, without this woman beside him, he would never reach his full potential. The boy had earned his creds and no one could deny that he had a brain full of ideas. But his youth still made him a liability, as had been proven recently.

It was a shame that Jade had not been born a man, because she had the nuts to make it in the world they lived in. She had gone further than most women would have been allowed to – and that was because of him. She had gone further than most men, if he was being really honest. Jade Dixon was the anomaly that only turned up every so often: a woman with the mentality needed to succeed in their world.

Eric had taken Jade to his bed when she was far younger than he had thought and she had shown a natural aptitude for the work early on. She had wanted to make something of herself, and she had. He still felt guilty about their short relationship. He had never believed that she was so young; she had been so experienced. She had used him and he had accepted that eventually, but it still gave him sleepless nights. He had never really been a chancer – he had seen Jade and he had wanted her. Now, of course, he knew that she had wanted him for her own reasons. She had known, even then, how to manipulate the people around her. He had been used, and that was something that had never left him. He still admired her resolve: she went after what she wanted and she tended to get it, no matter what the price.

Thanks to Eric, and his knack of finding people who were capable of living in the world he created and who he could trust, no matter what happened, Jade Dixon had found her niche. He had given her the opportunity to ply her trade, and she had proven her worth to him on more than one occasion. He had never regretted bringing her on board. In fact, she was one of the best earners he had. She was also the voice of reason and that was one of her main attributes. Aiden O’Hara and Jade were a real good combination and now they had a child together. Aiden, for all his nous, needed a guiding hand – a hand that she was more than qualified to give him, even as she was wondering if it was going to be worth her time and trouble. Oh, he could read Jade like a book!

Watching her, he felt terrible because he really didn’t want to have to do this. Sighing heavily and theatrically, he said quietly, ‘You can talk to me, Jade. I’ve already worked out that you were the one who made sure our Aiden didn’t make a fool of himself.’ He tried to look like the good guy, like the friend he thought he was.

Jade laughed then, a real laugh. It sounded wrong in Eric Palmer’s posh new offices, the offices that Aiden had insisted on.

‘Eric, Aiden is a shrewd fucker. You know that as well as I do. But he doesn’t think some things through. There are too many people offering him deals, more people every day pandering to him because he has so much power. In time he will understand all that old fanny. But for now he still doesn’t get that certain deals need to be watched and that his reputation isn’t enough. I do the day-to-day shit while he swans off and looks for more lucrative deals, looks for more excitement. So don’t fucking try and pretend you never knew this was on the cards.’

Eric smiled. ‘I do know that, Jade. You are absolutely right. We gave him too much too soon. But, in all my years on the street, I have never met anyone who can think up an earn like him. Your influence is noted and I can’t deny that you can rein him in. But give him the time to learn and no one will be able to touch him.’

Jade raised her eyebrows. ‘So, you are happy with him gunrunning. Really? When he was just dealing with Gerry Murphy, I wasn’t too bothered. But now he’s involved with some serious fucking people.’

Eric Palmer nodded. ‘True, but it’s a good earn, and we just provide the guns on the streets. As Aiden pointed out, this way we can monitor who has got what. The main money comes from sending them overseas, of course, but he has that covered too. He has the savvy that we need, Jade. All you need to do is keep an eye on him.’

Jade shook her head sadly. ‘So, basically, I have another fucking business to look after. I don’t trust the Irish, Eric. Not this fucking lot, anyway. They see themselves as above us. They don’t really think we are credible. They are funding a war, we are on the rob – two completely different fucking things.’

Eric Palmer knew Jade spoke the truth but he also believed that Aiden was right. He had pointed out that if they didn’t deal with the Irish, someone else would and, whoever that might be, they would then have the backing needed to take anyone down if necessary, and he said as much to Jade.

‘We need the Irish onside. That, Jade, is simple economics.’

She could see the logic, but she wasn’t happy about any of it. ‘I still don’t trust them. Plus, once we are involved with them, we are not just looking at the regular Filth, who we can control, coming after us with everything they have got, but we will have to swerve the agencies who are geared up to look for anything pertaining to terrorism. It’s a whole different ball game. And all the people that we have on our books will run a mile once the IRA are mentioned. You know, Eric, you never did understand that, while we might have evidence of them fucking little kids – the evidence against those nonces – if the balloon ever went up, and we were accused of dealing with terrorists, the people we have onside now would run a fucking mile. Our so-called power would be null and void overnight. Those fuckers protect their own − it’s been proven to us time and time again. Look at last year with that MP, the one after boys so young even we wouldn’t go there. He walked away from it all because the bloke who accused him disappeared into the system. What I’m saying, Eric, is sometimes it’s better to do one deal with these fuckers and then drop it. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth the aggro.’

Eric Palmer could hear the fear and worry in her voice and that bothered him because Jade Dixon was game for literally anything. If she was not interested then maybe he should have a rethink.

Seeing the uncertainty on Eric’s face, Jade took the chance to drive her point home. ‘Honestly, Eric, I have a bad feeling about this. People are always afraid of terrorism. Open the papers. People clear a bus or train if they hear an Irish accent. It’s ten years too late. But they are still bombing people. If you get us involved in this we can’t get away from it, no matter how much money we throw about. We are basically fucked.’ She opened her arms in a gesture of supplication. ‘Aiden is like you, he just sees the bottom line. I see that we would be allying ourselves with people who attempt murder indiscriminately. We are not part of their cause, Eric. We would be vilified by our own people eventually. It’s why you’ve never got involved with this before – so why start now? And I certainly don’t want to have anything to do with it now. I think we should get a quick stash of firearms and then fuck them off.’

She made a good argument. She was talking sense. Eric trusted her to know more about what was going on out there than he did these days. He relied on people like Jade and, more so, on men like Aiden to be his window to the world. They were the people who gave him the day-to-day information that allowed him to ply his trade. He didn’t want to immerse himself in it any more. He was taking a step back and that was what he paid people for – and he paid fucking well. But now in taking his eye off the fucking ball he had allowed Aiden to walk them all into this latest fucking aggravation. Listening to her, Eric believed that Jade knew what she was talking about. He trusted that Aiden had a good head for earns. This time, unfortunately, he had gone a bit too far. Once he understood the economics, Aiden would understand that it was not in any of their interests to pursue the relationship. He would tell Aiden that they would only bankroll one buy; after that, they could not justify the expense. It was up to Aiden now to extricate them from this deal.

Jade sighed heavily. ‘Do you know something, Eric?’ She was shaking her head in despair. ‘I have already brokered the deal. We bring in one shipment, and then we walk away. Honestly, I wonder at times what the fuck you lot would do without me. I explained that we couldn’t guarantee the safety of their product. That, with hindsight, we were not in a position to overlook our other businesses to concentrate on them and that we were already bringing guns in from Belgium, et cetera.’

Eric laughed then. ‘What fucking guns from Belgium?’

‘The guns we are now bringing in on a much smaller basis, mainly handguns. Nothing too outrageous. We can offload them immediately because I have already talked to Jimmy Ortega. He’s a good Brixton boy, as you know. He’s over the fucking moon. After the second shipment I will explain that we are in line for a capture. So he will swallow his big, huge knob – and I am speaking from experience here, he is a big lad! Then we disappear into the woodwork and pretend this never happened. You know and I know, Eric, that any guns found nowadays are somehow all brought back to the IRA. Gerry Murphy will do this one-time deal and that’s it as far as we are concerned. There is no comeback for any of us from his Irish colleagues because they understand that Gerry fucked himself over.’

Eric Palmer was more than impressed. ‘You sorted all that out today, Jade?’

She smiled. Her first real smile. ‘Of course, Eric. I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true.’

‘You are one fucking clever bird. I always knew that about you.’

Jade laughed again, but it was a sneer more than a laugh. ‘Oh, well fuck me sideways. I’m so impressed. I have been working your biggest scams for years, Eric. I have earned you fortunes! Not that I haven’t earned a good wedge myself. But did it never once cross your mind that I could only ply my trade because I made a point of befriending people who could further my cause? The Filth, for example? I made it my mission to get them onside. The same with the Irish. I gave them whatever they wanted because I knew that it would be the only leverage we had if everything should ever fall out of bed. Which it has. And I realise that you never once gave me the fucking benefit of all that. You never once understood just how much I watched your back. No matter what happened I always sorted it, like I have tonight with Aiden. Now I have to ask myself honestly if you ever once appreciated just how fucking loyal I have actually been?’

Eric Palmer was shocked at the vitriol in her voice, and he was also shamed because he had never given credit to just how much power she had. He wondered how he had have never realised this woman’s acumen. Tonight she had, with a few phone calls, talked them out of something that would have eventually destroyed them. She had single-handedly given him exactly what he wanted, without asking anything in return, or trying to do a deal with him beforehand. He was actually humbled by her loyalty and her decency.

‘I can’t argue this with you, Jade. I can only say that I never really appreciated you fully until now. I always had the highest regard for you and I always knew that you were a brilliant businesswoman. Tonight, though, you have made me see that I have in you, Jade, a real fucking diamond. I can’t explain to you just how much I underestimated you. But I can assure you now, that will never happen again.’

Jade believed he meant every word he said, but she was well aware that Eric would never refer to any of this again. So, shrugging nonchalantly, she said quietly, ‘I’m not trying to blow my own trumpet. But you need to see the people around you that are there for you. Aiden, especially. He adores you. He spends his life trying to prove himself to you.’

Eric Palmer looked into her eyes. ‘I never doubted that for a minute, darling.’

Chapter Fifty-Five

‘Look, Aiden, you have to get past this. You made a big fuck-up, but it’s sorted now and that’s it. We’ve all been guilty of it.’

Aiden didn’t answer Jade. Instead he walked out of their bedroom on to the landing and made a big performance of knotting his tie. He was angry – angry and humiliated.

Jade followed him out and tried to hold him in her arms but he shrugged her away.

‘Turn around. I always do your tie for you.’

He looked at her in the mirror and turned towards her slowly. Jade knotted his tie expertly. When she was finished she grabbed the tie and pulled him towards her, kissing him violently on his lips.

Letting him go, she said saucily, ‘I’ve missed that, Aiden. I’ve missed kissing you, darling.’

Taking her in his arms, Aiden pulled her into his body and, holding her tightly, he said angrily, ‘You know that I’m still annoyed, Jade. You fucking made an idiot out of me.’

Jade knew better than to argue with him; there was nothing she could say to minimise his hurt. She even understood exactly how he was feeling. But she couldn’t tell him that. In her bed he was a man, but outside the bed he was a boy in so many respects. A boy who couldn’t see that she had pulled his arse out of a fire! A fire that he could never have saved himself from. It had been three weeks since the aggravation with Gerry Murphy and his behaviour was really wearing her down. Although she and Eric had explained the situation from their point of view, Aiden couldn’t accept that he had done a wrong one, that he wasn’t anything less than perfect. Oh no, that would be too easy. But the fact that he could have jeopardised everything else they were involved with was to Aiden like a giraffe’s fart. It went right over his head.

He was still standing on his dignity, acting like they had ganged up on him and were deliberately ruining his future. It was fucking scary just how close they had come to ruination because of him. But Aiden just couldn’t see it. Or, more to the point, he refused to see it, and that was really starting to bother her. Jade was finally losing patience not just with this latest stupidity, but with her life in general. Aiden treated her like a cunt and now that was beginning to smart. She had taken him into her world − there was nothing that he could ever offer her. She believed that the time had come for her to remind him of that fact.

‘Why don’t you just fuck off, Aiden.’ She held up her hands and waved him away from her. ‘Who the fuck do you think you are?’ Her anger had got the better of her now and she shoved him away from her, pushing him towards the stairs.

He laughed at her. ‘You sure, Jade? Because if I go, I go for good.’

She shrugged, all the fight leaving her suddenly.

‘Do you know what? I can’t do this any more, Aiden.’

Aiden turned to her and she saw the arrogance and the anger in his handsome face. She saw him for what he was − what he really was − not what she had chosen to believe he was. She saw how little he really thought of her, how juvenile he was when he didn’t get what he wanted and he thought he had been crossed.

‘Listen to me, Aiden. You do not look down your fucking nose at me. I have been fucking good. I have put up with your stupidity for over three weeks. Well, guess what? My patience is running out. Grow the fuck up, Aiden. What are you? Fucking twelve?’

Despite her anger, she could not help looking at him and admiring how handsome he was. What it was about him she didn’t know, but he rang all her bells − even now, when she could quite happily punch his fucking lights out.

‘You can fucking act as good as you like, Jade. But I know the truth, never forget that.’

Jade looked into his eyes and the anger inside her, the fury at his snide remarks and his complete disregard for and her feelings, bubbled once again to the surface. She knew he couldn’t wait to leave her, that he needed the validation of some little tart he would pick up. He couldn’t wait to get away from her and the truth of what he had started – and she had finished for him. And she wasn’t going to take that lying down.

‘If you walk out now, Aiden, you ain’t fucking coming back in this house. I’m not a fucking silly little girl, playing fucking silly little games. You walk out of here tonight and I swear on my boy’s life, you will never darken this fucking door again.’

She walked away from him and, as she made her way down the stairs, she felt a calmness wash over her. For once she had the upper hand with him. She knew that if he did walk out she would not ever let him back in her life. It would hurt her, but she would be better off without him. She couldn’t play this game any more, pretending that everything he did was OK. She had no intention of spending any more of her time making him feel good about himself when that meant she had to put herself down. It was ludicrous! What the fuck had happened to her? When had she decided that her life would be about making him feel better about himself? When had her life meant that she forgot about herself?

In the kitchen she opened one of the cupboards and took out a bottle of whisky. She grabbed a glass from the draining board and poured herself out a stiff drink. She had not felt this angry with anyone for years. But over the last few weeks Aiden had pushed her to the limit.

She downed the Scotch quickly, savouring the burn in her throat. Then she poured herself another large glass. As she turned around to take her drink into the sitting room, she walked straight into Aiden. He took the glass from her and he swallowed the drink down. Coughing at its strength, he said seriously, ‘You are the only person I know who can drink raw Scotch, lady.’

She smiled and, taking the glass from him, she poured him another. Then, going to the sink, she picked up a second glass and, pouring herself another measure, she said lightly, ‘I meant what I said you know, Aiden. I refuse to do this shit any more. I have done nothing fucking wrong, as you well know.’

She leaned against the sink, sipping her drink and wondering where this conversation was going. She still couldn’t trust him, and it occurred to her suddenly that, if she was honest with herself, she never had trusted him really. Never trusted him to stand by her. The knowledge hurt her.

Across the kitchen Aiden studied her. She was looking her age in many ways. She was still a beautiful woman, though. He loved her with every part of his being, and he could never imagine being with anyone else, not like he was with her, anyway.

She was the mother of his son, and she was the only woman he truly respected. That he often took a flier with another girl he didn’t see as a problem. After all, Jade had his son; she was the important one as far as he was concerned. And, in his mind, that should be enough for her. He knew she wasn’t a fool; she had to know about his extracurricular activities, so to speak – that was a fucking given. But she chose to ignore them, which suited them both.

As angry as he felt about the Gerry Murphy situation, he knew that Jade meant every word she said. That was one of the things he loved about her: what you saw was exactly what you got. She didn’t suffer fools gladly and she didn’t ever make threats unless she meant them. Her words had finally penetrated his psyche – that she was willing to fuck him off told him all he needed to know. He couldn’t live without her, which he saw as his Achilles heel. He was aware that she had given him the biggest swerve in recorded history and he should be grateful.

So why did he still feel that, between Jade and Eric Palmer, they had cunted him off? Because that was exactly how he was feeling. Right or wrong, he resented the way they had treated him, and it was not something he would forget in a hurry. But he couldn’t be without her. He went to her and hugged her to him, enjoying the smell of her skin, the feel of her body against his. He loved her, he always would. But, at this moment in time, he didn’t like her. He didn’t like her at all.

He would swallow his knob because there was nothing else he could do, but that didn’t mean he would ever forget this insult. Because an insult it was. Whatever Jade and Eric tried to tell him, they had between them treated him like a fucking no one, a fucking nothing. The humiliation burned within him. They had proven to him that he couldn’t trust the people closest to him, that he needed to be wary in the future and look out for his own ends. As much as he loved Jade Dixon, he could never truly trust her again and Eric Palmer was someone he needed to keep a close eye on. This was a learning curve for him, all right. He might be a lot of things, but he wasn’t a fucking idiot. In his mind, this was tantamount to a declaration of war. This had told him that he needed to watch his back and he would do just that in the future.

Aiden O’Hara understood that, in many respects, he was now on his own. This was how he was going to live his life, the only way he could go forward. He had no intention of walking away from Jade and his son. The thought of being without them was anathema to him. But something inside him was broken now. He knew he could never trust any of the people around him again. After this betrayal, how could he? Why would he?

Chapter Fifty-Six

Agnes was laughing with her mum when she heard her brothers arguing outside the front door. She sighed heavily and, as usual, went to try and calm the situation. This felt like her main job in life at times − being the voice of reason, talking everyone down. It was wearing because she loved them, and she hated to see them arguing and fighting. She opened the door to see Patsy and Aiden at each other’s throats. Well, Aiden was at poor Patsy’s throat. No change there.

Patsy had always been Aiden’s scapegoat − they all knew that, even if they never actually said it out loud. It wouldn’t be worth the hassle. Aiden could do no wrong, of course.

‘Calm the fuck down, Ade. Everyone on the estate can hear you shouting and hollering!’

Aiden, she could see immediately, was very drunk, and so was Patsy.

She brought them both into the house, saying sadly, ‘Really! Arguing again? You’re my brothers and I hate seeing you carry on like this.’

Normally that would bring any of her brothers to their knees. They adored Agnes and saw her as too fragile to be hurt or upset in any way, which always worked in her favour. And why she used it when necessary. She played the female card at every opportunity. Surrounded as she was by so many men, she had learned early on in life how to use her innocence to her own advantage – none of the boys had ever worked it out.

But Aiden wasn’t having any of it tonight. ‘Shut the fuck up and get yourself to bed, lady. I’m surrounded by mouthy women and I’m really not in the fucking mood tonight.’

Reeva stepped between her eldest son and his two siblings, motioning to both of them to go to bed, which they did without a word. There was something going on with her firstborn and she could see that he was up for a fight. When he was like this the best thing was to not give him reasons to start aggravation. But, by the same token, she would not take any of his shit. Tonight she was not in the mood – she’d been on the rainbow too. So, fuck him. She was not going to let him put her on a fucking downer.

‘Excuse me, Aiden. This is my house and you can’t come round here reading the fucking riot act to all and sundry.’

One thing Reeva knew was that no matter what might occur her eldest boy would never start anything of importance with her personally. His brothers were fair game but never her. He was far better than that.

Aiden came into the house tamely and she shut the door behind him. She followed him into the kitchen, wondering what the upshot would be and how best she could talk him down. She knew all about the latest aggravation, but she was not going to let on. Her son was hurting − his pride had been damaged and, being the man he was, he would not let that go lightly. Tonight he was drunk and he was wound up, she could see that straight off. But she stood her ground.

‘Your house is it, Mum? I do believe I bankroll this fucking drum and I have for years. I bankroll your fucking boyfriend and all, even though he’s a useless prick. But then, you know that better than anyone, don’t you, Mum?’

He laughed nastily. Lighting up a cigarette, Reeva watched him warily, unsure now how to deal with him. It seemed that he wasn’t just drunk or on a bit of coke. He looked to her like a demon. His eyes were like slits and his whole body was tensed ready to fight.

For the first time ever, Reeva felt frightened of her own child. There was something different about him. There was a hatred in his voice, in his stance, in everything about him, that she had never experienced before. He seemed like he was out of control. He looked at her with such venom and she didn’t know how she was supposed to react. She was seeing a man who had scores to settle, who was looking for a fight, looking to cause harm.

She was not going to fight him, no matter what. In fact, she had no intention of letting him win this fucking silent argument. That was exactly what he wanted and something in the back of her head was telling her that she must not let him get the better of her. She had to talk him down, and make sure that they didn’t have any conflict. He wanted that too badly, and he was so far gone he would fight her if she wasn’t careful.

He laughed sarcastically as he said, ‘Oh come on, Mum. What’s the matter, eh? Not like you to put your latest fuck over your own kids, is it? I mean, think about it: you put everyone and anyone over us lot. Like the fucking race relations board, ain’t we? One thing I could always say about you, Mum. You never discriminated, did you? As long as they were a piece of fucking shit you were straight in there, legs wide open, come on down, boys! Then, when they left you, we picked up the pieces. Well, actually, I picked up the fucking pieces. It was me who fucking kept this family afloat. It was me who always made sure that we were OK. It was me who always tried to look out for us all. Remember Eugene’s dad, Mum? Big black bastard. Knocked me about, as well as you. And poor Patsy! He hated Patsy more than he did me. He bullied him every chance he got. And then how about Porrick’s dad? That was a nice change for us. A vicious Irishman this time. Oh, Mum, you certainly knew how to look after your kids, didn’t you? You can’t even imagine what your fucking choices did to your family, to your kids who you always say mean more to you than anything. You think that we never sussed you out? That we never wondered why not one of our dads stayed around long enough to see us brought into the world?’

Reeva listened to her son and her heart broke because there was a lot of truth in what he said. But she didn’t deserve hearing him say all that without telling him a few home truths in return. Her anger got the better of her now and she faced her eldest son and, forgetting her fear of him, she screeched, ‘You’re right, Aiden! I was never going to be Mother of the fucking Year, was I? But I kept you all. And, as for you, you fucking wanker, I was fourteen years old when I had you. I might not have been Snow fucking White but I’ve never pretended to be. So you can criticise me all you want if it makes you feel better about yourself, but I did the best I could for you. I made more than my fair share of mistakes, but at least I fucking kept you all! And each time it was harder and harder to hold my head up. But I did it. I never regretted any of you, Aiden. Remember that. I didn’t turn my back on you, on any of you, even when I felt like it.’

Aiden looked at his mum, who he had always defended, who he had always loved no matter what, and he saw how much he had hurt her feelings. As drunk as he was, he knew that he had been so out of order. He had deliberately set out to hurt this woman who he knew would give up her life for him, or for his siblings. Through the drink and the cocaine he had taken that night he still had the grace to feel ashamed and embarrassed that he was capable of expressing such vitriol towards the woman who had always been by his side, no matter what. Reeva had always been his biggest advocate, he knew she would lie for him if he needed it. He knew that he had brutally taken out on his mother not only his own anger, but also his own frustration. That he had achieved so much in his life and then been brought so low was something he could not come to terms with. Now he had taken his anger out on his mother, on the only person he knew he could always rely on. He was sobering up by the second.

He glanced around the room where he had grown up and into the man he now was. Seeing the fear and the uncertainty on his mum’s face he felt the shame overwhelming him. How could he have ever thought that he could denigrate her like that?

Reeva walked out to the kitchen, afraid to say anything more. If she wasn’t careful, her eldest child would say something that neither of them could ever forgive. It had gone much too far already. She poured herself a very large vodka and knocked it back in one gulp. Aiden followed her and watched as she did what she had always done since he could remember: she self-medicated. But what could he say? He pulled her round to face him and he saw the fear in her eyes, and wondered at how they had ever been reduced to this.

‘Mum, I’m sorry. Really, I didn’t mean any of it. I could fucking kick meself…’

Reeva pulled away from him. She wasn’t at all impressed with what he had said to her, and she wasn’t about to let him get away with it. She was so incensed with him and the way he thought he could treat everyone around him. For the first time ever, she wasn’t on his side. His words had hit her deeply. She had realised that what he had said were his real feelings. It broke her heart that he saw her as so fucking low on his radar.

‘I don’t want to hear it, Aiden. You have no right to talk to me like that. I tried to do the best that I could by you all.’

Aiden knew that he had really offended his mum, a woman who he had always thought was unable to be offended. She had always acted like everything said about her was no more than water off the proverbial duck’s back. Now he knew that his words had really got under her skin, that he had really got under her skin. He had touched a nerve and now he didn’t know how to make it right, how to tell her he didn’t mean a word of it. That he was hurting and he wanted someone else to hurt as well.

Agnes came into the kitchen then and, pushing past her brother, she said, ‘Come on, Mum. Let me take you to bed.’

Reeva smiled sadly and allowed herself to be removed from her son’s presence. She couldn’t wait to get away from him. She couldn’t argue with him tonight; his words had broken her heart.

Agnes looked over her shoulder and said quietly, ‘You’re a fucking bully, Aiden. Just go home. Don’t you think you’ve done enough tonight?’

Aiden stood in the kitchen where he had spent the majority of his life and, for the first time in years, he actually cried. He couldn’t stop himself. The anger and the frustration of the last few weeks seemed to overwhelm him. He had suffered the humiliation of Jade and Eric’s interference in a deal that he still believed would have brought them untold riches – because he could have kept everyone on board and, more to the point, he could have used the Irish contacts in his favour. He just couldn’t see the problem. He still believed that if he had been given the chance he could have run it all without any problems whatsoever. He could have worked it out in such a way no one could have ever touched them. After all, that was what he did best. That was what Eric Palmer paid him to do. That deal could have earned more money in a few months than they were now earning in a year. And they were fucking earning money hand over fist already. Instead he had been completely bypassed by Eric Palmer. That was bad enough, but knowing that his Jade had worked alongside Eric to put a stop on him was something he could not get his head around. Everything he had achieved had been wiped out overnight by the two people he had trusted the most. He sobbed like a baby.

Patsy came into the kitchen and, taking him into his arms, he said softly, ‘Let it out, bruv. Let it go, mate.’

And he did. For the first time in his life, Aiden O’Hara allowed his feelings to be shown in public. He was absolutely devastated by the disloyalty shown to him by the two people he cared about most. But he was also crying because, deep inside, he knew that he had fucked up and that they had been right to put a stop to his gallop. That was something, of course, that he would never admit. He had not admitted it to himself until now. He would always argue that he could have handled the Irish and anyone else if necessary. He could not back down.

All his brothers came to him now. Porrick and Eugene were both nearly in tears themselves, shocked at seeing their big brother brought so low; he was always the strong one. They hugged him tightly because he was like a father to them and they loved him even as they feared him. Seeing him crying and vulnerable scared them even while they marvelled that, for the first time ever in their lives, Aiden actually needed them. Until now they had always needed him.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Reeva and Agnes sat in Reeva’s bedroom, listening to the commotion going on downstairs. Reeva got up quickly but Agnes pushed her back down on to her bed.

‘No, you don’t, Mum. Let him hang as he grows. The boys are with him. He spoke to you like shit. Don’t let him get away with it. He always gets away with everything. He’s an arsehole. Who the fuck does he think he is?’

Reeva looked at her daughter and saw the determination in her eyes. She understood then that this girl of hers was much stronger than she had ever believed. And she also realised that her Agnes didn’t actually like her brother Aiden. She watched her daughter as she picked up the phone to ring Jade to tell her that Aiden was drunk. And Reeva was relieved when Jade finally arrived and took Aiden home. A little bit of Reeva was sad because she knew that Aiden adored his little sister. He would move heaven and earth for her.