Betrayal

Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Till seven times?

Matthew 18:21

Because I don’t trust him, we are friends.

Mother Courage and Her Children, Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)

Chapter Seventy-Seven

2002

Joshua Dyke, known affectionately as Joshie D, was a DJ, a drug dealer and an all-round nice guy. The product of a Scottish mother and a Jamaican father, Joshie had inherited both his parents’ excitable personalities, along with his father’s thick dreads. Like the O’Hara boys, he had blue eyes and that gave his already good looks the edge where the ladies were concerned. Also the men. Joshie was bisexual, as happy with a male partner as he was with a female. His long-term girlfriend had had his twin sons, and she didn’t seem in the least bit bothered about his sexuality. Although it was a real bugbear as far as a lot of his contemporaries were concerned – they were not sure how to react to him. His lifestyle was so far out of their remit. These were men who were brought up to be men − real men. The fact that Joshie D was a bit suspect, but could still hold his own if needed, seemed bizarre to them. His saving grace was he could fight like fuck, as had been proved on more than one occasion.

Joshie embraced his lifestyle with exuberance and extravagance. He dressed like a male model and he could command an audience wherever he appeared. He was working on music with other artists, and making a name for himself in the real world. He could also work out a deal down to the last penny. His cousin was a big man in Jamaica and Joshie had a house in Kingston, where he spent a lot of time − not just DJing but arranging deals too. He was on his way, getting a reputation in the club world and in the world of criminality. Nothing was out of reach for anyone who had the nous to go for it these days and Joshie had everything to play for.

Aiden O’Hara had deliberately nurtured Joshie because he recognised that he could be a viable part of the organisation. Aiden found that Joshie’s sexuality didn’t bother him as much as it did everyone else. He wasn’t that interested in other people’s sex lives. As long as they earned, that was enough for him. But it went deeper than that with Aiden; he was surprised to find that he liked Joshie and he wasn’t alone. Patsy thought he was a diamond and Eugene, who was working with him, thought he was the dog’s knob. He bothered Porrick, but then, everything bothered Porrick. He was turning into a very particular bloke; he had a fucking opinion about everything. Now, as Aiden waited for Colin and Joshie to arrive, he poured himself a large brandy. He had a feeling he was going to need it. Patsy was quiet, and he poured his brother a drink without asking him. As he passed it to him, Patsy said tiredly, ‘We’re going to need this – Colin has been pretty vocal about his opinion on Josh.’

Aiden shrugged. ‘I know, bruv, but I must be honest. I really don’t get his fucking anti-gay shit. Why would he let that bother him?’

Patsy grinned. ‘You never cease to amaze me, Aiden. In all honesty I thought you would have been more bothered than him.’

Aiden knocked his brandy back and poured another large glass. ‘I’m offended by that, Patsy. Why would I care?’

Patsy closed his eyes in annoyance, because whenever Aiden felt he was being judged in any way he always resorted to acting like he had been deeply offended. Maybe he was; Patsy didn’t give a shit either way.

‘Come on! We know that Porrick is as gay as a Mexican tablecloth, but none of us mention it, do we?’

Aiden shook his head. ‘You might not have, but I’ve discussed it with him. Difference is, I don’t give a fuck. I remember him as a kid. He was always a bit of a fucking drama queen, quiet as he was. How many times did he watch fucking Dirty Dancing with Mum and Aggs? I mean, think about it, Patsy.’

Patsy started laughing. It was infectious and the two brothers were roaring together, holding on to each other, both caught up in absolute mirth.

‘Remember Mum, when she caught him in his room with that mate of his, the really effeminate one? What was his name?’

Patsy was nearly on the floor now. He was almost crying with laughter. ‘That Nigel bloke. The one with the blond highlights. Even our Agnes sussed that one, and she’s as green as the proverbial grass.’

They were still cracking up when Eugene and Porrick entered the room, and that just made them worse.

‘Well, what’s the big joke then?’ Porrick said nastily.

Patsy just shook his head saying, ‘Believe me, you don’t want to know.’

Aiden stopped laughing. ‘You know what, Porrick? You have a bad fucking attitude. Sometimes, as I have told you on more than one occasion, it can be fucking annoying.’

Porrick didn’t answer. He was as red as his hair, and that was never a good look. He was clearly angry − much angrier than was good for any of them. His fists were clenched, always a sign he was spoiling for a fight.

Eugene tried to keep the peace saying, ‘Look, let’s all calm down here. We are brothers, for fuck’s sake.’

‘Really? You are reminding me, the eldest brother, that we are related? I’m the one who makes sure we are on a fucking earn, you all work for me, remember? You having a fucking tin bath, Eugene?’

Eugene sighed; Aiden had a point. There were times when Porrick could conjure an almighty row out of a mere look.

‘All I’m saying is, we don’t need to be at odds now, do we?’

Aiden and Patsy looked at each other with disbelief. Then, shaking their heads together, they both stared at Eugene as if he had just dropped through the ceiling.

‘What I’m telling you, mate, is that I’m sick of having to apologise for my two youngest brothers. So you either take Porrick in hand, or you two can piss in the wind and get yourselves another fucking wage packet.’

Patsy shrugged and poured them more drinks. It was to everyone’s benefit if they just let the matter drop, but Aiden had been getting annoyed with Porrick over what he called his antisocial behaviour for a while. There was a kink in Porrick that was beginning to worry him. He was a young man who did not seem to have a cut-off point − he would push and push even when it really wasn’t sensible.

As they took their drinks, Aiden looked at his youngest brother and he said seriously, ‘I mean it, Porrick. You keep causing ructions for no good reason and I am not going to go on saving your arse every time you upset someone. If you weren’t my brother you would have had the shit kicked out of you by now. You got to start reining in your natural fucking bastardy. Because you are starting to piss me off now! And that is never a good idea. Remember that in future.’

Porrick was offended by his brother’s reaction. After all, this was rich coming from Aiden O’Hara, a man who lived on a different planet to everyone else.

Chapter Seventy-Eight

‘If Aiden finds out he’ll go ballistic, Agnes. You know that as well as I do.’

Agnes was frightened but she was not going to back down. She was entitled to her own life, and that was something she was not going to forget.

Jade and Reeva looked at each other in shock. This was Agnes, she was like a nun in waiting. How could she be telling them this, especially now? Not that Reeva understood the real problem here, but Jade was well aware that Aiden was about to do the biggest deal of his life and Agnes could fuck it up in seconds with her news. For the first time in years, Jade was actually sweating with nerves. Reeva on the other hand wasn’t as bothered as she made out; if she was honest she was secretly pleased. Finally she and her daughter had something in common! Reeva wasn’t stupid, she knew that people had questioned how on earth did someone like her raise such a good girl. It grieved Reeva that she had been born when she had − these days no one would have batted an eye at her lifestyle. It amazed her when she bumped into her mother’s cronies and they told her how their granddaughters were having babies and saving up to get married. When she remembered what she had been forced to endure from them it did sometimes make her angry. Hypocrites, the lot of them. A part of Reeva was pleased at how the times had changed, but it still rankled. Still, she was proud of how she had fought to keep her kids and, whatever people might think of her, she loved them more than anything else in the world.

‘Actually, Reeva, it’s not if Aiden finds out, is it? It is when.’

Reeva pulled her daughter into her arms then, looking at Jade, she said honestly, ‘I do get it, Jade. But life happens. You should know that better than any of us.’

Jade could see the logic of what Reeva was saying, but she also wondered at how this woman could not see that her daughter’s predicament just might cause a teeny bit of upset.

Tony was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a beer and smoking a joint, and, getting up, he pulled Reeva and Agnes into his embrace. ‘I think Reeva has a point for once. Agnes is not a child any more. She doesn’t have to answer to Aiden or anyone.’

Jade lit a cigarette and, smiling tightly, she didn’t answer him. Sometimes she could not help but wonder what planet this family actually lived on. She closed her eyes and wondered, not for the first time, why she cared so much.

Agnes pulled away from her mother and, sitting at the kitchen table, she said seriously, ‘It’s my life, and the sooner you all understand that, the better.’

Jade looked at this beautiful young girl, who really believed that she had some kind of say over her own life, and she said flatly, ‘Well, good for you, Aggs. I hope it keeps fine for you, I really do.’

Then she left the house; she was expected at the big meeting, and she was late.

As she pulled away from the kerb she wondered at where this was going to go, where it was going to leave them. She didn’t hold out much hope for an amicable solution, though stranger things had most probably happened at sea, as Reeva was always trying to convince them.

Chapter Seventy-Nine

Joshie D liked Aiden O’Hara a lot, mainly because he had understood from their first meeting that, unlike most of the people he dealt with, Aiden couldn’t give a fuck about his ‘exotic’ lifestyle. He had heard that expression and he had liked it – he felt that it really did encompass his way of living. As he entered the building that Aiden owned in Mayfair, he felt a rush of respect for the man. Aiden O’Hara had come a long way, and that was something he could really appreciate.

As the ugly goon in the cheap suit ushered him into the lift, he smiled magnanimously. After all, who was he to look down on a fellow brother? The man was big, black and, without doubt, good for nothing more than being a fucking heavy. But at least the man did his job with a certain respect, so he had that going for him. That was another thing he liked about Aiden O’Hara: his workforce was taught the usefulness of being polite and unobtrusive. There were more than a few complete fucking morons in the game who still didn’t quite understand the new wave of characters or the new businesses that they were creating. They were destined to die out like the dinosaurs they were. The days of open threats and taking people out in public were long gone. The older men were given their due − after all, they had earned it − and the ones with a bit of nous had embraced the new generation. They’d ensured that their sons had been educated so they were well able to join the new world order. If they were not able to keep up, they were just rowed out, simple as that.

Joshie had turned up alone, but he didn’t need an entourage; he liked to do certain deals with the minimum of fuss. He was also aware that showing up alone not only made him look good, but it also conveyed the message to the people involved that he trusted them enough to not feel the need for any kind of backup. The fact that he had a car with his own people outside was neither here nor there − his arriving at the actual meeting alone was enough. He wasn’t a fool; he knew that his cousins in Jamaica and Brixton would guarantee his safety. But it looked good and it was part of his reputation now.

As he walked into the main office, he smiled easily. He was a powerful-looking man − big and fit as a butcher’s dog. But then, so were the four O’Hara brothers − even the short red-haired one who it was rumoured was also a follower of Dorothy.

Aiden smiled widely and held out his hand. As they shook, Joshie noticed that Patsy, who he had always really liked, was pouring him a glass of Cockspur rum. It was the little things that really mattered sometimes. He took the glass and sipped his drink slowly; they had all the time in the world.

The offices were everything he expected them to be, from the black leather sofas to the huge antique desk that Aiden O’Hara was leaning against so nonchalantly. The windows faced the road and he could see the traffic and the pedestrians as they went about their busy little lives.

Joshie D sat on the sofa opposite Aiden and, grinning, he sipped his drink and said amiably, ‘My cousin Marvin, as you know, can provide as much product as you require from our connections in Colombia. The coke is pure − believe me, it can be cut as many times as necessary. It’s not the usual shit. It’s in keys as always, but it will be delivered in bulk and, once it arrives in the UK, it’s up to us to move the product wherever it’s required, OK? That is Marvin’s only stipulation. When it gets here it will be lodged in one of his safe houses. He will take the responsibility of delivering to the UK as part of his end. But, the truth is, he knows that the majority of gear gets captured because the people involved don’t do their homework. The Filth are on it from the off and that’s because too many people are involved. There is one thing that we all know: the main trouble with the UK is the same people are involved over and over again, and everyone knows who they are, including the Filth. So Marvin has set up a network of people and places to ensure that not just his product, but also his partners and the people who work for him, are protected. That means that he will bring the product into the UK and will make sure it is delivered to a safe haven before you have anything to do with it. He has seen the abortions that certain people have caused over the years − we all know what I am talking about, don’t we?’

Aiden and Patsy were smiling; they knew exactly what he was referring to. The biggest worry was getting the stuff from its initial point of contact − whether that was the docks or from a private airfield or from a fucking lorry driver. The more people were involved, the harder it was to keep things on the down-low.

‘That sounds perfectly logical to me, Joshie. For my end the money is in place and, once we know where the product can be accessed, we will guarantee that it will be removed with the minimum of fuss.’

Joshie D held his glass out for a refill. ‘I know that, Aiden, it is what I have guaranteed Marvin. He is OG you know − he’s been in this game for years. Not just here but the USA too. You will get on well with him, he is a straight arrow. But − and please don’t take this the wrong way, Aiden − he is what Jamaicans call a “bad man”. A bad man in Jamaica is completely different to a bad man here. It’s a different world in the Caribbean.’

Aiden nodded his agreement even though he thought it was a load of old fanny.

He knew and respected a lot of the Jamaicans, but he wondered how long they would last in London. Kingston was like a village in comparison, but he knew better than to say that. He wanted Joshie to feel that he trusted him, because he did. Plus, it was Joshie who he would be dealing with on a regular basis anyway and it never hurt to encourage good relations − Jade always preached that. He wondered briefly where she could have got to.

‘That is much appreciated, Aiden. By the way, how is Eric Palmer? I hear he’s not well.’

Aiden and Patsy deliberately didn’t make eye contact. ‘Oh, he’s all right. Hard old fucker, he is. I think we will have to shoot him!’

They all laughed.

‘Good to hear, Aiden. He is a nice old boy.’

Aiden overlooked the smugness in Joshie’s voice; he knew that old-timers like Eric were seen as also-rans and as old-style Moustache Petes. But, the truth was, Eric was still on board for all his pretence at retiring. And, in honesty, Aiden was glad of that because Eric Palmer had never once steered him wrong.

‘Where is Colin Clark? I assumed he would be here.’

‘Oh, don’t you worry, you will see him soon enough. Let’s just say I wanted to deal with this by myself. This is entirely my deal. Colin will only be involved when I begin moving the product to its final destinations.’

Aiden saw the pleasure on Joshie’s face and knew that he had boxed clever.

Colin Clark was his mate, but it suited Aiden that Colin didn’t feel comfortable around Joshie D because he could do what he wanted without having to explain himself. Colin Clark had made his opinion of Joshie perfectly clear, and Aiden had never once tried to contradict him. That was his fucking look-out, and it worked for everyone concerned, especially for Aiden, and that was all that really interested him.

Chapter Eighty

Jade was waiting for Aiden at the club on Charing Cross Road, in the small office she kept on the top floor of the building. She had had to talk him into purchasing this whole building; he had not wanted to at the time, but now he could see the sense in her reasoning. She lay back in the chair and relaxed her body. She had poured herself a rare Jack Daniel’s and Diet Coke − she needed a serious drink before she saw Aiden.

She glanced at the CCTV and saw that the club was filling up quickly. She noticed Aiden’s latest squeeze − a tall, blonde girl with natural breasts and long slim legs. The girl was pretty rather than beautiful, but she had something about her. She actually seemed nice − she wasn’t pushing herself forward. In fact, Jade felt sorry for her. She just hung around hoping that Aiden would turn up and notice her. It was depressing really.

She saw Aiden and his brothers as they came through the doors downstairs and she braced herself for what she knew she had to do. She waited patiently for him to come upstairs, and she felt a small sense of triumph as she saw Aiden walk past the pretty blonde without a second glance. She also saw the tragic look on the girl’s face and she could not help feeling a moment’s sorrow for her. Not because Aiden had blanked her, but because she didn’t get that she was worth so much more than him.

As the boys came into the room, Jade was smiling, as always; none of them would ever know what she really thought.

‘Sorry, Aiden, I got completely held up at your mum’s. Big drama. You all know the score, guys. Anyway it’s done. How did the meeting with Joshie go?’

Aiden shrugged. ‘Perfect.’

Jade smiled and Aiden felt the pull of her. She was beautiful, and he never once forgot that. As big a fucker as he could be, he knew that he would never love anyone like he did Jade.

‘No Colin?’ She said it very gently, but with a sarcasm that wasn’t lost on any of the men in the room.

Aiden opened his arms out as if in wonderment and said seriously, ‘No. No Colin. Why?’

Jade took a deep gulp of her drink before saying, ‘Agnes is pregnant, Aiden, and it seems that Colin is the fucking culprit.’

All four of the brothers seemed to suddenly stand to attention; they were looking at her as if she had just stabbed a new-born baby to death, they were that shocked at her words.

‘Our Agnes is pregnant?’

She looked at Eugene and nodded her head. Aiden was looking at her as if he had never seen her before; his whole demeanour was that of a man unable to comprehend what he was hearing.

‘It’s been going on for quite a while and, according to Agnes, they are in love, and getting married.’

Jade was watching Aiden and she was getting more and more frightened by the minute.

‘That snidey bastard! Sniffing round her and none of us had a clue!’ Porrick was red-faced once again, and his words seemed to spur the others into action.

‘He is fucking dead! Never once did he ever ask to take her out on a date…’ Eugene, like Porrick, was incensed with the sheer enormity of what they had been told.

Patsy was watching Aiden. He knew that, whatever happened, he could not let Aiden loose without good cause. Aiden looked at Jade, and she could see the anger and the disappointment in his eyes. Agnes was his baby sister. He adored her because she was everything that he classed as good. She was a good girl, a good Catholic. She was the one female he’d believed was without stain.

Jade stood up and, going to Aiden, she held his hands in hers. Looking to Patsy for help, she said quietly, ‘She’s adamant she loves him, and that he loves her, Aiden.’

All the boys were looking at Aiden, waiting for him to decide what they were supposed to do.

‘I understand that you might be angry with them but, in all honesty, Aiden, you wouldn’t have given them your blessing, would you? Agnes isn’t a little girl any more, she is a grown woman. And I tell you now, she will fight for him, Aiden. I saw that myself tonight.’

Aiden was nodding his head in agreement, but they could see that he was trying his hardest to keep his temper.

‘Think about it, Aiden. You and Colin are good mates. He knew that you wouldn’t have countenanced him taking Aggs out. But, in fairness to him, he wants to marry her. He loves her and she loves him. And, whatever you lot might think, she is of an age to do what the fuck she likes. She doesn’t need anyone’s fucking permission. She can marry him if that is what she wants.’

Porrick pushed her away from his brother shouting, ‘He fucking snuck around her under our fucking noses! He knew what he was doing, Jade. He knew that it was out of fucking order, otherwise he would have courted her fair and square.’

Jade sighed heavily, aware that she needed to calm everyone down, especially Aiden. ‘Oh, really?Grow up, Porrick. So, you think if he had asked to take Agnes out, you lot would have been amenable? Agnes couldn’t go out with anyone! You lot made sure of that. Well, I’m sorry, but even though this was done underhanded, let’s be honest – it’s not like she had any fucking choice, is it? No more than Colin Clark did. On the upside, the marriage can only be a good thing.’

Aiden breathed in deeply, and he held the breath inside him for a long moment. Then he exhaled it slowly. They knew he was attempting to calm himself down, that he was trying to make sense of what Jade was saying to him.

‘Listen, Aiden. If you kick off, Agnes will go to him without a backward glance. They have made a child. And you know how powerful that can be.’

Aiden looked into her eyes and she could see him struggling to keep a lid on his emotions. Eventually he said calmly, ‘You are right, darling. These things happen.’

Patsy was looking at his two younger brothers with a warning that they were both aware of. Aiden was like a man demented inside, but he knew that Jade was right. He needed to box clever. He needed to calm down.

Chapter Eighty-One

Colin Clark was worried, but he was convinced that he could talk Aiden round. He had not intended to get Agnes pregnant − he had taken the necessary precautions. But he knew that he had no choice but to do the right thing. He wasn’t about to tell Aiden O’Hara or his brothers that he was not going to stand by their little sister. He wasn’t on a fucking death wish.

In all honesty, it wasn’t going to be that much of a hardship. Agnes was a beautiful-looking girl, and she was a good girl − that had been the attraction, coupled with the knowledge that she was Aiden’s little sister. She was the real forbidden fruit, and he had not been able to resist the temptation. It wasn’t like she had been an easy nut to crack either. She was a decent girl − something that was hard to find in these times when girls could basically live like a man and often fucking did.

Now, as he sat with his brother, Timmy, he understood the enormity of what he had actually done. He had never envisioned anything like this in a million years. Fucking hell, the days of unplanned pregnancies were well and truly over, or so he had believed, anyway. Now he was like a fucking teenager caught with his cock out, and he didn’t like this feeling one bit.

‘You have pulled some fucking stunts in your time, Colin, but this one takes the fucking biscuit. You have no choice but to marry that girl, and do you know what? I feel sorry for her, because she is worth fifty of you.’

Colin didn’t answer because his brother was right. He didn’t deserve Agnes, and Christ Himself knew she did not deserve to be tied to him. It would be a church do − a big Catholic marriage, he imagined. They all went to Mass, even fucking Aiden. They were practising Catholics; that didn’t mean anything to him, but Agnes would take it as seriously as she took everything else in her religion. All he could do now was make the best of a bad situation. The one good thing was that he did genuinely care about Agnes.

She’d been a virgin and he had taken his time to romance her but it had been more than worth the time and effort required of him. He had really pursued her, and he had done it with a vengeance − there was no way he wasn’t going to bust her cherry. Making sure that her brothers wouldn’t find out had only added to the excitement. They had sneaked around like fucking criminals, as Agnes had said on more than one occasion, to which he had answered, ‘Well, I am a criminal’ and they had both laughed. That had been the key − eventually he had laughed her into bed, along with a few wines. Just to relax her, of course. A bonus was that she had really liked it from the off. Sex with her was a revelation. She had taken to it immediately. Her mother’s daughter, he supposed. Everyone knew that Reeva was a connoisseur of the one-eyed snake! But he couldn’t deny Agnes had really gotten under his skin, something that he had not expected.

‘Come on, get your arse in gear. I told Aiden and his brothers that we would meet them at Reeva’s.’

Colin Clark followed Timmy without a word. True, he had really fucked up, but if he used his loaf he could smooth this over. The one thing that he kept reminding himself was, once he married Agnes, he would be related to Aiden. They were close friends, but this situation could really drive a wedge between them unless he could convince Aiden that this was actually a good thing.

He needed to make this work because his friendship with Aiden had given him a new life − he had actually enjoyed the relationship between the two of them more than he could ever have believed. He really did care about him.

Nevertheless Aiden scared him too. As mad as he could be − and he could really lose the plot − Aiden O’Hara was far ahead of him, mainly because Aiden didn’t even know how fucking crazy he really was. That had been a learning curve for Colin. He had always planned his next move with care and worked out just how he could create another little bit of his public persona so that people remembered him. Aiden, on the other hand, took no such care. There was no thought beforehand, no planning to make the big impression; Aiden just did whatever he wanted without fear or favour. Colin had learned to respect him for that over the years.

Now, because he had not been able to resist Agnes, everything was in jeopardy. Timmy Clark drove them to Reeva’s house with hate in his heart. Not for the O’Haras but for his own brother, who should have known better. Who should have thought about what he was doing, and how his stupidity was going to impact on the life they had worked so hard to achieve.

Chapter Eighty-Two

Reeva had cooked all morning − a nice beef casserole with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. She knew that there were going to be upsets; she had been there, fucking done that. The trouble with girls like her Agnes was that no one ever expected them to get in trouble, and when they did, it hit everybody concerned like a sack of shit.

She watched her boys as they waited for the Clarks to arrive. It amused her that her Porrick, her youngest son and the runt of the litter, really, was more annoyed about his sister’s predicament than anyone. He was such a strange lad because, as short as he was, he had something inside him that transcended size or bulk; he was what Aiden always called a ‘pocket rocket’. Porrick had a strength inside him that was far more dangerous than the others put together, including Aiden. Not that any of them had realised that, although she had known from when he was a baby. His father had been the same − ‘little man syndrome’ she called it. Porrick had something inside him that was frightening in its intensity. Like Aiden, he didn’t possess a cut-off switch, but unlike Aiden, her youngest son didn’t have the sense to use his anger for his own good. Porrick had never learned how to harness it; that was why the others gave him a wide berth at times like these.

Agnes was waiting patiently for Colin and his brother to arrive. She wanted this out in the open and sorted as soon as possible. There was a steeliness in her daughter that Reeva had never appreciated before. Looking at her now, with her thick black hair tumbling down her back, and her blue eyes, framed by thick lashes, she looked her usual demure self. But she was different − she was alive now. She had always been such a Holy Joe and here she was − her mother’s daughter in more ways than one. Agnes was willing to fight for what she wanted and Reeva had a feeling that she would get it. Reeva was pleased for her girl, because if she ended marrying that fucker Colin she was going to need all the help she could get. He was a lot of things, but Mr Reliable wasn’t one of them.

As she set the table and watched the clock, Reeva hoped that Colin Clark would be good to her daughter. He had grown on her, and she thought that her daughter could look further and fare a lot worse. Colin had money, he was known to the family and he was very easy on the eye. That he would shag anything that took his fancy was a given but, as Aiden would be on the case, she had a good idea he wouldn’t rub her girl’s face in it. Whatever happened this day, one thing was guaranteed − the child would be a beauty; they were a good-looking pair.

Jade and Aiden walked into the kitchen and Jade smiled at her nervously. Reeva knew that Aiden had to be watched, no one knew how he was going to react. That was the only worry, really − the boys’ reactions.

‘Something smells good, Reeva.’

Reeva gave one of her loud laughs. ‘All my food smells good, Jade. I have a knack for cooking. It is the only thing I was ever good at. My mother can burn water as we all know. But, me, I can take the cheapest cut of meat and deliver a fucking feast!’

Aiden rolled his eyes in annoyance as he said without humour, ‘Fuck me, Mum. Talk about “I love me, who do you fucking love”!’

It was the way he spoke to Reeva that set her off; he was being so disrespectful towards her. She knew he was upset and she understood that, but he was not going to talk to her like that and take his anger out on her. She had given birth to that lairy fucker, and she was not going to let him get away with it.

She turned on him, shouting angrily, ‘Who do you think you are talking to? Eh? For all my faults, real and imagined, I fed you lot better than any of your fucking mates’ mothers. So don’t you ever forget that, Aiden. I brought you all up as best I could without a pot to piss in most of the time, and without any other fucker’s help.’

That Reeva was genuinely offended was apparent, and even Aiden was shocked at the way she had retaliated.

‘You know your trouble, Aiden? You forget how fucking hard it was for me with you lot. But I soldiered on, and I did my best! I was fourteen when I had you, mister. I was a child myself, remember. I never regretted any of you.’

Aiden could see how upset his mother was, and he did feel bad for what he had said.

Tony came into the kitchen then and, grabbing Reeva around the waist, he kissed her on her lips, saying calmly, ‘Listen, woman, no fucking arguments today. Come on, darling, let’s make this a good day, yeah? This is about building bridges, remember. This is about trying to make some good come out of this situation.’

Reeva pushed him away, but she shut up and that was what really mattered. Tony Brown meant what he said and Aiden wondered at a man who had stayed with Reeva for so long, knowing that she was a fucking walking nightmare. But that was Tony. He had always been there for them, especially for Reeva, no matter what she had done. Tony had somehow sorted it as best he could and Aiden admired him for that. He had stayed around longer than any of the men in Reeva’s life and he had also always treated them well. Tony was one of the good guys, and his mother should really be reminded of that occasionally. Reeva was a lot of things but she wasn’t what could be regarded as an easy woman. That Tony had stood by her for so long was something that Aiden could not help but admire. And, of course, without Tony Brown he would never have been given the chance with Eric Palmer. Aiden would never forget that, even though he knew that Tony didn’t expect anything from him. That was Tony Brown’s nature, and Aiden would always look after him. The mad thing was that Aiden knew that Tony didn’t expect anything from him; he wasn’t a man who expected payment for his actions. He had been over the moon for Aiden and his success with Eric Palmer. There had never been a hidden agenda.

Jade stepped in, trying to defuse the situation between Reeva and Aiden. They were far too alike.

‘Come on, Reeva, get Aiden Junior down here. You are the only person who can get him off the computer.’

Reeva knew when she was being humoured but she chose to ignore that fact today. So, smiling cheerily and sarcastically at her eldest son, she left the kitchen. Tony followed her, smiling his usual apologetic smile.

Jade sighed before saying seriously, ‘The Clark brothers will be here in a minute. Are you going to be able to contain yourself, Aiden?’

Aiden shrugged. He was not a happy man, and that was to be expected as far as he was concerned. His friend, his good friend, who he had taken into his everyday life, who he had really liked, had fucked his little sister on the quiet. No one had ever made a cunt of him so spectacularly − no one else had ever dared. Now he was expected to swallow the insult, not just to him as a man but to his sister who he suspected had been seen as nothing more than a conquest by the man she was so in love with. Aiden had to box clever. But this was a complete piss-take, a personal insult. There was no way he could ever swallow something so heinous, especially when it involved his sister. But he would play the game tonight, there was nothing else he could do until the time to pay back the insult presented itself.

‘Of courseI will, Jade. As you keep reminding me, there is a child involved. He will marry her, and we will all forget the circumstances once the baby arrives. Except I will never forget that he went after my baby sister behind my fucking back. You and I both know that if she had not got pregnant that bastard would have never let on what he had done. He would have laughed up his fucking sleeve at me and I would never have been any the wiser. Really not impressed, OK?’

Jade couldn’t argue because she knew he was telling the truth, but she had to try and calm down the situation, for all their sakes.

‘That aside, he has stepped up, Aiden. She is mad about him, and he loves her. These things happen. Like you would have been encouraging him if you had known! You know that you wouldn’t have let him near her!’

Aiden looked at Jade as if he could cheerfully punch her. ‘No, you’re right. I would have told him to keep as far away from her as possible because he is a romancer, a piece of shit. He loves the girls and he leaves them.’

Jade grinned sarcastically. ‘Remind you of anyone, does it, you fucking hypocrite?’

Just then there was a knock on the front door and, shaking her head in disgust, Jade walked out of the kitchen with Aiden following behind her. But she knew that her barb had hit home.

Chapter Eighty-Three

As Agnes sat beside Colin, she felt as if everything she had been dreaming of had come true − which it had, of course. Agnes O’Hara was getting exactly what she wanted. Aiden had been magnanimous. He had not lost his temper nor caused any kind of upset. Instead, he had been the epitome of common sense.

He had welcomed Colin to the family, had said that he was looking forward to the wedding. They had then all sat down to dinner and it had been almost a jolly affair. Eugene and Patsy had done their best at making it seem like it was just a normal night. Porrick, as she had expected, had behaved like the arse he was, acting like she should be shot at dawn, and Colin should be just shot. Murdered, removed from his sight. Porrick had taken it worse than any of her brothers. Like she cared what he thought!

Her mum, God love her, and Jade, had been marvellous, talking about the wedding and what she would wear, asking her what kind of flowers she wanted. They had made it seem almost normal. Jade proposed taking her to get a dress made and, after a while, everyone had seemed to get into the swing of things and it had actually been quite nice. Timmy had been wonderful; he had made a fuss of her and acted like he had known this was going to happen all along.

It had been a very stressful day for her, wondering what would happen, especially where Aiden was concerned. She understood how he felt. She knew that Colin and Aiden were such good friends and that Colin’s behaviour could not be overlooked. It was her job to make Aiden see that they were meant to be together, that they were a perfect match. She knew that Aiden would never have allowed them to be together. Colin had explained that to her – as though she needed him to tell her anything about her brother! If it was left to him she would never have had a boyfriend. Between Aiden and Porrick she would have never had any kind of real life; they would have happily seen her alone for the rest of her days, going to Mass, looking after Aiden Junior, no man in her life. That was what the real problem was: her having sex with someone. Aiden had seen her as the eternal virgin, his baby sister who he loved but who he saw as without stain. The fact that she was so religious had really pleased her brother Aiden, because he could not bear to think of her as anything other than pure.

She was a different girl these days. She had been taken repeatedly by a man, a real man who had made sure that she had enjoyed it as much as he had. She was a different girl because of his treatment of her. It was unfortunate that Colin Clark had been the man who had pursued her and who she had fallen in love with, because Aiden was always going to see it as a direct attack on him personally. Aiden couldn’t accept that anyone could ever do anything without his permission or his blessing. Now, thanks to Colin Clark, she had the courage to fight for what she wanted and not just do what everyone expected of her.

Taking a deep breath, she smiled at everyone around the table as she said lightly, ‘I am so happy that we are all here tonight. Colin and I didn’t plan for this to happen, we couldn’t help it.’ She leaned across her eldest brother’s lap and grabbed Colin’s hand in hers tightly. ‘I know you are disappointed in me, that I got pregnant. But I have never been happier than I am at this moment. Sharing my good fortune with the people I love more than anyone else in the world is just the icing on the cake.’

Colin got up then and, stationing himself behind her chair, he hugged her to him tightly and, kissing the top of her head tenderly, he said truthfully, ‘Agnes, sweetheart, I can’t tell you how happy you make me, darling.’

Looking at the two of them together, his sister, Agnes, so small and dainty and so fucking young, and Colin Clark so big and fucking heavy in comparison, did not endear either of them to Aiden or to Porrick for that matter. Even Aiden had been shocked at how deeply affected his little brother was about their sister’s predicament. It pleased him that Porrick couldn’t really see any kind of benefit from Colin Clark marrying their sister. Like himself, Porrick thought it was a fucking diabolical liberty − that Colin Clark slipping his little sister a secret portion on a regular basis was actually a fucking insult. It was not something that they should be congratulating him for. Colin Clark had snuck around behind their backs. He had broken bread with them at the table, while knowing that he was basically tipping them all bollocks. He was laughing at them because he had fucking had them over.

Agnes was as green as the fucking grass, she was a fucking innocent. Colin Clark, in contrast, knew exactly what he was about and therein lay the problem. He had done the one thing that Aiden would never be able to forgive: Colin Clark had used his baby sister and, no matter how they tried to dress it up, he would not have married her if she was not Aiden’s flesh and blood. If they had not been such great friends, it would have been a completely different scenario. If it had been a young lad Aiden could have handled it. But a thirty-odd-year-old man, who everyone knew chased strange on a regular basis and bragged about his conquests, didn’t sit well with Aiden.

Aiden himself had witnessed on more than one occasion Colin talk a bird out of her drawers and then brag about it afterwards, making them all laugh at his antics. His sister was worth much more, by Christ. But here he was, expected to swallow his knob and pretend that he was happy about the union that would bring the two families together. Well, that was not something he would ever be even remotely in favour of.

He would smile − and he would bide his time. And he would pray to the Good Lord above that he could somehow, eventually, get over these feelings of anger and dismay. But Colin Clark had stepped over a line and everyone, including the Clark brothers themselves, was more than aware of that fact. What really pissed him off was that he had really liked Colin Clark. He had finally found a kindred spirit, someone he could laugh and joke with, someone he felt a connection with. Somebody who wasn’t a fucking blood relative but who he had really taken into his circle. Someone that he had really enjoyed working with, and who he had given his complete trust to. Someone who had eventually taken him for a complete cunt without one second thought and that was what really rankled.

Timmy Clark knew that Colin had to really up his game if he wanted to salvage his relationship with Aiden. The strange thing was, he could see Aiden O’Hara’s point. But, unlike Aiden, he had always known that Colin could never be trusted completely; he was not capable of fidelity to anyone. Like Aiden, he didn’t have any real conscience when it came to looking after number one.

Patsy and Timmy made eye contact across the table, and both of them were more than aware of how difficult the next few months were going to be.

Agnes, though, didn’t care about anything. She wanted Colin Clark. She needed Colin Clark − he was now the be-all and end-all of her existence.

Chapter Eighty-Four

Joshie D was looking good, but that was to be expected. He prided himself on his look. He worked hard on it, and he spent a lot of money ensuring he had what he believed gave him the edge. Some of his outfits had been a cause for concern in the past but, given his reputation as a man who swung both ways, he had actually been allowed quite a lot of slack. He had his creds and that went a long way in this world.

While no one was relishing the atmosphere between Aiden and Colin, Joshie D had no knowledge of any bad blood between them. Nor would he find out − Eric Palmer had been clear on that. Though everyone involved in the coke deal knew that Aiden was the main man, the assumption had always been that Colin would be the distributor; that was what he had always done, and that was what he was expected to do here. He did his job well, and that was all anyone cared about outside the family. The real measure of a man was whether he could deliver. If he could then that was what counted. It was one of the perks of being in the criminal world – you could be the biggest cunt walking but, as long as you could provide what was required by the people you were dealing with, you would be tolerated, kept in the loop.

Joshie relaxed with a large Scotch. He looked around him at the luxurious offices and gave himself a mental pat on the back. He was expecting great things from this alliance.

Eric Palmer sat in his chair and watched over the proceedings with his usual aplomb. He had deliberately decided not to go to Reeva’s house for dinner, knowing instinctively that the best thing was to let Aiden and Colin sort it out between them. He had no interest in this kind of stupidity. He wouldn’t offer an opinion unless asked, and he knew Aiden well enough to realise that he wouldn’t ask unless he was desperate. He trusted Jade to smooth everything over although, if he was to be brutally honest, he didn’t imagine that Aiden would ever exactly forgive and forget − it wasn’t in his nature. He couldn’t let things go, and that was why he had fucked up in the past. Aiden had a great mind − no one better − but he let his emotions dictate his actions. Never a good idea when you were working for someone else. Now, as they sat there in the expensively decorated offices − all chrome and leather − waiting for Aiden to arrive, Eric found he was hoping that his blue-eyed boy had not lost the plot. Because this deal was worth more money than any of them could ever imagine.

Chapter Eighty-Five

‘Come on, guys, let’s get this show on the fucking road!’

Aiden was laughing and joking but it wasn’t natural, as everyone could tell. It was forced and it was almost challenging. He’d drunk a few glasses of wine with his dinner, and it was starting to show.

As Colin kissed Agnes goodbye, he made a point of not making it too obvious. He had hugged her quickly and kissed her lightly on the lips.

Outside the house they had all stood there embarrassed until Patsy had said loudly, ‘Are we going to this fucking meeting or not?’

Colin had got into his car quickly, glad to be getting away from the whole O’Hara family for a while. His nerves were shot although it had gone much better than he could have hoped, considering the circumstances.

But then Aiden jumped into the passenger seat. Smiling nastily, he said, ‘I thought me and you could have a little chat, Colin. I think you owe me that much, don’t you?’

Porrick climbed into the back seat with Eugene and, as they pulled away, Patsy and Timmy looked at each other in despair.

‘It looks like it’s just us then, Timmy.’

The sarcasm wasn’t lost on either of them.

Jade got into the driving seat and, as she started the car up, she waited until both men were seated before she said quietly, ‘Whatever you both might think, he would not do anything to hurt Agnes until after the child arrives. So that gives us a good few months to sort this out.’

Timmy and Patsy didn’t bother to answer her; it was going to be a battle, they knew that much.

Chapter Eighty-Six

Reeva was washing up, and chatting away to her daughter as if there was nothing amiss.

‘I think it went better than expected, Aggs.’

Agnes was clearing the table, stacking the crockery and bringing it through to the sink.

As Reeva loaded everything carefully into the dishwasher she said through a yawn, ‘Put the kettle on, girl, I need a cup of tea.’

Agnes did as she was asked and listened as her mother told Aiden Junior that he could have one more hour on his computer game before he had to have a bath and get his nightclothes on. When her mother finally came back into the kitchen, the dishwasher was on, and she had made a pot of tea. Reeva sat at the table and lit a cigarette, drawing the smoke into her lungs deeply and savouring the moment. Tony was rolling a joint and, when he had finished, Reeva took it from him and motioned for him to leave her alone with her daughter. He smiled easily and, as he left the room, he shut the door behind him.

Agnes poured the tea and, as she placed the cup and saucer in front of her mum, she said sadly, ‘Aiden is bad enough, Mum, and I do get why he is upset. But Porrick! Who does he think he is?’

Reeva sipped her tea; it was perfect. Her Agnes was always the tea queen. She made everybody’s tea just how they liked it − that was a big part of her daughter’s nature. Remembering things, like who took one sugar and who liked ginger biscuits and who might prefer their toast heavily buttered. Her Agnes would be bothered enough to care about such trivial things. She was a people pleaser. Now she had brought the spotlight on herself over her relationship with Colin Clark and, for the first time ever, she had not done what everyone expected of her. It was a bigger shock than it should have been.

‘Porrick is the nearest to you in age, Aggs. Of course he will feel that he should have looked out for you more, that he should have noticed that something was going on. I mean, be fair, darling − it wasn’t like you and Colin were open and honest, was it? We all thought you were out with the church people as usual. Fuck me, you were always home by eleven, latest. So your brothers are fucking miffed because you had us all over. To be really honest, love, if it had been anyone else I don’t think it would have caused such a stir. But with Colin Clark? Think about it, Agnes. If you didn’t think it would cause any fucking drama why didn’t you tell anyone that you were going out with him?’

Agnes sipped her tea and didn’t say a word. Not that Reeva expected her to; she knew her daughter inside out. Agnes was what Trisha could refer to as a ‘passive aggressive’. Reeva loved the morning talk shows, they really did help explain so much that she had never understood until now. Reeva adored Trisha Goddard, who she saw as an example of everything that was good about society. Until she had started watching her she had never understood herself, let alone the people around her. Clever bollocks Aiden called it ‘pop psychology’, whatever the fuck that meant. But Reeva saw it as an education, and she never missed a programme. It was a whole new world to her, and she embraced it wholeheartedly.

‘Mum, if I had told any of you then it would have been nipped in the bud. And, to be honest, I didn’t want anyone to know. I’m not a child and what I do is my business, surely?’

Reeva puffed on her joint and coughed her head off before saying jokily, ‘I can see where you are coming from, Aggs. But, be fair, it’s not like you have a lot of experience with blokes, is it? Colin Clark isn’t exactly a fucking virgin and, in all seriousness, he isn’t exactly reliable where women are concerned, you know? That will be your brother’s worry. So, try and see it from that point of view. Colin loves them and leaves them. Your brothers wouldn’t want that to happen to you, would they?’

Agnes didn’t rise to the bait. She knew her mum was as always trying to justify her brothers’ behaviour. She didn’t blame her; she did the same thing herself. But trying to insinuate that Colin was only with her because they had been found out rankled. She knew that her mum was trying to warn her that sometimes things were not quite as you believed. But that was her mum’s life, not hers. Agnes believed that Colin loved her and that she had changed him.

‘Well, Mum, we are getting married. So all that is what I suppose you could say was a moot point.’

Reeva smiled sadly because, as much as she liked Colin Clark, she wouldn’t trust him as far as she could throw him. She believed he would look after her daughter, and she believed he loved her in his own way. But she also knew that he would never be completely faithful, and that her daughter was the kind of girl who could never cope with that. But what could she do?

Instead, smiling, she got up and, hugging her daughter to her tightly, she said honestly, ‘I just want you to be happy, darling, that’s all. You’re my baby. My only girl. I want more for you than I ever had.’

Agnes hugged her mum back; she meant well, but she didn’t know Colin like she did. He was everything to her. He was the love of her life, her first, and he would be her last − of that much she was determined.

Chapter Eighty-Seven

Aiden was watching his youngest brother with a mixture of pride and annoyance.

Pride that Porrick was looking out for his sister and annoyance because his brother didn’t have the sense to keep his feelings private. That was something he had tried to instil in them all since day one of their educations: never let anyone outside of the family know what you are really thinking. It was not something he felt he should have even had to mention, but he did, because you never knew how much people were taking in.

Eugene was quiet and that pleased him, though he knew that Eugene was probably as upset as he was. Eugene had a natural reticence that was in his favour. Like himself and Patsy, he kept his own counsel until asked his opinion. Porrick, though, was like a fucking firework and he would go off at the slightest provocation. He could not control his emotions nor his actions and that could cause a lot of trouble.

Colin was nervous but he wasn’t about to back down; he knew that he had to fight for not just himself, but for Agnes as well.

‘Come on then! What have you got to say to me?’

It was bravado but the only way he could survive this was by making sure that these men believed that his attention towards their little sister had been for no other reason than he loved her. He had fallen in love with her in some ways but, truth be told, if she wasn’t Aiden’s sister he would have walked away as usual.

Aiden O’Hara was just watching him quietly; he was not even bothering to answer his question, and that told Colin he needed to work harder at convincing him.

‘What do you want us to say, Colin? You fucked our sister. She is pregnant so now you have no choice but to hold your fucking hand up. After all the secrecy and the fucking clandestine meetings you really want us to believe that your intentions were honourable?’ Eugene laughed, before adding, ‘Hardly fucking Mills and Boon, is it?’

Aiden started to laugh as well. Eugene had hit the proverbial nail right on its proverbial fucking head and so he said as much.

‘Come on, Colin, you can’t pretend that my brother doesn’t have a point. Because he fucking well does, as you well know. You went behind my back, and you took my little sister. You fucked her and now that she is pregnant you are going to marry her. Like that makes everything all right. Well, it doesn’t.’

‘Fuck him, Aiden. Let me sort the fucker out once and for all.’

Porrick was leaning forward in his seat. He was willing to murder Colin and they were all more than aware of that fact – no one more than Colin Clark. This was the make or the break of his life. He could not fight all of Agnes’s brothers. They outnumbered him for a start. He knew that he had stepped over a line. Aiden would never forgive him for his actions and he couldn’t blame him. He had really taken the fucking piss. They had gone out on the pull together and they had enjoyed each other’s company. Now that it had all fallen apart he regretted his actions.

‘Look, Aiden, I will hold my hand up. I was a cunt. But I couldn’t help it. Agnes is a good girl. She is decent and loyal, especially to you lot. She is everything I ever dreamed of in a wife. How many times, Aiden, did I tell you that when I finally settled down it would be with a girl that I knew I could trust one hundred per cent? Who I knew would be beyond reproach? Who had not been out and about in every pub and club, who wasn’t known to anyone but me?’

Aiden listened quietly; he had heard him say all of that and more. And he had understood him, even though his Jade was not exactly in the same league, of course. Everyone knew about her, and it had never bothered him as much as it could have. He had fallen in love with her and her alone. And her past had never been an issue unless he thought someone else was disrespecting her. Then, of course, he would defend her in any way he needed to.

‘I fell for Agnes even though I knew that I shouldn’t, Ade, because she is everything that I ever wanted in a girl. She is my dream. I will look after her and my baby, you know I will, Aiden.’ He turned in his seat and, looking at Porrick, he said sadly, ‘You wonder why I didn’t fucking advertise our relationship? None of you would ever let her have a fucking boyfriend, that was part of the problem. She isn’t a child any more, no matter how much you lot might try to deny that fact. She is well over the age of consent, and she knows what she wants. I never forced her into anything. All I ever did was love her.’

Aiden let Colin say his piece; then he held up his hand in a gesture that told his brothers to keep quiet. They were more than willing to do just that; after all, it was Aiden who would finally decide what was to be done about this situation.

‘So what you are saying, Colin, is, that you and Agnes just fell in love? Our little Agnes, who was considering becoming a nun, who attends Mass twice a day whenever possible, and who was, without sounding crude, a natural virgin. She just fell for you in an instant?’ He looked at his friend with scepticism as he carried on talking. ‘You don’t think that you might have had to, I don’t know, cajole her or talk her into going out with you? You didn’t have to assure her that what you were both doing was OK? That sneaking around behind her family’s back was something that could be seen as perfectly fucking innocent? That together, you two lying and cheating and treating us all as complete and utter cunts was not really a problem? I mean, come on, Colin, tell me. I’m interested. Really, I want to know the truth.’

Colin Clark could understand where Aiden was coming from, but now he was starting to feel offended too. They had pulled up outside the offices for the meet − the meet that was so important, that was going to be the icing on the cake, and was going to bring them all untold riches. He wanted this sorted before they went inside.

Turning to Aiden, Colin said angrily, ‘You fucking hypocrite, Aiden! How many times have we been out on the fucking nest and you have not even thought about Jade? How many times have we shared a pair of tarts, and laughed about it the next day? So, I fell for your little sister − at least I love her. I would never hurt her. I might not be the most faithful man on the fucking planet, but I would never let her know that. Can you say the same, Aiden? You rub it in Jade’s face. You fuck the girls that work for her, you humiliate her, Aiden. So what the fuck does that make you, eh?’

Porrick couldn’t listen any more. Grabbing Colin by the hair, he dragged his head backwards over his seat. ‘Agnes isn’t Jade, Colin. You better remember that – Agnes was never a fucking whore…’

Eugene and Colin were struck dumb by Porrick’s statement. It was like he was on some kind of death wish. Aiden looked at his little brother; he could see that Porrick had regretted his words as soon as he had uttered them. But that wasn’t the point − the fact he had said them was enough for Aiden. Colin Clark kept quiet; he knew that the best thing to do now was to keep as low a profile as possible.

Eugene was the first to move and he simply opened the car door, saying, ‘Come on, we are late enough as it is. Eric Palmer won’t be too thrilled if we keep him waiting any longer.’

But the damage had already been done.

Chapter Eighty-Eight

Joshie D was a breath of fresh air after the car journey and they were thankful to give him their full attention. The meet was intended to seal the terms of the deal – on Aiden’s terms, of course. Joshie thought that his connections were all he needed and that pleased Aiden. It just meant that he could negotiate without too much fucking hassle. There was nothing he loved more than a flash cunt on his first real foray into the world of bastardy. So he sat there with everyone else and listened respectfully to Joshie D as he repeated what he had learned off by heart.

Eric Palmer was watching Aiden warily. After all these years he was more than aware of the man’s moods and it had been obvious since he had walked through the door that he was not in a good one. Jade looked nervous too, which didn’t help put his mind at ease. Eric Palmer was not happy; he didn’t ask for much, but the one thing he insisted on was that the people who worked for him acted like professionals.

Aiden smiled pleasantly at Joshie and made him feel important − that was something that the Joshies of the world needed.

‘I think that we can accommodate you, Joshie. It’s a wonderful deal. But the one thing I will insist on is meeting the people you are dealing with, face to face.’

Everyone in the room knew that this was the one thing Joshie had not allowed for, and that was exactly why Aiden had requested it.

‘I am willing to travel to Jamaica − wherever. After all, I have more than a few contacts out there, as I am sure you know. But I never deal with people I haven’t met. That’s the bottom line, Joshie: either they come to deal directly with me, or I travel out to see them. The former would suit me better, of course.’

Joshie D sensed that there was something going on here. And he was sensible enough to know that he should not try and get involved in any kind of dialogue. This was, after all, Aiden O’Hara, and he was not a man to suffer fools gladly. Instead of taking umbrage at Aiden’s words, he said quite amicably, ‘If that’s what you want I am sure it can be arranged.’

Aiden grinned. ‘You are agreed, Eric, I’m sure?’ He didn’t wait for Eric’s answer. Instead, he turned his full attention once more to Joshie D saying, ‘It’s nothing personal, mate. I am sure you understand that.’ Then, looking at Colin, he said innocently, ‘The thing is, you have to know the people you are dealing with on a first-hand basis. After all, the one thing that we need is to be able to trust one another. Without trust, it’s all a waste of fucking time.’

Joshie had no choice but to agree. When he left a little while later, they sat quietly waiting for the bomb to drop. They didn’t have long to wait.

As soon as Joshie had been driven away, Eric Palmer looked around him at everyone in the room and shouted, ‘What the fuck was all that about?’

Aiden went to the bar and, pouring himself a large Scotch, he turned to Eric Palmer. Shaking his head slowly, he looked at the man he had adored for years before bellowing, ‘Are you fucking retiring or not? Only, if I remember rightly, Eric, you were supposed to be taking a back seat. I want to make sure that the people we are dealing with are on the up and up. That was something you taught me many years ago, Eric. You explained to me in graphic detail the folly of dealing with people you didn’t actually know. If you couldn’t put a face to a name you were a cunt, apparently. I mean, call me old-fashioned, Eric, but I am only doing what you told me years ago when you introduced me into this fucking life. Now suddenly it is OK to deal with people we have never clapped fucking eyes on. Is that what you are telling me?’

Eric Palmer was so angry he couldn’t even talk. In all his days he had never been spoken to so disrespectfully, and he had never dreamed that Aiden, of all people, would have been the first one.

Aiden regretted his words as soon as he had said them, and he knew that he had to make amends as quickly as possible. Eric Palmer had always been good to him, and Eric Palmer deserved much more than he had ever given him.

Jade got up and started to clear the room, and Aiden knew that she was doing the right thing. He had been bang out of order in more ways than one, but he wanted to make amends in front of everyone who was there.

‘Hang on, everyone. Before you go, I have something to say.’

They all stopped and looked at him in embarrassment; he wished that he had never allowed his anger to get the better of him. He wasn’t even angry with Eric − it was Colin that he wanted to go for.

‘I can’t apologise enough, Eric. That was completely out of order. I am ashamed of myself. I know that there was no reason on earth for me to be so rude to you. I can only stand here and beg your forgiveness. The only explanation I can give you is it hasn’t been a great day.’

His brothers were looking at him in amazement. Aiden admitting he was wrong was something none of them had ever seen before. They all knew that Aiden’s personality did not allow for him to ever be seen as anything other than perfect.

Colin Clark sat quietly and watched everyone leave the room, knowing that Aiden expected him to leave with them. His brother, Timmy, had tried to catch his eye and, when he had not managed, he had sat back down beside him. Colin would always love him for his loyalty.

When Jade had escorted the others outside, and warned them to keep quiet, she pointed out that this was a really important deal and they needed to remember that.

She slipped back into the office. Like everyone else she was worried about Aiden and how he was going to react to the day’s events. She was sick of having to always placate him, and be the sensible one. It was always left to her to sort out his messes – even the ones he got into himself with his girls on the side. As soon as the aggravation started, Jade stepped in and made sure that they disappeared from his orbit. Because, if it was left to Aiden, those girls would disappear off the face of the earth for ever. He was a fucking nutcase, she knew that. But he was her nutcase and she would defend him to the death.

Jade poured herself a stiff drink and, as she sipped it, she looked around her at these men who were held in such high esteem in the criminal world. Men who she knew, without her, would have sunk without trace a long time ago.

‘Fuck me, isn’t anyone going to speak? I mean, forgive me if I am out of order − not that I actually give a flying fuck − but are we going to address the elephant in the room or not? Only, personally, I am sick to death of you lot.’

They all looked at her wordlessly.

‘Eric, I’m sorry, but in a way you asked for that tonight. You know and I know that the situation between Aiden and Colin is not exactly ideal. Colin has been sneaking around with Agnes, who is not exactly a fucking teenager, is she?’ Jade finished her drink and, as she poured another, she carried on talking. ‘Colin Clark is going to be your brother-in-law, Aiden, and I’m sure that will not curtail your evenings out together in any way. As for you, Timmy, I understand that you are shocked and outraged that your brother has got his mate’s sister pregnant. But it could have been worse − he could have given her a fucking dose. What I am more annoyed about is you all put your personal feelings above the earn. And, like Eric, I find that very suspect. So my advice to you pair is to fucking grow up.’

Aiden was as aware as the other men that no one else could have said that to him and lived to tell the fucking tale. From any other person there would have been fucking ambulances arriving. That was what he had always loved about Jade: she had never sugar-coated anything − she just said it as she saw it.

Eric Palmer was still upset, and he voiced that anger. ‘Jade is absolutely spot on, as usual. This is the last time any of you ever bring your personal problems into my businesses. The one thing you need to remember is that I can drop any of you if I decide that is what needs to be done. I might be on the edge of retirement, but I have not gone yet. And don’t any of you lot forget that.’

Aiden and Colin were both aware that Eric Palmer was talking crap; he was well out of the game. Without Aiden and Jade he didn’t have a fucking say in anything any more. Oh, he still had his creds − Jade made sure of that, as she always had done.

But it was a completely different world now. Not that any of them would ever have pointed that out, of course. Eric could still see a good earn when he was offered one. What Eric Palmer didn’t have any more was the physical presence that was so important in this day and age. He was one of the old guard; he had known the Krays and the Richardsons. Eric had the stories and, more importantly, he had the life experience that was always something to be respected in the world he inhabited. But, at the end of the day, Eric was an old man. The people that they were dealing with were young and brash. In the drug-dealing world, many of their suppliers were lucky to get past thirty. It was a different world in more ways than Eric Palmer and his cronies could ever imagine.

Aiden didn’t ever not give Eric his due. He was still a man to be reckoned with, Aiden would always ensure that. No one would ever be allowed to treat him like a fool. But the bottom line would always be that, for all of Eric’s hands-on approach to his new businesses, and for all his big investments, he was still an old Moustache Pete. And, these days, without Aiden O’Hara and his brothers, Eric Palmer would not be taken as seriously as he was.

Aiden shrugged nonchalantly. ‘What can I say, Eric? I can only hold my hands up, mate. You are right. I have been completely out of order.’

Colin Clark took his cue and, like Aiden, he stood up and apologised profusely. ‘Eric, I knew I did a wrong one. Like Aiden, I can only hold my hands up. But all I can say in my favour is that I love Agnes. And I am heart sorry it had to come on top today of all days.’

Timmy Clark watched cynically as his brother, Colin, and Aiden O’Hara acted as if they were both ashamed and embarrassed over their actions; they were both so over the top. It was quite an act. But, like Jade, as much as he appreciated that they had put Eric Palmer’s mind at rest − which of course was important, especially with this latest deal they had negotiated − he also knew that these two men were both devoid of anything even resembling decency or loyalty. They were as fucking selfish as each other. The pair of them were like little kids, and spoiled little kids at that.

Eric felt that he had made his point, and Jade and Timmy made sure that he believed that. But as they drank together, and acted like everything was OK, Jade wondered why she still protected the man that she knew could never be faithful to her or anyone else. But she had invested so much of her time and effort in him, and that was something she could never forget. The men around her were acting like nothing had happened and, instead of pleasing her, it just depressed her. Even Timmy Clark was playing the game. As always, Aiden got his own way. As always, he swerved anything that might show him in a bad light, show him up for what he really was. That she was instrumental in that, and always had been, was starting to irritate her.

But, as usual, she kept her own counsel, and made sure that everybody’s drinks were replenished, and that everyone was happy and ready to move forward. She knew what was expected of her.

Chapter Eighty-Nine

‘You don’t look at all well, Nan.’

Annie was looking her age and she knew it. She was also feeling it. ‘I’m just a bit tired. All this wedding stuff, I suppose.’ She laughed as she said it and Agnes smiled gently. ‘Fastest wedding I have ever known! I mean, it’s not like having a baby out of wedlock is frowned on any more!’

Agnes sighed. She didn’t care what anyone else thought − she was not going to have a baby without the benefit of marriage. That just wasn’t her and, as far as she was concerned, this child she was carrying would thank her one day. Agnes Clark!

Even though she had her reservations about the love of her life, it was too late to do anything about them now. For better, for worse, as the saying went. She had seen a different side to her chosen mate lately, but she magnanimously put it down to the circumstances of their betrothal. She still loved him, but she wondered now if that was enough for either of them. Aiden had made his feelings plain, and she knew that her Colin was chary of the outcome of their union.

Annie held out her arms and her granddaughter went to her willingly. Annie wondered at how her girl, who was so intrinsically good and clever, had walked herself into what could only be described as a dilemma.

Reeva smashed into the room like the proverbial bull, laden down with a bottle of champagne, smoking her usual joint. ‘Come on then, ladies, let’s get this fucking show on the road! Tomorrow you are going to be a married woman!’ As she poured the drinks, she said sadly: ‘I would love to have got married, Aggs. It’s the only sacrament I will never get. Better write to the fucking Pope, eh?’

They laughed with her, but Annie, in a rare display of affection, hugged her daughter to her tightly. ‘Still time! You might get Tony up the aisle, you never know!’

Necking a whole glass of champagne in three gulps, Reeva said seriously, ‘Mum! No one’s that fucking optimistic!’

Suddenly Agnes saw just how much her single state had always bothered her mum and she found herself fighting back tears.

Reeva poured herself another large glass of champagne and, holding it up in a toast, she said with her usual bravado, ‘Never say die, eh? More chance of this silly mare having a hen night!’

They all laughed, but it was laughter tinged with sadness.

Chapter Ninety

The lap-dancing club was closed for a private party, which was Colin Clark’s stag do. This was Aiden’s idea, and when Timmy and Colin arrived it was very quiet, with no one even on reception. They looked at each other warily and walked through into the actual club itself, where everything, including the stages, was in darkness. They turned to one another in confusion when suddenly all the lights went on and Aiden was walking towards them both, holding out his arms in a gesture of friendship. The music started up and the girls began to dance slowly around the poles. The club was packed with men from their world.

‘Welcome, my son, my new brother from another mother!’

Timmy and Colin were both unsure how to react, which was exactly what Aiden wanted. Putting his arms around both their shoulders, he said earnestly, ‘What can I say, Colin? I’ve behaved fucking atrociously. You know you were right. Agnes is a grown-up. But she is my baby sister, you know.’

Colin was so pleased at Aiden’s change of heart he embraced him immediately. ‘I would have been the same, mate. It’s family. I understand.’

Timmy walked behind them as they went into the fray − because that was exactly what it felt like to him. The girls were dancing on their podiums, the men were getting drinks and the music and the sweat were just becoming noticeable. All he wanted was this night over with and the morrow as well − the wedding that Aiden had arranged – as quickly as humanly possible. None of this felt right.

Chapter Ninety-One

Jade walked in with a bottle of Bollinger and a fake smile. But no one except Reeva worked that much out.

‘Beautiful dress, darling, you will look a million dollars tomorrow.’

Agnes smiled, but it was tinged with sadness. ‘I hope everything is going to be all right, Jade. I’m still worried about Aiden, you know!’

She was on the verge of tears so Jade said as brightly as possible, ‘Well, you can stop worrying, darling. Aiden has arranged Colin’s stag for him, as you know, and he’s determined to build some bridges.’

Reeva saw the pleasure in her daughter’s face at this news and could have happily kissed Jade on the mouth.

Annie sipped her champagne and watched as her granddaughter seemed to practically collapse with relief. But this was only to be expected; after all, Aiden had not exactly been discreet about his opinion of the situation.

‘Thank you, Jade. I know this is because of you, darling.’

Jade hugged her but didn’t comment. In all honesty, this change of heart had nothing to do with her at all. Instead she said, ‘Come on then, let’s get this party started, eh?’

Reeva chuckled, ‘Yeah, party of the century. She can’t drink because she’s in the club, and in a minute we will be overrun with her Mass mates! Still, the stripper I ordered should sort it!’

Agnes squealed in dismay as Reeva said in mock sorrow, ‘Don’t worry. That was just a joke! Unfortunately!’

Chapter Ninety-Two

Colin Clark had been stripped, covered in baby oil and, as the men all laughed, he had been completely demolished by the drag queen who was supervising the night’s entertainment. He was drunk, so was Aiden and, as they staggered around together with their arms around each other’s shoulders, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. No one seemed to know how they were meant to react at the actual wedding itself. The workforce took their cue from the O’Haras – meaning, of course, Aiden. And there had been a lot of quiet speculation about what the upshot of the actual wedding day might be.

The big money was on Aiden causing ructions, but it seemed that had all been put to bed and he had had one of his lightning changes of heart. That wasn’t anything unusual − as they all knew he blew hot and cold all the time; one minute he’d be smiling at you like he was your long-lost brother and the next time you saw him he could stare right through you as if he had never met you before in his life. But what could you do? No one was going to front him up, that much was guaranteed.

Colin and Aiden rolled through to the small back bar that was specifically used by the boys for business or their pleasure, depending. Inside, they fell on to a large leather Chesterfield and when Colin slipped off and fell on to the hardwood floor, they both laughed uncontrollably.

‘Come on, my son, let’s get you up.’

Aiden struggled to lift Colin and instead he ended up on the floor with him. They were still giggling like schoolboys.

In the end, they slumped on to the floor together, leaning back against the sofa to keep them upright.

‘Fuck it, I don’t think I can get up and go to the bar!’

They cracked up laughing again.

‘I’m so glad you and me are mates again, Ade. I missed this, having a laugh and that.’

Aiden nodded his head in agreement. ‘Same here, Col! But fuck me, I was annoyed.’

Colin nodded. Each time he put his head down, he belched, and soon they were off laughing again.

‘Tomorrow will be a fucking great day, Colin. Wait till you see her dress. She will look splendid!’

Now the word ‘splendid’ set them off laughing again.

‘Fucking splendid! And you will look top-hole, Colin!’

The rest of the O’Hara brothers all bundled noisily into the room. As Eugene went to the bar to make more drinks, Porrick and Patsy helped the two men up and dumped them unceremoniously on to the Chesterfield.

‘What a fucking great night.’

Timmy Clark walked in and, even though he had had a few drinks, he wasn’t half as wasted as everyone else.

Porrick was laughing his head off at something that Eugene had said and suddenly Aiden was up and off the sofa and confronting the two brothers.

‘You taking the fucking piss?’

Patsy sighed and, putting down his drink, he went to where his older brother was staring out Porrick as if he was his mortal enemy.

Porrick was shaking his head and, sighing heavily, he said, ‘What the fuck are you on about, Ade?’

Aiden started to laugh, but he looked manic, from his red-rimmed eyes to his crumpled suit. ‘You think I’ve forgotten, don’t you, Porrick?’

Patsy put a restraining hand on Aiden’s arm and was immediately shrugged off roughly.

‘You called my Jade a whore. Or, more to the point, you said our sister wasn’t a whore like Jade. Remember now, you red-headed prick?’

Patsy and Eugene instinctively stood between the two of them, and then Porrick said quietly, ‘I’m fucking sorry, Aiden, but you know I spoke the truth.’

Patsy pushed his little brother away shouting, ‘Are you on a fucking death wish? It’s Aggs’s wedding tomorrow and you two decide now that you want to have a fucking straightener?’

He grabbed Aiden around the shoulder and turned him round so he was facing the door. ‘Eugene, you go now with Porrick. Timmy, you take Colin, and we will see you all tomorrow, OK?’ He pushed and cajoled his brother back on to the Chesterfield. Once the room was cleared, he said angrily, ‘You are off your nut again and you are supposed to be giving Agnes away tomorrow! Honestly, Ade, you are getting out of hand. Porrick didn’t mean what he said and you know that. He was making an observation that day, and we were all out of sorts.’

Aiden closed his eyes and nodded imperceptibly.

Patsy sat down on the sofa and, putting his head into his hands, he said seriously, ‘It’s like you are on a self-destructive bent, Ade. You are without any kind of fucking off switch. Jesus Christ, sometimes I wish I could take your fucking batteries out!’

His voice was so honest and so perplexed that Aiden burst into laughter.

‘You are absolutely fucking right, Patsy. But you know me. I just don’t think, I react.’

Patsy laughed ruefully, then said seriously, ‘Well, let’s react ourselves home. We have a long day tomorrow.’

‘I hope our Agnes enjoys it while it lasts.’

Patsy didn’t answer his brother, but couldn’t shake the terrible feeling of dread.

Chapter Ninety-Three

Reeva had tears in her eyes as she watched her daughter walk down the aisle of St Peter’s. It was an old-fashioned church and it seemed to fit into the whole theme of the wedding itself.

Agnes was dressed in a white gown with a high neckline that sparkled with small seed pearls. It fell to the floor in an almost Grecian look, and though there was hardly any of her actual body on display except her hands and face, she looked very sexy and very innocent at the same time.

Colin watched her walking towards him and felt his stomach flip. She looked amazing. Truthfully, he didn’t want to be married to anyone really, but he was lumbered with this beautiful girl now − all he could do was make the best of it.

Timmy Clark, his best man, watched his brother’s face and wished, not for the first time, that it was him Agnes was walking down the aisle to meet. Over the past weeks, he had fallen for her, and that was something he had never believed possible. He only hoped his brother looked after her, because he knew better than anyone that his brother, Colin, would rather be anywhere in the world right now than standing in this lovely old church.

Aiden walked beside his sister, looking suitably sombre. All the men were dressed in grey morning suits and they looked a handsome bunch. As they arrived at the altar, he pretended to grab his sister’s arm and run. The whole church erupted in laughter and then he gently placed her hand in Colin’s and patted him on the back in a brotherly fashion, which caused the congregation to give a collective sigh of happiness or relief, depending on their personal feelings.

The ceremony started and everyone relaxed into their seats.

But there was more laughter when Colin knelt down and, written in indelible ink on the bottom of his shoes, were the words ‘HELP ME’.

Chapter Ninety-Four

The reception was at the Pont de la Tour restaurant near Tower Bridge. It was closed for the day and, as Aiden looked around him, he was well pleased with what he saw.

He loved this restaurant anyway, but seeing the extra touches, from the decorated tables to the seven-tier wedding cake in white and silver, pleased him.

Jade had excelled herself, and he smiled gratefully at her as he saw the reaction of Agnes and Colin. This wedding was his gift to her, and he had made sure that his mother had fuck-all to do with any of it. If it had been left to Reeva, it would have been a garish and over-the-top event. Reeva had wanted to give her daughter the wedding that she never had. As Jade remarked, the dress Reeva had liked would not have looked out of place on Miss Brazil at the Miss World competition. He could only imagine it.

He greeted the guests with his sister and her husband, while the boys kept their mother as far away from the drink as possible. Tony Brown had his work cut out because they had all asked him to try and keep her under control. But no one was really holding out much hope. She had started on the champagne early in the morning and was already louder than everyone else. She looked good, though, in a smart, well-tailored grey silk ensemble with high heels and a small fascinator on her crazy hair – Jade had seen to that. She had also arranged for a make-up artist, so Reeva didn’t have her usual thick eyeliner and bright red lipstick. Silk purses and sows’ ears came to mind, as he smiled at his mother brightly. The photos would look amazing, at least.

At the top table, Annie looked swamped, surrounded by all her grandchildren, and as Colin and Timmy both shook her hand and kissed her, Aiden nodded with pleasure. She deserved a fuss; she was a game old bird.

Eric Palmer, in pride of place at the top table, was positively beaming at everyone, and Aiden stopped to have a few words. It was a good atmosphere and everyone was on best behaviour.

‘That young Peter Gunn is a fucking rascal, eh?’

‘What are you talking about, Eric?’

Eric was still chuckling away as he said, ‘The shoes! “HELP ME!” I laughed like a drain!’

Aiden had not found it the least bit amusing himself, but he knew better than to say anything churlish, so he answered jovially, ‘He will fucking pay for that! Cheeky little fucker.’

They laughed together at the skulduggery of youth.

Chapter Ninety-Five

Agnes looked at her big handsome husband and felt herself finally relax. There had been a part of her that had worried he might do a runner before the big day. But now here they were together, surrounded by her family and friends, and she felt the urge to weep. She placed a hand on her belly and wondered if her child was as aware of her as she was of it. These were exciting times for her, and now she had to forget the past and get on with her future. It was the strangest feeling that she could begin to live outside of her brothers and her mother − it was heady stuff. All her life, she had been dictated to, smothered, and her only escape had been the Church. She had once seen herself accepting holy orders and entering a convent. She wondered now if that had been her way of rebelling against her mother’s lifestyle and her brothers’ constant surveillance; the more good she became, the less she had in common with any of them. And yet now she had met and married a man who was, to all intents and purposes, her brother Aiden’s double. But there was something about him and, whatever it was, she was so attracted to him.

She was nervous, as any young bride would be, but she convinced herself that she would be happy with this handsome man of hers. She was desperate to be happy with him and she was determined. After all, she had fought for him, for this day, and she had got it. As he kissed her tenderly on the lips, she knew that, whatever happened, this really was the best day of her life.

Chapter Ninety-Six

‘Honestly, Reeva, I despair of you at times!’

Reeva laughed loudly and pulled Tony into her arms, kissing him on the lips. ‘Shut up, Tone! I’m just enjoying my daughter’s wedding day, that’s all! Fucking hell, can’t I even do that?’

Tony kissed her back, but it was just to shut her up.

The meal had been perfect, the toasts had been drunk and the room had a festive atmosphere and, as the first few bars of Diana Ross singing ‘You Are Everything’ played, Colin Clark took his new wife’s hand and swept her on to the dance floor. They made a handsome couple and, as he held her tightly to him, there was a small round of applause. Colin was loving all the attention and, as he twirled her around and enjoyed the reaction, he was as shocked as everyone else when Aiden walked on to the dance floor and cut in.

Unsure what to do, Colin stood there for a few seconds before handing his new bride over to her brother, who, giving a mock bow, continued the dance with Agnes as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Everyone watching was uneasy, uncertain as to how to react. After all, this was the bride and groom’s first dance together as man and wife! There were plenty of eager faces wondering what the upshot was going to be for this little escapade. It was evident to everyone in the room that Aiden O’Hara was making a point. Gradually other couples joined them on the floor, but no one could fail to notice that the bride was near to tears and the groom was drinking a large Scotch at the bar with a face like thunder. So much for Aiden’s wonderful speech saying how he had gained a brother and how happy he was for his sister and her new husband. Aiden had just basically fucked him over in front of all the guests. It was a deep humiliation, and there was nothing Colin could do.

Timmy Clark’s jaw was set, and he stood close to his brother in case he decided he wanted to reclaim his new wife. That was exactly what Aiden wanted, of course, and Timmy was not going to give him the satisfaction.

Jade sat and watched Aiden and wished that she had a large hammer, because at this moment in time she would happily fell that fucker of hers to the ground. He just had to ruin everything. It was like he enjoyed these displays of petulance, because that was all it was.

Even Reeva, as drunk as she was, noticed, and for a few seconds a terrible feeling of dread washed over her.

Tony said quietly, ‘Fucking hell, he could not even give her that.’

Eric Palmer was shaking his head as if he could not believe what he was seeing, and all the brothers watched without even a small smile on any of their faces.

It had ruined the day, and everyone was aware of that. Especially Agnes Clark.

Chapter Ninety-Seven

Tony and Reeva were listening to Jade as she berated Aiden about his behaviour. They were back at Reeva’s − it seemed that was where they always gravitated, no matter what the occasion.

Aiden Junior, who had loved the wedding, was now lying in his bed at his nanny’s, listening fearfully to the argument going on below him. His new suit was hanging on the back of the bedroom door, and his excitement at wearing it was long gone. The wedding that had been so much fun had suddenly become full of undercurrents, and he knew that it was because of his dad dancing with his Auntie Aggs when he wasn’t supposed to. He knew that his uncles were not happy, and neither was his nanny or his mum. He closed his eyes tightly because he was sick and tired of hearing it.

Downstairs, Jade was shouting at the top of her voice, her anger for once finally getting the better of her. ‘You are a cunt, Aiden! And you of all people should have known better!’

Aiden shrugged nonchalantly, his arms open wide, saying, ‘I gave her away. I was acting as any father would have done!’ He had convinced himself of this now. That was a knack he had when it suited him; he could justify anything when he set his mind to it.

Reeva joined in. ‘But you are not her father, are you?’

Aiden laughed sarcastically as he shouted, ‘I am the only father she ever knew. She was a fucking whodunnit like the rest of us. I mean, be fair, Mum, if you don’t know who the culprit was, how the fuck could anyone else, eh? Answer me that, clever bollocks.’

Patsy shook his head in disbelief. ‘Don’t you fucking take it out on Mum because you fucked up, Ade. You ruined her day and that is the end of it.’

‘Fucking right and all, and you were all warning me to be good!’

Even Jade had to smile at that one. ‘I think you owe your sister and Colin an apology, Aiden.’

Aiden stood up abruptly and poured himself another glass of Scotch. Taking a large swig, he said to Jade maliciously, ‘Never fucking happening, lady.’

Porrick and Eugene banged out of the house then, and Patsy watched them go in despair, but he knew that, like himself, they couldn’t listen to any more tonight.

The damage had been done, and there was nothing anybody could do to change that.

Annie walked into the lounge from the kitchen. She looked heartbroken and, looking at her grandson, she said sadly, ‘I never thought I would ever say this to you, Aiden, especially after some of the stunts you have pulled over the years. But I was ashamed of you today. You showed yourself for the petty, vindictive fucker you really are. Now, if you will all excuse me, I am going home. I have had enough.’

Tony Brown used the opportunity to get away too. ‘Come on, Annie, I will walk you home, darling.’

Without bothering to wish anyone a good night, Annie walked from the room, and even Aiden O’Hara had the grace to look ashamed.

When they heard the front door close behind them, Reeva walked over to her eldest son and, looking him in the eye, she said loudly, ‘She has cancer. Terminal. Dr Metcalf told me. He is not supposed to, but he was worried about her. She doesn’t know I know. But the one thing that she wanted to see before she died was her only granddaughter get married. Well, you fucking naused that up for her, didn’t you? Because it’s always about you, isn’t it?’

Aiden looked so devastated, even Patsy felt a sneaking pity for him, until he said nastily, ‘Well, I had a good fucking teacher, didn’t I?’

That was when Reeva slapped him and pandemonium broke out.

Chapter Ninety-Eight

Annie died five days later. She had advanced-stage bone cancer. She went peacefully in her sleep, and her passing was as unobtrusive as she had always been in life.

Reeva took it badly, and Agnes came back from her honeymoon in Marbella to attend the funeral with her new husband. Everyone was devastated, but no one more so than Aiden, who, as always with him, blamed someone else for his own bad behaviour.

It was another stick to beat Colin Clark with. Aiden’s reasoning was that if Colin had never touched his little sister, if he had not encroached on his family’s life, his nan would never have had reason to talk to him so harshly.

Annie’s passing broke him in more ways than one. For the first time in his life, Aiden O’Hara was feeling an emotion called guilt, and he did not like it one bit.

Chapter Ninety-Nine

Aiden was feeling relaxed. He had just spent a few hours in the company of a young girl called Priscilla. She wasn’t exactly a raving beauty, but she was all right; it wasn’t like she needed a bag over her head. By the same token she would never win any competitions for her good looks. Her attraction for Aiden was that she possessed the body of a porn queen. And she was all natural. She had tits like fucking barrage balloons, heavy and full, not a hint of silicone. They were as natural as her blond snatch. She was built like women should be: nice knockers, a tiny waist and an arse that you could lose a puppy in. It had been a while since he had found himself such a little star.

The icing on the cake was that she was as thick as fucking shit. She couldn’t count past fifty, and she had a problem reading Hello! magazine. She just looked at the pictures. She was perfect for him; she didn’t question him or demand anything from him like his fucking phone number or his undying devotion. All he had to do was ring her up and arrange a meet. That was it, the extent of his involvement. She wasn’t exactly a sparkling conversationist, but she suited him because of that. He didn’t want a fucking candidate for Mensa. All he wanted was a fucking shag. And that was exactly what she provided.

When she wasn’t with him she lap-danced at one of his clubs and, once again, that suited him down to the fucking ground. He wasn’t looking for a love job. Unlike Jade, who could hold forth on politics, current affairs and who was respected as an intelligent woman, Priscilla was like a pet: you stroked her regularly, fed her and made sure she was happy. And that was the height of her ambition. She was an uncomplicated person and, sometimes, that was all that any man really wanted. A completely brainless and purely physical fuck, devoid of the drama and mind games that most women expected.

As he walked into the club, he smiled sneakily. Joshie D was bringing his cousin’s second in command to meet them tonight. Aiden really did want to know exactly who he was dealing with, even though they had already provided exactly what they had promised. The product that they had been given was top grade, there was no doubting that. But Aiden still wanted to meet the distributor face to face. He didn’t have anything against Joshie D, but Aiden suspected that he was a front man who was more interested in getting himself famous. He had achieved that and all power to him. But, as Aiden had remarked on more than one occasion, Joshie D was bound to bring them to the notice of the powers-that-be. As he got more famous, his life would be scrutinised − especially a life that had everything the newspapers wanted. He was black, he swung both ways, and he courted publicity. That could only end in fucking tears. This wasn’t a fucking Guy Ritchie film, this was real fucking life.

This was what he wanted to explain to the men he was meeting tonight. He already knew from his people on the ground that the men from Jamaica were suspicious of Joshie because of his sexuality anyway. It seemed that the Jamaicans were not as forgiving as the rest of the world. That they didn’t really accept alternative lifestyles and he had heard that they were more than happy to bypass young Joshie if that was at all possible. Well, that suited Aiden; he wanted that preening cunt out of the way. He didn’t trust him − and it wasn’t because he was a fucking drama queen. He didn’t trust him because he knew that his mind would never really be on the earn, it would always be on his DJing.

Aiden had arranged for him to DJ at his nightclubs, and he had made sure that it paid well. The clubs had benefited too, because people were queuing up to listen to him. He had to admit that the bloke had a fucking huge following. He had also invested in raves, and he had to admit once again that Joshie did pull the punters in. He was good at what he did, and he was on his way to bigger and better things. For Aiden, the sooner that Joshie did that, the better for everyone concerned. So, basically, it was a win-win for all of them.

He walked through the club slowly; he liked this place. Jade hated the lap-dancing clubs, and he could never understand that about her. She had no problem with the brothels, so he couldn’t see what her problem was with girls dancing around a fucking pole. It was lucrative and fucking legal − that was the real attraction. Her problem really was with him, and his forays into the clubs and the ladies who worked in them. She loathed that he took up with these girls, and that everyone knew about it. A lot of the girls were more than happy to flaunt the relationship, and act like they were somehow suddenly special. That was what really bothered her, but he believed that she should not let it all get to her. It was one of life’s fucking puzzles, because Jade knew that the woman had not been born yet who could ever replace her.

He stood for a few minutes and looked around him with pride. This place took thousands of pounds every day of the week. He had watched Jade as she had chosen everything, from the wallpaper to the carpets. She had designed it all and, as always, she had been spot on with what the punters wanted and what would work in the space she had been given. That was what she was so good at: she utilised everything and she made sure that every scrap of space was used to its best advantage. She even ensured that the girls they employed were given lessons in money management so they didn’t piss it all up the wall. She reminded them that they had a very short shelf life, and that, within a few years, they would be replaced by younger, fitter girls, but that if they used their heads they could come out of this with enough money to either start a business, or even purchase a property of their own. Jade had always had her eye out for the girls that worked for them, which is why the girls wanted to work with them in the first place. Even though many of them were willing to do the dirty on her, they still knew that she, at least, had their best interests at heart.

He went to the bar and, walking behind it, he poured himself out a large Scotch. This club was really fabulous. The counter of the bar was black granite, and it had cost a small fortune. But it had been worth it. Jade had argued that with him and she had been right. She said that people got what they paid for and if you offered them a fabulous space they would happily pay through the nose for it. It was a private members’ club, and the fees were not fucking cheap. But the men who frequented it, and the small female clientele, loved the look of it, and also the knowledge that they didn’t have to worry about any of their antics being made public. It was all a big part of the club’s success.

As he settled himself on a leather couch, he sipped his drink and waited patiently for his guests. He observed himself in the mirrored walls and was pleased with what he saw. He still looked good and he knew that was a big part of his charm. He was a lucky man in more ways than one. Women liked him for a variety of different reasons, and he used his looks, his position and his chat to get whatever he wanted from them. That was how Aiden O’Hara saw everything in his life − as no more than a means to an end. He was looking forward to this meeting, because he wanted to bring about a change in the hierarchy, and he would accomplish that no matter what.

Chapter One Hundred

Patsy was not sure what exactly was bugging him but something didn’t feel right.

He had felt odd all day. He had gone to pick up the proceeds from one of the open houses, the new politically correct term for the brothels that were still a huge part of their empire. Another one of Jade’s clever marketing techniques − even the girls who worked there felt good about being referred to as ‘recreational workers’. As Jade had often argued, there was no reason not to give the people who worked for them a completely different take on the job they did. She reasoned it gave them the feeling of being part of something that wasn’t seedy and made them feel that they were valued members of the team. When he had told Aiden that he thought that was all complete bollocks, Aiden had pointed out with a sarcastic laugh that, as Jade was also fond of saying, a happy workforce was also a productive workforce, and none of them could argue with that. They were coining it in, and that was not a fucking exaggeration either. They couldn’t ever have foreseen such a huge turnover.

Jade had systematically eradicated the younger element that was once on the payroll, and now they ran adult brothels for an adult clientele. Except, of course, for when the Arabs arranged to take over the houses for a whole night to initiate their sons into the wonders of the European female. Those boys were normally about fifteen, but they were used to being given what they wanted and that was exactly what they provided. Jade charged the Arabs through the nose, and the girls were guaranteed an easy night with a good payment at the end of it. It was a different world now, and that was never more noticeable than when he went to the open houses. There was almost an atmosphere of gaiety and, as everyone concerned was earning a fucking fortune, that was to be expected. Fucking hell, Jade even made sure the girls were given tests every month, and she was adamant that they took precautions even though everyone knew some of the girls would still ride bareback for an extra few quid. That was only to be expected. But if they ever tested positive for any kind of STD they were politely shown the door.

In the first house Patsy had visited, all had seemed as usual, but there had been an undercurrent he just couldn’t put his finger on. There was nothing blatantly wrong, but he had a bad feeling and it wouldn’t leave him. It had been the same at the other houses and, even though he couldn’t say what was exactly bothering him, he knew that there was something not right. In fact, Porrick had argued that he was imagining things, but for some reason he could not shake off the feeling. It had remained with him all day.

Now he was in the pub with Eugene and he didn’t like what he was hearing.

‘The thing was, Patsy, I arrived at the safe house and the money owed was paid without a murmur. But that was the strange thing, no chit-chat. Normally we all have a laugh, you know, the usual. I felt it the other week, and I just shrugged it off. But today it was like they couldn’t wait for us to fuck off. Considering we pay their wages, I saw that as a bit of an insult.’

Patsy listened intently but he didn’t offer an opinion; he knew better than to say anything until he knew what the score was. He needed to talk this over with Aiden and Jade. The last thing they needed was to cause a big drama when it wasn’t warranted. But, if he was being honest, he believed that there was something iffy going on. But he couldn’t even put a cause to it. What could possibly be occurring that they didn’t have wind of? He shook his head and sighed.

‘Come on, it’s time to get to the meeting.’

They left the pub together quietly, but each of them had their own thoughts on the situation.

Chapter One Hundred and One

Marvin Hendry was born and raised in Jamaica. He was a Kingston boy who more than had his creds. He was known as a dangerous man, and that was not an epithet given lightly in the Jamaican underworld. There was an abundance of bad fuckers − the real knack was knowing how to be the biggest and baddest fucker of them all. That was something that came naturally to him; he had no conscience and he had no real interest in anything that did not pertain directly to him or his needs. He was known for his extreme viciousness and also for his astute business acumen. The men who worked with him were all known for doing exactly what Marvin requested or expected.

He had cherry-picked the entire workforce, personally requesting their services. They were mostly from the poorest townships and had each come to his attention because they were not only violent but were intelligent enough to use their brains when anything went wrong. Anyone could shoot their way out of trouble − that was the easiest fucking answer in the Caribbean; everyone had a gun. But if the people used their sense and their mouths, Marvin knew that they were just what he was looking for. Marvin appreciated the usefulness of these men and women; he understood that they were the real backbone of his business and also how expendable they were. That was nothing personal as far as he was concerned − that was just real life. He gave them a chance that they could never have had without him, and they knew that themselves. If you worked for Marvin, you were fucking rocking, he made sure of that. A great deal of his reputation was reliant on the people who worked for him. That was how the world worked. Young guns were falling over themselves to be a part of his organisation. He didn’t need to do any recruitment drives. They were lining up to be taken on board. It was a fucking honour to work for him and he made sure that everyone knew that.

He had made a point of bringing these people on, of making sure that everyone knew exactly who they were and who they worked for. Marvin knew the importance of advertising. That was why he was so successful. Until him, the drugs trade had been hampered by feuding gangs, by complete morons who had thought it was enough just to muscle in on other people’s fucking hard work. And it wasn’t just in Jamaica that it was rife, it was everywhere that he supplied. He was a legend, he made sure of that. It was what he was good at and it was how he had made his brand so powerful.

The difference was that he had been born into money and privilege; he had been privately educated but he had known that, unlike his father − a successful businessman − he would always be attracted to the darker side of life. From his first tentative drug deal, selling third-grade grass to his school friends, he had loved the whole experience of being outside the law. It had been a revelation to him in that he had found his natural medium. His father’s wealth and contacts had been what had kept him out of prison on more than one occasion, and he had learned every time by his mistakes. Now Marvin saw himself as untouchable. He made sure that no one in his organisation could ever get close enough to accuse him of anything even remotely sinister. He had legitimate businesses that accounted for his wealthy lifestyle, and he had enough people to put him anywhere at any time should that be required. In short, Marvin Hendry believed that he had covered his bases, and covered them well. He felt he had done the impossible and, in many ways, he had, because he was still at the top of his game after ten years and, in Jamaica, that was not an easy feat. It was a small island for a start and, worse still, there were far too many people after too few prizes. His family and his own intelligence had ensured that he could happily trade with the minimum of restraint. He had also made a point of paying off everyone in his orbit who might have the means of bringing him down. Even his own father had finally come round to his way of thinking.

As he walked into the premises that Aiden O’Hara owned with his crew in tow, Marvin was impressed. London wasn’t Jamaica, and he was very aware of that fact. He was awed by the luxury of the reception area alone. This was what he wanted, what he saw as the next step for his workforce. Aiden O’Hara was what he ultimately wanted to be. Marvin’s dream was to relocate to London and ply his different trades from here. He knew that, unlike Jamaica, London was an open door for anybody who could provide not just the product but, more importantly, the guarantee of an endless supply of it. The best product that these fuckers had ever had access to.

He had used Joshie because he was blood, he was family. But, as far as Marvin was concerned, Joshie would never be any real family of his. The boy was a fucking strutting queen − an embarrassment. Even his own father was suspicious of him. His saving grace was that he was doing so well as a DJ. Although Marvin could not help wondering just how well he would have done in Jamaica or any of the other islands, because while here he wore his Jamaican heritage like a badge, Joshie didn’t have the presence needed to survive in the real Jamaican environment − yet. If Joshie made it here, he would automatically be welcomed back in Jamaica with open arms. Only then would he be one of their own.

Marvin knew in his gut that Aiden O’Hara would be more than agreeable about rowing that fucker out once and for all. Aiden had already given his cousin another fucking way of life − the way of life that he really wanted. Marvin appreciated that even though he couldn’t stand the weirdo. He was family at the end of the day.

As he was shown through to the offices to see Aiden O’Hara, Marvin felt a great vibe, because he liked everything he had heard about this Aiden. He seemed to be a man after his own heart. They were of an age, and they were both men who knew exactly what they wanted, and made sure that they got it. That was how you controlled your workforce: you made sure that they felt they were earning enough for the time being. Eventually, if they were shrewd enough, you pushed them up the ladder and made them even richer. That was the main aim of everyone that you singled out. That way they either sank without a trace or they proved their worth.

Marvin had left his crew in the lap-dancing club − he knew that they would not be invited into the actual meet; they would be entertained, of course − he wasn’t worried about that. He would have insisted on exactly the same terms. The job they did was never about advertising the meeting they attended, and never letting anyone know more than was deemed necessary; his workers only ever knew enough to guarantee they did the job that he paid them for. Basically that meant he kept his meetings private − the people around him never knew more than was good for them.

Marvin Hendry had always made a point of guaranteeing to everyone who purchased his product that not one person in his organisation could ever bring any of them down. Once his people had completed what he had arranged for them to do, they were out of it, forgotten about. Marvin made sure that every step was a separate venture. No one person knew everything about who they were dealing with and, if anyone was a bit too inquisitive about the job in hand and what it entailed, they disappeared. Just disappeared without a fucking trace. They could never be linked back to him or anyone who worked for him. He knew better than to advertise his fucking villainy to the world; he didn’t need to be a big man in a small pond. From the very beginning, he had just walked in and taken everything over without even one fucking person confronting him. His style of business was not the usual. He had slowly and quietly wiped out his opponents, while assuring certain other people of his friendship − meaning they now all worked for him.

As Marvin entered the VIP bar, Aiden O’Hara was standing there with his hand out to greet him and, as they shook hands, both recognised their similarities. Aiden looked at Marvin, and he instinctively liked him from his dreads to his handmade shoes. The man was class. Marvin looked at Aiden and knew that he could work with him. Marvin had taken in everything about him from his bespoke suit to his expensive dentistry. As they summed each other up, they both felt that they were going to get on like the proverbial house on fire.

Marvin Hendry looked around the empty bar; he recognised that this was Aiden’s way of welcoming him, of making him feel at ease. The two of them were alone to discuss whatever needed to be spoken about, without either of them having to worry about what might be said. And, as they retired to a small table, he saw that there was every kind of whisky and rum there waiting to be poured.

As he sat down, Marvin looked at Aiden and said, ‘Really? Cockspur rum. I’m impressed.’

Aiden laughed heartily. ‘I know it’s more Antiguan or Barbadian, but I think it’s a fucking good drop of rum.’

Marvin poured himself a large glass. ‘I was never a lover of the Appleton shit, you know. That is more for the tourists these days. So much is for tourism now. Not that I haven’t jumped on that fucking bandwagon myself.’

Aiden grinned craftily. ‘I think that me and you could broker a really good deal for everyone concerned, Marvin. I know I’m the only person you’ve dealt with so far. But I can tell you now that I am willing to offer you a wonderful opportunity. I can shift anything that you can bring into the country.’

Marvin stretched languidly; this was just what he wanted to hear. Smiling widely, he said confidently, ‘That’s what I came here for. I am here to tell you, Aiden, that I want an ally in London − a partner, if you like. I have achieved everything that I possibly can in Jamaica. But Jamaica is a small island, full of fucking wannabe gangsters. They can purchase a gun, but that doesn’t make them a serious threat. They are amateurs, and that doesn’t help when you’re trying to build a proper business. I’m sure you understand what I am saying. I have had to remove young men who, if they had one ounce of sense, would have known from the off that they could never fucking defeat me. It grieves me that so many young men died because they didn’t have the sense to see that a gun could never guarantee them anything other than their own demise. Jamaica is still like the Wild West: too many young men thinking that they can just walk in with a brand-new gun, believing that would be enough for them to take what they wanted. It breaks my heart, Aiden, you know? But, eventually, I made them all aware of the fact that I was not going to suffer fools gladly.’

Aiden watched warily as Marvin took a large drink of his rum.

‘I think that it’s time for me to spread my wings and expand my enterprises. I think that between us we could accomplish a lot. If we could work together. You know I have the product, and it’s the best fucking product you will ever get your hands on − I know that’s a fact. What I’m offering you is the chance to distribute it to others alongside me. I can guarantee an unlimited supply, as you are already aware. I will also make sure that it arrives here as and when needed. I think that together we could really sew the market up.’

Aiden O’Hara sipped his whisky and, as he watched Marvin Hendry light up a huge joint, he saw a man after his own heart. Aiden could always suss out the people he should associate with. Those people were few and far between but Eric Palmer had always trusted what he called his gut instinct. He had already researched Marvin Hendry, and everything that he had learned about him had convinced him that he was a man to be reckoned with. Almost everyone he had spoken to had nothing but good things to say about Marvin. That had pleased Aiden because he really wanted to work with this man. It was more than enough that Marvin Hendry could provide such a pure product on a regular basis, but the added bonus that Marvin could also become his partner, and thereby give him the access to the product he needed, was the icing on the cake. Marvin needed him, and he needed Marvin. This was the perfect scenario.

Aiden O’Hara was delighted that he had not had to talk Marvin round; it had almost been too easy really. But they were of like minds; both knew they could each offer something to the other. That was how people like them could establish a new line of business. How long this mutual love affair would last only time could tell. But, until there was a problem, they were more than happy to play at grown-ups. That was the nature of the world they lived in, and that was why they were both well aware of what they were taking on.

‘I think we could come to some arrangement, Marvin. I appreciate how candid you have been tonight. That was why I made sure there was only the two of us. I knew that together we might strike a good bargain.’

Aiden poured them both more drinks and, when they shook hands, they were both really pleased with themselves. Aiden had brokered a deal that could change the face of the British drug scene and also allow him to drop the people he had been dealing with so far, who were more than ready to be pensioned off in his opinion.

Chapter One Hundred and Two

Jade was tired, but she had to do what was expected of her and meet up with Aiden and Marvin Hendry as arranged. Aiden loved showing her off and telling people that they were together and had a child. He wasn’t acting; she knew that he really did adore her and that he loved to introduce her to people. When they were out together she could not fault him; he gave her his undivided attention and treated her like a queen. It was ironic that he could then be unfaithful to her without a second fucking thought when she wasn’t around.

The thing that had always worried her was Aiden’s willingness to physically harm those girls he was so happy to use for his own fucking ends, especially if he thought they might cause discord between the two of them. His argument to her was always that he had only ever loved her. She knew that there wasn’t another woman who could ever replace her; even if she left him, she believed that Aiden would never bring another woman permanently into his life. She would always be the only one for him and, in many ways, that was a hard cross for her to bear. Knowing that she was so important to him was not an easy way to live her life because, as much as she loved him, his love for her came with so much pressure. Aiden loved her with a frightening intensity and that was something he believed she reciprocated because she had always protected him − more so than he could ever deserve. She could not help herself, she did love him.

He knew everything about her past, that she had been used by men since being a young child, that she had overcome everything that had happened to her and had eventually risen up in a world that she loathed but was all she had ever known. The fact that he had never once questioned her, or used it against her, was something she could never forget. After all this time he still saw her as everything he had ever wanted. But every fucking tart he took up with broke her heart a little bit more.

As she walked into the lap-dancing club − a club that she had designed and watched over until it had been finished but a place that she vowed she would never again step inside once it was up and running unless she had to − she pulled her shoulders back and straightened herself. She walked through the place as if she owned it, which, of course, she did. But she avoided these places like the plague, because they were where her Aiden trawled for his newest fucks. She knew that these girls never lasted that long and they meant nothing to him − God knew she had stepped in to stop him harming them. But it still rankled. That he didn’t try to hide it from her or from anyone was what really hurt her, but she had too much pride to let anyone think that she gave a flying fuck.

She walked into the bar with a big smile on her face, and no one would ever know just how hard it had been for her to meet here on one of Aiden’s hunting grounds. Aiden, as ever, treated her with the utmost respect, and introduced her to Marvin Hendry as the love of his life. And Jade played along as always.

Chapter One Hundred and Three

Reeva was annoyed. Tony was on the missing list, and her daughter was acting like she was the bad bastard because she had had a few fucking drinks. Well, she wasn’t fucking pregnant, so, as far as Reeva was concerned, she could do what she fucking liked. She didn’t need Miss fucking Goody Two-Shoes telling her anything, thank you very much! Who the fuck did she think she was? Reeva was not in the mood for this shit. She was never in the mood when her kids decided it was a great moment to point out her fucking failings. Like she needed anyone to remind her, especially when she was feeling pleasantly drunk.

‘Leave me the fuck alone, Agnes. So I am drunk! Let’s be really honest here, it’s not like it’s the first time, is it? Love me or loathe me, darling, the one thing we know is that, for all my faults, I have always put my hand up when needed.’

Agnes could quite cheerfully clump her mum one, and she would not even regret it. Her mum was never going to change.Every now and then she would just disappear and, when she finally came home, she would be so drunk that she wouldn’t even know who any of them were. In the past Aiden would take over. He would put her to bed, strip her off, make her drink a pint of water, even hold her head when she spewed up everywhere. Aiden had always argued that she was entitled to let rip every so often, that she was still a young woman and she needed to let off steam every now and again.

But Agnes didn’t agree with Aiden’s reasoning. Here she was – a married woman who didn’t even live here any more and she was still expected to come over and sort it out. Reeva was a grandmother, and soon she would have another grandchild. The one thing Agnes was sure of was that she would never leave her child in Reeva’s care.

‘You are one mardy fucking mare, Aggs. Do you even realise that? A word of advice, lady: you have lumbered yourself with Colin Clark and, believe me, you will get the shock of your fucking life, I can guarantee that. Because, as fucking good as he is being now, it won’t last, sweetheart. You should take a leaf out of Jade’s book and deliberately look the other way. Because, darling, you have tied yourself to a man who couldn’t be fucking faithful if his life depended on it. The only reason he is being so good now is because he knows that if Aiden heard even a whisper that he was doing the dirty on you he would kill that fucker stone dead.’

Agnes knew that her mother was speaking the truth and that was why it hurt so much. She wasn’t a complete fool, no matter what everyone else might think. Trust Reeva to tell her everything she really didn’t want to hear. But that was her mum all over, especially when she had had a few drinks. As Porrick had once proclaimed, if you can’t hack the truth, keep as far away from Reeva as humanly possible. It didn’t mean though that it was right to just allow her to say whatever she wanted to.

‘Thanks a lot, Mum. I’m pregnant and you tell me that my baby’s dad is a fucking womaniser.’

Reeva was too drunk to hear the hurt in her daughter’s voice, and far too drunk to care. Reeva was at the stage where all she was interested in was saying her piece, which she was now even more determined to do. After all, as she reasoned with herself, if she didn’t, then who would? That’s what she’d like to know.

She liked Colin Clark, but her daughter needed a fucking wake-up call. Colin Clark was a man who didn’t have a fucking loyal bone in his body. It was a truth, and one she felt that her girl deserved to know, sooner rather than later. Her daughter was a fool − a romantic who couldn’t see that the fucker had played her. She could write the fucking script.

Suddenly she was all apologies. ‘Look, Agnes, I would not hurt you for the world − you are my daughter, my fucking baby. I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Colin Clark is a handsome fuck but he will never be faithful. He is not capable of being with one woman. I’m not saying that he won’t love you dearly, but he will always chase a bit of strange. Why do you think Aiden hates him being with you so fucking much? Because he knows that they are so fucking similar. A pair of fucking male slags. I’m telling you, darling, the sooner you accept that, the better off you will be.’

While Agnes accepted the truth of her mother’s words she knew that her mum would never have said a fucking thing if she wasn’t so drunk. Reeva would probably have no memory of this conversation after tonight. But Agnes would never ever forget. How could she? This was something that would stay with her all her life.

The real hurt was that her mother couldn’t have said all this to her when she was sober. That would have carried more weight with her because she would have listened to her mother and what she had to say for herself.

Agnes had accepted that she couldn’t ever trust her husband and she felt guilty that her relationship with him had destroyed his with Aiden. Colin was terrified of Aiden and how he would react in the future and that was something she knew he was right to worry about. Aiden saw her as his little sister and also as his responsibility. She didn’t think he would ever come to terms with the fact that she had let him down by getting pregnant.

The sad thing was that she really loved Colin but she had begun to see him for what he really was even before they got married.

She suddenly understood just how strong her mum had been when it had really mattered; she had kept all her children and loved them in her own way. It was only now, young and pregnant and finally understanding the enormity of what carrying a child really meant, that Agnes could finally appreciate her mother’s determination to have her kids without any kind of help whatsoever.

She remembered once, on Aiden’s birthday, Reeva had made him a wonderful cake. It had been a real work of art. And after they had all sung ‘Happy Birthday’, and he had blown out the candles, she remembered Aiden hugging a crying Reeva tightly and saying earnestly, so sadly, ‘Come on, Mum. Stop fucking beating yourself up. You were only fourteen, Mum, and you fought to keep me, remember? And I love you for that. Mad fucking cow that you are, you always did your best for us all.’

And that was the truth; it was why they always forgave her when she caused murders. She would fight to the death for any of her kids.

As Agnes watched her mother lying on the sofa, ready to fall asleep, she wondered if she could ever be as strong as her. She was young, and she was nervous about what the future would bring. But, the strange thing was, she knew deep inside that, no matter what did happen, she could always depend on her mum and her brothers − and Tony, of course. She still wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing − only time would tell.

She knew that Aiden wasn’t enamoured of Colin any more and that was because of her − Aiden and her other brothers had lost a lot of respect for him. He had taken her without the permission of any of them, and that would always be a fucking problem because it was something they saw as underhand and sneaky. Which, of course, had been the real excitement for her. The sneaking around and the stolen moments together were like nothing she had ever experienced before in her life. It had never occurred to her until it was too late that there might be consequences to her actions. But now they were married and she had to make the best of it. She covered her mum up with a blanket and, as she tucked it in, Reeva opened her eyes and, smiling gently, she whispered, ‘You will always be my beautiful girl, Agnes. Never forget that, my darling.’

Agnes kissed her mother softly on the forehead and she left her to sleep.

Chapter One Hundred and Four

Jade liked Marvin Hendry and the feeling was mutual. Now that the meeting was over, and the business was sorted, the bar was packed out with men from both sides. She was pleased that she was the only woman there, because she knew that Aiden had arranged it to be so, understanding that she could always hold her own, and that she could be trusted to make him look good. She sat between him and Marvin as requested, and made sure that the conversation was serious but also witty. She could feel Marvin’s interest in her; she could tell that he admired her. Her reputation always preceded her, but the days of caring about that were long gone. The one thing she had learned many moons ago was that there was nothing that anyone could do about gossip; the best thing was to embrace it and make it work in your favour.

Aiden was giving her his undivided attention, and Marvin was impressed about that. She looked amazing, but then she knew how to dress to impress.

Looking around the bar, she watched as Patsy and his brothers made sure that the men who were with Marvin were being looked after. The music was loud enough to be heard, but not so loud that it intruded on private conversations. The bar staff had been handpicked and were all males and, although not subservient, they were very discreet and they made sure that no one’s glass was empty for any length of time. Jade had also arranged for Marvin and his posse to have exclusive use of the VIP room if they wanted it. She had a feeling that Marvin might offer it to his workforce but she sensed that he would not avail himself of it. He was a man who didn’t need to pay for a woman, that much was obvious to her. He wouldn’t take one for free either; as he smiled at her, she knew that the only woman he wanted was her. She understood that it wasn’t because she was Aiden’s woman − it was because he liked grown-ups.

She could sense immediately that Marvin had no interest in the club at all. Most men spent their time asking about the girls, how old they were, how much they had to spend to get them interested. It was embarrassing, really, just how fucking scummy most men were, if given the opportunity. It didn’t matter how many fucking laws were brought in, there would always be certain men who would want to pay for women they didn’t have to be nice to. If they paid enough, they could conveniently forget that they were someone else’s daughter or niece, or some kind of female relative. That was why the girls could make so much money and that was why prostitution was the oldest profession in the world.

Aiden was smiling at her; he was as aware of Marvin’s interest in her as she was, and just took it as a compliment. He never ceased to amaze her. He was either up for committing murder, or delighted that someone else saw her as he saw her. There was never a happy medium with him; everything depended on how he felt at the time. She continued to play the game, exactly as was expected of her. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something off, she just didn’t know what that might be. She knew she wasn’t the only person to feel that there was something wrong. Until Aiden saw fit to tell them what was occurring, they had no choice except to wait and see.

Chapter One Hundred and Five

Colin Clark and his brother, Timmy, were quiet. Colin was well aware that his brother was very annoyed with him, and he couldn’t blame him. As Timmy had pointed out frequently during the course of the day, he had been the cause of all this fucking upset. Colin couldn’t deny it − Timmy was absolutely fucking spot on. Talk about stating the fucking obvious! But, by the same token, what could he do about it now? This was his only chance to make some kind of sense out of what had happened.

‘Do you know what really fucks me off, Colin? That you honestly couldn’t see something like this coming. Did you really think that Aiden was just going to let you walk away without a fucking mark on you? Are you really that big a fool?’

Colin Clark pulled into the parking space and switched off the engine. Turning in his seat he looked at his brother and, taking a deep breath, he said, ‘Do you really think I need you to keep reminding me of what I have done? Do you not think that I already know what a complete fuck-up I have made? It’s hardly like I haven’t worked it out for myself.’

Timmy Clark could see that his brother was regretting his actions and trying his hardest to make amends. But it just didn’t make him feel any better. Colin had ruined everything they had worked for. Even his brother’s relationship with Aiden, and that had been a true friendship, was now in tatters. There was no way he could claw his way back into his good books. Timmy Clark thought that Colin had gone too far and he was his own brother, so where did that leave Aiden?

‘Look, Timmy, I get it, all right? I fucking did a serious wrong one. But it doesn’t matter how many times you point that out to me, it won’t change anything, will it?’

Colin got out of the car and took a few deep breaths. Timmy watched his brother sadly, broken-hearted because he had basically ruined them overnight. He couldn’t let him off easily; he had to make him understand just how badly he had fucked up.

Timmy stepped out of the car. ‘You just fucking didn’t take the time to think of what your actions might cause, Colin. Now look where we are! Look what we have to do to try and make everything all right again. And this is all because of you!’

Colin Clark didn’t answer because he honestly didn’t know how to apologise to his brother. He had really put them in a terrible position. And now Aiden had given them this ‘errand’, as he insisted on calling it, for tonight. Neither of them wanted anything to do with it − but they had no choice.

Timmy looked at his brother for a long moment. ‘Come on, let’s get this done and dusted, eh?’

Colin laughed with relief and, hugging his brother tightly, he said happily, ‘Finally, bruv, you are seeing it from my point of view! Now me and Agnes are married it will settle down. Aiden knows that I will look after her and I will. I promised her that.’

Timmy smiled sadly. ‘I hope so, Colin, I really do, mate.’

They walked to the house together. Timmy rang the doorbell; he was still so annoyed because he hated that it had come to this because of Colin and his fucking rank stupidity. Eric Palmer answered the door and ushered them inside. They followed him into his kitchen where he poured them large whiskies.

‘Aiden said you would be coming by. Sit down, lads. I have everything you need here. I think you’ll find everything in order.’

He was smiling at them happily, the books they were to pick up placed neatly on the table next to him.

‘Sit down, for fuck’s sake!’

Timmy looked around him at Eric’s home. It was luxurious, if a bit old-fashioned. But that was to be expected − he was not a young man and his surroundings were not of great interest to him any more. He already had his credentials and he didn’t feel the need to prove himself to anyone. Eric Palmer was respected by everyone who knew him, and especially by those who had ever had dealings with him. He had never felt the need to trade his wife in for a younger model who would insist on everything being as expensive as humanly possible and all put into her name. Eric Palmer was the last of the old school; a one-off these days. He was a dinosaur who had still managed to keep himself in the frame, thanks to his association with Aiden O’Hara, of course.

Eric was suddenly aware that there was something amiss. There was a bad feeling rising up inside him. Colin and Timmy Clark were both just standing in his kitchen, staring at him. He realised in a flash what the score was going to be tonight, but he didn’t want to admit it. There was a part of him that had expected something like this − he was nothing if not a realist, after all. He knew Aiden O’Hara better than anyone else. He had given that boy everything he could give him, loved him like a son. He had just not wanted to believe this day would ever come.

As Colin removed the gun from the back of his trousers and walked towards him, Eric Palmer knew exactly what was going to happen − he would have done the same if it had been his call. He had gone soft in his old age; there was a time when he would have pre-empted this and struck first. Sometimes you had to speculate to accumulate, how many times had he said that same thing to Aiden? Sometimes you had to do things that were not always easy, but that might be the only option open to a person. It was about saving your own life, making sure that you got what you wanted − and sometimes that meant sacrificing people in your life who you cared about.

There was a bit of Eric that was impressed at Aiden’s acumen; he had really thought this through. He was as great a man as Eric had always believed him to be, and this had only proved to him that he had been right about Aiden all along. This was such a fucking audacious move. He had taught the fucker well. Probably too well, but there wasn’t anything he could do about that now. He smiled at Colin and said easily, ‘Tell Aiden, Timmy, that I would have done exactly the same.’

The first shot hit Eric in the chest, and he dropped to his knees. The second shot hit him in the groin. He was writhing around on the floor in agony, and the third shot Colin put through his head. There was blood everywhere; it had sprayed all over the kitchen cupboards and the ceiling, and now it was making a huge, red stain on the black-and-white tiles on the kitchen floor.

Colin Clark turned and looked at his brother; he was devastated at what he had been forced to do. ‘Oh, Christ, Timmy. What the fuck have we done?’

Timmy Clark took the gun off him, and sat his brother down at the kitchen table. He gave him his whisky. ‘Drink that up, mate, it will do you good.’

Colin Clark downed the drink in one swallow, and then he coughed heartily because it was far too strong for him.

Behind him, Timmy Clark quickly put one bullet into the back of his brother’s head.

As Colin dropped forward and slid on to the floor, Timmy wondered at a world where this could be classed as even remotely normal. But what choice did he have? Aiden O’Hara had made it very plain that this was exactly what he had to do if he wanted to live for any length of time. It was either one dead or both of them gone, for ever.

But, as a result of his choice, Aiden’s sister had lost the father of her child, Timmy had lost a brother, and it would look like Colin was the bad bastard, caught out while trying to kill Eric Palmer. The worst of it all was that Timmy would be seen as a hero, as a man who had murdered his own flesh rather than stand by a man who would take out someone like Eric Palmer in cold blood. Aiden had even made sure that he was given some of Eric’s businesses to run, and that would give the truth to the lie. It was a lie Timmy would have to live with till the day he died. There was no way Aiden was ever going to let Colin get away with sleeping with his sister and getting her pregnant. Colin should have worked that much out for himself and just once in his life thought about what the fuck he was doing. But that was a moot point now. It was over, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Timmy looked at his brother’s body and then, picking up the ledgers, he walked away from the carnage. As angry as he was with Aiden, he knew in his heart of hearts that he couldn’t fault the fucker’s logic. Tonight Aiden had taken out two people and no one would ever suspect that he had a hand in any of it.

Chapter One Hundred and Six

Aiden O’Hara was holding his sister to him as tightly as possible. She was crying so loudly and shrieking as if she was in such pain that the police were more than willing to leave him to it. She was frightening them.

Aiden had already been on the blower and arranged things to his satisfaction. He’d made sure that the police involved were more than compensated for their troubles, and that his sister would be left in peace long enough for him to work his magic.

Reeva had sobered up in no time, and Tony and the boys had made sure that Agnes was not allowed within two feet of anyone outside of the family.

Sitting with her in her bedroom, Aiden held her until her crying stopped. Aiden was sorry for his sister − something like this was a big shock to the system. No one could deny that. It was outrageous! Who could ever have thought it possible? But, as he would explain to her when the opportunity presented itself, Colin had not been as trustworthy as they had all thought − even Colin’s own brother could tell her that. After all, it was his own brother who had been forced to take him out, that was how out of control the fucker had become. Colin had murdered Eric Palmer, a man they had all loved and who had been like their own flesh and blood. Colin Clark had already been given a good earn, a serious amount of scratch, but he had wanted more. The man was a fucking disgrace; all he had needed to do was to wait and he would have been given everything he had ever dreamed of. Why would anyone want to hurt Eric Palmer? That was what Aiden would never understand, as he told anyone who came within two feet of him, especially Agnes, who could not disagree with him. She had loved Eric too.

As Agnes finally calmed down, Aiden helped her into her bed gently and he sat beside her as she tried to bring her breathing under control. She could feel her baby inside her, and she cradled her belly in her arms, wondering what the future held for them both.

‘Look, Aggs, this is a very unfortunate situation, darling. I mean, who would ever have believed that Colin could have been so fucking unpredictable? But, from what Timmy says, Colin didn’t seem to think that Eric was giving him his due. You can see all of the paperwork, sweetheart. That was why they had gone to Eric’s in the first place. I had discussed with Eric about giving him a really lucrative business, you know, to welcome him to the family. I don’t know what possessed him, darling. You would have to ask Timmy about that. He was there. At the moment, all we can do is to try and minimise the damage, you know?’

Agnes looked up at her brother; he saw the hurt and the pain in her eyes, and he wondered why that didn’t really bother him. He knew it should, but he genuinely believed that he had done her a big favour, saved her from future heartache, because Colin Clark would never have been a faithful husband to her. And she wasn’t like his Jade; his sister would have been destroyed by Colin’s outside interests. Colin Clark could never have been good enough for his sister; he was a fucking nothing, a no one, a piece of fucking shit. He was supposed to have been his mate. Aiden had genuinely liked the man, and how had he repaid him? He had fucked his sister. Colin Clark had honestly believed that he could further himself by aligning himself with his wife’s family? He had been determined to make sure that it would never happen.

At the same time, Aiden felt that Eric Palmer had outlived his usefulness so it was just good business practice, really. He had killed two birds with one stone, getting rid of Colin Clark and Eric Palmer. Eric, bless him, was nothing more than collateral damage, but he would have a send-off that would be talked about for years; Aiden knew that he owed him that much. No expense would be spared.

Now Aiden didn’t have to answer to anyone, and that was exactly what he had wanted and what he had been working towards for a long time.

Agnes watched her brother for several minutes. As upset as he was with Colin, she believed he had always had her best interests at heart. But she had loved Colin so much, and she knew that he had loved her. What she couldn’t understand was why he would have wanted to hurt Eric Palmer.

‘Look, Agnes. We are all here for you and your baby. Your baby will be the most loved child on the planet. Don’t ever forget that, darling.’

She began to cry once more and he held her tenderly and told her everything that she wanted to hear. Everything that she needed to hear.

Chapter One Hundred and Seven

Reeva and Jade were in the kitchen drinking tea laced with whisky and smoking cigarettes. The boys were standing around silently wondering what they were supposed to be doing. Patsy motioned to Eugene to come with him. Eugene followed his elder brother out of the house and together they walked slowly down the road. Anyone watching them would have thought they were just taking a short stroll, trying to clear their heads.

Both were quiet until they were well away from their mum’s house. Then Eugene said to his older brother, ‘That bastard planned this, didn’t he? I felt there was something wrong on the streets all day. There was a fucking atmosphere but I just couldn’t work out what it meant. They must have thought it was all over for Aiden.’

Patsy sighed heavily. He really could do without this. But he understood where his brother was coming from. The fact that Aiden had used outside people to set this up was going to rankle. But it was a clever move − there was no disputing that. It made his brother look innocent, because they genuinely didn’t have any idea what he was planning. The masterstroke was that Aiden had used Colin Clark’s own brother against him. Timmy Clark had been forced to use the people that Aiden had recommended to him and, because of that, everyone in their world was now convinced that the O’Haras had nothing to do with any of it. Certain people had known that something big was going down, except, of course, they were not aware that the gun they had supplied so readily would be used against someone like Eric Palmer. They had assumed the firearm was to be used on Aiden O’Hara. After all, the situation with Agnes and Aiden’s opinion about it wasn’t exactly a secret.

They had been well and truly fucking had over. The people who had supplied the gun were in Aiden’s firing line because they would all be aware that he would already know everything he needed to about the latest events. The way they had treated his brothers this day would now be a big fucking worry. Patsy had to give it to his brother, Aiden had played them all − his own brothers included. In one fell swoop Aiden had taken out the two people he had really wanted gone, and he had also found out who in his circle would be willing to work against him if the need ever arose. Patsy didn’t hold out much hope for any of those fuckers in the next few weeks. It was a brilliant strategy. Even though Aiden could fuck up quickly, when he really put his mind to something the clever bastard could outsmart anyone. This just proved it.

Patsy started to laugh, he couldn’t help himself. He looked at Eugene and he could see the complete wonderment on his face and that just made him laugh more.

‘You really don’t get it, do you, Eugene?’

Eugene shook his head and, as expected, he was getting angry because he felt that he was being left out of the loop.

‘No, Patsy, I don’t fucking get it.’

Patsy explained everything to him and he could see the shock and awe on his brother’s face as it finally dawned on him just what Aiden had done. Eugene lit a joint and, after he had pulled in a few deep tokes, he passed it to Patsy.

‘Fucking hell, Patsy, that’s fucking cold, man.’

Patsy shrugged. ‘That’s Aiden, Eugene. Never underestimate him. And never let him think that he can’t trust you. He deliberately kept us out of this drama today. Remember that, always. He kept us all as safe as houses.’

Eugene nodded. He understood exactly what had gone down. If they didn’t know, then they couldn’t ever discuss it. It was brilliant.

‘But he fucking killed Colin and Eric.’

Patsy held up his hand as if he was stopping traffic. ‘And you want to call him on that, do you, Eugene? He took out not just the father of our sister’s child, a man he was best friends with, but also arranged the murder of the man who treated him as a fucking son. Fucking hell, use your loaf, Eugene. You better do what I’m going to be doing − acting as fucking shocked as the next man. For all his lunacy, remember that he kept us out of the frame. He’s going to want to know who you think might have been in on it, and my advice to you is to tell him. He knows anyway, believe me.’

Eugene nodded in agreement. ‘Of course I will. I get it, Patsy.’

Patsy smiled and hugged his brother tightly to him. ‘Listen, mate. Aiden is a law unto himself. But never forget that he loves us. He has always been there for us. Especially for our mum. He has been looking out for us all our lives.’

Patsy knew that bringing Reeva into the equation would help Eugene to, if not understand, then at least accept the latest developments. The one thing they had in common was that they loved Reeva, no matter what she might do, say or cause. He only hoped that he could convince himself of Aiden’s good intentions, because, lately, Patsy was finding it harder and harder to justify his actions.

Back in the house Aiden had already started on his spiel about looking after Agnes’s child, and how they all needed to be there for her. He was walking away without anyone looking in his direction, and that was exactly what Aiden was so good at. He had achieved everything he wanted, and come out as the hero of the hour.

Chapter One Hundred and Eight

‘Push, darling. Honestly, it’s as easy as pie, I promise you!’

The midwife, Miss Maudell, was clearly getting more and more exasperated at the bleached-blonde, megaphone-voiced woman who had insisted on being present to help her daughter give birth. Miss Maudell was a large woman, a spinster of the parish, as Reeva had so rudely called her, and quite unable to control Reeva in any way.

Agnes was watching the interplay between her mother and the poor midwife – she would have smiled if she had had one in her. As another wave of pain washed over her, she took a deep breath and tried to roll with it. She wished so much that Colin was here with her; it was a daunting prospect to be bringing up this child on her own. Oh, she knew she had her mum and her brothers – especially Aiden, who had been amazing since Colin had passed. Timmy too had promised her that he would look out for his brother’s child as if it was his own, but it was Aiden, who had really stepped up to support her; he could not do enough. She knew that he was outside even now, waiting for this to be over so he could come in and meet the latest addition to the family.

After the trouble at the wedding he had apologised, which had meant the world to her at the time. He had once more treated Colin like his best friend, and she had really believed he had come to terms with their relationship. Afterwards she had heard whispers that her husband had not exactly died in the best of circumstances so, all in all, she felt now that Aiden was being very magnanimous in his generosity towards her and her unborn child.

‘Right, I’m going for a fag, darling. You keep pushing away! And don’t have it till I get back, OK?’

Like Miss Maudell, Agnes was relieved when Reeva finally left the room. Even the air seemed clearer without her mother’s overwhelming perfume wafting in her face constantly.

Miss Maudell was pleased with how things were progressing. ‘I can see the head, Mrs Clark, not long now. When I tell you, I want you to give a nice big push!’

Chapter One Hundred and Nine

Aiden was waiting outside the delivery suite, practically in more of a state of anticipation than he had been for the birth of his own child. Everything was playing out just as he wanted. He knew that he had hurt his sister in taking out her husband but he had faith she would get over it. He intended to make sure she would never want for anything and neither would her child. He hoped it was a girl; that would make life much easier for him.

He had seen his mother off for her fag gratefully; there was nothing more annoying than Reeva when she was excited. Her voice went up by twenty decibels and she insisted on airing every thought that popped into her head. Even in the lift she had been regaling everyone and anyone about her new grandchild’s imminent arrival. He smiled. She was a card, really, was his mum. She meant well, but when God was handing out brains Reeva must have been having a day off.

Aiden looked at his watch and wondered why his brothers weren’t here already. He had told them that Agnes was in labour. Where the fuck were they? Come to that, where the fuck was Jade?

He heard his sister scream and, without thinking, he burst into the room, just as his nephew pushed his way into the world in all his bloodied glory. Aiden stood there open-mouthed as the midwife laid the child across its mother’s belly and, when he gave out an almighty wail, Aiden said, laughing, ‘Fucking right pair of lungs on him, girl!’ Agnes looked tired, but when she was handed her son it was as if she had suddenly been lit up from inside. Still her voice was tinged with sadness as she kissed her boy’s head and said, ‘Oh, I wish your daddy could see you, son. He would have been so proud.’

Even the midwife felt choked at the emotion in Agnes’s words. The moment was ruined, though, when Reeva burst into the room shouting, ‘About bleeding time! I’m fucking starving!’

Without a second thought, Agnes handed the child to Aiden and, taking him into his arms expertly, he sat on the chair provided and looked down in wonderment at this brand-new human being. No doubt about it, each one was a miracle. The child’s eyes were looking into his and, when he grabbed at his finger, Aiden was amazed at the strength in the little bugger. He was going to make sure that he was a good father figure to his nephew. It would be like Colin Clark had never existed.

‘Well, give me a fucking hold then, Ade!’

He passed the child reluctantly to his mother and then, reaching over, he hugged his sister tightly, saying honestly, ‘He’s beautiful, Aggs. And I swear to you now that I will look after him like my own. I will look after both of you, darling.’

Agnes nodded happily because she believed him. In this moment, she trusted that he meant every word he said.