Payback

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‘No. We are partners and in this together, which is why I have already spoken to another supplier. I think we might be able to set up a deal with them, but they have insisted on meeting you also. They are in London at the moment and have suggested we meet tomorrow evening.’

‘That’s fine by me. Thanks for being so understanding about the other deal, pal.’

Inwardly seething, as he had been desperate to rip Vinny off for over a million, Ahmed forced a smile. ‘No need to thank me. That’s what friends are for.’

In a far more upmarket part of London, Michael Butler was feeling like some stupid lovesick schoolboy as he stepped into the posh lift. Unlike the lifts in his neck of the woods, this one didn’t stink of sick and piss, and the walls weren’t covered in graffiti. In fact this one was so clean you could eat your dinner off the floor.

When the lift stopped, Michael could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He had tried his hardest not to ring her, he really had. But here he was in Chelsea, like a lamb being led to the slaughter.

Bella opened the door in a red see-through negligee. Being the red-blooded male that he was, Michael immediately felt his penis jump to attention.

‘Do come in, Michael. Would you like a glass of wine?’ Bella asked.

Michael nodded and followed her into the kitchen. Her voice was just as sexy as the rest of her. Husky, with an Italian lilt to it.

Making sure she was showing plenty of cleavage, Bella sat at the table opposite him. ‘So, what can I do for you? You said on the phone you had something to tell me.’

‘I do, but now I feel like an idiot saying it.’

‘Don’t be shy, Michael. You weren’t shy on the evening we met,’ Bella said with a smirk.

Michael stared at her. Her lipstick matched her negligee and all he could think of was fucking her senseless. ‘OK, I’ll be honest. I can’t stop thinking about you. You are on my mind every minute of every day.’

Bella took a sip of her wine. She was secretly thrilled by Michael’s confession, but didn’t want to show it. ‘You took your time getting in touch with me.’

‘I know and I’m sorry. I was just trying to fight it, I suppose.’

Bella stood up, undid her negligee and let it fall to the floor. ‘I think we need to make up for lost time then, don’t you?’

Michael did not need asking twice. He positioned Bella against the kitchen table and entered her like a rat up a drainpipe.

CHAPTER NINE (#ulink_b7e87221-bdd1-5ee7-922a-27c6b937883e)

Vinny Butler woke up with the most excruciating headache. He hadn’t taken cocaine since Roy had killed himself, but last night after they had left the whorehouse, Ahmed had insisted that they must try the sample that his new contact had supplied.

Hearing the phone ring yet again, Vinny staggered into the lounge to answer it. He and Ahmed had ended up in some Soho nightclub and he hadn’t got back to the club until six a.m.

‘Where you been? Worried sick about you, I was. I never slept a wink last night.’

‘I’m sorry, Mum. I had a business meeting and didn’t get back until late, which is why I crashed here. I’d had a few bevvies, so didn’t want to wake Jo and the baby.’

‘Wake them! They were already bastard well awake, Vinny, which probably had something to do with the brick that flew through the window and nearly wiped out poor little Molly’s life.’

Vinny felt his blood run cold. ‘You what? Is Molly OK? What happened, Mum? If anyone has hurt her, I swear I will fucking kill ’em.’

‘Molly’s fine. Her and Jo stayed here the night. Best you get round yours and see if Little Vinny’s there. Poor sod’s been on his own all night, and I couldn’t go round there – not with Jo in a state and Vivvy just getting out of hospital. You want to take a good look at your life, son. You’re not a teenager any more, you’re a grown man with responsibilities. Those kids of yours should be top of your list of priorities, not your dodgy business dealings.’

‘I’m really sorry, Mum. Can I talk to Jo?’

‘No, she’s feeding Molly. Just get your arse home, then round here – and bring Jo and Molly a change of clothes and the pram. I just pray, with that window smashed, you haven’t been burgled as well.’

Vinny felt as guilty as sin when his mother ended the call. No way would he take cocaine again or visit whorehouses, ever! Molly deserved far better than that. Not knowing who had it in for him was driving him insane, but somebody obviously did, and when he found out who that individual was, he would personally chop their fucking head off.

Michael Butler groaned in ecstasy as Bella brought him to a shuddering orgasm. Nancy wasn’t a lover of blow-jobs and on the rare occasion she did give him one, it was with a very half-hearted attitude. Bella was the opposite. She couldn’t get enough of his cock and gave the best head that Michael had ever received in his life.

‘Babe, I’ve got to go now. My sons will be waiting for me to take them to my mum’s street party.’

‘Will we be seeing one another again? Only I’m not the type to sit at home staring at the phone hoping you might call, Michael.’

‘How about I take you out on Sunday? We’ll go up the West End if you like?’

Bella smiled. ‘I like that idea very much.’

Vinny Butler felt as guilty as hell when he walked into his mother’s lounge. He picked his baby up, held her close to his chest and turned to Joanna. ‘I’m so sorry you couldn’t get hold of me last night. You must have been terrified. Did you clock who did it?’

Joanna shook her head. ‘The brick only missed Molly by an inch or so. It could have killed her, Vinny. I looked out of the window, but whoever did it must have already run off. I was too scared to go outside. Where was you? I thought you were working at the club?’

‘I was, but I then had to go out on business. I didn’t get back until late.’

‘Well, you should let Michael run the club for the next few nights and stay at home with Jo and the baby, Vinny. It was probably kids, but you can never be too careful,’ Queenie warned her son.

Vinny sighed. Michael had mentioned he had seen two little herberts hanging around outside the club earlier this week, so perhaps they were the culprits? But why would two kids have it in for him? It just didn’t add up.

‘I need to shoot out tonight, so best Jo stays here until I get back. I shouldn’t be too late.’

‘Where’s Little Vinny? Did you find him?’ Vivian asked.

‘Yeah, he’s round at Ben Bloggs’. They’re both coming to the party later and somebody is fixing the window as we speak.’

When Joanna left the room to get changed, Queenie stared at her son. ‘Has somebody got it in for you, boy? Best you tell us the truth in case we’re all in bloody danger.’

Not wanting to worry his mum or aunt, Vinny chuckled. ‘Don’t be daft. As you said, it was probably just kids.’

Nancy Butler had tears streaming down her face as she drove towards Queenie’s house. Michael hadn’t come home last night, hadn’t even contacted her, and Nancy knew their relationship was in trouble. Dean hadn’t been much help. Their conversation had been cut short as the kids were playing up outside the phonebox, but he had urged her to leave Michael. ‘Just get away from that family before it’s too late, Nance. You’ll regret it if you don’t,’ were Dean’s exact words.

‘Why you crying, Mummy?’ Adam asked innocently.

‘Because she was nasty to Lee, now Daddy hates her,’ Daniel replied.

Feeling panicky as a lorry overtook her, Nancy bumped the car up a nearby kerb. She had only passed her driving test a couple of months ago and Michael had bought her a Mini, but she rarely drove alone as she wasn’t confident enough. Feeling dreadfully sorry for herself, Nancy took a tissue out of her bag and blew her nose. No wonder Michael hated her right now. She was a crap driver, mother and wife.

Having helped decorate the street and tables with Union Jacks and bunting, Queenie and Vivian set about getting themselves glammed up. Most of their neighbours were as scruffy as arseholes, but Queenie and Vivian enjoyed standing out from the crowd. It was what they were all about.

‘Does this look OK, Queen? I lost weight in that hospital. Don’t look too big, does it?’ Vivian asked. She was wearing a pale blue sleeveless dress, navy shoes and a big straw hat.

‘You look a million dollars, Viv. But don’t forget to put your gold on. I’m wearing my sovereign today, and you should wear yours. What about my outfit? Not too over the top, is it?’ Queenie replied. She’d chosen a white sleeveless dress which she’d matched with a big red hat and red shoes. Both women had thought they were the bees knees since they were teenagers.

‘You look fabulous. When’s Vinny setting the disco system up in the front garden, Queen?’

‘He’s sorting it now. Right, shall we start taking the food out? I wonder what Stinky Susan has made?’

Vivian chuckled. Stinky Susan had moved into the house next door while she was in hospital. An unkempt-looking woman with permanently greasy hair, she had knocked on Viv’s door this morning and Viv had been greeted with a distinct whiff of unadulterated piss. ‘Christ knows, but I’m not eating anything she or anybody else brings. None of their homes are that wholesome, so we’ll just stick with our own grub.’

Queenie agreed, then linked arms with Viv. Usually, they avoided the neighbours like the plague, but there had been rumours flying about that Viv had been carted off to the nuthouse, and Queenie was determined to restore family pride. ‘Come on, let’s go and knock the nosy bastards dead.’

Having never driven to the East End before, Nancy panicked when she found many of the roads, including Queenie’s, were blocked off for street parties. Instead she headed for Michael’s club and was fortunate to find a parking space nearby.

‘Look, there’s Daddy! Dad, wait for us,’ Daniel screamed, as he and Lee chased after their father.

Picking Adam up, Nancy walked towards Michael. He had obviously stayed at the club as he was wearing different clothes to the ones he’d left home in the previous day. Nancy was relieved about that, as when she had rung the club late last night and again this morning she had been informed that her husband was not there.

‘I’ll take the boys from here, so you can go to your mum’s party,’ Michael said, avoiding direct eye contact with his wife. He could tell she had been crying and he knew if he looked at her, he would feel guilty.

‘I’m not going to my mum’s party. I want us to spend the day together as a family. Michael, I’m so sorry Lee heard what I said. He is a good kid and I swear, from now on I shall treat him the same as my own. Please forgive me. I love you and we owe it to our sons to make our marriage work, don’t we? Can you imagine how upset they would be if we split up? It would break their little hearts. Daniel and Adam would miss Lee so much if he went to live with you, and I could never give our boys up, Michael.’

‘And neither could I,’ Michael spat.

When Nancy broke down in tears, Michael held her close to his chest. His heart felt torn in two. He still loved her, but was that just because she had given him two wonderful sons? Bella made his pulse race every time he thought about her. But was it lust that he felt for her or true love?