Rival

by Jacqui Rose

  Earlier she’d followed Tia and Vaughn and just when she’d thought there was nothing to see, her patience had paid off and she’d watched Vaughn kiss Tia.

  Perfect little Tia. Well not so perfect now.

  She’d contemplated phoning Harry straight away and letting him know what she’d seen but then she thought she’d wait, savour the moment and pick the perfect time. After all, it was the perfect bit of gossip. The perfect bit of ammunition.

  Suddenly hearing footsteps she jumped up and rushed to the bedroom door, opening it wide.

  ‘Hey, I’ve been waiting for you to come back.’

  Harry scowled and without saying a word he continued to stalk along the wooden hallway.

  ‘Wait, Harry! Please. I need to talk to you.’

  He spun around, already annoyed that yet again he couldn’t get through to Vaughn or Tia on the phone. Taking his frustration out on Tammy, he barked, ‘Well whatever it is, I ain’t in the mood for it, especially if it’s anything to do with your petty jealousy over Tia. So if I were you, Tammy, I’d think twice about chewing me ear off.’

  Hurt but refusing to show it, Tammy took a step forward. She wasn’t stupid; she knew that Harry still wanted Tia and not her. Right from the beginning that had been true. He’d never been kind, not really. Okay, he’d bought her things, given her money occasionally, but kind and warm? Never.

  Not that she was used to anything different. She’d never had anyone who looked at her like she’d seen in the movies. She’d never had anyone tell her he loved her, aside from Tia, that was. And what good was Tia’s love? When she’d needed Tia the most, when they’d been kids, where was Tia’s love then?

  To her way of thinking, Tia had been the lucky one, because whilst Tia hadn’t had it perfect by no means, it hadn’t been Tia who’d been abused night after night by her foster father. So why should Tia have it all now? What did Tia have that she didn’t? After all, they looked alike, they looked identical so by rights Harry should be falling all over her, but he wasn’t. He hadn’t ever done that, though she had thought that one day he would love her the way he loved Tia.

  But as he hadn’t, she could only put it down to Tia still being about. Therefore, if she could get rid of her, if Tia would only go, then she would have a chance. A chance to finally have someone who loved her. Because that’s all she’d ever really wanted, was to have someone care for and protect her.

  She ran her fingers across Harry’s chest. She purred as she spoke quietly. ‘Come on, baby, let me help you unwind.’

  He pushed her hands off and he spoke sharply, punctuating his words. ‘Don’t fucking wind me up.’

  ‘Harry, don’t be like that.’

  Angrily, Harry grabbed her wrists. ‘What is it about you? You just want to keep on pushing and pushing.’

  ‘I just want to talk. I’ve got something to tell you, something that might bring a smile to that grumpy face of yours … Well?’

  Dropping her wrists and deciding it might help him get his mind off Tia, Harry nodded. ‘Fine, go on, what is it? But make it quick.’

  ‘Not out here, come on in.’ She gently took his hand and pulled her into her bedroom, which was decorated in pink and pale yellows with furniture to match. Looking around, Harry absentmindedly played with one of the several silver trinkets on the dresser and, not one to have patience at the best of times, snapped, his handsome face a picture of irritation.

  ‘Tammy, are you going to spit this out or not? I’ve got stuff to do.’

  ‘I’m pregnant.’

  The room fell silent for a moment and neither of them moved until Harry turned his head to one side, his expression drawn in a harsh line. ‘You what?’

  Tammy smiled. ‘I’m pregnant, Harry, pregnant.’

  He stared at her and blinked, then blinked again. ‘Tell me I’m hearing that wrong.’

  Looking less confident this time, Tammy shook her head. ‘I’m having your baby.’

  ‘That’s what I thought you said.’ And with that, Harry lunged for Tammy, grabbing hold of her chin and squeezing it hard. She squealed in fright as he snarled, ‘Is this some kind of joke?’

  She shook her head as tears came into her eyes. ‘No.’

  ‘How far gone are you?’

  ‘A couple of months.’

  Harry nodded. ‘A couple of months and you thought you’d only tell me now?’

  ‘I’m sorry, I just …’

  He cut her off. ‘Who else knows? Have you told Tia? Does Tia know?’

  Tammy stayed silent and didn’t move as Harry bellowed into her face, ‘I said, does Tia know?’

  Tammy gave the tiniest of nods and immediately Harry drew his hand back and smacked her hard across the face, splitting her lip. ‘And I bet you enjoyed telling her didn’t you? I bet you thought it was a joke. You’re a bitch, Tammy, and I want you gone.’

  Panicked and with blood running down her chin, Tammy shook her head. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. ‘I know it’s a shock right now – it was for me too.’

  It was Harry’s turn to shake his head this time. ‘No, darlin’, this ain’t a shock, this is a fucking mess. Now get out.’

  ‘Harry …’

  ‘I said, out!’

  Again Tammy shook her head. ‘No, Harry, I ain’t Tia and you’re not going to treat me like that.’

  Harry moved nearer to her as rage rushed through him. ‘You’re right, you’re not Tia. You don’t even come close. You’re nothing but a nasty little bitch. Right from the beginning you handed it to me on a plate just so you could have a dig at your sister.’

  ‘No, that’s not true.’

  ‘Oh but it is, darlin’. You can’t stand it that Tia is loved and you’re not.’

  ‘Don’t say that,’ Tammy cried.

  Harry laughed again. ‘Why not? Because it’s true. You couldn’t even come close to Tia and you know the sad thing about it is that you’re too stupid to see that your sister loves you. You’re too full of bitterness.’

  Tammy’s face twisted in pain. ‘She don’t love anyone but herself.’

  ‘Are you kidding? You stupid cow. She’ll probably be the only person who ever loves you yet you want to throw it away? For what? For some petty revenge.’

  ‘You can talk; you’re no better. You’re just a hypocrite.’

  Harry smirked. ‘You’re right but the difference is, darlin’, I don’t pretend to be something I’m not. So, as I like to say to people, you can do this the hard way or the easier way, Tammy, but either way, you’re going to get out of my fucking house.’

  Flushing red, Tammy stared at Harry angrily. ‘I ain’t something that you can just throw aside. You ain’t going to do that to me.’

  ‘Ain’t I?’ Harry said as he grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the door.

  ‘Let go of me! I said, let go of me … You’re going to pay for this.’

  At those words, Harry spun around and glared at her, his face contorted with hatred. ‘Are you threatening me, Tammy?’

  ‘Too right I am.’ The minute she’d said it, Tammy knew she’d made a mistake and before she was able to backtrack Harry flew at her, causing her to try to make a run for the door. But being too quick for her, Harry grabbed hold of Tammy’s hair, dragging her backwards, yanking it as hard as he could.

  She screamed, trying to pull his hands away whilst he tugged her back onto the bed. He raised his hand and slapped her across her face as tears came into her eyes. He roared, bending down to pick her up by the collar of her shirt as anger ran through him. ‘Are you for fucking real?’

  ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said it – I didn’t mean it.’

  ‘Yeah, but you meant to get pregnant, didn’t you? You meant to fuck me over like you fucked your sister over.’

  ‘No, it wasn’t like that.’

  Harry’s eyes bulged in anger. ‘Did you really think that I’d want you to have my baby? Did you?’

  ‘I just thought that … that …’
/>
  ‘That what?’ screamed Harry. ‘That I’d want a little bitch like you carrying my kid?’

  Terrified, Tammy nodded. ‘Yeah, I thought that you and me …’

  Harry roared with laughter. ‘There is no you and me. There was never a you and me.’

  ‘But … but …’

  He lifted her up by her hair to face him then tapped her forehead hard with his finger. ‘But nothing, darlin’.’

  ‘I don’t get it. You were the one who brought me here. You were the one who asked me to come.’

  ‘You can’t be that stupid. Are you really that hard of hearing? How many times do I have to tell you this? You mean nothing to me. You must have a screw loose to ever think that. Like I just said, I was just using you, Tammy, using you. You were just a cheap fuck. Something to wind your sister up with.’

  Tammy’s face crumpled up, pain etched across it. ‘No, no, I don’t believe that. I mean, maybe that’s how it started, but I know eventually I will be something to you. I know I will.’

  ‘Sweetheart, desperate is an unattractive look,’ Harry said nastily.

  Panicking, Tammy spoke quicker. ‘You’re just angry right now – that’s why you’re doing this. That’s why you’re saying this. I don’t believe that there’s nothing between us.’

  ‘Trust me, believe it. Now I want you to pack your bags and get the fuck out of here and I never want to see you around here again but before that, you are going to go down to the clinic and get that thing terminated.’

  Crying hard, Tammy shook her head and covered her stomach. ‘I can’t do that, I can’t.’

  Snarling, Harry bent down to her. ‘Then if you can’t, I will. I’ll take you. You ain’t destroying my family.’

  Tammy screamed. ‘You think the sun shines out of Tia’s arse, well you’re wrong! You’re wrong, cos I’ve seen her!’

  He stopped and turned to look at her. ‘What the fuck are you talking about?’

  ‘I saw her with him. I saw her with Vaughn. I saw them kissing!’

  But the minute she said it, Tammy Owens knew she’d said the wrong thing once again.

  35

  ‘I’m worried about some of the girls.’

  Wan stared at Franny, noticing as usual how beautiful she was but her beauty certainly didn’t make her less irritating, nor did it make him think – and not for the first time – that he hadn’t made a big mistake in having anything to do with her.

  With annoyance riding high, he said, ‘How many times do we have to go over this, Franny? It isn’t your job to worry, it’s your job to look after them, keep them happy, keep them sweet and after that, you look after my clubs. Earn me money, keep the punters coming in. That’s it. That’s all. Surely that’s not fucking hard to do, is it?’

  Sitting down on the other side of Wan’s desk, Franny rolled her tongue in her mouth as she glared at him. ‘How can they be happy when they do what they have to do?’

  ‘Firstly, they don’t have to do anything. I’m not forcing them. They know where the door is and I’m happy for them to use it. No skin off my nose. And secondly, there’s other ways of keeping them happy. Pills? Powder? Come off it, Franny, wherever those girls were they’d need a little pep from something or somewhere. Make them forget who they are. Where they come from. Look at it like we’re doing them a favour.’

  Franny shook her head. ‘The scary thing is, part of you really believes that.’

  ‘Not part of me – all of me. I do believe it. These girls have a roof over their heads, they have clothes, they have their hair and nails done, they have good fun and they have their freedom to come and go. No bills to pay, nothing to worry about. No responsibility. Now, if I suddenly turned them out, turned them away, where would they go? Do you really think that they’d have it so good? Do you think they’d have a warm bed to sleep in each night? No. You know they wouldn’t. So get off your fucking high horse and see it for what it is.’

  Franny fumed. ‘Oh I see it for what is it, that’s the problem. Those girls are vulnerable, Wan.’

  ‘And like I say, wherever they went they’d be vulnerable. I didn’t break them.’

  Franny laughed bitterly as she swept her long chestnut hair behind her ears. ‘You’ve got all the answers, ain’t you? Problem is you’re talking shit.’

  Wan pointed at Franny, anger beginning to wash all over him. ‘I’d watch it if I were you, Franny. That mouth of yours will get you in serious trouble.’

  ‘So many people have told me that, yet I’m still here.’

  ‘Now who’s got all the answers? Let me tell you something for nothing. Those girls, they love me. I give them the attention that they’ve never had. They’d do anything for me and in return I look after them. What’s wrong with that?’

  ‘Everything, Wan. Just listen to what you’re saying. They’re desperate to the point where they’re willing to be raped by several men at a time just to please you. Just so that you don’t take the tiny bit of attention that you give them away.’

  Wan stood up and walked around the desk to where Franny was sitting. He leant against the desk as he spoke. ‘Rape is a very strong word, Franny.’

  ‘It is and that’s what happens to them night after night because of you. Is that what happened to Louise?’

  ‘What do you know about Louise?’

  ‘I know she was murdered.’

  Wan’s face darkened and he clenched his jaw. ‘Who told you that? Who the fuck has been telling you shit? What’s Sasha been saying, cos if she’s been spouting shit, she’ll be in trouble.’

  Franny stared at him curiously. ‘Sasha? She ain’t said anything. It’s common knowledge, Wan, but what isn’t common knowledge is who did it. Did some of your friends’ games go too far? Did they get worried and then need to dump her somewhere? But of course, that was after she’d been abused and had internal damage from something sharp being inserted inside her. Or was it you, Wan?’ she said, full of hatred.

  Without warning, Wan used the back of his hand to slap Franny hard across the face. Her head was knocked to one side and her lip slit open but immediately she stood up and slapped him back just as hard. ‘We may have a deal, Wan, but that don’t mean you ever can put your hands on me,’ she said, tasting the blood on her lip. ‘If you ever do that again, Vaughn or no Vaughn, Harry or no Harry, you will regret it.’

  Wan’s hand shot out and grabbed Franny by the throat. ‘A fool knows no fear.’

  Pushing Wan’s hand away, Franny glared at him. ‘Then that makes us both foolish.’ And with that, Franny Doyle marched out of Wan’s office.

  It was over an hour later by the time Franny got to the house in Whitechapel. The traffic had been worse than normal and she’d had to ditch the car by the Blind Beggar pub – made famous by the Krays – just so she hadn’t been sitting in a traffic jam for another half hour.

  Walking into the house, Franny was pleased that the place seemed like it was empty and she suspected that all the girls had gone to the club or were still out having their nails done, which they always did on Saturdays.

  Going up the stairs quietly, Franny stopped at Ellie’s door. She knocked but there was no reply so instead she walked along the corridor to Sasha’s room, as she still hadn’t caught up with her yet. Again she knocked, but again there wasn’t a reply. Instead of walking away, Franny opened the door.

  She walked across to the chest of drawers and stopped, listening again, checking to make sure she was still on her own. Certain there was still no one in the house, Franny opened the drawer and saw that Sasha’s diary was still tucked away, hidden under her vest tops.

  Pulling it out, Franny sat on the edge of the bed and started to read, hoping that there’d be something in there that would help her better understand what was going on …

  Thursday 1st

  Louise is dead. Thought it was just a joke at first from that nasty cow Ellie. She was going around saying mean stuff, so when she said Louise was dead, thought it was a lie. Asked Wan about i
t and he got real mad with both me and Ellie. He slapped Ellie really hard, burst one of her eardrums – well that’s what she said later. Don’t know if it’s true or if it’s another lie. Wish it was a lie about Louise but eventually Wan told us it was true. Don’t know what I’m going to do without her. Can’t believe it. At least I’ve got Sophie but I’m gutted about Louise. Keep crying. Wan told me I was being a baby and Ellie thought that was funny. I hate her. She’s such a nasty cow.

  Sunday 4th

  Worried about Sophie. She takes a lot of that gear that Wan gives her. I think it must be cut with something cos she keeps on blacking out. I told her to stop but she told me that I sounded like her mum. Just scared for her. Think Ellie is jealous of Sophie. None of the girls like Ellie.

  Franny stopped and reread the line … I think it must be cut with something.

  She thought about the way Sophie had been convulsing but then she knew that it was possible to convulse on coke as well. But if Wan was doing that, if Wan was cutting it up with something then that was a dangerous game … a dangerous game for the girls.

  Looking back down at the diary Franny continued to read …

  Monday 5th

  Ellie told us that she wants to marry Wan. Sophie laughed and Ellie got really nasty. She’s such a bitch. A girl came in, someone I didn’t know looking for Wan today, someone else for Ellie to get jealous about. Don’t know if I hate Ellie because she’s nasty or I hate her because she’s so into Wan. Wan told me that he didn’t really like her and that it was me who he loved. It’s hard to know what to believe sometimes especially as I saw him in bed with Sophie. Can’t hate Sophie cos she’s my friend but it made me feel so bad that I ended up cutting myself. That made me feel better. Maybe I should leave, go somewhere else … But would miss Wan too much and also miss Sophie. My head’s a mess.

  Franny closed her eyes and she shook her head. It made her feel sick, reading about Wan and the girls and how much they thought of him. How much he’d manipulated their feelings. It also made her feel sick that she’d ever come to work for him. She’d have rather taken her chances with Vaughn and Harry than be a part of this, if she’d known what she was getting into. But then, that sounded like an excuse. She wasn’t entirely innocent was she? She knew this business and she knew what people did. She also knew that Wan and his brother had a reputation and she’d chosen to ignore it so she was just as much part of it as he was.