The Goldsworth Series Box Set

by Davie J Toothill

  “I heard about you and Naz,” Amal said, leaning close to Shontelle. “I’m sorry.”

  “No, you’re not,” Shontelle laughed, putting a playful finger to his chest, and he felt his breath catch. “And neither am I.”

  Shontelle slid her hand into his and gestured towards the dance floor. Amal nodded, and Tamar gave him a wink as he let himself be led into the swaying crowd. Shontelle smiled at him, and Amal could hardly take his eyes off her, found it hard to move his own body in time to the beats, so enthralled watching her body twist to the music.

  Catching him watching her, she closed the gap between them, pressing herself against him. Amal felt himself stirring as he slid his arms around her waist, holding her close against him.

  “Are you sure it’s not too soon?” Amal asked her, his eyes on her mouth, feeling the pull of her, hardly able to stop himself from kissing her.

  Shontelle shook her head.

  “I’ve been waiting for this since I first met you,” she said, and he knew she meant it.

  She slid her arms around his neck, pulling his face closer to hers, and Amal did not need any encouragement, lowering his mouth onto hers, his kisses hungry for her.

  * * *

  “How’s that then?” Jessie asked, leaning into Goldie as he exhaled, sending a wave of smoke across the lounge. He flicked his cigarette into the ashtray, and smiled again. She pouted, willing him to tell her. “Come on, if you can help me, you won’t regret it. You work for my boyfriend, right? I can make things happen for you.”

  She thought his eyes flashed with something like anger at that, but it was gone as quick as it had come, and he smiled wide.

  “Well, listen, right, you want to have a baby,” Goldie said, his voice low, so that Jessie had to lean closer to him to hear him over the pounding music. Nobody at the party paid them any attention. She nodded. “And you want the baby so that Corey don’t chuck you, but it ain’t likely to happen if he ain’t giving you the business, right? Sounds to me like you need to get another guy to get a baby in you. You’ll be knocked up, and Corey’s going to think it’s his. He doesn’t leave you, you have the baby, all’s good. He might even put another baby in you, once he knows you can have ‘em.”

  Jessie looked at him for a long moment, not sure whether to slap him or kiss him. She considered what he had said. She took another gulp from the bottle, realising the vodka was nearly all gone. She had probably had too much to drink, especially if she was seriously considering what Goldie had just said.

  “What do you reckon?” Goldie asked. “You think its shit, right?” He sighed, shaking his head. “Was just a thought–”

  “It is pretty shit,” Jessie admitted. Goldie grimaced. “But, it isn’t like I’ve got a lot of options, right?”

  Goldie caught her eye and grinned.

  “I mean, after what I did to that Camilla, I reckon he’ll dump me if I can’t prove to him I can have his kids,” Jessie went on. “Your idea is about the best I got. Not that I know who’d want to do it, I mean, if Corey ever found out, he’d –”

  “How’s he going to find out?” Goldie asked, amused. “He’ll be so goddamn happy you’re up the duff that he won’t start asking questions.”

  Jessie nodded, wondering if this only seemed like a good plan because she’d had so much to drink.

  “And as for finding a guy whose up for the job, look no further,” Goldie said, grinning wide. Jessie considered him. He wasn’t bad looking. He was lean, had a few tattoos, and it wasn’t like she’d have to marry him, or even do it more than a couple of times. Goldie winked at her. “Besides, I got baby mammas all over the place. Strongest sperm in the fucking city, don’t you worry about that babe.”

  Jessie drained the last of the vodka and dropped the bottle down the side of the sofa. Goldie’s gold teeth shone as his smile widened.

  “Come on,” she said, standing and staggering a little on her feet. “We can use my bedroom, Corey won’t be back for ages and nobody will go in there.”

  Upstairs, Jessie kicked off her heels and looked in the mirror. She looked just as shitfaced as she felt. Goldie came up a few minutes later, so nobody got suspicious. He was smoking, but he stubbed it out when he came in. Jessie turned to look at him and he was already pulling down his jeans, his trainers discarded on the floor by the door. His cap was still on his head, and the gold chain glistened at his neck beneath his top.

  “Let’s do this,” he said, excited.

  Jessie closed the distance between them. Goldie slid his arms around her and his tongue pushed into her mouth. He tasted of weed and beer. She almost gagged. She was grateful that she didn’t have to do much. He pulled her skirt and tights down, then fumbled with her panties. He was pressed hard against her as he lay her down on the bed. She opened her eyes, saw a flash of gold as his mouth came down on hers, and she quickly closed them again as he pushed her legs apart and she gritted her teeth as he pushed inside of her, groaning as he did.

  She gripped the duvet cover beneath her as she thought of Corey and the baby that would make him stay with her, Goldie grunting on top of her.

  * * *

  Naz glared at his phone. He could not bring himself to look away or switch it off, though he knew he should.

  He had gone to bed early, not wanting to face his family or his mates, not when he still felt so torn up about Shontelle. He had cried into his pillow, his mind going over what had brought about her decision to finish things, and whether he had any chance of winning her back.

  Apparently Shontelle had not needed time to cry. He had been scrolling through her pictures and posts online when he had almost dropped his phone seeing her latest pictures. She was out clubbing, and Amal was right there beside her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Naz had sat up in bed, shocked by the pictures. He could see other people there with them, and he tried to tell himself that it was innocent, that nothing would ever happen between Shontelle and his cousin.

  Amal would respect the boundaries, and Shontelle would not be so quick to move on from him, he tried to convince himself. Yet he had sensed the spark between them when they had first met, and he had been fearful of that since.

  He had considered ringing Amal and finding out what was going on, but he had dismissed the idea. The thought of Amal and his mates laughing about his concerns made him feel embarrassed, and he did not think he could stand such a humiliation.

  Switching off his phone, he lay back against the pillow. He tried not to imagine Amal and Shontelle together, or what might happen between them, might be happening even now, as he blinked fresh tears away and let out a muffled cry.

  * * *

  Outside the club, Amal threw an arm around Shontelle’s shoulders as they joined the queue for taxis. Zoe and Tamar were all over each other, barely even aware of their surroundings, not noticing the stares as their hands caressed each other, their mouths locked together.

  Amal and Shontelle both averted their gaze, trying to give them some privacy. He could hardly contain his delight at how tonight had turned out. He could still taste her on his lips and he did not want to let her go, was not sure he even could.

  The queue dwindled, and Amal nudged Tamar as they found themselves the next in line for the taxi. Tamar extricated himself from Zoe and looked back at him.

  “Are you coming back to the estate with us?” Tamar asked, as the taxi stopped in front of them. Zoe climbed in, flashing her knickers as she angled herself into the back seat. Amal glanced at Shontelle, hopeful.

  “You can stay at my place if you want,” she suggested.

  Amal grinned, and Tamar winked. He climbed into the taxi after Zoe and their mouths were joined together again before they had even pulled away from the pavement.

  The next taxi pulled up and Amal held the door for Shontelle. The thought of spending the night with her, finally getting what he had desired so much, made him feel chivalric. He climbed in after her and took her hand in his as she gave the driver directions. He squee
zed, already feeling himself stir at the thought of where the night was heading.

  * * *

  Jessie watched Goldie pull his boxers and jeans back up. He looked down at her and grinned again. He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, inhaling deeply, wiping the sweat on his forehead off with the back of his hand.

  “You want to keep your legs up for a bit,” he suggested, glancing at her. “Get the juices going down. More chance of getting a baby that way.”

  Jessie shuddered involuntarily and forced a smile as she sat up. Goldie hovered, then sauntered from the room, closing the door behind him. The music was still loud downstairs, but Jessie felt no desire to re-join the party. She felt sick at what she had done. She no longer felt drunk, just ashamed.

  She wiped herself with a tissue and pulled her knickers back up. She fumbled with her tights, realising that Goldie had torn them when he’d pulled them down. She adjusted her skirt and shuddered again. She could still taste him and she wanted a shower and to brush her teeth. She wondered why she had done it. How could she have thought that Corey wouldn’t suspect it was another man’s baby?

  Could the baby have been born with gold teeth? She didn’t know, but she felt stupid for even considering trying to trick her boyfriend in such a way.

  She wanted to cleanse her insides, ensure that she wouldn’t get pregnant with Goldie’s baby. The thought made her stomach crawl with disgust.

  Lying back on the bed, she buried her head in the duvet. The room smelt of Goldie’s cigarette and of sex and sweat. She would have to open the window before Corey got back, or he was sure to know something had happened. Tears came then and she sobbed, her shoulders shaking from the effort, as her stomach churned and she tried to forget all about Goldie, his grunting and his shining golden teeth.

  * * *

  Morning dawned and Troy reluctantly allowed himself to be led from the cell, following the officers down the corridor to be processed ready for another day in court. The jury had been deliberating, but they had not yet reached a verdict, which gave him some hope. If it had been too quick, he would have been nervous. The longer they took to decide, the more chance he had that they were discussing his innocence and whether Brandy was responsible.

  That had been a pure stroke of brilliance from Khan, he thought, to suggest that Brandy was guilty. If he was found not guilty, he would great pleasure in reminding Brandy of that whilst he kicked her useless head in. Or perhaps he would show her some mercy. She had defended him after all, he thought.

  He went through the motions as the officers processed him out, so used to the chore that it had become routine now. Hopefully not for much longer, he thought.

  Today would be the day he became a free man, he prayed, his fingers crossed.

  * * *

  Jessie felt her headache before she even opened her eyes, her brain crashing around in her skull and her throat burning. She reached for a glass of water and gulped it down, only getting a short burst of relief before her mouth dried out again and the headache pummelled her.

  “Heavy night?” Corey asked. She rolled over and saw he was on his side, looking at her, a smile on his face. The memory of Goldie’s tongue in her mouth, the feel of his hands on her, and his hairy thighs pushing up against hers as he thrust inside her came crashing back, making her stomach churn uncomfortably.

  Corey was still smiling, unaware of what she had done, that she had betrayed him and all for some stupid idea that was almost laughable if it wasn’t so terrible.

  “You don’t have to worry,” Corey said gently.

  “Huh?” Jessie asked, her mind moving sluggishly.

  “About Camilla,” Corey said. “She’s all right. Well, she might need to calm down a bit, ‘cos last night she was all for ripping your face off, but she’ll be okay. You never know, you might even get to being mates sometime.” He laughed quietly, but Jessie couldn’t bring herself to smile.

  He was being so nice to her, and he had no idea of what she had done.

  “Come on,” Corey prompted her. “There’s no need to still be in a mood, there was no lasting damage. Let’s just forget last night, right?”

  Jessie wanted more than to be able to do that, but she couldn’t. The look on her face must have been sour, because Corey’s smile faded and he groaned, throwing the duvet off himself and climbing out of bed.

  “Don’t be like this,” he groaned, pulling his dressing gown on. “You should be the one apologizing, and here I am trying to make you fucking feel better. I guess I’m wasting my time, though, ‘cos all you seem to want to do is feel sorry for yourself.”

  Jessie reached for him but he had his back to her, and he was too far away.

  “Is it my fault?” he demanded, turning to look at her. “Am I making you this fucking unhappy? If I am then just tell me, and put us both out our misery.”

  Jessie couldn’t speak, and he just shook his head and walked out of the bedroom. Jessie wanted to cry but she couldn’t even do that. She wanted to close her eyes and sleep, but when her eyelids shut, she saw Goldie’s face, teeth shining in the darkness, and her eyes snapped open again, her stomach rumbling.

  Now Corey was blaming himself for her bad mood, and she couldn’t bring herself to try and comfort him. She wanted to, but what could she say? She put a hand to her head, wishing she could turn back time, make last night disappear from her mind, from reality, but she couldn’t, any more than she could bring back the babies she had lost. She let out a groan and buried her face in the pillow.

  * * *

  Aurora checked herself in the mirror, still unable to shake the thought that she looked more like she was heading for a work experience interview than to court. She had not slept, kept awake by dark thoughts that Troy would somehow worm his way out of trouble and be found not guilty, and the reminder that Clint had gone, packed his bags, driven away by her neglect and her anger. Just as she had started to drift off, Angel had woken up and started crying, desperate for attention, and now she found herself ready for the day ahead, make-up hiding the bags under her eyes.

  “Are you ready yet mum?” she called, hoping that she wasn’t hungover. That was the last thing she needed today.

  “Yes, yeah, I’m coming,” Marlena replied, emerging from her room. There was a faint smell of wine on her breath, but she was washed and dressed, looking presentable, so Aurora did not complain.

  “Clint’s going to be here soon,” Aurora complained, Angel struggling in her arms. “I want to get her settled before he gets here.”

  “He’s her father,” Marlena said bluntly. “Maybe she’s so upset because he wasn’t here when she woke up this morning.”

  Aurora swallowed down a reply, not wanting to discuss Clint. She could barely get her head around what had happened, and she definitely didn’t want to discuss it with her mum, today of all days.

  There was a knock on the door, and Marlena answered. She smiled brightly as Clint came in, giving an awkward glance in her direction.

  “Morning,” Aurora greeted him.

  “Yeah, morning,” he responded, hardly able to look at her.

  There were so many things she wanted to say, but she couldn’t. She passed a wriggling Angel to him and she settled at once in his arms, smiling up at him, doe-eyed, as if she hadn’t been up half the night screaming.

  “Ah, that’s my beautiful girl,” Clint cooed at her, eliciting a gurgle of delight from Angel.

  Aurora grimaced.

  “We’re going to be late,” she said, eyeing her mother, not looking at Clint and Angel. Marlena rolled her eyes.

  “They haven’t even come up with a verdict yet,” she said, but she headed for the front door all the same.

  Aurora kissed Angel on the forehead and offered Clint a half-smile, before following her mother out the door.

  “Told you Angel was missing her daddy,” Marlena said quietly as she closed the front door behind them.

  Aurora didn’t answer, her stomach already knotting at the t
hought of what today might bring in court.

  * * *

  Amal stirred and opened one eye. Shontelle was beside him, nestled in the crook of his arm, one hand splayed across his chest. He smiled at the thought of last night, stirring once more at the thought of her touch, how she had made him feel.

  His phone vibrated on the bedside table and he reached for it, careful not to wake her. She mumbled something under her breath but did not wake up. He checked his messages and saw dozens from Naz. Amal wondered how long it had taken for his cousin to work up the courage to message him, no doubt he had seen the photos that Shontelle had posted and was green with jealousy.

  Amal sighed and locked his phone, not bothering to send a reply. He would tell Naz that he had crashed on Tamar’s sofa if he asked, which he had no doubt that he would. He remembered Sanjay’s warning about not pissing off his cousin, and Amal wondered how long he would be able to refrain from bragging about this.

  He wanted to be with Shontelle, and he knew after last night that she wanted to be with him. He did not want to hurt Naz, but he could not help his feelings, and Amal knew that it would be only a matter of time before the truth came out.

  When it did, he hoped his cousin would accept it and not cause waves. The last thing he wanted was for Naz to tarnish his fledging relationship with Shontelle, or for his cousin to do something stupid.

  Closing his eyes, Amal settled back to sleep, feeling the warmth of Shontelle against him, knowing that whatever problems Naz might cause, Shontelle was worth it.

  * * *

  Her headache was raging and Jessie realised she would have to go downstairs to get some painkillers and a glass of water. She climbed out of bed, the sheets damp with sweat, and ran a hand through her hair, still sticky from the hairspray she had applied last night.

  She could hear voices coming from the lounge as she went down the stairs, and she hoped that nobody was in the kitchen. At the foot of the stairs, she glanced through the open door into the lounge and froze.