The Goldsworth Series Box Set

by Davie J Toothill

  Trent snorted.

  “You need to stop acting like an old man,” he said.

  Tyrese stood up, still shaking his head. He looked from Trent to Troy, looked as if he was about to say something. He thought better of it and headed for the door.

  “I’ve got business to take care of,” Tyrese said over his shoulder. “Because apparently I’m the only one here who does.”

  Not true, Troy thought. He had business to take care of too, only his involved revenge.

  Trent cleared his throat, which turned into a hacking cough. He groaned, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

  “Never mind him,” he said, his voice hoarse. “He’s been up his own arsehole lately, thinking he’s the only one running things. Now he’s got Sanjay Siddiqui as a little lapdog he thinks he doesn’t need me.”

  “Amal’s brother?” Troy asked, surprised. He wondered why Amal had not mentioned it, his discomfort from last night returning. His friends were keeping things from him, and he did not like it. Perhaps Amal had thought he already knew though, Troy reasoned. After all, if Amal thought Troy was still involved in his brothers’ dealings, of course he would already know. That must be it, he told himself, reassured.

  “Yeah, fucking prick,” Trent muttered, shaking his head and scowling. “Personally, I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him.”

  Troy murmured his agreement, though from what he remembered Sanjay had not seemed the type with ambitions above his station, at least not behind bars.

  “Forget them though,” Trent said, lowering his voice. “Let them do whatever they want. I’ve been handling some business of my own. A sideline, you know, for some extra cash.”

  “Does Tyrese know about it?” Troy asked, his interest piqued. He felt pleased that Trent was sharing such information with him. Trent shook his head, and Troy felt excited to know something that his eldest brother did not.

  “No, so keep your trap shut if you want in on it,” Trent said. “You know what Ty’s like.”

  “Why would he care?” Troy asked, bemused.

  Trent looked at him for a long moment, weighing up whether to share it with him. Troy tensed, but was relieved when his brother sighed and leant closer.

  “I’ve been reaching a bit further than just the Goldsworth,” he admitted. Troy nodded, surprised that Trent would go behind Tyrese’s back. Perhaps the divide between his brothers was larger than he had first thought. Trent continued. “I got the idea when Ty got you dealing inside. Thought it was a good idea to expand.”

  “Where?” Troy asked, already guessing the answer, the reason why Ty did not know.

  “Healy territory,” Trent admitted.

  Troy shrugged. He was pleased that at least one of his brothers had the balls to take them on. It still rankled with him that one of their guys had raped Brandy and only suffered a few broken bones as retribution. Troy had wanted him dead.

  “The only thing now is I need some extra guys to deal there,” Trent went on. “The Healy brothers haven’t clocked on yet, but they’ll recognize our guys, plus most of them would go running to Tyrese and tell him everything. We need guys that are loyal to us, not to him.”

  Troy considered him, an idea forming. He thought of Kojo and his pals last night, so naïve and yet eager to impress him.

  “I know some guys who would be up for it,” Troy said, nodding. “They’re fresh, but they’ll be loyal, and they’d do anything for us.”

  “I knew I could count on you,” Trent grinned, clapping him on the back. “Good lad.”

  Troy beamed at the praise. He listened as Trent spoke, filling him on his latest venture. He realised that perhaps the rift between his brothers was to his advantage. He was more included now than he had ever been before.

  The thought that he was finally going places and rising through the ranks was almost as sweet as he knew his revenge would be when Clint learnt of his little brother’s corruption at his hands.

  * * *

  Clint knocked on the front door and waited. He imagined Marlena in the kitchen, jumping at the sound, and wondered if he should have called or text to say he was coming around to check on them.

  He was still irritated after his argument with Kojo, but there was nothing he could do about it. His brother was his own person, he would have to make his own mistakes, however hard it might be for Clint to let him. He was shocked by the words he had used, the harsh tone of his voice. It was as if his brother had become a different person, one that he no longer liked, had no more respect for. When Clint had stepped into the shower, it had been only a minute before the front door sounded, signaling Kojo’s escape from the flat and his brother’s questions.

  The door opened a crack, chain in place, and Marlena peered out. She did not seem to relax at the sight of him, her lips thin with worry.

  “Clint, I’m sorry,” she said. She almost sounded it. “She can’t see you right now.”

  Clint was not totally surprised, but he was still hurt.

  “I just wanted to check on her and Angel,” Clint said. He hated the pleading tone. “I just wanted to -” He trailed off. He could not put into words what he wanted.

  To take back what he had done in the past, to make things right with Aurora and his daughter, to forget the Goldsworth and everything that had taken place here.

  “I’m sorry,” Marlena said again. “Angel was up in the night, and Aurora’s just tired and not up for visitors today.”

  Visitors? That was what Clint had now been reduced to. He felt his shoulders slump.

  “I can look after Angel some time,” Clint offered. “Any time.”

  “Thanks, Clint, I know you want to help,” Marlena said. She offered a smile. “I just don’t think Aurora is ready for that yet.”

  “Well, will you tell her that -” He stopped. “Never mind.”

  “Things will get easier,” Marlena said.

  Clint nodded. The door closed softly. He wondered if this would be how things were in the future. Perhaps in a few years it would not be Marlena answering the door and telling him that Aurora did not want to see him, perhaps it would be a new man, one who had not hurt Aurora so badly, one who Angel would grow up thinking of as her father.

  He kicked out at the wall, his trainers scuffing the concrete.

  He could not shake the thought of Aurora meeting someone else, falling for a man who would always have the upper hand against Clint because he had no connection to Shaniqua’s death. The thoughts swirled like fog, clouding his mind, as he went down the stairwell and began crossing the courtyard.

  He was torn from his thoughts when someone’s shoulder collided with his chest. He staggered backwards, looking up at the stranger, wanting to yell at him for not watching where he was going and slamming into him.

  Only this was no stranger staring at him, jaw set and eyes flashing angrily.

  “Clint, long time no see.”

  Clint swallowed hard, taking a step back as Troy glared back at him.

  * * *

  Kojo lowered the joint and let a cloud of smoke escape from his lips. He felt Kent beside him as he slid the joint from between his fingers and took a drag himself.

  He had dressed and escaped his parents’ flat as soon as Clint was in the bathroom. He could not take any more of his brother’s questions or his fake concern. His brother tried to play the hero, act as if he was protecting him, but Kojo now knew the truth. He was just worried that Kojo would learn the truth, that Clint was nothing but a snitch who had backstabbed his best mate all because of some girl.

  Last night, Troy had told him everything, and Kojo now saw his brother through different eyes. He was no role model. He was not someone who should be respected, in fact he was just the opposite. People like him were the bane of the estate, Troy had said, sneaking around and bringing the police into their homes like cockroaches.

  He relaxed as Kent blew smoke in his direction. They were in Kent’s bedroom and he did not have to worry about Clint or his
interferences any more.

  When he had left the flat, he had got a text from Troy. He had been excited to see his name flash up, half-believing that their bond had only been borne of drugs and alcohol and that Troy would not remember him in the morning.

  To get the text had been one thing, but when he had read it he had pulled his clothes on and come straight round to tell Kent the good news. Troy had some work for them. It was an easy job, he had assured him, and they would be earning a few quid of their own if they did well. Kojo did not know exactly what the work would be, but Kent had set him straight.

  “You serious?” Kent had laughed when Kojo had betrayed his naivety. “Troy wants us to start selling some gear on the street, man. This is great, we’ll be rolling in moolah in no time.”

  “For real?” Kojo had asked, at once nervous at the thought. “Dealing drugs?”

  “Everyone does it,” Kent had assured him. “Plus, you like this Scarlett girl, right?” Kojo had nodded, almost blushing at the thought of her. “Well, you want to impress her, yeah? You think she’s still going to like you if you can’t take her places, can’t buy her presents and shit like that? You need cash to throw at this chick, you know.”

  It had made sense to Kojo, and he had quickly come around to the idea. Now they were on their second joint to celebrate the news. Kojo did not like to think what his brother’s reaction would be if he ever found out, but soon he realised he did not much care.

  The thought of earning money and respect, of working for Troy and finally being able to woo Scarlett and impress her, overweighed any nerves he might have had.

  Kent gave him back the joint, lying back against the foot of the bed and closing his eyes.

  “Man, this is just the start,” Kent said, barely moving his mouth, his eyes still closed. “We’re going places, Kojo, and it’s all thanks to you man.”

  “Amen to that,” Kojo said, as he lifted the joint to his lips.

  * * *

  Sanjay hung up the phone and wondered whether he was making a mistake. He did not know what to make of the call he had just received, but he knew that something was going on. It was almost enough to make him briefly forget the texts he had sent to Fernanda that she had ignored and left on read.

  He had just heard from one of the Banks brothers’ foot soldiers, confirming that he had dropped off some more weed to the prison officer as requested. Sanjay had thanked him, but his suspicions had been raised at once.

  Troy was out of prison, and with his release their in-route to dealing behind bars had dried up. Or that was what Tyrese and Trent now believed, yet someone on the inside was clearly still running some business in there and using Tyrese’s drugs and officer to do it.

  Whoever it was, they clearly had either a death wish, or a serious pair of balls, to be trying to double-cross Tyrese and the Banks brothers like this.

  Sanjay wanted to find out who it was.

  It would be easy enough to find out, he reasoned. Tyrese had used Wimbly, a terrified prison officer who was easily scared and manipulated, to smuggle the gear into the prison. He surely had to be involved in this new set-up. The foot soldier had confirmed that it was dropped off to Wimbly at the usual place, so whoever now ran things inside had clearly got to Wimbly.

  Now it was Sanjay’s turn to put the frighteners on him.

  He climbed into his car. A quick search online had provided him with Wimbly’s home address. It was less than half an hour’s drive away through London, depending on the traffic, and then Sanjay would sit down and have a chat with him.

  He was intrigued to know who was taking on the Banks brothers, almost impressed that somebody would do such a thing, aware that he himself was preparing to do the same.

  * * *

  Clint looked at Troy, saw that he had lost weight, his cheekbones more prominent than they had been. His shoulders looked broader. Perhaps he had worked out inside. Perhaps it was just that they had not seen each other in a while, the longest since they were just children that they had been apart. Troy looked him up and down too.

  They were both silent.

  It was hard to finds words, Clint thought.

  Troy broke the silence.

  “You came back then,” he said. He could not tell if it was a sneer or a criticism, or simply an observation. Troy’s lip curled back then. “I heard you did a runner, afterwards.”

  There was no need to question the afterwards. After he had told Detective Patterson everything, had given up Troy’s name and betrayed his darkest secrets.

  “Were you scared, is that it?” Troy asked, mocking him now. “Or were you ashamed?”

  “I’m not scared of you,” Clint said defiantly.

  It was half-true. He was not scared of Troy, only when it came to Aurora and Angel.

  “You should be,” Troy said, his eyes flashing.

  “Why? What are you going to do?” Clint asked. “You going to go telling tales to my brother? That’s what I should be afraid of?”

  Troy looked surprised at that. Perhaps he had not thought he would find out so soon. He tried to hide it though, his lips scowling now.

  “That’s just for starters,” he said. “I heard you got a baby now.”

  Clint gritted his teeth, palms sweating. He wondered if this was a threat.

  “Heard you and Aurora split up too,” Troy continued, smiling now. “Guess she’s on the look out for a new man, eh? Me and her have some history, maybe I’ll give it a second shot.”

  Clint took a deep breath, willing himself not to rise to the threats. It was what Troy wanted, to provoke a reaction from him, to hit a nerve, no matter how he did it.

  “Now she doesn’t have a baby inside her I don’t think she’d stop me,” he went on, licking his lips. “After you, she must want a real man. I bet she’ll be begging me to fuck her.”

  “Real man, you?” Clint snorted, unable to help himself. “She wouldn’t want you if you were the last man on the planet.”

  “Maybe I won’t give her a choice,” Troy hissed.

  Clint’s fingernails dug into his sweaty palms his fists were clenched so tightly.

  “Prison didn’t do you much good then,” Clint said, shaking his head.

  “I’m innocent,” Troy laughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Didn’t you hear the judge? You were there, in court, weren’t you? Little snitch.”

  “I was just doing the right thing.”

  “Really?” Troy asked. “Nah, man, I think you were just doing what Aurora told you to.”

  Clint did not speak, wondering if Troy was perhaps right. Had he done the right thing for himself? Or just because he had known that Aurora wanted him to?

  “I’m right, ain’t I?” Troy laughed again. “You must be hating yourself, man. You turn into a grass snake, lose all your mates and your respect, and then she goes and ditches you anyway.” He clapped his hands together, clearly enjoying himself. “Bravo, Clint, you’ve outdone yourself.”

  Clint shook his head, knowing that there was nothing he could say to Troy that would have any effect on him. Nothing would change his mind or his reasoning. He wondered how they had ever been friends for as long as they had been.

  “Just leave Aurora and my brother alone,” Clint said. His voice did not shake. His nerves were gone now, his fear of Troy fading. He was reminded that Troy was just a boy, throwing his toys out of his pram whenever he did not get his own way.

  “Or what?” Troy asked. “You going to kill me?”

  “Just leave them alone,” Clint repeated.

  Troy was silent, staring at him. Despite the sun, Clint fell the wind chill and he resisted the urge to shiver under his gaze.

  “I can’t make promises I’m not going to keep mate,” Troy said with a slight shake of his head, his eyes never leaving Clint’s. “I’m going to ruin your brother, just like I’ll ruin Aurora. Then if I still don’t feel satisfied, I’ll ruin your daughter, and your mama and your daddy, and anyone else I fucking want to ruin until
it’s only you.”

  Clint held his breath, letting his words hit him like ice.

  “Then I’ll ruin you,” Troy said. His hand made the shape of a gun, and he mouthed ‘Pow’ as he fired the imaginary weapon. “Watch your back, Clint, because I’m going to end you.”

  Then he smiled and turned, walking away. Clint watched him go, his heart hammering in his chest. He forced himself to turn and keep walking, his muscles aching from the tension. He tried to steady his breathing, surprised by how anxious he was.

  He knew that Troy had meant every word of his threats. He wondered now whether he had underestimated him. Troy might just be a child throwing a tantrum, but he was a dangerous child and his tantrums left people dead.

  * * *

  Looking down over the wall from the walkway outside her front door, Aurora watched as Troy sauntered off, leaving Clint staring after him. Even from this height and distance, Aurora could see that Clint was afraid. He seemed to compose himself, watching Troy retreat, before he turned and walked away, glancing back over his shoulder as if Troy might come after him.

  She had not heard them, did not know the words that had been exchanged, but she knew from Clint’s reaction that Troy was not reformed, that he was not going to just forget the past and move on with his life.

  Aurora wondered whether she had underestimated Troy. He had already proven how dangerous he was. He had killed her sister, and then shot dead Sasha and Wright. Three people dead and he still walked the streets. Perhaps people should be afraid of him, she reasoned. She thought of Clint, stood in the courtyard alone with him just moments ago. Anything could have happened. It would only have taken seconds if Troy had a gun and Clint would be dead.

  She thought about losing him, of Angel losing her father, and she knew that despite what Clint had done, she did not want him to hurt, did not want him gone completely from their lives.

  Aurora had not wanted to see him, had told her mother to send him away, and she wondered how she would feel now if Troy had killed Clint and that had been her last act towards him, sending him away without even going to the front door to tell him herself.

  Her guilt mixed with her own frustration. She had every right to be angry with him, to hate what he had done and for how he had made her fall in love with him despite carrying the terrible truth about what he had been a part of.