‘No.’ Leon shook his head and looked down shamefacedly at the floor.
‘Where’s the knife?’ Anton demanded. When Leon slid it out of his pocket, he snatched it from him and yanked the boy’s head up by the chin so he could look him in the eye. ‘You ever threaten your sister like that again, it’ll be me coming after you,’ he warned quietly. ‘Understand?’
Tears still glittering in his eyes, Leon nodded.
‘Waving blades around don’t make you look tough, it makes you look spineless,’ Anton went on sternly. ‘And threatening fam is lower than low. Chantelle is your flesh and blood, and there ain’t no one in the world who’s gonna love you like she does. You think it’s easy for her trying to deal with your shit? She don’t deserve none of it.’
‘I know,’ Leon whimpered. ‘I wouldn’t have done it. I was just scared ’cos she wouldn’t give me the gun.’
‘Yeah, well, think yourself lucky I didn’t catch you at it,’ Anton said. ‘’Cos I’d have kicked your arse to the police station myself. Yeah, that’s right …’ He nodded. ‘I’d have grassed you up. And you know why? ’Cos you’d have deserved it. Loyalty starts at home, and if you turn on the people who love you, you ain’t worth shit.’
He gave the boy a few minutes to digest his words. Then, when Leon had finally stopped snivelling, Anton said, ‘I worded Big T up to make those dudes leave you alone, so I’d better not hear you’ve been trying to hook up with them again after this. You hear me?’
Leon’s eyes widened. He’d always known Anton was a big shot, but if he had influence over Big T he must be badder than bad.
‘If you’ve got a problem in future, you come to me,’ Anton went on. ‘But that don’t mean we’re gonna be buddies,’ he added quickly. ‘Your sister told me you’ve got a mate you used to hang out with; go see him and start getting your shit back together.’
‘I can’t,’ Leon murmured guiltily. ‘I threatened him with the knife.’
‘So, man up and apologise,’ Anton said firmly. He stood up now and gazed down at the boy. ‘Are we all straight? You know what you got to do?’
Leon nodded and wiped his nose on his sleeve.
Anton held out his fist, and smiled when the boy eagerly touched his to it. ‘Behave, or we’ll be having another talk,’ he said. ‘And I guarantee you won’t be liking it second time around. Seen?’
‘Seen,’ Leon agreed.
Chantelle gave Anton a questioning look when he walked into the living room. ‘Is he okay? Did they hurt him a lot?’
‘Enough to make him realise they ain’t his friends,’ said Anton. ‘But you don’t need to be fussing over him,’ he added firmly. ‘He needs to remember this fear and pain, or he’ll be in another gang in no time.’
‘I won’t fuss,’ Chantelle promised. ‘And thank you so much. You were the only one I could think of to ask for help. I’m just sorry I disturbed you and your girlfriend. Hope she wasn’t upset with you?’
‘It’s all good,’ Anton assured her, backing towards the door. ‘You know where I am if you need me, yeah?’
Chantelle nodded, and stayed put as he let himself out. Then, jumping when her phone started to ring, she pulled it out of her pocket and sighed when she saw that it was Rob. She wasn’t really in the mood to talk but, after all the craziness, she desperately needed to hear a normal friendly voice.
‘Don’t hang up,’ Rob blurted out when she answered. ‘I know you probably don’t want to talk to me, and I don’t blame you, but I just want a chance to explain.’
‘It’s all right,’ she said. ‘I don’t blame you, I blame myself. But it still shouldn’t have happened, and it can’t happen again.’
‘Absolutely,’ Rob agreed. ‘But we can still be friends, can’t we?’
‘I suppose so,’ Chantelle said, frowning as she said it, because she knew that it would never be a real friendship. How could it be when it was based on lies?
‘Well, as friends, can I take you out for a drink tonight?’ Rob asked. ‘Just to talk,’ he added quickly. ‘No strings.’
Chantelle squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip. Her mind was telling her that it wasn’t safe to meet up with him when they had both admitted to liking each other more than they should, but her heart was urging her to see him again.
Her heart won.
‘Okay,’ she said. ‘One drink.’
21
‘Who was that?’ Yvette asked, coming into the kitchen dressed in a red silk negligee, her blonde hair piled up on her head.
‘Adam.’ Rob sidestepped her and reached into the fridge for a carton of juice.
‘Don’t tell me …’ She slid onto a stool. ‘You’ve got another meeting? Don’t you ever stop?’
‘Money doesn’t make itself.’ He took a glass out of the cupboard.
‘What about me?’
‘Sorry, did you want some?’ He held out the carton.
‘I didn’t mean that, and you know it.’ Yvette pouted sulkily. ‘I mean when are you going to make time for me? I’ve hardly seen you in weeks.’
When Rob shrugged and poured his drink, she tutted and slid a cigarette out of her pack. ‘I should have an affair,’ she muttered, reaching for her lighter. ‘I’m wasted on you.’
Rob snorted softly and shook his head. Then, downing his juice, he put his glass in the sink and reached for his jacket. ‘Don’t wait up.’ He kissed her on the forehead. ‘Might be a late one.’
‘What’s new?’ Yvette sniped, sucking hard on her cigarette as he strolled out.
She waited until she heard his car tyres crunching over the gravel outside, and then reached for her phone and pulled up the PI’s number. She stared at it for a while, then slammed the phone down on the counter. What was the point? She’d already spent more than a grand having him followed, and the investigator had turned up zilch.
As a wave of self-pity washed over her, she plucked a bottle of wine out of the rack and carried it back up to the bedroom.
After calling in on a couple of people, Rob headed over to the unit from where he and his partner, Adam, controlled their business. He glanced at the dashboard clock as he drove into the industrial estate and saw that he still had forty minutes before he was due to pick up Julia. Just enough time to get what he’d come for, then stop off and pick up a few things for their date. He’d blown it last night by moving too fast, but he wouldn’t make that mistake again. She was an attractive girl, and she had an air of innocence about her that he found intriguing. She wasn’t the type he usually went for at all, but he’d never been knocked back before, and that had made him want her all the more.
Adam’s car was parked up at the side of the unit when Rob pulled in through the gates. He parked beside it and opened the security door with his electronic key. Two skimpily-dressed dark-haired girls were sitting in the corridor outside the office. They both smiled up at him.
‘Comfortable?’ he asked.
‘Yes, thank you,’ one of them said, batting her long lashes at him.
Rob grinned and walked into the office, closing the door behind him.
Adam was sitting behind his desk. He’d just put the phone down, and he looked up now and nodded hello.
‘Where did they come from?’ Rob asked, perching on the edge of his own desk.
‘Leroy picked them up in Hull.’ Adam reached for a cigarette and grinned. ‘Pretty hot, huh?’
‘Not bad.’ Rob caught the fag Adam tossed to him and leaned forward for a light. ‘But why are they here? Planning on giving them a private audition, were you?’
‘Would that I had the time, my boy.’ Adam snorted softly. ‘Leroy’s just nipped over to Estelle’s to sort some stuff out; he’ll be taking them over to JT’s as soon as he’s finished. Which reminds me – I just had Perry on the phone; he wants another one sending over.’
‘Already?’ Rob frowned. ‘What the fuck is he playing at?’
‘You don’t expect me to ask him, do you?’
‘No, I will,’
Rob said, shaking his head. ‘He needs to ease up. Rate he’s going through them, we’ll have none left.’
‘I’ll send Leroy over to the Pool after he’s dropped the new ones off,’ Adam suggested. ‘Get him to pick some more up.’
‘Why not just send one of them?’ Rob nodded towards the door.
‘Are you kidding me?’ Adam pulled a face. ‘I’m not wasting those little hotties on a twat like Perry.’
‘Fair enough.’ Rob took a drag on his smoke. ‘Has the delivery come in yet?’
‘Nope.’ Adam shook his head. ‘Ed’s waiting at the airport. I told him to bell me as soon as it arrives.’
‘They’re taking the piss,’ Rob said irritably. ‘I was supposed to be taking it to the client later tonight, now I’m going to have to tell him it’s been delayed again. He’s not going to be happy.’
‘Nothing we can do about it.’ Adam shrugged. ‘You’ll just have to offer him a discount to compensate for the inconvenience.’
‘And who’s gonna compensate us for our inconvenience?’ Rob asked. Then, sighing, he looked at his watch. ‘Oh, well, suppose I might as well get off if there’s nothing here for me.’
‘I’ll call you if it comes in,’ Adam said.
‘Nah, leave it till morning.’ Rob grinned slyly. ‘Got a busy night planned.’
‘Oh, really?’ Adam gave him a knowing smile. ‘Well, have a good one, my friend. And when – if – you make it home, give the delectable Yvette my best.’
‘Will do.’ Rob stubbed out his cigarette, then shook his friend’s hand and strolled out, winking goodbye to the girls as he passed them in the corridor.
Chantelle was nervous as she got ready to go out. It touched her that Rob had tried to take the blame for what had happened, but she knew the fault was entirely hers. All he had done was invite her out to dinner, but she had spent the entire night fluttering her eyelashes at him and hanging on his every word, so it was little wonder that he had misread the signals.
No, that wasn’t true. He hadn’t misread anything; he’d simply seen through her pretence of innocence and had taken her up on her unspoken offer. And, yes, he might be the one who was married, but that didn’t make her any the less guilty.
Determined not to give Rob the impression that she was trying to make herself look attractive, Chantelle tried on several outfits before settling for a chaste high-necked blouse and trousers combo. She also toyed with the idea of going bare-faced, but decided that was probably a step too far. If Rob were to see her without the usual heavy make-up, he’d be bound to realise that she wasn’t as old as she’d told him she was. And if he realised she’d lied about that, he’d wonder if she had lied about anything else, and that could get very tricky. She just wanted to see him this one last time to show there were no hard feelings, and that would be the end of it.
Ready at last, Chantelle slipped her jacket on and went out into the hall. Miguel came out of the bathroom just as she was about to go into the living room.
‘Sorry.’ He stepped aside to let her pass. Then, smiling, he said quietly, ‘You look very beautiful.’
‘Don’t you ever talk to me again,’ she hissed, peering coldly into his eyes. ‘You might have fooled my mum, but we both know what really happened that day.’
‘I no understand.’ Miguel cast a guilty glance at the door behind which Mary and Leon were watching TV. ‘Why you offer help for marry if you no forgive?’
‘For my mum, not you,’ Chantelle informed him. Then, brushing past him, she went into the living room. ‘I’m nipping out,’ she told Leon. ‘You’ll be okay with mum, won’t you?’
‘Why wouldn’t he be?’ Mary twisted around in her seat and scowled up at her. ‘He’s only had a fight, not a bleedin’ kidney transplant.’
‘I know.’ Chantelle flashed a hooded glance at Leon to tell him to stay quiet about what had really happened. ‘I just worry about him, that’s all.’
‘Yeah, well, I’m perfectly capable of looking after me own son, thank you,’ Mary said clippily.
‘Never said you weren’t,’ Chantelle conceded. ‘But while we’re on the subject,’ she added thoughtfully. ‘I’ve been thinking about what you said about taking him back to Spain with you, and I reckon it might be a good idea. As long as you still want to?’ She directed this to Leon.
He shrugged and dropped his gaze, and Chantelle sensed that he wasn’t that keen any more. But she had thought about it, and she honestly did think it was for the best – even if only temporarily. Anton was confident that the gang stuff was dealt with, but she would rather know for certain that Leon was safe than worry every time he walked out of the door that they might be lying in wait for him.
‘Okay, we’ll talk about it another time,’ she said now. ‘See you later.’
‘Bye, babes.’ Mary smiled up at her. ‘Have a nice time.’
Chantelle was frowning as she left the flat and walked down the stairs. Her mum was acting strange again; one minute biting her head off, the next calling her babes. But that was her all over: see-sawing from happy to mad and back again in the blink of an eye. It was as frustrating as hell to be the one on the receiving end, as Chantelle generally was; but she supposed she really ought to be used to it by now.
Out on the road, she walked quickly down to the corner where Rob had dropped her off the night before. He pulled up beside her just seconds after she got there, and she smiled when he climbed out and walked around to her with a bunch of red roses in his hand.
‘The real thing, as promised,’ he said, handing them to her. ‘Complete with grovelling apology.’
‘Thank you, they’re beautiful,’ Chantelle said shyly. ‘But there was no need.’
‘There was every need,’ Rob insisted, opening the passenger-side door for her. ‘I behaved badly, and I want you to know that I’m genuinely sorry and it will never happen again.’
‘I’ve already said I don’t blame you,’ Chantelle reminded him as she climbed in.
‘Well, I do,’ Rob countered. ‘But I promise I’ll be on my best behaviour tonight.’
Chantelle laid the roses carefully across her lap. The ends of the stems were wet, and she was hoping they wouldn’t leave damp patches on her trousers. But it was the first time anybody had ever bought flowers for her, and they were far too nice to put on the floor.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked when Rob turned the car around and headed in the opposite direction from town.
‘It’s a surprise,’ he said, smiling as he changed the CD that was playing. ‘It’s such a nice night, it seemed wrong to waste it stuck away in a dingy bar. There’s a place I like to go when I need some downtime,’ he went on as Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ began to filter out through the speakers. ‘But don’t worry, it’s public, so there are usually other people around.’
Chantelle felt a little guilty for having made him feel the need to reassure her like this. She’d completely overreacted last night, and now he was walking on eggshells trying not to upset her again. She wished she was more experienced so she could have handled it like a woman instead of like a silly little virgin. Although it wouldn’t have changed the outcome, because she still wouldn’t have let anything happen.
They drove out through Chorlton and onto the motorway; and, ten minutes later, they came off again and headed towards Styal. As the roads became narrower and more winding, Chantelle gazed in awe at the houses they were passing. She’d thought Rob’s house was a mansion when she’d seen it on the night when she and Bill had first followed him, but these places dwarfed his, and she was sure they must all belong to multimillionaires.
The deeper they went into the countryside, the darker it became, and Chantelle cried out in alarm when a shadowy fox suddenly ran out in front of them. Rob saw it and threw his arm across her as he slammed on the brakes.
‘Sorry,’ he apologised. ‘Didn’t want you to bang your head.’
‘It’s all right,’ she murmured, conscious of a tingling sensati
on in her stomach as his fingers brushed her breast. ‘It just shocked me.’
She bit her lip as they set off again and silently scolded herself for having reacted so strongly to his touch. The sultry music wasn’t helping, and nor was the heady scent of his aftershave, or the sight of his handsome profile. But he was married, and she needed to get a grip before she made a fool of herself again.
A short while later they turned onto a rough dirt path, and the car bounced along for a good few minutes before they suddenly emerged into a clearing. Chantelle’s eyes widened when they came to a stop and she saw the view. They were parked close to the edge of a steep drop and there was a lake down below, its waters glistening like liquid silver in the moonlight.
Rob climbed out and came around to open her door. ‘What do you think?’ he asked, taking her hand to help her out.
‘It’s incredible,’ she murmured, gazing down in awe as the cool breeze ruffled her hair.
‘Now you know why I love coming here,’ Rob said as he walked around to the boot of the car and took out the blanket he’d bought at the petrol station along with the roses. ‘My dad used to take me fishing down there when I was a kid,’ he told her as he laid it out on the ground before going back for the wine and plastic glasses he’d also bought. ‘It’s impossible to drive down to, and too dangerous to try walking to at night. But I like it just fine up here. Shall we …?’ He waved for her to sit on the blanket.
When Chantelle was settled, he sat beside her and opened the wine. He poured two glasses and handed one to her. ‘To friends.’
‘Friends.’ She smiled and touched her glass to his.
They gazed out over the lake in peaceful silence and sipped on their drinks. Chantelle had lived on the estate her entire life, and before she’d started working for Bill she’d rarely ventured further than a mile or so away from it. Her mum had been on holiday a couple of times, but she’d never had the money to take Chantelle and Leon with her. And they’d never been allowed to go on school camping trips, so Chantelle had never before experienced the unique darkness and quietness of the countryside. She had certainly never seen anything quite as stunning as this, and she couldn’t get over how magical it was.
Respect (Mandasue Heller) Page 23