‘You and Jemima might still be love’s young dream, but Nancy and I haven’t been that for a while, Kev. You don’t know what I’ve had to put up with, what with her mood swings and depression. I can’t even remember the last time we had sex. Weeks ago it must have been. Every time I try it on with her she reckons she’s too tired or she’s worried about the boys getting wind that we’re at it. I’m only twenty-seven, not seventy, and I still have fucking needs.’
Not wanting to get into an argument, Kevin asked Michael what he had said to the girls.
‘I just asked the usual and offered them a drink. The dark one’s name is Bella, the blonde one’s Sam. They live in Chelsea and are both models, so they say. Bella’s twenty-one and from Italy. Sam is nineteen and from Liverpool. Please, just come for the meal, Kev? We’ll share a cab home afterwards, just me and you, I promise.’
Kev downed the rest of his lager and stood up. ‘I’m shooting off, mate. Enjoy your meal, and don’t do anything you might regret tomorrow. If I was you, I’d concentrate on getting your marriage back on track rather than shagging young birds. Ever heard of the frying pan and the fire?’
Following Vinny’s instructions, Queenie got a cab from Goodmayes, picked Little Vinny up on the way, then headed straight to the hospital. ‘My oh my, she’s an absolute angel. Isn’t she big! How much did she weigh?’ Queenie asked, as she peered inside the cot.
‘She was ten pound. No wonder I had a struggle getting her out,’ Joanna replied.
‘Well, you did a brilliant job, darling. Reminds me of Emily-Mae with those blonde curls. I can’t wait for Vivvy to see her. We’ll babysit whenever yous two fancy a day or night out,’ Queenie volunteered.
‘Don’t you want to see your little sister then?’ Vinny asked his sullen-faced son, who was loitering at the end of the bed. Vinny was absolutely mesmerized by his new addition, could not believe she already had the power to melt his heart like never before.
‘There ain’t no room, is there?’ Little Vinny snapped. His dad was sitting next to the cot, and his nan was standing in front of it, blocking his view.
Vinny locked eyes with his offspring. ‘Oh, and don’t forget to apologize to Jo for sodding off upstairs and leaving her in the lurch earlier. Bang out of order you was, boy.’
‘What happened?’ Queenie asked, unable to tear her eyes away from her beautiful granddaughter.
Joanna knew that Little Vinny didn’t like her and although she would never admit it to Vinny, the feeling was mutual. However, now Little Vinny had moved in with them, she had no option but to try to get along with him, so did her best to smooth over the situation. ‘It was nothing, Queenie, honest. Anyway, Little Vinny was only in his bedroom playing music. I was in that much pain, I couldn’t scream as loud as usual, so it’s not his fault,’ she lied. She had in fact screamed blue murder and was sure Little Vinny had turned his music up to blank out her cries for help on purpose.
Little Vinny smirked. ‘See? It weren’t my fault. If anyone’s to blame, it’s you. You shouldn’t have gone out, Dad.’
As Vinny leapt up to clout his belligerent son, Queenie grabbed his arm. ‘Don’t hit him. He’s bound to be a bit green, after all he’s been the only child for years. You were the same when I had Roy.’
‘I’ll give him fucking green, he’ll be black and blue if he carries on,’ Vinny mumbled. He had no idea what was wrong with his son lately, but he was becoming a real pain in the arse. He wasn’t even eleven yet, but the little bastard already had the attitude and lip of a cocky eighteen-year-old.
‘Ooh, she’s waking up. What you gonna call her? Best you think of a name soon,’ Queenie remarked.
Vinny smiled at Joanna. They had been discussing names earlier and he was so pleased that she had finally given in to his wish. He knew how much this would mean to his beloved mother.
‘We’ve chosen Molly, Mum.’
Queenie’s eyes filled up with tears. Her wonderful mum had been called Molly. ‘Sod you, you’ve started me off now. What a lovely gesture. Wait till I tell Vivvy, she’ll be made up.’
Little Vinny giggled. ‘Molly is an old pensioner’s name.’
It was Queenie’s turn to glare at the child. Looks-wise, Little Vinny might be the spitting image of his dad at that age, but her boy had been a saint in comparison to this bolshy little so-and-so. ‘No, it’s not. It’s a lovely name and my mum was called Molly. Now shut that trap of yours and come and meet your little sister.’
When his nan lifted Molly out of the cot, Little Vinny decided to play along with the happy family theme. He was sick of being grounded and desperate to change that. ‘Hello, I’m your big bruvver,’ he said, grinning at the baby and allowing her to clasp one of his fingers in her chubby hand.
‘Aw, look, they’ve bonded already,’ Queenie remarked.
Vinny smiled at the touching scene. As her big brother, it would be Little Vinny’s duty to protect Molly through life and look out for her like he had with Brenda. ‘Sit on the chair and you can hold her properly.’
Little Vinny did as he was told, then inwardly squirmed as the baby was placed in his arms. Apart from wishing she had never been conceived, he felt nothing for his sister whatsoever.
Albie Butler had been honest about his past from day one with Dorothy, so she had known about his affair with Judy Preston and why he had felt the need to leave the restaurant. He had also told Bert all about Judy when he had first moved to Ipswich. ‘I’m so sorry I spoilt the day. I really am,’ Albie slurred yet again.
Dorothy hated seeing Albie drunk. He had a tendency to repeat himself constantly, but she could understand his need for a good drink today. He’d had a nasty shock. ‘I’m going to leave you boys to it. I want to finish my book. Don’t drink too much more tonight, Albie. You fell down the stairs last time you got very drunk and you know how I worry about you.’
‘I won’t, darling. Night night, love you.’
When Dorothy left the room, Bert turned to his brother. ‘I didn’t want to say anything in front of Dorothy, but I guessed who it was and swapped seats after you left the restaurant so I could do a bit of detective work. I take it Judy was the one with the squeaky voice?’
Albie nodded.
‘Well, she had two kids with her. A boy about sixteen and a girl about seven. How old would your kid be now if she’d had it?’
Counting the years with his fingers, Albie felt relief wash over him. ‘Would have been about eleven now. I reckon the boy you saw was her son Mark. He was about three when I was with her, and the girl sounds far too young to be mine. You sure she weren’t older than seven?’
‘Eight tops, but she certainly weren’t bleedin’ eleven, Albie. I reckon you’re in the clear, mate. Perhaps she did a runner, aborted your kid and made a fresh start?’
Albie grinned and cracked open another can. It suited him to believe that Judy had aborted his child. It made his thoughts far less complicated. Most men in his position would have turned around and confronted Judy. Not Albie though. He’d had enough drama in the past to last him a lifetime, and was happy to just let sleeping dogs lie.
Michael Butler followed Bella into her Chelsea apartment and was immediately taken aback by its opulence. He had thought she was joking when she pointed at the brand-new Porsche in the car park and said it was hers. ‘Jesus, babe, this is some gaff. How long you lived here?’
‘Two years. What would you prefer – red or white wine?’
‘Whatever you’re having,’ Michael replied, looking around in awe. The kitchen and bathroom were both state-of-the-art and knocked spots off his own. The lounge was absolutely striking. It had a multi-coloured carpet, beige being the base colour, with red, blue and green circles all over. The sofas were bright red leather, and in two corners of the room stood life-size carved wooden figurines of a Romany-looking naked man and woman.
Michael opened the sliding glass door and walked out onto the balcony. The view of London was incredible this time of night. The lights
of the greatest city on earth literally lit up the sky.
‘Do you want to drink your wine out there?’ Bella asked.
‘No, I’m coming in now,’ Michael replied, shutting the glass door. He sat down on the sofa. ‘So, how comes if you were brought up in Italy you speak such good English? Do your parents both speak English?’
‘Yes, but not in the home. My dad hired a private tutor to teach me from very young. He said it was important I learn the language. I can speak Spanish too. I must tell you something, Michael.’
‘What?’
‘Even though your eyes are green and your hair is darker, you really remind me of David Essex.’
Michael laughed. ‘But he’s got a bird’s hairstyle.’
‘You look like he did in That’ll Be the Day and Stardust, when his hair was shorter. I loved him in those films.’
Michael took a sip of his wine and stared at Bella. He wasn’t just mesmerized by her beauty; it was so much more than that. She was unlike any girl he had ever met in his life and he couldn’t help but be impressed by her and her obvious wealth and lifestyle. ‘So, what type of modelling do you do then?’
‘I get asked to do all sorts of shoots. I’ve done catwalk too. I might get into acting soon. I’ve just hired myself a new agent.’
‘Do you have to strip off and all that?’
Bella chuckled. ‘I do glamour shots, but never nude. My dad is well-respected back in Italy and he would kill me if I ever went overboard. I show plenty of cleavage, but won’t go topless. My dad is a proud man and I respect his wishes.’
‘Well, you must be doing something right to be renting a gaff like this,’ Michael replied.
‘I do not rent this apartment, Michael. I own it.’
Apart from when he had lost his virginity at a very young age, Michael couldn’t remember feeling so nervous around a female before. Bella was having a strange effect on him and he wanted to fuck her more than he had ever wanted to fuck Nancy or any other bird he’d known. He could tell she wanted him, but he had to be straight with her first. ‘Look, there’s something I need to tell you. I’m married, Bella.’
‘So? I wasn’t intending on proposing to you, Michael. I just want to make love with you. Let’s fuck, shall we?’
Feeling his body shake with pure lust, Michael stood up and grabbed Bella by the hand. ‘Where’s the bedroom?’
Ignoring the question, Bella sank to her knees and undid the zip on his trousers.
Michael thought he had died and gone to heaven when she began expertly sucking his penis. No bird had ever been this forward with him in the past and it was such a turn-on, he was sure his erection was bigger than usual and his cock about to burst.
Grabbing Bella’s head to stop himself from coming too soon, Michael stared at her as she let go of his manhood. Her eyes were a mesmerizingly pale blue. ‘Take your clothes off,’ he ordered, his voice husky with lust.
Bella stood up, pouted seductively and took her clothes off in a slow, tantalizing manner.
Transfixed by her naked beauty, Michael forgot all about his wife and kids as he ripped his own clothes off then rammed himself inside Bella as hard as he could. What followed was the most mind-blowing sexual experience of Michael Butler’s entire life.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Michael Butler poured himself a large Scotch and settled into one of the new sofas. The club had recently been refurbished. Gone was the old burgundy leather furniture that Vinny and Roy had originally bought in 1965. That had now been replaced with opulent green leather sofas and chairs. The walls were now covered in new orange-based patterned wallpaper, and Lenny’s old DJ console had made way for a performance area to accommodate the live bands and singers they hired these days. The DJ equipment had just been a constant reminder to both Michael and Vinny that Champ was no longer with them, so they had made a joint decision to get rid of it.
Rubbing his tired eyes, Michael leaned back and stared at the ceiling. Guilt was eating away at him and he could barely look Nancy in the eye any more. As for Bella, he could not stop thinking about her. He had resisted the urge to contact her again, but that did not stop him yearning for her.
‘Whatever is wrong with you? You look like a tramp and you’ve had a face like a slapped arse for days. You ain’t still fretting we’re gonna get banged up for Trevor’s murder, are you? Only that’s chip-wrapping now, that is,’ Vinny said. This was his first full day back at the club since Molly had been born and it had been a real wrench for him to leave her.
Michael sat up and put his unshaven face in his hands. Knowing his pal would disapprove, he had not felt able to confide in Kevin and he needed to tell somebody. ‘I’ve done something stupid, bruv.’
‘What?’
‘I stayed round some bird’s house last Sunday and I can’t get her out of my mind.’
Vinny grabbed a chair and sat on it the wrong way round so he could face his brother. He had always hated Nancy, so this was welcome news to him. ‘Well, well, well. Alfie strikes again! Don’t feel guilty, bruv, not after the shit you’ve had to put up with. Been a crap mother and wife, has Nancy, and I just don’t fall for all that depression bollocks. Auntie Viv’s been mentally ill, the real deal – Nancy’s only playing you. So, who is this bird then? Where did you meet her?’
Michael explained about his day out with Kev and where he’d met Bella. ‘She’s really beautiful, Vin, and stinking rich. I’ve never met a bird that could mesmerize me like she did. I stayed the night at hers and, even though I felt as guilty as hell in the morning, I had to have her again. The sex was incredible, it really was.’
‘Well, if I was you I’d get straight on that blower and call her. Birds like that don’t come along too often. I’ll always cover for you here if you want to get your nuts in.’
‘But what about Nancy?’
‘What about her?’ Vinny shrugged. ‘This is the same Nancy that can’t be bothered with or accept your eldest son, isn’t it? I rest my case.’
Johnny Preston was sitting in the visiting room opposite his ex-wife, who was now his fiancée again. She had just informed him that Joanna had given birth to a baby girl and instead of going ballistic, as he would have done in the past, Johnny was calm and deep in thought.
‘Well, say something then, Johnny. You’re making me feel uneasy,’ Deborah urged. She couldn’t shake off the memory of what had happened when he found out Joanna and Vinny were a couple. Such was his pain, Johnny had tried heroin for the very first time, taking an overdose which had very nearly resulted in Deborah losing the man she loved.
‘How did Joanna sound on the phone? Did you speak to her for long?’ Johnny asked.
‘We chatted for about five minutes. She seemed happy enough in herself and spoke constantly about the baby. She’s called her Molly and said she weighed ten pound. Obviously, Jo asked about you. She also said she’d love me to meet the baby. I refused, of course. My loyalties will always lie with you, Johnny, and I want nothing to do with that bastard Vinny whatsoever.’
Squeezing Deborah’s hands, Johnny forced a smile. He had done a lot of thinking while waiting to be told his grandchild had arrived and now he had come to a decision. The thought of Vinny Butler being anywhere near his beautiful daughter still made Johnny feel physically sick, but there was sod all he could do about it so long as he was stuck inside. He didn’t have that many links to the underworld and there were only two guys he’d have trusted enough to ask for help, but both were unfortunately dead now. ‘I want you to do something for me, Deb. I want you to make things right with Jo and visit her regularly.’
‘What! Are you mad? I can’t sit there playing happy families, Johnny. He makes my skin crawl.’
‘He makes mine crawl too, but this isn’t about Vinny, it’s about making sure our daughter is OK. It will drive me bonkers trying to get through the rest of my sentence not knowing how Jo is coping with that bastard and a kiddie. I’m just relieved she had a girl and not a boy. At least it won’t turn o
ut like him. Please say you’ll do this for me, Deb. That girl will need you, you can bet your life on that.’
Deborah reluctantly nodded. She was still angry with Joanna, but all the same she missed her, and if it put Johnny’s mind at rest, it was the least she could do.
Johnny grinned. ‘That’s my girl.’
Ahmed Zane sat down opposite his cousin in their restaurant. He had a severe stiff neck today, a regular occurrence since the accident, but he knew he had been lucky over all.
‘Is your neck playing you up again?’ Burak asked.
‘Yes, but it’s nothing that tucking up Vinny won’t cure, which is the reason for my visit today. I have set the ball rolling already. Hakan and Bora Koç are coming to London to play our two Mr Bigs. They are perfect for the role, especially Hakan. I have agreed to pay them ten grand each for their trouble, and they will also get a two-week holiday, no expense spared. What do you think?’
Burak grinned. Hakan and Bora were old associates of his and Ahmed’s from Istanbul and were more than capable of pulling the wool over Vinny Butler’s eyes. ‘When will they arrive?’
‘I haven’t booked their flights yet. We need to make sure Vinny falls for my lies first. I’m sure he will though. And seeing as he hasn’t any contacts himself, he has no option but to trust me,’ Ahmed replied. Vinny had never met his supplier. The guy was Turkish and would only ever deal with his own kind. He didn’t trust the English.
‘When will you tell Vinny?’
‘This afternoon. I have a carload of presents for his baby and I am meeting him at his house at four.’
Chuckling, Burak poured them both a drink. He chinked glasses with his cousin. ‘Let payback begin.’
Nancy Butler eyed her husband suspiciously. He had been acting strange all week and had just handed her a big bouquet of flowers. ‘What you done wrong, Michael?’
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