‘Come on, Jordanna, my head is bloody killing me,’ Marlon said, hoping his girlfriend would take pity on him, and take the kids off to bed, so that he could sit here and chill the fuck out in peace.
Only the boys had other ideas. Not picking up on his father’s volatile mood, Taye started up again, trying to snatch another toy. Hitting out at Marlon Junior, he caught his brother on the cheek with his nails. Drawing blood. The sharp scratch sent his brother into a fit of rage.
Marlon lost his rag.
‘Right, that’s enough. ENOUGH!’
Getting up he slapped both boys hard across the legs.
‘Marlon!’ Jordanna screeched loudly, as both her boys immediately stopped fighting with each other, and instead started crying together in unison.
‘What the fuck did you do that for?’ Snatching her boys protectively away from Marlon, Jordanna hoisted them both on either side of her narrow hips. ‘What’s got into you, Marlon?’
‘I already told you: I’m not in the mood for their shit,’ Marlon said, sitting back down and rolling himself another joint. ‘They are un-fucking-ruly, Jordanna.’
‘And whose fault is that?’ Jordanna was glaring at Marlon. ‘You do know that in the two years that they’ve been alive you haven’t bathed or fed them once? Not once. Yes, they’re a handful. I’m well aware of that as it’s me that has to keep an eye on them twenty-four-seven in case they touch something that they shouldn’t or injure themselves. Me. On my tod. Because you never fucking help me!’
Jordanna was convinced he was hiding something from her. He’d been on edge all day. If she didn’t know any better she’d guess that Marlon had been up to his old tricks once again. Maybe that’s why they’d come here, so that Marlon could keep the heat off him for a bit. But even Marlon wouldn’t be so stupid as to do that to her again. Not after she had warned him the last time what she’d do if she found out that he’d been cheating on her.
She’d meant it, too.
If her boyfriend even so much as thought about dipping his wick anywhere that he shouldn’t, Jordanna would be dipping Marlon’s bollocks into a blender while they were still attached, and then turning the fucker on.
‘All you’ve done since we got here is drink whisky and smoke pot. Which, by the way, doesn’t suit you, seeing as you’re still acting like a miserable bastard. Considering the amount of gear you’ve smoked today, I’d have thought you would be at least chilled out.’
‘Chilled out? With yous three? Fat chance.’ Marlon rolled his eyes. His head was pounding. He was stressed as fuck. The last thing he needed right now was bloody Jordanna chirping in his ear. ‘I’d need to smoke a whole fucking forest in that case!’
‘Well something’s not right. You’ve been acting as cagey as fuck since we got here, and I’m sick of you taking your bad mood out on me and the boys.’ The holiday was ruined as far as she was concerned. ‘Do you know what? I give up.’ Though she was tempted to pick up her drink from the table and throw it into Marlon’s face, she thought better of it. ‘Me and the boys are calling it a night.’
Clutching the twins tightly to her she turned on her heel and stomped back into the villa.
‘Fuck me, women are hard work,’ Marlon mumbled to himself as he watched Jordanna march towards the house in a huff.
She had no idea how much shit he was in right now. She didn’t have a fucking clue. Everyone would have heard about Jimmy being murdered by now. There would be people out looking for his killer. He was part of it. They’d be looking for him. And here he was living it up in the sunny Costa Del Sol.
Only he wasn’t living it up at all. He was just doing as he’d been told. He had to sit this one out and wait for the heat to die down. Until then, he was stuck here putting up with all this fucking aggro. The twins might be a handful but the pair of them kicking off had nothing on what Jordanna alone was capable of. The woman was a walking, talking brain-ache and Marlon was glad she’d fucked off to bed.
Taking another long pull of the joint, Marlon breathed a thick plume of smoke down into his lungs, then out slowly, streaming it into the warm evening air. He didn’t know what would be less stressful: going back to the UK and facing the music at what he’d been involved in, or doing as he was told, and sitting it out here in Marbella with that mad bitch.
Forty
Looking down at the twins as they lay side by side in the bed, finally sleeping, Jordanna sat on the edge of the bed next to them, taking in the sight of their thick curly mops of hair, their tanned golden skin; their long wispy eyelashes resting on the tops of their cheeks, eyelashes that she herself had to pay good money to imitate.
Her boys were her world. Two miniature versions of their father. Though, her boys weren’t going to grow up to be anything like him. Jordanna would make sure of that. Marlon was nothing more than a lying, cheating, no-good bastard!
Unable to hold back her tears any longer, Jordanna sunk down onto the floor on her knees. Burying her mouth against the mattress so that she didn’t wake her children, she was unable to stop the sob escaping from the back of her throat. Why did he always have to ruin everything? They could have been happy together. But Marlon just couldn’t help himself, could he? To think that she’d almost gone out there and tried to make it up with him. Looking for some paracetamol to help his pounding headache, the last thing she expected to find was this mobile phone stuffed down inside the side compartment of his wash bag.
As soon as she found it she knew: this was what the little holiday was really all about. This is why Marlon had brought her here to sunny Costa Del Sol. The bastard had been hiding something and now Jordanna knew what.
Her fingers fumbled with the small black buttons as she blinked through her tears, trying to read the text on the small grey screen; then, humiliated at what she read: the stream of messages that went back and forth between Marlon and her friend and so-called best mate, Gina Jones.
She’d been stupid to think that he’d ever change. Men like Marlon never did, they just got smarter at hiding their seedy little trials of deception. It came with the territory. Practice makes perfect and all that. Only Jordanna would always be ten steps ahead of Marlon. And to think that she’d loved the bones of that man. That she’d forgiven him time and time again for all that he’d put her through. All the hurt that he caused her.
Well she wouldn’t be forgiving him again. They were done now. Jordanna was certain of that. What sort of life was that for her boys? Growing up watching their father constantly disrespecting their mother. Jordanna used to think that she was doing the right thing standing by Marlon. That if she broke up her family, her boys would suffer. The truth was her family was already broken. Marlon had seen to that.
Placing her hand over her mouth, Jordanna felt physically sick as she continued scrolling through, reading the other messages on the phone that left her blood running cold. She couldn’t believe what she was reading.
Jimmy Byrne was dead? What the fuck?
Suddenly Marlon’s irrational behaviour was starting to make sense. Marlon hadn’t tried to whisk her away so that she wouldn’t find out about Gina Jones, this had nothing to do with her friend. This was about something much more sinister.
Shaking her head as she realised the lengths that man would go to, to save his sorry arse, she switched off the phone and shoved it back inside Marlon’s wash bag, so that he wouldn’t know she’d seen it, while she worked out what she was going to do next.
It was about time that Marlon experienced first-hand what it felt like to be betrayed. For all the times that the man had almost broken her, without succession, Jordanna would break him. Without a doubt.
Despite what Marlon clearly believed, the truth always came out in the end.
Forty-One
Marlon Jackson shook his head despairingly as Jordanna rushed around the villa like a whirlwind, picking up the handfuls of toys from where they’d been left abandoned on the floor of the villa’s front room. Ever since they’d had the big row
over the boys last night, she’d been acting really off with him.
In fairness though, he couldn’t really blame her. She had every right to be pissed off with him. She was right. He’d been acting irrational, crazy. He could see that now. Worried sick about what was going on back home in England, his head had been all over the place, and it didn’t help either that he’d downed half a bottle of whisky, and smoked copious joints which only made his paranoia go through the roof.
Jordanna was right. He needed to chill the fuck out. He was only going to draw attention to himself otherwise. What was the point in moping around, guilty? Yes, it was fucked up that Jimmy Byrne had lost his life, but Marlon didn’t pull the trigger. He wasn’t the one that killed Jimmy.
Reminding himself that Jimmy wasn’t always an angel, he realised he needed to get it into perspective. The man may have made his vast fortune from the property he’d invested in over the years, but he had other lucrative incomes too. Not only did he run some of the seediest brothels in London, but Jimmy had a whole army of foot soldiers in the form of scrotes from all the run-down London estates doing his dirty work and selling all the coke and weed he imported. He dealt with some proper shady people. From well-known hardened criminals to wannabe plastic gangsters. Jimmy rarely did any dirty work himself. That’s what Marlon and the rest of the lads on the firm had been employed to do.
Shit, there was even a rumour flying about that Jimmy had torched his own wife and mother-in-law out of their home years ago, so that he could buy the first real development he’d ever invested in. The one in Soho that had placed the man firmly on the map. It seemed everyone knew about it apart from the poor cow Jimmy was married to. That’s how merciless he could be.
There were other rumours that Marlon had heard too. About Jimmy visiting rent boys in dives like King’s Cross; Marlon had never believed any of those stories though. Jimmy had been straighter than a honeymoon dick. The man had been for ever surrounded by some of the best-looking pussy in London, there was no way that the bloke was a poofter.
Still, people talked.
Despite being a popular man, Jimmy had a fair few enemies too. But no one would even suspect one of Jimmy’s own firm was involved; they’d never be able to pin any of this back onto Marlon.
He needed to calm the fuck down. A few days away, a week or so, out here in Spain with Jordanna and the boys was just what he needed. He’d be all right after that. He was certain.
Though so far, he couldn’t even get that right. They’d only been here three days and already Jordanna was barely talking to him. Looking over towards the boys, both sprawled out on the sofa watching a DVD that Jordanna had put on for them, wearing only their nappies so that they could both cool down from the heat of the Spanish sun, even they were acting wary of him after the slap they’d both got from him last night. He knew he needed to pull himself together and he intended to, starting right now.
‘Here, babe. Why don’t you leave all that for now? I’ve got a surprise for you,’ he said, knowing full well that once Jordanna got herself worked up in a strop, the chances were there would be no talking her down.
‘A surprise?’ Jordanna said, trying to keep a neutral face as she stared back at Marlon. She’d had enough surprises of Marlon Jackson to last her a lifetime. The last thing she wanted was another surprise from that self-conceited bastard. How she hadn’t scratched the fucker’s eyes out after what she’d found on the phone that Marlon had been hiding from her, she really didn’t know, but she was all for playing the long game.
‘Yeah, look babe, I know I’ve been a first-class prick lately, and I’m sorry. I just had some stuff on my mind. Some stuff to do with work,’ he said truthfully, playing down his worries; Jordanna didn’t have a fucking clue what he’d got himself into and that was just the way it would have to stay. ‘Let me take you and the boys out tonight to make up for it, yeah? There’s a place the other side of the marina. The best seafood in all of the Costa Del Sol.’
‘I dunno,’ Jordanna said. The last thing she wanted to do right now was go out. She’d already set the cogs of her revenge into motion and the nearer the time came to enacting Marlon’s reprisal, the more she was starting to feel as nervous as hell about what she’d done.
Still, there was fuck all she could do about it now. It was out of her hands. All she could do was try and act normal as she hoped and prayed that it would all soon be over.
‘Go on, love, let me make it up to you? The boys will love the restaurant. We can get them some calamari, and you can have those slippery black garlicy things that you love—’
‘Moules-frites,’ Jordanna corrected him, surprised that Marlon had even taken an interest in what she normally ordered.
‘What do you say, eh?’ he persisted. ‘Let me make it up to you, babe, it’s the least I can do.’
‘Okay!’ Jordanna said eventually, staring up at the clock. ‘But I need to get ready. I want to sort out my make-up.’
Marlon grinned; she could hold a grudge for England if the mood took her. Still, as fiery as his Jordanna could be Marlon knew that she could never stay mad at him long. She just didn’t have it in her.
‘Well, I’ve already taken the liberty of ordering a cab, Jord – I know what you’re like strutting around in those heels of yours – so you better get a move on.’ Glad that Jordanna wasn’t planning on stringing out this row of theirs, he was looking forward to tonight.
Marlon felt guilty then, other than the general nagging and earache he got from the girl, Jordanna was a good mother to the boys, and she’d been a loyal girlfriend to him, and Lord knows Marlon had tested her. He’d treated Jordanna appallingly over the years. Cheating on her, lying to her. He didn’t even know why he did it half the time. He just got bored. Easily led astray. His mother used to say that he could resist everything except temptation, and the older he had got, the more he realised that was true. There was temptation everywhere.
He didn’t even have to look for trouble, he was just one of those guys where trouble always found him. It didn’t help that he was a good-looking fucker. Mixed race, milk chocolate skin. His eyes a piercing grey-blue. He had all the chat too. A regular jack-the-lad. The girls couldn’t seem to get enough of him. What was a man to do?
‘How about we kiss and make up before it gets here?’ Marlon said, knowing that he was pushing his luck, and he laughed as Jordanna pushed him away, clearly letting him know that he wasn’t forgiven just yet. Still, he couldn’t help the heady, sexual pull of the girl as he tried to wrap his arms around her, hoping to cop a cheeky feel.
‘All right, Casanova, there’ll be plenty of time for all that later,’ Jordanna said as she wriggled out of his hold, hoping that the hint of a promise was enough to placate her boyfriend for a bit longer. She couldn’t even bear to look at Marlon right now. Couldn’t stand the sight of him. Just the feel of his slimy hands on her skin, on her body, made her feel sick to her stomach, now she knew where they’d been. All over that skank, Gina Jones.
‘Later, eh? I’m holding you to that.’ Marlon laughed. Though knowing his Jordanna as well as he did, the girl would probably be hell-bent on making him work for it tonight.
‘Right, I better get myself ready then. If the cab’s on its way?’
‘Do you want any help with the boys?’ Marlon offered, not wanting a repeat performance of last night. He was determined to at least try and do his bit. Though, he did feel pleased when Jordanna shook her head.
‘No, honestly it’s fine. I’ll be five minutes. Go and pour yourself a drink while you’re waiting. I’ll have one too.’
Doing as he was told, he went into the kitchen and poured them both a drink: a whisky for him, a gin and tonic for Jordanna. Large ones. They were celebrating. Tonight, Marlon decided was going to be a brand new start for them both. He’d been thinking about it all day. Jordanna and the boys. Jimmy. Life was too short. All this messing about and causing grief for himself, it wasn’t fucking worth the aggro. It was time that he gre
w up. Manned up for the sake of his kids. As of tonight he’d made a vow to himself that from now on he was going to be faithful to Jordanna. He was going to put her and little Taye and Marlon Junior first for a change. He was keen to make a real start in turning all of their lives around. It was long overdue. That’s what life was all about, he realised that now. When the chips were down, and everything was up against him, this was all he really had: his family. He didn’t want to jeopardise that anymore.
Hearing the doorbell, Marlon shook his head. He’d barely had time to pour his drink.
‘Fuck me, they don’t hang around out here in Espagne, eh! The London cabbies back home could learn a thing or two by these lot,’ he said, downing his whisky before he went to the door.
Only Jordanna had beat him to it.
Standing in the doorway, holding their boys in her arms, as the cab driver carried two large suitcases to the awaiting taxi.
‘What the fuck are you doing, Jordanna?’ Marlon said, laughing nervously as he wondered what the hell was going on. Jordanna was leaving? Taking the boys and their bags? ‘I thought we were sorting everything out, babe?’
Jordanna shook her head. ‘I know about you and Gina, Marlon.’
The half-smile slipped from his face. How? How did she know?
‘Babe.’ Marlon stepped closer, about to do his usual and spout off a load of lies in his defence, instead, he stopped. He’d promised himself a new start, no more bullshit. No more lies. He meant it too. ‘Babe, please, listen, yeah?’ Desperate to make her change her mind. ‘I’m sorry, Jord, please. I’m going to change. I know you’ve heard me say it a thousand times before, but I really do mean it this time. You and the boys, you’re all that matters to me. I was stupid babe, she meant nothing.’
‘Nothing?’ Jordanna said, shaking her head, disgusted. ‘That’s you all over, Marlon, isn’t it? To you, she meant nothing. Just a quick shag, another conquest, but to me it meant everything. You’ve broken my heart, Marlon, and I’m not sticking around so that you can break me. I’m going home.’ Even she was surprised by the emotion in her voice, the way that her words shook as they left her mouth. She’d imagined being so much stronger when she finally had her say to Marlon. Fuelled by her anger and fury at what Marlon had done to her with her best friend, she’d been prepared to read him the bloody riot act; only she didn’t feel any of that now. All she felt was sadness. Sad that it had come to this. Sad that Marlon really didn’t see how much she had always loved him.
The Betrayed: A shocking, gritty thriller that will hook you from the first page Page 26