‘Be warned, my mother’s absolute brain damage. If she starts asking you loads of questions, don’t feel you have to answer them. Me dad’s OK, but him and me mother don’t stop arguing,’ he had warned Polly on the phone the previous night.
Eddie read Raymond’s thoughts and smiled. ‘I bet Joycie will have a field day. She’s been dying to interrogate Polly ever since you first mentioned her.’
‘I don’t need reminding, Ed. Ouch! That little fucker just bit me,’ Raymond exclaimed.
Chuckling, Eddie put his foot down and sped towards home.
‘Dad’s been gone ages. Can’t we just open a few presents, Mum?’ Joey begged.
‘At least let us open one,’ Frankie whinged.
Hearing her husband’s tyres scrunch against the gravel outside, Jessica was relieved. The twins hadn’t stopped moaning since the moment they had opened their eyes. ‘He’s here now. Go out and see what he’s got for you,’ she told them.
Jessica wiped the kitchen top down and, hearing whoops of delight, went outside to see what all the fuss was about. ‘What the hell?’ she said, as she spotted their presents bounding towards her.
Eddie smiled at her. He hadn’t asked Jessica’s permission, as he knew she would say no. ‘The kids have always wanted a dog. Ain’t they gorgeous?’he said anxiously.
Jessica glared at her husband and her brother. She kept her house spotless and didn’t want it any other way.
‘Nothing to do with me,’ Raymond declared.
She walked towards Eddie. ‘You should have asked me first. What breed are they? They won’t get big, will they?’
Eddie slung his arm around Jessica’s shoulder. ‘Ahh, look. The kids love ’em. It is their sixteenth, ain’t it? They’ll look after ’em, walk ’em and that.’
Jessica repeated her previous question. ‘They’re Rottweiler puppies. They don’t grow that big,’ Eddie lied.
Desperate to get the smell of the dog’s piss off his new trousers, Raymond went into the house to clean himself up. Eddie could be an impulsive bastard at times and he could tell his sister wasn’t amused.
‘Look, Mum, isn’t he cute?’ Frankie said, lifting one of the dogs up.
‘Can I have this one, Frankie? That one’s mental like you, this one’s the quiet one, like me,’ Joey asked, his eyes shining. When he was little, he’d hated dogs, been petrified of them. These were adorable, though.
Jessica clocked the twins’ elation. How could she say no? She could hardly tell them they couldn’t keep the pups now that they’d seen them. Frankie and Joey would be heartbroken and she would feel like the Wicked Witch of the West.
Aware that Jessica was mellowing, Eddie told the kids to let their mother hold the puppies.
‘Aren’t they meant to be dangerous, Rottweilers? I mean, say I get pregnant. We can’t have them around a newborn,’ Jessica whispered to Eddie.
‘They’ll be fine. I’ll train ’em up as guard dogs. Since me dad died, I worry about you and the kids being alone in the house. They’ll be protection for you when I’m at work,’ Eddie assured her.
‘Yeah, but what about the baby?’ Jessica whispered again.
‘We’ll worry about that when the time comes. I can build a kennel outside,’ Eddie replied.
‘Do you wanna hold them, Mum?’ Joey asked.
Not wanting to be a spoilsport, Jessica had little choice. Peering down at the two little funny faces, she smiled as they both licked her hands. ‘Aw, they are sweet. What are you going to call them?’ she asked the twins.
‘What about calling one Buster? That’s a good name for a dog,’ Eddie spouted.
‘I like Bruno,’ Frankie said immediately.
‘I don’t mind mine being called Buster, Dad. You did buy them for us,’ Joey said gratefully.
Eddie ruffled his son’s hair. ‘That’s sorted then. Let me have a shower and some breakfast and then we’ll take a drive down to the pet shop. We’ll buy them a bed and some toys. I’ve brought ’em some food already.’
Jessica smiled at the twins. ‘Bring Buster and Bruno inside and you can open your other presents,’ she said.
The rest of the day passed by in a happy bubble. The twins were thrilled with the acid-washed denims Jessica had brought them and excitedly pocketed the £200 each that was in their cards. Frankie and Joey had begged their dad for mobile phones and couldn’t believe their luck when they received one each.
Jessica cooked spaghetti bolognese for dinner, the twins’ favourite. By teatime, Buster and Bruno were flaked out in their doggy beds, looking pleased with their new surroundings.
At six o’clock, Frankie elbowed Joey. They were meant to be going out at eight and needed to get their arses in gear. ‘Mum, Dad. Is it OK if we stay round our friend’s tonight? We told you we’re going to the pub in Rainham, didn’t we? Well, Stacey said we can go back to hers and stay there after,’ Frankie asked politely.
‘No, you’re lucky you’re allowed to go to the pub. You can come home at twelve,’ Jessica said sternly.
Frankie poked Joey. ‘But, Mum, we are sixteen now. Dad has already charged our mobile phones and we’ll carry them with us,’ Joey said, doing his bit for once. He had arranged to meet Dominic later and, along with Frankie, they were going to a rave, then planned to stay in a nearby hotel.
‘Say something, Eddie. They’ve only just got them dogs and already they want to leave us to look after them.’
Eddie shrugged. He would never let Frankie stay out all night alone, but Joey wasn’t exactly a wild one, and he knew he would look after his sister. ‘If you stay out, I want you back here by eight in the morning. I also want you to ring home when you’re in safely from the pub. I know everyone around this area and if I find out either of you were drunk, you’re grounded,’ Eddie told them.
As the twins skipped happily upstairs to get ready, Jessica turned to her husband. ‘We don’t even know this Stacey’s parents. The kids could be up to all sorts for all we know,’ she said.
‘Look, they’re leaving school in a couple of months and then they’ll be working, Jess. They can fucking leave home the age they are now, if they want. We can’t wrap ’em in cotton wool – we’ve gotta give ’em some leeway. I mean, they ain’t bad kids, are they? I know we caught ’em out playing hookey that time, but other than that, they’ve never given us major reasons not to trust ’em.’
As Buster and Bruno walked towards her, Jessica picked their little bodies up and sat them on her lap. ‘I know you’re right, Ed. I just worry about them, that’s all.’
Eddie laid her head on his shoulder. ‘Frankie and Joey will cause us no problems. They ain’t the type – trust me!’
Joey and Frankie met Dominic in the Albion pub in Rainham.
‘A couple of Frankie’s friends will be here soon, so we must be discreet,’ Joey warned his boyfriend.
Dominic nodded understandingly. He knew Joey didn’t want anyone to know about their relationship. Joey hadn’t told him an awful lot about his father, but the few bits he had told him were enough to make him wary, and Dom guessed this was the reason why Joey insisted that they keep things secret. The more people that knew, the better chance of his dad finding out.
‘Happy birthday to you, Your arse smells of poo,’ sang Frankie’s friends.
Frankie giggled as she hugged Stacey, Demi and Paige. She didn’t have that many girl mates, but these three were a bit tomboyish, like herself. Along with David and Wesley, the girls were the crowd that she and Joey had bunked off school with and they had all known one another for years.
‘Where’s David and Wesley?’ Paige enquired.
‘Wesley’s meant to be coming, but David can’t make it,’ Frankie said, glancing at her brother. The relationship between Joey and David had never repaired itself since their couple of fumbles. David didn’t even come out any more if Frankie and Joey were going to be there.
‘Who’s that? He’s a sort. How old is he?’ Demi whispered to Frankie.
&nbs
p; Realising Demi was pointing at Dominic, Frankie laughed. ‘His name is Dominic, he’s twenty-six and I’m positive he ain’t got a girlfriend.’
Stacey, Paige and Demi all had their tongues hanging out. ‘Where do you know him from? Does he live round here?’ Stacey asked.
‘He lives in north London. He’s a mate of Joey’s. Now, shall we get drunk?’ Frankie said, trying to change the subject.
With the vodka and pineapple going down nicely, the girls talked excitedly about the night ahead. This rave lark was new to all of them and they couldn’t wait to try the experience.
‘Do you think we’re dressed right?’ Demi asked.
Frankie shrugged. ‘Dunno. Joey’s mate, Dom, said he’s been to one up his way. He said it’s casual, everyone wears jeans and trainers and stuff.’
Joey smiled as Dominic bent over to pick some money up he’d dropped. He only had to look at the muscles in Dominic’s buttocks to experience a feeling of butterflies. ‘So, did you book the hotel?’ he asked him.
Dominic nodded. ‘There’s nothing decent around here, so I got us into a little B&B. There’s no bar, but I dropped me stuff off there and stocked the room up with drink. I booked two rooms, one for us and one for your sister and her mates. I asked for single beds, obviously. Don’t worry, it won’t look suspicious.’
Joey smiled. He had been on double vodkas and already felt merry. ‘Fuck it – come to me family barbie tomorrow. I’ll get Frankie to invite her mates as well. If there’s a crowd of us there, no one will bat an eyelid.’
Dominic was unsure. Joey’s father sounded a bit too heavy for his liking. ‘I dunno, say someone says something, Joey?’
Checking none of the girls were watching, Joey squeezed Dominic’s hand. ‘There’s only me, you, and Frankie that knows. No one’s gonna say anything. Come on, please say yes.’
Unable to say no to the beautiful blond boy who had knocked him for six, Dominic nodded his head.
The Berwick Manor was set in the country lanes in the middle of nowhere. It didn’t look like a nightclub, more like a massive country home.
‘Weird-looking, ain’t it?’ Frankie said, as she climbed out of the taxi.
‘Frankie, you’ve left your phone under the seat,’ her brother shouted.
Frankie hated taking out a handbag – she felt like a right girlie – so had shoved her phone and fags into a carrier bag. The phone weighed a bloody ton and was a poxy nuisance to lug around, especially if she wanted to dance later on. She snatched at the carrier bag. ‘Look after it for me Joey, please?’ she pleaded.
Dominic laughed. He liked Joey’s sister, she was a top girl. ‘’Ere, give it to me. I’ll keep it safe for you,’ he told her.
Frankie smiled. ‘If he weren’t queer, I’d have gone for him meself,’ she whispered to Joey.
‘Shut up,’ Joey said, as he pushed her towards the entrance.
Inside the place was rocking and Frankie’s eyes lit up. ‘This is amazing,’ she said as she stared at the funky, trendy people cluttering the dancefloor. The music was different, amazing, and there was a handsome-looking guy with dreadlocks spinning the tunes. Everyone looked so relaxed and happy and Frankie had never seen anything like it.
‘Shall I get a drink? Everyone seems to be on water,’ Joey said to Dominic.
Older and wiser, Dominic laughed. ‘They take Es at these places; water’s all they drink.’
Joey stood with a confused expression plastered across his face. ‘What’s an E?’
‘Ecstasy tablets. New things out, they are. They’ve all been taking them in the City, where I work.’
With ears like a bat, Frankie turned to Dominic. ‘What do Es do? Have you tried one? Are they any good?’
Dominic smiled. ‘No idea, I’ve never taken one, but judging by the looks on the faces on the dancefloor, they’re all right. The guys I work with reckon they’re wicked. Apparently, you get this euphoric feeling when you take them and you just love everybody.’
Wandering back to her friends, Frankie ordered another round. ‘Four vodkas with pineapple and two vodkas with orange,’ she shouted to the barman.
‘Oi, stop pushing in. I was before you,’ a voice said.
About to let rip at the lad standing next to her, Frankie looked at him and, for the first time in her life, was totally lost for words. He was as fit as a fiddle, had dark, floppy hair and the brightest green eyes she had ever seen.
‘What’s up? Cat got your tongue?’ he asked her, laughing.
‘Go on, you go first,’ Frankie mumbled. She couldn’t look him in the eye – he was drop-dead gorgeous and making her insides go all funny.
‘I’ll have two lagers mate, four bottles of water and whatever this lady wants,’ the lad said.
Struggling to find her voice, Frankie turned to him. ‘I’m fine. I have my own money and I’ve got to get a round,’ she mumbled.
The lad laughed as he waved a big wad at her. ‘Can’t a man buy a lady a drink? I’ll get the round,’ he insisted.
With her eyes desperately searching for her brother and their mates, Frankie was annoyed that she couldn’t see them. ‘Whatever, just hurry up, I’ve lost the people I’m with,’ she told him.
The lad chuckled. ‘Ungrateful little filly you are, ain’t ya?’
As his face broke into a cheeky smile, Frankie smiled back. He had the most perfect teeth and appealing face she had ever seen.
‘I definitely recognise you from somewhere. Do you come down here all the time?’ he asked her.
Frankie shook her head. ‘Nah, first time I’ve been here. I like it though, it’s proper.’
The lad laughed. ‘Hark at you – proper! I bet you’re a right little handful, ain’t ya?’
Frankie swallowed her drink and then necked her brother’s double. Suddenly full of Dutch courage, she gave it back to the lad. ‘Who do you think you are, you cheeky bastard? Actually, you do look familiar, like something out of a horror movie,’ she said giggling.
‘You all right?’ Joey said reappearing.
Frankie handed him the drinks. ‘Sorry, I forgot to get your one. Where are Dominic and the girls?’
‘We’re over by the dancefloor. I’ve still got a drink, so don’t worry about mine. Are you sure you’re OK?’ Joey asked, looking at the boy standing next to her.
Frankie nodded. ‘I’m fine. I’ll be over in a minute.’
The lad smiled as Joey walked away.
‘That ain’t your boyfriend, so who is it? Your brother?’
Frankie nodded. ‘How did you know he weren’t my boyfriend?’
The boy smirked. ‘Too normal. You go for tough boys, a bit like meself!’
Frankie grinned at his cheekiness. ‘You’re so full of yourself. Has anyone ever told you that?’
The lad chuckled. ‘Every day, sugar pie. I swear I know you from somewhere. What’s your name?’
‘Me name’s Frankie. What’s yours?’
The lad shook her hand. ‘Extremely pleased to meet you, Frankie. I’m Jed. Jed O’Hara.’
TWENTY-EIGHT
As the recognition hit her, Frankie nearly dropped her glass in shock. ‘I think we have met before, at a party when we were young,’ she mumbled.
‘What party? Where?’ Jed asked her.
‘I’m Frankie Mitchell. Eddie Mitchell’s daughter. I can’t remember where the party was, but I think your dad and my dad made you and my brother fight with one another in a boxing ring. I can’t remember exactly what happened, but I think you beat my brother, ’cause my mum was hysterical.’
Jed laughed. ‘I know your face, but I don’t remember the fight. My father made me spar with so many kids over the years, I sort of lost count.’
With her heart pounding, Frankie gratefully accepted Jed’s offer of another drink. ‘Let me take these drinks back to me mates – they’ll think I’ve gone missing,’ she said.
‘You go and tell your brother that you’re OK, and we’ll meet back here in five minutes. I’ll bu
y you another drink then. The music’s proper loud, ain’t it? We can go outside and talk,’ Jed said, grinning at her.
‘Who’s that boy? How do you know him?’ Joey asked, as Frankie appeared by his side.
‘We’ve met before,’ Frankie replied casually.
This was neither the time nor the place to mention the name Jed O’Hara. Joey was a drama queen at the best of times. ‘Where are the girls?’ Frankie asked Joey.
Joey pointed towards the dancefloor. ‘Dom’s such a show-off, he’s teaching them some new moves. I’m gonna join ’em – you coming?’
Frankie shook her head. ‘I’m gonna stand at the bar and have a drink with that boy I know.’
Joey smirked. ‘You like him, don’t you? It’s written all over your face.’
‘No, I don’t. I’m just chatting, that’s all,’ Frankie said agitated.
Joey was full of suspicion as he watched his sister walk away. They knew all the same people and he wondered where Frankie knew the lad from.
‘Are you OK?’ Dominic asked, as Joey joined him on the dancefloor.
‘Yeah, sort of. Do us a favour, Dom, you’re taller than me. Keep an eye on Frankie, she’s standing up the bar with some bloke with dark hair. I don’t like the look of him. I don’t know why, but keep watch for me.’
‘Frankie will be fine. You’re just being overprotective, as any decent brother should,’ Dominic whispered in his ear.
Frankie felt like an idiot as she stood up at the bar alone.
‘Wanna dance?’ some spotty-faced jerk in dungarees asked her.
‘Fuck off,’ she replied angrily.
‘Worried I’d forgotten about ya, was ya?’ said a voice beside her.
Jed’s confidence was appealing and Frankie couldn’t help but giggle. ‘I was hoping you had. I prefer him over there,’ she said, pointing at Mr Dungarees.
Jed laughed. ‘Let’s go outside, we can have a proper chat. I can’t hear meself think in here.’
As she followed Jed outside, Frankie was nervous, but also excited. The Berwick Manor was remote and, apart from a few revellers and a mass of parked cars, the outside was a kind of ghost town.
‘Follow me,’ Jed said, leading her away from the car park.
The Feud Page 25