No Mercy: The brand new novel from the Queen of Crime

by Martina Cole

  When his children had finally been in his sole charge, he had not known what he was supposed to do. Lorna was in a psychiatric hospital, and he had been left to deal with the aftermath. Thank God for his mother and her patience.

  His children had flourished under his tutelage and they clearly liked him too. He wanted more than ever for them to learn the businesses from him. Now that he had a bigger place in their lives, he could understand why they had rebelled against their mother so hard. Lorna had never given them a moment for themselves, and that grieved him. He should have made sure that they had been allowed to just enjoy being kids.

  They had acres of land for his children to roam over, and they had not really had the chance. He saw now that his one weekend a month at home had been like a holiday for his kids. They had been allowed to act normal when he was there with them. How could he have not seen the truth?

  Lorna now acted like she and Diana were the best of friends – not that she was fooling anyone. But, once again, they had all chosen to ignore that fact, because it made everybody’s life that much easier.

  ‘Come on, Dad, I can’t wait to get to Soho. I love that we have clubs there – all my mates are so jealous. And when I tell them about Spain and Ibiza they are gutted!’

  ‘Of course they are, son, you are the heir to all of this. One day, everything will be yours.’

  Angus Junior laughed again. ‘Well, Dad, hopefully that’s not for a long, long time.’

  Angus grinned that snide grin that told everyone within his orbit that he wasn’t really joking. ‘Oh, my boy, I don’t think we have anything to worry about there.’

  Chapter Ninety-six

  Abad was more than ready for a night out. He loved coming to the UK, and he made the most of his visits.

  He always had a good shop when he was here. He loved his clobber, and was willing to pay top dollar for it. He loved Angus like a brother; they had been friends for a long time, they were comfortable in each other’s company, and always enjoyed a good night out together.

  Abad had finally married a girl that his father had found for him, and he was very happy with her. He had been quite content with an arranged marriage – it worked for him, if he was really honest. Three sons and a daughter later, Aysha was still a good-looking girl, and she still had no real understanding of what he did or how he earned his crust. That suited him down to the ground, because he knew that he would never be exactly the faithful type, and he had never had any intention of even trying to be.

  He loved his life as it was; he acted the perfect husband and father in his beautiful homes, and his wife loved and appreciated that. He treated her like she was the only woman in the world. When he was in her company, he made sure that she was happy and contented. She had no idea about the real world; she had been brought up to obey her husband and care for her children, both of which she did excellently. His father had chosen well for him.

  His father-in-law was a man of means and a man of honour. He had family in Afghanistan and, along with Abad’s father, they provided the best drugs on the market. Like most arranged marriages, it benefited everyone concerned. It ensured that wealth married wealth, and the men involved were now bonded by blood. All in all, Abad felt that he was a very lucky man. He had been given a wife who not only brought him wealth and kudos but who was also happy to let him dictate her every move, with a smile on her beautiful face.

  But as much as he loved Aysha, he was champing at the bit for a night out with Angus. She was a lot of things, but exciting in the sack would never be one of them and so he wasn’t averse to having a dabble when the fancy took him.

  Besides, they had a lot of business to discuss, and a lot of time to make up for.

  When Roy came in and offered him another drink, Abad was more than happy to accept and get the festivities underway.

  Chapter Ninety-seven

  Lorna was tired, but she knew that was one of the downsides of her medication. She was used to it, though, and she wouldn’t allow herself to stop taking it this time.

  She knew better than anyone how that had turned out in the past – after all, she was reminded of it constantly. Not that she felt she had been in the wrong, no matter how many times they all repeated it. But she was aware that she was good at the moment and that, as a result, she was not seen as a danger by anyone any more.

  Oh, how that rankled! When she thought about what her husband and his mother had done over the years, she couldn’t believe that they had vilified her for one aberration. The hypocrisy alone was hard enough to stomach. She had to remember that they were watching her, and she couldn’t do anything about that. She was bipolar, she couldn’t help her actions, but what excuse did they have for their outrageous violence?

  She forced her thoughts away, reminding herself that it was the negative voices that caused her trouble. She knew how to banish them. When they overwhelmed her, she pushed them away and reminded herself that she was the captain of her own ship and she could choose not to let the darkness overtake her.

  The medication helped her to live a life that was full and productive. She still ran though – they couldn’t stop her from doing that. She treasured that time alone with only the sound of her own breath. It was what she lived for now, if she was honest. Running had always been her escape from everything, and that would never change.

  She smiled at her mother-in-law, and Diana smiled back. There was something about Diana and her life that still made Lorna’s skin crawl. She was a woman who had no moral compass for a start, and who had happily become a legend in her own lifetime. Diana genuinely cared about her – she actually appreciated that fact – but it didn’t change what she was. She was a violent criminal who dressed well and who acted like she was better than everyone around her.

  That her mother-in-law looked down on her, didn’t sit well with Lorna Davis. She knew that she was the better woman and the better mother because, unlike this creature, she had always had her children’s best interests at heart. Diana had brought her son into the family business without a thought for his welfare. She had just allowed him access to her world from an early age and schooled him in how best to survive it. But Lorna had to keep that opinion to herself because her husband, like his mother before him, was successful at what he did.

  ‘Are you OK, Lorna? Can I get you anything?’

  ‘I could murder a cup of tea, Di.’

  Diana smiled happily. ‘Of course, darling, I’ll make one now.’

  Diana looked at her daughter-in-law with concern, because she would never stop worrying about her, even though she knew that Lorna couldn’t give a flying fuck if she dropped down dead in front of her. She looked around the state-of-the-art kitchen that Lorna had designed herself and wondered how someone could have so much and yet appreciate it so little. Because that was Lorna’s real problem: she had never once had to work for anything – everything had always been given to her as soon as she had requested it. Her son had seen to that.

  She knew that she wasn’t without blame either. She had bought her way into her grandchildren’s lives. She loved them, and she had wanted to see them.

  What else could she do?

  Chapter Ninety-eight

  ‘Fucking hell, Angus, he is like your double!’

  Angus was laughing along with Abad. What he was saying was the truth. Even he could see it; watching Angus Junior was like looking in a mirror.

  Angus Junior always enjoyed being in Abad’s company. He also loved being in Soho; he had always loved the vibe of London and the West End. Like his father, he felt the excitement of just being there, especially in the clubs that his father owned, and the knowledge that he was a part of it all was heady. He was his father’s son and this was his legacy. His father had just told him that one day this would all be his.

  His friends knew who his dad was. They knew that he was a Face and a businessman who owned clubs all over the place. He was proud to be a Davis, proud to be someone whose family was to be reckoned with, was r
espected, and whose name could instil fear into the hardest of men.

  His granny was the same. She didn’t suffer fools gladly, and he knew that she was the reason his father was where he was today. His granny was the real deal and she had given her know-how to her son, his father, and his father would one day give that know-how to him.

  Angus Junior couldn’t wait. It was what he lived for.

  ‘Shall we let him have a drink, Abad?’ his father was asking.

  Abad raised his glass in salute. ‘Of course! He will learn how to be a man with us.’

  Angus Junior sipped his beer and listened intently to his father and Abad as they discussed business.

  He knew that his father expected him to try to grasp the basics of the conversation.

  He was more than happy to do as requested.

  Chapter Ninety-nine

  ‘Abad is one of my oldest friends and business associates. He is also a dangerous fucker and don’t you ever forget that, son.’

  Angus Junior wisely nodded, because he knew that his father was giving him sage advice. They were in the VIP suite of Angus’s club in King’s Cross. He had made sure that Abad had a continual line of young blondes with big tits and big arses to entertain him. He knew exactly what his friend liked, and what he was expecting – and they were all on the house, of course. He wouldn’t dream of charging Abad.

  He could see his son’s interest in the girls, and he was pleased about that but he wanted him to understand that, in their world, these girls were just matter-of-fact. They were nothing more than a perk of the job. Women – well, certain women – would always be available to them, but as yet his boy, as good-looking as he was, wasn’t immune to these girls’ charms.

  ‘See her, son? Beautiful, isn’t she?’

  Angus Junior’s eyes were on stalks. The girl in question was all of nineteen, blonde and well stacked, with an expensive fake tan and good shoes. She knew exactly how to make the best of herself, and Angus could respect that. She was a nice kid and, unlike the majority of the girls who worked the poles, she was capable of having an actual conversation.

  ‘She is still a working girl, though, son, never forget that.’

  Angus Junior turned to his father. ‘I do know the score, Dad, you have explained it to me on more than one occasion. We are in a world where good-looking young women are in abundance. So they might not be exactly kosher. I had rather worked that one out for myself, if I’m honest.’

  Angus slung an arm around his son, pleased he was listening to him.

  ‘Seriously, Dad, I get it, they are out for the main chance, the money. It’s a lap-dancing club, they aren’t here for anything else.’

  Angus raised his eyebrows comically. ‘Well, they are, if you are willing to pay for it!’

  Angus Junior looked puzzled. ‘Not from us, though, surely? I mean, why the fuck would we have to pay? They work for us, Dad.’

  Angus shook his head and, looking at his son, he said seriously, ‘Listen, these girls are here to earn a wage. I’m paying extra for them tonight so Abad can have a good time. But we don’t own them, son, they are working for us, and we can’t take advantage. Why would you think otherwise?’

  Angus Junior shrugged nonchalantly. ‘If you say so. But if they work for us then they should be available, surely?’

  Angus shook his head. ‘I don’t pay them a wage to be here, like the bar staff or the cleaners. They pay me a percentage to work here, son. I suppose you could say we work for them, in a way. But don’t ever forget that, without these girls, we haven’t got a club or an earn.’

  Angus Junior smiled his agreement, but in reality he still couldn’t see any logic there. They were no more than a commodity, as far as he was concerned, and they were there for his gratification and the men that they catered for. It was a business transaction. They didn’t deserve anything other than his disdain.

  That was the truth, as far as he could see, because these girls were everywhere, like rats. Every day, they had new ones lining up to work the poles; most of them were over the hill by twenty-five. He didn’t see them as anything other than whores. Unlike his father, he didn’t feel the need to justify using these women to earn a crust. They were willing participants, and they all knew the score.

  But he was shrewd enough to know when to keep his own counsel. His mother had taught him that much over the years, especially where his old man was concerned. His mum had always tried to hide his father’s real businesses from her kids but, unlike her, he didn’t have a problem with any of it – far from it. In fact, he thought his father was someone to aspire to.

  Along with his Granny Diana, his father was a fucking legend, and that was something he not only admired but was proud of. This was his bloodline, this was what he wanted and what he was determined to become an important part of.

  One day, this would all be his. And he would be more than ready, when the time came.

  Chapter One Hundred

  Julie James was not what could be called beautiful, but she was striking.

  She was tall, slim, and she had a pair of breasts that wouldn’t look out of place in a Titian painting. The big draw was that they were natural – they practically defied gravity – and she was very popular, especially with the older punters. Unlike the younger men who came to the clubs, the older men weren’t as enamoured of the surgically enhanced ladies, they were more interested in the natural look.

  Julie had natural auburn hair, and that included both collar and cuffs. She didn’t remove all her pubic hair like most of the girls, who wanted to look like prepubescent teens – she was happy to just tidy hers up, and it really worked well for her. She also was in possession of a fantastic pair of legs that she made the most of with the addition of six-inch heels.

  She was a serious earner, and the other girls liked her because she was a genuinely nice person. She was bringing up two young boys on her own – their father was doing a wedge in prison, and she wasn’t known to put herself about other than for work. All in all, Julie was a real asset. Abad had always had a fancy for her, and Angus made sure that she was available whenever he was in town.

  It was the private dances that really earned the girls the money, and it was the dream to be singled out for a private party. Julie appreciated Abad always treated her well and she had a good time with him. They had a rapport, and after the business was concluded they often talked for hours. That suited Julie – the longer she was there, the more she would earn; she suspected that Abad knew that, and kept her there for that reason only. He would also slip her a serious tip when the night was over, which was always welcome.

  So tonight she was pleased to get herself ready and willing for her handsome Moroccan man. It would be an easy night, and a very lucrative one. What more could a girl in her position ask for? She was to work with two of the newer girls, Abigail and Milandra. Both were nice lasses and they would be the opening act. She would come into the private room after they had done their dances, and she would only dance for Abad.

  She knew that most men had a fantasy that was often very different to what they wanted from their wives or girlfriends, and that was fine by her. Once they came into the clubs, it was down to women like herself to fulfil that fantasy.

  It was what made the world go round. Julie understood that the men who she interacted with weren’t really being unfaithful to the women they lived with or were married to. They were just scratching an itch, letting off steam, and the women that they used meant nothing to them.

  Abad didn’t want anything out of the ordinary, and she actually enjoyed herself sexually with him. They were like an old married couple in some respects, because they had a routine and it worked for both of them. Afterwards, they just talked and laughed together, and she had a feeling that was something he couldn’t do with his wife – at least, not the way he did with her.

  In a different life, they would probably have made a great couple. She had a feeling that Abad knew that too, which was why he always came b
ack to her.

  Chapter One Hundred and One

  Abad was in the private room with Angus and his boy.

  He liked Angus’s kids, but he wondered at him letting his older boy be a part of something like this at still such a young age. It wasn’t his business but his own father had dragged him into so much, so early, he knew he wouldn’t do that to his kids. His children would get an education – a good education – and then he would decide what their futures held. But Morocco and London were two completely different cities, and Angus Junior had been exposed to so much because of the newspapers and television that he’d had access to.

  That was for Angus to worry about. Abad was relaxed and ready to party. He always enjoyed his nights here with Angus, and the girls he provided. He accepted another large whiskey, and he sipped it with relish. These nights out together had become almost a ritual; they both looked forward to them, and they enjoyed their time together.

  Abigail and Milandra were both a bit nervous, because they knew that these weren’t the usual private-room punters – this was Angus, their boss, and one of his important business associates.

  Milandra was pleased to see that Angus Junior was there. She knew that she could do a lot worse – he was a good-looking lad, and he was going places. She wouldn’t be averse to going there with him, should that opportunity present itself. She concentrated all her voluptuous charms on him, and he didn’t look like he was going to refuse them.

  Abigail danced for both Abad and Angus. She had been told the score earlier, and she wasn’t going to deviate in any way. Abigail just wanted to dance, get her cash and go home; this wasn’t a career for her, this was a stopgap while she was at university. It paid the bills, and that was all she was interested in. She was studying Law, and she was not going to be left with huge debts when she finally graduated. She knew exactly what she was going to do with her life, and this job was just a stepping stone.