Betrayal

  Aiden was having none of it. He understood now that they were all in league with his son. That they were all against him. ‘I cannot believe that you and my brother could have the fucking front to treat me like a complete cunt, Jade. You think that I should bow my knee to Marvin fucking Hendry? That fucker should be bowing to me! He has poisoned my own son against me. And none of you can see it, can you?’

  Patsy wondered how his brother got through the day; he could convince himself of literally anything, believe his own bollocks and then he would pass it on to them. He couldn’t stay silent any longer.

  ‘Have you never once ever listened to the people around you, Aiden? Do you really think that we are all so fucking stupid that we just believe every word that you tell us? Well, I have a big shock for you. We sussed you out years ago, mate. We know everything about you − the good and the bad, you mad bastard. Christ knows you have really pushed the fucking line at times. You are our brother and we never forget that you looked after us. But we have paid you back one hundredfold. You treat everyone around you like shit. You never once think about how the people in your life might feel about your fucking actions. You have deliberately treated every one of us like we never meant nothing to you. You made us feel that we had to prove ourselves, and we have.’

  Aiden looked at Jade and his brother and all he could see was that they were trying to put him down. They were trying to make him feel that his son’s defection to Marvin Hendry and his family was something that he should just allow − and be pleased about. He was the head of this fucking family and he always had been, and he was not going to allow any of them to make him feel that he was doing something wrong. He had been taking care of everyone in his family since he was a fucking kid − how could they act like he was the enemy? He had tried to explain that he didn’t trust Marvin Hendry and that should have been enough for them. He had been the only person that had made sure they were safe and looked after. They should trust his instincts and not question his motives. But now, here he was being treated like a fucking complete moron by the two people he trusted more than anybody else.

  ‘Do you think I could really give a flying fuck about what you lot think of me? And that includes you too, Jade. I know that you would rather sit back on your fat fucking arse and watch our son throw his life away. I always knew that I would have to deal with people who didn’t have the fucking brains they were born with, but I was quite happy to look after my family, and I fucking did, Patsy − don’t you ever forget that. While you are all busy sucking Marvin’s cock you remember that I was the only one there for you from day one. I think that I deserve some kind of fucking respect for doing that, don’t you? A bit of fucking loyalty wouldn’t go amiss.’

  Patsy poured himself a large whisky. He was going to need it − his brother was evidently determined to make his point.

  ‘This isn’t about loyalty, Aiden, and you know that. This is about your only son and his first fucking chance of happiness. Why can’t you admit that you are jealous of him? That your biggest problem is that your son is man enough to follow his own star. Any other man would be so fucking proud of him, but not you. That says more about you, Aiden, than it will ever say about your son. He has tried his hardest to bring you on board, to make you a part of his life. He was depending on you looking after him and standing beside him. We have all been witness to your fucking juvenile pettiness and we are disgusted with you. There are no other children, are there? Just your Aiden and Colin Junior. We all feel that they deserve the fucking best that we can offer them and, if that means we have to go against you and your fucking lunacy, then that is exactly what we will do, Aiden. You need a fucking wake-up call. We know that you murdered Colin Clark, and that you made sure that his brother did your dirty work for you. Believe me when I say, Aiden, that no one holds that against him. You are the bad bastard. But you are also our brother, so we were willing to overlook your fucking mentalness. But not any more. If push comes to shove, we will all be behind your son. Remember that.’

  Jade could see that Aiden was able to take in the enormity of what he was being told even though he was out of his head on drink and cocaine. He would never have believed that his own family would ever go against him and, until all of this had happened, she wouldn’t have either. But tonight changed everything.

  Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen

  Jade couldn’t sleep. Aiden’s showdown with Patsy was playing over and over in her head. There was a chance that there would be a fight of some description and she was determined to avoid that at all costs. She had immediately made the arrangements to bring Aiden home and he had not even attempted to stop her. That alone had told her that, paranoid as he was from the drink and the drugs, he had understood that his brothers were not willing to stand behind him this time. For so long, like her, they had made a point of pretending that they believed that his latest fucking argument was valid and that he was absolutely in the right, even when Aiden had just taken umbrage for no real reason and decided to pick a fight with someone because he felt like it.

  Aiden was a bully and a fucking Looney Tunes. Jade knew that she should not be trying to protect him because he was quite willing to harm their son. It was clear now that he saw his boy as a fucking threat to him, as someone who could never again be trusted. She should not be trying to defend him. He deserved everything that was coming to him. But he was the only man that she had ever loved. She still held out hope that if she could just talk to him when he was sober and explain to him that his only son was all that they would ever have, she could make him see sense. There was still enough time for them to make sure that they were a part of his life and the life of their grandchild. If Aiden could only see that his actions were going to push him away from his closest family.

  She couldn’t come to terms with the way that Aiden had turned on their son − it was something she really couldn’t fathom. What’s more, if he went up against Marvin, as she feared he would, it would jeopardise everything they had worked for all these years. But it was their boy who was the most important thing in their lives. How could Aiden turn against their only child overnight? He had always had a really strange take on the world, but she had never believed that he would use that against his only son. It broke her heart to think that her Aiden had done this. It was an unforgivable betrayal of their family.

  Chapter One Hundred and Twenty

  Reeva was upset − having her sons at odds with each other was something she found difficult to cope with. The usual arguments she could deal with − that was an everyday thing with four boys who would always have their spats. But this time it was really serious.

  Agnes made a pot of tea and, as she poured them both a cup, Reeva worried about what was going to happen with the family. There had been a few bust-ups over the years but never anything on this scale. It seemed the whole family were against Aiden, and that was never going to end well. She looked at her daughter and she could see the concern mirrored in her eyes. Everyone was on edge. It was like they were all waiting for the axe to drop. But just what the outcome of all this angst was going to be none of them was sure.

  Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-One

  Aiden O’Hara was in a phone box in South London. Like his brothers, he never made work calls from a mobile. He believed that those phones were too intrusive for their kind of conversations. They kept times, numbers, dates – everything people in their position could well do without. Far too many of their ilk had been stitched up through what Aiden saw as complete stupidity. He didn’t even trust the burner cells as he knew that if the Filth could trace it back to where it was purchased, the chances were there was CCTV. That was the problem with the modern world − everyone was being fucking monitored without even realising it. He saw himself as much shrewder than that. He was old school and he prided himself on that. He had never once sent even a text that pertained to his earn, and he was not about to start now. He made a call, and walked back to his car.

  Porrick was driving hi
m and Aiden wasn’t too happy about being in the company of any of his brothers at the moment. He couldn’t believe that he was getting so much fucking grief from everyone about his son’s foolishness. But the call that he had just made would prove him right, and it would ensure that they all saw it from his point of view even at this late date. Oh, he had his fucking sources, and he was pulling in more than a few favours. Once he had arranged this meeting he would show his brothers just what the fuck they had to deal with. They were the ones who needed the fucking wake-up call, and he was going to make sure that they got just that.

  Grinning pleasantly, he said to Porrick cheerily, ‘Get everyone rounded up. We have a meet with an old mucker of mine, Johnny Denton. He has a story to tell that I think everyone might be interested in. We’re meeting at his licensed premises in New Cross. It will be open just for us lot. Tell them I want everyone there as soon as.’

  Porrick didn’t answer his brother; he just did what was asked. He had been expecting something like this. They all had.

  Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Two

  Loretta was very upset, although she was trying her hardest to pretend otherwise. Aiden was being put into an impossible situation because of her and, knowing how much he thought of his dad, she could understand that the situation was really difficult for him and his family. But she was having his child, and she just couldn’t understand why his dad was so against them being together. Her father was thrilled at the prospect, while Aiden’s father thought it was a terrible situation.

  For the first time in her life she had come up against somebody who did not like her. Even though she could see why his father might think they were far too young to be starting a family, she had not expected such harsh criticism. And, even though her Aiden had assured her that his father’s opinion meant nothing to him, she still could not help being sad that she was the reason for them to be at odds. She could never remember a time in her life when she had been on the receiving end of someone else’s utter dislike. This kind of reaction had really knocked her confidence. She had never before felt unwanted or not good enough.

  Of course her dad wasn’t happy about Aiden O’Hara’s behaviour and, knowing what she did about her father, she was frightened of how he might react. She was well aware of her father’s reputation; she always had been. Her father wasn’t a man who suffered fools gladly; he was dangerous even by Jamaican standards − and that meant he was capable of real fucking bastardy. That was her mother’s description of her father, not hers, though she knew now that her mother had just been trying to prepare her for the day when she would find out the truth about her family. Most people were terrified of him − of his temper along with his refusal to ever accept what he saw as an insult, which was something that he seemed to have in common with Aiden’s father. Loretta knew exactly what her father was capable of but it suited them both if she pretended that she had no real idea of his businesses. She was grateful that he liked her Aiden, and she trusted him to do whatever was needed to see that they would stay together. He was ruthless and, even though she wasn’t as savvy or as clever as everyone else in her family, she was shrewd enough to know that much. What’s more, she didn’t care what happened to Aiden’s dad. There was a part of her that was as ruthless as her father. The strangest thing of all was she had not really known that until now.

  Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three

  ‘I wish you weren’t so fucking hard-headed, Aiden. That Loretta is lovely, and Aiden Junior is crazy about her. All the family are against you on this. Doesn’t that tell you anything?’

  Aiden sighed heavily. His brother was really pissing him off because while there was a big part of him that knew he was being unreasonable, he couldn’t backtrack now after everything he had said. It was too late. Anyway, he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to see his only son tie himself to that little fucking Jamaican booty. Because that was all she was − he didn’t care what anyone said. She wasn’t good enough for his lad.

  ‘Fuck off, Porrick. You will not understand my problem until it’s your son tying himself to a fucking leech like her.’

  Porrick started laughing then. ‘Oh, Aiden! Listen to yourself for five minutes. That girl will be the making of him. She’s a really nice lass. What is going on in your fucking brain? Please, tell me. You are supposed to be the clever bastard, remember?’

  Aiden was fuming. Wasn’t it enough that he had voiced his disapproval already? What did they want? A fucking government White Paper on it?

  ‘Look, Porrick, just shut the fuck up. I guarantee that after tonight you will understand my logic. Until then, give me a fucking break.’

  Porrick pulled the car off the road and braked quickly. Then, turning to his oldest brother, he looked at him for a long moment. Aiden knew that his little brother was trying to talk to him sensibly, but it was too late for that. He was sad that his brothers could not see that he was just doing what he had always done − looking out for his family. To think that they were willing to turn against him was something he would never have believed possible. But that is exactly what had happened.

  ‘You can still make this right, mate. Honestly, bruv, just remember that your son is the father of Loretta’s baby. He is fucking mental on her, and she is mental about him. Why can’t you see that this is a good thing? Why are you so determined to cause murders when there is no logical reason to do so? It’s like you are on a fucking death wish. Like you are so out of touch with everyone around you that you can’t see what is really going on. Please, Aiden, listen to me. No one wants this situation − least of all your boy, your own son. He is in fucking bits. All he wants is for you to respect his choice of partner.’

  Aiden O’Hara was looking at his youngest brother with scepticism and anger. Who the fuck did they all think they were? It was like everything that he had ever done for them had been forgotten overnight. Like he was suddenly this bad bastard, when all he wanted was the best for his boy − that was all he had ever wanted.

  ‘I know that you all think that I have a problem with Marvin, and I do. Because he has never once offered any of us an in on the Colombian end of our deals. I was always suspicious about that. Now it seems that he suddenly wants to groom my boy. Suddenly he thinks that there is a place for my son to become a part of it. Well, I have good reason not to buy that and we’re going to do something about it.’

  Porrick was shaking his head in abject consternation. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was like his older brother, who he had revered all his life, had feet of clay. He knew that his brother had to know on some level that there was no way in the world anyone was going to even give this shite houseroom.

  ‘Again, Aiden, can you fucking hear yourself? You sound just like one of our dealers trying to talk their way out of trouble. No one is buying your bullshit. This is all about you having a problem with your only son getting a big push into the upper echelons of the Colombian cartel. He is a clever lad, Ade, he deserves everything that he gets. Think about this: do you honestly think that someone like Marvin would bother to push him forward if he didn’t think that he could be an asset? Marvin has sons that he has never bothered to bring into his businesses. He knows their limitations. Marvin Hendry would not even dream about bringing our Aiden into the fold if he didn’t think that he could acquit himself well. That stands to reason, Aiden. Your son is being given a fucking golden opportunity. And into the bargain he is going to get the love of his life, the girl of his dreams, and what have you done for him? You have made his fucking life a misery, because no matter how you try to dress it up everyone knows that you just can’t hack your boy achieving more than you. It’s fucking laughable, Aiden. None of us could believe that you could actually be so fucking petty, and so fucking childish.’

  ‘Why don’t you just shut the fuck up, and drive us to our destination, eh? I am going to overlook your fucking stupidity because you are my baby brother.’

  Aiden was so furious he was having trouble controlling him
self but he was trying to keep a lid on his anger until his brothers had listened to what Johnny Denton had to say. He was completely confident that, once they had heard his story, they would understand exactly what he needed to do. That fucker Marvin deserved everything that was coming to him. He was looking forward to it and hearing everyone’s apologies for ever questioning Aiden O’Hara.

  Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Four

  Jade and Agnes were sitting with Reeva in the local pub. It was busy and Reeva was on top form, ordering drinks and keeping them entertained with jokes and outlandish stories. It never ceased to amaze Agnes how many of the local people actually did like her mum, considering some of her outrageous escapades. She couldn’t help being impressed with how easily her mother managed to slip back into people’s good books. But that was her mum’s forte. She could be having a stand-up fight with someone on the Monday and swearing undying friendship to them by the Wednesday.

  Agnes knew that people’s willingness to forgive had a lot to do with her mum’s sense of fair play. On more than one occasion her mother had helped other women out financially, even if she was not talking to them at that particular moment in time. Her mum had always had a soft spot for women like herself − women alone and trying to bring up families without a man behind them. Even if Reeva had engaged in an all-out punch-up with another woman − and that wasn’t exactly a rare occurrence − if she heard that the same woman needed help she would be the first one to go around to her house and offer them whatever they might need. There were more than a few women on the estate who could thank Reeva for making sure that they didn’t lose their homes, get their electric cut off or that their kids didn’t go hungry. The funny thing was, she was quite happy to be seen as the bad bastard, the argumentative fuck, but she could never handle when she was being offered thanks or gratitude. As Agnes has pointed out, that was a good thing because it proved that Reeva was doing her good turns for the right reasons. Reeva had never forgotten where she came from – she refused to leave the house she had brought up her kids in, even though Aiden could have bought her a mansion. It wasn’t her style, she said.