Dangerous Lady by Martina Cole Page B

…’
    ‘I couldn’t give a fuck if he was the Immaculate Conception! There’s something wrong, ain’t there? The Roy I knew would never take that from anyone, not in a
    million years.’ He lowered his voice. ‘Come on, Bruv. What’s the SP?’
    The barman brought over their hot toddies and Roy was glad of the few seconds’ reprieve. He could feel Michael’s eyes boring into him. When they were settled again, Roy spoke.
    ‘I don’t know, Mickey. Since Carla was born it’s as if I don’t exist any more. Janine and her mum and dad act like she never got married. I feel like a lodger in the house. I eat their food, I sleep in their bed, I shag their daughter now and again.’ All the bitterness of the last two years seemed to boil over and come tumbling out. ‘And I mean, now and again. Every three weeks when they go and visit her bloody granny in Bethnal Green. She says she can’t do it while Mummy’s in the house. Then old man Grierson treats me like the village idiot. I’m not a butcher, Mickey. I hate looking at the meat, I hate touching it…’ His voice trailed off.
    ‘So what are you gonna do?’
    Roy shrugged and took a gulp of his drink. ‘I dunno.’ ‘You don’t know? So that’s it then, is it?’ Michael was getting annoyed. ‘Why don’t you give her a right-hander? Show her who’s boss. Tell her old man to go and stuff his bloody butcher’s shop up his Jacksey. I knew she spelt trouble … I bloody knew it!’
    ‘All right… All right, Mickey. Keep your hair on.’ ‘Why don’t you come and work for me? That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.’ He saw a gleam of hope appear in Roy’s eyes. ‘I’d jump at the chance, you know that.’ Michael laughed. Roy was like a bloody kid at times. He looked at his brother’s open face, and made a mental note to tell his mother what was going down with him. He knew that she was worried.
     
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    ‘That’s settled then.’ He looked at his watch. ‘From two-twenty-five today you are a working member of the Ryan dynasty.’ They both laughed. Anthony and Geoffrey worked for Michael already. Now he had Roy.
    ‘What’s the pay, Mickey?’ Roy sounded uncertain. ‘Bloody good, that’s what.’
    ‘I wouldn’t ask, but what with the baby and everything
    …’
     
    ‘No worries, I’ll start you on thirty quid a week. That’s a bit more than the others, so keep stumm about it.’ Michael tapped his nose with his forefinger.
    Roy was amazed. He was going to go and get Janine and the baby and if necessary drag her to the flat in Westbourne Park. This was gonna be a new start. Mickey was right. Maybe she needed a right-hander. And if his father-in-law stuck his oar in, he would get one and all!
    He drank his whisky down and felt the warm glow through his body. It was partly the alcohol and partly the knowledge that he was finally going to do something about his life. The worry he had been feeling about Janine was replaced by elation. He would take a leaf out of Mickey’s book. Hit first, ask questions later.
    Michael watched his brother’s face and guessed immediately what was going through his mind. He motioned to the barman to refill their glasses, a feeling of satisfaction running through him. He had a-soft spot for Roy, the same as he did for Benny. They were both too nice for their own good. He was going to toughen Roy up. Make him into someone. Then, when Joe the Fish was out of the way, the businesses would be run exclusively by Ryans. He raised up his steaming glass to his brother. ””””
    ‘To the Ryans!’
    ‘The Ryans!’
     
    52
     
    Geoffrey and Anthony were sitting at the end of Penzance Gardens, where it met Princedale Road. It was nearly two-fifteen in the morning. They sat in a black Humber Snipe. Both were freezing and both were nervous, especially Geoffrey. At twenty-one he was two years older than Anthony. They were identical to look at. Both had the Ryan dark hair and firm chin. Anthony had more of