they see us as their fucking enemies. They are wondering what we are going to do to them.’
Peter smiled. ‘
Exactly
. And we can work with them. They’ll work with whoever is running the show, Dan. We can use this as our chance to recruit more of the real workers. We already have the bully boys and the fucking romancers. What we should be concentrating on is the real earners. And we should be makingsure that they are working for
us
. They don’t give a shit who they answer to as long as they still get their money. We were the same, Dan – if you remember, we worked with whoever guaranteed us a wage. Now, I know you have a fucking problem with Alfie, but you have problems with everyone, and I want Alfie on our payroll. He’s a shrewd fucker, and he can sniff out a serious earn in his sleep. People like him are few and far between.’
Daniel knew his brother was talking sense. But Alfie had never been a favourite of his. He looked down his nose at everyone around him.
Ultimately, though, Daniel had a different agenda to Peter. Daniel had always seen their eventual rise to the top as an opportunity to pay back old debts, insults, fucking piss-takes and, more to the point, he had seen himself paying them all back in a public arena, had pictured himself taking out certain men in front of audiences of his choice. He was well aware that his penchant for petty anger and his ability to hold a grudge was not conducive to the world his brother wanted them to inhabit. He should not let things bother him as much as they did, but that was his nature.
Peter, who he loved, was more than capable of overlooking slights about his colour. Peter was, in many respects, the bigger man because of that. Whereas Daniel saw any slights, whether towards him or his brother, as something warranting a personal vendetta. He saw anything – no matter how trivial – as a reason to prove how hard he was and show his personal disgust at the treacherous bastards around him. And he enjoyed it. He
liked
to make people see that he was not a man to be messed with, he
wanted
people to fear him. Still, he saw the sense in his brother’s words, knew that Peter was trying to keep them on an even keel until they were properly settled in. He would swallowthis time; after all, if Alfie Clarke pushed his luck, then that was his fucking look out. Daniel would then take him down like a rabid dog.
‘OK, Peter, but if he says one fucking detrimental thing to me, or he fucking dares to treat me like a cunt, he’s fucking history.’
Peter couldn’t argue with that – it was more than he had expected. ‘Let’s pick the lads up, and go to the meet then.’
‘As you wish, bruv. But I’m telling you now, we
need
to establish our-fucking-selves in more ways than one. You and me need to make sure we are seen as capable of
anything
. And, let’s face it, we
are
, Pete. Look at some of the fucking stunts we’ve pulled over the years. But I swear to you now, no one is ever going to disrespect me or mine. I ain’t worked my bollocks off to be made a fucking mug of. Not by anyone.’
Peter nodded because he didn’t trust himself to speak. They
were
established, if only Daniel could see that. They didn’t need to prove anything to anyone. But he kept his own counsel, and hoped against hope that Alfie Clarke had the sense to keep his mouth shut, and his sarcastic comments to himself.
Chapter Fourteen
‘She’s beautiful, Lena. A real little heartbreaker.’ Ria’s voice was choked with emotion. ‘Seven pounds, and a month early. Sure you never got the dates wrong?’
Lena smiled wearily. ‘No, she was early. Just like a woman, afraid she would miss something. Boys are lazy bastards. All mine were late, too settled in the womb, only came out for the football season.’
They laughed together.
‘I bet your Davey nearly had a seizure! Is it true he almost delivered her?’
Lena shook her head in abject disbelief at what had happened. ‘Bless him, my
Peter smiled. ‘
Exactly
. And we can work with them. They’ll work with whoever is running the show, Dan. We can use this as our chance to recruit more of the real workers. We already have the bully boys and the fucking romancers. What we should be concentrating on is the real earners. And we should be makingsure that they are working for
us
. They don’t give a shit who they answer to as long as they still get their money. We were the same, Dan – if you remember, we worked with whoever guaranteed us a wage. Now, I know you have a fucking problem with Alfie, but you have problems with everyone, and I want Alfie on our payroll. He’s a shrewd fucker, and he can sniff out a serious earn in his sleep. People like him are few and far between.’
Daniel knew his brother was talking sense. But Alfie had never been a favourite of his. He looked down his nose at everyone around him.
Ultimately, though, Daniel had a different agenda to Peter. Daniel had always seen their eventual rise to the top as an opportunity to pay back old debts, insults, fucking piss-takes and, more to the point, he had seen himself paying them all back in a public arena, had pictured himself taking out certain men in front of audiences of his choice. He was well aware that his penchant for petty anger and his ability to hold a grudge was not conducive to the world his brother wanted them to inhabit. He should not let things bother him as much as they did, but that was his nature.
Peter, who he loved, was more than capable of overlooking slights about his colour. Peter was, in many respects, the bigger man because of that. Whereas Daniel saw any slights, whether towards him or his brother, as something warranting a personal vendetta. He saw anything – no matter how trivial – as a reason to prove how hard he was and show his personal disgust at the treacherous bastards around him. And he enjoyed it. He
liked
to make people see that he was not a man to be messed with, he
wanted
people to fear him. Still, he saw the sense in his brother’s words, knew that Peter was trying to keep them on an even keel until they were properly settled in. He would swallowthis time; after all, if Alfie Clarke pushed his luck, then that was his fucking look out. Daniel would then take him down like a rabid dog.
‘OK, Peter, but if he says one fucking detrimental thing to me, or he fucking dares to treat me like a cunt, he’s fucking history.’
Peter couldn’t argue with that – it was more than he had expected. ‘Let’s pick the lads up, and go to the meet then.’
‘As you wish, bruv. But I’m telling you now, we
need
to establish our-fucking-selves in more ways than one. You and me need to make sure we are seen as capable of
anything
. And, let’s face it, we
are
, Pete. Look at some of the fucking stunts we’ve pulled over the years. But I swear to you now, no one is ever going to disrespect me or mine. I ain’t worked my bollocks off to be made a fucking mug of. Not by anyone.’
Peter nodded because he didn’t trust himself to speak. They
were
established, if only Daniel could see that. They didn’t need to prove anything to anyone. But he kept his own counsel, and hoped against hope that Alfie Clarke had the sense to keep his mouth shut, and his sarcastic comments to himself.
Chapter Fourteen
‘She’s beautiful, Lena. A real little heartbreaker.’ Ria’s voice was choked with emotion. ‘Seven pounds, and a month early. Sure you never got the dates wrong?’
Lena smiled wearily. ‘No, she was early. Just like a woman, afraid she would miss something. Boys are lazy bastards. All mine were late, too settled in the womb, only came out for the football season.’
They laughed together.
‘I bet your Davey nearly had a seizure! Is it true he almost delivered her?’
Lena shook her head in abject disbelief at what had happened. ‘Bless him, my
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