Get Even
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Synopsis
Playing grown-ups, the future is theirs for the taking. Sharon Conway and Lenny Scott are childhood sweethearts. Everyone says they are too young, but nothing can keep them apart. Sharon doesn't question Lenny's business dealings, and it isn't long before his reputation as a hard man destined for the top means they are living the good life with their sons. It leaves a stain on her heart forever.
But one night Lenny doesn't come home. It isn't the first time he has gone AWOL. But it is his last. He is found murdered - beaten to death in an act of brutality that shocks even the police. And Sharon never knows why . Old wounds will surface.
Now, twenty years later, Sharon is about to find out the truth. Such a crime cannot go unpunished. Revenge is long overdue. The time has come to...Get Even.
Release date: October 6, 2015
Publisher: Headline
Print pages: 480
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Get Even
Martina Cole
Contents
Title Page
About the Book
About Martina Cole
Praise
Copyright Page
Also by Martina Cole
Dedication
Prologue
Book One
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Book Two
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-One
Chapter Sixty-Two
Chapter Sixty-Three
Chapter Sixty-Four
Chapter Sixty-Five
Chapter Sixty-Six
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Chapter Seventy
Chapter Seventy-One
Chapter Seventy-Two
Chapter Seventy-Three
Chapter Seventy-Four
Chapter Seventy-Five
Chapter Seventy-Six
Chapter Seventy-Seven
Chapter Seventy-Eight
Chapter Seventy-Nine
Chapter Eighty
Chapter Eighty-One
Chapter Eighty-Two
Chapter Eighty-Three
Book Three
Chapter Eighty-Four
Chapter Eighty-Five
Chapter Eighty-Six
Chapter Eighty-Seven
Chapter Eighty-Eight
Chapter Eighty-Nine
Chapter Ninety
Chapter Ninety-One
Chapter Ninety-Two
Chapter Ninety-Three
Chapter Ninety-Four
Chapter Ninety-Five
Chapter Ninety-Six
Chapter Ninety-Seven
Chapter Ninety-Eight
Chapter Ninety-Nine
Chapter One Hundred
Chapter One Hundred and One
Chapter One Hundred and Two
Chapter One Hundred and Three
Chapter One Hundred and Four
Chapter One Hundred and Five
Chapter One Hundred and Six
Chapter One Hundred and Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Eight
Chapter One Hundred and Nine
Chapter One Hundred and Ten
Chapter One Hundred and Eleven
Chapter One Hundred and Twelve
Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen
Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen
Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen
Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen
Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen
Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen
Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-One
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Two
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three
Book Four
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Four
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Five
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Six
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Eight
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Nine
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-One
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Two
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Three
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Four
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Five
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Six
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Eight
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Nine
Chapter One Hundred and Forty
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-One
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Two
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Three
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Four
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Five
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Six
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Eight
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Nine
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-One
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Two
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Three
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Four
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Five
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Six
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Eight
Book Five
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Nine
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-One
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Two
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Three
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Four
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Five
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Six
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Eight
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Nine
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-One
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Two
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Three
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Four
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Five
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Six
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Eight
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Nine
Epilogue
God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luke 18:13
Sharon was drinking a glass of wine and wondering how her wonderful, charmed life had been reduced to this. She had once been the envy of all her friends. But the reality could not have been more different to the illusion.
She closed her eyes and pictured her first husband, Lenny Scott, in her mind’s eye. She had started going out with him at thirteen and married him at seventeen, much to her parents’ chagrin. But they had been so happy together – they had had two sons and that had cemented their relationship.
Then he had been brutally murdered, found tortured and battered to death one night – and that was it.
That same night she had also uncovered his secret – the secret he had kept from her and everyone around him for so many years. A secret that would have caused untold aggravation and upset in the world of Faces, affecting her boys’ lives into the bargain, if it had ever been revealed.
But what good had keeping the secret done them really? Today she had visited her sons in prison, and they had acted like being there was just a game. They had killed someone and they thought it was funny. How had she allowed that to happen? How had she not realised that they were broken and turning into fucking thugs? Because that was all they were. They weren’t even true Faces; they had just beaten a man to death for no reason. She couldn’t believe that her two boys, who she had had such hopes for, could have turned out so wrong.
She swallowed down her tears, because tears were useless. Life was shite, really. No matter how great you thought it was, it could always creep up and bite you on the arse when you least expected it. Well, fuck it! She had never known the reason behind her Lenny’s death. She had lived all these years in ignorance – until tonight the one man left in her life that she trusted had told her the truth. And now there was no going back.
She gulped at her glass of wine. She needed the alcohol to get through this. Tonight she was going to right some wrongs. No matter what danger it might bring to her door, there was no stopping what was about to happen.
Young Lenny Scott and his little brother, Liam, were laughing raucously together. They were a handful, as the POs would say – protected, not just by their father’s name, but by the man who had become their stepfather; the boys knew this as well as the POs did. They more or less had a free pass – it was galling, but it was the truth. Being on remand for the first time was an adventure, but one of the older prison officers, Eric Marks, could tell from experience that they were not as hard as they thought they were.
The younger one was not taking to prison life quite as easily as his older brother. Liam Scott was not cut out for the regime prison insisted on: slopping out, eating at set times, early fucking nights. Unlike his older brother, Lenny, he appeared to be losing interest in this ‘adventure’ on an hourly basis. The fact that their mother had cunted them into the ground in front of everyone on a visit earlier that day had not helped matters either. Now they were being laughed at – just not to their faces. They might be in for murder, but they had clout and that could guarantee them a short sentence. It was such a waste, because they were clever, handsome, well-educated lads, and with a few quid behind them. Shame they didn’t think about that – and their mother who had buried their father after he had been killed. Eric would lay money that that horror had left its mark on her, and probably on those lads as well.
He sighed heavily. Twenty years in this job and he was still continually disappointed in Mother Nature. Murderers, he had decided early on in his career, were a breed apart. Some of them had good reason, or were provoked, but he still saw so many lives ruined thanks to a drunken fight or a drugged confrontation that had got out of hand. And then there were the young Lennys and Liams of the world who simply thought it was all a joke.
One thing Eric would give their mother – she, at least, knew that what they had done was wrong and she had told them as much that afternoon in the visiting room. Maybe, just maybe, there was hope for these lads yet. Not that he would hold his breath, of course.
Sharon’s daughter, Kathy, was frightened and ashamed. Everything had blown up in her face, and she finally realised the seriousness of what she had done – and what she had caused.
She felt the tears coming again, hot and wet. She had always been a good crier, and normally that was enough to make her dad give her what she wanted. But not tonight. Tonight she had known what it was to go too far; her mum and dad were not going to make it all right again as they normally did when she fucked up. This time her actions could cause actual murder. Worst of all, her father would never look at her in the same way again. She had let him down badly, and her mum. Her dad had always given in to her – it had been her mum who had been the bad bastard, telling her a big resounding ‘no’ when she didn’t think she deserved or had earned whatever it was Kathy decided she wanted. Now she saw that all these years her mum had been trying to look out for her; Kathy had hated her for that when Sharon had simply been trying to help her daughter to help herself.
Kathy picked up her mobile and tried the number again, but there was no answer. She threw the phone at the wall in frustration. It was so unfair. Well, fuck him! He was always ignoring her calls so let him deal with her father himself. After all, that’s what she’d had to do.
Reggie Dornan was so angry he felt that he could take on Man Mountain Dean with one hand tied behind his back and come out on top. He had been mugged off, betrayed in the worst possible way, and there was no chance he was taking this lying down. Tonight was the end. And please God in His heaven it all worked out because that would finally make him feel that he had seen through his promise to look after Lenny Scott’s family. He owed Sharon because he had broken her heart once. Oh, he owed her fucking big time. He would do everything in his power to make sure that Lenny Scott would be remembered. And Reggie Dornan always paid his debts.
Sharon held Kathy in her arms but she was still furious with her; her daughter was a spoiled brat and that needed to be addressed.
‘I am so sorry, Mummy. Please believe me. I am so very sorry.’
Sharon looked down at her beautiful face. Kathy was just like her father: what she wanted she took, no matter who got hurt or who might have to pay the price for her enjoyment.
‘You’re not really sorry, Kath! You are just sorry it all fell out of bed.’
She pushed her daughter away from her and left her crying bitter tears. It amazed Sharon how dispassionate she could feel at her daughter’s obvious distress. But, then, was it really surprising after what she had heard this night? Her daughter’s predicament was nothing to her right now. Maybe tomorrow, if it all worked out, she would have the time and energy to try and help her out of the corner Kathy had finally painted herself into. But now she had other things on her mind.
Downstairs, Sharon looked around her beautiful home – the house she had furnished and decorated with such love and care. It was as if the place was mocking her, making her see that material objects meant fuck-all in the grand scheme. Oh, hindsight was a fucking wonderful thing. She’d had only two men in her life: one had been murdered and the other . . . Well, that remained to be seen. As her old mum used to say, where women were concerned, they never got mad if they were clever – they went one better and they got even.
When the call finally came she felt such relief that she could have wept. After all these years, she was finally in control of her own life. She only hoped it wasn’t too late. One thing she did know for sure was that she was going to see this through to the bitter end. It was all she could do for herself and her children. She wanted payback for what had been done to her and hers.
She felt a calmness wash over her. This was what she had been waiting for. She would do what needed to be done – no matter the consequences.
‘You stupid little mare! I knew it!’
Sharon Conway rolled her eyes with the irritation typical of her youth, which did not calm her mother’s fury in the least. In fact, it was like a red rag to a bull.
‘Roll your eyes at me, would you? You idiot – tied to that fucking thug for the rest of your days. Honestly, Sharon, I wonder if you have even one iota of fucking intelligence in that made-up, backcombed head of yours. If you had actual brains you would be up that clinic getting the thing out of you faster than Billy Whizz. But not you! Oh no, Clever Bollocks, you think you can change him, you think he will become Mr Perfect. Well, I will let you in on a little secret: he won’t fucking change. You will, you daft fucking mare! You will be tied down for the rest of your life with that ponce, and you will never get shot of him once you produce his offspring.’
Sharon had already tuned her mother out. She knew exactly what she was going to hear, and experience told her that the best way to deal with her mum was just to pretend to listen and let the silly old cow get it all out of her system. It was pointless to argue; her mum was the queen of arguing – everyone in the street knew that. If it was an Olympic sport, Ivy Conway would be world fucking champion by now.
Sharon’s father, Derek Conway, known as Del, continued to read his paper as if the house was as quiet as a monastery. He had learned to ignore his Ivy early in their marriage. It had either been that or throttle the fucker to death and, in fairness, when she wasn’t arguing, she was a great girl. But light the blue touchpaper and she was like a banshee – she could howl all fucking night.
He drank his tea. He had seen this coming and so had Ivy, though she had done everything in her power to prevent it. But their Sharon had been mad on Lenny Scott since they had started going out together when she was thirteen and he was fifteen. Now, four years later, he was the father of her child and they were going to get married. At least Lenny wanted to marry her – that in itself was a turn-up in this day and age.
Derek winked surreptitiously at his daughter in support but, unfortunately, her mother caught him in the act.
‘Oh, I see! You think this is fucking funny, do the pair of you? Well, you will be laughing on the other side of your face, lady, once reality sets in. You mark my words . . .’
Sharon made a suitably contrite face and tuned her mother out once more. At the end of the day, she knew that Ivy was not going to let up, and she accepted it. What her mother didn’t allow for was the fact that she was adamant she was going to marry Lenny Scott – no matter what she, or anyone else, might have to say about it. Sharon Conway was determined. Her mum wasn’t the only stubborn fuck in this family, as she would soon find out.
Sharon held her hand up with a finality that actually stopped Ivy Conway in her tracks. ‘He will be here soon with his mum and dad, who are not pleased about the situation either, but unlike you, Mum, they see me and my Lenny as making the best of it. You would have more to say if he didn’t want to marry me. But he does. We both want this wedding and, yes, it’s a bit sooner than we planned, but there you are. It’s happened. So get over it.’
Derek Conway was gobsmacked when his Ivy actually did shut that big galloping trap of hers. He had never believed that he would see the day.
‘Oh, son, are you sure about this? You don’t have to marry them these days, you know. It’s a different world.’
Lenny Scott was embarrassed and it showed. ‘Honestly, Mr Johnson, I wanted to marry her anyway. It’s just a bit sooner than we anticipated, that’s all. We’ve been together four years now. She’s a good girl, my Sharon, and I love her.’
He was blushing to the roots of his hair, and Jack Johnson couldn’t help but smile. He liked Lenny Scott a lot; he was a good kid with plenty of nous, and he knew how to do a day’s collar. He was a heavy, but Jack felt he had a bit more going for him, young as he was. He could add up like a fucking calculator – he knew exactly how much a person owed on a loan, could work out the take in seconds if necessary. And he never tried to have anyone over. Jack Johnson had seen too many in Lenny’s position rip off the customers, swearing they hadn’t paid, when Jack knew they had, and expecting the poor fuckers to pay again. Jack might be a loan shark, but he prided himself on being a reasonably honest one. And this was a very lucrative business – some of the council estates were into him for hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Jack had plans for this lad. And now, with a baby in the mix, he wondered if it might make Lenny more amenable to learning the seamier side of the business. Always look for an angle – that was Jack Johnson’s mantra.
‘Well, son, I wish you all the best, then. As long as you are sure you’re doing the right thing, that’s all that matters, mate.’
Lenny grinned. ‘I’m sure. But the thing is, Mr Johnson, I need a few quid extra, like. I’ve got to get a place, with a baby on the way. You know the score.’
Jack Johnson was happy to help. ‘You’re preaching to the converted, son. I will be happy to sort something out for you.’
Lenny Scott was thrilled. ‘I can’t thank you enough, Mr Johnson. I will knock me pound out for you, I swear.’
Jack already knew that, and he smiled. ‘Once the kid arrives you will be knocking your pound out on a regular basis, mark my words. I wish you all the best and, I tell you what, I’ll give you a grand now to get the wedding underway. You’re a good kid, Lenny, and I think you will go far.’
Lenny watched in utter amazement as Jack opened his small safe and took out a thousand pounds in cash. As Jack handed it over, Lenny felt the urge to cry. The man was such a big-hearted character. Lenny swore his undying allegiance to him there and then – as Jack Johnson knew he would. It was about keeping your eye on the main chance, but also, as Jack admitted to himself, he genuinely liked this kid. Lenny Scott had a bright future, there was no doubt about that in his mind. And Jack Johnson had always prided himself on finding talent and putting said talent to work. It was why he was a rich man.
He had big plans for young Lenny Scott; the lad was that rare mixture of brawn and brains and, in Jack’s game, that was a fucking gift. Lenny had his head screwed on – he knew the score, he had a nice nature – and he was grateful. The latter was an important attribute. Jack Johnson knew only too well how many nasty little fuckers were out there, with no integrity whatsoever and a God-given belief that life owed them a living. He blamed the welfare state – it had made people weak. The dole was supposed to tide you over till you got a fucking job. It was never meant to be your fucking main earn.
That was why Jack admired this lad so much – he didn’t sign on for a poxy few quid on top of his wages. Lenny was kosher. He understood, as young as he was, the need to keep as far away from the government as possible. He kept himself well under the radar and earned his coin with his own graft. He was a man after Jack’s heart.
‘How much?’
Lenny could hear the incredulity in everyone’s voices and he laughed delightedly as he took the wad of money out of his pocket and threw it on to the kitchen table.
Ivy’s eyes nearly popped out of her head at the sight of it. His own parents were quiet; his father, Big Lenny Scott, was chuffed for his boy, but his mother, Lesley, a tall, thin woman with a face like a broken watch, remained tight-lipped. As his dad would say, she felt too close to God to make her comfortable with Lenny’s association with the likes of Jack Johnson.
Lesley liked Sharon, and felt she was good for her son. What she didn’t like was her son’s occupation. She believed he was bright enough to go to university, and she saw his intelligence as a wasted asset. She would work on Sharon to get him out of the life he had chosen and on to a path that was much more fitting. He had the makings of a businessman and Lesley intended to move heaven and earth to see that he reached his full potential. In fact, that was her main aim in life where this boy of hers was concerned. He needed something to work for – work towards – and she hoped at least that this girl and the child she was carrying would be just what Lenny needed to put him on track. Lesley Scott had great plans for her only son, and she would make sure Sharon understood the importance of them.
‘That was generous of him, son. Jack was always good for a few quid if you worked hard for him.’
Lenny beamed at his father; he was made up and it showed.
Lesley kept her peace as they were not in their own home, but her opinion was obvious from the look on her face.
Ivy Conway watched the other woman warily; she wasn’t sure about Lesley Scott. She had a reputation as being a hard woman to cross. She didn’t go out drinking often, and she didn’t play bingo either. She was also a God-botherer by all accounts, never off the church doorstep. Ivy was a good Catholic, but she didn’t feel the need to traipse a path to the local church on a daily basis.
Del Conway was smiling as he poured the men another glass of whisky. Lenny sipped at his, but his father knocked his own back quickly.
‘To the young couple.’ Del raised his tumbler and toasted his daughter and his soon-to-be son-in-law happily. The women smiled and raised their cups of tea.
Ivy was secretly annoyed because she would have enjoyed a drink herself but because Lesley Scott had declined the offer – as if she’d been offered a glass of poison from Lucrezia Borgia herself – she thought it best to do the same. Big Lenny didn’t seem to take any notice of his wife’s behaviour and Ivy secretly admired him for tha. . .
Title Page
About the Book
About Martina Cole
Praise
Copyright Page
Also by Martina Cole
Dedication
Prologue
Book One
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Book Two
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-One
Chapter Sixty-Two
Chapter Sixty-Three
Chapter Sixty-Four
Chapter Sixty-Five
Chapter Sixty-Six
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Chapter Seventy
Chapter Seventy-One
Chapter Seventy-Two
Chapter Seventy-Three
Chapter Seventy-Four
Chapter Seventy-Five
Chapter Seventy-Six
Chapter Seventy-Seven
Chapter Seventy-Eight
Chapter Seventy-Nine
Chapter Eighty
Chapter Eighty-One
Chapter Eighty-Two
Chapter Eighty-Three
Book Three
Chapter Eighty-Four
Chapter Eighty-Five
Chapter Eighty-Six
Chapter Eighty-Seven
Chapter Eighty-Eight
Chapter Eighty-Nine
Chapter Ninety
Chapter Ninety-One
Chapter Ninety-Two
Chapter Ninety-Three
Chapter Ninety-Four
Chapter Ninety-Five
Chapter Ninety-Six
Chapter Ninety-Seven
Chapter Ninety-Eight
Chapter Ninety-Nine
Chapter One Hundred
Chapter One Hundred and One
Chapter One Hundred and Two
Chapter One Hundred and Three
Chapter One Hundred and Four
Chapter One Hundred and Five
Chapter One Hundred and Six
Chapter One Hundred and Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Eight
Chapter One Hundred and Nine
Chapter One Hundred and Ten
Chapter One Hundred and Eleven
Chapter One Hundred and Twelve
Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen
Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen
Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen
Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen
Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen
Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen
Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-One
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Two
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three
Book Four
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Four
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Five
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Six
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Eight
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Nine
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-One
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Two
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Three
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Four
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Five
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Six
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Eight
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Nine
Chapter One Hundred and Forty
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-One
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Two
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Three
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Four
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Five
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Six
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Eight
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Nine
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-One
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Two
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Three
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Four
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Five
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Six
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Eight
Book Five
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Nine
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-One
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Two
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Three
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Four
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Five
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Six
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Eight
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Nine
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-One
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Two
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Three
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Four
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Five
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Six
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Eight
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Nine
Epilogue
God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luke 18:13
Sharon was drinking a glass of wine and wondering how her wonderful, charmed life had been reduced to this. She had once been the envy of all her friends. But the reality could not have been more different to the illusion.
She closed her eyes and pictured her first husband, Lenny Scott, in her mind’s eye. She had started going out with him at thirteen and married him at seventeen, much to her parents’ chagrin. But they had been so happy together – they had had two sons and that had cemented their relationship.
Then he had been brutally murdered, found tortured and battered to death one night – and that was it.
That same night she had also uncovered his secret – the secret he had kept from her and everyone around him for so many years. A secret that would have caused untold aggravation and upset in the world of Faces, affecting her boys’ lives into the bargain, if it had ever been revealed.
But what good had keeping the secret done them really? Today she had visited her sons in prison, and they had acted like being there was just a game. They had killed someone and they thought it was funny. How had she allowed that to happen? How had she not realised that they were broken and turning into fucking thugs? Because that was all they were. They weren’t even true Faces; they had just beaten a man to death for no reason. She couldn’t believe that her two boys, who she had had such hopes for, could have turned out so wrong.
She swallowed down her tears, because tears were useless. Life was shite, really. No matter how great you thought it was, it could always creep up and bite you on the arse when you least expected it. Well, fuck it! She had never known the reason behind her Lenny’s death. She had lived all these years in ignorance – until tonight the one man left in her life that she trusted had told her the truth. And now there was no going back.
She gulped at her glass of wine. She needed the alcohol to get through this. Tonight she was going to right some wrongs. No matter what danger it might bring to her door, there was no stopping what was about to happen.
Young Lenny Scott and his little brother, Liam, were laughing raucously together. They were a handful, as the POs would say – protected, not just by their father’s name, but by the man who had become their stepfather; the boys knew this as well as the POs did. They more or less had a free pass – it was galling, but it was the truth. Being on remand for the first time was an adventure, but one of the older prison officers, Eric Marks, could tell from experience that they were not as hard as they thought they were.
The younger one was not taking to prison life quite as easily as his older brother. Liam Scott was not cut out for the regime prison insisted on: slopping out, eating at set times, early fucking nights. Unlike his older brother, Lenny, he appeared to be losing interest in this ‘adventure’ on an hourly basis. The fact that their mother had cunted them into the ground in front of everyone on a visit earlier that day had not helped matters either. Now they were being laughed at – just not to their faces. They might be in for murder, but they had clout and that could guarantee them a short sentence. It was such a waste, because they were clever, handsome, well-educated lads, and with a few quid behind them. Shame they didn’t think about that – and their mother who had buried their father after he had been killed. Eric would lay money that that horror had left its mark on her, and probably on those lads as well.
He sighed heavily. Twenty years in this job and he was still continually disappointed in Mother Nature. Murderers, he had decided early on in his career, were a breed apart. Some of them had good reason, or were provoked, but he still saw so many lives ruined thanks to a drunken fight or a drugged confrontation that had got out of hand. And then there were the young Lennys and Liams of the world who simply thought it was all a joke.
One thing Eric would give their mother – she, at least, knew that what they had done was wrong and she had told them as much that afternoon in the visiting room. Maybe, just maybe, there was hope for these lads yet. Not that he would hold his breath, of course.
Sharon’s daughter, Kathy, was frightened and ashamed. Everything had blown up in her face, and she finally realised the seriousness of what she had done – and what she had caused.
She felt the tears coming again, hot and wet. She had always been a good crier, and normally that was enough to make her dad give her what she wanted. But not tonight. Tonight she had known what it was to go too far; her mum and dad were not going to make it all right again as they normally did when she fucked up. This time her actions could cause actual murder. Worst of all, her father would never look at her in the same way again. She had let him down badly, and her mum. Her dad had always given in to her – it had been her mum who had been the bad bastard, telling her a big resounding ‘no’ when she didn’t think she deserved or had earned whatever it was Kathy decided she wanted. Now she saw that all these years her mum had been trying to look out for her; Kathy had hated her for that when Sharon had simply been trying to help her daughter to help herself.
Kathy picked up her mobile and tried the number again, but there was no answer. She threw the phone at the wall in frustration. It was so unfair. Well, fuck him! He was always ignoring her calls so let him deal with her father himself. After all, that’s what she’d had to do.
Reggie Dornan was so angry he felt that he could take on Man Mountain Dean with one hand tied behind his back and come out on top. He had been mugged off, betrayed in the worst possible way, and there was no chance he was taking this lying down. Tonight was the end. And please God in His heaven it all worked out because that would finally make him feel that he had seen through his promise to look after Lenny Scott’s family. He owed Sharon because he had broken her heart once. Oh, he owed her fucking big time. He would do everything in his power to make sure that Lenny Scott would be remembered. And Reggie Dornan always paid his debts.
Sharon held Kathy in her arms but she was still furious with her; her daughter was a spoiled brat and that needed to be addressed.
‘I am so sorry, Mummy. Please believe me. I am so very sorry.’
Sharon looked down at her beautiful face. Kathy was just like her father: what she wanted she took, no matter who got hurt or who might have to pay the price for her enjoyment.
‘You’re not really sorry, Kath! You are just sorry it all fell out of bed.’
She pushed her daughter away from her and left her crying bitter tears. It amazed Sharon how dispassionate she could feel at her daughter’s obvious distress. But, then, was it really surprising after what she had heard this night? Her daughter’s predicament was nothing to her right now. Maybe tomorrow, if it all worked out, she would have the time and energy to try and help her out of the corner Kathy had finally painted herself into. But now she had other things on her mind.
Downstairs, Sharon looked around her beautiful home – the house she had furnished and decorated with such love and care. It was as if the place was mocking her, making her see that material objects meant fuck-all in the grand scheme. Oh, hindsight was a fucking wonderful thing. She’d had only two men in her life: one had been murdered and the other . . . Well, that remained to be seen. As her old mum used to say, where women were concerned, they never got mad if they were clever – they went one better and they got even.
When the call finally came she felt such relief that she could have wept. After all these years, she was finally in control of her own life. She only hoped it wasn’t too late. One thing she did know for sure was that she was going to see this through to the bitter end. It was all she could do for herself and her children. She wanted payback for what had been done to her and hers.
She felt a calmness wash over her. This was what she had been waiting for. She would do what needed to be done – no matter the consequences.
‘You stupid little mare! I knew it!’
Sharon Conway rolled her eyes with the irritation typical of her youth, which did not calm her mother’s fury in the least. In fact, it was like a red rag to a bull.
‘Roll your eyes at me, would you? You idiot – tied to that fucking thug for the rest of your days. Honestly, Sharon, I wonder if you have even one iota of fucking intelligence in that made-up, backcombed head of yours. If you had actual brains you would be up that clinic getting the thing out of you faster than Billy Whizz. But not you! Oh no, Clever Bollocks, you think you can change him, you think he will become Mr Perfect. Well, I will let you in on a little secret: he won’t fucking change. You will, you daft fucking mare! You will be tied down for the rest of your life with that ponce, and you will never get shot of him once you produce his offspring.’
Sharon had already tuned her mother out. She knew exactly what she was going to hear, and experience told her that the best way to deal with her mum was just to pretend to listen and let the silly old cow get it all out of her system. It was pointless to argue; her mum was the queen of arguing – everyone in the street knew that. If it was an Olympic sport, Ivy Conway would be world fucking champion by now.
Sharon’s father, Derek Conway, known as Del, continued to read his paper as if the house was as quiet as a monastery. He had learned to ignore his Ivy early in their marriage. It had either been that or throttle the fucker to death and, in fairness, when she wasn’t arguing, she was a great girl. But light the blue touchpaper and she was like a banshee – she could howl all fucking night.
He drank his tea. He had seen this coming and so had Ivy, though she had done everything in her power to prevent it. But their Sharon had been mad on Lenny Scott since they had started going out together when she was thirteen and he was fifteen. Now, four years later, he was the father of her child and they were going to get married. At least Lenny wanted to marry her – that in itself was a turn-up in this day and age.
Derek winked surreptitiously at his daughter in support but, unfortunately, her mother caught him in the act.
‘Oh, I see! You think this is fucking funny, do the pair of you? Well, you will be laughing on the other side of your face, lady, once reality sets in. You mark my words . . .’
Sharon made a suitably contrite face and tuned her mother out once more. At the end of the day, she knew that Ivy was not going to let up, and she accepted it. What her mother didn’t allow for was the fact that she was adamant she was going to marry Lenny Scott – no matter what she, or anyone else, might have to say about it. Sharon Conway was determined. Her mum wasn’t the only stubborn fuck in this family, as she would soon find out.
Sharon held her hand up with a finality that actually stopped Ivy Conway in her tracks. ‘He will be here soon with his mum and dad, who are not pleased about the situation either, but unlike you, Mum, they see me and my Lenny as making the best of it. You would have more to say if he didn’t want to marry me. But he does. We both want this wedding and, yes, it’s a bit sooner than we planned, but there you are. It’s happened. So get over it.’
Derek Conway was gobsmacked when his Ivy actually did shut that big galloping trap of hers. He had never believed that he would see the day.
‘Oh, son, are you sure about this? You don’t have to marry them these days, you know. It’s a different world.’
Lenny Scott was embarrassed and it showed. ‘Honestly, Mr Johnson, I wanted to marry her anyway. It’s just a bit sooner than we anticipated, that’s all. We’ve been together four years now. She’s a good girl, my Sharon, and I love her.’
He was blushing to the roots of his hair, and Jack Johnson couldn’t help but smile. He liked Lenny Scott a lot; he was a good kid with plenty of nous, and he knew how to do a day’s collar. He was a heavy, but Jack felt he had a bit more going for him, young as he was. He could add up like a fucking calculator – he knew exactly how much a person owed on a loan, could work out the take in seconds if necessary. And he never tried to have anyone over. Jack Johnson had seen too many in Lenny’s position rip off the customers, swearing they hadn’t paid, when Jack knew they had, and expecting the poor fuckers to pay again. Jack might be a loan shark, but he prided himself on being a reasonably honest one. And this was a very lucrative business – some of the council estates were into him for hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Jack had plans for this lad. And now, with a baby in the mix, he wondered if it might make Lenny more amenable to learning the seamier side of the business. Always look for an angle – that was Jack Johnson’s mantra.
‘Well, son, I wish you all the best, then. As long as you are sure you’re doing the right thing, that’s all that matters, mate.’
Lenny grinned. ‘I’m sure. But the thing is, Mr Johnson, I need a few quid extra, like. I’ve got to get a place, with a baby on the way. You know the score.’
Jack Johnson was happy to help. ‘You’re preaching to the converted, son. I will be happy to sort something out for you.’
Lenny Scott was thrilled. ‘I can’t thank you enough, Mr Johnson. I will knock me pound out for you, I swear.’
Jack already knew that, and he smiled. ‘Once the kid arrives you will be knocking your pound out on a regular basis, mark my words. I wish you all the best and, I tell you what, I’ll give you a grand now to get the wedding underway. You’re a good kid, Lenny, and I think you will go far.’
Lenny watched in utter amazement as Jack opened his small safe and took out a thousand pounds in cash. As Jack handed it over, Lenny felt the urge to cry. The man was such a big-hearted character. Lenny swore his undying allegiance to him there and then – as Jack Johnson knew he would. It was about keeping your eye on the main chance, but also, as Jack admitted to himself, he genuinely liked this kid. Lenny Scott had a bright future, there was no doubt about that in his mind. And Jack Johnson had always prided himself on finding talent and putting said talent to work. It was why he was a rich man.
He had big plans for young Lenny Scott; the lad was that rare mixture of brawn and brains and, in Jack’s game, that was a fucking gift. Lenny had his head screwed on – he knew the score, he had a nice nature – and he was grateful. The latter was an important attribute. Jack Johnson knew only too well how many nasty little fuckers were out there, with no integrity whatsoever and a God-given belief that life owed them a living. He blamed the welfare state – it had made people weak. The dole was supposed to tide you over till you got a fucking job. It was never meant to be your fucking main earn.
That was why Jack admired this lad so much – he didn’t sign on for a poxy few quid on top of his wages. Lenny was kosher. He understood, as young as he was, the need to keep as far away from the government as possible. He kept himself well under the radar and earned his coin with his own graft. He was a man after Jack’s heart.
‘How much?’
Lenny could hear the incredulity in everyone’s voices and he laughed delightedly as he took the wad of money out of his pocket and threw it on to the kitchen table.
Ivy’s eyes nearly popped out of her head at the sight of it. His own parents were quiet; his father, Big Lenny Scott, was chuffed for his boy, but his mother, Lesley, a tall, thin woman with a face like a broken watch, remained tight-lipped. As his dad would say, she felt too close to God to make her comfortable with Lenny’s association with the likes of Jack Johnson.
Lesley liked Sharon, and felt she was good for her son. What she didn’t like was her son’s occupation. She believed he was bright enough to go to university, and she saw his intelligence as a wasted asset. She would work on Sharon to get him out of the life he had chosen and on to a path that was much more fitting. He had the makings of a businessman and Lesley intended to move heaven and earth to see that he reached his full potential. In fact, that was her main aim in life where this boy of hers was concerned. He needed something to work for – work towards – and she hoped at least that this girl and the child she was carrying would be just what Lenny needed to put him on track. Lesley Scott had great plans for her only son, and she would make sure Sharon understood the importance of them.
‘That was generous of him, son. Jack was always good for a few quid if you worked hard for him.’
Lenny beamed at his father; he was made up and it showed.
Lesley kept her peace as they were not in their own home, but her opinion was obvious from the look on her face.
Ivy Conway watched the other woman warily; she wasn’t sure about Lesley Scott. She had a reputation as being a hard woman to cross. She didn’t go out drinking often, and she didn’t play bingo either. She was also a God-botherer by all accounts, never off the church doorstep. Ivy was a good Catholic, but she didn’t feel the need to traipse a path to the local church on a daily basis.
Del Conway was smiling as he poured the men another glass of whisky. Lenny sipped at his, but his father knocked his own back quickly.
‘To the young couple.’ Del raised his tumbler and toasted his daughter and his soon-to-be son-in-law happily. The women smiled and raised their cups of tea.
Ivy was secretly annoyed because she would have enjoyed a drink herself but because Lesley Scott had declined the offer – as if she’d been offered a glass of poison from Lucrezia Borgia herself – she thought it best to do the same. Big Lenny didn’t seem to take any notice of his wife’s behaviour and Ivy secretly admired him for tha. . .
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