Tangled Lives

by Stephanie Harte

  ‘While I was paying the ultimate price, everyone else’s lives moved on.’ Dad channelled his sadness into anger. ‘The judge handed me a life sentence, and I had to serve a minimum of twelve years before being considered for parole.’

  ‘When did you get out?’

  ‘Eight years ago. I should have been out a lot sooner, but I had trouble adjusting to prison life. I knew I had to behave myself if I wanted to be released early, but it’s a tough environment. Your mum washed her hands of me. I don’t blame her for that, but I found it hard to accept, and that made me easy prey. Other inmates provoked me to pass the time, and I couldn’t control my temper.’

  That surprised me. I’d always thought I’d inherited my fiery side from my mum. I would have thought Dad was a model prisoner. It must have been a difficult time for him. I could see it had left its mark on him.

  ‘Being released on parole isn’t an automatic right, and I was declined by the board repeatedly,’ Dad continued. ‘Every time they reviewed my case, they didn’t recommend me for release or to be moved to an open prison because I continued to be a violent prisoner. As they considered me a risk to society, it justified keeping me imprisoned, and I had to serve a total of twenty-four years. That’s a lifetime.’

  Dad’s eyes misted over when he finished speaking, and I felt a sudden pang of guilt. I’d grown up resenting my dad for abandoning me because Mum had kept the truth from me. The experience had a powerful effect on me and filled me with insecurity, but now it was obvious Dad hadn’t come out of it unscathed either. Jethro had a lot to answer for.

  ‘You know what they say, Dad, don’t get mad, get even!’

  78

  Gemma

  This mess was getting worse by the day, and it was all my own making. If I’d just been honest with Nathan in the first place, none of this would have happened. I should have realised there was a chance he might form his own conclusion, but I hadn’t thought for one minute he’d decide something was going on between Alfie and myself.

  ‘If Nathan thinks we’re sleeping together anyway, it almost seems a shame to waste the opportunity. I’m game if you are.’ Alfie laughed, leading me back over to the breakfast bar. He rested one hand on the top of my shoulder as I took a seat on one of the stools. ‘It would be lovely to give our son a little brother or sister, don’t you think?’ Alfie walked around the island and winked a blue eye at me.

  This was another one of Alfie’s attempts to get under my skin. I shot him a look of pure contempt before I turned towards him with a frenzied look on my face. ‘The thought of sleeping with you makes bile rise in my stomach.’ A mixture of fury and worry coated my words.

  Alfie threw his head back and laughed. ‘That’s more like it, Gemma. You’re regaining your feisty spirit. You know I love the spiky side of your personality. You’re a strong woman, and you’re not afraid to stand up to me.’

  Regardless of what he believed, I was most definitely afraid to stand up to Alfie, but I was glad he hadn’t realised that.

  ‘You and Luca will be living at Darkwood Manor for the time being.’

  ‘I don’t want to stay here. I want to go back to Gareth’s house.’

  Alfie didn’t reply, and I felt suffocated by the silence. Although my surroundings were luxurious, it didn’t change the fact that I was a prisoner within these four walls, no matter how nicely decorated they were. The secluded location of Darkwood Manor, nestled within the heart of Epping Forest, added to the isolation.

  ‘Given the situation, that would be a bit awkward, don’t you think? Anyway, once you break the news to Nathan, he’ll be out of the picture for good. Then we can make plans for the future.’

  I had to stifle a laugh that wanted to escape from my lips. Alfie was deluded if he thought we had a future together. I had every intention of doing a disappearing act at the first opportunity. I was just waiting for the right time. It was the only thing I could do.

  ‘We’ll live here for the moment until we get our own place. There are plenty of nice houses in the area. We’ll need to stay somewhere local so that I can continue to run the business until my son takes over from me.’

  The idea of that sent a shiver down my spine. I couldn’t let Luca grow up in this environment. It was too unpredictable and dangerous.

  Alfie rambled on about the three of us setting up home together as though it was the most natural thing in the world. He seemed to have conveniently forgotten that I was married to Nathan and had no plans to divorce him. I had every intention of staying with my husband, but the ball was in his court. Nathan might not be prepared to stay with me when he found out what I’d been keeping from him.

  I couldn’t change the fact that Alfie was Luca’s father, but we weren’t going to become a family. I wouldn’t be able to stop Alfie having visitation rights, but the two of us being together wasn’t part of the deal.

  The whole situation was so unjust. Nathan and I had waited years to start a family because he was worried he wasn’t up to the job. Nathan might not be Luca’s biological father, but he was a fantastic dad. I couldn’t help feeling that Alfie only wanted to be part of Luca’s life so that he could take him away from Nathan. It was another way for him to assert his power over us. Alfie was a control freak.

  ‘There’s something about you, Gemma. You fascinate me, and because of that, I’ll never lose interest in you.’

  Alfie flashed me a smile. He was the master of superficial charm and switched it on and off at will. His behaviour was erratic and unpredictable. That’s what was so frightening about him. I had to admit, not knowing what he might do next was absolutely terrifying.

  ‘Don’t be put off by my tough exterior. If you scratch beneath the surface you’ll find I’m a big softie at heart. My mum brought me up to respect women. If you don’t believe me, ask my sisters. We’re very close. If you give me the chance, I’ll treat you like a queen, Gemma.’

  Alfie had been droning on for ages, so I was only half-listening. My eyes had glazed over, but at the mention of my name, I looked towards him and met his cheerful gaze with expressionless eyes. The idea of this violent gangster being a big softie was hilarious, but I didn’t dare laugh. I knew better than that.

  ‘Even though you’re not looking your best at the moment, I’m more than prepared to take you off Nathan’s hands. In fact, it would give me great pleasure to do so. The winner takes it all, so they say.’

  What a cheek! The way his words tripped off his tongue like I had no say in the matter. I had to stop myself laughing out loud. This conversation was getting worse by the minute. Was Alfie trying to make me feel insecure, so his manipulation would be more effective? Well, if that was the case, it wasn’t having the desired effect. Instead of making me feel needy, I could feel the anger building up inside me. It was reaching boiling point, but I wouldn’t give Alfie the satisfaction of blowing my top. I didn’t want him to think his insult had bothered me, so I shrugged away his hurtful comment.

  It was just as well I had a thick skin. If Alfie was going to continue down this route, it would no doubt come in very handy in the future.

  I had more important things on my mind than to be worried about Alfie’s slap in the face. How did he know the dark circles around my eyes and my grey complexion weren’t a strategic move? I’m glad he didn’t approve of the way I looked. At least I wouldn’t have to ward off his unwelcome attention. My world had become a spiral of dirty nappies and breastfeeding. I was still adjusting to the new schedule a baby brought with it. My external appearance wasn’t high on my list of priorities at the moment. I would gladly continue to rock the dragged through a hedge backwards look, especially now that I knew Alfie didn’t rate it.

  At this moment in time, my main concern was Nathan. I needed to see him and tell him the truth about Luca. I didn’t want to stand here playing games with Alfie. I had more important things to do.

  ‘I want to go and see Nathan.’

  ‘I bet you do.’ Alfie’s eyes penetrated th
rough me, and I felt my pulse quicken in response.

  ‘Can Knuckles take me to Gareth’s house?’

  Alfie fixed me with a death stare. ‘No, he can’t. Knuckles and I have some business in Southend to attend to.’ His words hung in the air long after he walked out of the kitchen, and closed the double doors behind him.

  79

  Alfie

  Zamir had decided to ignore my warning and was stupidly attempting to sidestep the Russians. He’d set the wheels in motion to do a deal with the Colombian cartel instead. Vladimir wasn’t pleased when the news reached him.

  On the way to meet the Colombian cartel, Zamir, Esad and Dren became the victims of a contract killing when the car they were travelling in exploded. A bomb, concealed underneath the vehicle, was detonated by remote control. All three men died instantly, so the deal never went ahead.

  ‘Vladimir must have been in a good mood when he gave the order to take Zamir and his guys out,’ I said.

  ‘How do you work that out? I thought you said the men were dead,’ Gemma pointed out.

  ‘They are, but it could have been so much worse for them.’

  Gemma stared at me like I had two heads. I could tell she didn’t understand the logic behind my comment.

  ‘Why are you looking at me like that?’ I laughed. ‘Would you like me to fill you in on the finer details of a gangland turf war?’

  She looked taken aback by my suggestion.

  ‘Vladimir can be a nasty bastard when he wants to be. I witnessed him open up someone’s stomach before dousing them in petrol and setting them alight. The unfortunate guy who’d pissed Vladimir off squealed like a pig while he burnt alive.’

  ‘Oh my God, that’s barbaric.’

  I gave her a wry smile before I continued. My account had left her ashen-faced. ‘Popov must be going soft. I’ve never seen him let people off so lightly before. He didn’t make Zamir and his guys suffer at all – being blown to pieces would have been quick. They wouldn’t have known anything about it. There are much more painful ways to die.’

  Gemma shook her head. The horrified look on her face made me smile.

  ‘I wouldn’t have been so lenient if those Albanian fuckers had tried to double-cross me. I warned them time and time again, and they took no notice. Disrespectful men like that deserve to die screaming.’

  The Albanians had been taking the piss, so Vladimir put them in their place. If you were stupid enough to double-cross a rival gangster, especially one more powerful than yourself, you’d expect to get what you’d deserved. The Russian mob used a variety of killing methods; a timed car bomb was a favourite within their repertoire when they had a score to settle. Zamir should have seen it coming. No self-respecting villain was going to die in their sleep.

  Knuckles and I were keeping a close eye on the lock-up. There was no telling what they might do now that Zamir was out of the picture. The remaining Albanian crew might be stupid enough to try a revenge attack. Even though it was the Russians who had taken out their guys, we’d also had a run-in with Zamir, so we couldn’t rule out some form of retaliation. It was a deep-rooted Albanian custom that blood had to be paid for with blood and Zamir’s bearded gang were quick-tempered and considered themselves invincible. That was a dangerous combination.

  But I wasn’t overly concerned. We were the main criminal family in the area, and although we were a bit thin on the ground at the moment, the Watson name was a fear factor in itself, and that was usually enough to defuse trouble before it even started.

  For now, business continued as usual, but Vladimir Popov wouldn’t allow the Albanians to rise up the ladder after they’d tried to shaft him. If they had any sense, the best thing they could do was relocate to a different part of the country before something serious kicked off. If they thought I was going to stand back and let them muscle in on my territory again, they had another thing coming. They’d be wishing Vladimir had taken them all out by the time I’d finished with them. That wasn’t an empty threat.

  80

  Gemma

  ‘Alfie’s asked me to keep you company,’ Jethro said when he walked into the living room. His shoes echoed on the solid wood flooring as he approached the fireplace where a real fire was roaring.

  The room was warm and cosy, and I was deep in thought, but the sound of Jethro’s voice brought me back to reality. I was sitting on the dark purple velvet sofa opposite the fire, so I lifted my eyes to meet his, and my lips stretched into a false smile.

  ‘You two are a good match, you know. You’re not frightened to stand up to Alfie. He doesn’t want a woman who hangs on his every word. He saw what that did to his mum.’

  So that was what this was about. Jethro wasn’t here to prevent me from feeling lonely or bored. I’d imagined we were going to spend the evening making small talk, but I should have known he’d have another agenda. The way Jethro had suddenly begun watching me intently made my pulse rate quicken, so I cast my eyes downwards to escape from his stare.

  Then, without me commenting, Jethro carried on where he left off. ‘I know my son loves you. I can see it in the way he looks at you. There could be worse things in life than the two of you ending up together.’

  Could there? I sincerely doubted that. Jethro was getting carried away with his romantic notions, and I became rattled by his line of thinking. I didn’t want him meddling in my love life. Anyway, Alfie didn’t need Jethro to become his biggest cheerleader; he already had an inflated opinion of himself as it was. What did he want me to say? Knotting my hands in my lap, I agonised over how to respond. I wanted to remind him that I was a married woman, but I was scared of his reaction. Jethro had always treated me with respect, but I knew he could be violent, and I didn’t want to provoke him.

  Even though the room was spacious, all of a sudden, the deep purple colour of the walls made me feel claustrophobic. They felt like they were closing in on me as an oppressive silence dragged on. In an attempt to end the awkward atmosphere, I settled back against the plump feather cushions and regained eye contact with Jethro. I couldn’t bring myself to challenge him, so I decided to let him ramble on instead.

  ‘I want my son to be happy,’ Jethro said. ‘He’s had a lot of sorrow in his life. Alfie was only fifteen when he lost his mum. He never really got over it. Her death affected him very badly. Nora was great with the kids. She adored all of them, but she had a special bond with Alfie. He was the apple of her eye. They were always together.’

  Jethro giving me the low-down on Alfie’s heartbreaking childhood was obviously a ploy to win me over, and I had to resist the urge to get my violin out and accompany him as he set the tragic scene. I wasn’t sure whether they’d hatched the plan together or not. Either way, it made no difference.

  The more Jethro tried to sway my opinion, the more he was getting my back up. I desperately wanted to tell Jethro he could spare me his matchmaking service but thought better of it. If he was half as unpredictable as Alfie, it would be safer to keep my mouth shut and my opinions to myself. But by staying silent, I was probably giving him the wrong idea. I didn’t want him to think he’d talked me around.

  Jethro smiled. ‘Alfie loves you, and I hope one day, you will learn to reciprocate the feeling.’

  They were the last words I wanted to hear. I cast my eyes to the floor so that I could break away from Jethro’s intense stare. I couldn’t understand why Jethro was trying to force me into a relationship with Alfie. He knew from first-hand experience what it was like to be married to a woman he didn’t love. This conversation was going from bad to worse, and I found myself wishing Alfie would return so that I could put an end to it. I wasn’t sure Jethro would be speaking as freely if his son was in the house.

  ‘Who would have thought Alfie would end up in the same position as me? The Watson men seem to find the Stone women irresistible. Your husbands have good taste.’ Jethro flashed me a calculated smile.

  I felt the colour rush to my cheeks, and a sudden wave of embarrassment washed
over me. Right now, I would give anything to be somewhere else. I didn’t know how to respond, so I started laughing. It was a nervous habit.

  ‘I’m being serious, Gemma. That was meant to be a compliment.’

  ‘Thank you,’ I replied, but I still wasn’t convinced Alfie’s feelings for me and Jethro’s for Rosa were genuine. Maybe I was cynical, but it was much more likely they were part of the elaborate revenge plot that had been running for decades. Stealing your arch-enemy’s wife would be the perfect way to get them back, wouldn’t it?

  No matter how much Jethro tried to convince me, Alfie and I were never going to be together. I’d made a huge mistake when I’d slept with him. I felt awful admitting that because I loved my son more than anything, and if I hadn’t had sex with Alfie, he would never have been conceived. I didn’t for one minute regret having Luca. I just wished Alfie wasn’t his father. That was my punishment for being unfaithful to Nathan. I wouldn’t be in this situation now if I hadn’t betrayed him.

  ‘Think about what I’ve said. Don’t throw the towel in before you give Alfie a chance. Nora and I hadn’t planned to start a family either when she fell pregnant, but sometimes it’s better when fate takes the decision out of your hands.’

  Alfie and I were in an entirely different position to his parents. When I became pregnant after a one-night stand, I was married to Nathan, and right from the start, I’d always been clear with Alfie that as far as I was concerned sleeping with him had been a mistake. He knew Nathan and I had decided to put my infidelity behind us. Much as he’d tried to come between us, we were putting on a united front and staying together.

  I realised that might be about to change. If Nathan and I split up as a result of my deception, one thing was certain: I wasn’t about to set up home with Alfie. No matter how much the Watson family seemed to want me to, it wasn’t going to happen. I could literally feel Jethro’s eyes boring into me, so I lifted my head and looked at him.