“Don’t go talking to people about my business.”
And there it was… the row that would rid him of her. Gina’s heart dropped. She hadn’t a clue what he was talking about, but she knew she was in for a bollocking all the same. She shook her head. “Aiden, I don’t…” she tailed off as he turned to face her, his beautiful blue gaze cold and distant.
“Don’t give me all that. You’ve been telling my sister’s best mate that I can supply her cocaine for her fifteenth birthday. I don’t sell to fucking kids, G!”
“It’s a house party. I thought you’d appreciate the business,” Gina stammered in her defence.
It was coming back to her now. She’d been pissed up outside the pub and had told young Jennifer Hardy that Aiden was the man to go to if she wanted anything to liven up her party.
Gina sighed as Aiden laid into her. “I don’t need your fucking help, girl, and you bandying about that I’m a dealer to kids is a bit fucking rich, don’t you think?” Gina frowned. Everyone and their dog knew that he worked for Reggie and what the job entailed. “And to my sister’s mates! Are you fucking stupid or something?” He rose from the couch. “And what’s this party? Kate ain’t going to no fucking party! And why the fuck didn’t you tell me about it, eh? On what planet did you think that I’d be happy with my little sister going to some party without me knowing where the fuck it is, who’s gonna be there and what fucking drugs are being taken?”
Changing tack now, Gina persisted, “I thought if Jennifer got you to deal to them then you’d know what was going on! It ain’t my business to tell you what your sister’s getting up to. You’re not being very fair, Aiden!”
“Fucking fair?” He gripped Gina’s arm and dragged her to her feet. “Next time, you fucking tell me or I’ll show you unfair, you silly bitch!”
Gina shrugged him off, astounded and angered in equal measure by his complete overreaction. She yelled in frustration, “So it’s not about me telling people that you’re a dealer, it’s about what your sister gets up to?”
“It’s both!”
“Well, I don’t ever know with you, do I, Aiden? It could be everything or nothing! You’re fucking impossible!” She stormed into the kitchen and, a moment later, came back with her bag over her shoulder.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m going home!”
He watched her storm out of the room. For a moment he was going to let her leave. The silly cow deserved everything she got. She couldn’t go round talking about his business. If Reggie got wind that some little tart was blabbing about things that could potentially have him put down if the information were to fall into the wrong hands, then he’d go fucking ballistic and that would be the end of his employment, which up until now had been paying him a nice little wedge. What Gina needed to learn was to keep her big trap shut. A typical woman, she drank too much then talked utter shite, said things without thinking. Aiden hated that side of her. She never had anything of substance to say.
But what had really wound him up was that there was a party that his sister had planned to go to and she hadn’t told him about it. She had kept it from him and he did not like that at all. He had always been close to his little sister; she told him everything. Or so he thought.
He heard the front door open and jogged into the hallway. “G, wait, will you?” As Gina swung the door open, he closed it again before she could go anywhere. “Come back inside.”
Admittedly, she had longed for him to chase after her, but she gave him a stern look anyway and proceeded to list reasons why she shouldn’t give him the time of day, but even as she grumbled, she was rapidly surrendering as his arms snaked around her waist and his hands slowly moved downwards to caress her buttocks. “You’ve got a great arse, G,” he whispered close to her ear, and the feel of his smile against the flesh of her neck was her undoing.
Moving his hands around to her stomach, he undid the button of her jeans and slowly pulled down the zip before plunging his hand inside the front of her knickers. They groaned in unison as he ran his fingers over the small triangular tuft of her pubic hair, his eyes locked onto hers.
He had just tugged down her jeans and dipped his fingers into her when they both heard the door unlock. It was Kate, and they could hear her nattering with someone behind the glass. Gina scrambled to dress herself and ran back into the living room. Aiden mischievously sucked his fingers, savouring the salty taste of her before composing himself, ready for the onslaught he was about to rain down on his devious sibling. Kate was already in the shit and the fact that she had just prevented him from getting his fill… well, things did not bode well for her this evening.
To make matters worse for Kate, she had brought Jennifer back with her. When Kate saw her brother standing in the hallway, his cheeks flushed and his eyes scrutinising them as she and Jennifer bustled in with shopping bags in their hands, she frowned. “Alright?”
“Where’ve you been?” Aiden asked, expressionless, hiding the storm building inside his mind.
“Shops. Why?” Kate put down the bags and removed her coat. Jennifer did the same, copping a few lustful glances in Aiden’s direction as she did so.
Brushing her long dark hair over her shoulder, Kate headed for the living room but was stopped by her brother, who was refusing to move out of her way. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Where’d you get the money from for all that?” he asked sternly, his eyes glancing down at the row of bags lined against the wall.
“It ain’t mine. Jennifer’s dad gave her fifty quid for her birthday! Generous, ain’t he?” she beamed.
Jennifer snorted. “Yeah, only when he comes to visit once a year, which happens to always be around my birthday!” Her dad was a useless prick, but then again, whose father wasn’t?
“At least you’re shot of him the other 364 days of the year, Jen.” Kate giggled. “I’d opt for that luxury any day!” Kate attempted to sidestep Aiden once more. “Aiden, get out the way, will you?” she laughed, taking hold of his muscular arms and squeezing them gently. “Jeez, Aiden, you’re getting massive!” she added warmly and he finally moved aside.
When Kate entered the living room, she halted in surprise. “Gina…”
Gina smiled timidly. Kate didn’t like her much. She wasn’t quite sure why, but it could only have derived from the things that others said about her, because she’d never done anything to upset Kate directly, to her knowledge. But Kate wasn’t a rude person and so she smiled, though reluctantly, then made her way to the kitchen with Jennifer, who didn’t look at Gina as she passed her.
Aiden stepped back into the room and Gina looked up at him warily. It was no surprise to her when he asked her to leave, but still she felt the usual pang of regret, because she knew she wouldn’t see him now until he decided to see her, and that could be weeks from now.
She sighed and stood, throwing her bag over her shoulder. Aiden took her elbow as she past him. “I’ll see you later…” he said, sounding strangely reassuring, but she knew better.
“’Course you will,” she replied, deflated.
Then she left.
Kate and Jennifer were making themselves boiled eggs and soldiers for dinner when Aiden joined them and sat at the kitchen table. He lit a cigarette and exhaled loudly, watching his sister carefully as she chatted and laughed with her friend. He wondered what else they’d done today, whether they’d met anyone else – any lads. Adam Draper. The thought of his sister getting up to mischief and him not knowing about it drove him wild. He’d always looked out for Kate and the fact that she was keeping secrets was taking liberties in his book.
“What shops did you go to?” he asked over their chatter. They weren’t listening to him and this annoyed him all the more. “Oi! I’m fucking talking to you!” he snapped, looking Kate up and down. She looked like a woman. Her face was painted, emphasising her prettiness all the more, her lumps and bumps were well-developed in the right places, and, despite her age, that�
��s what the outside world saw her as: a woman, ripe and ready for the picking. Problem was, she did not have the mind of a woman. She was still the naive little girl he had been protecting all her life.
Kate spun round with a frown to see him regarding her with a surprising amount of repugnance. “What the hell is wrong with you, moody arse?”
“I think Jen should go home…” he replied.
“What?”
“I think Jen should go home…”
“Why?”
Suddenly Jennifer’s presence was of no consequence as both brother and sister glared at one another. Kate finally realised that her brother had a nark on, but she wasn’t going to stand for it today. Aiden was a temperamental sod, just like their father. It frightened her that her brother was so much like Duggie. She loved Aiden to the core, but she hated that he could provoke the same feeling of anger and trepidation in her as her father did.
“Actually,” Aiden went on, standing up to his full height. “She can stay and you can both explain to me why she’s having a party and I know fuck-all about it!”
Kate began to laugh derisively. “Is that what this is all about? You’re seriously having a go because I didn’t tell you about some fucking house party?”
Aiden glared at her, then at Jennifer. “When is it, and more importantly who and what is gonna be there?” he asked Jennifer directly. Jennifer was gawping at him in utter shock. Her already pale face was now ashen. She had never before seen Aiden so incensed. It was petrifying. Suddenly all sexual desire for this beautiful man-boy with the black hair and piercing blue eyes evaporated, and instead she felt sick with fear.
“You ain’t my dad!” Kate intervened.
Aiden’s burning glare went to his sister once more and Jennifer let out the breath she was holding. “I’ve looked after you more than him all your fucking life,” he retorted. “So fucking tell me what I wanna know!”
Kate finally lost it and bellowed back at him, as loud as she could, “Or what? You gonna ground me, Dad? Do you know how fucking pathetic you sound? So, I’m going to a fucking party? What details do you want, eh? Do you want to know that a load of blokes have been invited? Do you want to know that drugs will be there, that I know exactly what you do for Reggie Driscoll and that I’ve used some of the shit you sold to Curtis Mahar only two days ago!”
Aiden was in front of Kate in two long strides and his large hand struck her right cheek. She cried out and fell against the fridge, sending Duggie’s cans of cider within flying. Jennifer gasped, her legs immediately turning to the consistency of jelly. She felt as if she could wet herself! Kate used the fridge to pull herself up straight. She placed her palm over her cheek and tears pricked her eyes, but the glare she gave her brother was one of unadulterated revulsion.
Aiden stepped back, and for a split second he seemed afflicted by what he had done, but he quickly composed himself and his indignant and stubborn demeanour reared its ugly head once more. Taking a cigarette box out of his jeans, he pulled one out and lit it up. He longed for a joint right now, but a cigarette would have to do to calm his nerves.
Kate was now sobbing, and Jennifer had her in a protective embrace. After a loaded silence, Aiden loudly exhaled a puff of smoke. His sister might be distraught, and he might feel like a total wanker, but he wasn’t quite finished yet. He needed to know more; he wanted all the information. “Are you still seeing that Adam bloke, and will he be there?” he asked steadily.
Jennifer’s eyes shot to his face. She couldn’t believe the quarrel wasn’t over, and she had the overwhelming urge to flee. Kate sniffled and growled, “Like I’d tell you now. Whether I’m seeing him still or not, I wouldn’t want to have to visit him in hospital!”
Aiden’s eyes narrowed. “Have you been seeing Curtis Mahar too?”
“No!” This came from Jennifer.
Aiden glanced at her then back to his sister. “But he thought it was a good idea to give you drugs? What did you take?” he pressed.
Kate gulped, suddenly aware that she had put Curtis in a lot of danger. Aiden wouldn’t let this go. He would catch up with Curtis soon enough then it would be Curtis who’d be visiting the hospital.
Curtis Mahar was the estate’s renowned fuck-up. Born and bred in Barnsbury, London, his Asian father and Caucasian mother had moved the family to the flat twelve doors down from the Fosters two years ago. Out of all the low-lifes that Aiden had to deal with on a daily basis, he was the worst. Aged twenty five and mildly good-looking, Curtis had knocked up at least five young girls on the estate since his arrival. Still living with his parents, he lived off the council, drank profusely, used drugs to excess, and was notorious for luring young white girls back to his flat with the promise of free drugs and a good time. It was this tactic that had got him laid over and over. Stupid little girls with no common sense and no respect for themselves were his usual prey and it outraged Aiden that his little sister would even give him the time of day, let alone accept his advances.
“Don’t do anything, Aiden. He doesn’t know how old I am…” Kate pleaded suddenly, wiping her wet cheeks with the cuff of her blouse.
“What did you take?” Aiden pressed in a low voice.
Kate sighed. She looked at Jennifer, who was now staring at her with wide, beseeching eyes. Kate was disclosing all their secrets! Her mother would go absolutely ballistic if she ever found out what they had been getting up to, and she had the feeling her father might visit a few more times this year if he ever found out!
“Acid,” Kate whispered.
Aiden took a drag of his cigarette. “How much?”
“A couple of tabs…”
“You double-dropped on your first time?” he growled. Both girls witnessed the redness creep back to the surface of Aiden’s skin. He assumed it was her first time and neither Kate nor Jennifer was about to tell him otherwise. “And where were you?” he persisted. He knew where, or at least he was pretty damn certain, but he wanted his sister to confirm it.
Kate gulped. There was no point in lying now. Aiden being Aiden, he would find out in time. “Curtis’s flat…” she croaked.
He nodded, staring down at the floor and sucking on his cigarette with conviction. The girls’ eyes were glued to him, waiting anxiously for his next move. When his blue eyes met Jennifer’s first, she nearly did wet herself. “Time you left,” he spat with a flick of his head towards the door.
Jennifer hesitated, looking to her friend for permission to leave. Kate nodded and, with another moment’s hesitation, Jennifer scurried out of the room, relieved to be getting out of there. Both Aiden and Kate listened to the rustling of bags as she gathered up her purchases of the day, then the front door opened and closed and there was silence.
Kate’s wide blue eyes focused back on her brother, who was stubbing out his cigarette in the sink. He then stared back at her blankly. This was not good news. Kate had seen the same stare when their father had pushed her brother to the brink of his very limited temper. A glare from Aiden meant he was still in focus, still in control of his emotions. But a blank stare meant that he had allowed his rage to get the better of him; the red mist of his renowned temper had taken over; he had left the planet, lost the plot.
Aiden strode over to Kate and gripped the back of her neck. Squeezing hard, he escorted her out of the flat, despite her desperate protests, where he proceeded to march her to flat number forty-six – twelve doors down. Now standing at the front door of the flat, Aiden released Kate’s neck and gripped her arm to prevent her from fleeing.
“Aiden don’t do this, please!” Kate pleaded, but to no avail.
When Curtis Mahar opened the door, Aiden immediately slammed his foot into his crotch. Curtis keeled over and Aiden barged his way into the flat, keeping his hold on Kate. Pushing Curtis further down his hallway, Aiden kicked the door shut and threw his sister to one side. An upper cut sent Curtis crashing into the wall, and he toppled sideways onto the stairs going up to the first floor.
“Thi
s, Kate, is what happens to people who think it is okay to give drugs to Aiden Foster’s little sister!” he sang, as if he was enjoying every moment of his tyranny.
Kate screamed and cried for her brother to stop, but she knew her cries were of no consequence to Aiden now. Curtis instinctively tried to scramble up the stairs to get away, but Aiden grabbed hold of his ankles and dragged him back down again. Turning him over, he mounted him and proceeded to punch hard blows to his face: a right swing then a left swing, thick and fast, over and over, until Curtis’s face was a bloodied mass of cuts and bruises.
“Aiden, stop, please!” Kate screamed again, but he continued until Curtis stopped struggling beneath him.
He held himself briefly on top of Curtis’s body whilst he caught his breath, then he dismounted and turned to his sister. Kate’s eyes grew wide when she took in the amount of blood splattered over his t-shirt and she sobbed, out of her mind with shock and fear. Still catching his breath, Aiden pointed a stiff finger at her and said, “If you ever talk to this man again, I’ll kill him, do you understand?”
Kate sobbed and nodded frantically.
Aiden then opened the front door and escorted his sister home.
************
It was 12:30am before Duggie and Vivien bundled into the flat. Kate could hear her mother making shushing sounds and laughing as her father shouted out drunken obscenities, insensitive to her and the neighbours.
Luckily, Aiden wasn’t home. After escorting her back to the flat earlier that day, he’d climbed the stairs, got showered, changed and left without saying a word. Kate had been in her room ever since. She had iced her cheek to take the swelling down, but there was already a purple bruise where Aiden had struck her. She had wept for most of the evening, utterly devastated that her brother would raise his hand to her, that he’d stoop to their father’s level in order to control her.
She felt like a possession, both men fighting to keep her in line with the audacity to say it was because they loved her. Her father wasn’t capable of love. She’d known that most of her life. But she had never thought the day would come where she would say the same about Aiden. It was clear now where she stood in their relationship. He wanted to be in command of her, just like Duggie did.
Human Conditioning Page 15
