by Martina Cole
He looked around his new apartment, pleased with what he saw. It was very luxurious and it was also soundproofed. Marvin never left anything to fate.
That was why he was so successful.
Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen
‘I can’t believe it, can you, Aiden?’
Aiden Junior was still on cloud nine. He didn’t see Loretta’s condition as something to worry about. He was just excited to know that he was going to be a father. It wasn’t planned and she was only eighteen, but he would stand by her, of course.
‘I’m over the moon, Loretta, darling. But you are only young and if you don’t think this is the right time for you to have a baby, I would understand.’
Loretta appreciated that he was trying to be fair and how hard it had been for him to say that to her. That he would stand by her decision meant a lot to her.
‘What did your mum say again?’
Loretta snuggled into him. She loved everything about him − his smell and the feel of his body beside hers.
‘She said that it’s up to me. Well, us. That we had to decide what we thought was the right thing to do.’
Aiden kicked the covers off the bed and, as Loretta squealed at her nakedness, he started laughing. She was already trying to pull the blankets back over them and, grabbing her gently, he pinned her down on the bed.
‘You are beautiful, Loretta. I don’t understand why you are always so body-shy with me. You know I think you are fucking amazing. I adore you, darling. I fucking love you.’
He kissed her hungrily and she responded as he knew she would. He pulled away from her and stared into her eyes; he could look into her eyes all day and all night long. She was such a revelation to him. From the moment he had clapped eyes on her he had been smitten. It had never happened to him before. He had had his fair share of girls, but they had been no more than conquests. Working at his family’s business, the one thing he had always had access to was females, and willing females at that. But it wasn’t until he had seen Loretta standing there in that nightclub in Ocho Rios in Jamaica, with her wide smile and her trim little figure, that he had ever felt such a strong attraction to anyone before. She had walked over to Marvin and he had kissed her and hugged her and, when Marvin had finally introduced her to him as his daughter, Aiden had felt such a rush of relief as he had never felt before in his life. They had been inseparable ever since. That she had been a virgin when they had eventually come together had only added to her appeal. She was everything that he had ever wanted and dreamed of.
‘If you want this baby, Loretta, I’m willing to stand by you. We can get married, darling. I would marry you with or without this child. But I don’t want you to feel that you have to have it. I would understand if you didn’t think you were ready or old enough for something this important.’
Loretta had tears in her eyes. He was such a lovely man − so tender and so caring, and she knew that he was being truthful with her. That must be why she felt so emotional; it didn’t occur to her that it might have anything to do with her being pregnant.
‘I want this baby, Aiden. I want our baby. I know it wasn’t planned, but it has happened and we made it together. I conceived in Jamaica and, going by the dates, I think that it was probably the first night we spent together.’
Aiden remembered that they had not used any contraception that first time. Both full of alcohol and grass, they had walked along the beach together and talked for hours under the stars. They had eventually gone back to his suite and, as his Nanny Reeva would say, nature had taken its course. Well, now they had to face the consequences of their actions.
‘I am glad you don’t want to get rid of it, Loretta. I don’t think I would have really been as easy about it as I let on. But I would have respected your decision − after all, you are the one who has got to have it.’
Loretta finally pulled the blankets back over them both, laughing as they tried to tidy the bed around them. She was so happy to be with this man, who she had fallen in love with the second that she had laid eyes on him. The fact that he said he had felt the same thing was something she would always remember and cherish, especially as the night they had met, her friend Leona had been beside her, and there was no way anyone could compete with her. She was the whole package: tall, high-breasted, firm booty and she looked like a movie star. But Aiden had not even given Leona a second glance, it was like fate − they were meant to be together.
‘What do you think your dad will say about it, Loretta?’
She snuggled into him, enjoying the smell of him and the softness of his skin against hers. She looked up at him and kissed him gently on his lips.
‘He already knows, Aiden.’
She saw the incredulity on his face and, giggling, she pulled away from him and lay on her back as he leaned on his elbow and gazed down at her in consternation as she said flippantly, ‘I told my mum, as you know, and she tells my dad everything. The truth is, Aiden, if you had not wanted to be a part of this, I would have let you walk away. I already knew that I was going to have the baby anyway. I don’t think I could actually have an abortion. You know, I think that once I knew that there was a child inside me I felt that I would have to keep it, but I didn’t want you to think that I had trapped you.’
Aiden kissed her deeply. Then, jumping out of bed, he started to pull his clothes on.
‘Where are you going?’
He sat beside her on the bed and took her hand in his.
‘I am going to buy an engagement ring and then I am going to see your dad and explain the situation properly. I owe him that much, Loretta. He has always been good to me and I want to assure him that, even though this baby wasn’t planned, we are both happy with the situation. I’ll tell him that we will be marrying sooner than we had anticipated, but that it isn’t a problem, because we had already discussed our future together. I will also assure him that I will look after you and my child to the best of my ability.’
Loretta knew why she had been so attracted to this man; he was such a good person. He was by no means a pushover − she knew that from listening to her father and his cronies. On the contrary, Aiden was a rising star, as her father had referred to him on more than one occasion. She loved that he wanted to do the right thing by everyone, not just by her and the baby, but also by her father, who she knew he liked and also respected.
‘My dad thinks you are a great guy, Aiden.’
He grinned cheekily, but she could tell that he was already sorting everything out in his head. That was one of things she admired about him − he thought things through, and tried to ensure that he did the best for everyone concerned. She knew that she wasn’t as intelligent as he was, but he didn’t mind that about her. She was confident that her dad would not be averse to their predicament − she just wished she could be as sure of his father’s reaction. Because, although she had never said it to Aiden, she could tell that his dad didn’t really like her at all. The comfort was, of course, that she also knew that her father wasn’t a man that people crossed if they had an ounce of common sense.
Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen
Aiden O’Hara was looking at his son as if he had suddenly grown a set of antlers and a long, grey beard. He saw Reeva jump out of her seat and scream with excitement, and saw his brothers smiling and shaking his son’s hand as they offered their congratulations. And he saw his sister sitting there with her hand covering her mouth and trying not to cry at the wonderful news. Yet all he wanted to do was fell that stupid fucker of a son of his to the floor. Just take him down with a huge punch to try and knock some fucking sense into him.
His son had really used his loaf; he had made sure that they were all at Reeva’s house before he dropped this fucking bombshell. She had been in on it, of course, and she had cooked them an excellent meal and provided plenty of alcohol. Jade was clearly also in on the big news − she and his mother were closer than a nun’s fart these days. He had to keep calm and pretend that he was on board with e
verything. But as Aiden Junior’s father, he was surely entitled to say a few words of caution as well. That was the fatherly thing to do, after all. He plastered a smile on his face and, standing up, he went to his only son and after shaking his hand he pulled him into a manly embrace.
Aiden Junior held on to his father for a long moment. He was so pleased that he had finally told everyone the good news. He had taken his mother’s advice and waited till the whole family was there before letting his father know what had happened. Reeva had agreed with his mother, and he had done as they had advised and tried to sweeten the pill for his father as best as he could. This wasn’t something his father was going to embrace and Aiden Junior wasn’t happy about that. After all, his father had no real say in his life now − he was a grown man. He earned his own wage and he had proved himself more than capable in his chosen profession. It was his dad who had introduced him to this business, and he had embraced it as his father had desired.
He would love his father to, just once in his life, accept his decision about what he wanted to do, especially as this was such a momentous occasion for him. He was going to be married, and he was going to become a father. There was nothing that his dad could do to stop any of it, no matter what he might think.
‘So, Ade, I assume that you have already spoken to Marvin?’
Aiden stepped away from his son and, as he walked back to his seat at the table, he was aware of the atmosphere that he had caused. Everyone in the room was suddenly struck dumb. That should have told his boy what was really going on. Aiden was pleased with the effect his words had had on the merrymakers in the room. He watched as his son sat back in his seat, and picked up his glass of wine.
‘Of course Marvin knows, Dad. Loretta told her parents as soon as she found out she was pregnant.’ He smiled at his mum as he said, ‘I think that is a daughter thing, don’t you?’
Jade nodded. ‘I think you are right, mate. It’s natural, really. Girls are more inclined to tell their mum first, I suppose.’
Porrick stood up and started to pour more wine into everyone’s glasses. He was determined to make sure that his nephew had a good night, no matter what his brother might want. He couldn’t understand how his oldest brother could try and ruin his own boy’s day. He could cope with the fact that Aiden often really pissed him off, but he was fucked if he was going to sit back and see him piss all over his lad’s dreams. What was wrong with the man? It was like he deliberately set out to destroy his own son’s future happiness.
‘I think this calls for a toast! What wonderful news, Aiden. Congratulations.’ Porrick stood up then and, as he held his glass up in the air, he snapped, ‘Hello, people, it’s a fucking toast!’
Reeva and Jade stood up and Agnes watched as her brothers rose too. Then she looked at her brother Aiden and saw his scowling face. She wondered how this lovely day had suddenly become so frightening. She saw Patsy and Eugene raise their glasses, along with her mum and Jade, and she knew that she had to get up and join them, even though she really didn’t like that she always had to take someone’s side. She just wanted to keep out of it. But when Tony stood up and shouted loudly, ‘Congratulations, mate! I wish you both all the best,’ she stood up and toasted Aiden Junior along with everyone else. By doing so she was going against her eldest brother, which made her nervous because she depended on Aiden for everything these days − from the roof over her head to the food she cooked, which he provided.
Reeva and Jade were congratulating Aiden Junior, and the boys were all asking him questions. He was standing there, thrilled to bits, and there was her oldest brother just sitting at the table as if his son’s news meant nothing to him.
Aiden Junior went over to his father and, looking into his eyes, he said earnestly, ‘Come on, Dad. Tell me you are happy for us. This is one of the best days of my life. I love Loretta, and I know that we will have a good life together.’
Aiden saw the naked longing in his son’s eyes. Getting up from his seat, he opened his arms out in a gesture of supplication, as he said brokenly, ‘Of course I am pleased for you, son. I want you to be happy, of course I do. But you are both so young to be having a baby.’
Reeva snorted in annoyance as she shouted, ‘Oi, mister. I was only fucking fourteen when I had you, remember! And you were only twenty-one when you got Jade pregnant. Of course, as we all know, Jade was well over the age of consent.’
Jade was laughing as she cried, ‘That’s right, Reeva, rub it in, why don’t you!’
Everyone joined in the laughter, and Aiden knew that he had lost the opportunity to say what he had wanted to say to his son.
‘Marvin was all right then, Ade?’
They had sat back down around the table, and the atmosphere was light again. Aiden looked at his Aunt Agnes and he smiled as he answered her question.
‘Marvin has been amazing considering it’s his daughter, but he knows that we are serious about each other. I even asked him for her hand in marriage. He was quite chuffed, I think. He’s talking about me going out to Colombia to learn the business from the supply end. He thinks that I have the temperament to deal with people, and also the acumen to work out the figures in my head. As we know, nothing is ever written down − there’s never a paper trail of any kind.’
Patsy was well impressed and he said as much. ‘Fucking hell, Ade! That’s a real fucking compliment to you, mate. None of us lot has ever got within a donkey’s roar of any of the main people involved.’
Eugene and Porrick were thrilled for him − they both got up and shook his hand with delight.
Patsy looked at his nephew with genuine respect as he added, ‘You have fallen on your feet there, boy! Marvin Hendry is a good fucking bloke to have on your side. He will look after you. I know he has always liked you, but who wouldn’t like you, eh? You were always a likeable kid, even when you were getting on our nerves!’
They were laughing and joking again, and Reeva motioned to Tony to open more wine. Aiden watched his son as he chatted with his uncles, and he couldn’t help but wonder at why his boy, a young man, was suddenly being given the opportunity to go to Colombia to learn the supply business, when he had never once been invited out there for even a meeting.
Jade came and sat beside him and, as she sipped her wine, she said quietly, ‘You all right?’ When he didn’t bother to answer her she leaned towards him and, putting her lips close to his ear, she whispered, ‘You ruin this for our son and I swear to God that I will never forgive you.’
Agnes couldn’t hear what had been said but she knew from her brother Aiden’s face that, whatever it was, it wasn’t anything good. She listened to the talk and the banter around the table for the rest of the evening, but her eldest brother’s silence frightened her.
Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen
‘There’s definitely something not right, Jade. I’m sorry, darling, but he needs to get a fucking reality check.’
Jade knew that Reeva was as aware as she was of what was really ailing Aiden, but she was too shrewd to say it out loud. No one was willing to say it out loud, that was the trouble. Aiden was like the Antichrist because his son, who he should be pleased for, had been given a serious in with Marvin. Aiden couldn’t see that it was something that would benefit them all. He could really be so fucking stupid at times. Any other man in their world would be over the moon to think that his son was being given such a lucrative and important position. But not her Aiden − he took it as a personal insult. To make matters worse, Jade knew that her son’s refusal to listen to his father’s advice was now being seen by Aiden as a declaration of war. He believed that his only son was being poisoned by Marvin Hendry and was turning into the enemy.
Usually Aiden took against people that she didn’t care about enough to even bother interfering. But this time it was different − this was their son. And this was the one time that she couldn’t help him to justify his mind-set. She knew she was guilty of making Aiden feel better about his actions when it suited her. Sh
e feigned agreement with his more suspect decisions. Take the time he’d nailed poor Peter Gunn to a door, all because he thought he had been disrespectful to him, when the lad had only been making a joke in his usual way. Turned out it was the last joke he would ever make.
That had been a really low point. With the help of Eric Palmer she had eventually straightened it out. Aiden had recognised, in the aftermath, that it wasn’t exactly his finest hour, and he had been grateful for her interference. If only she had been straight with him at the time. But she hadn’t called him out on his actions because, as usual, she was trying to protect him from himself, from his own anger and lunacy. She still felt sick when she remembered seeing the boy nailed to the door. After over twelve hours of hanging there he had still been alive − barely − and she had been forced to oversee not only his removal from a lock-up in Canning Town, but also his burial on the salt marshes in Essex when he died shortly after they had found him. As hard as she could be, Jade had never really got over that. His only crime had been to make one fucking joke at Aiden’s expense. From what Patsy had told her, it had been a really funny joke, and on any other day Aiden would have laughed. But obviously he had not found anything even remotely amusing on that particular day. Aiden’s weakness was his quick temper and his need to prove himself when that wasn’t even really necessary. He harmed certain people because he wanted to hurt them: the men were either too good-looking, or he perceived them as some kind of a threat − if not at that particular moment in time, then he would argue that they would be dangerous in the future. Her Aiden could justify anything that pertained to his bad behaviour and she was guilty of making sure that he was proved to be right. She had always cleaned up behind him; along with Patsy and his brothers she had always been the one they called when Aiden lost his cool and fucked up.
