‘Bella, calm down. I’ve never seen you like this before. My family are cool, they’re gonna love ya. I’ll explain what happened. Antonio’s not the first child to be sick in one of my motors, you know. Adam, God rest his soul, did it regularly.’
‘Are you sure you feel OK, Antonio? Give Mummy plenty of warning if you think you might be sick again,’ Bella gabbled. Madam Lydia had once told her if she ever started a journey and a vehicle broke down or something went wrong, it was an omen and that journey should not be continued.
‘Yes, Mummy. I’m fine. Stop asking me.’
Bella smiled at her son. He now had a dark suit on and looked so grown-up and handsome. She had changed into an electric-blue number that suited her eye colour. ‘Are you sure I look OK, Michael? I much preferred the red dress.’
‘You look beautiful. How could you look anything but? Now read that,’ Michael urged, showing Bella the deeds to the club Vinny had given him this morning.
‘That’s brilliant, Michael. So it’s all yours now?’
Michael winked. ‘Yep! And half yours, when I get to marry you one fine day.’
The DJ Michael had recommended wasn’t much cop in Vinny’s eyes. He was playing too much recent chart crap. Madonna’s ‘Into the Groove’ was the final straw, so Vinny marched over to him. ‘Make the next record your last, then Ted’s gonna finish the party off, mate.’
‘I know Michael said you wanted some older tunes played, but I was gonna save the likes of Elvis and the Beatles for later. You have to cater for the youngsters too,’ the DJ replied.
Vinny glared at the fat bastard. ‘If you play Elvis it will upset my Aunt Viv because he was her son’s idol and her son is now dead. And I never liked the Beatles; I was more of a Rolling Stones man. So just do as I say, OK?’
Scared by the vicious look on Vinny’s face, the DJ nodded.
Within minutes, Teddy Brown stood at the other end of the restaurant and began his set with Sinatra’s ‘That’s Life’. Ted had been one of Vinny’s regular crooners back in the good old days at the original club. He used backing music and allowed others to get up and sing as well.
Vinny walked over to his mother, who was busy taking photographs. ‘I remembered you and Auntie Viv loving Ted singing at the club back in the sixties, which is why I booked him. He might be knocking on a bit now, but he’s still got it, ain’t he?’
‘Definitely! Oh look, there’s Michael.’
‘So sorry I’m late, bruv. Bella’s little ’un spewed up all over himself, her and my motor, so we had to shoot back to West London to clean up. Only ever been travel-sick in his life once before, by all accounts. Trust my fucking luck!’ Michael laughed.
Queenie stood up. ‘Where is Bella then?’ She was desperate for a first glimpse of the woman who had stolen Michael’s heart.
‘Gone to the toilet to powder her nose. You know what women are like, Mum.’
‘I’ll be back in a tick. Little Vinny’s waving at me. I’ve made the fatal mistake of forgetting to greet the future in-laws,’ Vinny grinned. After dreading his party earlier, he was having a great night now.
‘Oh my lord, Michael! She’s absolutely beautiful! Vivvy, what an angel, look!’ Queenie exclaimed, as the striking dark-haired woman gracefully walked towards them.
‘Stunning!’ Vivian agreed, as Michael put a protective arm around Bella’s waist before formally introducing them.
‘I’m so very pleased to meet you,’ Antonio said, before standing on tiptoes to kiss Queenie and Viv on both cheeks.
‘Oh, bless him. What a gorgeous, polite boy. He’s adorable, Bella,’ Queenie gushed.
Bella smiled proudly. She’d taught her son the art of good manners from the moment he’d started to walk and talk. Her father always insisted that the younger a boy was taught how to behave impeccably, the better a man he would become.
Sidling over towards her grandmother, Ava grinned at Antonio and he grinned back. ‘This is my doggy, Fred. Would you like to play with him?’
‘And what’s your name, sweetie?’ Bella asked, crouching down.
‘That’s Ava. My brother Vinny’s daughter,’ Michael explained. He could tell his mother and aunt were already as besotted with Bella as he was. So far so good, he thought.
Aware that Fred seemed to be sniffing around and hovering as though he was about to have a dump, Queenie leapt out of her seat and clapped her hands. ‘Take Fred outside to play. Quickly!’ she screamed. She’d hate to be shown up in front of Bella, and knew there was a small yard at the back of the restaurant that was enclosed and safe.
‘Is it OK if I go outside and play with Ava and Fred, Mummy? Please?’ Antonio pleaded.
‘The yard’s perfectly safe, Bella. There’s a six-foot fence with barbed wire along the top. However, I can tell my mother and aunt are already bowled over by you. So I’ll keep an eye on the kids and leave them to give you a good old grilling,’ Michael chuckled.
Bella had no idea what a good old grilling meant, but her earlier nerves had now completely disappeared. Queenie and Vivian had given her such a warm welcome, one she hadn’t expected after Nancy’s death. ‘Shouldn’t I meet your sons first, Michael?’
As Fred crouched down to do his business, Queenie had no option but to kick the dog up the arse to stop him from fouling next to Bella’s expensive-looking shoes. ‘Plenty of time to meet the boys later, lovey. Take the dog and children outside now, Michael!’
When her son did as he was told, a relieved Queenie sat back down and patted the seat next to her for Bella to sit on. Trying to make herself heard over Ted singing Tom Jones’s ‘Delilah’ wasn’t an easy task. ‘So tell me and Vivvy all about yourself, my dear. You have a beautiful accent, may I say. Where is it exactly you come from? And what do your parents do? I can already tell you’re a fabulous mother. Antonio is a credit to you. What did his father do? And are you still in contact with him?’
Jokingly, Vivian yawned at Queenie, then winked at Bella. ‘Please excuse my sister. When she gets on the sherry, she has a terrible habit of asking too many questions at once. I’ve always told her she’d be great on Mastermind if Magnus ever decided to retire.’
Bella burst out laughing. Now she knew where Michael got his one-liners and sense of humour from. It was weird. She had only just met Michael’s family, yet already felt part of the clan.
‘Can we have the birthday boy up ’ere for a speech?’ Ted announced over the mike.
‘He’s sodded off somewhere, probably talking skulduggery with my brother,’ a drunken Ronny Mitchell shouted back.
‘Shut your trap, son,’ Harry Mitchell ordered. Ronny was the bane of his life. Never failed to embarrass him.
‘OK, in that case, let’s have Albie Butler up to sing.’
‘He do sound like Al Martino, Queen. I know you hate him, but he could’ve been a professional singer,’ Vivian said.
‘No, he couldn’t! The man is a drunken tosspot, Viv,’ Queenie hissed.
Bella couldn’t stop smiling. She had been to many events and parties in her time, but never one like this. It had such a cockney feel to it and had given her a wonderful insight into the man she loved so much. She had even tasted jellied eels for the first time ever, and learnt some of the words to ‘Knees Up Mother Brown’. Antonio was having a ball as well. He, Ava and Fred the dog had been inseparable since the moment they had met.
Michael’s sons had been polite to both her and Antonio when introduced, and Bella had taken to Albie instantly. She could tell Queenie hated him, but the whole family was hilarious and reminded Bella of something out of a comedy show.
‘You OK, babe?’ Michael asked, squeezing Bella’s hand.
‘I’m having a fabulous time, Michael. Your family are wonderful.’
‘Let’s grab another glass of champagne and stand near Ted. Vinny’s gonna give a speech in a minute and little does he know I’m gonna jump up, grab the mike and cane him with my own speech afterwards. You been introduced to him yet?’
<
br /> ‘No.’
‘And so the wanderer returns,’ Ted joked, as he spotted Vinny Butler. ‘Come and give us a speech, birthday boy.’
About to do so, Vinny locked eyes with the stunning woman holding his brother’s arm. He then dropped the mike in shock. She’d told him her name was Izzy. He’d not only fucked her senseless, but she’d asked him to take her in a brutal manner. The games they played that night still made him hard. He’d never forgotten her. How could he? No woman had ever made him come like she had.
‘Whatever’s wrong?’ Michael asked, as his girlfriend vomited and seemed unsteady on her feet outside the restaurant. She had just bolted from inside, with her hand over her mouth.
How Bella held it together she did not know, but she had no option other than to lie. ‘I was nervous about meeting your family and I’ve obviously drunk far too much champagne. Please put Antonio in the car, Michael, and pick me up from here.’
‘Do as the lady says, Michael. I’m Vinny, your beau’s brother, by the way. I’ll look after you.’
Once Michael had darted off to find Antonio, Vinny Butler smirked. ‘Well, well, well. I wasn’t expecting you to be the famous Bella. You told me your name was Izzy.’
‘My real name is Isabella. Please don’t tell Michael about us, Vinny. It was a drunken one-night stand. I love your brother so very much and it would destroy him if he found out.’
Having supped far too many Scotches, Vinny shoved Bella against the wall, stuck his tongue down her throat, then put his hands around her neck. ‘Memories, memories. I’ve never forgotten that tight little pussy of yours. Nor your mouth around my cock. Wanna suck it again now, do ya?’
Pummelling her fists against Vinny’s chest, Bella screamed, ‘You fucking bastard.’
Vinny chuckled. He actually had a slight erection. Goading her made him feel horny. ‘Don’t you be worrying that pretty little head of yours, sweetheart. Your dirty secret is safe with me. Only just got back on track, me and Michael. No way will I allow a whore like you to come between us. I’m warning you, though. You ever hurt him, I will stick a knife up that precious cunt of yours and slice your insides to shreds. Understand?’
When Vinny Butler released his grip on her, Bella crouched down and sobbed her heart out. Madam Lydia had warned her of an evil man who would come between her and Michael. Now she knew who. He was standing right in front of her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Michael Butler kissed Bella, then waved her and Antonio goodbye. Bella’s grandmother had fallen seriously ill, hence their trip back to Italy at such short notice.
Driving away from the airport, Michael’s mobile phone rang. ‘You OK, bruv? Mum’s offered to cook us a roast, so I said we’ll be there. Dan and Lee are coming,’ Vinny informed him.
‘Yeah. Fine by me. I’ve just dropped Bella off at the airport. She’s been a bit weird with me since your party, Vin. Did you ask around to see if anybody upset her?’
‘Bella obviously feels embarrassed because she got drunk, Michael. She must have been nervous about meeting us all. I asked around and nobody said sod-all to upset her.’
‘You’re right. It’s a lot to take on, meeting all the family at once, especially the boys. And I was plying her with champers like it was going out of style. My battery is about to die. What time’s Mum cooking dinner for?’
‘Three.’
‘OK. See you there.’
Vinny Butler flopped on the armchair, put his hands behind his head and reminisced.
It was the end of August 1980 when he’d met Izzy, or Bella as she was now known. He remembered the timeline so well, because not only had he got into a fight down at Kings the weekend he’d met her, it wasn’t long afterwards that Molly had been murdered.
He and Ahmed had been on a proper bender in some glitzy West End club. They’d been planning on ending the evening at a whorehouse, until they’d met these two fit birds. Bella had looked jaw-droppingly gorgeous and, unusually for Vinny, he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her. Apart from Yvonne Summers back in the day, Vinny could never remember a bird having such an effect on him.
The experience that followed was explosive and mind-blowing. Vinny was not a man with your average sexual taste. He liked it brutal, which was why he usually shagged brasses. However, Bella had a warped mind to match his own. She’d demanded he pretend to be a rapist and take her by force the moment they’d entered the hotel room.
Vinny had no hesitation in participating in such role-play and Bella had fought back hard. She’d bitten, kicked and punched him, which had turned him on no end. He’d finally restrained her by tying her arms to the bedposts, before shoving his throbbing cock in her mouth, then fucking her senseless. His orgasms that night had been truly memorable. So much so, Vinny had debated whether to return to the West End to try and track Bella down. He would’ve definitely asked to see her again had she not crept out the hotel room when he’d drifted off to sleep.
Thinking back to his party, Vinny smirked. Bella’s face when he’d kissed and threatened her outside had been a picture. He’d guessed that the whore would give Michael some cock-and-bull story, then scarper. She could hardly stay with a man whose brother she’d shagged, could she? It wasn’t morally right.
Isabella D’Angelo was greeted by her parents as she and Antonio arrived in Sicily. She’d hated her name from an early age, and had called herself Bella ever since. The only time she used Izzy was when meeting people she had no desire to see again.
When her mother began to pry, Bella assured her all was OK. What else could she say? That she’d met the family of the man who she loved and wanted to marry and was upset because she’d once fucked his brother’s brains out?
Clutching Antonio to her chest in the back of her father’s Limo, Bella allowed her mind to wander back to that fateful night.
She’d been on a short trip to London. New York had been her home at the time. She and her friend Patti were tipsy, and as soon as Bella had laid eyes on Vinny, he’d reminded her of Michael. The way he dressed, his mannerisms and his voice were so similar. Bella had never forgotten Michael, hence why she’d ended up in bed with Vinny.
Giovanni D’Angelo kept a dignified silence. Bella was his pride and joy, yet the bane of his life at times. He worried about her immensely, yet knew she could hold her own. She was headstrong, took after her Papa.
When his wife began asking more questions about Michael Butler, Giovanni sighed. He’d had such high hopes for Bella, had wanted to her to marry Marco Rossi, the son of a very well-respected friend. But Bella had other ideas. She’d led poor Marco a dog’s life before deciding she wanted to travel the world working as a model. A big success she had become, but in Giovanni’s eyes her poxy taste in men left a lot to be desired.
‘Are you crying, Mummy?’ Antonio asked.
‘No, sweetie pie,’ Bella replied, quickly pulling herself together.
‘Why couldn’t Michael come on holiday with us?’
‘Because Michael’s busy. He has his club to run.’
‘We will be seeing Michael again soon though, won’t we, Mummy?’
Bella couldn’t reply because she had no idea of the answer. That was why she had come away, to clear her head and work out her next move. The thought of ending her relationship with Michael was unbearable. But what choice did she have?
‘Have you heard anything from Clint, Bella?’ her mother enquired.
Bella sighed before mumbling ‘No.’ Clint didn’t even exist. She’d invented him and their imaginary long-term relationship because anything was better than telling her parents that Antonio was the result of a drunken one-night stand with a man whose name she could not recall.
She knew who that man was now though. Antonio’s father was a nasty piece of work. An evil, sadistic, psychotic bastard who answered to the name of Vinny Butler.
Bella’s father stared at his daughter via the interior mirror. Clint didn’t exist. He knew that much. He’d even sent a man over t
o New York to find him. He’d also done his homework regarding Michael Butler. Had sent the same man to watch him in London. Having studied the photographs, Giovanni D’Angelo was sure that Michael was Antonio’s father. Little did he know that his beloved grandson was actually conceived by the satanic sperm of Vinny.
‘You OK, Papa?’ Bella asked, aware that his eyes were focussed on her.
Giovanni smiled. He was more than OK. Being the boss of the D’Angelo family meant that he could wipe out a man in a split second. Including Michael Butler, if he ever wronged his daughter again. The Butlers might be classed as big fish in London. But in Sicily and Giovanni’s world, they were nothing but mere tadpoles.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Christmas Eve 1985
Mary Walker could barely contain herself. ‘How much longer, Donald?’
‘I don’t know, dear. Like yourself, I’m unfamiliar with the area. Ah, hang on. I think we’re in the right street. Look at the numbers on your left.’
‘Number forty!’ Mary squealed.
Slowing down, Donald pulled up outside a four-bedroomed detached house. ‘I’ll get the presents out the boot. Go and knock then.’
Mary didn’t need telling twice. She ran up the path and straight into the arms of her stunning daughter. ‘Nancy!’ she cried. ‘I’ve missed you so much.’
When Christopher had first told her he was going to help Nancy fake her own death, Mary had been appalled by the idea. Not only was pretending Nancy was dead so very wrong, but how the hell was she meant to lie to people? Christopher had convinced Mary to go through with the sham. Said it was the only way to free Nancy from a life of misery. ‘Don’t be so ridiculous. Nancy’ll end up in prison and you’ll be slung out the police force,’ Mary had argued.
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