No Mercy: The brand new novel from the Queen of Crime

by Martina Cole

  Roy nodded, because that was exactly what he wanted to hear. Angus Junior needed to be neutered, sooner rather than later, because he was not someone that could be trusted – especially now, when he had been ejected from the family businesses. This latest development would just make him even more bitter than he already was, and that guaranteed trouble.

  The one thing that he had learned over the years was that personalities like Angus Junior’s didn’t take rejection well.

  Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen

  Sean had rung Eilish and filled her in on the latest developments concerning Angus Junior. She couldn’t say that she was surprised, but she was glad of the heads-up.

  Benny Rafter was a frequent visitor to Lady P’s Lap-Dancing Establishment, and he was a good spender. He had his beady eye on a young black girl with long legs, fake breasts and relaxed hair. The girl in question, Chantelle, was thrilled with the attention, the money and the kudos.

  Eilish wondered how Angus Junior would fare now that he was finally on the out. She had no interest in seeing him though now he was back at her mother’s. She wasn’t at all shocked by his latest antics. Her brother wasn’t exactly the most decent of men where females were concerned. In fact, she had brought that to her father’s attention and demanded that he did something about it. Angus Junior didn’t frequent her establishments any more, she had made sure of that.

  She walked out to the main bar and ordered herself a large vodka and tonic. She automatically scanned the club to see what she might be missing.

  She saw a table of women in the corner. She suppressed her smile, because it made her laugh how the city girls thought that coming to a lap-dancing club and being drunk, rowdy and obnoxious made them feminists who felt they were empowered. They could all fuck off, as far as she was concerned, because she knew that the girls on the poles were more empowered than they would ever be – and most of these girls were only there because they didn’t have the opportunities those silly fuckers had been lucky enough to get. They always talked filth to the poor bouncers too, like they were also merchandise.

  She nodded to Big Rick the Rasta to keep an eye on them, and she could see the disappointment on his face; he was generally on the receiving end of the bulk of the sexual comments, and she knew it annoyed him. He was too good-looking for his own good, and he had a body that most people only dreamed of. He also had a beautiful wife, with red hair and green eyes, who had produced two fine sons and had once been the main attraction in this club.

  Davey Proctor walked over to the bar and smiled that lazy smile of his. ‘Large vodka? That’s not like you.’

  Eilish drank her drink straight down and enjoyed the look of amazement on his face. She wasn’t really a drinker while she was working, because she believed in keeping a clear head – especially in her game, where violence could erupt over the smallest thing, and frequently did. The men were usually drunk as skunks, and the girls were often drunk or drugged, or both, by the end of the night. So when the arguments erupted, she knew that it was best to be the sober, level-headed one.

  She motioned with her hand for another drink, and young Peter James was quick to provide her with it. She poured in the tonic water and took a long sip once again.

  Davey watched her with genuine interest. ‘So it’s true, then, that your fucking brother Angus caused World War Three when he was out in Spain.’

  Eilish wasn’t surprised that Davey had found out about Angus’s latest faux pas – she knew that he had contacts all over.

  She nodded her agreement. ‘Fuck-up of Olympian standards, this time.’

  They smiled together. They both knew that the moment had finally come when she would allow him to accompany her home.

  If they were both really honest, it was not before time.

  Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen

  Angus and Roy were back in Spain in The Blue, a new club in Marbella.

  Angus had picked it up cheap from a good mate with a serious gambling problem. Angus had only bought it to help get his friend out of trouble with the loan sharks, but it had turned out to be a really profitable enterprise, and he was more than happy with it. Once he had taken over, he had revamped the bar staff – especially the bar manager, a Ukrainian girl who was obviously robbing the place blind. In all honesty, Angus couldn’t really blame her; he would have done the same in her position. She had known her days were numbered, and she was taking what she could before the axe dropped. Well, the axe had been well and truly dropped, and she had left with her fake Gucci handbag and language that a Tilbury docker would have been proud of.

  Angus had left Sean in charge of the reopening, and the lad had done a great job. That had not surprised him; he knew that his boy had a knack for the clubs and what was needed. Now it was another real earner, as it was seen as one of the places to be when out in Marbs. A lot of the interest came down to the fact that he owned it, and people wanted to be seen in his establishments, but he also believed that Sean had done such a great job that it would have been a success, even without him on board.

  The main bar was huge, and Angus looked around him as the place was beginning to fill up. It was what Sean had called ‘a great space’ and he had been absolutely right. There was a good-sized area out the back of the club that now had a cocktail bar and comfortable seating. Sean had said it would be worth the expense, and it was already paying for itself.

  Angus was well pleased with his new venture and, smiling at Roy, he motioned for him to go behind the bar and pour them each a large Scotch. The bar staff were used to seeing the boss pouring his own drinks and didn’t bat an eyelid. The staff that he had inherited had all been associates of the Ukrainian lunatic and had systematically picked all the tills clean. Like their manager, they had not taken being sacked with good grace. It was only when someone had told them exactly who they were dealing with that they decided to go without a fight.

  Sean had laughed about it, but Angus knew that his boy could not believe that someone who had invested so much money and time into a business would be fool enough to employ thieves and liars. Angus had explained that the original owner’s big mistake was taking his eye off the ball, because once that happened it was all downhill from there. Especially in the clubbing industry, because there were just too many ways to cream off money. It was a cash industry, and that was like an open invitation for certain people who would happily go on the rob and smile at you while they did it.

  He had told Sean to tell the staff that anyone caught on the rob would be answerable to the owners, as the police wouldn’t need to be brought into the equation. It was enough to ensure that the more light-fingered staff were frightened off. They also left, within days, to go to pastures new – where they could ply their trade without fear of losing a few teeth, at the very least.

  Sean was walking across the dance floor, and Angus watched him proudly. He was impressed with this boy and his natural business acumen. He smiled at Roy, and they both watched Sean as he spoke to the staff and chatted to the customers and generally kept an eye on the smooth running of the place. He had a good kid with this one – and his Eilish too. They were both trustworthy and on the ball. What more could a man in his position ask for? He grinned at Roy, and they clinked glasses loudly.

  There was a little bird with long blonde hair and real tits, who had been putting herself directly into his eyeline for the last few nights – no matter what club he was in, she had turned up – and he was tempted, because she was really his kind of girl. She was a bit on the young side, if he was honest, but he was confident that she would know exactly what she was letting herself in for and she wouldn’t be looking for an engagement ring or a wedding date. She would just take it for what it was, and be happy with her short-lived notoriety as his bird in Marbella. It was an arrangement that would suit them both.

  Roy pushed him gently and, laughing, he said, ‘Fuck off, Angus – what, are you cradle-snatching now?’

  Angus had the grace to look sheepish.
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  Roy leaned into him and said seriously, ‘She is not sixteen yet, and she’s already been through the West Ham football team. Her mother will be here soon, and they do a double. You keep as far away from them as possible.’

  Angus was shocked at the information. ‘Fucking hell! How do you know that?’

  Roy grinned nonchalantly. ‘Your Sean told me; I think so I would tell you and warn you off, so he didn’t have to do it. He also said that he won’t let either of them near the VIP areas, because the mother uses the daughter as bait and then brings up the girl’s age after the dirty deed is done. It’s a good earner, by all accounts.’

  Angus said honestly, ‘Fucking hell, I would have put her at twenty at least.’

  Roy nodded sagely. ‘Jailbait, and the newspapers would make a meal out of it.’

  Sean came up to them with his usual easy smile, and holding a bottle of water. He didn’t drink while he was working, and Angus knew that was something he had learned from his older brother’s disappointing example. He regretted that as a result of everything they weren’t close. Never having had a sibling himself Angus had wanted a big family – he believed brothers should be there for each other, and together they should look out for their sister. Not that Eilish needed much looking after, she could more than take care of herself. In many ways, she was shrewder than both his sons put together, but he knew that he could never say that out loud.

  Eilish was his mother all over again. She looked like her, she thought like her, and she could fight like her, as he had been told on the quiet by Roy. He was proud of her and how she had fitted into his business life so easily and without any dramas. She could really make something of herself and she was working towards that, each and every day. She spent as much time with her grandmother as she could, and they were really close.

  Angus knew that Lorna had been sidelined by her children, but what could he do? They were grown and he couldn’t tell them what to do, any more than Lorna could, but he knew that it broke her heart. She was lonely, and she missed her children’s love more than she would ever admit.

  He had approached Eilish one day and said that her mother had been asking after her and that she should go and see her.

  She had looked at him for a few seconds, before she had said flatly, ‘As long as she has Angus, she won’t miss me.’

  Angus had been nonplussed by her answer, and had not known what to say.

  Eilish had smiled at him and hugged him tightly. ‘Seriously, Dad, she doesn’t really want to see us, she just misses being in control of our lives.’

  Angus had hugged his beautiful daughter back but had still not said a word in answer. He refused to get into any conversation about Lorna, because he knew that she couldn’t help the way she was. He still loved Lorna, and he always would.

  ‘She loves you kids, Eilish.’

  Eilish had smiled politely once more and walked away from him to end the conversation.

  ‘You all right, Dad?’ Sean’s question brought him back to the present.

  Angus laughed as if he didn’t have a care in the world. ‘I was miles away, son, sorry.’

  The club was getting noisier now and the music was pounding through the speakers.

  Sean leaned forward and whispered, ‘Come up to the offices, I have something to tell you.’

  Roy and Angus followed Sean upstairs happily, because secretly both were pleased that they would be getting out of the noise of the club. The music was far too loud for them lately – not that either of them would ever admit that, of course.

  Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen

  Davey Proctor and Eilish were comfortable together straightaway, which stunned Eilish.

  She was more than aware of his reputation as a womaniser – that had been what had put her off in the past. But in his car on the way to his flat, listening to jazz, they were both relaxed and Davey had even grabbed her hand and squeezed it, as if they were teenagers on a first date. Davey was a good fifteen years older than her, and he had not been known to settle down with any woman. Even the woman who had produced two children for him had never managed to get him to actually move in with her, though Eilish knew that Davey had provided her with a house and a car and anything else that she needed, so that his sons were well taken care of.

  Davey was aware that June still harboured dreams of him one day turning up and marrying her. But that would never happen. June was a lovely girl, and she was the nearest he had ever got to loving someone. When she had fallen pregnant, he had been surprised to find that he was pleased, and he had encouraged her to have the child. June was a wonderful mother, and he enjoyed being with her and his kids in a family environment. But he would never be able to settle on a permanent basis with her.

  He wasn’t sure he could do that with any woman, because he genuinely treasured his bachelor life and couldn’t imagine himself ever being part of a couple. He liked the chase and the romancing of women, and he liked all different types. He could find something to admire in most women who crossed his path, and he loved talking to them and listening to them tell him about their lives and their problems. He was a good listener – that was a big part of his charm. He was also good-looking, and that was a huge bonus when he was out on the pull.

  But Eilish really interested him, and he assumed that was because she had not been an easy conquest. In fact, she had ignored him, as if he didn’t exist, from day one – and so, of course, that had piqued his interest even more. Women were usually drawn to him like a magnet. He had been given the come-on by women of all ages since he was a young lad, and he had not only embraced that but he had also exploited it at every available opportunity.

  Now he was finally sitting in a car with Eilish and wondering if he was going to regret this night because she was, after all, Angus Davis’s daughter. He worked for the man and he wasn’t too sure how he might take to finding out that his daughter was another of his nine-day wonders. Angus thought that Davey’s sex life was a grown man’s dream and expressed admiration for his prowess at every opportunity – they often shared war stories of their sexual exploits over drinks. But if he found out that now included his little girl, he might not be so generous or forgiving.

  Davey Proctor was, for the first time in his life, having second thoughts about a woman, and the knowledge shocked him more than he had thought possible. He pulled up outside his flat in Canary Wharf and, turning off the ignition, he turned to Eilish and smiled. In the dim street lights she looked so relaxed and young as she lay back against her seat, he wondered at how he could ever have had second thoughts about taking her.

  She was ripe, and she was there, and she would be his. Fuck being sensible, he could smell her perfume and feel the heat emanating from her body. She was looking into his eyes and he knew that if he was really going to stop this, it would have to be now.

  Eilish was aware that, even knowing what she did about him and his lifestyle, she wanted Davey – and it had been a long time since she had wanted anyone this much.

  ‘Kiss me.’

  It was more a question than a request and, laughing gently, Davey pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

  There was no going back now for either of them, and they both knew it.

  Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen

  Angus poured drinks for himself, Roy and Sean, and then he settled himself behind the desk that he knew was by rights his son’s.

  ‘That fucking music was going right through my head. It was awful!’

  Sean laughed loudly. ‘It was good, Dad, and what the punters want – especially after a few Es.’

  Roy took a large gulp of his whiskey, and then uttered a loud, exaggerated sigh. ‘So, Sean, what’s the big secret you want to tell?’

  Sean looked candidly from Roy to his father. ‘Well, it’s not good news. But when it concerns Angus, these days, it rarely is.’

  Angus and Roy were both straight-faced and listening intently.

  ‘Come on, son. Spit it out, for fuck’s sa
ke.’

  Sean took a sip of whiskey and then shuddered because, as they all knew, he wasn’t much of a drinker.

  ‘It’s about Jamie Thomas and his daughter Carly.’

  Jamie Thomas was a Face in his own right. He was a real Brixton boy and he had a reputation as a hard man, a broker and a serious dealer. Angus and Roy had known and had dealings with him for years; they considered him a mate.

  ‘Is Jamie dead?’ Angus sounded shocked at the thought, but he assumed he had been either shot or had wrapped his car round a lamp post. Either scenario would be seen as viable by anyone who knew the man intimately.

  Sean shook his head. ‘No, Dad, he is very much alive, unfortunately. But his daughter Carly, the youngest one, is pregnant.’

  Roy and Angus looked at each other in bewilderment, wondering what that had to do with them.

  ‘How is this news, Sean? I couldn’t give a toss if his daughter’s in the club.’

  Getting up, Sean refilled the two men’s glasses generously with the Jameson’s before continuing.

  ‘Well, she is saying that Angus is the father, and that she was raped by him. She’s fifteen, Dad.’

  Angus and Roy were both silent, trying to take in what Sean had said, and he watched them as they tried to make sense of his words.

  Roy recovered first and, swallowing his drink down, he said with quiet fury, ‘Who told you about this?’

  Sean looked at Roy and said angrily, ‘Fucking Pete the Post. He overheard Jamie talking about it with Graham Gardener. He said he couldn’t believe it at first, but it’s the truth. He was delivering the usual to them and, once he heard what they were saying, he slipped outside and didn’t go back for a while, so they wouldn’t know that he had heard them. But he reckons Jamie is like the Antichrist, and he is after blood and guts. To add insult to injury, the girl’s already five months gone, because she was too frightened to tell anyone what had happened to her. If her mum hadn’t caught her unawares in the shower, she would have carried on pretending she was OK until she had the baby.’