by Martina Cole
Eilish hugged him back. ‘I know.’
Jamie Thomas looked down at Sean, a lad he had known all his life, and wondered at how poor Angus could have sired two fucking pieces of shite. He looked at Eilish and was pleased to see that she wasn’t regretting her brother’s death.
‘Why don’t you and Jack go out and have a meal or a few drinks? Go to one of the other clubs and leave this mess, I will sort it.’
Jack Barker took her arm and walked her out of the room, where the music was still loud and her brother was lying dead, with a surprised expression on his face.
Epilogue
2019
Fortune assists the bold.
Aeneid,
Virgil (70–19BC)
Eilish poured herself a cup of coffee and took it outside into the sun. She sat down on the garden furniture and, lighting a cigarette, she gazed at the landscape, enjoying the peace and quiet.
She loved the early mornings, especially when the weather was good, because that was when this house really came to life. She was on her second cup of coffee when she heard Alia come into the kitchen, and she called out, ‘Morning, lady.’
Alia poured herself a coffee and, lacing it liberally with sugar and milk, she came out to join her aunt in the garden, as she always did.
‘What a beautiful morning again!’
Alia was nearly twelve now. She was a nice child, and she was also showing every sign of becoming a stunning-looking woman. Having lost her baby, Eilish loved her niece like her own child, and they were very close. She knew that Alia loved her dearly.
‘I don’t want to go home today. I know that sounds horrible, but I don’t mean it to be. I prefer being with you.’
Eilish knew she meant what she was saying, and she wished she could grant her wish, but she couldn’t. ‘Oh, come on, you will be back here before you know it. Anyway, your Mammy Jamilla will be champing at the bit to see you.’
Alia didn’t argue, because she knew what Eilish said was true. She loved her Mammy Jamilla and her Granddad Jamie. But if she could choose where she could live all the time, she would pick here.
‘Auntie Eilish, can I tell you something?’
Eilish laughed delightedly. Alia was a real busybody.
‘Of course you can, darling.’
Alia sat looking at her aunt for a few moments and Eilish was, as always, stunned by the child’s blue eyes and jet-black hair. It was like a raven’s wing and, coupled with her coffee-coloured skin, the girl wasn’t just attractive, she was downright beautiful. She was unusual, and Eilish would lay out good money that there wasn’t another child like her within ten thousand miles. She was absolutely gorgeous. She had her father’s eyes. But then they all had the Irish Davis eyes, they had inherited them from Diana.
‘I know that Carly is my real mum.’
Eilish didn’t say anything, because she didn’t want to put her foot in it. This was something that Carly and Jamilla should talk to her about, it just wasn’t her place.
Alia carried on talking. ‘My friend Brianna told me. She said that she heard her mum talking about it.’
Eilish was suddenly wondering where Brianna lived, and what her mum would do when she turned up on her doorstep. Fucking gossiping bitch, without a thought for what her prattle might cause!
‘But before she said anything, I had sort of guessed.’
Eilish lit another cigarette, before saying, ‘Explain.’
Alia sipped her coffee and sighed. ‘Well, my Mammy Jamilla is with my Granddad Jamie. So that doesn’t make sense, does it?’
Eilish could see her logic, but given that her brother had been the villain of the piece, she couldn’t discuss anything of importance before the Thomases had.
‘You need to talk to Jamilla about this, darling. It’s really not something I can help you with.’
Alia didn’t say anything for a while so they sat together, as they had many times before, in companionable silence.
‘Your brother was my father, wasn’t he? That’s why you are my aunt and your mum is my Nanny Lorna.’
Eilish felt sick at the thought of this wonderful child finding out the truth of her parentage and, even worse, hearing how she had been brought into the world.
‘Like I say, you need to talk to Jamilla, it’s really not my place to discuss any of this. I’m so sorry, darling.’
‘OK, Auntie Eilish.’
Alia accepted her explanation, and Eilish could feel herself relaxing. She would just have to ring Jamilla and warn her that Alia had worked it all out.
‘What do you want to do today, Alia?’
Alia smiled and Eilish knew what she wanted.
‘In the swimming pool again! Well, I can cope with that.’
Alia looked at her with such happiness and honesty as she said, ‘It must have been wonderful to grow up in this house. You were all so lucky.’
Eilish didn’t answer her.
‘Do you miss your brothers?’
Eilish stood up, saying chirpily, ‘Come on, madam, go and grab a shower while I make us some breakfast. How do you fancy bacon and eggs?’
Alia jumped up excitedly. ‘My favourite, thank you!’
Eilish watched her as she skipped through the kitchen, her only thought now being what she was having for breakfast. Eilish looked around her and sighed. She had moved back here because she’d had to. Her mother had needed her, and she had felt she should be there for her, especially after Sean. Now, though, she actually liked spending time here, especially when Alia came.
Jamilla would not allow Alia to see Lorna unless Eilish was there, and that had pretty much started a pattern. Her mother was once more away, having treatment. As the time went on, her mother seemed to spend more and more time in hospital, and the meds she needed were having less and less of an effect.
Eilish wondered what life held for her in the future, because she had no one now really of her own, except Alia. She was her only blood relative, after her mother.
She ran the businesses with an iron hand and she knew that she was respected because of that. She also knew that she quite liked her solitary life. She took a flier occasionally with a good-looking bloke and that just added to her reputation as a ball breaker.
Her life wasn’t for everyone, but she found that it suited her. She had discovered early on that you couldn’t trust anyone really, because eventually everyone you thought you could trust let you down.
She went into the kitchen to start the breakfast. She felt happy enough with her life and what she had achieved. As long as she had Alia nearby, she knew she would be OK. She would spend her life making up to that child for what her brother had done, and she was quite happy to do that. She wondered, at times, how both of her brothers had been capable of such treachery and corruption and betrayal. Angus was a rapist, and then her brother Sean had been capable of murdering his father and his grandmother for his own gain.
She pushed the thoughts from her mind, because it was futile to dwell on them. She had had enough sleepless nights, trying to make sense of it, even after all these years. Instead, she would concentrate on Alia and she would make sure that child had every opportunity she could afford her. Alia would live a life that was not tainted by her past, as hers was. She would make sure that something good would finally come out of this.
It was the only thing she could do.
Eilish put on the radio and, as she cooked the breakfast, she found herself singing along to Madonna. And, by the time Alia came back downstairs, she was actually in a good mood.
Loved No Mercy? Read more by Martina Cole
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br /> DANGEROUS LADY
MAURA’S GAME
You might have seen these on TV – but that doesn’t mean you know what happens in the books!
THE TAKE
THE RUNAWAY
Martina writes brilliantly about what it’s like on The Inside. For gripping novels that tell the truth about prison, try:
THE JUMP
FACELESS
TWO WOMEN
THE GOOD LIFE
Family life is always at the hear of Martina’s storytelling: loyalty, protection and how the ties that bind us can also sometimes choke the very thing we want to protect…
FACES
THE FAMILY
THE FAITHLESS
BETRAYAL
Anyone who’s ever read Martina Cole knows her women are the best: strong, resilient, vengeful – nothing will get the way of these ladies when they know what they want
GOODNIGHT LADY
THE KNOW
CLOSE
GET EVEN
With her unflinching talent, Martina’s stories reveal a world that many would rather ignore
THE GRAFT
THE BUSINESS
THE LIFE
REVENGE
Table of Contents
Title Page
Table of Contents
Copyright Page
About the book
About Martina Cole
Praise
Also by Martina Cole
Dedication
Prologue: 2011
Book One: 1980
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Book Two: 1983
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-seven
Chapter Forty-eight
Chapter Forty-nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-one
Chapter Fifty-two
Chapter Fifty-three
Chapter Fifty-four
Book Three: 1988
Chapter Fifty-five
Chapter Fifty-six
Chapter Fifty-seven
Chapter Fifty-eight
Chapter Fifty-nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-one
Chapter Sixty-two
Chapter Sixty-three
Chapter Sixty-four
Chapter Sixty-five
Chapter Sixty-six
Chapter Sixty-seven
Chapter Sixty-eight
Chapter Sixty-nine
Chapter Seventy
Chapter Seventy-one
Chapter Seventy-two
Chapter Seventy-three
Chapter Seventy-four
Chapter Seventy-five
Chapter Seventy-six
Chapter Seventy-seven
Chapter Seventy-eight
Chapter Seventy-nine
Book Four: 2000
Chapter Eighty
Chapter Eighty-one
Chapter Eighty-two
Chapter Eighty-three
Chapter Eighty-four
Chapter Eighty-five
Chapter Eighty-six
Chapter Eighty-seven
Chapter Eighty-eight
Chapter Eighty-nine
Chapter Ninety
Chapter Ninety-one
Chapter Ninety-two
Chapter Ninety-three
Chapter Ninety-four
Chapter Ninety-five
Chapter Ninety-six
Chapter Ninety-seven
Chapter Ninety-eight
Chapter Ninety-nine
Chapter One Hundred
Chapter One Hundred and One
Chapter One Hundred and Two
Book Five: 2008
Chapter One Hundred and Three
Chapter One Hundred and Four
Chapter One Hundred and Five
Chapter One Hundred and Six
Chapter One Hundred and Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Eight
Chapter One Hundred and Nine
Chapter One Hundred and Ten
Chapter One Hundred and Eleven
Chapter One Hundred and Twelve
Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen
Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen
Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen
Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen
Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen
Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen
Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-one
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-two
Book Six: 2011
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-three
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-four
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-five
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-six
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-seven
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-eight
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-nine
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-one
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-two
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-three
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-four
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-five
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-six
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-seven
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-eight
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-nine
Chapter One Hundred and Forty
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-one
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-two
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-three
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-four
Epilogue: 2019
Love No Mercy? Read more by Martina Cole
