sat on either side of Liam on the plane, while Arty sat with Ricky. Arty didn’t want Ricky to feel like a gooseberry. ‘D’ya reckon you’re gonna be all right? I mean, there ain’t no chance of your brain going funny again, is there? ’Cos ya did give us a right royal fucking shock.’
Ricky crossed his eyes and put on a funny face, making Arty laugh.
‘No, Art. They fixed me up. I’m as right as rain. I just can’t take another blow to the head for a while. I’ve got a plate behind my ear, and they sorted out all that water on me brain, so I’m ready for the sun.’
Arty stared at the last of Ricky’s yellow bruises and wondered how he could be so upbeat. He’d been in a chemical coma after the vicious beating. The doctors were reluctant to say he would survive, and yet, here he was, with his round girlie eyes and his prominent dimples, smiling back at him.
‘You’re a lot like your father, ya know that?’
Ricky beamed. ‘So everyone says, and if I am, then I’ll be proud of meself. I’m so glad I found me dad and you guys. It’s like I was never away all those years. I’ve still got a lot to learn, though.’
Arty guessed what he was on about. ‘Ricky, you just take your time and let me and Liam take the lead. Any grief, and you get behind us, yeah? Because, right now, something’s going on. I’ve never heard me ol’ man so shit-scared for me. Neither has Liam for that matter. His dad’s face was so serious. The situation is tense but it’s nothing me and Liam can’t handle.’
Ricky nodded and looked across at Liam. Chuckling away, he said, ‘He’s in his element, ain’t he?’
Arty laughed along. ‘Like a pig in shit. That Poppy really likes him, ya know. I think she’s a bit of a geek, and they say opposites attract.’
Ricky thought about Zara and his father. ‘Yeah, that’s supposed to be the way, but I worry that Zara and me dad are too alike.’
‘You really like Zara, don’t ya?’
Ricky blushed. ‘Yeah, I do. She’s ace, ya know.’ He held up his wrist. ‘She gave me this gold bracelet with BRAVE engraved on it … I wish she’d been my mum, instead of Jackie.’
Arty noticed a sadness creeping over Ricky’s face. ‘Was she really as wicked as they said she was?’
With a deep breath, Ricky replied, ‘The truth is, Arty, me ol’ man only knows part of it. If he knew the full extent of what she put me through, he would kill her. Not that her death would be on me conscience, but the risk of me dad going back to prison would. I fucking hate her.’
Arty didn’t press for details. He could tell that whatever it was that Ricky had endured it had been cruel at the very least, and the expression on Ricky’s face suddenly changed from a soft, sweet, schoolboy look to one of Mike Regan’s in a rage. Those piercing pearl-grey eyes dulled, and his brows knitted together.
‘Well, let’s try and treat this as a bit of a break. We’ll soak up the rays, have a dip in the pool, and shop.’
Ricky laughed. ‘Shopping? What are ya? A girl?’
Arty screwed his nose up. ‘And so, Ricky, me ol’ son, are you gonna wash out ya smalls every day, then?’
Ricky rolled his eyes. ‘Point taken, mate.’
As the plane changed its course, the boys knew that they were not far away from their destination. Arty glanced over at his friend and realized what the problem was. Ricky was worried about the impending descent and the effect this would have on his ears. Ricky had discussed this with Arty on the flight, telling him that as they descended there would be a corresponding change in air pressure that would send sharp pains around his tender scars where the doctors had operated on his brain to stop the bleeds.
By one o’clock in the afternoon, the aircraft began its descent. Arty panicked as he watched the agony on Ricky’s face. He pulled him close and covered his friend’s hands with his own, trying to help with the pain. Ricky was sweating profusely, and Arty was attempting to comfort him.
‘Suck on these sweets.’ He handed Ricky a few sherbet lemons. ‘See, I said we’d take care of you. Fuck me, I should ’ave been a nurse.’
Wasting no time, Ricky began sucking on the sweets until he felt his ears pop and the pressure begin to release. The colour then came back to his cheeks. ‘Christ, I thought for a minute I was going to have another haemorrhage.’
‘Don’t say that. Jesus, you had me sweating for a minute.’
As the plane landed, Arty looked for his passport and phone in among the safety leaflets and magazines stuffed in the pouch of the seat in front of him. Then his attention was diverted to two men roughly the same age as himself, who were making disparaging remarks regarding Liam and the two girls. At first, he thought he had misheard, until one of the cheeky bastards laughed.
‘Cor, I bet he thought all his Christmases had come at once, sitting between two lookers.’
The other young man, now in on the joke, replied, ‘No, mate. I bet the girls thought all their Halloweens had come at once.’
Arty looked over at Liam who must have just caught the end of their joke. Instead of looking ready for a punch-up, he actually appeared hurt. Clocking Liam’s gutted expression instantly had Arty gunning for the opinionated bastards. He watched the passengers all shuffling, ready to get their bags together, and then he noticed Ricky’s bottle of water still in the pouch. He smiled to himself, retrieved the full bottle, and unscrewed the lid. As the two men fiddled with the overhead lockers, Arty tapped one on the shoulder. ‘Is that my bag, mate?’ he asked. As the guy turned to face him, he stared him straight in the eyes and poured the contents of the bottle down the front of his trousers. Arty stepped back. With a voice a little louder than necessary, he said, ‘Er, mate, you should’ve used the toilets. A bit too old to piss yaself, ain’t ya?’
The young man glared and then looked down at his light-coloured chinos. Sure enough, it did look like he’d wet himself. Then he spotted the bottle in Arty’s hand. ‘Why, you fucking shit!’
Ricky and Liam were now laughing very loudly, and they were joined by Poppy and Brooke. The furious man looked across at the group and decided it was best to keep his mouth shut.
Poppy leaned into Liam, feeling sorry for him, and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Will you help me up, Liam?’ she asked, in her sweetest voice.
Liam looked over at the angry man and grinned. ‘’Course I will, my babe.’ Then he returned the kiss. Inside, he was elated. His pretty bird had gone out of her way to make a public show of affection for him and he felt a million dollars. Not many women would have done that: most would have edged away.
Brooke, however, was impressed with how Arty had managed the situation, and a sense of excitement ran through her. She wasn’t used to men who could handle themselves. All the boys that she’d dated in the past were proper geeks and would run away from any confrontation.
As Liam helped Poppy, and Arty did likewise with Ricky, they made their way through the terminal. Once they were outside, Liam spotted Terrence.
Terrence, a tall man, dressed in beige linen trousers and a white casual shirt, was leaning against a Bentley stretch limo. He looked fit and well, with a tan that set off his white hair and blue eyes.
