what you think about me, Nicky. You were quick enough to come to me before and I’m happy to continue our little set-up. But I won’t be ripped off. I’m telling you you’ve got two choices; either come up with the money quickly, or I’m talking. And to add to your problems I’ll set Gary on you like a pack of hungry fucking dogs.’
Nicky could feel the cold sweat running down his back.
‘Leave it with me Gina, okay?’
‘Fine by me. Anyway I’ve got to get back. Maggie’s with Harley and she asked me to be back by three. Oh and Nicky, no hard feelings eh?’
Gina got up, struggling to remove herself from behind the table. Nicky knew that if he was going to try to save Maggie and stop Gina doing anything stupid he was going to have to come up with a good plan – and quickly.
Nicky felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Lola standing next to him, a look of concern on her ageing face.
‘A word of advice, love, from an old brass. There’s only one thing you’ll get from Gina Daniels and that’s trouble.’
Nicky smiled weakly at Lola, her words resonating in his head. He didn’t need to hear it because he already knew it.
Trouble was coming at him from all angles, and he didn’t know what the hell he was going to do.
Johnny Taylor stood at his bedroom door for a moment, listening to his mother’s raised voice and his father’s even louder one. Since his Aunt Lorna had arrived there’d been nothing but tension in the house. He wasn’t quite sure why his mother had her acrylic claws out for his auntie. Whatever the reason though, almost overnight his mother had become like a deranged ferret with a rat in its mouth.
He could see Lorna liked to have a moan, but then so did all women. She seemed alright to him. He really didn’t want to spend time thinking or hearing about it. He’d more important things to think about than two women arguing over fuck all.
He closed the door and the room fell silent. That was the beauty of having soundproof doors. His mother had insisted on it, telling him she didn’t want to ‘hear her baby shagging the whole of bleeding Soho.’ Johnny smiled sadly to himself, knowing the reality wasn’t so simple.
Yes, he’d shagged about. Who hadn’t? But since Maggie he’d only had the odd indiscretion, mainly caused by going on one of his legendaries. But even if his dick had gone astray now and again, his heart never had. He’d always had it firmly in one place; with Maggie.
The day they got married had been the best day of his life. They’d travelled to Birmingham. The weather had been shit and if he remembered rightly the only way the strangers they’d asked to be witnesses could’ve been less interested in the wedding ceremony was if they’d been dead, but it hadn’t mattered to him or Maggie. Even if immediately after the service they’d both had to go their separate ways. For him, who’d never put himself in the category of being romantic and had always pulled a face when Saucers set off on her romantic bandwagon, it’d been a magical day.
Johnny snorted out loud at the word magical. He was being soft and it was pointless reminiscing as if he was Soho’s answer to Omar Sharif, especially when he’d fucked things up so expertly with Harley.
He could understand how Maggie felt about their daughter being with Gina, but what he hadn’t understood was when she’d told him about Harley being in rags. He’d been forking out hundreds of pounds a week for her upkeep and even though there was always plenty of money around from the clubs and the hookers his dad ran, Frankie always made him accountable for every penny he took.
It’d started to get harder and harder to get the money past his dad, and even though he hadn’t said anything, Johnny had a feeling he was starting to get suspicious. Saucers had even told him Frankie had accused one of the clip joint girls behind the bar of siphoning money. There’d been no fall to take, but if it’d come down to it, Johnny had a feeling he would’ve let the girl take the blame rather than even attempt to tell his father what he’d needed the money for.
His father was everything to him and he’d always given him everything he wanted. Money and love had all come to him in abundance, so Johnny hated having to keep part of his life a secret. He would’ve given anything for his parents to embrace the situation, but he knew it was impossible.
There’d been the odd time where he’d brought up the Donaldsons in conversation, steering it towards Maggie, hoping to hear something other than vitriol directed towards the whole family. But he never did. It was always the same. ‘Why are you bothering your head over that lot, Johnny?’ His mother would say to him.
‘No reason. I was just thinking, maybe they’re all not bad … Perhaps the girl, Maggie I think her name is, perhaps she’s different to the rest of them.’
His father would snort scornfully. ‘Different? How could she be bleeding different? When you’ve been brought up by scum Johnny, that’s what you are. Scum. They’re animals the whole lot of them.’
And that’s how it always went. No room, no opportunity to plead his and Maggie’s case. His family’s mind was made up. The hatred ran fast and deep for the Donaldsons. And it was clear to Johnny that there would be nothing he could say or do to ever change that.
Johnny’s phone rang. Although the caller ID was hidden, he decided to answer it anyway.
‘Yup.’
Johnny listened to the person on the other end. It was Sheila Donaldson. And he was completely thrown by it. Never before had she called him – never before would she have risked it. So he continued to listen to the voice which was full of anxiety, curious to hear what Maggie’s mother had to say.
Putting down the phone, Johnny sat motionless at the end of his bed, letting the information sink in. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. Maggie was contemplating giving Harley up. And Sheila Donaldson had phoned to tell him he needed to do something because she feared for her daughter. Feared it would break her Maggie’s heart.
Johnny looked quickly at the green neon clock on his bedroom wall. He needed to get it sorted. He’d had an idea but he wanted to run it past Saucers before he put it to Maggie. That’s if Maggie would speak to him again. He couldn’t blame her if she didn’t. First, however, he planned to give Gina a little visit to see exactly what she was doing with his money. More importantly, to see what she was doing with his daughter.
Maggie bent over the sink and washed her face. The cold water felt soothing. She’d spent the last few hours with Harley, just the two of them having fun. They’d been to Hyde Park and Harley had squealed with delight as they’d fed the ducks. Then she’d burst into tears as they’d chased after her, wanting the bread she held in her hand.
They’d gone to the children’s park where they’d swung high and low towards the tops of the trees. They’d made themselves dizzy by going on the roundabout too many times and then before all too long, it’d been over. Maggie had had to take Harley back to Gina’s so she could come to see her mother. Harley had
