Queens of Crime: 3-Book Thriller Collection. Kimberley Chambers

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СКАЧАТЬ he’s becoming. We’ll lose him to her if we ain’t careful, boy, you mark my words. If you want my advice, you need to nip it in the bud.’

      Vinny couldn’t help but smirk. He would do more than just nip it in the bud.

      Brenda was dismayed to walk into her house and find virtually all her family present, bar her mother and eldest brother. She had planned her speech in her mind, but there was no way she was disclosing her big secret in front of them all.

      ‘What’s up with you? You look like you’ve lost a pound and found a penny,’ Vivian chuckled.

      ‘Where’s Mum?’ Brenda asked, looking thoroughly miserable. She wasn’t in the mood for jokes, no matter how funny they were.

      ‘Here she is now. Vinny’s with her as well,’ Roy said, looking out of the window.

      The mention of her big brother was enough to make Brenda want to escape the family gathering. ‘I’m gonna go for a lie-down. Tell Mum I’ve still got that bug and I don’t want no dinner,’ she lied, darting up the stairs.

      ‘Well, this is a nice surprise. All my boys visiting me together without warning,’ Queenie grinned.

      ‘We need to talk to you about something, Mum. Or, has Vinny already spoken to you about it?’ Roy asked suspiciously.

      ‘Yes, he has. Now, shall you tell Lenny the good news? Or shall I?’

      Michael and Roy looked at one another in bewilderment. What the hell was their mother going on about?

      Vinny sat down on the sofa next to his nephew, winking at his brothers, as if to warn them to keep their mouths shut. ‘Me, Roy and Michael have been thinking, Champ. You’re a big boy now and it’s about time you joined the family firm. You will have to leave school obviously, but it will be good for you to work and earn your own money, won’t it?’

      ‘But, I don’t wanna leave school. I will miss all my friends.’

      ‘No, you won’t. This is your last year at school anyway. You’ll be working with me, Champ, and I thought your job could involve a bit of DJ-ing. How’s that grab ya?’

      Like magic, Lenny’s eyes suddenly shone with excitement. ‘What, I can be the DJ in your club? And can I play whatever music I want?’

      ‘Well, not every night, but sometimes you can,’ Vinny laughed, ruffling his cousin’s thick mop of dark hair.

      When the boy began leaping up and down as though he had just won the football pools, Vivian and Queenie shared a satisfied smile.

      Roy and Michael stared at one another while the rest of the family celebrated Lenny’s new job. Neither was happy with Vinny making decisions behind their backs, and both thought that the club was a far too dangerous place for somebody of Lenny’s mentality. Roy was the first to find his voice. ‘Right, can we discuss what we came here to discuss now?’ he asked, glaring at Vinny.

      ‘Mum, sit down a minute,’ Vinny ordered.

      ‘What’s the matter?’ Queenie asked, clocking the sudden serious expressions on all three of her boys’ faces.

      Knowing what a bastard Vinny could sometimes be, Roy decided to spill the beans himself. ‘It’s Dad, Mum. He came to see me at the club yesterday. He’s ill. In fact, he’s dying I think, and he wants to make things right with all of us before he croaks it.’

      ‘You don’t have to see him though, Mum. Don’t feel pressurized if you don’t want to,’ Vinny added.

      ‘Fucking old bastard. Deserves to rot in hell after what he did to you,’ Vivian spat.

      About to agree with her sister, Queenie looked at the hopeful expressions on Roy and Michael’s faces. She had no feelings for Albie whatsoever, so whether he was dying or not, seeing him wouldn’t upset her at all.

      ‘I want to see Uncle Albie. If I don’t he might die like my dad did and then I will never see him again,’ Lenny said.

      ‘Shut up, you, and eat your fucking sweets,’ Vivian barked.

      Queenie looked at Vinny. They had a sixth sense between them and she could tell by his eyes he was urging her to say no. ‘Look, boys, this has been a bit of a bombshell dropped on me, so can I sleep on it and decide tomorrow?’

      ‘’Course you can, Mum,’ Vinny replied.

      Queenie stood up. ‘Right, I dunno about yous lot, but I’m bleedin’ starving. Now, who wants some liver and bacon?’

      CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

      After a sleepless night in which she must have finally dozed off for an hour or two, Brenda woke up feeling nauseous then dashed to the toilet to be violently sick. When she opened the bathroom door planning to crawl back to bed, she was confronted with her mum leaning against the wall outside, her face like thunder.

      ‘I think me and you need to have a little chat, young lady, don’t you?’ Queenie said, folding her arms in a stern manner.

      Brenda nodded sheepishly, then promptly burst into tears.

      ‘No point bastard-well crying after the horse has bolted, Bren, and don’t lie to me ’cause I know all the signs. Now, who is the fucking father?’ Queenie spat.

      ‘If I tell you, will you promise me you won’t tell my brothers? It wasn’t a fling, Mum. I’m not a slag. He was my boyfriend,’ Brenda wept.

      Queenie was struggling to hold her temper, but knew she had to get the important information out of Brenda before she let fly at her. ‘Just tell me who he is, love, then we’ll sort it out from there.’

      Relieved that her mother seemed to be taking the news so well, Brenda decided to come clean. ‘It’s Dean. Dean Smart. I haven’t told him yet. He dumped me for another girl last month,’ she admitted.

      At the mention of the surname Smart, Queenie felt her pulse-rate shoot through the roof. Unable to stop herself, she let her hands do the talking with repetitive slaps. ‘You stupid little fucker! How could you even think of getting involved with a Smart when you know how much this family hates that revolting mob? You ain’t a true Butler, girl. We are loyal to the core, but not you, you take after that shitbag of a father of yours. Now, get in your bedroom, before I kick you from arsehole to breakfast time.’

      Feeling incredibly sorry for herself, Brenda let out a loud wail and did exactly as she was told.

      Because he worked nights and there was no way he could invite Nancy to his club now, Michael had devised a rota where he got to spend a few hours with her every day. Firstly, he would meet her at work and spend her lunch break with her. Then, he would pick her up when she had finished, so he managed to grab a couple of hours with her before he started work.

      Because it was stifling hot, instead of going to the café like they usually did, Michael had made a packed lunch so they could sit in the sun and eat it.

      ‘Are you OK? You’re not your usual chatterbox self,’ Nancy remarked, holding Michael’s arm and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

      Michael СКАЧАТЬ