Adele quickly snatched up the cheque that Peter had signed and made her way to the door to the sound of Cindy giggling while Glynn continued to flirt with her. She didn’t want to hang around while he rubbed her nose in it.

She was angry; at the way he had flirted so blatantly in front of her, and at his treatment of Paula, who was a good worker in obvious need of the meagre wages that her bar job paid. But most of all she was angry at herself because she hadn’t seen what Glynn was really like. How could she have been foolish enough to be taken in by a man like him?

*

The sound of ‘Ride on Time’ by Black Box was blasting through the speakers in Angels nightclub. Alan and David were sitting at a darkened corner table while the strobe lighting cast neon-bright bursts of colour around them. There were two young women with them and the booze was flowing. It had become a regular haunt for Alan and his crew since they had muscled their way in, and the management were eager to supply them with free drinks to keep them onside.

‘I need the loo,’ one of the girls shouted over the sound of the music, then she extricated herself from David’s over-amorous attentions. ‘You coming?’ she asked her friend, who was wrapped around Alan.

The two girls headed towards the ladies. David smiled across at Alan, and waited for a lull in the music before he spoke. ‘Fuckin’ brilliant this, innit?’ he said.

Alan smiled back, not knowing whether David was referring to the club atmosphere, the girls’ company or the free booze. Maybe it was a combination of the three.

‘Perks of the job,’ he said. Then he looked around him, making sure no one was listening before he added, ‘Make sure you don’t get too pissed, though. We’ve still gotta have our wits about us. I’m expecting retaliation any time. Pete will be well pissed off that we’ve taken over this place and Bramleys.’

‘No probs,’ said David.

When the first strains of ‘Back to Life’ by Soul II Soul started up over the speakers Alan knew it would be difficult to make himself heard without shouting so he switched topic.

‘Where are you off to after here?’ he asked David.

‘Back to mine, innit.’ David lowered his voice only marginally before continuing, ‘She’s fuckin’ gagging for it, mate. What about you?’

‘Hers or mine, not sure yet. Might get some bottles to take away.’

‘Dead right. I hope they’ll be freebies, too.’

‘Course they will,’ said Alan. ‘They know I’m the fuckin’ gaffer.’

He smiled confidently. Alan was enjoying having control of the two nightclubs and all the benefits that went with it. And he would continue to enjoy it because there was no way he was going to allow Peter’s firm to regain control.

*