‘No,’ said the landlord. As Peter glared at him, Pat took a deep breath and said, ‘I can’t do it anymore. It’s eating into my profits too much.’

Glynn walked behind the landlord and grasped his arms from the back. ‘Just give me the nod, Pete,’ said Mike, ready to lay into Pat while Glynn held him back, cutting off his defences.

On this occasion Peter was glad to have Glynn and Mike with him. Since his previous disagreement with Mike, Glynn had had a word with him and he seemed to be towing the line. He was still a vicious bastard but there were times when that came in handy.

‘Hang on a minute,’ said Peter, and Glynn released his hold on Pat.

‘How much does this place take?’ Peter demanded.

‘Don’t know,’ said Pat. ‘It varies.’

‘Don’t tell me you don’t fuckin’ know! How much does it take in a typical week?’ asked Peter.

‘Dunno, a few thousand, I suppose. But I’ve got loads of overheads. Staff. Heating. Lighting. And the brewery’s just put up the cost of the beer again.’

‘Don’t get fuckin’ smart with me! I know how much the brewery’s charging and it isn’t gonna eat into your profits that much. All I’m asking is a few poxy hundred quid a month to keep people off your back, and you can’t even manage that!’

‘I’ll take my chances,’ said Pat. ‘I’m sorry, Pete, but I’m not doing it anymore. You can’t do this to me!’

‘Can’t we?’ asked Peter, striding over to the landlord and grabbing him viciously by the chin until he could smell the fear coming from him. ‘When everything goes fuckin’ pear-shaped, and people start muscling in, just remember that I gave you a chance. We’re a lot more reasonable than some of the firms round here but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna let you take the piss. Now, are you gonna pay up or do I have to get my men to persuade you?’

Glynn was now holding Pat from behind again, and he and Mike were waiting for their orders.

Peter stepped back. ‘Well, Pat, what’s it gonna be?’ he asked, walking over to the door.

Pat shook his head but his facial expression belied the brave front he was putting on. ‘No,’ he said, his voice sounding small and timid.

‘Right, Mike, he’s all yours,’ said Peter, who then blocked the door so none of the staff could enter.