That was the result he wanted. Never leave an enemy with the means to come back at you, but make them serve as a reminder to everyone just what your retribution would be if they decided to fuck you over. Billy Mason was a treacherous cunt. Jack had given him a serious earn but he had always suspected that Billy Mason would one day want more; he was a greedy ponce. Well, he would regret his covetous nature now. Jack took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, but it still rankled. He had trusted Billy once. He had given him a good lifestyle but that had not been enough for him: he still wanted the main chance.

Lenny drove into the yard, satisfied. He was happy with his night’s work, and felt that he had done a good job. He had liked Billy Mason, but he had been given a task and he had done it to the best of his ability. He hoped that Jack was pleased with him, though he was suddenly filled with trepidation as he walked into his office. Maybe he’d gone too far. But he had been asked to teach the man a lesson and he had done just that.

Jack was smiling as if he’d just won the pools and Lenny immediately relaxed.

‘You fucking little fucker!’ Jack was out of his seat and pulling out a chair for Lenny. ‘Sit down, son, you earned it.’

Lenny Scott was embarrassed; he had not expected this. Jack Johnson appreciated the boy’s reticence – he wasn’t crowing about his job like many others who would have given him a blow-by-blow account, acting like it had been a fucking royal event, trying to prove they were indispensable. Young Lenny just did it, and that was that. He had seen this boy’s potential and Jack loved it when he was proved right.

‘You’ve done good, Lenny. I’m impressed. I told you what I wanted and you did it without fear or favour.’

Lenny smiled sheepishly.

‘Who did you bring on board?’

Lenny frowned. ‘No one. I thought this was best kept in-house, so to speak.’

Jack grinned; this was just getting better and better as far as he was concerned. ‘What, you did it on your Jack Jones?’

Lenny nodded. ‘’Course, Jack. I wasn’t sure you would want it done mob-handed, like. It was just me. I gave him the business, though. He ain’t going anywhere for a long time.’

Jack Johnson sat back in his comfortable chair and wondered at a lad like this; he was clearly a fucking one-man war machine. Billy Mason was no easy mark. He could take care of himself – that was why he had worked for Jack in the first place.