He stood up, and held out his hand; Jamie Ryan was impressed at the firmness of the lad’s handshake. If he pulled this off, his future would be secured for ever. But he knew that Lenny Scott was as aware of this as he was, so the thought was left unsaid. He admired the lad’s bravery, because Christopher Steel was not a man to cross lightly. He was a vicious, violent cunt, and that was when he was in a good mood. They had been friends for years, and to think that he had had him over was one of the biggest irritations of Jamie’s life. Steel would not be expecting this little get-together, and he hoped that it worked out in Lenny Scott’s favour. Which would then mean, of course, that he had got his revenge. It was a win-win for Jamie; all he had to do was pay out if, and only if, the trip paid off. He was thrilled at his own acumen. Minimal outlay, maximum benefits – the kind of deal he had always liked. He had written off the eighty grand, so he would wipe his mouth and let that lad collect it. If he managed to take that cunt Steel out, it was worth every fucking halfpenny.

In the car, Lenny was smiling grimly. ‘We can do this job between us, Reg, and we can make some serious bunce. And, on the plus side, we get a few days in sunny Spain in an isolated farmhouse.’

Reggie couldn’t believe the way things had turned out for him. On the one hand he was thrilled to bits, but there was another side to all this that was only just beginning. They had to be careful, so very careful. He shrugged mentally. That was a worry for another day. Placing his hand on Lenny’s knee, he squeezed it gently and, when Lenny placed his hand over his, that seemed to settle it for both of them.

Reggie was happier than he had ever been in his life. He looked at Lenny Scott and felt the pure maleness of him, and he knew that he would take any chance to be with this man.

Chapter Thirty-Five

‘You and Reggie are like the fucking Thompson Twins, all you need is Snowy and Tintin.’

Lenny grinned easily; he was used to people remarking on their friendship. It was funny really, but because they were both so masculine no one even suspected anything untoward was going on.

Jack Johnson picked up his brandy and knocked it back in one, then he motioned to the barmaid to refill his glass.

‘I know. But we have a lot in common. Plus I trust him, Jack. He gets what I mean, and he is shrewd. Natural, really, I suppose.’

Jack nodded sagely. ‘Oh, yeah. You are a great fucking team. I like him, he’s a good kid.’