‘Stop it, Tony.’ Jake pulled Tony away from Angus. ‘Let’s hear what he has to say first.’ Jake knew if Tony started hitting him, he wouldn’t stop. ‘Everybody, take a breath. Angus, come on, get up, man.’

Angus wiped the blood off his mouth. He started to stand, although his legs were weak and he was visibly shaking. All the while he was watching Tony, waiting for him to leap at him again. Tony’s breathing was heavy and his face was set like stone.

Jake pulled out a chair for Angus to sit down on. ‘What happened, Angus? Why did that Luke guy hit the stripper? Why would he do that?’

Angus sat down and Tony lunged forward. Again, Jake pulled Tony by the arm away from Angus. Fighting amongst themselves wasn’t going to get them anywhere.

‘Please, Mr Lambrianu, Jake, I’m sorry. That wee lassie was walking past Luke with her collection mug, and she asked him if he wanted to give her a tip for her dance, apparently. That was when the bloody fool said yes and fisted her in the face. I told you he was a wife-beater, but I didn’t expect this.’

Angus burst into tears. ‘That young bouncer lad, Joe, he stepped in and bloody Luke threw acid at him. He’s a right mess, in the hospital. On the other hand, boss, no police were involved because it was considered more gang-related than anything else, and apart from the wee lassie stripper, no civilians were hurt or maimed. Also’ – Angus was trying to get Tony and Jake to see the bigger picture – ‘it seems you achieved what you wanted. Everyone is running scared.’ Angus wiped away his tears.

‘Where is this Luke, now, Angus? What have you done to him, is he alive?’ asked Jake.

‘I got some of the big Jamaican lads to give him a good beating. Believe me, he’s going to be in hospital a lot longer than Joe.’ Angus seemed pleased with himself.

Tony started to calm down; he knew this was all of his own doing, and maybe some good would come out of it. As Angus had said, there were no civilians involved and yet the local businessmen had well and truly been scared to death by this acid attack. After all, it could have been them or, even worse, their children.

‘Angus, it’s too soon now, but you said before that this Luke guy owes money everywhere?’ Tony said.

Angus nodded.

‘Buy his debts. Give it a long while, maybe a year, and then we’ll kill him. There’s too much attention around at the moment; if he suddenly gets killed now, it’s too obvious.’ The time to even the score with this guy would come, but the dust had to settle first. The beating would be enough for now.

‘I’m sorry, boss, I didn’t mean Joe no harm.’ Angus looked apologetic and scared. He glanced towards Jake, and mouthed, ‘Thank you.’ He knew Tony had a reputation for being a crazy, mad bastard, and many a time he had seen him lose his temper, but he had never been on the receiving end of it, like this, before. Angus was worried – what if he lost his home and job? What would Elsie say? Tears began to fall down his face again and he wiped them away quickly.