‘I hear you boys are a bit tasty,’ Uncle said, raising his fists like a boxer. ‘Messed up Trey and his idiot driver. Any of you prepared to show my girl Mya what you’ve got?’

Ryan figured it was his job, since he was oldest. ‘I’m game if she is,’ he said, putting his coffee on a desk and stepping forward.

Expecting a cocky teen who’d probably done a few judo classes, Mya kept her hands low as she stepped forward and launched a vicious thigh kick. The blow hurt, but Ryan was taller and lunged with his right arm.

Ryan caught Mya under the chin with his palm, then took her by the throat, driving her backwards across a desk top. He narrowly avoided a kick in the face as he let go, and rather than take the opportunity of a knockout blow, he flipped the desk.

Mya crashed off the back, accompanied by pens and a tape dispenser. Then Ryan leaned on the underside of the desk, pinning his opponent between the desk top and the wall behind.

‘You can’t do that,’ Mya protested, arms flailing as she tried to break loose.

‘You kept your arms low,’ Ryan said, matter of factly. ‘You showed me a lack of respect.’

Uncle was smiling as Ryan took his weight off the table. Mya furiously launched herself back at Ryan. He went low and used Mya’s momentum to roll her over his shoulder, judo style.

‘Enough,’ Uncle yelled, stepping between as Mya hissed.

Mya got up in such a fury that she caught her ankle on a cable, tugging a lamp off a desk top. The twins smirked as Ryan and Mya eyeballed furiously.

‘How old are you?’ Uncle asked.

‘Seventeen,’ Ryan said. ‘My brothers are fourteen.’

Uncle smiled. ‘You like hurting people?’

‘Only if I have to,’ Ryan said.

‘How’s your moral compass?’ Uncle asked.

‘What do you mean?’ Ryan asked.

‘I mean, if I pay you a hundred quid to go smack someone into next week.’

Ryan shrugged, so Leon answered. ‘If he won’t, I will.’

‘I know potential when I see it,’ Uncle smiled, looking at Mya and wagging a finger. ‘You’re living at Nurtrust, right?’

Ryan decided to push his luck. ‘I asked Beast about a job at the scrapyard. Full time, part time. He’ll tell you I’m a hard worker. I just moved into the neighbourhood and I’m flat broke.’

Uncle shrugged. ‘Come by my office at the yard tomorrow morning. I’ll see what we can do.’

‘Awesome,’ Ryan grinned. ‘Thank you so much.’

‘Now I need some quiet,’ Uncle said, as he made to sit down at one of the desks. ‘You boys better clear out.’

‘But Trey said we should—’ Ryan began.