The only one who hadn’t given evidence against him, albeit she hadn’t gone to court – too afraid according to his barrister – had been Ma. His other kids had turned against him, giving written statements along with Charlie’s testament and Alfie’s evidence. Oh yes, Alfie Jennings, that was a name he’d never forget. Alfie owed him big time.

He’d been found guilty because the jury, of course, had fallen for the bleats and whines of the hard-done-by Eton kids. Well it was a fucking joke. Anyone would think they hadn’t had a roof over their heads. But it was more of a joke now because he only had to look at his kids and know that he’d done them a favour; if it wasn’t for him, Charlie would never be on the path he was, earning good money and enjoying all the fruits that came with it.

And of course Ma. She had set herself up as a bit of a madam, and although when she was a kid he hadn’t thought she’d come to much, she had proved him wrong; growing up into a woman he was proud of. Not only that, it seemed that family meant something to Ma. She’d taken in his granddaughter when her no-good mother had overdosed on smack in some back alley. He hadn’t been sorry to hear of her death; in truth it couldn’t have come quick enough. After all, if it hadn’t been for her crying like a baby, making Charlie worry about her all those years ago, the court case would never have happened. So, the way he saw it was what goes around comes around.

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Barry Eton lurched forward, grabbing the girl roughly by the hair. She squealed and the tears that had been threatening to come began to roll down her face.

‘You little whore, take your knickers off.’

Shaking, Shannon stared into the man’s eyes. There was something about him that didn’t feel right, something more than the usual clients. She shook her head. ‘I don’t want to do this no more … I’m sorry, you’ll have to get one of the other girls.’

Barry Eton scoffed. He knew he looked younger than his sixty-two years as his muscles – a consequence of working out every day in the prison gym for the past twenty-two years – bulged through his black jumper. ‘If I wanted one of the other girls, I would’ve asked for them, so you’re not going anywhere.’

He grabbed the girl between her legs, his powerful arms pushing her against the wall.

‘Please, I don’t want to do this.’

‘I don’t care what you want, so are you going to take them off or am I going to take them off for you?’ His hand slipped to the top of her thigh and started tugging roughly at her knickers.