Eddie Redman lit himself a cigarette as he stood in the darkness of the alleyway facing the Rose and Crown pub. At nineteen, he appeared older than his years. His blonde hair was cropped close to his head and his blue eyes had no youthful spark about them. His skin was pale from lack of sunlight. Despite his six-foot stature, he was good at fading into the background, hiding in the shadows, which was exactly how he’d managed to follow Nathan Conlon around for the past eight weeks, without anyone noticing.

Eddie knew Nathan’s routine well. It was stupid, a man of Nathan’s standing and reputation, to be so predictable. Eddie was able to keep tabs on him easily. He only ever seemed to be in one of four places, his flat, The Blue Rooms, the Rose and Crown, or Grace Sumner’s house. Eddie knew Grace Sumner. She and his mum were friends. She was okay. A bit stuck-up, but his mum seemed to like her. That Jake though, her son, he was another story. Never had to work for anything in his life. Always in designer clothes. Went to fancy private schools. Anything Eddie had ever wanted in life, he’d had to work for. If he wanted designer clothes, he had to steal them. If he wanted money, he had to get out there and earn it – or take it from someone who had.

His mum had never had any money when he was growing up, not for any luxuries anyway. Why did people like Jake Conlon get to grow up wanting for nothing, while people like Eddie had to struggle for everything? It wasn’t fair, and Eddie was fed up of it. He was sick of being treated like a nobody. It was time people realized just who Eddie Redman was, and what he was capable of.

Eddie flicked the end of his cigarette into the gutter as he watched the doors of the Rose and Crown swing open. Nathan Conlon strolled out, full of swagger and confidence, as usual. His girlfriend, Kayleigh, hung off his arm, and Jake followed behind. Eddie wondered how Nathan could have fathered a son like Jake. They looked alike but were as different as two men could be. Eddie knew that Nathan had come from nothing, just like him. It must have disappointed him to have such an entitled, idle ponce like Jake for a son.

Eddie watched as the three of them climbed into the waiting BMW. He felt the familiar tightening in his chest and his stomach lurched. A mixture of anger and anticipation. He knew that sometime very soon, his time would come. But not there, and not then. It was no use going in half-cocked. The timing had to be just right. He was good at being patient. All he had to do was wait. The perfect opportunity would present itself soon enough.

Chapter Seventy-Seven