Even though Delroy kept his women well tucked away, just knowing he had them was enough to break Imelda’s spirit. The fact that he needed other women was more than she could bear. She had tried never to let it bother her before, but the nightmare of seeing him laughing with that young girl, knowing she wanted him even if he didn’t want her, was almost a physical pain. Like someone had wrenched her guts out from inside her and thrown them on to the dirty road.

His job alone made sure he was always around other women. He worked odd hours; he would never be a man she could pin down in any way. He was a man who took a flyer when the fancy took him, but she was tortured by the idea that one of those girls he used would become more than just a sexual pastime. If he left her she would die. She would never recover, of that much she was sure.

‘You all right, Mel?’

She forced a smile and, coughing nervously, she said gently, ‘’Course! I’m always all right. That looks light.’

He grinned. Trust her to notice that. ‘It is. I was tired, I just wanted to get home.’

It was what she wanted to hear, and they both knew it.

Chapter Sixty-Three

‘It’s fucking loud in here.’ Noel could scarcely hear himself.

Jamsie nodded his agreement; it was pointless trying to answer his brother. They pushed their way through to the back of the club, relieved to shut the door of the small office; they could still hear the music, but it was muted enough to at least hear yourself think.

‘This place is a fucking goldmine! I told Danny a good DJ was worth the money, didn’t I?’

Noel was pleased that his ideas had worked out so well. He had argued that a good DJ developed a following, and he had been proven right. Since getting their hands on Colin Farmer’s place they had tripled their income almost overnight. They now had monthly guest spots in all their clubs, and they sought the best of the best. Northern soul was big again, so the Northern boys were very popular; the punters were happy to jam the place out on week nights, pleased at the opportunity to hear the DJs they had heard about perform live for them.

It was a great time to be in the club industry. Everything was so easy now – the venues were huge, they had the facilities to put on the bands, and the capacity to make sure it was an earner. The strip clubs were all well and good, but they saw the future in clubbing. Young people were willing to pay for a good night out, a bit of gear, coke, whatever and, as they also supplied that along with the alcohol consumed, they were on a fucking roll.