Daniel didn’t answer, he would be the same way himself. Somehow his lads’ foray into the world of armed robbery was suddenly no more than a boyish prank. At least they were trying to earn for the family. As fucking idiotic as their antics might have been, there was the knowledge that they were only trying to spread their wings, prove themselves. They had more than redeemed their actions by the way they had sorted Jack’s problem out, quickly, quietly and without asking too many questions. There was hope for that pair of fucking muppets yet it would seem, they had proved that much. He knew one thing, though, he wouldn’t wish this kind of shit on his worst enemies.

‘Do you want me to come with you?’

Peter Bailey was actually pleased by his brother’s offer. After all that had gone down between them, it was good to know that Daniel was willing to stand by him in his darkest hour.

‘No, Dan, but I do appreciate the offer.’

‘How’s Mother taking it?’

Peter Bailey did laugh then, as Daniel had known he would. ‘She will survive. That Tommy Barker is good for her, I think.’

‘She is a lot of things, our mother but, at the end of the day, she is on our side. She will look out for Ria, we both know that, as will my Lena.’

Peter Bailey nodded. He was banking on that.

Chapter Seventy-Nine

‘For fuck’s sake, Imelda, shut up about it, will you?’

Imelda was going out of her mind with panic. ‘You can talk to my dad, Delroy, or take me to him. I know you know where he is.’

Delroy almost smiled at his wife’s naïve belief that either of them could change the outcome of her brother’s situation. ‘Listen, Mel. Nothing is going to change your father’s mind so get your head round it.’

‘But my mum! What about my mum? She is in bits . . .’

‘And that’s to be expected, but she ain’t a fucking fool, Imelda – she knows your father better than anyone. You make me laugh! You insisted on being a part of all this, and now you are, and you do a good job. But this is a part of the Life too. No one likes it, but it has to be done. Jack has fucked himself, Mel, so get over it. I liked him – we all did, but he cannot be allowed to swerve this. He could have brought us all down – me, you, the whole fucking shebang. There are some things that can’t be sorted and, in our world, that is fucking rare, granted. But Jack decided to walk his own road, now he has to pay the price. I’m sorry, but if you want to be a part of this Life, you’d better accept it.’