Petey had actually had a good time at his engagement party last night. The spread had impressed everyone, which is exactly what he had wanted. His fiancée, as she now insisted on calling herself, was well pleased; she had deigned to give him a blow job at the end of the night, so he felt he was winning that war. Five carats it had taken, but at least he was making a bit of headway. Funny thing was, while she was blowing him, he was thinking about one of the strippers – a young black bird with relaxed hair, and the softest skin he had ever felt on a woman. She had a neat, tight little body, and when she stripped she could mesmerise even the most jaded of men. It was a melon scratcher all right.

Liam had enjoyed the evening, and now he wanted a huge breakfast, and at least three pints of tea. The brothers stopped outside a café in Canning Town. Inside they were treated like visiting royalty and, once they were settled into their seats, they ordered the full English, lit themselves cigarettes, and finally relaxed.

Sipping his tea, Liam said seriously, ‘Those fucking Allens must be on a death wish! What the fuck was all that about last night? Did you see the state of Mum’s floor? It was drenched and scuffed – they must have been on something fucking good, because no one in their right mind would act like that if they were normal.’

Petey shrugged dismissively. ‘They are chancing their arm, that’s all. Fucking wankers. No brains, either of them – a fucking twelve year old has more nous than those two. They were like amateurs putting on a show. They were lucky they weren’t ironed out.’

Liam nodded in agreement. ‘What are we going to do about them?’

‘I’ll sort them out, Liam. I talked it over with the old man last night, said I’d pull back their earn for a while, keep an eye out, like. I’ve got a meet with them later – me and Danny are going to put the hard word on them, and that should be enough.’

Liam yawned loudly. ‘I know you always got on all right with them in the past, and they must have pissed you off, but you did the right thing not letting off at your own party. Not worth wrecking your night, is it?’

Peter laughed. ‘Imagine Bernadette’s face if it went off at her engagement!’

Liam grinned. ‘She would have had your nuts!’

‘Well, to be honest, bruv, it would have been worth it in that case!’

Chapter Ninety-Seven