Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Seven

Liam was trying to get his head around his brother’s dilemma. He had always feared that this was on the cards; Petey had to have known that he would eventually be found out. Liam himself had been tempted at times – he admitted that. It was hard living in the shadow of two men who were both unable to take a step back in favour of their families. But Liam had also understood that he would be exactly like that if he was in that position of power. The Life was so seductive, it was a great way to live.

Petey had never been content; he had always wanted more. Well, tonight he was going to be taken down a peg or two if Danny’s phone call was anything to go by. Liam was ashamed that a small part of him was gloating, glad that his brother had finally been seen for the piece of shit he actually was. He wished he could see Petey’s face when he realised that he had been fucking sussed.

How could he have even entertained the notion of plotting his own father’s death? The whole ethos of the Bailey family was that they were just that – a family, and their true strength lay in that fact. You took on one, you took on them all.

His older brother had never understood that – he was a man who saw nothing more than his own wants and needs. Now he had nothing – he was a fucking pariah, and he was finding out the hard way that, eventually, everyone had to pay the piper.

In this case, it seemed, the piper was his Uncle Daniel, a man who, when roused, made Mad Frankie Fraser look like a girl guide.

Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Eight

Daniel Bailey was having lunch with his daughter, and he was watching her closely. He loved this girl, she was all he had left of his Lena. He sadly believed that Petey had been telling the truth. Lena had confided in him their daughter’s crush on her cousin; they had even laughed about it together, never believing for a second that Petey Bailey would take advantage of Tania. But he had done just that. Worst of all, Daniel knew that Petey would have enjoyed taking her down as a means of getting one over on him. Tania had been just another fucking way to spread his poison, another excuse for him to take what he wanted. But Tania had not said a word to him, and he could never let on that he knew the truth. Tania would need to keep that to herself more than ever now. Petey was dead and gone, and Daniel would have to draw a line under the whole fucking situation.