Yes, she was terrified he would get his collar felt, and she was equally terrified that he would lead the boys into things that would result in them going away. But, when all was said and done, she loved him. And she knew that, no matter how misguided he might be, he would always do his best for them.

‘She’s a diamond, Lena. You’ve given me a treasure, girl.’

He was sitting on the bed beside her now, and she could see the tears forming in his eyes again. As tired as she was after the birth, she would have to comfort her husband as the drink made his emotions erupt into a bout of prolonged weeping.

She held out her arms and, as he grasped on to her and cried noisily on her shoulder, she saw her mother-in-law shaking her head in annoyance, as she walked the child out of the room. Even the slamming of the bedroom door was lost on Daniel Bailey. As Lena knew from experience, it was all about him now.

Chapter Eighteen

‘Come on, Pete, he’s always been over the top.’

Peter Bailey grinned. He had just aired his worries to his wife. He needed someone to confide in, to say out loud what was bothering him and Ria was a good listener. He knew he could trust her. ‘You’re preaching to the converted, love. He’s me brother, but this is too important for him to nause up. He’s going too far too soon.’

Peter sighed. Life was getting more and more difficult by the day; whoever said it was lonely at the top knew exactly what they were talking about. It had been a hard road; they were finally where they wanted to be, but the cracks were already showing.

Daniel was acting like Al Capone on speed, and Peter didn’t trust him as far as he could throw him at the moment. True, they were at the top, but they were still waiting for any pretenders to the throne to make themselves known. This was when they needed their wits about them twenty-four seven.

Ria was sad that even though her husband had finally achieved everything he had wanted to, he was not a happy bunny. She knew Daniel was not the easiest of people to be in partnership with, but then Peter had known that from the off. After all, they were brothers, it wasn’t like they didn’t know each other. And they had always said that it was because of their differences that they were so successful.

But in the last year she could feel the tension growing between them – everyone could. Not that anybody mentioned it, of course. As bad as the relationship between the brothers was, they would still cut the throat of anyone who tried to come between them.