She accepted a long time ago that both her sons had chosen to make their mark on the world through villainy, and she had known from the start that nothing she could have said or done would have made any difference to them. She had stood by them through it all, but this was something she could not let go; it was a step too far. She knew that Peter would not have been involved in it – this was wholly Daniel’s doing. Turning from him, she left him without another word.

Daniel sipped his drink, and he felt sad. He hated that his mum was so upset, but she would get over it.

Chapter Thirty-One

‘Are you winding me up, Delroy?’ The disbelief in Daniel’s voice was evident.

Delroy shook his head so hard that his dreadlocks seemed to take on a life of their own. Daniel should be well aware of how his actions would be viewed by the majority – how could he honestly believe that what he was guilty of could be overlooked? These weren’t his usual bully-boy tactics, this had gone much further and he had stepped over the imaginary line. The Krays, the Richardsons, they understood how far you could go with the general populace. Wives and children were a no-no, in anyone’s books.

‘No, I’m not winding you up, Daniel. Peter has told me to tell you that he wants nothing more to do with you. In future, you are to get your share, and that’s it. Over with, done. He is absolutely finished with you on any kind of personal level.’

Daniel was genuinely flabbergasted, and it showed; he honestly couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had always been the lairy one, the exhibitionist – it was his role. Peter had then been seen as the voice of reason, the calmer of the two – that was their strength as far as he was concerned. For fuck’s sake, if it was left to his brother everything would be done so quietly no fucker would know their strengths, know what they were really capable of! Rumour was all well and good, but it proved nothing. For all his bravado, Daniel had always believed that his brother accepted his actions because they were the reason people were so fucking wary of them.

‘That’s bollocks! I did him a fucking favour, mate. I am not going to stand here and listen to this shite. Where is he?’

‘Daniel, he is now as far away from you as he could possibly get. You have to accept, mate, you crossed a line. Not just with your brother, but with a lot of other people as well. You killed a little kid and, no matter how you try to put a spin on it, the fact is you fucking shot a man with his kid beside him in his motor.’ Delroy was incredulous that he was having to spell this out.