‘Who’d have thought little Ricky would be chatting up the first bit o’ skirt? She’s like putty in his fucking hands,’ replied Liam, bemused.

Ricky was enjoying the challenge. ‘So, what’s your name?’

‘Kendall. And yours?’ she asked, as she collected some empties from the bar top.

‘It’s Ricky, but you can call me whatever you see fit.’

It was Kendall’s turn to laugh. ‘Okay. What about chancer?’

‘That’ll do for me, babe.’

Arty was fascinated by Ricky’s confidence and couldn’t take his eyes off him. However, as much as Liam and Arty were looking on, so were two much older men, who also had their eye on Kendall. She was new and ready for the picking. Claydon Cable and his brother Clive had already bought her a drink the day before, so as far as they were concerned, she was their meat, not some young, flash-looking fucker, as Clive referred to him.

Claydon had already drunk six pints and snorted a line of Flakka, courtesy of the toilet attendant. His aggression was balancing on a sharp stick, and one cross word would have him seeing red and ripping someone’s head off. Clive, who hadn’t touched the gear, was winding his brother up because he too had six pints inside him. Totally oblivious of the fact that Ricky was not alone, they bowled over to the bar, pushing past first Arty and then Liam, as they stood right up next to Ricky. Claydon leaned on the bar and was five inches away from Ricky’s face. He looked Ricky up and down with his downturned eyes and oversized cheeks and then turned to Kendall. ‘Is this prick giving you grief, doll?’

Startled by this rough-looking ape, Kendall looked from Claydon to Ricky and then back at the chunky belly-wobbling man and shook her head. ‘Nah, mate.’

Finding the situation amusing, Ricky laughed in Claydon’s face. ‘You’ve been right mugged off, mate, so, now, run along.’

There was no aggression or angst written on Ricky’s face – just a cheeky grin and a sparkle in his eyes.

Arty and Liam were ready quickly to intervene. They knew who the Cables were: they had a reputation for throwing their heavy weight around. For men in their thirties, they really should have stuck to women their own age, instead of thinking they stood a chance with a youngster like Kendall.

Arty took a deep breath and pulled his shoulders back, which made him look so much more significant. Liam pulled his disturbing-looking expression; like his father, he, too, could accomplish the demon look and scare the shit out of most men.

However, Claydon and Clive still hadn’t noticed that Ricky was with Arty Stafford and Liam Ritz.

Ricky was still grinning, almost getting a kick out of watching Claydon’s expression fill up with frustration.