‘Well, surely there’s someone else you can take on? How can you even consider employing some cunt that got your brothers murdered? It’s like Ricky getting topped and me befriending whoever killed him. It ain’t fucking ethical, Dad,’ Gary shouted.

Eddie stood up and slammed his glass against the table. ‘I decide what’s fucking ethical and what isn’t. This is my firm and until I hang me boots up, I make all the decisions. Paulie and Ronny might have been my brothers, but Baldwin had every right to do what he did. Any man with a bit of spunk would have done the same, so like it or not, he will be coming to work for us. He’s big, strong and brave and I’m positive he’ll be a great acquisition to the firm. Now, I’ve said all I’m gonna say on the subject and I don’t wanna hear another word about it, all right?’

Gary and Ricky glanced at one another. They were anything but all right, but as usual, there was sod-all they could do about it.

‘What about Frankie? Who’s gonna tell her that Jed’s been murdered?’ Stuart asked.

‘I haven’t really thought about that yet, to be honest. I reckon it’s better coming from Joey than anyone else, though,’ Ed replied.

‘She’s bound to think it had something to do with us. Do you think she’ll be all right about it?’ Raymond asked.

‘Course she will. She wanted him dead more than any of us, so I shouldn’t think she’ll care who’s done it. I spoke to Larry again yesterday and he reckons that once Jed’s out the picture, we should have the kids back within a month. Joycie’s offered to have ’em live with her until Frankie gets out. She said she’ll get a better conversation out of them than she does Stanley,’ Eddie said, chuckling.

Ricky smiled. ‘I bet Frankie can’t wait to see ’em again. They must be getting big now.’

Gary lifted his glass up. ‘To Frankie, Georgie and Harry being reunited.’

As everybody raised their glasses, Eddie stood up and beamed. ‘And to Jeddy boy. May you rot in hell, you little cunt.’

Chapter Twenty-Eight

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Three days later, Eddie was beginning to get more anxious as every second passed. There had been no mention of Jed’s murder on the TV or radio and there’d been nothing written in the newspapers about it, either. Even more worryingly, Ed had not heard a dickie bird from Joycie, Pat Murphy or any other bastard that lived near Jimmy O’Hara, and Ed now had a gut instinct that something had gone very wrong indeed.

‘Are you OK, love? You’ve not been yourself the last few days, you’ve been ever so quiet,’ Gina said, putting her arms around her husband’s toned waist.