Joey chuckled falsely. ‘You and your overactive imagination will get you into trouble one day, sis.’

Chapter Thirty-Nine

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

After the conversation with his father, Joey’s appetite had all but disappeared by the time the Chinese takeaway arrived.

‘You ain’t eaten enough to keep a bleedin’ fly alive,’ Joyce said, poking her grandson in the arm.

‘I ain’t a lover of Chinese. Want some of my spare ribs?’ Stanley asked Joey.

‘No, I’m fine thanks, Grandad. I’m gonna have to pop out in a minute. Dom’s gotta drive me round to one of Dad’s mates,’ Joey announced.

‘Have I? First I’ve heard of it,’ Dominic said, laughing.

Frankie put her plate on the table. ‘Who you got to go and see then?’ she asked, with distrust in her voice.

‘Dad said if his mechanic mate had his phone switched off, I had to go round to his house,’ Joey replied, as casually as he could.

‘Where’s this bloke live then?’

‘Dagenham,’ Joey lied, looking his sister straight in the eyes.

Dominic knew his boyfriend better than anyone and he could tell that something was wrong. ‘Shall we go now?’ he asked him.

Joey nodded and stood up.

‘You are coming back, ain’t ya? I want you here when the kids get home,’ Frankie insisted.

Joey grinned. ‘Of course I am.’

Jed O’Hara had always been a big believer that things in life happen for a reason. Obviously, he was still a bit pissed off with his brother Billy, but now he believed that fate had played its part. If he’d have run around that service station brandishing a gun he might have got himself nicked and, seeing he was now on the M1 with his father and Mickey Maloney behind, Jed convinced himself that it was a sign from above.

‘What you smiling at?’ Billy asked.

‘Do you know what Billy boy? I think you were destined to forget them bullets on purpose. We were meant to follow Mitchell and finish the job in Essex.’

‘What makes you think that, then?’

‘Because once me and Dad have done away with Eddie and his wanky little firm, I’m gonna find my other chavvie and kill that slag Frankie, an’ all.’

Joey told Dominic to drive towards his father’s cottage and then fell silent.

‘What’s going on, Joey?’ Dom asked, minutes later.

Taking a deep breath, Joey repeated what his father had told him.

‘So why are we going to his cottage?’ Dom asked, confused.

‘Because Dad’s asked me to get something he needs. Later on, he wants us to park at the Brentwood junction on the M25 and pick up the kids from him. He’s gonna ring us with a time.’

Dominic felt a shiver run down his spine. ‘What exactly are we picking up from his cottage, Joey?’

‘You really don’t wanna know,’ Joey mumbled.