The weed helped; Ged had calmed down a bit. He lay on the sofa staring into space. This stuff was strong. ‘Star-dog’ was what all the kids were smoking, it just knocked them out, sleeping all the time. But Ged fought the urge to shut his eyes and instead picked his phone up and started to read through his messages. Nancy was going to town on him. Each text was as long as the next, slagging him off one minute and then telling him how much she was gutted the next. The girl clearly didn’t know if she was coming or going. He scrolled through his contacts until he reached Frankie’s number; he needed to tell him that his mission was complete.

Ged tossed and turned all night long. The last message from Nancy had spooked him. It had ended with, ‘You’ll be sorry’. What did she mean by that? Was she saying she was going to grass him up, was she going to hurt herself, he wasn’t sure?

Tomorrow was going to be a long day. It would be the first time he’d be going out of town on his own, usually he’d have Nancy or one of the crew with him. But he knew the basics now. He was going to make a name for himself, show everyone that he wasn’t a nobody. His eyes closed slowly, and he drifted off to sleep. Fuck Nancy, she wasn’t his problem anymore.

Nancy sat on the train with her head pressed against the window. It was nearly midnight and she should have been at home tucked up in bed. What was she doing out at this hour? She twisted her cuff and pulled at the skin around her nails. Her eyes were red; it was clear she’d been crying. Sometimes you were safer when you had nothing – at least then you had nothing to lose. But she knew she was vulnerable and bad people could smell it like blood in the water. It wasn’t safe out there for a lost soul like her.

Chapter Fifteen

Tina stood in the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror above the basin. She looked old and haggard with dark circles under her eyes. All this drama was doing her no good at all. She opened her makeup bag and pulled out a few things to try and make herself look half decent. Her skin was red and blotchy and her hair was limp, no real style to it anymore. She’d been drinking last night – more than usual – the hangover wasn’t helping. It must have been a bad night because she’d necked a half bottle of brandy. Nobody at home knew she was drinking; she hid it away from them all, but she was worried the word was out at school.

Chris came in and stood behind her, his hands on her shoulder.

‘Good morning, my love, how did you sleep? It felt like you were restless all night – kept me awake. Are you OK?’