Disobey (6 page)

After a few minutes, and with the bags and tape cut away, Alfie grimaced. For all his years of violence, it still sometimes made him recoil to see someone so battered. The geezer had had it bad. Alfie could see the man’s teeth had been forcibly extracted and it looked like his right eye had been gouged out with what was probably a hot poker.

Wiping away some of the man’s blood with part of the torn bin bag, Alfie paused. Shit. Shit. Shit. He knew who the geezer was. It was Sarp.

The last time Alfie had seen him was about a week ago, when he’d promised to have a word with Johnny and Frankie Taylor to keep an eye out, but he’d purposely not bothered, knowing
exactly
who was behind the threats.

He’d warned Sarp to pay the men until it was sorted. Then it wouldn’t have mattered that Alfie hadn’t spoken to the Taylors – but clearly the man hadn’t heeded his warning, and now he’d paid with his life. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Cold sweat ran down Alfie’s face. The whole situation had become out of hand, spinning out of control and it was getting nearer and nearer to his doorstep.

He’d call his men to get rid of the body; he couldn’t afford to have the Old Bill sniffing about, but first before he did anything else he needed to make a call. Taking out his phone from his pocket, Alfie Jennings dialled a number.

‘Mr Lee, it’s Alfie. I think we need to talk.’

5

‘Are you sure he said that?’ Franny Doyle looked at Chloe-Jane incredulously as she laid the few clothes she did have out on the spare bed.

‘Yep. He said as long as it was alright with you, I could stay for as long as I liked.’

Franny gave a small smile. ‘It’s not really my decision.’

Chloe chewed her gum noisily. When Alfie had brought her to the flat, no one else had been in and he’d only just managed to have time to show her to the spare room before rushing out to his club which was almost opposite the flat.

Chloe remembered he’d said something about Franny, but she hadn’t really listened. She wasn’t the least bit interested in any of Alfie’s girlfriends. But then Franny had come in, and they’d both given each other a fright as they’d bumped into each other in the darkened hallway.

That had been two hours ago and for some reason this woman wanted to know all about her, asking her questions about her life. Chloe-Jane
wanted
not to like her but for some reason she couldn’t help warming to Franny.

Chloe’s eyes glinted slyly. ‘But it
is
to do with you. Uncle Alfie said if
you
didn’t mind then I could stay longer … So is it alright? Can I stay?’

Franny wasn’t sure what to say. She could see Chloe was desperate. Behind the front was a vulnerable young woman who was essentially still a child. Her body was that of a woman though, albeit a glamour model. Huge breasts, almost cartoonish in look, disproportionally formed the contours of her tiny body. Huge eyes and full lips gave her sensuality older than her seventeen years which Franny was certain would attract the wrong kind of attention.

It wasn’t Chloe’s fault but it slightly niggled her that Alfie hadn’t bothered to tell her his niece was coming to stay or even ring her for that matter. She knew she was being silly, especially as things like this never usually troubled her. Maybe it had something to do with her finally deciding she was going to tell Alfie that she’d move in with him. Perhaps it was selfish, but the idea of having someone else in the flat whilst she adjusted to giving up her independence hadn’t been what Franny had imagined.

But then what was she supposed to do? Chloe was Alfie’s family and he didn’t have much of that, and if she was going to be with Alfie long term, well that made Chloe her family too. And reading between the lines, it was clear Chloe had had a difficult time of it.

Franny could tell Chloe was proud, just like Alfie, but she hoped the girl would eventually open up to her. She knew through experience what could happen if problems and secrets went unresolved. She also knew what it felt like to be lost.

Franny smiled at Chloe, suppressing a sense of foreboding. ‘Yes Chloe, of course you can stay as long as you want.’

Chloe couldn’t contain the sound of excitement in her voice. Franny was clearly an easy touch. Before she knew it she’d have her eating out of her hand. Things were beginning to look up. ‘I’ll pay my way.’

Franny looked sceptical. ‘Don’t be silly, you haven’t got any money. Besides, Alfie wouldn’t expect that. You’re family.’

‘I will though, then there’ll be no problem.’

‘There’ll be no problem anyway.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Of course I’m sure, it’ll be lovely and I’m sure Alfie will feel the same.’

‘No way. No fucking way. Do I look like I’ve got baby-fucking-sitter written all over me boat?’ Alfie Jennings did not need this at all.

‘But I’ve told her now, Alf.’

‘Well un-fucking tell her, Fran. I ain’t got time for this shit now. And who’s going to fork out for her? Muggins here. I don’t even know her and I’m supposed to cop the bill for her? It’s bad enough having to fork out for me ex and me daughter who I never see but who still wants to spend me money, let alone some waif from me half-sister.’

‘You can be really horrible sometimes, Alfie.’

‘So you like to keep on telling me, but I like to see it as being real. I ain’t having someone leeching off me, family or not. So you can tell her she ain’t staying here.’ Christ, this was the last thing Alfie needed. What happened to Sarp had really shaken him up, and he didn’t want to have to worry about anything else. He had to think about what to do, and having Chloe here wasn’t going to help one little bit.

‘Alfie, come on!’

‘Franny, listen, I’ve got a lot going on right now, babe, so when I say no, I mean no. I can’t deal with it at the moment. So just get rid, will ya.’

Chloe-Jane listened at the door as Franny and Alfie argued. Her heart was sinking. She’d hoped against hope that unlike the majority of people in her life, her uncle might actually want her around. But clearly she was wrong.

‘I’m not going to do that. If you want to, you tell her. I’m not going to do your dirty work for you, Alf.’

‘Fine then, I will.’ Alfie headed for the door but Franny grabbed his arm, holding him back.

‘Alfie, no! Wait!… You can’t.’

‘Firstly, I can and I’m going to, but secondly, how come you’re bothered; what’s it to you?’

Franny frowned, annoyed. This was the part of Alfie which irritated her and sometimes made her doubt the relationship. He could be so compassionate at times, but then there were times when he was like this. Ignorant. ‘What do you mean, what’s it to me? She’s your niece and she’s just a kid, plus it’s obvious she’s got nowhere to go.’

Alfie snorted.

‘I hate it when you do that, Alf.’

Alfie looked surprised. ‘Do what?’

‘Snort when you know I’m right.’

Alfie’s roar of laughter made Chloe jump but she continued to listen, her resentment towards her uncle growing greater.

‘You ain’t right, babe. She’s a player.’

‘She’s a seventeen-year-old kid, Alf.’

‘Yeah, a seventeen-year-old kid who wouldn’t look out of place on the cover of
Playboy
.’

Everything about this moment made Franny want to walk out and go back to her own flat. She hadn’t yet told Alfie about her plans to move in with him and the way the conversation was going she didn’t know if she ever would.

‘Why do you have to be like this, Alfie?’

‘Like what?’

‘Don’t play the innocent!’

Alfie shrugged, he hated it when Franny became difficult. He was used to birds giving him grief; usually when they did he’d just leave them to it and go and find some Tom to fuck or play a few games of poker to get his mind off it. But with Franny he couldn’t do either. Knowing that
he
, Alfie Jennings, was locked down by a woman pissed him off and fascinated him all at the same time, which in turn made Franny even more attractive to him.

‘Play the innocent! I’d say if anyone had then it’s Chloe. Don’t you see Fran, she’s properly played you. I said to her she could stay for two nights only.’

Franny shook her head, picking up her coat and bag. Even though it was the early hours of the morning, she wanted to go home to her own bed. She didn’t feel like being around Alfie tonight. ‘I’m not stupid, Alf. Of course I know she’s playing me. But don’t you see she’s got nowhere else?’

‘Well she ain’t staying here.’

Franny stood opposite Alfie. She studied his handsome face and gave him a sad smile.

‘Then that makes two of us then.’

Alfie raised his voice in annoyance. ‘You what?’

‘You heard me, there’s no way I’m going to stay here if you throw her out.’

Alfie’s old school instinct kicked in and he growled at Franny, a sneer coming over his face. Love was one thing, but this was another. He was basically being blackmailed by Franny and he didn’t like it. Not one fucking little iota.

‘Sorry darlin’, you may be the woman who’s grabbed me heart but I ain’t letting you grab me balls. No one but fucking no one tells Alfie Jennings what to do.’

Franny stepped in towards Alfie. Her voice was calm but cool. ‘Alfie, I’m not telling you what to do, quite the opposite in fact. I’m telling you what
I’m
doing. Give me a ring when you’ve stopped being such a prick.’

Franny swung open the living room door, coming face to face with Chloe who had heard every word of the conversation.

‘Get your stuff, Chloe, you can come and stay with me.’

The surprise on Chloe-Jane’s face mirrored that of Alfie’s. Chloe looked first to her uncle, then to Franny and back again. ‘You mean it?’

‘Of course.’

‘No she don’t. This is about me.’ Alfie’s voice was loud and although she ignored it, Franny could sense some hurt in his voice. She swivelled round to look at Alfie.

‘I don’t know if anyone’s ever told you this, Alfie, but the world does not revolve around you. Contrary to what you think, this
isn’t
about you. This is about Chloe, your niece. Remember?’

Alfie began to panic, this was the last thing he’d expected. ‘You walk out of here and you won’t be walking back in. You hear me?’ The moment the words came tumbling out, Alfie immediately regretted them, especially saying them to someone as fiery and stubborn as Franny Doyle.

Although Franny knew that Alfie didn’t really mean what he’d just said, her eyes flashed with anger. He was behaving like a spoilt child. ‘Is that what you really want, Alfie?’

It was the question Alfie Jennings hoped that Franny wouldn’t ask. Either way, the answer would make him look like a cunt. If he answered it with the truth – which was, of course he didn’t want her not to come back, in fact he didn’t want her to go – he’d look a soft cunt and he’d be open to any sort of female manipulation in the future. The other way he could answer it was with a lie, which would be to tell Fran that, yes he meant it and she could piss off out of his face. If he told her that he’d not only look a cunt, for the first time in his life he knew his heart would break, so instead, Alfie Jennings did what he’d done whenever he got nicked. He stayed silent. After all, it was his right.

Franny glared at him. ‘Fine, well if you haven’t got anything to say, Alf, Chloe and I will get off. You know where we are when and
if
you decide to wind your neck in.’ And with that Franny marched out of the room, with an excited-looking Chloe next to her.

The front door banged and Alfie rushed across to the window, watching as they walked down the street. He wondered if Franny could feel him watching. There was a huge part of him that wanted to call her back, but his stubbornness and male pride wouldn’t allow it.

He’d been right about Chloe, she
was
trouble, and now the thought began to creep in that Franny was too. But then show him a woman that
wasn’t
trouble, and he’d show them a man. Alfie sighed. Maybe it was better like this. Yes, he’d make Franny sweat for a couple of days, bring her back to her senses and have her scratching down the door to come back. It’d also give him time to concentrate and sort out all this mess with the triads.

As Alfie continued to gaze out of the window, he caught a glimpse of someone looking up. He couldn’t make out who it was but he was certain of one thing. Like everything else in his life at the moment, it probably meant only one thing. Trouble.

6

‘Uncle Alfie! Uncle Alfie! Open the bleedin’ door will ya!’ Chloe-Jane banged hard on the side entrance of Whispers nightclub. Two days had passed since the last time she’d seen her uncle. And although no doubt he’d been in a huff, getting his bollocks in a twist, as arguments went, it was nothing. She was used to having stand-up rows, followed by fisticuffs. Broken bottles and drunken slurs thrown about by her mother and her boyfriends; that had been Chloe-Jane’s life, so a few choice words were no reason to harbour a grudge. As well as this, she wanted something from Alfie.

About to bang on the door again, it was swung open by a startled-looking Alfie, something which didn’t go unnoticed by Chloe-Jane.

‘Alright mate!’ She grinned, trying to peer over Alfie’s shoulder. ‘Up to no good, are ya?’

Alfie scowled. ‘Has anyone ever told you you’ve got too much chat? Anyway what are you doing here? I thought you’d be somewhere else causing trouble.’

‘Ain’t me causing trouble. What’s going on in there, ’cos whatever it is I bet Franny don’t know nothing about it?’

Alfie stepped out into the alleyway, making sure the side door of the club was closed behind him. He shoved her gently on her shoulder. ‘Piss off, will you. I don’t need you buzzing around here like a fly on a pig’s arse. So do one.’

Chloe-Jane looked nonplussed. ‘Can’t understand what Franny sees in you.’

‘Well it’s a good job it ain’t nothing to do with you, ain’t it?… What is it you want anyway? Oh don’t tell me, money …’ Alfie went in his pocket and took out a roll of twenty-pound notes. ‘Go on then, how much do you want? How much will it cost me for you to go on your merry way?’