Vic was getting above his station and had to be put back in his place.
Alfie wanted to make a statement. He intended to send a full crew – which meant at least six of his best. And that included Joe and me.
Alfie did not question Joe’s loyalty but Vic was still his father, so wanted to be sure that Joe was comfortable with what was about to happen.
He took Joe aside and asked him if he would be willing to go with the rest of the crew to Vic’s; if he was not there would be no hard feelings, he would understand. Joe just looked at Alfie square in the eyes and said with meaning, “I’ve wanted to see that bastard squeal for the last seventeen years and there’s no way I’m gonna miss it.” That was all Alfie needed to hear. Joe was in and so was I.
The crew was led by Alfie and a guy called Dog Tooth who was Noakes’ number one. Tooth towered over most people and was built like a brick shithouse – to get on the wrong side of him was most definitely not a good idea. Four more of Vinnie’s hardest came along too.
We pulled up outside a row of three dirty, red brick terraced houses from which Vic ran a stable of over twenty whores. All the rooms were squalid and filthy, but the clientele that frequented them were not the sort to care. On the door of the centre house were two burly guards who none of us recognised. The rumours so far seemed to be true; Vic did indeed have outside help.
Continues tomorrow or download the complete novel here