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busy?’
    ‘Oh, leave it out, Mum, you know our Peter is a man of few words!’ Daniel followed his brother into their mother’s kitchen.
    He was still stunned at how Peter had gone after O’Neill alone. He admired him for it but, if he was brutally honest, it still rankled. He hated that he hadn’t been there for the moment of triumph. He feared that Peter would always have the edge over him because he was known to even his scores on the QT. It might be good for them as a crew, but Daniel resented that it gave his brother a better rep than him, an advantage, if you like. They were brothers and they were
partners
.
    Pushing Peter outside into the back garden of their mother’s ground-floor flat, Daniel was determined to say his piece but Peter held up his hand.
    ‘I had to iron him out, Dan, it was a personal score that needed settling.’
    Daniel looked into his brother’s deep brown eyes and said honestly, ‘But we were going to do it together, Pete, and, in future, that’s how I expect it to be.’
    Peter nodded, contrite. ‘I know, bruv, but there were manytimes when he overlooked me for you. We both know that, and we both know why. Well, I ain’t putting up with it anymore. I ain’t playing second fiddle to fucking
anyone
.’
    Daniel nodded, understanding his brother as he always had. ‘Fair enough but, in future, we either do it together, or give the other a head’s up before we make a move. We have fought long and hard for this, and the only way we can keep on top is by working together.’
    ‘I know that, mate, and I apologise. I know
you
don’t see my skin, but they all do.’
    Daniel sighed heavily. ‘Who cares what they see or think? It’s us against them. As it has always been, bruv.’
    Peter nodded.
    ‘I hate that you went there alone, Pete, that you didn’t bring a crew. Kevin O’Neill was a slippery bastard. Anything might have happened. We’re a team, always were, since we were kids.’
    Peter had tears in his eyes as he looked at his brother, his blood. ‘We’re there now, we’re where we wanted to be. It’s all ours, Dan. We can take whatever we want.’
    Everyone who had ever worked for Kevin had already pledged allegiance to the Baileys and were glad to do so. Who needed the aggravation? And, more to the point, all the old Faces were long gone, either banged up or living in Spain. It wasn’t a difficult decision; the Baileys were formidable and no one was willing to iron them out. Why would they? They weren’t people you made an enemy of.
    The Bailey brothers hugged and, as their mother watched them through the French doors, she smiled to herself. She had always told them that the only thing that mattered was each other; she had brought them up to be closer than most brothers could ever hope to be, and she was glad to see that, all these years on, they were as close now as they had been as children.She was proud of her sons, and she knew they would look out for each other. She also knew they were dangerous fuckers, and that was all right too as far as she was concerned. She was well aware that these two sons of hers were never going to be nine-to-fivers.

Chapter Seven
    ‘You’re really pregnant?’ Ria Bailey was thrilled for her friend and sister-in-law. ‘That’s wonderful news, Lena. I hope it’s a girl!’
    Lena was grinning from ear to ear. She was shocked at the news of her pregnancy, but now that it was confirmed she hoped against hope that it would be a girl. She already had four sons – Danny, the eldest, was sixteen, and his brother Davey, at fifteen, was like his elder brother’s shadow – the two were always together. Noel and Jamsie, at twelve and eleven, had been her babies until now. ‘So do I, it would be nice to have another female in the house. Well, you’d know that better than me, you’ve got a daughter.’
    Ria laughed delightedly. ‘Too fucking true, but I warn you now, Lena, girls are lovely as little kids, but once they hit their teens, you