The Promise Read online

  The noise was nothing compared with the horrific sound that Jason made next. Howling in agony like a wounded animal as the pain ripped through him, he collapsed onto the floor in a mangled heap.

  He was crying now. Uncontrollably, unashamedly. As he looked up at Dean, searching his friend’s face for help, he could see that Dean looked just as terrified as he was. Dean was no use; frozen with fear in the middle of the room, his eyes were wide with shock at the scene unfolding before him.

  Delray lifted the bat again.

  ‘Please, no more!’ Jason was cowering on the floor, wrapping his arms around his head to protect himself as Delray loomed over him for a second time, ready to strike once more.

  Losing control of his bladder, Jason pissed himself.

  ‘Tell him, Dean,’ he sobbed. ‘Tell him it wasn’t my fault.’

  Finally, Dean spoke up. ‘Look, mate, please, he’s telling you the truth. It was an accident. This bird was off her face when we met up with them. Probably on crack or something. She weren’t right. Jason’s telling you the truth. He didn’t mean to hurt her.’

  Dean was begging.

  He could see a jagged outline of bone protruding through the material of Jason’s jeans. Tonight couldn’t get any worse, so he figured he might as well just be honest with Delray. ‘She’s off her fucking face, mate. The woman can’t even stand up.’

  Delray looked over at Josie again. Still slumped on the floor, she was heaving. Bringing up the rest of the contents of her stomach onto the carpet.

  She hadn’t dared to make eye contact with him since he’d arrived.

  ‘I think she’s been drugged!’ Mandy lied, knowing full well that Josie was going to land herself in trouble for the mess she was in. ‘I’ve been with her all night, Delray. I matched her glass for glass. Someone must have slipped something in her drink when she wasn’t looking.’ Mandy looked at Dean, defiance in her eyes. This would teach the cocky little prick to act like he was so above her, picking and choosing whether or not he would pay for her services.

  ‘Oh fuck off!’ Raising his eyes in disbelief, Dean realised that Mandy was trying to drop him and Jason well and truly in the shit. ‘She wasn’t even with you in the pub. You found her down the alleyway out the back. Even the fucking cab driver would vouch for that. She might be fucked up on something but it ain’t got fuck all to do with either of us.’

  ‘My leg!’ Jason cried out in agony, grunting loudly through the sheer force of the pain that swept through him.

  Mandy continued, her conscience almost getting the better of her until she remembered that, if these blokes didn’t cop it tonight, then Josie would.

  ‘How do you explain not paying, then? You got what you wanted, so why do you think you can waltz out of here without settling up?’

  Delray looked at Dean as the man stared down at Jason, writhing in pain on the floor. Delray frowned. ‘Unless you want to end up like your little friend here, then you need to pay up what you owe,’ he said, digging the bloodied bat down into the carpet as he held out his free hand for the money.

  Taking one look at his friend, broken and crumpled on the floor, Dean didn’t need to be told twice, although he was far from happy.

  ‘They should be paying us; it was more of a chore than a pleasure, trust me—’

  Delray had heard enough.

  Grabbing Dean roughly by his bollocks, he hoisted the man off the ground.

  Dean screamed in agony as a hot white pain jolted through him like nothing he’d ever experienced before, immobilising him instantly.

  ‘Enough of your fucking lip. Pay up.’

  Delray twisted Dean’s balls even harder then, to cause maximum suffering.

  The pain was intense; Dean almost passed out.

  ‘Okay, okay.’ Fumbling for his wallet, Dean didn’t even bother to count out the money. Instead, he just shoved the handful of notes that he pulled out into Delray’s free hand; relief spreading through him as Delray finally released his grip and dropped him down onto the floor.

  ‘Now, get your mate and get the fuck out of here. I don’t want to see either of you two pricks around here again. Do you get me?’

  Dean nodded, grateful that their ordeal was over. Hoisting Jason up from the floor, ignoring his friend’s obvious groans of pain, Dean hobbled out of the flat as quickly as he could move, dragging Jason alongside him.

  ‘Jesus. Look at the state of her.’ Mandy was focused on Josie now.

  The woman was still being sick. She looked almost ghostly, her skin so pale that she almost looked translucent. Her eyes were smudged with black, huge circles under her eyes.

  ‘Thanks for that, Delray. I’m sorry to call you out so late, but I figured you’d want to know we had trouble.’ Seeing one of the ten pound notes on the floor that Delray must have dropped, Mandy picked it up, and handed it to him, trying her hardest to keep Delray sweet. She knew that he wasn’t buying any of her bullshit though. They both did.

  Snatching the ten pound note from her grip, Delray’s hand remained firmly on Mandy’s as he squeezed her fingers tightly, making her cry out in pain.

  ‘Have I got cunt written across my forehead?’ Delray bellowed.

  Tears sprung to her eyes as Mandy shook her head.

  Delray didn’t stop squeezing, gripping Mandy’s fingers tighter with each spoken word. ‘Then don’t treat me like one.’

  ‘I’m not, Delray, I promise.’

  ‘What the fuck has she taken?’

  Mandy shook her head frantically.

  Josie was gagging again, unable to speak up for herself, while Mandy was trying as hard as she could to smooth the situation over.

  ‘Nothing. I swear. We only had a couple of drinks. She didn’t leave my sight. That’s why I thought someone must have spiked her drink. There’s no way that she could have got like this otherwise.’

  Delray squeezed even harder, causing Mandy to scream out as she felt her bones breaking under his strength. Still, he didn’t stop.

  ‘I said, do not treat me like a cunt!’ Delray was raging once more.

  ‘I’m not, I promise.’ Mandy was crying now. ‘I’m telling the truth. We had a few glasses of wine. Please, Delray, you’re hurting me. I honestly don’t know if she’s taken anything. Please, I’m telling the truth.’

  Seeing how adamant the woman was, Delray let Mandy go. Had to give her kudos for not giving in and grassing on her mate; he knew he wouldn’t get a single word out of Mandy where her friend was concerned. The pair of them were thick as thieves.

  Mandy was trying to save Josie’s arse, Delray was almost sure of it, but he didn’t have time for the melodramatics. Instead he counted out the money.

  ‘Where’s the rest of it?’ he said glaring at Mandy once more.

  ‘That’s it. He just gave it to you,’ she said meekly, knowing full well what Delray was implying. He meant the rest of the money they’d made tonight.

  He wanted his cut.

  ‘It was a quiet night, Delray. That’s all we got.’

  ‘This is all the pair of you are worth.’ Delray shook his head. The incomprehension of these woman was just unbelievable. ‘Is it any wonder that neither of you are capable of bringing in a decent earn? Open your fucking eyes, Mandy. Take a look around you. Look at the fucking state of you both.’

  Delray kept his voice neutral, which somehow made him sound even more sinister.

  ‘Please, Delray, tonight was a one-off. It won’t happen again. I know you don’t believe me but Josie’s genuinely sick. Maybe she wasn’t drugged. Maybe it’s a bug?’ Mandy was clutching at straws, desperately trying to talk her way out of the situation; only, Delray didn’t have the patience or the energy to deal with this shit tonight.

  His beef was with Josie, not Mandy. He’d deal with her personally.

  Tucking the money inside his jacket pocket, he nodded his head towards where Josie was still slumped, looking sorry for herself.

  ‘When she’s in a fit state to listen, tel
l her I’ll be paying her a visit first thing tomorrow morning.’ He glared at Mandy. ‘In the meantime, I suggest you get this fucking mess cleaned up,’ Delray spat before storming out into the hallway, ready to leave.

  He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Georgie and Marnie huddled together on the edge of the bed inside one of the doorways. Georgie had her arm wrapped protectively around her younger sister, who had clearly been crying.

  Delray wondered how much they’d heard. By the scared looks on their faces, it was clear they’d heard everything.

  Unsettled now, caught off guard, Delray looked annoyed.

  ‘What are the pair of you doing sneaking around? You should be in bed. Go on, hop it.’

  Shooting Delray a wary look, Georgie did what she was told and took Marnie back to bed.

  Delray shook his head once more.

  Poor little fuckers, having Josie Parker as their mother. They must have seen some right sights in their short little lives.

  ‘Fucking women!’ Delray muttered to himself as he stepped back out into the cool night air.

  Josie and Mandy were a different breed altogether. They were done in this game. Their careers were long over.

  Unlike the delectable Javine Turner.

  Getting in his car, Delray turned the key in the ignition and finally grinned to himself at the thought of her awaiting his return.

  He would deal with those two wasters tomorrow.

  Tonight, he had much better things to focus his attention on.

  Chapter Nine

  ‘Mummy?’ Marnie called from the doorway, tiptoeing into the room. The curtains were still drawn and, so far, her mother hadn’t stirred from the bed.

  Her mummy was getting sick again.

  Marnie didn’t like it.

  She didn’t want her mummy to be angry and shouting all the time, and even worse, crying.

  She’d been better for so long, but it was all happening again, and all Marnie wanted to do was make her mummy well.

  ‘I made you a cup of tea,’ she whispered through the darkness, uncertain if her mother was even awake. She could just about see the rise and fall of her mother’s body underneath the covers.

  Marnie had heard her throwing up all night after Delray had left.

  Aunty Mandy had put her mum to bed, and tried to clean up some of the sick, but the place still stank. The smell was even worse here in her mother’s room with the windows all shut. Wrinkling her nose to weaken the acrid stench, Marnie could barely breathe.

  Stepping carefully across the room, she looked down at the floor as she made her way around the bed avoiding the piles of clothes that were scattered across the bedroom floor.

  She’d filled the cup too much.

  The liquid was slopping out all over the sides, dripping down her legs and all over her mummy’s carpet.

  Luckily it wasn’t that hot. Marnie had only used water from the tap in the kitchen sink to make it; Georgie said she wasn’t allowed to use the kettle, in case she burned herself.

  ‘Mummy,’ Marnie whispered once more, reaching her mother’s side of the bed now. She looked down at the mop of her mother’s tangled blonde hair, saw the pool of dribble on the pillow she was lying on. ‘Are you awaked? I made you some tea, Mummy, so that you would get bettered.’ Balancing the mug carefully with one hand, she reached out and touched her mother lightly on her shoulder with the other.

  ‘Mummy?’

  The cold chill of Marnie’s hands woke Josie with a start.

  Still half asleep, she moaned out loud at being woken up, lashing out with her arm to tell Marnie to go away; her hand catching the mug, bringing it down on top of her.

  Soaking her and the bed in the process.

  Josie screeched, thoroughly fucked off at Marnie for being so bloody clumsy.

  ‘For fuck sake, Marnie!’ Josie said, leaping from the bed and dragging the blankets off the mattress.

  ‘What are you playing at? I was a-bloody-sleep!’

  Marnie’s bottom lip trembled, upset that her good intentions had been ruined, that her mother was mad at her.

  She didn’t mean to make her mummy mad.

  ‘I’ve been up all night sick, Marn, the least you could do is leave me be. Where’s Georgie?’

  ‘She’s pouring out some cereal for me. Will you still take me to school?’

  ‘You’ll have to ask Georgie. I’m in no fit state this morning.’ Josie’s head was banging.

  She felt like death warmed up. Whatever Billy Stackhouse had given her last night had sent her off her head. She was having the worst comedown ever.

  Wincing, she suddenly remembered all the drama from the previous night.

  Delray had been here. That poor bloke’s leg when he’d broken it with the bat.

  Before she left last night, Mandy had told her that Delray would be having a word with her today.

  ‘I can’t find my uniform?’ Marnie said, trying her hardest to be a brave girl and not to cry. She didn’t want to make her mummy angrier.

  Closing her eyes tightly, Josie took a long exaggerated breath.

  She’d meant to wash the girls’ uniforms but she’d completely forgot. She wondered if she should salvage them out of the wash basket, and spray a bit of air freshener on them, but she couldn’t be arsed.

  ‘Just stay here today. Don’t go in. Tell Georgie to whack the telly on for you! Go on.’

  Josie watched as the girl left the room, visibly upset now, rolling her eyes in dismay. Marnie must be the only kid in the world that looked sad about not going to school.

  Staring at the tea-sodden bed, the covers strewn all over the place, Josie scowled.

  As if her morning couldn’t get any worse.

  Still, maybe Marnie’s little early morning wake-up call had done her a favour.

  If Delray was paying her a visit, anything was possible. Josie would need to get her shit together before he got here.

  Chapter Ten

  ‘Thanks, Delray! I love him!’ Squealing with excitement as Delray Anderton handed her the biggest, fluffiest bear she’d ever seen, Marnie Parker wrapped her arms around her new teddy. She thought she might never let it go.

  ‘That thing’s almost bigger than you.’ Delray couldn’t help but laugh as Marnie hugged the bear tightly to her chest. He could barely see the kid now, just two little feet sticking out the bottom, a mop of short, dark curly hair at the top. ‘Go on then, what are you going to call him?’

  Marnie held the bear up, deep in thought for a few seconds as she carefully scrutinised the bear’s face. Then, wrinkling her nose, she decided.

  ‘I’m going to call him Mr Snowflakes. ’Cos he’s all white and snowy looking.’

  ‘Mr Snowflakes?’ Delray joked. ‘Well, bang goes that poor little fucker’s street cred then!’

  ‘Mr Snowflakes. Mr Snowflakes!’ Singing loudly now, Marnie kissed the bear on its nose, giggling to herself as she swung her new gift excitedly around the kitchen.

  Catching a weary look from Josie as she stood with her back up against the sink, Delray grinned cockily. ‘Twenty quid well spent, eh?’

  ‘If you say so. Though I could think of better things to spend money on. Like food and electricity.’ Turning around, Josie flicked her fag ash on top of the pile of unwashed crockery in the sink.

  She’d been on tenterhooks all morning waiting for Delray to turn up here and start throwing his weight around. Now he was here though, the man seemed preoccupied in playing Mr Nice Guy.

  Josie knew what he was doing though. Not only was he buttering up the kids, trying to make up to them for what they’d heard last night, he was trying to make her sweat it out for longer too.

  Which she was.

  On a heavy comedown after last night, her paranoia had well and truly kicked in.

  Things had got way out of hand. Delray had broken some poor bastard’s legs and, worse than that, Georgie and Marnie had listened to the entire thing.

  It had been Josie that had been the on
e left to pick up all the pieces.

  She had a gash on her head, and a hangover from hell, and yet she’d still been the one who spent the night comforting Marnie as the kid had cried her eyes out with another one of her night terrors.

  The child had been traumatised at the thought of Delray beating the living shit out of a man in the middle of her front room. She hadn’t slept a wink all night, and that meant Josie hadn’t either.

  Marnie’s night terrors had been bad enough before all of this happened. Now though, they would be worse than ever.

  Josie took another drag of her cigarette.

  Delray was up to his usual tricks today; she could read the man like a book. He was busy executing his ‘clean-up operation’.

  Josie knew he didn’t give two shits about the girls. He was just making sure that they didn’t tell their teachers or blab their mouths off if the Old Bill came crawling around here.

  Which, of course, they wouldn’t.

  Those two blokes last night didn’t have the bollocks to go up against someone like Delray and send the filth round here.

  Delray would never take his chances on that, though.

  So, here he was dishing out crappy toys as if he was Father bleeding Christmas.

  Still, maybe Delray was actually onto something for once.

  Marnie was clearly easy to appease, Josie thought, staring at her daughter as Marnie continued to spin around the kitchen.

  ‘You love Mr Snowflakes, don’t you, Marnie?’ Delray smirked, winking at Josie, smug in the knowledge that his job here was done.

  Marnie seemed a lot happier now she had her present; it was just a shame the same couldn’t be said of her older sister.

  He looked over to where Georgie was lingering in the kitchen doorway, hands buried deep in her pockets, her gaze low to the floor, Delray was well aware that the girl had barely even acknowledged his presence in the house this morning, let alone her new teddy bear.

  ‘You not going to say thank you too then, Georgie?’ Delray said, noting the sullen expression on the child’s face.

  Georgie shrugged.

  ‘I’m a bit old for teddies, ain’t I!’ Watching her younger sister prance around the kitchen, squealing excitedly, spinning her teddy bear around in circles, Georgie rolled her eyes as if making her point. ‘Teddies are for kids, and I ain’t a kid no more.’