The Annie Carter Series Books 1–4. Jessie Keane

      ‘But I thought he was meeting me up West?’ said Annie.

      Chris shrugged and sat down in the corner. A man of few words, Chris. Obviously Redmond had decided on a change of plan. Annie straightened her pearls in the hall mirror and went into the front room, shutting the door behind her, a smile of welcome in place.

      It wasn’t Redmond, it was Kieron.

      ‘Oh,’ she said blankly.

      ‘As warm welcomes go, that leaves a little to be desired,’ he smiled.

      ‘I was expecting Redmond,’ said Annie.

      ‘And the welcome’s not getting any warmer,’ noted Kieron.

      ‘Kieron, why are you here?’

      Kieron’s smile dropped. ‘Sure, I’m beginning to wonder about that myself.’

      Annie was shocked and alarmed. She had already seen something horrible happen to someone she was fond of. It wasn’t an experience she wanted to repeat. It wasn’t safe for Kieron to be anywhere near her, and she knew it. Somehow she was going to have to push the point home. Brutally, if necessary.

      ‘What are you seeing Redmond about?’ asked Kieron when Annie stood there in silence.

      ‘Business.’

      ‘Should you be getting involved in that?’ asked Kieron.

      Annie decided enough was enough. He had to be told, and she had best tell him right now. ‘Fucking hell, Kieron,’ she exploded. ‘What’s it to you what I get involved in? What am I, pure as the driven snow? Has it escaped your notice that I live in a whorehouse?’

      Kieron looked taken aback. ‘Yeah, but you’re not a whore,’ he stuttered.

      ‘No, I ran this place and pretty soon I’ll run another. I’m a Madam, Kieron. I’m not a schoolgirl. I don’t need anyone’s permission to conduct my business any damned way I please.’

      ‘Okay, okay.’ Kieron held up his hands, looking amazed and a bit hurt by this unexpected tirade. ‘I just wanted to see you, that’s all. I was told you’d split from Max Carter, I just wondered how you are.’

      ‘You wondered how I am?’ Annie’s face was hard. ‘I’m fucking hunky-dory, Kieron. I’m fine.’

      Kieron was silent then. His face was a picture of hurt. Annie steeled herself. She wanted to hug him, to see him smile and laugh, but she didn’t dare. For his sake.

      ‘I thought we were friends,’ he said at last.

      We are, thought Annie painfully. That’s why I have to do this.

      ‘Oh, grow up,’ she said harshly.

      ‘You’ve changed,’ said Kieron.

      ‘Maybe I have. Maybe I’ve had to.’

      ‘I missed you, Annie,’ he said in a voice suddenly thick with emotion.

      ‘For God’s sake.’ Annie turned away. She hated seeing him in pain.

      ‘When you were with him, when you were with that fucking animal Max Carter …’

      ‘Don’t do this, Kieron,’ said Annie, shaking her head.

      ‘I have to. I have to get this out or it’s going to fucking-well choke me to death. Annie Bailey, when I didn’t have you in my life I missed you. And I started to realize …’

      ‘No,’ Annie howled.

      ‘Yes. I’m going to say this because it’s the absolute truth. I saw you as nothing at first. A beautiful face. A subject to paint, that’s all. Then I started talking to you, getting to know what you’re really like …’

      ‘What I’m really like is hard as nails, Kieron,’ said Annie, clutching her arms around herself because this was horrible, it hurt too much. ‘I’m hard because I’ve had to be. I’ve no time for anyone unless there’s something in it for me. I hated my mother and I took my sister’s husband, how’s that for sheer fucking nastiness?’

      ‘Your mother was a drunk who put you through hell all your young life. And you were in love with the man.’ Kieron grabbed her shoulder and she shook him off. ‘You loved him and he took advantage of that.’

      ‘Oh sure. Good as gold Annie corrupted by big bad Max Carter, that’s me. Come off it, Kieron. I’m a bitch of the lowest order. You’ve heard all about it, you ought to know it’s true.’

      ‘None of that’s the real you,’ said Kieron. ‘You’re sweet and you’re funny and you care more than you ever let on. And I miss you like fuck. I don’t like not having you in my life. I should have said all this before, and maybe you would never have got involved with him again.’

      Annie turned and gave him a look full of scorn. ‘Who do you think you are, Kieron Delaney? Do you really think you could ever measure up to Max Carter?’

      Kieron flushed with temper. It was only the second time Annie had seen it happen. He grabbed her arms and shook her.

      ‘I may not be a thug like he is, but I’m a man,’ he spat out. ‘I can get women. Any women I want.’

      ‘Well bully for you,’ said Annie coldly. ‘Go out and find one of those women, Kieron, because I want a real man, not a sorry excuse for one.’

      ‘You cow,’ said Kieron, and kissed her.

      Annie fought like a tiger and quickly got free.

      ‘Chris!’ she shouted.

      The door was flung open and Chris stood there, alert.

      ‘Oh don’t bother,’ said Kieron. ‘I’m going.’ He turned and gave Annie a bitter smile. ‘Chris won’t touch me, anyway, don’t you know that? I could tie you up and rape you with a bag over your head and he wouldn’t lift a finger. Because I’m a Delaney. But then maybe that’s the sort of treatment you prefer.’

      ‘Fuck off out of it, Kieron,’ said Annie.

      Chris stood aside.

      Kieron went.

       40

      Jonjo Carter was with yet another blonde, shagging away on the big bed at his place.

      ‘Oh come on, sweetness,’ she whined, because she was tired and she wanted to get this over, and Mr Stiffy kept turning into Mr Bendy, at this fucking rate she’d be panting and gasping all night, and she was ready for a kip.

      It had been a long day for Jonjo. Not a bad one, really. Cara worked in the bedding section of a department store the firm was taking an interest in. It always paid to have an insider to call on, should you need one. And it looked as if they might need one. So Jonjo had gone to look around, and had pitched up in bedding where he was naturally attracted to blonde pretty Cara. She seemed ideal. She had the face of an innocent angel and the soul of a greedy harpy. She was perfect.

      Jonjo had taken her to the dogs and doled out cash for her to bet a fortune at the track, winning some but losing more. Which had put him in a bad mood, but he’d hid it because he was trying to keep the grasping cow sweet.

      They had moved on to the Shalimar, where he had drunk too much to show off to his mates and their girlfriends, and now look at the result. Cara sighed. Mr Bendy was back in the saddle again.

      Jonjo rolled off her. ‘Fuck it,’ he said. ‘Not in the mood.’

      Maybe the blonde thing was getting to be a problem. He liked blondes, as a rule. He liked them dim and big-busted. Cara was all of that – fantastic tits and a brain bypass. Perfect. Maybe he ought to ring the changes, though, swear off blondes for