wall and nodded.
Seventeen
She had called him more than thirty minutes earlier. Now she sat on the edge of the sofa, sipping at a glass of wine and alternately looking at her solid gold Cartier watch and the large antique timepiece above the marble fireplace.
Eight-forty p.m.
Tina got to her feet and retrieved the bottle of wine, poured herself another glass and glanced out into the night.
The doorbell finally sounded and she turned and hurried to answer it.
Carter stood before her, a slight smile on his lips.
She turned away sharply from him, flicking her long blonde hair so that it fell across her shoulders and neck.
'I called Harrison more than half an hour ago,' she said.
'Is something wrong?' asked Carter, stepping inside the flat and closing the door behind him.
She still had her back to him.
'He said you wanted picking up, that you wanted to be taken to the casino. Wanted to see him.'
'I need something from him,' she said quietly, her head now bowed slightly, still facing away from Carter.
He moved closer, to within an arm's length of her.
'Tina, what's wrong?' he wanted to know.
She turned slowly, allowing him to look at her, using both hands to push her hair back.
'Jesus Christ,' he murmured as he saw the dark bruises on her throat.
She wore a loose fitting red top, the sleeves reaching her elbows but, as Carter watched, she gently pulled the sleeves up to reveal the marks on her upper arms.
'When did it happen?' he said, his voice a combination of shock and anger.
'Two nights ago,' she told him.
'Harrison?' he enquired.
She nodded and told him about the phone conversation. Or, more to the point, its aftermath.
'He's fucking mad; hissed Carter. 'The bastard.' He took a step forward and took her in his arms. They kissed fiercely, finally parting their lips but still clinging to each other.
'I didn't want you to know about this,' she told him. 'I would have kept it from you if I'd been able to.'
'I ought to kill him,' Carter snarled. 'It's a pity those blokes who tried to get him the other night didn't succeed. He should have had a bullet in him, not Jim.' He pulled her to him once more. 'And you want to go to him now? After what he's done to you?'
'I don't want to, I need to,' she said enigmatically.
'And ' what happens neat time he gets mad?' Carter demanded. 'He might kill you.'
She shook her head.
'No he won't,' she assured him. 'He needs me and as long as he does then I'm safe.'
'By safe I suppose you mean he'll have to be content with knocking you about. Is that it?' He shook his head in disbelief.
'It's not only Frank I've got to worry about though, is it?' she said.
'What do you mean?'
'I heard what happened last night. The shooting of two more of his men.'
Carter sighed.
'Yeah, it's getting bad. He's talking about a gang war. Mind you, it looks like one's already started.'
That's why I want protection,' she said. 'Frank said that he'd have men watch my flat but that's not enough. I feel like a prisoner in here anyway, I don't want to know Frank's spies are following me everywhere I go, watching everything I do.' She pulled on her coat, pausing before they left to kiss him again passionately. 'Take me to him, Ray.'
Harrison looked up as Tina and Carter entered the room.
Pat Mendham stood up and smiled at the young woman, nodding his head in a gesture of greeting.
'What's wrong, sweetheart?' asked Harrison. Carter felt anger rising within him as he watched Harrison's exaggerated display of affection as he tenderly kissed Tina on the lips. The younger man remembered the bruises which discoloured her arms and neck.
'Can we speak alone?' she asked.
'Of course,' Harrison said and asked Carter and Mendham to wait outside. They dutifully left the room, both of them wandering down to the casino bar.
Tina stood facing Harrison for a moment then sucked in a deep breath.
'Frank, I'm worried about what's happening,' she told him. 'These shootings,
Seventeen
She had called him more than thirty minutes earlier. Now she sat on the edge of the sofa, sipping at a glass of wine and alternately looking at her solid gold Cartier watch and the large antique timepiece above the marble fireplace.
Eight-forty p.m.
Tina got to her feet and retrieved the bottle of wine, poured herself another glass and glanced out into the night.
The doorbell finally sounded and she turned and hurried to answer it.
Carter stood before her, a slight smile on his lips.
She turned away sharply from him, flicking her long blonde hair so that it fell across her shoulders and neck.
'I called Harrison more than half an hour ago,' she said.
'Is something wrong?' asked Carter, stepping inside the flat and closing the door behind him.
She still had her back to him.
'He said you wanted picking up, that you wanted to be taken to the casino. Wanted to see him.'
'I need something from him,' she said quietly, her head now bowed slightly, still facing away from Carter.
He moved closer, to within an arm's length of her.
'Tina, what's wrong?' he wanted to know.
She turned slowly, allowing him to look at her, using both hands to push her hair back.
'Jesus Christ,' he murmured as he saw the dark bruises on her throat.
She wore a loose fitting red top, the sleeves reaching her elbows but, as Carter watched, she gently pulled the sleeves up to reveal the marks on her upper arms.
'When did it happen?' he said, his voice a combination of shock and anger.
'Two nights ago,' she told him.
'Harrison?' he enquired.
She nodded and told him about the phone conversation. Or, more to the point, its aftermath.
'He's fucking mad; hissed Carter. 'The bastard.' He took a step forward and took her in his arms. They kissed fiercely, finally parting their lips but still clinging to each other.
'I didn't want you to know about this,' she told him. 'I would have kept it from you if I'd been able to.'
'I ought to kill him,' Carter snarled. 'It's a pity those blokes who tried to get him the other night didn't succeed. He should have had a bullet in him, not Jim.' He pulled her to him once more. 'And you want to go to him now? After what he's done to you?'
'I don't want to, I need to,' she said enigmatically.
'And ' what happens neat time he gets mad?' Carter demanded. 'He might kill you.'
She shook her head.
'No he won't,' she assured him. 'He needs me and as long as he does then I'm safe.'
'By safe I suppose you mean he'll have to be content with knocking you about. Is that it?' He shook his head in disbelief.
'It's not only Frank I've got to worry about though, is it?' she said.
'What do you mean?'
'I heard what happened last night. The shooting of two more of his men.'
Carter sighed.
'Yeah, it's getting bad. He's talking about a gang war. Mind you, it looks like one's already started.'
That's why I want protection,' she said. 'Frank said that he'd have men watch my flat but that's not enough. I feel like a prisoner in here anyway, I don't want to know Frank's spies are following me everywhere I go, watching everything I do.' She pulled on her coat, pausing before they left to kiss him again passionately. 'Take me to him, Ray.'
Harrison looked up as Tina and Carter entered the room.
Pat Mendham stood up and smiled at the young woman, nodding his head in a gesture of greeting.
'What's wrong, sweetheart?' asked Harrison. Carter felt anger rising within him as he watched Harrison's exaggerated display of affection as he tenderly kissed Tina on the lips. The younger man remembered the bruises which discoloured her arms and neck.
'Can we speak alone?' she asked.
'Of course,' Harrison said and asked Carter and Mendham to wait outside. They dutifully left the room, both of them wandering down to the casino bar.
Tina stood facing Harrison for a moment then sucked in a deep breath.
'Frank, I'm worried about what's happening,' she told him. 'These shootings,
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