the caller was saying, he nodded a few times and then said, ‘No probs, we’re on it. Laters.’
Acky jerked his chin up. ‘Who dat?’
‘Big T,’ Damo told him. ‘Couple of foots from the Longsight Gees need settling.’ He turned to the others now, and grinned. ‘Time to kick some arse, boys.’
Chantelle woke with a start when her phone started ringing. She rolled over and tugged it out of her jacket pocket, shocked to see on the screen display that it was three p.m. She must have cried herself to sleep, and now she’d missed half the day. That wasn’t like her at all. She must be even more stressed than she thought.
‘Hiya, babes,’ a laughing voice trilled when she answered it. ‘Have you missed me?’
‘ Mum! ’ She sat bolt upright. ‘Is that really you? Where are you?’
‘España!’ Mary giggled. ‘And guess what? … I’m getting married !’
‘ What? ’ Chantelle gasped. ‘Are you drunk?’
‘Aw, don’t go and ruin it for me,’ Mary groaned. ‘Miggy told me not to bother telling you, but – stupid me – I actually thought you’d be happy for me.’
‘Who the hell’s Miggy?’ Chantelle rubbed her eyes, sure that she must still be dreaming.
‘His full name’s Miguel Ra— … Ram— … hang on a minute.’ Mary’s voice was muffled for a few seconds as she covered the phone. ‘Ramírez!’ she announced when she came back on. ‘Miguel Ramírez – your new stepdaddy-to-be.’
When Chantelle stayed silent for a few seconds, Mary said, ‘Well, ain’t you gonna say nothing?’
Chantelle gritted her teeth. She wanted to cut loose on Mary for abandoning them, but her mum would only hang up if she came down too hard on her – and God only knew when they would hear from her again if that happened. So, taking a deep breath, she said through tight lips, ‘Congratulations, I’m really pleased for you. How long have you known him?’
‘Long enough to know he’s the one,’ Mary said dreamily. ‘Honest to God, babes, no one’s ever treated me like this man does. And he’s handsome like you wouldn’t believe. My dreamboat Spaneesh lov- er .’
Chantelle grimaced as her mum’s voice took on a supposedly Spanish accent. But a cold shiver ran down her spine when, in the background, she heard a man with the real accent order Mary to hurry up.
‘Don’t go!’ Chantelle blurted out. ‘ Please … I need to talk to you.’
‘Aw, soz, babes, but it’s his mate’s phone so I can’t stay on too long. I’ll ring again soon, though.’
‘I don’t want you to ring, I want to see you,’ Chantelle sobbed, swiping at a tear she could feel rolling down her cheek.
‘Aw, me an’ all,’ said Mary. ‘Here, where’s our Leon? Put him on for a minute.’
‘He’s out,’ Chantelle told her. ‘But never mind him. I need to know when you’re coming back, ’cos I’ve got no money.’
‘I told Trace to give you some. Don’t tell me the stupid bitch forgot?’
‘No, she gave me twenty quid, but that Ricky came looking for you and took it.’
‘Bastard!’ Mary spat indignantly. ‘You wait till we get home and Miggy gets hold of him!’
‘That doesn’t help me right now, does it?’ said Chantelle. ‘I’m scared our Leon’s going to get taken away if you don’t come back soon.’
‘Don’t you dare let anyone take him,’ Mary said fiercely. ‘I mean it, Chan. If I lose my boy, I’ll never forgive you.’
‘It won’t be my fault,’ Chantelle protested. ‘I’m the one who’s here looking after him – or trying to.’
‘Oh, that’s right, make me feel guilty, why don’t you?’ Mary tutted. ‘God, anyone’d think I was never coming back, the way you’re going on.’
‘Well, are you?’
‘Yeah, course. In a few weeks.’
‘A few weeks ?’ Chantelle repeated incredulously. ‘Haven’t you been listening? I haven’t got any money. How am I supposed to feed Leon for a few more weeks?’
‘I told Trace to tell you to find
Acky jerked his chin up. ‘Who dat?’
‘Big T,’ Damo told him. ‘Couple of foots from the Longsight Gees need settling.’ He turned to the others now, and grinned. ‘Time to kick some arse, boys.’
Chantelle woke with a start when her phone started ringing. She rolled over and tugged it out of her jacket pocket, shocked to see on the screen display that it was three p.m. She must have cried herself to sleep, and now she’d missed half the day. That wasn’t like her at all. She must be even more stressed than she thought.
‘Hiya, babes,’ a laughing voice trilled when she answered it. ‘Have you missed me?’
‘ Mum! ’ She sat bolt upright. ‘Is that really you? Where are you?’
‘España!’ Mary giggled. ‘And guess what? … I’m getting married !’
‘ What? ’ Chantelle gasped. ‘Are you drunk?’
‘Aw, don’t go and ruin it for me,’ Mary groaned. ‘Miggy told me not to bother telling you, but – stupid me – I actually thought you’d be happy for me.’
‘Who the hell’s Miggy?’ Chantelle rubbed her eyes, sure that she must still be dreaming.
‘His full name’s Miguel Ra— … Ram— … hang on a minute.’ Mary’s voice was muffled for a few seconds as she covered the phone. ‘Ramírez!’ she announced when she came back on. ‘Miguel Ramírez – your new stepdaddy-to-be.’
When Chantelle stayed silent for a few seconds, Mary said, ‘Well, ain’t you gonna say nothing?’
Chantelle gritted her teeth. She wanted to cut loose on Mary for abandoning them, but her mum would only hang up if she came down too hard on her – and God only knew when they would hear from her again if that happened. So, taking a deep breath, she said through tight lips, ‘Congratulations, I’m really pleased for you. How long have you known him?’
‘Long enough to know he’s the one,’ Mary said dreamily. ‘Honest to God, babes, no one’s ever treated me like this man does. And he’s handsome like you wouldn’t believe. My dreamboat Spaneesh lov- er .’
Chantelle grimaced as her mum’s voice took on a supposedly Spanish accent. But a cold shiver ran down her spine when, in the background, she heard a man with the real accent order Mary to hurry up.
‘Don’t go!’ Chantelle blurted out. ‘ Please … I need to talk to you.’
‘Aw, soz, babes, but it’s his mate’s phone so I can’t stay on too long. I’ll ring again soon, though.’
‘I don’t want you to ring, I want to see you,’ Chantelle sobbed, swiping at a tear she could feel rolling down her cheek.
‘Aw, me an’ all,’ said Mary. ‘Here, where’s our Leon? Put him on for a minute.’
‘He’s out,’ Chantelle told her. ‘But never mind him. I need to know when you’re coming back, ’cos I’ve got no money.’
‘I told Trace to give you some. Don’t tell me the stupid bitch forgot?’
‘No, she gave me twenty quid, but that Ricky came looking for you and took it.’
‘Bastard!’ Mary spat indignantly. ‘You wait till we get home and Miggy gets hold of him!’
‘That doesn’t help me right now, does it?’ said Chantelle. ‘I’m scared our Leon’s going to get taken away if you don’t come back soon.’
‘Don’t you dare let anyone take him,’ Mary said fiercely. ‘I mean it, Chan. If I lose my boy, I’ll never forgive you.’
‘It won’t be my fault,’ Chantelle protested. ‘I’m the one who’s here looking after him – or trying to.’
‘Oh, that’s right, make me feel guilty, why don’t you?’ Mary tutted. ‘God, anyone’d think I was never coming back, the way you’re going on.’
‘Well, are you?’
‘Yeah, course. In a few weeks.’
‘A few weeks ?’ Chantelle repeated incredulously. ‘Haven’t you been listening? I haven’t got any money. How am I supposed to feed Leon for a few more weeks?’
‘I told Trace to tell you to find
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