he feel like this about someone who had been laid more times than a second-hand carpet? What was this attraction that was so strong he only felt complete while in her company, inside her, even enjoying being with her children who were a Heinz 57-variety pack.
Whatever it was, it still had the power to make him want her even though she was looking older these days, a little haggard. But her smile still had that crinkle at the sides and her eyes still sparkled even though one was closing rapidly from the blow she had taken earlier. Joanie grabbed what she could from life and took whatever it threw at her. It was her heightened survival instincts that made her seem doubly alive.
Could it be that he actually admired her? He didn’t know, didn’t want to know. It was suddenly too painful to contemplate.
He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her gently towards him. She settled herself into his body and savoured listening to the beating of his heart. He held her to him tightly, enjoying the feel of her. He kissed her gently on the top of her head and then Jon Jon crept from the room, leaving them together.
He had his own agenda tonight and now that Paulie was here no one would question his departure. He wondered if they would even notice he was gone.
As the front door closed behind him, he wondered what was going to be the upshot of this night’s work.
He hoped whatever it was it made his mother happy. She deserved to be happy, truly happy, for once in her life. And if her happiness revolved around Paulie, then so be it. He hoped she got what she wanted for once. Who was he to tell her what to do or how to live her life?
She had so little to make her happy, why would her son deny her this night with the man she craved? He only hoped Paulie didn’t hurt her any more than she had been hurt in the past.
As Jon Jon walked through the chill night air he concentrated on the score he had to settle tonight.
A banging on the front door woke Jeanette and Jasper. They lay side by side, listening to his mother swearing and cursing as she went to answer the frantic knocking. Jasper was already pulling on his trousers when the bedroom door burst open and he and Jeanette saw her brother standing there.
‘Fucking push your way in here, would you? You black bastard!’
Karen Copes’s voice was loud and gravelly. Last night had obviously been spent in the pub and her son was actually ashamed of her.
Jasper closed his eyes as he bellowed, ‘Get the fuck away, Mum!’
Then he pushed her from the room, sending her sprawling in the hallway. He stared into Jon Jon’s eyes.
‘So now you know, don’t you?’
Jon Jon looked at his sister. She was naked and he shook his head sadly as he said: ‘Get up and get dressed.’
He was embarrassed and so was she. It was excruciating for them both. He turned his back and went out into the hallway.
Jasper watched her scramble out of bed in terror. He threw her clothes at her and followed Jon Jon.
‘Outside, now!’
He and Jon Jon walked from the flat, Jasper following the intruder down the stairs and out the back. The darkness outside was broken only by the bulkhead lights over the lobby doors. These were flickering and dim, but they could see each other perfectly, the same anger and animosity mirrored in each man’s eyes.
Jasper had his cropped head signed; he actually had ‘BNP’ razored into one side. He looked like a reject from the Third Reich. Then there was Jon Jon with his soft dreads and coffee-coloured skin. The only thing they had in common at this moment was their mutual hatred.
‘She is fourteen years old and you are one dead ponce.’
Jasper shook his head.
‘I care about her and there’s nothing you can do about it. You don’t own her.’
The arrogance in his voice was like a red rag to a bull.
‘She is my sister, my flesh and blood, and scum like you
Whatever it was, it still had the power to make him want her even though she was looking older these days, a little haggard. But her smile still had that crinkle at the sides and her eyes still sparkled even though one was closing rapidly from the blow she had taken earlier. Joanie grabbed what she could from life and took whatever it threw at her. It was her heightened survival instincts that made her seem doubly alive.
Could it be that he actually admired her? He didn’t know, didn’t want to know. It was suddenly too painful to contemplate.
He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her gently towards him. She settled herself into his body and savoured listening to the beating of his heart. He held her to him tightly, enjoying the feel of her. He kissed her gently on the top of her head and then Jon Jon crept from the room, leaving them together.
He had his own agenda tonight and now that Paulie was here no one would question his departure. He wondered if they would even notice he was gone.
As the front door closed behind him, he wondered what was going to be the upshot of this night’s work.
He hoped whatever it was it made his mother happy. She deserved to be happy, truly happy, for once in her life. And if her happiness revolved around Paulie, then so be it. He hoped she got what she wanted for once. Who was he to tell her what to do or how to live her life?
She had so little to make her happy, why would her son deny her this night with the man she craved? He only hoped Paulie didn’t hurt her any more than she had been hurt in the past.
As Jon Jon walked through the chill night air he concentrated on the score he had to settle tonight.
A banging on the front door woke Jeanette and Jasper. They lay side by side, listening to his mother swearing and cursing as she went to answer the frantic knocking. Jasper was already pulling on his trousers when the bedroom door burst open and he and Jeanette saw her brother standing there.
‘Fucking push your way in here, would you? You black bastard!’
Karen Copes’s voice was loud and gravelly. Last night had obviously been spent in the pub and her son was actually ashamed of her.
Jasper closed his eyes as he bellowed, ‘Get the fuck away, Mum!’
Then he pushed her from the room, sending her sprawling in the hallway. He stared into Jon Jon’s eyes.
‘So now you know, don’t you?’
Jon Jon looked at his sister. She was naked and he shook his head sadly as he said: ‘Get up and get dressed.’
He was embarrassed and so was she. It was excruciating for them both. He turned his back and went out into the hallway.
Jasper watched her scramble out of bed in terror. He threw her clothes at her and followed Jon Jon.
‘Outside, now!’
He and Jon Jon walked from the flat, Jasper following the intruder down the stairs and out the back. The darkness outside was broken only by the bulkhead lights over the lobby doors. These were flickering and dim, but they could see each other perfectly, the same anger and animosity mirrored in each man’s eyes.
Jasper had his cropped head signed; he actually had ‘BNP’ razored into one side. He looked like a reject from the Third Reich. Then there was Jon Jon with his soft dreads and coffee-coloured skin. The only thing they had in common at this moment was their mutual hatred.
‘She is fourteen years old and you are one dead ponce.’
Jasper shook his head.
‘I care about her and there’s nothing you can do about it. You don’t own her.’
The arrogance in his voice was like a red rag to a bull.
‘She is my sister, my flesh and blood, and scum like you
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