Scarlet Women

own standing as Max Carter’s widow, for a start. The Carter boys would take it badly if she betrayed Max’s memory. She’d be tossed out into oblivion at the very least.

At that moment, Charlie Foster knocked on the door of the static and poked his head in. He had crew-cut pale brown hair, a blob of a nose and very light blue eyes that always seemed to be having a private joke—at someone else’s expense.

‘That fucking Carter cow’s here, says she wants a word,’ he said.

Both Redmond and Orla tensed.

Speak of the devil, and she appears, thought Orla.

‘She’s alone?’ asked Redmond. ‘You checked her over?’

Charlie had reason enough to be careful around Annie Carter. He’d just patted her down with his own stunted hand. He had only seven fingers to everyone else’s eight, and that was down to Annie Carter. He’d love to get that high-toned bitch alone down a dark alley. In fact, he was determined to do just that, one of these days.

‘She’s got her boy with her. And she’s not packing anything but a good set of knockers.’

Orla stifled a grimace of disgust. Charlie Foster was like a wild thing, partially tamed but never completely stable. She hated his leering, ever-smiling face and his pale predatory eyes that seemed to strip every woman he encountered—even her. He might be Redmond’s right-hand man, but he was also a vicious thug without any conscience. He was dangerous. Redmond valued that, and used it. It made Orla nervous. She had a mental picture of him frisking Annie Carter down in the yard, and had to suppress a shudder.

‘Show her in,’ said Redmond.

Charlie opened the door wide. Not quite wide enough to let Annie Carter enter easily. She had to squeeze past him, and Charlie’s smile told them all how much he enjoyed that. Tony the driver came in after, nudging Charlie out of the way. Charlie’s cocky grin widened. He stayed there, the door wide open, listening and watching.

‘Mrs Carter,’ said Redmond, not standing up.

They hadn’t changed, Annie thought. They were still beautiful, the twins, with their red hair and pale, clear skin—and still chilly as the Arctic tundra. Dangerous people. But you didn’t ever show fear when you faced down a foe—Max had taught her that. Be cool, be confident, be in control. Never let them see you wobble; never let them see you bleed.

‘What can we do for you?’ asked Redmond, his voice just the same as she remembered, a cool Irish lilt, almost soothing, almost lulling you into a false sense of security. But you had to be on your guard with Redmond. Redmond was smart, and he didn’t care who or what he flattened to get his way.

It had been a risk, coming here again. Tony hadn’t been happy about it. But things had to be said, and she had to show them that she was not afraid to say them.

‘You can back off from the Barolli club contracts,’ said Annie flatly. She could feel nervous sweat trickling down her back but she spoke steadily, clearly. ‘Constantine Barolli told me you offered to halve our charges.’

‘Did he also tell you that he hasn’t yet decided whether or not to accept our very generous offer, or to stay with the Carters?’ asked Orla.

Annie looked at her. Once, she had thought Max was all wrong about these two. Vipers, he’d told her. Never trust a Delaney. Once, she had tried to convince Max that this feud was madness. But not now.

Now, she saw things as they really were. Now she could not forget that Billy Black had died in her arms, dragged through the streets behind a Delaney car, on Redmond’s orders, the skin flaying from his body, every bone getting broken and every muscle mangled.

She looked squarely at Orla. Gorgeous pale green eyes, a long patrician face. Oh yes, they were beautiful, the Delaney twins. Beautiful, Machiavellian, and deadly.

‘He won’t accept your offer,’ she said flatly, although in her heart she wasn’t sure of that. ‘He’s loyal to the Carter firm.’

‘Is he?’ Redmond asked her curiously. ‘Or just to you?’

Annie sent Redmond a freezing glance, but her stomach was suddenly in a knot. What had made Redmond say that?

‘Barolli’s content to deal with the Carter firm because we’ve always given a good, solid, reliable service. And I’d appreciate it if you’d back off.’

They looked at her blankly. Orla sipped her whisky.

‘I mean it,’ said Annie, her heart thumping madly in her chest.

‘We’re really scared,’ said Charlie Foster from behind her.

Annie turned her head and looked at his sneering face. ‘You ought to be,’ she said, and Tony lunged at him and had him by the throat in a split second.

Charlie let out a half-strangled yell. Tony hoisted him off his feet and glared into his eyes.

‘You be careful what you say to Mrs Carter, you cocksucker,’ he growled.

Annie turned and looked at the twins, sitting there at the desk.

‘Back off from Barolli,’ she said, and turned on her heel and walked out the door and down the steps and off across the yard to the gate.

Tony gave Charlie a last shake and dropped him. He sagged, clutching at the wall, gasping in breaths. Then Tony followed Annie out the door.

‘Fuckers,’ hissed Charlie, his perennial smile gone for once. His eyes following the pair of them with hate. He had unfinished business with Annie Carter. He watched her go out of the gate, and promised himself that, soon, he was going to get her. Get her good.

Chapter 16

‘Try this,’ said Redmond, and he had given her a small brown bottle with white pills in it.

Mira took it listlessly.

She saw him looking at her, and knew what he was thinking—that she looked like shit, not like his bright, vibrant beauty at all, and he was annoyed at this; he liked things right. He’d told her that what she needed was pepping up, and he knew where to get things that would help. He’d got these from one of the suppliers his people knew on the street.

‘What are they?’ she had asked him, awkwardly aware of the big shadows under her eyes. Shit, she hadn’t even thought to apply her make-up. It wasn’t like her to let herself go this way. ‘Just some uppers to give you a lift.’

‘I’m not sure…’

Redmond had drawn her in close and kissed her. Mira turned her head away, just a fraction, but she knew he noted it. Noted it, and was angered by it. She could see the anger in his eyes, could read his thoughts again. For fuck’s sake, he was thinking, she’d had an abortion. Millions of women had abortions. There was no need to go to bloody pieces over it.

‘What, don’t you trust me?’ he asked her. ‘I’d only ever do what’s best for you. You know that, don’t you?’

Mira nodded warily.

‘That’s good,’ said Redmond. ‘You love me, yes?’

She had nodded again. She didn’t, not any more. But he was holding her, his strong hands encasing her jaw, his fingers brushing her neck. He smiled his angelic smile and gazed into her eyes.

‘That’s good,’ he said. ‘You know that if you ever tried to leave me, I’d kill you, don’t you?’

Oh Jesus, thought Mira. But again she nodded.

He let her go, satisfied. He fetched water from the kitchen. Sun had been streaming into the flat