Time To Play by KA Richardson (best book club books of all time TXT) 📗

changed. She stepped back, and he saw confusion on her face. He didn’t have time to react as her hand slapped him hard across the face, and she started screaming.

His dad sat there, shrugged his shoulders as if saying ‘you can deal with this one’ and took another drink of his coffee.

His mum had just calmed down, and he had her seated in her chair by the window when the front door opened, and Fred strode inside. He hated that, his uncle just walking in unannounced as if he had the God given right to do so.

‘Fred,’ he greeted coolly.

‘Just off, are you? Never could stick around when the going got tough, you. You’re a disgrace. Your mother should have drowned you at birth.’

‘Well, she didn’t so you’re shit out of luck on that point. Go fuck yourself, Fred.’ Connor felt his blood start to boil. A confrontation was well overdue. He was sick to the back teeth of being blackmailed and pushed around by his uncle, and today, for the first time, it showed.

‘You wanna watch who you’re talking to, lad. I’ve shivved people for less. You think you’re so hard, the big tough cop. You’re nothing but a bloody water rat. That last intel you passed me was a crock of shit, too. Doing it on purpose, are you? ’Cos if that’s the case, I might as well kill you. You’ve never been of any real use, anyway.’

‘So shiv me then, you bastard,’ spat Connor. ‘Coz I’ve had it leaking intel to you about raids, and having you sneer in my face. You don’t know jack about me. I’m better than this.’

‘You think? I doubt it like. Gunna go in and ’fess up are you? Tell the big boss that you’ve been slipping your uncle confidential information about raids and the like?’

As Connor hung his head, Fred grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall. His shoulder blade hit the metal edge of the mounted mirror.

‘Just try it, you little shit, I swear to God, you come after me and I’ll show you a side you’ll wish you’d never unleashed. Not only will I make sure I drain every single penny from your beloved parents and pack their bloody boxes meself, I’ll bring that lovely little Marie home and teach her what it’s like to earn her keep. She’ll learn just what her education cost me in the most heinous of ways. And all you’ll be able to do is sit and watch.’

‘Get off me, you fucking prick,’ said Connor, pulling free of his grasp. He raised his fist and swung it round, connecting with Fred’s face. Fred stumbled, then turned in full rage. Grabbing Connor’s shirt, he swung him round and threw him against the unit in the hallway. One of his mum’s vases flew and shattered on the floor. Then Fred brought a knee up into Connor’s stomach, causing the breath to expel from his lungs and making him gasp as he tried to draw in oxygen. His uncle was full of rage, and Connor couldn’t avoid the fist that impacted with his nose. His eyes streamed as blood spurted forth and gurgled in his throat.

Connor heard a roar from the kitchen door and saw his dad barrel through and tackle Fred. He was like an animal possessed, raining punches down on Fred’s face, grunting, and red-cheeked.

Connor grabbed his dad and pulled him off. ‘Dad, stop, it’s OK. I’m OK, stop it!’

His dad sagged against him. ‘He hit you. I’m sorry, Son. I’m sorry.’

‘Son? He’s not your son,’ snapped Fred, pulling himself to his feet. ‘Your shitty sperm couldn’t even create a speck of life, you useless twat. It was damn lucky I was on hand to help old Sheila out, wasn’t it, or you’d never have had those bloody spawn you call yours.’

His dad paled and whispered, ‘No. You swore you’d never tell. You bastard. Get out of my house.’

‘Your house? I think you’ll find the mortgage is in my name. I’ll have my solicitor pen out your eviction notice. Or even better I’ll just send round the boys. Let them give you a helping hand. I’m done with this shit. You’re a bunch of ungrateful fucking arseholes. Good luck on the streets. And as for you, son, I’ll be looking out for you.’

Fred then turned and left, slamming the door so hard it shook the house.

Connor was in shock. What the hell just happened? Not my dad?

Silent tears fell down his dad’s face. ‘I’m sorry, son,’ he repeated, his voice shaking.

‘What did he mean, Dad? He said you weren’t my dad. Is that true? Is Fred my dad?’

His dad fell silent, his head shaking from side to side, his eyes filled with sorrow.

‘Dad…’ Pushed Connor, turning him round and looking at him. He looked so sad, so full of pain that Connor knew instantly what Fred had said was true. Instinctively, he stepped back. ‘Jesus. That prick is my father? Why would you and Mum do that, Dad? Why would you turn to him?’

‘He used to be different,’ defended his dad feebly. ‘Before…’

‘Before what? Before he got into the whore and drug business? Before we were born? Jesus, why the hell would you keep something like that from us. Marie’s going to be devastated. Fuck.’ Connor paused, hurt filling him completely. How the fuck am I meant to deal with this? He knew he couldn’t, not now. ‘I can’t be here right now, Dad. I need to go.’

As he walked down the path, he wondered what else in his life would turn to shit. Everything he knew to be true was falling apart. Christ, his mother had shagged his uncle. More than once. And his dad knew. Did life get any more fucked up than that?

 

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ali’s flat, Sunderland – 15 November

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