“Did anyone get hurt, Cam? Just answer me.”
“No, no one got hurt. Trever Blows, the bloke who owns the house, is in debt up to his eyeballs. The people he owes money to are associates of mine and of your family. Trevor owes about three hundred grand. We offered the people he owes a hundred K to clear the debt; they accepted. The rest is just what they added on as interest. Trevor lets us buy the house for two hundred and fifty less than he’s asking because he thinks he’s saving his self fifty grand as he owes three hundred. Are you following?” Barely, but I’m not going to let him know that so I nod. “He’s happy. We’re happy. Everyone’s happy. No one gets hurt and we get a house for a hundred and fifty grand below market value.”
I’m silent for a few moments as I try to work all of that out.
“Don’t lie or go behind my back again.”
“I won’t. I promise. Now come here and fuck me.”
So I do.
Chapter Twenty-Five
My brother’s house is spectacular. It’s the kind of house when you’re little and you imagine being rich and living in your dream house, this would be it.
I don’t know what Lennon is actually worth these days, but it’s a lot. From his days of being the only one with a licence and in charge of the van he drove Carnage around in, he had gone on to become their manager and then to setting up his own agency, which now represented musicians, actors, models and sports stars. He had invested his money wisely, executively producing up and coming bands that had gone on to make it big and also a number of films that had been hugely successful.
It’s funny really. Lennon hadn’t actually been a member of Carnage to the outside world, but backstage, they would’ve folded long before they did without his guidance and input. He had made a lot of money from the band, and rightly so, he had worked bloody hard to make them the success they became.
Lennon had also helped Sean and Marley out with investing their money in the right places, and even though Sean wasn’t around to make money anymore, his songs still earned royalties and his investments still drew a profit, all of which I entrusted Lennon to deal with on my behalf.
I sit watching him now as he tells a story about Marley chatting up a transvestite one drunken night in Hamburg. Marley’s pulling his usual sulky teenager face he wears whenever the joke’s on him, but the rest of us are laughing.
It’s been heart-warming tonight to watch my brothers interact with and be accepting of Cam. But the room suddenly falls silent as Sean’s name is mentioned by Len telling his story.
Cam’s sitting with his arm around the back of my chair, his fingertips making a small circular pattern under my hair at the nape of my neck and I notice him stop for a split second as Len says Sean’s name.
Marley’s eyes catch mine and he winks, my brother’s way of letting me know, that me and him, we’re okay. I wink back.
“I’ve got some news,” I announce when Len has finished his story. We haven’t told them about the house yet and spurred on by the wine I had with my dinner and my brother’s wink, I now feel confident enough to share.
I look up at Cam, just checking he’s happy with me letting my brothers know; he looks and winks at me too.
I look back at my brothers and their wives gathered around the table and think about how far we’ve all come in our lives. I start to feel emotional, then I notice something. For some reason it suddenly occurs to me that Jimmie, Ash and Sam haven’t had a drink all night.
“Well, come on, George, don’t keep us in suspenders,” Ash whines.
“Hmmm, I actually like my wife being kept in suspenders, nothing but stockings and suspenders, and luckily, she likes wearing them for me,” Lennon announces as he nuzzles into Jimmie’s neck.
“That’s coz your wife’s a slut,” I tell Len and wink at Jim. This is so not how I planned on this conversation going.
“Don’t call my wife a slut,” Lennon protests, but I know he’s only joking.
“You can call my wife one. I like it.” We all turn and look at Marley. “What? I do.” I shake my head at him, not daring to look at Cam. He’s never seen my brothers in action like this and I’m wondering what he must be making of our interactions.
“You know there’s something seriously wrong with you right, Marls?” I can hear Cam give a small chuckle from beside me and I turn to see him smiling down at me.
Jimmie bangs her hand down on the table and before everyone has shut up, she starts talking. “Despite being sluts, Ash and I have some news too.”
“Well, I was first, your news can wait.” Jimmie shrugs at me.
“Fine, I’ll wait. Just spit it out, George.” Before I can speak, Cam does.
“Actually, can I just say something?”