Michael opened his eyes slowly at Josephine’s question. He was just about to fall asleep, he was so tired, even though it was the middle of the afternoon. It had been a long, stressful week.
‘’Course I am, you silly mare.’ He tightened his hold on Josephine, pulling her naked body even closer to him. ‘You don’t half ask some daft questions, you know.’
Josephine laughed. ‘I just love hearing you say it!’
She was lying against him; they were a perfect fit together and she lived for these stolen moments in her bed. Her mum and dad were at the betting shop today going over the books, so she and Michael were safe for a few hours. She suspected her mother knew they were sleeping together but she knew they wouldn’t talk about it out loud. She loved to be alone with Michael like this. She knew that he loved her, and she understood that he had a lot of things to take care of when they were out. She was happy to stand with her friends, chat, have a laugh, and wait for him to come and claim her. But, sometimes, she wished that he would forget about his work just for one night, and take her out like he used to, just the two of them. Now they were either in his club or one of his pubs. He would be here, there and everywhere, and she tried not to mind too much, but it was hard sometimes.
He’d fallen asleep, was snoring now, and she sighed. She didn’t really have that many friends, the majority of the girls were just hangers-on. They were nice enough, she supposed, but she was aware that the main attraction was that she was Michael Flynn’s girlfriend. They wanted to be a part of his world; they all flirted with him when he was beside her, throwing blatantly provocative looks his way. She could see that he wasn’t interested in any of them, though – he loved her, she was certain of that.
She was better looking than any of them anyway. She’d always been aware of her beauty – accepted it as a fact of life. One of her earliest memories was somebody saying to her mum what a beautiful child she was. She wasn’t a bighead – she didn’t use her looks for attention; after all, she only had eyes for Michael. One of the nuns at her school had said to her that she was a lucky girl because she was beautiful inside and out. The nun had also told her that beauty could be a scourge, and to remember that looks faded eventually, but the beauty inside her was for ever. She had liked hearing that. It had the ring of truth to it.
She remembered the first time she had seen Michael. She had been fourteen years old, and she had been walking home from school. She had looked across the busy high road, and seen the most handsome boy ever, standing stock still, and he had been staring at her. She had smiled at him suddenly, as shy as she was then, and that had been it. He had walked over the road, dodging in and out of the traffic, and she had waited for him as if it had been the most natural thing in the world.
Once they were married she would feel much better. It would be different then, she wouldn’t have to go out with him, night after night. She would have a home to look after, babies to take care of. She couldn’t wait. She wanted a girl first, a little girl who would help her take care of her siblings. As they were both only children, she and Michael agreed that they would have a houseful of babies. All gorgeous, and all wanted.
She fell asleep beside him thinking of names for her babies that were waiting to be born.
Chapter Thirteen
Patrick and Declan Costello were both listening intently as Michael explained the situation that Rob Barber had caused in the nightclub.
His voice expressed no emotion as he gave them both the facts. This was something that had to be decided by the Costellos; his personal anger would play no part. Still it was hard for him to keep his personal opinions to himself.
He made Paulie O’Keefe sound like the hero of the hour, careful to emphasise that he had only wanted to keep Michael out of anything that might cause unnecessary trouble with the Barbers and that was why he’d kept silent at first. He could see Patrick nodding his head as if he could understand that kind of logic. It wouldn’t have been through any cowardice – everyone knew that Paulie O’Keefe was more than capable of standing up for himself should the need arise. Paulie had the reputation of a real marler, a fighter’s fighter. Once he was set off, he would bite, kick, punch, head-butt, use any available weaponry, no holds barred. He was also known to easily take on more than one opponent if necessary. No, that Paulie O’Keefe had not demolished young Rob Barber was the feat in itself here.