The Annie Carter Series Books 1–4. Jessie Keane
back from the drawing. ‘I told you, I don’t get involved.’
Annie looked at him. ‘Do you sell your work?’
‘What?’ Now it was Kieron’s turn to be off balance.
‘You heard me. You sell it, don’t you?’
‘Of course I sell it.’
‘In London galleries?’
‘Yes.’
‘Ah.’
‘What do you mean, “ah”?’
‘Doesn’t the fact that you’re a member of the Delaney family work in your favour when it comes to getting gallery-owners to display your stuff?’
Kieron stared at her.
‘Or am I wrong? Do those gallery-owners kiss the Delaneys’ arseholes rather than risk the consequences?’
‘You’re a cheeky little mare, ain’t ya?’ said Kieron.
Annie shrugged. ‘All I’m saying is, you’re a Delaney when it suits you.’
Kieron threw aside his nub of charcoal. ‘Go on, get out. Get out before I kick your audacious arse down those stairs.’
‘The truth hurts, doesn’t it?’
‘Out!’
Something flared in his eyes, something Annie hadn’t seen before. She frowned as she left.
He’d noticed her now, all right. And she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. But as she hit the street she was smiling again.
When she got back to Celia’s place, she found Darren, Aretha, Ellie and Dolly sitting around the kitchen table sunk in gloom.
‘What?’ she asked, feeling high because she’d managed to get one over on a Delaney without getting herself killed in the process.
Darren looked up at her. He still had two fabulous shiners from where Eddie’s attacker had punched him in the nose. He didn’t look good at all.
‘Celia’s gone,’ he said.
Annie sat down. ‘What?’
‘She went overnight,’ said Aretha. ‘All her clothes are gone, and her suitcase, she’s scarpered.’
‘Did she say anything before she left?’ asked Annie. This didn’t seem feasible. This place would be lost without Celia.
‘She left this for you,’ said Ellie. She gave Dolly a scathing look. ‘Dolly was going to rip it up.’
‘Grass,’ spat Dolly.
‘Open the thing, we’ve been dying to know what she says,’ said Aretha.
‘I was going to steam it open,’ confessed Darren.
‘What stopped you?’ asked Annie.
‘Ellie said she’d tell.’
Annie nodded. Ellie would always tell. Dolly would always be stroppy, and Darren would always be sweetly reasonable. As for Aretha … Annie thought she wanted watching. Aretha was the expert on supplying the needs of their kinkier clients, there was a dark side to her temperament. All these things she had learned. She tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter inside. It said:
Annie love,
I’m going away for a bit, I can’t say where. Take over here, sorry I can’t say for how long. You know the ropes, and if you get stuck Darren will help, he’s a good boy.
Love
Celia.
Annie read it twice, the breath catching in her throat, a thousand thoughts running through her head. Celia, gone. Celia who had taken her in and given her a home when the rest of the world had spat at her. It didn’t seem real somehow. And she didn’t want to even think about this place without her, it would be empty, soulless.
She passed the letter to Darren. He read it, and passed it to Aretha. She passed it to Ellie, then Dolly, who looked ready to explode.
‘I’m not taking fucking orders off you,’ she told Annie.
Annie felt bereft. She’d become so close to Celia, and her presence was going to be sorely missed. But she couldn’t blame her for putting some distance between herself and the Carters. Eddie sounded really bad, and what if the worst – God forbid – happened? Celia would be up shit creek, no doubt about it. Celia had done the wise thing. But Annie was going to miss her like a limb.
Annie took a deep, calming breath. All right, so Celia was gone and God knew for how long. But she owed her everything, and it was up to her to make sure that Celia could return to a going concern, not a washout.
‘You don’t have to take orders from me,’ said Annie.
Dolly looked at her. ‘I should bloody-well think not,’ she huffed.
‘You can fuck off out of here right now, if you want to.’
Dolly’s rosebud mouth fell open. Darren, Aretha and Ellie sat rigid with shock.
‘You what?’
Dolly stood up, knocking her chair over with a clatter.
‘Are you deaf as well as stupid?’ asked Annie, giving her a hard stare. ‘Celia’s put me in charge and I’m going to do the right thing by her. If that means losing your services, fair enough. Bugger off then. If you want to stay, you can put the kettle on and fucking-well button it, okay?’
Ellie would always squeal. Annie knew it. So she wasn’t surprised when Pat Delaney called in person a few days later. Ellie was the Delaneys’ inside source, she knew it. She handed him the usual wad, and he pocketed it thoughtfully.
‘I hear there’s been trouble,’ he said, making himself comfortable at the table.
Annie nodded coolly. As powerfully as she had taken to Kieron on first sight, his older brother Pat repulsed her. He had a big leery face and was busy looking her over, but he was a Delaney. Although she didn’t want to, she had to give him some respect. Of course the Delaneys were supposed to make sure there was no trouble, although you wouldn’t know it judging by what had happened to Eddie and Darren.
‘There has,’ she agreed, sitting down opposite so he’d take his eyes off her legs for a minute. Darren and Ellie and Dolly were upstairs; Aretha was out. I’m in charge here now, she thought, and tried to remember it.
‘A client was attacked here,’ said Annie.
‘That’s a shame,’ said Pat, obviously not meaning it.
‘Yeah, it is,’ agreed Annie. ‘He was an important one.’
‘I heard that shirt-lifter Carter got slit,’ said Pat with a grin.
‘Celia didn’t want any trouble with the Carters. Neither do I, and she left me in charge.’
‘And you are …?’
‘I’m Annie Bailey, Celia’s niece.’ Annie pushed Celia’s letter across the table to him. Her heart was thumping and her mouth was dry, but she kept up the cool front.
Pat read the note then looked up. ‘You think you can run this place?’ he asked, and his eyes said he found this funny.
‘I know I can. I’ve learned the ropes from Celia.’
‘I could put a manager in,’ said Pat.
‘Celia didn’t want that. She wanted me to take over.’
Pat eyed the girl carefully. Annie was a real beauty. And he was in a position of power here.
‘And you want to do that?’ he asked.
‘Yes.’ She didn’t want