Christmas to Come: a heartbreaking coming of age saga set in London's East End Carol Rivers (best sales books of all time .txt) 📖

can have it all? Live without threat or danger and enjoy one another. If the Bryants opposed the new blood then we would challenge the upstarts who have no conception of talking a deal through. They use force at the drop of a hat. Anyone who stands in their way is eliminated.'

'Even us?'

Ronnie nodded slowly. 'Especially us. Until now McNee has kept to his manor. But the word on the street is he is moving across the city and offering a price to let it be known that he is a fair man. That is, fair in his estimation. Of course, he also offers protection; a monkey each month if you prefer. Now you do the sums, Bella. And tell me a wedge like that is worth staying in business for.'

Bella's gasp was audible. 'Five hundred pounds? For protection?'

He nodded. 'Pay up and you don't have your windows smashed or your staff crippled.'

'Oh, Ronnie, Micky would go crazy if he knew that.'

'Which is why I decided to cut loose, make a clean break.' Suddenly his face darkened. 'But I tell you this, it has stuck in my craw that I can't help Joyce. And one day I will see justice done. But at this moment in time Billy McNee has scored.'

She had never heard Ronnie speak with such passion before. 'Will McNee ever be stopped?'

'Oh yes,' he assured her, a cold smile on his lips. 'There are others on the scene, like the twins from Bethnal Green. Billy Hill and Jack Comer, crews with formidable reps who will graduate into the big time. Odds on, it will be a turf war like the East End has never seen.'

Bella felt the weight of his words and knew she had reason to be afraid. Not only for Micky but for young Michael. She didn't want to spend her life wondering if Micky would come home in one piece each day, or whether Michael was safe at school. If Ronnie was to be believed, the sooner they adjusted to a new life the better.

'What will Joyce do?'

He smiled distractedly. 'I'd like to put a ring on her finger but she's refused me.'

'But she caught my bouquet, Ron. You two were meant for each other.'

'That's what I told her.'

'She loves you, I know she does.'

'Not enough to marry me, apparently,' Ronnie sighed.

'She'll change her mind, she's just upset.'

He looked into the fire. 'I don't want to lose her, Bella.'

Suddenly she saw the real Ronnie, the man who always kept his feelings hidden, who she looked on as someone even stronger than her Micky. If Ronnie loved Joyce as much as she loved Micky, he would do anything for her, and at this moment in time, the one thing that meant the world to Joyce were her girls. And she was loosing them. Ronnie had been unable to help her and it was destroying him.

She knelt down beside him. 'Ronnie, it will all be all right. I know it will.'

He nodded, taking her chin in his fingers. 'The family and Joyce, who I consider as part of this family, is what I am doing this for, Bella. My natural inclination is to take hold of Billy McNee and crush him. But I have better sense than to screw up what I have worked so hard to preserve. I would give my life for you all, for Sean and Micky and you and young Michael. I love you all and want the best for each one of you.'

For a moment they looked into each other's eyes. Bella felt a ripple go through her body as he drew nearer. The fire crackled and his mouth full parted as he bent slowly towards her. Then suddenly he jerked back his head and stood up.

The front door closed quietly behind him. She closed her eyes and sank back on her heels. She didn't want to think what had almost happened then.

Ashley was humming along to Hank Williams singing Your Cheating' Heart at the same time lacquering the curly blonde hair of the young girl sitting in the chair next to Bella. The salon was busy, as it always was on Saturdays. And with Christmas in sight, the December rush was on. The six pink hooded hair dryers in the next room were humming away, the heads beneath them covered in purple hairnets with pads of cotton wool pressed to each ear. Behind each magazine was a face, oblivious to the soft music that was being played in the main salon.

Ashley winked at Bella as he teased the girl's curls into place and Bella smiled shyly, inhaling as she did so the strong odours around her. On the trolley was a box full of pink, blue and white plastic rollers, all of which had just been removed from her own head. Sean had gone off to find a brush that was suitable for the management of her thick, shoulder length hair. The ponytail that she always wore was about to be styled into a long, glossy pageboy.

'Now, where shall we comb your parting?' Sean frowned intently as he appeared again, his long, artistic fingers rearranging the loose chestnut locks that fell about her head.

'On the right. It always falls back if I comb it any other way.'

'You should use more lacquer.'

Bella coughed gently as Sean enveloped them in another cloud of spray from the bottle.

'Seany, give the girl a break,' Ashley warned, rolling his eyes. 'She doesn't need to be drowned in it.'

'I know, I know,' Sean answered tartly, raising his voice above the strains of the Chordettes singing Mr. Sandman. 'But there's a wind blowing out there and she has to walk all the way back through the foot tunnel.' Sean placed a hand on Bella's shoulder. 'Will you be in time to collect young Michael from school?'

Bella nodded, grateful the lacquer had now been returned to Ashley. 'It's their Christmas party today, so the bell won't go till a bit later.'

'Just you look after yourself then. It's still