Page 76 of Kicks

Billy found it quite exciting to have the flat to himself. He’d packed Eddie off to work that morning. Crystal and Harry wouldn’t be home from Manchester until later in the afternoon. It all felt very easy and domesticated.

The shop was closed until the fitters had done their thing. He couldn’t understand why Eddie appeared to be stalling onthe contract. If it was anyone else, Billy would suspect they were going to pull a fast one and raise the cut for Pleasure Seekers.

Surely, he wouldn’t. Not now.

The doorbell rang.

Billy frowned. It couldn’t be Harry. Besides, Crystal had a key.

He doubted very much it would be Eddie. He’d mentioned an important meeting first thing.

With a nagging sensation of dread, he made his way to the door. Billy opened it and for a second thought the world had turned upside down.

“Hello, William. Long time no see.”

“What the fuck?”

“Is that anyway to welcome your stepfather? Should I come in?”

“No.”

“Fine. We can do this on the doorstep. I’ll warn you, I’ve got a really loud voice since I’ve been inside. You have to be noisy to get anything, you see.”

Billy’s whole body trembled. He allowed Brian to come in.

“That’s better,” he said.

Brian strolled into the apartment as if he owned the place. Billy closed the door and followed him in.

“You look well,” he said, guardedly.

It was a lie. Brian looked pasty white with black rings around his eyes. Not that he’d been attractive, even when Billy’s mother married him.

“So do you,” Brian replied. “Done well for yourself I see. Or did my money pay for this?”

Billy scowled. “I bought this before Mum died. Don’t worry.”

Brian wandered around, taking note of everything.

“What do you want, Brian?”

“After nine years, that’s all you can say to me?”

Billy wanted him out of the flat as quickly as possible.

“There’s a reason you’re in my home. Let’s get to it.”

Brian walked closer to Billy. Billy calculated whether he would be able to defend himself if Brian launched at him. When he’d been married to Billy’s mother, Brian had been a slob. It appeared that he had been spending time in the prison gym over the last decade. Billy certainly didn’t want to chance it.

“Not one visit. From any of you,” Brian snarled.

“Mum visited you.”

“Useless bitch.”

That was too much. Regardless of Brian’s newfound muscles, Billy grabbed hold of him by the T-shirt and slammed him against the wall.

“Don’t you ever speak about her like that.”