Nasty Business

Gillian Godden

Description

'A gritty powerful story. A must read for fans of gangland crime.' Bestselling author Kerry Kaya

Bold, daring and ruthless, Tony Lambrianu is now the main player in London’s sleazy but lucrative underworld.

As the boss of a high-end nightclub in the West End and with a never-ending string of gorgeous women on his arm, Tony is the darling of the tabloids. However, despite his success, the little boy who lived on the streets is never far away.

Desperate for respect, he’s driven to achieve more and more. Most of all, he craves the acceptance of Ralph Gold and to become a bigger part of his extensive web of organised crime.

Fearlessly facing up to enemies, winning battles and becoming the undisputed boss of the London underworld can be a nasty business, but it’s the only business Tony knows. And he’ll stop at nothing to succeed!

Please note, this is a re-release of Nasty Business previously published by Gillian Godden

Sujets

• Policier & Thriller
• Thriller
• Policier
• Mashups
• Legal
• Psychological
• Private Investigators
• Hard-Boiled
• Amateur Sleuth
• Thrillers
• Coming of Age
• Adventure (Guyana)
• Suspenso
• Gran Londres
• Friendship
• Street crime
• Psychological thriller
• Domestic
• Violent crime
• Corporate crime
• General officer
• Psychology
• Organized crime
• Greater London
• Espionage
• City Life
• General
• Adventure
• Central London
• Crime
• Legall de Kermeur
• Family Life
• Suspense
• Grand Londres
• Fiction
• London

Informations

• Publié par: Boldwood Books
• Date de parution: 09 juin 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781802801194
• Langue: English

Extrait

NASTY BUSINESS



GILLIAN GODDEN
CONTENTS



Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20


Acknowledgments

More from Gillian Godden

About the Author

About Boldwood Books
1
OPENING NIGHT

‘Tony, I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year to get this place looking right. I must say, mate, I never thought you’d make it, but you’ve worked wonders!’ Jake Sinclair slowly walked around the bar area and ran his fingers over the newly-fitted bar. They had both come a long way since being orphaned boys living with their foster mother, Elle. But this new club, bearing his name, was what Tony Lambrianu’s dreams were made of.
Tony had been at the building site – now the club – from the very beginning. Each day he’d turned up there and watched the builders demolish any remnants of the bossman, as the previous manager had been known, and the sleazy run-down club, with its peeling plaster and yellow ceilings, stained by nicotine, that he had overseen. Tony had even got his own hands dirty, but this was his baby, and he loved it. Each time he looked inside behind the dust sheets and heavy plastic sheeting at the dusty room with planks of wood scattered around and a cement mixer in the middle of the floor he smiled. Even the scaffolding outside while the workmen fixed the roof had looked beautiful to him. This was his goal and it had been a real achievement. He may only be the manager for Don Carlos and Ralph Gold now, but he was determined that he would own this club, lock, stock and barrel. This was his time. Lambrianu’s was no longer just a dream – it had become a reality.
Tony walked round it with Jake – his business partner and the man he thought of as his brother – Jake’s wife, Sharon, and Elle, who had fostered both boys from a young age and had undoubtably saved their lives. Together they looked at the furnishings and took in the whole ambience, and they were astonished by the transformation. Elle had come to wish her boys well and see ‘Lambrianu palace’, as Tony called it. She may have been way past nightclubs, preferring evenings at home with a cup of cocoa in hand, but it was nice that they both still wanted her involved in their lives. She knew the place would be a success because Tony had put his heart and soul into it. Anyone would think he owned it already.
Elle couldn’t be prouder. Her boys, both from different backgrounds with different reasons for social services to bring them to her door. A smile crossed her face when she thought about the good old days when Tony had been permanently in trouble and Jake permanently on his heels. They weren’t blood brothers, but their bond was stronger. They both needed each other in their own way. And side by side they could fight the world. Elle knew her job was done, and that gave her a warm feeling. These two misfits were her jewels in the crown and she loved them.
Full of excitement, Tony and Jake had given her daily news bulletins about the mystery they had created. Apart from the initial clean-up she had done when they had first looked it over, she had steered clear and left them to their own devices. Now, standing in the club with her boys while they showed her all of the fancy gadgets they had installed, she felt satisfied and proud. She couldn’t stop grinning as Jake gave her a twirl around the dance floor. Laughing out loud and catching her breath, she told them she was ready to go home and leave them to enjoy it all.
‘You haven’t heard the best bit yet Elle.’ Tony’s blue eyes sparkled like sapphires and his face was flushed with excitement. ‘People have actually been placing bets on what was being built behind the long dust sheets and scaffolding. Everyone’s been talking about it. It’s amazing.’
Tony was right though, the building works had been watched eagerly by the public as they passed by on their way to work each day. Buses full of passengers and black cabs driving through the West End all seemed to be waiting for the finished result. The large building – now no longer surrounded by scaffolding and covered by long dust sheets – had attracted a lot of public interest.
Tony’s request that the sign outside should be pink neon had initially seemed shocking, but there was no denying it worked. The designers had continued the pink theme inside, to create an intimate atmosphere.
The bar was circular, the black top resting on a chrome base, and chrome stools with pink leather seats surrounded it. The dance floor looked as though it was made of large glass tiles. Multi-coloured lights flashed and flared beneath it, lighting up the whole area, making it the centrepiece of the club. The theme continued with round black tables, surrounded by horseshoe-shaped pink leather sofas and private booths for those who wanted to sit away from the crowds. High up, near the ceiling, was a large glass DJ’s booth, and a stage, should they ever want to put on live entertainment. It all looked amazing.
Tony and Jake had their own office, and CCTV monitors lined the walls both inside and outside of the club, so they could watch everything that was going on. No one was going to creep up on him and walk in without warning, the way he had once done to the South London mob boss, Marlon, and the hapless – now deceased – Eddie Rawlings.
All they needed, now, after all this hard work and waiting, were customers.
Sharon had suggested flyers advertising opening night and a notification in the local newspaper. Local tearaway, Dan, and his gang of youths who now all worked for Tony, had been given the job of posting the flyers everywhere and anywhere they could. Sharon had interviewed and hired bar staff, while Tony and Jake had sorted out security.
And now was the moment of truth. But would anyone actually turn up?
Everything was in place. Two of the bouncers, smartly dressed in black suits and ties, were in charge of the doors. The bar staff and waitresses stood ready, dressed in black trousers, white shirts and pink bow ties.
Tony stood at the bar on opening night, having a drink with Elle, Sharon and Jake, impatiently waiting for the clock to strike nine – opening time. This project would either take off and be a success or turn out to have been a money pit and a waste of everyone’s time.
The club felt like an empty ghost town and suddenly twice the size it really was. Even though there was excitement in the air, there was also nervous tension, and none of them had much to say to each other.
The bar staff were polishing the glasses and making themselves busy to pass the time. The waitresses stood at the side of the bar, waiting patiently for some customers. It felt as if time had stopped. Everyone seemed bored and restless; even when the music started up, it didn’t make much difference.
‘I can’t stand this any more,’ said Jake, ‘I feel sick. I’m going to take a look outside to see if there’s anyone around.’ No matter what happened, both Jake and Tony knew they had to put on a brave face and look confident. At this stage there was nothing else they could do.
Moments later, Jake came running back over, nearly tripping up in his haste. His eyes were wide and his face wore a shocked expression. ‘Tony! Tony!’ he shouted.
Tony was still standing at the bar drinking a large whisky for Dutch courage. Everyone turned to Jake on hearing him shout and, even in the dimly-lit club, they could see the colour had drained from his face.
Jake was out of breath; he was panting and trying to speak at the same time. ‘There’s a queue around the block, loads of people are waiting to come in! Come and see.’
Jake led the way, almost running the full length of the club to get back to the doors. Tony and Sharon followed. Looking past the bouncers on the doors, Tony saw a long line of people patiently waiting for the doors to open. He looked at the bouncers, before turning to go back inside. ‘Let them in,’ he said.
Then, they all went and stood at the far side of the bar, almost in the shadows, and watched as people came flooding through the doors.
A blonde woman wearing a very expensive-looking pink gown walked in first, with a party of similarly dressed men and women hot on her heels. ‘Champagne!’ she shouted at the bar staff. Silver champagne buckets were filled with ice and corks were popped. The staff, recently idle, were now rushed off their feet, trying to keep up with orders.
More and more people came through the doors. Many followed the blonde woman’s lead and ordered champagne. The woman was adorned in diamonds that Sharon assured Tony and Jake had to be the real thing. She sat in the middle of one of the private booths, men and women seated on each side of her, as though holding court.
The three of them watched as an older man walked up to her, kissed her on the cheek and sat at her side. He was dressed in a tuxedo and had an air of authority about him. Everyone seemed to know him and Tony wondered who the man was. One of the waitresses walked up to Jake.
‘Mr Sinclair,’ she said, ‘that woman over there keeps ordering champagne, but she isn’t paying for it. She keeps telling the bar staff to put it on her account. Do you know her? Does she have an account?’ She looked worried.
Tony and Jake peered over at the woman, and the man that had joined her. They were now circling the room, stopping to talk to people and shaking hands with them. Tony and Jake’s curiosity was roused. The woman got louder and louder as she drank more champagne, then she started moving in time to the music.
Tony was just about to call the bouncers to escort her out when her male companion was suddenly at their side. He held out his hand towards them. ‘Ralph Gold,’ he said, ‘and that lady over there, encouraging your customers to buy champagne and ha