Maura's Game [antikvár]

Prologue1994'So you're going into the club then?'Terry's voice was heavy with annoyance and Maura closed her eyes in distress. She hated it when they argued and she knew that they were about to have an argument of Olympic class. This one had been brewing for days. She sighed, and mentally counted to ten before answering him.'I have to, Terry. Roy can't cope with this on his own.'Terry walked from the room and Maura watched him go. Her mind was racing but with thoughts of the club in Dean Street, Soho. It hurt too much to think about Terry, the man who was everything to her. She'd noticed the expression on his face as he left. He had coldly looked her over like she was nothing to him, nobody. All the disgust and disappointment he felt were clear for her to see.She felt broken by it, frightened, even as it angered her. But he had known, always he had known, that if push came to shove and there was trouble, she would have to sort out the clubs and other family businesses. And that was exactly what they had now: serious trouble.Her brother Roy did what he could, but he needed Maura's acumen, needed her backing. All the boys did. Roy could cope with day-to-day things but he had never been able to take the real aggravation. He either went over the top or crumbled without assistance.She pressed her hand to her mouth at the thought of what she was to do later that day. She had thought the violent days were over, that everything was settled and straight, that lines had been drawn. How wrong she had been. Now on top of everything else she had Terry3