Respect (Mandasue Heller) by Mandasue Heller Read Free Book Online

‘Giz it here.’
    ‘Get real!’ Chantelle snapped, jerking it out of reach when he made a grab for it. ‘What you gonna do – beat me up for it?’
    ‘That what you want, is it?’
    ‘Think you’re a proper hard man, don’t you?’ Chantelle sneered, standing her ground even though her legs were shaking wildly. ‘Go on, then. Do it!’
    Before he could make a move, one of the others, who had until then been sitting watching, stood up. ‘Right, that’s enough,’ he said. ‘Get the kid down, and let’s get out of here.’
    Chantelle sobbed with relief when one of the lads pulled Leon off the barrier and brought him back to the path. She ran over to him to make sure he was okay, but he shoved her away.
    ‘What do you want? Coming here shootin’ your mouth off, spoiling everyone’s fun.’
    ‘Don’t you dare talk to me like that!’ Chantelle yelled, grabbing him by the front of his jacket and shaking him roughly. ‘Have you any idea how dangerous that was? You could have died ! It’s pitch black, and you’re off your head!’
    ‘ Yo! ’ Leon spat, twisting free and brushing at his jacket as if she’d smeared it with shit. ‘Gyal mekkin’ pure mess of man’s garms.’
    ‘Stop talking like a moron and get yourself home,’ Chantelle barked, completely unimpressed.
    ‘Make me!’ Leon jerked his chin up in defiance.
    Unable to stop herself, Chantelle swung out her hand and slapped him hard across the face. Then, with the gang’s laughter ringing in her ears, she gripped him by the back of his collar and, almost lifting him clean off his feet, marched him back up the path.
    Anton Davis lit his spliff and took a deep toke, relishing the feel of the smoke rolling down his throat. He’d had a long, boring day at work and couldn’t wait to jump in the bath. But he’d be going straight back out as soon as he was dry, because there was no way he was sitting around watching his mum and her boyfriend make goo-goo eyes at each other.
    Phil Green had moved in while Anton was locked up, and the flat reeked of the dude’s cheesy socks and cheap aftershave. But it was the fact that he didn’t work that really pissed Anton off. Even when he’d still been at school, Anton had always done his bit to keep the family going. The money might not have always come from the most legitimate of sources but it had paid for the TV that the lazy bastard seemed to think was his now – and the couch he spent the majority of his life sprawled out on.
    Anton couldn’t wait to get a place of his own, but he’d put his name down with the council when he was released so all he could do was wait until something came up. Until then, he was staying out of his mum and Phil’s way in case the temptation to knock the dude out became too strong to resist. His mum had had a tough time after Anton’s dad had died, and none of her subsequent relationships had lasted very long. The last one had resulted in the birth of Anton’s little sister, Rachel. She was almost five now, and there had been no one in his mum’s life since Rachel’s dad had done a flit. Until Phil came along, that was. And, as much as Anton didn’t like him, his mum did, so he wasn’t about to ruin it for her.
    As long as the dude behaved himself.
    First sign that he was stepping out of line, Anton would be all over him.
    He had just reached his mum’s block when two shadowy figures emerged from the side of the bin cupboards. Stepping aside to let them pass, he hesitated when he saw that one of them was Chantelle. He’d been disappointed to hear that she was still at school, but that hadn’t stopped him from thinking about her since. Tall and model-slim, she was the spit of the young Whitney Houston, from the creamy butterscotch complexion to the sexy long-lashed almond-shaped eyes. He’d been with more girls than he cared to remember in his younger days, but none – and he meant none – had been a patch on her.
    He gazed at her now as she marched past