The Hunted: A gripping crime thriller that will have you hooked
‘A shocking, gripping read’ Dreda Say Mitchell‘Sweeps along at a breakneck pace.’ Anna SmithHaving spent her life watching her father run his East London firm, Zara Ezra has learnt a thing or two about being a gangster, and she’s ready to take over when the time comes.Mike Regan, a blast from Zara’s past, is the head of his own firm, but when his son is kidnapped in the middle of a gangland feud, Mike has no choice but to accept help from the Ezras to get his little boy back alive.With a rival firm playing increasingly dirty, murder moves to the top of the agenda and Zara has some big choices to make. It seems that the only way to come out on top is to play them at their own game…But will she become The Hunter or The Hunted?A gripping gangland crime thriller, perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers.Readers love Kerry Barnes:‘Kerry Barnes you have never disappointed me yet with a book.’‘Another fantastic story from Kerry Barnes.’‘Couldn’t put this book down.’‘Gripping, a real page turner and terrific storyline’‘I couldn't put it down once I started and was sad to come to the end’‘Never in my life have I read such a great fabulous series of books’
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KERRY BARNES,born in 1964, grew up on a council estate in South-East London. Pushed by her parents to become a doctor, she entered the world of science and became a microbiologist. After studying law and pharmaceuticals, her career turned to medicine. Having dyslexia didn’t deter her from her passion for writing. She began writing when her daughter was born thirty years ago. Once her children had grown up she moved to the Kent coast and now writes full time.
Deceit
The Hunted
KERRY BARNES
HQ
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First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2018
Copyright © Kerry Barnes 2018
Kerry Barnes asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
E-book Edition © November 2018 ISBN: 9780008314774
Version: 2018-10-22
Table of Contents
Bear, my shadow, my best buddy. Gone but forever in my heart.
South London, 1968
A lamp cast its soft glow onto a round table positioned in the middle of the room. The closed, heavy red drapes gave the room a daunting – almost eerie – feel, as if the assembled group was about to engage in a séance.
Dread twisted around Ronnie’s stomach. For a moment, he didn’t want to speak, so afraid his words would come out as just a mere squeak, and that he would look less than a worthy man. The eyes that glared back at him were narrow and beady, silently interrogating him, or perhaps posed to intimidate. Either way, he was now in the lion’s den, entirely at their mercy.
Was his fiancée really worth it? Her beautiful face and long shapely legs popped into his head – yes, she definitely was. So, he had either to prove his worth or be fucked off by her brother and his close allies. Until now, he hadn’t quite grasped the power of these collective Jewish men. Sensing the intense atmosphere that pervaded the room, he knew they were more than just unassuming businessmen.
He presumed this first meeting would be a case of proving himself. After all, he was going to marry their queen, their worshipped sister. Now, he surmised that this meeting wasn’t all about giving him the rundown on how to treat his wife-to-be. It was more than that – something much more profound, almost cultlike.
The way in which they sat side by side with their hands clasped on the table symbolizing an unspoken bond between them, did it mean more than honour among family? After all, the two men who were scrutinizing him weren’t brothers by blood, they were brothers in a different sense. He suspected that they were united by a pledge.
Ronnie could feel that they were going to initiate him into something – whatever it was he would soon find out.
The silence, which was perhaps a mere few seconds, seemed to linger. They were sussing him out, trying to read his thoughts.
He almost jumped when the taller of the two men, his future brother-in-law, spoke. ‘I understand you are a man who wants to earn money …’ He paused and glared, waiting for affirmation by a nod or a yes.
Ronnie twisted his head slightly, questioning their statement.
‘We have a common enemy,’ the speaker continued.
Ronnie raised his brow and waited, hoping he would get to the point.
‘Arthur Regan!’ He hissed the name through gritted teeth.
Ronnie’s eyes widened. Yes, it was true: he and his brother Frank hated the Regan crew; in fact, they loathed them with a passion.
Arthur Regan was only nineteen and had already taken charge of all the knocked-off gear that entered Bermondsey. His little empire was strong-handed and growing fast. They may be just out of nappies, but they were taking over the manor and earning good money.
The business that had once been run by the Harman family had now been taken from under his nose just because the Regans had more muscle, and, worse, more front. The dealers, the robbers, and the pretty women were all being drawn in by Arthur’s success.
