Touched by Angels Read Online Free

grabbed his wrist, spinning him round, and a fist landed squarely on his nose, another walloping him in the stomach. Two of the older O’Driscoll brothers dragged him out onto the street, where another punch threw him onto his back.
    Lil ran out and heard one of the identical twins rasping, “Dat was fer punchin’ our Benny.”
    He kicked Bob in the hip and added, “And dat was fer hittin’ yer woman. You leave her be, and our Benny, or you’ll have us to deal wid.”
    “ Piece o’ shite!” the other one said and spat at him, before they both turned away and left him sprawled on the street.
     
    ***
     
    He thought he saw Robert before he passed out, but when he opened his eyes, he was horrified to see Sergeant Sharp, who said, with a big leer, “Well, if it ain’t my old chum , Bob Smiff.” He leaned closer, hands on knees, and added, “Ain’t your day, is it, me old mucker?”
    Bob was suddenly gasping as a torrent of water from the street horse trough was poured over his head.
    As he shook it and opened his eyes, he saw Mrs O’Brien holding a pail, as she said, “He’s the father o’ the house. Should be ashamed o’ himself.”
    He just caught a glimpse of her grabbing Robert by the wrist and pulling him firmly away, before Sharp said, “Six months rock breakin’ would take the starch out o’ you, my lad; that, or a dose o’ the cat.”
    As he was walking off, laughing, Bob muttered, “Piss off!”
    “ What was that?”
    “ Nuffing.”
     
    ***
     
    Robert was having the starch taken out of him too, as he found himself over Mrs O’Brien’s knee, howling and struggling as the back of a varnished beech hairbrush came down again and again against his backside.
    He had never known such pain, as the threadbare rug, and a Bible, placed there first, to warn him of the folly of defying the scriptures, loomed before his watering eyes.
    In between each stroke, she was saying, “If that wastrel of a father o’ yours won’t discipline you, boy, I shall! With a will!”
    She was sitting in the same wing-back chair he had seen Big Molly dozing in, while the girl herself stood watching from the door, arms folded, a spiteful smirk tugging the corners of her lips.
    Mrs O’Brien was absurdly strong and there was no escape.
    “ In future, you will respect your elders and betters,” she said, as he finally stood, rubbing his rear, “and you may tell your friends to take heed. My brush awaits them too!”
    When he left, tears streaming down his face, he wanted to get to his mum, who he could hear crying beyond the bolted front door.
    His father was up against it, knocking and begging.
    “ Let me in! Please! I won’t ’it yer again. ‘onest. You just pissed me off.”
    There was no reply, so he hammered on it with both fists and kicked it a couple of times, before crumpling down onto his knees.
    Robert knew it was not beyond him to smash his way in and take his belt to her.
     
    ***
     
    It was completely dark by now and Robert was making his way quietly past him, heading for the back alley, as Bob snivelled, “It’s gettin’ cold out ’ere, an’ I’m wet. That slag tipped water over me, an’ those Micks gave me a levverin’. I could get yoomonia and it’d be your fault.”
    No reply.
    “ The kid’d be an orphan. You fought o’ that? ’e’d be in that work’ouse. I’ve ’eard they bugger ’em. Shag ’em raw. Is that what yer want?”
    Still no response.
    “ Come on, please! ’av an ’art. You know yer me duchiss, always ’av been. Always will.”
    Robert heard his voice fading as he made his way past. Two cats were fighting somewhere as he found the alley. There was a full moon, so he was able to move quite easily. He didn’t think it would be long before his father thought of coming this way, so he got a move on.
    When he got to the back door, he found that it too was locked, though he heard his father shouting and bashing against the front door once more. Knowing that in his state,