Shauna was passing through the hall to go upstairs and see to Connor because he was crying. Someone was leaning on the doorbell. Yanking the door open, she was ready to give whoever it was a piece of her mind. Some silly git out late selling door-to-door, probably. But the sight of Ciaran – huge and unkempt and standing there with one milk-white blind eye and one mean blue good one, a scruffy beard and – oh shit! – a shotgun pointing straight at her head was enough to make her heart turn right over.

‘Christ!’ she yelped.

‘Hello, Shauna gal. Nice place,’ he said, stepping over the threshold and into the hall, leaving the door open behind him.

‘What the fuck do you want?’ she said, backing up, rigid with fear.

‘Just waiting for Josh to come home, that’s all,’ he said.

‘You’ll have a bloody long wait. He’s out of the country.’ Her voice shook.

Ciaran shook his head, almost smiling at that. ‘Nah, he’s up the road in Oxford. Rowan’s up there keepin’ an eye on him. Thought I’d come down here and then we’ll both have a word with you.’

‘We?’ echoed Shauna, mesmerized by the gun.

‘Yeah, me and Rowan.’

‘Why do you need a gun, just for talking?’ She couldn’t look away from it. No one had ever pointed a gun at her before. It was terrifying.

‘Well, it’s a serious sort of talk,’ said Ciaran.

Christ, what am I going to do? wondered Shauna. She could feel the blood pounding through her veins. The baby was still shrieking upstairs. ‘I have to go up to him. The baby. He’s crying.’

‘Let him cry. Let’s go along the hall here.’

Shauna gulped down a breath. Tried to think straight. ‘No,’ she said. ‘I have to see to the baby. Come on! What harm can it do?’

For a long time it looked like Ciaran was going to overrule her. But then he nodded. ‘Right then. But I’m coming up with you.’

Shauna turned and headed up the stairs, hearing Ciaran’s heavy tread right behind her. If she turned, suddenly . . . but no, he could shoot her, maim her horribly. She couldn’t take the risk. Up in the nursery, she hurried across to Connor, who was yelling fit to burst now.

‘All right, honey, all right . . .’ she crooned, as Ciaran loomed there, ugly and threatening.

Her legs shaking beneath her, Shauna went back to the door.

‘Hold up.’ Ciaran put the gun’s barrels against her chest. She could feel the cold metal burning her skin through her thin top. She shuddered. ‘Where you going?’ he asked.

Shauna was finding it hard to breathe. ‘The . . . the nappies, they’re in the next room, I won’t be a sec,’ she said.

Ciaran didn’t move. He was staring unblinkingly at her face. Then slowly he turned the gun aside.