Josh watched his wife and now Rowan’s words came back to him. Jeb had been sneaking around here, maybe watching him go and then coming into the house and fucking Shauna. He thought of the baby, upstairs. His child here, while they were at it in the bedroom. Still, he had no doubt that Connor was his. Connor was the image of Josh, any fool could see that.

‘You’ve had a shock,’ said Josh. ‘We both have.’ He stood up, looking down at the corpse. Another one, upstairs. They were going to have to be smart here. Clean everything away. Do it just right. ‘We’re going to need bleach, and some of that stuff for the floors. Scrubbing brushes. Cloths. A tarpaulin, I’ve got one out in the shed. And their truck out front? I’ve got to get rid of that.’

‘It’s not just that,’ said Shauna, wiping her mouth, flushing out the sink with fresh water.

‘What?’ His head was reeling. All that Rowan had told him about her. And all that had happened here tonight. It was too much.

‘It’s not just shock, Josh. Oh Jesus. Oh Christ what a day!’ Shauna took a gulping breath and looked at him. ‘I’m pregnant again, Josh,’ Shauna told him. ‘I saw the doctor late this afternoon. We’re going to have another baby.’

66

66

They had done all they could. Cleaned the place. Stashed the bodies. Josh had taken Ciaran’s pickup with Shauna following in her BMW and driven it off to the wilds and set light to it. Then they’d gone back home and looked for Rowan’s truck. It had to be there. They searched up and down the roads and were exhausted, nearly sunk in despair, when finally they found it. That too they took off and destroyed, then they went home again.

Next morning they sat at the breakfast table. They’d managed coffee, but neither of them could face eating. Josh stared at Shauna bleakly. ‘They came here to kill me, didn’t they?’ He stared at her face. ‘But why? That’s what I don’t get.’

Shauna shrugged. ‘Over you taking off and not going on losing fights for them, I guess. Those boys can sure hold a grudge.’

‘What, after all this time?’ Josh’s eyes searched hers. Shauna was lying, snatching at straws to cover her own tracks.

The best fuck any of us ever had, Rowan had told him. How’s that sexy missus of yours?

‘People do bear grudges,’ she said.

‘Yeah. Maybe.’ He stared at her. His wife. Yet she was a total stranger to him. He thought then of Connor, who was the picture of Josh at the same age. Yes, Connor was his. But now Shauna was up the gut again, and . . . Christ. He couldn’t be sure this new kid was his. He doubted her now. Doubted everything.