‘No, Josh. It can’t be, can it? You’re fooling yourself. And against Matty? It’s time someone spoke some sense around here. He’ll knock you to hell and you know it.’

‘No, he won’t.’

Matty was a huge raging bull of a man, a cousin of the Cleaver family, and there were rumours that he’d actually killed a man in the bare-knuckle ring with his ferocious right hook. The community had hushed it up, seen the widow right, made sure the muskras – the police – were none the wiser. But to Claire it was terrifying to think of it.

Christ, she hated the very idea of Josh coming up against that brute. She was so scared for him. After a fight like that, maybe he wouldn’t make it up the aisle at all. Maybe he’d be dead.

‘How is this time going to be different? How can it be?’ she asked, her eyes filling with tears.

Josh put his arm around her shoulders.

‘You don’t know the fight game, do you,’ he sighed. ‘Listen. Here’s what’s been happening. I’ve been throwing fights because Cloudy’s told me to.’

‘Throwing . . . ?’

‘Losing them. Deliberately. People have been betting on me to lose.’

Claire stared at Josh.

‘I get paid well. So long as I lose.’

‘So . . .’

‘I’m sick of it. This time I’m not losing. I’m going in there to win.’

‘But these people who are betting – do they still expect you to lose?’

‘Who gives a shit? I’ve had it with the whole thing. I’m kicking Cloudy into touch and I’m winning, and then we’ll see who’s king of the gypsy fighters.’

‘Won’t there be trouble?’

‘There might be. Who bloody cares? But this once, I need you there.’

‘Oh Christ,’ moaned Claire.

‘Please.’

‘All right. I’ll be there.’

But as soon as she’d said it, she wished she could snatch the words back. The thought of the fight dimmed the pleasure of the upcoming wedding festivities and wearing that fantastic dress, being queen for the day.

I’ll just have to get through it, she thought. Grit my teeth and do it.

There was nothing else she could do. She kissed Josh goodnight and went back into the trailer. Neither she nor Josh saw Shauna loitering near the end of the van. Blue did. He crouched ready to pounce, hackles rising, lips pulled back in a snarl. But Shauna vanished into the shadows and was gone.

6

6

It was the night of the big fight. Matty O’Connor, the long-standing legend, against Josh Flynn, an upstart youngster who lost far more often than he won. Everyone had come to see it, because Matty always drew a crowd. No one thought it would be a decent contest, but what the hell, this was Matty O’Connor. Everyone knew he would see Josh off in the first round.