‘Christ, you nearly gave me a seizure,’ he said, grinning past his nerves. He didn’t think Connor would hurt him, but he wasn’t sure. Connor was as big as a truck and packed with muscle. If he hit you, he’d knock you clean into the middle of next week. His dad being a pro boxer, he had probably taught Connor how to hit for maximum damage.

‘Damn, wouldn’t that solve all our problems,’ said Connor. ‘You little prick, is this true? You got Aysha up the duff?’

Joey swallowed hard. He was going to have to choose his words with care and he knew it. ‘Yeah. It’s true. We’re in love, Connor. We got carried away. I’m sorry. But I want to do the decent thing by her. I want to marry Aysha.’

‘Sure you do. You’d be on a bloody good squeeze, wouldn’t you? Marrying into the Flynns.’

‘It’s not like that,’ said Joey, although it was.

‘Then what is it like?’

‘I told you. I love her. Really.’

Connor stepped forward and loomed over Joey, who forced himself not to back away. The look in Connor’s eyes was terrifying.

‘I ought to beat the shit out of you, you little tosspot,’ he hissed.

‘Go on then!’ snapped Joey, bracing himself for it. If Connor battered him, this was going to hurt. But Aysha would see him as a fallen hero; she would be furious with Connor and firmly on Joey’s side.

Connor stared at him coldly. Then he shook his head. ‘No. You don’t get me that easily. But you know what, prick? You better behave your fucking self. You better treat Aysha like a queen. Because if I hear you’ve stepped out of line, trust me, one way or another, I’ll be coming for you.’

85

85

Claire was in her office with the radio playing a Bon Jovi track when Suki came back days later and knocked on the door.

‘Can we talk?’ she said.

Claire looked up at Suki – her daughter – and thought that she looked strained. And no wonder. All this was as big a shock to Suki as it was for Claire herself. Claire had been talking to Donna about Suki in the meantime, asking what she thought of her.

‘She’s a real hard worker,’ Donna had told her. ‘And popular with the other girls. No bitching, nothing like that. She’s fitting right in, no problem.’

‘Of course we can talk,’ Claire told Suki.

Suki came in, closed the door behind her, took a seat.

There was an awkward silence.

‘I don’t know where to start,’ said Suki, her eyes probing Claire’s face.

‘Me neither,’ said Claire.

‘I . . . I had no idea it would be something like that. I thought I was a mistake you wanted to brush aside. I didn’t realize it was that.’

‘How could you?’ said Claire.