Because the Flynns had more or less lost touch with their family from way back, there were no bridesmaids or pageboys. But that was OK. Shauna was only sad – and furious – to think that Aysha was going to link their family to a bunch of no-hopers like the Minghellas. Well, they wouldn’t have to see much of them, she supposed. She would make very sure of that.

Then the organist launched into ‘Here Comes the Bride’, and everyone was standing up. Shauna glanced back. Josh was looking a million dollars as he led their daughter up the aisle. Her Josh. Her heart felt like it was going to burst with pride then. All these years, and he was still with her.

Pity he don’t love you though, whispered a voice in her head.

But there was no time to dwell on that today. Her daughter was getting married.

‘Dearly beloved,’ started the priest, and then he said the words that would bind Aysha to Joey Minghella for life.

94

94

A week later, when Aysha and Joey had gone off on honeymoon – paid for, of course, by Josh – to the Seychelles, Shauna took the opportunity to have a word with her husband.

‘Listen,’ she said as they sat in their palatial living room. ‘I’ve been thinking.’

‘Oh?’ Instantly Josh was wary. He’d been downstairs in the basement gym all morning. It was kitted out with speedballs, skipping ropes, heavy bags, light bags, a big mirror for shadow boxing so that he could improve on his ducking-and-diving technique, weights and a rowing machine. It was a refuge, away from her. After a gruelling three hours in there, he’d showered – and now she’d taken her chance to corner him.

‘You don’t have to go back to the States, do you? You could organize some more bouts here. All that travelling, and what’s it for? We’ve got plenty of money, you could earn enough here to keep us in clover.’

The hopeful expression in her eyes might once have made him feel bad, but not any more. The truth was, he wanted to go back to the States. Claire was there. Here, with Shauna, he felt stifled. Miserable. Over there he was a free man again, in control of his own life, happy with the woman he loved.

‘I suppose I could,’ he lied.

‘Yeah! Course you could. It would be great, having you home again.’

Shauna was grinning from ear to ear, compounding Josh’s dread. This bitch had forced him into marriage, used sex to gain control over him, and finally bound him to her with iron threads by giving him Connor. As for Aysha, well, who knew? Now he felt he’d never be free of Shauna. But he wanted to be.

‘The Poles still in the fight game?’ she asked.