‘Don’t you fucking dare say that. He was nothing to do with you. He wasn’t yours, or your mother’s. He belonged to his family and he belongs to us still.’

‘He loved my mother,’ she said.

‘No he didn’t. He knobbed her, you stupid cow, that’s all.’

‘No . . .’ She started crying harder.

‘Oh, for fuck’s . . .’ Connor stared at her in exasperation. He was still holding on to her arm, and his grip was crushing. Well, good. He hoped he’d hurt her. Cow deserved it. Now he let her go with a contemptuous flick of the fingers but she just kept right on crying and sank back down on to her knees beside Josh’s grave.

‘I never had a father, but Josh was as good as one to me,’ she gasped out. ‘He was a lovely man. It’s just tragic.’

‘Get up,’ said Connor.

She didn’t get up.

‘I said, get up, bitch,’ he said, and yanked her back to her feet again. She stumbled, fell against him, clutched at his jacket to keep her balance.

‘If my mother found you here, she’d tear you to bits,’ said Connor.

She was crying again. But there was a glint of defiance in her eyes when she looked up at him.

‘You and your bully-boy family, you might have frightened my mother in the past, but you aren’t going to frighten me, OK?’

Then she was off again. Crying and crying and crying.

Connor stood there, breathing hard. Suddenly the rage drained out of him. For the first time in his life he was undecided as to what to do next. He had never hurt a woman, wouldn’t dream of it; and Josh had always told him to take care, because Connor was big and he knew the damage sheer size could do. And now the fucking rain was coming down harder, drenching both of them.

‘Shit,’ he said with feeling.

Suki just stood there and cried.

He grabbed her arm again. She winced but said nothing.

‘Come on, let’s get in the fucking car,’ said Connor, and led her away, out of the lych gate and over to the Porsche.

What the hell am I doing? he wondered.

But he opened the passenger door and pushed Suki Milo into the seat and shut the door after her. Then he went round to the driver’s side and got in, out of the pouring rain.

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The rain was coming down even harder now, battering the roof of the car. And still she was crying.

‘Shit,’ muttered Connor again, and he lunged for the glove compartment.

She cringed away from him and howled louder.

‘Oh for fuck’s . . .’ He popped open the compartment and snatched out a packet of tissues. He tossed them in her lap. ‘I was just getting these out. That’s all. I’m not going to hurt you. Even if you are asking for it.’