For Christ’s sake Aysha, don’t.

And where was Suki?

Maybe he was too late. Maybe Aysha had already done the deed somewhere close to the pond. Back in the trees? Connor hit the brakes as he drew close. Aysha was looking at him now, her mouth opening in a silent O of surprise. And . . . ah shit, there was a woman on the bench, her back turned toward him. The same too-thin coat, the long pale blonde hair lifting in the breeze. She was sitting there and . . . oh fuck . . . when he stepped around the bench and looked, he knew Suki’s beautiful face would be shot away; she would be dead.

But he hadn’t heard gunfire. He’d been running hard, focusing on just getting here and stopping a disaster. No one was turning, pointing. No horrified passers-by were reacting. There were no screams. But now Aysha was looking in her bag . . .

‘Aysha,’ he gasped out, and crossed the final distance between them. He stepped around the bench and looked down at Suki.

She looked back at him.

She was alive. Big eyes. Sexy mouth. She was OK.

‘Fuck it,’ he said, his breath coming out in a whoosh of relief. He turned back to Aysha, whose hand was now reaching inside the bag. He grabbed her arm.

‘Don’t,’ said Aysha, through clenched teeth. Her face was set, determined.

‘Don’t what?’ he said. ‘Don’t stop you doing something that’s going to ruin your entire fucking life? Give me that.’

Connor turned his body into hers so that they were shielded from view. He grabbed the gun from the depths of the bag and tucked it inside his coat.

‘What’s going on?’ asked Suki, standing up.

‘Nothing,’ said Connor firmly, turning toward her. He glanced at Aysha. ‘Go on home, Aysh. I’ll sort this out.’

‘She was apologizing for her mother,’ said Aysha, trembling, her face a mask of disgust as she looked at the American woman. ‘Saying she understood how upset I was. Then trying to justify it. Saying how unhappy Dad had been, married to Mum.’

‘Go home,’ repeated Connor.

‘Mum wanted me to do it,’ said Aysha, her voice barely more than a whisper.

‘I know that, Aysh. She asked me first. Now fuck off home and don’t be a div. She’s just using you. That’s all she ever does. And it ain’t worth it.’

Aysha gave Suki one last look and walked away. In the distance, Mad Dog was watching. Connor gave him a nod, and he walked off.

Suki was staring at Connor.

‘What was that about?’ she asked. She was very pale. ‘Was she . . . was she going to do something? She kept looking in the bag. And she seemed hyped.’

Yeah, he thought. She was going to kill you. And incidentally, she was going to fuck up her whole life too.

‘It was nothing,’ he said.