But Josh had a long southpaw reach and he was in a crazy mood over losing Claire; dancing around the ring, he suddenly charged at the big man and took him by surprise, landing a killer left on Paul’s jaw. A sudden hush fell as Paul staggered back, then Josh surged forward with a flurry of left and right hooks that left Paul sagging against the ropes, but even then Josh showed no sign of letting up. Despite the glazed look in the man’s eyes, he kept pounding Paul’s huge head and torso.

Inside three minutes, it was over.

Paul hit the dirt and lay there, spark out.

The ref came forward and yanked Josh’s hand into the air.

Silence from the crowd.

Shauna thought you could have heard a pin drop. Everyone was stunned. Christ, she was stunned too. Josh turned in the ring, not a blow having landed on him, and slowly the clapping started. It wasn’t much, people had lost their shirts tonight and they felt cheated of more rounds, but it had been done fairly, so they clapped, and Josh returned to his corner and Linus Pole was there with his winnings.

‘Fuck me,’ said Pole, slapping Josh on the shoulder and handing him his envelope with the winner’s prize – a thousand quid – inside. ‘You’re a handy man, Mr Flynn. Fearless Flynn, that’s what we should call you. You went through our boy like a dose of bloody salts.’

‘Thanks,’ said Josh, who had barely broken sweat.

Linus Pole looked around and lowered his voice. ‘I done OK out of a few side bets.’

‘Side bets?’ echoed Josh, his eyes blank of emotion.

Linus winked. ‘Thought you looked handy,’ he said. Then he looked across at the crowd and added in a low voice, ‘No offence, but if I were you I’d make myself scarce now. People put a lot of money on Paul to win. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah? Like we said?’

Josh nodded. Shauna handed him his shirt, and he shrugged it on. He still ached all over from Matty’s punches, but he’d mend. He always did. Shauna glanced back at the big man on the floor. He was still down, his eyes closed. An older man was fussing over him, slapping his cheek, calling out his name. Probably his dad. Now she looked at Josh with new respect. Josh had a big talent, that was for certain. A talent that they could easily exploit. And they would.

‘We’ll get you some more fights lined up,’ she said, smiling up at him.

‘Not yet,’ said Josh.

‘Why not?’

‘I’m off to Ireland on the ferry, day after tomorrow.’

Shit, thought Shauna.

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