He glanced around the wake; everyone who was anyone was there. Wreaths of complete ostentation had abounded at the graveside, and that had pleased him. Jack knew it was important for Lenny’s sons to remember this day as homage to their dead father. It was important for boys like them to know the high esteem in which their father had been held. He hoped they had all done Lenny proud. He felt the sting of tears again.

There had been nothing – not even a whisper – of why he had died as he had; it was unheard of, but that was the way it was. Jack had spread money all over the Smoke and still there were no leads. Not a fucking whisper, not even a rumour, and that was what he found so blatantly suspicious. The Filth might not know anything, granted, but there weren’t even rumours among other Faces of any kind of fucking scenario that could have brought on such actions. That was something Jack couldn’t believe. Someone somewhere had to know what had gone down, and he would do all in his power to find out what that might be. Not just for Lenny and his family but because it was genuinely pissing him off now too. No one liked being out of the loop. Least of all Jack Johnson.

Chapter Eighty-Three

Reggie slipped outside to have a cigarette; it was too hot in the Irish club. He saw Sharon standing alone, smoking quietly under a street lamp, and he made his way over to her. He could have sworn she was ignoring him; she had hardly spoken to him all day.

He walked over and put his arm around her shoulder; he really was sorry for her loss. But she moved away from him as if she had been burned. The force of her feelings was such that even the most ignorant of men would have realised that she wanted nothing to do with him.

‘Don’t you ever fucking touch me, Reggie.’

He was shocked at the vehemence in her voice. She could see the confusion in his face as he looked at her. She laughed bitterly. Her heart was already broken; there was nothing left to hurt.

‘I know, Reggie.’

He looked into her wide, blue eyes. Even now, as she mourned her husband, she was a beautiful woman and he could appreciate that fact. But her words were cold and to the point, and fear gripped his heart.

He looked at her for a long moment and she finally said quietly, ‘Liam saw you. You and my Lenny. He saw you kissing! Kissing his fucking dad. As young as he is, he knew it was wrong! How fucking ironic is that?’

Reggie felt the shock hit him then and all he could do was stare at her, at the woman he knew he had wronged in so many ways. He grabbed her arm and pulled her round to face him.