He held Ray’s eyes now and the unspoken truth was there between them. Liam had obviously told his older brother what he had witnessed and the boy had believed him. Which, considering the circumstances, spoke volumes. Young Lenny had sussed out that both he and his brother were used as a blind for the two men to spend time together. There was a small part of Ray that felt sorrow for Lenny Scott and the fact he had to live a lie for all those years. He was also sorry for this lad who had to come to terms with knowing what his father was.

‘Honestly, Dad? If he’d not been murdered, I think that I would have ended up killing him myself.’

It was so honest and so heartfelt that Ray could do no more than pull the boy into his arms and hug him tightly, and young Lenny returned the embrace with fervour.

‘Listen to me, Len. Your father was from a different world. He could never really be himself, you understand? Not in the world we live in, anyway.’

Young Lenny liked that he had said ‘the world we live in’. That seemed to seal their relationship. He liked that Ray thought he was worthy of being included in his life. His work life. It was what he wanted more than anything else.

‘He was a liar, Dad. To my mum and to us, and I hate him for it.’

Ray didn’t answer the boy; he didn’t know what to say. He was certain of one thing though: young Lenny had what it took – of that there was no doubt whatsoever. He hugged the lad again. Liam had come looking for them; noticing him, Ray opened his left arm widely and the boy walked into the embrace without hesitation.

That was how Sharon found them, and, far from being happy about it, she felt for a few seconds that she was looking at an unholy alliance. Her two handsome sons and Ray Donovan together seemed sinister somehow and she wondered once more what she was doing. Then Ray motioned for her to join them and, shifting Kathy on to her hip, she did. Years later she would come to realise that by then the damage had already been done. But she gave herself up to the love of her new husband and her sons because she felt that she had no choice. The decision had been made and she had to fulfil her destiny, whatever that might be. One thing was for sure: there was no going back now.

Book Five

A man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

Matthew 10:36

Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Nine

2012

‘Sixteen years! Who would have thought it?’