Jeffrey Palmer was in good shape for his forty-five years. He had classic good looks too. Men liked him – he was a man’s man – and women loved him, which he used to his advantage at every opportunity. He had a good reputation, and he had worked hard for it. He had been a grafter all his life, but he had gone as far as he could. He had accepted that – he’d basically had no choice. Patrick Costello had taken against him, and he had never been able to find out why, but the man had never offered him as much as a crumb from his table. On the rare occasions they had been in the same place, Patrick had barely acknowledged him. Jeffrey didn’t know why – what he did know was that it certainly wasn’t because of anything he had done. He had racked his brain for a reason why the man treated him like a leper, but he could not come up with a thing. He had always given Patrick Costello the respect he commanded, never once said a word about him that could be misconstrued in any way. If Costello had wanted a straightener with him, it had to come from Costello himself. He had more sense than to go looking for trouble. It had rankled though; he had felt slighted, humiliated. But he had eventually accepted it was just one of those things. Patrick Costello was well known for his ability to take against a body overnight. He was a dangerous fuck, and Jeffrey Palmer watched his back; Patrick Costello had not been averse to making people he didn’t like disappear if the fancy took him. He was known to get others to do his dirty work – not just as proof of loyalty to him but, more importantly, to make sure the person in question was capable of doing whatever he might ask of them. His death had been tragic for many people, but there were many more who could suddenly breathe a lot easier.

This offer from Michael Flynn was not only going to ratchet him up a notch, it was also going to bring him into the world of serious villainy, and all that entailed.

Michael Flynn was watching Jeffrey closely. He was pleased to be bringing him onboard. Patrick had always taken against the man and Michael knew why. He had taken a real dislike to him for no reason other than he had a thick head of hair, and three strong sons. He was also one of the few men that Patrick Costello couldn’t intimidate. Michael knew that the man was wondering why he was being given such an in suddenly. Why he, Michael Flynn, had not respected Patrick Costello’s wishes, and kept him outside in honour of the man everyone knew treated him like a son.

‘You’re very quiet, Jeff.’