But when Patrick Costello was making him watch as Michael Flynn tortured his brothers to death, and he could hear their screams of agony ringing in his ears, he finally snapped out of his stupor. There would be no mercy; they were sending out a message that would be heard and remembered by everyone in their orbit for many years to come.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

‘For fuck’s sake, Mum, give me a break, will you? All you ever seem to do lately is moan. I can’t be doing with it. Fuck the priest! Why would I give a flying fuck about what he thinks of me?’

Hannah Flynn watched her son warily. She had heard the gossip about him, and about his growing reputation as Patrick Costello’s right-hand man. Part of him had been gone from her a long time ago – Josephine had seen to that. But now the Costellos had him too and, between the lot of them, there was nothing left for her.

She rolled her eyes towards the ceiling, trying her hardest to keep her temper under control.

‘I’m just saying Father Riordan is a good man who’s always liked you, Michael. So I know that somehow you must have offended him for him to be avoiding you. He hasn’t said anything outright, but there’s clearly something radically wrong between you two. You must have said or done something to upset him and I’m telling you now, Michael, I don’t care how hard you think you are, you will always be my baby, my only son – that will never change – but I want to know what you’ve done.’

Michael was just as annoyed. Father Riordan had no right to react in any way about something said to him in the confessional – that was supposed to be between him and God. The priest was irrelevant, he had nothing to do with any of it.

His mother, on the other hand, needed to be placated, and sooner rather than later. She set great store by the Catholic Church, and she saw the clergy as above everyone else because of their great faith. He actually agreed with her about that; it was something to be in awe of. To devote your life to Christ, and the good of others, was something he would never, ever understand, but that didn’t stop him from having complete and utter admiration for the people who were willing to do it.

‘Father Riordan caught me on a bad day, Mum. I might have fucked him off. I’ll sort it out, OK?’

‘Well, you’d better. I thought I had brought you up better than that. He’s going to conduct your marriage ceremony, a holy sacrament which will bind you to that girl for the rest of your life. There’s no such thing as divorce for us, remember.’