Mack held her hands up. “Nae bother. I just wanted to show you that you didn’t have to feel bad about it. I want to learn about your OCD and anxiety, so I can be a support to you.”

Again, why was Mack Sharkey so concerned about her? They were good friends, but could Mack feel more?

About you? Don’t be so stupid.

“Back then, when my aunt died, was when I first remember all this OCD starting, and my anxiety problems. My grandad was a great man, and he took care of me as best he could, but he’d now lost both his daughters.”

“I get it.”

“It’s been in my life such a long time—well, I say a long time in my life, but it is my life now, and I’m tired of it.” Flora had felt weary for years, but meeting Mack just amplified how much her condition hindered her life.

“That’s why we’re here tonight. We’re going to look online and find someone that can help. Why don’t we get cleared up and make a start?”

Flora nodded. It was going to be scary facing this, but maybe, just maybe with Mack’s support she could do it.

Chapter Twelve

It was early evening, and Kevin walked quickly as he punched text messages into his phone. He was frantic with stress. Every one of his dealers that he’d set up to sell in the city centre had no money for him. As Malky had been reminding him all day, he was waiting on his money from the last lot of drugs he’d given Kevin to distribute.

But every one of the street dealers had nothing. They were too frightened to sell, afraid of the wrath of the Sharkeys.

If they didn’t sell, Malky was going to call in his debt, and that would be the end of him. Kevin had one left to try. Just as he rounded the corner of Glasgow Central train station, he stopped abruptly and stood back against the wall.

The bridge that brought the trains into the station building created a dark underpass that was filled with questionable shops, the homeless trying to be safe and remain unseen, and sex workers plying their trade.

A perfect place to sell drugs. But what had stopped Kevin in his tracks was the sight of his dealer chatting to two Sharkey guys he knew, Jamsey and Murdo.

“Fuck,” Kevin said under his breath.

A few well-dressed business people looked at him as they passed but soon looked away when he glared at them. All these people caught in the rat race, going to their comfortable offices, then home to their lovely houses, had no idea what went on right under their noses.