He slammed the door behind him. He was well aware that he’d always been an angry bastard, that he had serious issues when it came to controlling his rage. But the rage he felt right then was indescribable. Every sinew, every nerve ending, every inch of him felt like it was on fire. Like he could quite literally explode. If he could see himself, he was sure he’d look like one of those cartoon characters with steam coming out of their ears. He felt invincible. Fuck, he was invincible!

He jumped into Kayleigh’s car, thinking of all the glorious ways he could torture his cheating whore of an ex-wife on the drive to her house. He wouldn’t kill her quickly. That would be far too easy. Maybe he would drag it out for days? And to think he’d spent last night declaring how she was the only woman he’d ever loved. To think he was hoping that one day they might be able to put their differences aside and grow old together. And she repaid him by trying to fucking kill him. She would regret the day she ever laid her eyes on him. He would make sure of it.

Chapter Eighty-Three

Grace was standing at the kitchen sink chopping some tomatoes for a salad. Ben was supposed to have been there half an hour ago. She’d tried phoning him, but his phone went straight to voicemail, and she was starting to worry. She heard the front door opening and heaved a sigh of relief. He’d arrived at last. She continued preparing lunch.

‘You’re late,’ she shouted.

‘Well, I got a bit caught up,’ was the reply.

She froze.

That wasn’t Ben’s voice. It wasn’t possible. Every hair on her body stood on end. The blood froze in her veins. She almost choked on her own breath. She dared not turn around, because if she did, her worst fears would be confirmed. But she knew that she must. She couldn’t just stand there staring out of the kitchen window forever. She turned and saw him standing in the doorway, with a maniacal grin on his face.

‘Expecting someone else, Grace? Oh, that’s right. You were expecting Ben. You two were going to run off into the sunset together, weren’t you?’ He laughed. ‘I’m afraid that won’t be happening. You see he’s burned to a crisp by now. A horrible way to go that, isn’t it? To think of the pain he must have felt while the flames burned off his flesh. I’m so glad your little plan didn’t go so smoothly.’