‘So he’s gone to sort the daft prick out on his own then. Boss?’ Kenny asked as he took a seat on the chair opposite Tommy’s desk.

Tommy nodded. ‘Yeah. He’ll be fine. Have you seen the lad in a scrap? He can look after himself, Ken. Plus, he’s got balls of solid iron.’

‘I know that, it’s just …’

‘Just what?’ Tommy snapped.

Kenny swallowed. ‘Well, Terry’s no mug. And Nathan’s just a kid. I could have gone with him, that’s all.’

‘Listen, Kenny. Nathan is more than capable of handling Terry fucking Barnes. The lad is an animal. And he wanted to sort this himself. He won’t have anyone threatening Grace, or her pub.’

Kenny frowned. ‘But Terry would never threaten Grace. He’s not that stupid. He knows the score.’

‘Yeah. But Nathan doesn’t need to know that. So, Terry never actually threatened her. I embellished a little.’

‘But …’ Kenny started but one look from his boss obviously made him think again and he stopped mid-sentence.

‘Look, this is the perfect opportunity for the kid. Give him a chance to show us what he’s made of. And if Terry Barnes should be wiped off the face of the earth as a result – then all the better. He’s been getting right on my tits lately. Save me topping him myself. He’s been taking far too many liberties and I can’t have it, Ken.’

‘You think Nathan will finish him off then?’ Kenny raised an eyebrow.

Tommy shrugged. ‘Possibly. There’s no saying what that crazy bastard will do. Especially if he thinks Grace is in trouble.’

‘Well I suppose it makes sense, boss.’

‘Of course it makes fucking sense. In a few hours, my Terry problem will be sorted, and I’ll have the true measure of Nathan Conlon.’ Tommy smiled as he downed the last of his Scotch.

Chapter Fifteen

Nathan slid down the wall of Terry Barnes’s flat as if in slow motion, until he was seated on the floor, legs outstretched in front of him. His heart pounded so hard he thought it might burst through his ribcage. Holding out his hands in front of him, he blinked as he surveyed the damage. The skin of his knuckles so broken and red he couldn’t tell which blood was his and which was Terry’s. The blood. It was everywhere. Covering his hands. His forearms. A glance down at his clothes confirmed his suspicion that it didn’t stop there – his T-shirt and jeans streaked with violent splashes of red.

Three feet to the left of him lay Terry’s lifeless body. His face unrecognizable from the man who’d opened the door less than half an hour ago. Nathan hadn’t meant to kill him. Things had just got out of control.