‘For fuck’s sake, son. You’re gonna shoot your balls off if you’re not careful,’ Nathan snapped and snatched the offending item out of his son’s hands. ‘Keep it somewhere no one will see it,’ he said as he tucked it into the back waistband of Jake’s jeans, so it was covered by his jacket. ‘There, now you look just like a pro.’ Nathan smiled.

Jake smiled back nervously.

They pulled up outside the newly built block of flats, just Nathan, Ste and Jake. Nathan would have called a couple of the other lads for some backup, but he wanted to grab Jimmy before he figured out he’d been caught and did a runner. Ste could handle himself when he needed to but he wasn’t Nathan’s first choice for going into battle. And then there was Jake. Nathan had no idea how his son would react in any given situation. But now was as good a time as any to see if his boy had what it took.

Ste kicked in the door to the flat and ran in shouting at the top of his lungs. There’s the element of surprise gone then, Nathan thought.

Nathan followed him, and Jake crept gingerly behind his father. They heard shouting and a woman screaming. Ste went off on one and started laying into Connor, who started shouting, protesting his and Paul’s innocence.

Paul and Jimmy were nowhere to be seen. Nathan realized why, when he felt a searing pain to the back of his head. One of the little fuckers had hit him with something. Suddenly, Jimmy and Paul were on his back like a pair of wild animals.

Then everything happened so fast. He managed to elbow Paul in the face and he fell to the floor, blood spurting from his nose. Jimmy was still on his back, hitting him with something. Fortunately, most of the blows were being deflected by his arms. That’s when Jake, who Nathan had almost forgotten was there in all the carnage, pulled out the Glock and stuck it right in Jimmy’s face.

‘Get the fuck off him now, before I blow your head off,’ he said, although the tremor in his voice was easily audible.

Nathan could see that the boy’s hands were trembling, but he had never been more proud of anyone in his entire life.

All Jimmy could see was the barrel of a gun in his face, and Nathan felt him slip from his shoulders, Jimmy’s hands in the air in submission.

Nathan spun around and punched him in the face, feeling the satisfaction of Jimmy’s nose break under his fist. He fell to the floor and Nathan started to kick him. He didn’t stop until his leg began to ache.