‘Just stop, Shelby . . .’ He shivered as a breeze blew in from the sea, setting the gum leaves to clattering, and cooling the sweat breaking out over his chest.

‘You’re an embarrassment, Mackerel,’ said Fiona. ‘You should’ve told Shelby years ago what was going on. You call yourself a man? You’re going to prison anyway, right?’

‘Why would you say that to someone?!’ said Mackerel, his face growing hot.

‘I told her about your case,’ said Shelby.

‘You don’t know anything about my case!’

‘When you go to prison, everyone will know it’s because you tried to do the honourable thing for your sister-in-law. There’s no down sides to this, just a bit of risk,’ said Fiona.

‘A lot of risk,’ said Mackerel.

‘For a much greater reward,’ said Shelby, reaching out to grab Mackerel’s hand and put it on top of Kane’s shoulder.

‘No. I said no,’ said Mackerel, fighting the drunkenness, trying to hold his cracking resolve together. ‘I can’t go back to that world!’

‘This is the only way to fix everything,’ said Shelby, leaving her hand on his. ‘Promise me, Mackerel. Promise you’ll help.’

‘Shelbs . . .’

‘Promise me.’

This pull was stronger than any current he’d ever swum against. What would it be like if he just went with the flow?

The underworld.

The hunger to succeed in the game. The thrill, the danger, the power.

The risk, the reward. The success.

The sex.

He had kept those doors closed for so long, and now his defences were being breached.

He’d been alone for a long time, and now here were two women, asking for his help.

Telling him he could be a good man. A decent guy.

And a nephew beside him, a boy who would be growing up without his father.

Ivy would be happy again, Davey would be able to run the Business. Everything would be back to the way it was, except I’d be the hero. I could have a mansion. Or at least, somewhere to call home.

‘No,’ said Mackerel, trying to shake his emotions free from the foggy weight of drunkenness. His mouth had started to water. ‘No.’ He rose to his feet. ‘I’m going to bed.’

He ignored the expressions on the women’s faces – Fiona’s disgusted, Shelby’s devastated. The shame of letting her down hit him like a sucker punch.

It’s insane. I won’t do it, he told himself, even as the lure of the underworld filled his belly. Not a chance.

He walked down the stairs feeling like the worst human in the world.

I’m trying to be a good man.

I’m trying.

CHAPTER 33

AHAB