She touched his face, forced him to look at her. She’d never looked so happy, not even on their wedding day, not even when he’d proposed in a whirlwind of romance and lust and primal hunger. “Yes, you sad little nobody, you can go and see your dull friend. But don’t forget who’s in charge. Don’t forget what happens if you betray me.”

If he betrayed her.

“I won’t,” he lied. “I promise.”

4

SCOTT

“You all right?” Gary placed the pints down and took his seat. “No offence, but you look like a turd.”

Scott tried to smile at his friend, but it felt wrong. They’d been meeting for a Sunday evening pint for years, a tradition that had started soon after their university days. Normally they’d talk about work or memories or rugby or their families, but Scott had hardly been able to say more than a hello since he’d arrived.

“Mate?” Gary was the same age as Scott – thirty-six – but taller and bulkier. His hair was a cropped afro, and freckles scattered across his cheeks. “You’re acting like a weirdo. What is it?”

“It’s…” Scott picked up his pint, took a sip, made the sip longer. By the time he placed it down, there was less than half left. The alcohol rushed around his body, welcome, numbing him a little. But not enough.

“Anniversary didn’t go well?”

Scott laughed gruffly. He only realised how loud he’d been when a family of four looked up from the adjacent table. The pub was bustling. “You could say that,” he said, lowering his voice.

Gary looked at Scott’s hand: at the missing pinkie finger specifically. He was always doing that. “It can’t be that bad. You and Casey have an argument or something?”

“An argument,” Scott repeated. “I don’t know if that does it justice.”

“Don’t keep me in suspense.”

“I’m not sure you’re going to believe me.”

“Try me.”

Scott told him. It all came out in a rush, beginning with returning home and ending with him on his knees, begging to be able to come to the pub. He wouldn’t have told anybody else that part, but he saw Gary as the brother he’d never had. They shared everything; Scott remembered the way Gary had screamed, the blood, the agony and the fear. He’d never forget the bond they’d forged that night in uni.

“This is a joke.” Gary narrowed his eyes. “No? Not a joke?”

“Nope.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“Yep.”

Scott had known Gary long enough to tell when he wanted to say something. And, in this case, Scott didn’t have to guess what.

“Go on.” He sighed. “We both know where this is heading.”

Gary raised his hands. “No idea what you’re talking about.”

“You told me so. You warned me. It was too fast. I shouldn’t marry somebody who was friends with Nat. If I had to, I should’ve waited. Casey’s too good to be true. No woman wants to have sex all the time, clean all the time, watch all my favourite films all the time. I’m an idiot. I married a stranger. I deserve this.”