“She only met him five minutes ago, and she needs to be focusing on her new job. They are not dating,” he informed us emphatically.

“If you say so,” Kieran said in a tone suggesting he didn’t believe a word of it.

“You know you could do worse for a brother-in-law. I’m sure he’d behave himself if she ever brought him to the US to meet your parents,” I added. We could see the wheels in Earnshaw’s head turning as he envisioned his sister married to Tommy, and I was surprised he didn’t crack the gun because he held onto it so tight.

“How do we flush him out?” he asked us, and I fist-bumped Kieran behind Tom’s back. Our work here was done. Tommy was so getting shot in the arse again.

“I’ll go round to the left and push him toward you as you come round on the right. He’s quick. So once you got a shot, you have to be fast.” We nodded and moved stealthily through the woods as we followed Kier’s directions. I could just about see the top of Liam’s head behind a bush. Knowing him and Big Joe, they were probably waiting for Tommy to get taken out, so we’d expose ourselves before they made their move. Poor Tom was always the bait without even realizing it. As far as he was concerned, the SAS were missing out on his skills big time.

“Tommy?” Kier called out in a singsong voice in the distance. “Come and get me, Tommy. You know you want to shoot me!” Kier taunted him for a few minutes but Tommy wasn’t biting.

Finally after a few minutes of quiet, Kieran called out to him again. “Listen Tom. If you’ve got your hands full now with Earnshaw’s sister, you mind if I take Evelyn out on a date? That’s one fine-looking Irish woman I wouldn’t mind taking home to meet me ma. Shame she doesn’t want you now she knows about your STDs.”

“Keep your filthy fucking hands off Evelyn, and for the last time, I don’t have any fucking STDs!” Tommy shouted indignantly.

“Bingo” I whispered as the three of us opened fire at the bush where Tommy’s call had come from. He screamed like he was being murdered, and even getting shot by Liam and Joe was worth it. Today was turning into a good day, even if we’d probably have to carry Tommy home. Maybe I needed to buy one of them guns so every time he flirted with Em I could shoot him in the arse again. The idea was tempting.

Chapter 10

“Look at the state of you!” Em shrieked when she saw Tommy’s back. Of course the little fecker had to come into the office without his top on.

“We got shot too!” complained Kieran but Em tutted, knowing Tommy had probably taken most of the hits and why. She fussed over him and mothered him as she made him a cup of tea. Of course Tom really didn’t help himself by giving us the finger the minute Em’s back was turned.

“Some people never learn,” Kier said with a sigh. He was probably dreaming up some more ways he could torture him. Tommy was sitting in Danny’s seat again so Kieran and I sat there expectantly, waiting for the fallout as the old man shuffled in through the door. Preempting him, Em handed him a steaming hot cup of coffee, and he graced her with a rare and loving smile, before turning his scowl on the rest of us.

“Heath’s got some good news about Con’s next fight so I want you all to listen up. Tommy get out of my feckin’ seat. Now!” he demanded.

“But, Danny,” he whined, “I’m really badly injured!” He turned his downtrodden expression toward Danny, who was the least sympathetic person I had ever met.

“I don’t give a feck if you’re actually bloody dying. Unless you’re planning on donating one of those organs to me, get out of me feckin’ chair.” Looking like Danny had kicked him, he made it out of the chair to stand next to Kier. Em brought the rest of us cups of tea, and I patted my knee when she was done, loving that all the seats were taken so that she’d sit on my lap. I wrapped my arm around her tiny waist, pulling her in close, and inhaled her vanilla scent. The door opened and closed as an excited Earnshaw bounded in. Heath was cautious, reserved, and stoic most of the time so to see him excited was quite funny.

“I’d just like to announce that I’m an absolute genius,” he told us. Danny rolled his eyes and glared at us, like we’d somehow infected Earnshaw with our self-confidence.

“All right, genius, want to tell us why?” I asked.

“I’ve got you a title fight with Rico Temple.”

“The same Rico Temple who kicked Con’s arse and swore he’d never give him a title shot?” Tommy asked.

“You know any other Rico Temples?” Earnshaw responded. I grinned at Kieran because this was my chance for redemption. The exhibition against Temple had been an absolute travesty. This time I would show Danny what I was really made of.

“That’s good news, Heath,” Kier congratulated him. “How d’you get him to agree to it?”

“Pretty much the same way Kieran got us to shoot Tommy,” he answered, and he and Kieran smiled conspiratorially. “It’s only fair to warn you though, Con,” he told me. “You fuck up this fight, and you won’t get another chance at Temple. His star is on the rise, and he’s telling everyone who’ll listen that he’s already knocked you out. You were just too stupid to go down.”

“That right?” I said smiling. There’s nothing like going into a fight as the underdog. Temple thought he knew me, knew my play because he’d seen me on a bad day. I was going to bring his whole world crashing down around him. Danny looked stern and not too happy at all. “What’s wrong, Danny?” I asked him.

“Not sure if your head is in the right place yet. Physically you’ll be fine but one sort of goes hand in hand with the other.”

“We’ll make sure he’s ready,” Kieran reassured him, and it was pretty obvious how much he wanted me to take on this fight.

“When’s all this meant to be going down anyway?” Liam asked.

“December tenth,” Earnshaw answered, and the whole room went quiet.

“We can’t take the fight,” I told him, my voice echoing in the silence.

“Why not?” he said, alarmed.

“The trial for Em’s stepfather Frank starts a month before,” I told him.

“Fuck,” Earnshaw muttered. “What’re the chances of Temple changing the date?” Kieran asked, knowing there was no way I could do that to Em.