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not even when we were discussing having you killed, so it must be really serious to get you so rattled.”
    “ I’m fine now. Honestly,” she added irritably when he continued to stare at her.
    “ This is an important meeting and I don’t want your nerves screwing it up.”
    “ That won’t happen,” she said, forcing the desperation out of her voice. This was the first time he’d let her near anything remotely interesting and she wasn’t going to let him take it from her. Taking a deep breath she forced the trembling to subside by the sheer strength of her will. “See, I’m fine. The nicotine’s taking effect.”
    He appeared unconvinced but nodded at the car anyway. “Let’s go. I’m driving.”
    Mikey ’s cool presence soothed her. He seemed so in control as he drove them to their meeting. She focused on his words to keep herself from getting twitchy again.
    “ I want to build a tight ring of security around us,” he explained as he drove. “Me, Jez, Declan and his brothers, Grant and you. We’re the core of the businesses and I’ve built up layers of protection between us and anything illegal. The fucking police will have to go through a hell of a lot of people to get to us.”
    Jules was impressed and a little touched to be included. “Why are you including me?”
    “ Because you’re my cousin. Alex should have done this when he took over, I kept telling him but he wouldn’t listen.”
    Jules noticed how tense his jaw had gone. “It must have been hard for you fighting him?”
    He slammed the car into gear, making the engine snarl. “It was, which is why I don’t want to fight family again.” The lights changed to red and he hit the brakes a little too hard, jolting them both in their seats. He turned to face her. “But I will if I have to.”
    “ You won’t get any trouble from me.”
    “ Will I not?” he said, raising a doubtful eyebrow.
    Jules couldn ’t be bothered to reassure him, she was far too wired. They completed the journey in silence and pulled into a parking spot outside a trendy coffee bar.
    Mikey muttered an oath under his breath when his mobile phone rang. He sighed and pulled it out of his jacket pocket, expression softening when he looked at the caller ID. “Hi Rach.”
    Jules watched with interest as his eyes widened. “Bloody hell. Do you need me to come down there?”
    Jules surmised the Laws were experiencing another catastrophe and wondered how much shit one family could find themselves in.
    “Alright, let me know if you need anything. Bye Rach.” Mikey hung up and stared at his phone as though it could give him more answers.
    “ Something wrong?” she said, annoyed when he leaned away from her.
    “ Ryan and Rachel were having some excavations done outside their house to build a new annex. The digger turned up a body.”
    “ Jesus. Whose body?”
    “ They don’t know. It was put there before they moved in. Now the police are all over the site and they’re still stuck in rented accommodation.” He shook his head. “They were so looking forward to moving in, it was a fresh start for them and the kids. Why does life keep throwing so much crap at them? It’s not fair.”
    “ Life’s not fucking fair,” she said quietly, glowering out of the window.
    He glanced at his watch. “Let’s get inside. Mark’s not someone you want to keep waiting.”
    “ Isn’t this a bit public?” she said, as they walked up the steps of the coffee shop.
    “ Mark insisted on it.”
    “ I can understand that I suppose.”
    The coffee shop was busy and it took them a moment to locate Mark. He was hunched over a table in a discreet corner, nursing a latte. When a man in a suit attempted to sit in the empty chair opposite him he glared at him until he went away.
    Mikey and Jules got their coffees and joined Mark at his table. He was a large figure, dominating the room, thick arms resting on the tabletop covered in tattoos, the ink a faded blue. He was good looking in a