regain control. Think of the end-game. Of Alaska. She imagined the beautiful sunsets and the breathtaking scenery she and Daniel would explore. Her grip on the spoon relaxed.
Absentmindedly, she rinsed it off in the sink. Every inch of her home had been cleaned to wipe all traces of Roz away.
‘Ready?’ Mike was waiting for her at the lift, his thumb hooked into the pocket of his jeans. Mike was hard. Prison had taken his edges and made them razor-sharp. But she had given him what he wanted and now he was ready to respond in turn. But there was something about his behaviour that was off. She watched the heel of his boot dance against the floor as his leg jittered of its own accord. This was more than nerves. Her eyes narrowed as she met his gaze. It was only now she noticed his dilated pupils, his muscles twitching beneath his skin. ‘Son of a bitch . . .’ she said. ‘You’ve been using!’
‘Just a little something to take the edge off,’ he replied. His tone was dark, and Sheridan sensed a shift in mood. ‘Are we getting this over with or not?’
‘All right,’ Sheridan replied. Now was not the time to challenge him. ‘Stay in the lift, unless I call you.’
Act normal, she told herself, invoking years of training. This was a set. She was in a leading role. Much of her life had been lived like this.
As the doors parted, she adjusted her eyes. It didn’t matter how many lights were switched on; this would always be a gloomy space.
‘Roz,’ she exclaimed, finding the young woman bent over the bed.
The smile Sheridan was faking slid from her face as she approached, glass in hand. Her eyes fell on Roz’s tracksuit bottoms, which were stained and wet. She took in her sweaty face, her wild eyes.
‘I’m having the baby,’ Roz moaned through gritted teeth.
Sheridan clung on to the glass. This was not part of the plan. ‘You can’t be. It’s not due yet.’
‘Tell that to Ashling,’ Roz said, delivering another low moan.
How long has she been like this? Sheridan thought. What do I do now?
‘Here.’ She thrust the glass in Roz’s direction. ‘Have a drink.’
Reaching for the glass, Roz gripped it in her hand before smashing it against the wall. ‘I don’t want a drink!’ she screamed, making Sheridan jump. ‘I want a doctor. Take me to the hospital, now!’
Sheridan watched as the liquid dripped down the wall in long pink streaks. A flashback made her recoil. Kelly had lain on this very bed, screaming as the baby crowned. Just like before, Daniel was nowhere to be seen. Kelly had cried for the hospital and Sheridan had cried alongside her, shocked by the turn of events. But she could not risk everything to help the girl her husband had fallen in love with. Bright-red blood had gushed on to the mattress, staining her hands.
Panic rose in Sheridan’s chest at the memory of Kelly’s death.
‘I can’t . . . I can’t do it again. I won’t . . .’ It felt as if she were drowning and she couldn’t breathe. She needed to call for an ambulance. She had to let Roz go. Fumbling with her phone, she prepared to dial for help.
Heavy footsteps creaked the floorboards as Mike stood out from the shadows.
‘You don’t need that.’ Taking Sheridan’s phone, he pressed the button to turn it off. As everything began to unravel, Sheridan had forgotten he was there.
‘Babe, trust me. Daniel might have abandoned you but I’m here now. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.’
Roz’s face was a picture of fear. ‘Keep away from me!’ she screamed, backing away from the bed. Picking up a shard of the broken glass, she pointed it at him. ‘Keep away!’
‘What . . . what do I do?’ Sheridan felt like a child asking for her lines. Except that her mother was not there to help her. Mike was.
‘Go upstairs,’ he said, his voice deep and reassuring. ‘I’ll take care of this. You don’t need to be here.’
It was bad enough losing Kelly through childbirth, but now it came down to it, Sheridan could not allow him to harm Roz. ‘No,’ she said, her eyes pleading with his. ‘Not like this.’
Mike’s hand fell on her shoulder and squeezed. ‘She knows too much. It’s her or us.’
‘But the baby?’ she said, her breath steadying at last.
‘I told you. I’ll take care of it.’ Mike’s hand slid to the waistband of