The Pact: A dark and compulsive thriller about secrets, privilege and revenge

Oh, Megan, of all the lives he could have lived, the one with you most haunts his dreams. You would have got over that childish crush on Xav, he would have made sure of it.

Eight hours later, the gardener, who’d been instructed by Mrs Markham to clean out the ashes in the firepit, had his day completely ruined by the discovery of Xav’s body.

love, of course; Felix had only ever loved one woman in his life, and she’d left it a long time ago.

Whatever he did now, there was no escaping the knowledge that he had taken three lives, and never really paid the price.

‘We hire the hit man,’ Felix said. ‘And we kill Megan.’

That’s my favour, Xav. I have to give her one of my children.’

He took hold of her face and kissed her.

‘That’s a lot of sodium hydroxide,’ she said

‘I have a degree in finance and accountancy.’ She waited for one of the others to react. When they didn’t, she picked up her wine glass and looked around at them over the rim. ‘What?’ she said. ‘You thought I’d waste twenty years in prison?’

‘What?’ Talitha said. ‘What did she want? What did you have to do?’

‘Stay single,’ Xav replied.