Bullied by his elder brother and discovering he is illegitimate, Ross Williams leaves home for London. He joins the police force and ultimately becomes the leader of an armed response unit.
When a drug fuelled youth goes on a shooting spree in a supermarket, Williams’ squad is despatched, but with a new leader. However, Williams is forced to assume control which instigates a sequence of events that impacts on the rest of his life.
He leaves the force and eventually returns to his native Northumberland where he inherits a dilapidated estate and title from his real father. Over a period of years he and his wife improve and develop the estate and its many offshoots into thriving businesses, yet, he is bedevilled with the past and the appearance of those who would do him and his family harm, coupled with unavoidable issues that continuously arise to test his resolve.
Excerpt
Afterwards I wondered if the circumstances of Reynolds’ visit had been different, whether I would have reacted differently, but the man on his right was carrying my daughter and the one on the left had hold of my son.
Instead of responding verbally, I just put my head down and charged.
‘Arrggggggghhhh!’ or something like that, screamed from me just before my head and shoulders hit Reynolds about waist height. He went over backwards with me on top. I climbed off him to tackle the one who carried Debbie. He had put her down but was struggling with the vicious looking knuckle duster adorning his right hand, snagging on his clothes and preventing him from reaching the gun under his left armpit. I was quick enough to pick up a rockery stone and clobber him across the temple with it. He went down like a sack of shit, and I felt something go in my side just where the bullet entry scar was.
As I turned to challenge the other trespasser, there was a loud “doyng!†sound and I realised Joanne had hit him across the back of his head with a shovel. He joined his compatriot on the ground where Eddie kicked him several times before Joanne pulled him away.