Ex Manchester gangland boss Michael O'Connor, who is now happily settled in rural Ireland, is forced to go back to Manchester when his son Sean is found guilty of the murder of a gang member. The shooting was done by Sean's girlfriend Stacey Cox but in order to protect her Sean takes the blame even though he has no criminal affiliation. Michael must find a way of protecting Sean before he becomes jail bound. Meanwhile, Michael's Irish girlfriend Anna finds out that she is pregnant.

D.I. Tony Conroy and his team search for Jacob King and the Motorway Crew. Michael and Sean meet at the prison but relations are hostile. Michael and Barrington hatch up a plan to help Barrington escape with Sean, with the help of Augustine Flynn and some creative money laundering. Anna comes to see Michael in Manchester and gets involved involuntarily. Jacob's young brother Benjamin is found at school with the .38 pistol that killed Elijah and it is found to be an organized crime gun. Meanwhile, Jacob tries unsuccessfully to kill Michael and Michael goes after him but he lets him go. Elsewhere, Stacey's relationship with Barrington becomes evident.

Michael meets with Conroy to make a deal and gain the release of Sean. Michael's dad has a heart-attack whilst visiting Sean at the prison. When Michael goes to pick up clothes for John from his house he discovers that John was grassing him to Conroy years earlier and which may have led to Lynn' s death. Sean discovers that Barrington and Stacey are involved and becomes enraged. Meanwhile, Irish detectives begin to hound Anna in Ireland.

Michael goes to talk to Sean in prison and tells him about the deal he struck with Conroy but Sean refuses to co-operate and in the course of events reveals that he killed his mother accidentally with Michael's loaded gun which he had been playing with. Stacey goes to collect Barrington's money and has a confrontation with Michael. On leaving the hotel she is shot dead by Jacob King. McGinty and Henderson enter Anna's house and tie her up and leave a Molotov Cocktail next to her on the orders of Augustine. Augustine blackmails Michael into killing Barrington with photographic evidence of her being held captive. It then transpires that Augustine and Conroy were in league together to bring Michael down. Michael goes to prison, Connie and Sean go into witness protection and Anna gives birth to a baby boy.