揝it down, old man,?I say with a sigh. 揑抣l get us a fucking drink.?
揟ake off your coat if you抮e staying, lad,?Paul says to Cormac. 揗akes me uneasy when people wear coats indoors. Like they抮e hiding something. We抮e all friends, aren抰 we??
Cormac looks at me and I nod my head and take off my jacket too before I walk behind the bar and pour us all a large measure of fine Irish whiskey.
When we each have a drink, Paul, Cormac and I raise our glasses in a toast. 揟o the most evil cunt to have ever walked this earth,?Paul says before his downs his. Both Cormac and I nod our agreement but I have never seen such obvious, undisguised hatred for my father from Paul before. I mean I knew that he always hated him, but his venom now is only matched by my own, and I had plenty more reasons to hate my father than our uncle did. Or so I always thought. Now I know differently and my conversation from two days ago with my Aunt reminds me that I need to speak to him, but it抯 a conversation we need to have in private.
Cormac and I down our whiskey too and the three of us slam our glasses down onto the table. Paul wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. 揑 need to go.?
I frown at him. 揘ow??
揧eah. Something I have to do.?He stands up and puts his jacket back on.
揑 need to talk to you about something, Pol.?
揧eah, I know,?he nods his head. 揕ater, though. I want to meet this girl of yours too.?
揟hen at least leave me your number??I frown at him.
揙kay,?he nods his head and takes his cell out of his pocket before pressing some buttons. My own cell phone vibrates in my pocket.
揘ow you got it,?he says, still clearly distracted by something.
揇inner tonight??I suggest.
揟onight,?he agrees but he is a million miles away.
揋ood to meet you Paul,?Cormac says as my uncle starts to walk away.
揧eah. You too, kid. See you later, Shane.?He winks at me and then he walks out.
揝eems like he had to be somewhere real fast,?Cormac says with a smile.
揧eah,?I frown as I watch him leave. 揝lippery fucker. Did he say anything while I was getting drinks??
揌e only asked how long I抎 known you, but then I had to take a piss, so we didn抰 talk long.?
I nod my head absent mindedly and then I remember the real reason I am here today. I have known Cormac since we were teenagers, ever since we both started working for my father. He has always hated Sean O扖onnor as much as I have, and he was never my father抯 biggest fan either. I lost touch with him when we moved to New York, but once I found out Patrick was dying, I reached out to Cormac and he soon proved himself to be the perfect choice to take over here.
揑 appreciate you giving me this opportunity, Shane,?Cormac adds. 揑 won抰 let you down.?
揑 know.?
I spent another two hours with Cormac discussing the next steps for our businesses here in Ireland, and I am even more sure now that I have made the right choice in appointing him as the new head of our operations. He is a good businessman, rational and fair, but ruthless when he needs to be. I抦 happy to be able to leave this behind and focus on our business in New York.
Chapter 17
Jessie
I sip my tea and stare out of the window at the beautiful view. I had a hot video call with the twins earlier and it was so much fun I had to shower after, but now I抦 bored. I should have insisted on going with Shane today. I hate being in my own company for too long.
I wonder if his Aunt Em is busy? She said we should visit as soon as we could and I bet she wouldn抰 mind if I went alone. I could ask Shane if his driver could take me and then he could meet me there later. She and I got on so well. Maybe going without Shane would be a better idea anyway, because she could give me all of the stories from his childhood that he抎 probably rather she didn抰。
I smile to myself at that thought and look around the room for my cell and frown when I don抰 see it. I must have left it in the bathroom.
As I stand up, I hear the sound of the door handle and look toward it. The door opens and my heart skips a beat. 揧ou抮e back early,?I shout as I make my way to the bathroom.
He doesn抰 reply and I turn to look at him.
揌ello Jessica.?
It抯 not Shane.
My feet seem to grow roots, anchoring me to the carpet. My blood turns to ice as it trickles through my veins and my heart stops beating in my chest. Time stands still. I want to run but my body won抰 let me move.
揌ow??I stutter as I stare at the face that has haunted my dreams for ten long years.
He holds up the electronic keycard. 揝hane gave me this.?
揌e wouldn抰，？I stammer.
揘o??he smiles at me. It is cruel and twisted. It mocks me. He stalks toward me but I still stand frozen to the spot. My bladder suddenly feels like it抯 about to burst and I close my eyes, willing my body not to betray me. 揧ou have no idea who Shane Ryan is, Jessica,?he hisses as he steps closer. 揌e told you he wanted you to meet his Uncle Paul, didn抰 he??
My eyes snap open. 揘o.?I shake my head. 揧ou抮e not him.?
揙h, I am, little bird,?he hisses as he finally reaches me. He towers over me. His beard is longer and bushier now, no doubt to hide the scars on his neck from when I almost killed him, but those cold, gray eyes are exactly as I remember. He runs a fingertip over my cheek and I shudder at his touch. I want to shrink back from him. I want to kick him in the balls and run, but I am frozen in fear.
揗y nephews have been keeping you warm for me until it was safe for me to claim you again.?
I try to swallow but my throat is raw and tight. 揘o.?I shake my head again as tears start to run down my cheeks. This can抰 be happening. This can抰 be true. I must have fallen asleep on that huge king-size bed, the one that Shane and I made love on just a few hours ago. The one I was lying on when Mikey and Liam told me how much they loved me.
揧es, little bird,?he croons as he leans closer to me. The smell of cigarettes clings to his clothes and a wave of nausea almost overwhelms me. 揝hane handed me this key himself and told me you抎 be ready for me. He抯 a good boy, my nephew. All of them are.?
揧ou抮e lying,?I hiss, finally able to move I take a step back from him. There抯 a gun here somewhere. I have to find it. Where the hell did Shane put it?
揑 would never lie to you, my love.?
At last, adrenaline finally kicks in and it surges through my veins. I lunge for him. 揑 am not your love!?I screech as I aim for his eyes. But he is still quick. He dodges out of my way and I scratch his neck instead.
揝till my feisty little bird,?he mocks me as he grabs hold of my hands and squeezes my wrists painfully. 揑 taught you so well.?
揑 hate you,?I kick out at him but he steps back. He has a foot and one hundred pounds on me and experience reminds me I am no match for him. Perhaps if I had been prepared? Perhaps if I hadn抰 been completely blindsided by his revelations.
揧ou and I have so much to catch up on,?he chuckles as he twists me around, holding both of my wrists in one hand now, until my back is pressed against his chest and his hot breath is at my ear. 揝o much.?
I wriggle as I feel him reaching into his pocket.
揧ou抮e all mine now,?he whispers and that is the last thing I hear. I feel a sharp scratch on my neck, and then there is nothing.
Chapter 18
Jessie
I check all of my pockets for my keycard but it抯 not in there. I抦 sure I picked it up this morning. I knock on the door instead and wait for Jessie to answer. She doesn抰 open and I knock louder before I shout.
揓essie! It抯 me.?