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I hold her too-wise gaze and raise a questioning brow at her half question. “What’s true, mo chroí?”
“Why do you keep calling me that?”
I want to tell her because she stole my heart before she even met me or me her, but I hold my tongue and wait for a better moment. If I tell her the truth now she’s likely to think I’ve lost my good sense. Truth be told, she might be right. What sane person falls for someone they’ve never met?
She holds up a frustrated hand when I only smile in response.
“You know what, never mind. Off topic. What I mean is what they said about my father in the news.”
This is the part I want to glaze over. Telling Katriona her father is a piece of shit that earned the bullet in his head isn’t what I want to be doing tonight.
“You’ll have to remind me.” I’m not about to offer up more information than necessary.
“About him being a dirty judge. I mean I’m here, so that should be all the proof I need. I’m not completely clueless. I know you’re not a worried friend frightened for a little girl who just lost her daddy. I guess I just need to hear the words.” It’s obvious she didn’t mean to blurt all that out and clamps a hand over her mouth.
I push down a burst of laughter and instead angle my head. “I don’t think either of us considers you a little girl who needs her daddy. Most girls your age are away at college using up their parent's money. But not you, right, Ms. Kane? You are street smart and a little wiser than an average twenty-year-old and don’t need anyone.”
My words strike a chord within her and the pain they cause reflect back at me. To someone with an untrained eye they would say she is pissed. That is probably true, but from my own experience, I know the sweet woman in front of me suffers from the need for closure. She doesn’t know that she’s looking for that one reason to cut the cords to a father that means her more harm than she’ll ever realize. I’m all too happy to hand her the scissors.
She cocks her head. “If you say so, mister.”
I clamp her chin between my thumb and finger and pull her gaze to mine. “Sylan. Let me hear you say it, Katriona.”
She stands there in my jacket and stares at me for several seconds before doing as I command.
“Sylan. Is that an Irish name?”
Despite the heaviness of the early morning events, I smile down at her and it provokes the same reaction.
I weigh how much I should say and settle on a few facts I know won’t hand over anything she can use against me. “Your father is indebted for gambling to a few people I know and has taken money from me and rivals in the business in exchange for throwing convictions or lesser sentencing. Some of which he did not deliver on.”
“I don’t see how this involves me.”
I drop my hand from her chin and gesture for her to take a seat. Generally, delivering bad news is normally taken better when sitting, and what I’m about to tell her won’t be light.
The door to my office opens and one of my men leans in to share something with my brother. He and I lock eyes, and I know immediately we have trouble. I wondered when my rival would make his presence known. Luka crosses the office and leans in, confirming my thoughts.
I don’t want this conversation going too deep with Katriona so I cut to the point and Luka retreats back to his position at the door. She’s scared enough knowing she has the attention of one crime boss.
“Since you’re the only other family Judge Kane has—”
“Yep, I’m it. Wanted or not.” She cuts me off as she slips into the seat in front of me, and I can see the exhaustion weighing on her delicate frame. I have to say the words. Only thing is, I mean so much more.
“Then his debt falls to you, and I will collect my payment in full.”
