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“Oh God, Seamus,” I cry out, not sure what I’m crying out for.
“I’m good, baby sister… had to go off grid for a couple of days to get here safely.”
I turn, ready to lead him back to the counter, but as I do, I bump right into Finn. I hadn’t realised he’d gotten up from his chair and was so close to me.
He leads me over to the dining table and sits me down, then goes back to grab my drink as Killian finishes up at the stove.
Finn pulls his chair so close to mine that he’s practically sitting on top of me.
“I think it’s about time you two started talking, don’t you?”
“Any chance I’m getting fed here?” Seamus asks hopeful, looking over at Killian, who just laughs and nods.
Seamus looks at me, then at the brothers and then back to me again. “Let me eat and have a coffee, then I’ll tell you everything.”
Chapter 12
We all sat, ate, and chatted about nothing in particular at lunch. I wanted to make sure Cara ate in peace, and making sure her brother was fed and watered was a good start to ensure she was calm.
The doc checked her over and let her know everything was good, but he did warn me that her bloody pressure was a bit high. He was aware of the situation before he got here, so he said he was expecting it but said I needed to keep an eye on it and keep her as calm as possible.
After loading the dishwasher, we move into the front room. From the door leading off the dining room, the room is a light cream colour, the sofa a light grey––there is a three seater sofa as you enter from the dining room, and another on the right hand side. The back wall to the main door leads into the hall, and in front of the window, I have a large chair big enough to seat two, which is where I make a beeline to, pulling Cara along with me. The seating forms a semi-circle, facing the chimney breast, where there is a large TV secured to it.
I sit on the chair, pulling Cara into my lap, and she curls into me without hesitation. I feel relieved knowing that she seems to want to sit with me, and she’s comfortable enough sit with me in front of my brothers and hers. Wrapping my arm around her shoulder, I pull her into me, and she snuggles in, her hand resting gently on my abs.
We all look at Seamus, but it’s Killian who speaks. “It’s time, spill it… all of it.”
Seamus and Cara look at one another. Her look tells me she knows something, but it’s his look that has me worried. Whatever he’s about to tell us, I’m fairly certain he doesn’t want to say it in front of Cara, but that’s just tough shit, because she needs to know what is going on. I need her to understand I’m trying to keep her safe, and in order for me to do that, we all need to know what we are keeping her safe from.
“Our clan is in trouble. We have been for some time. Da made some fucking stupid moves and it put us in the red, and in the cross hairs of the Italians. They’ve been wiping out our members for years, slowly taking out one here and another one there. They did it every time Da refused or failed to pay them.”
“Wait… back up, Seamus. Start from the beginning. What did he do and what was he paying for?” Kill seems frustrated, while the rest of us sit focussed on Seamus. I sneak sideways glances at Cara every minute or so. She looks worried and confused––she clearly doesn’t know this.
Seamus scrubs his hands over his head, and it’s only then that I see how stressed the guy is and how tired he looks. His dark hair is a muffled mess, there are bags under his eyes, and his skin is grey. The kid doesn’t look like he’s slept in months, and he looks like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“It started at least six years ago, maybe more, I’m not totally sure. He made a deal with the Italians to move some of their product––drugs and weapons.” I feel Cara tense, but I glance at Connor. His woman was placed up for trade by our cousin, and her ex, last year. She was sold to an Italian and kidnapped, but thankfully, he got her back… not unharmed though, and the woman has been going to therapy since he rescued her.
Unaware that the atmosphere in the room has changed, Seamus continues. “I thought we were trading in weapons only, until about six months ago when I found some documents detailing the extent of the shit he was into and the debt he’d accumulated. The Italians had realised he’d been stealing from them for years and were trying to claim their money back. He couldn’t pay in cash so they were taking it back by other means––killing people in our organisation and kidnapping their woman as ‘payment’.
“I confronted him about what I found, and he told me the truth. All of it…”
He lowers his head, breathing in and out, gearing up for whatever he’s about to say, and when he lifts his head, I see the tears in his eyes as his gaze focuses on Cara. “The Italians Killed Ma.” A small sob catches in Cara’s throat, and I rub circles around her back, soothing her.
“That’s when he told me that he made a deal with José Carrera. He was going to clear the debt with the Italians and save our arse’ but it would come at a cost… that cost was Cara. She was to remain a virgin and then marry Carrera at the end of this year.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? He fucking sold off his own daughter to pay his fucking debts? So if she wasn’t pregnant with my kid, your Da would be handing her over.” My rage is off the charts, my level of control is at zero, and I’m struggling to control my own demon. I can feel my blood literally boiling. The only thing holding me back from losing it is Cara, having her in my lap, her hand gripping my arm as her other hand rubs my stomach.
I take a breath, looking at my brothers. They are waiting for my call, and I give them a nod to let them know I’m okay.
Killian turns to Seamus and lets him know to continue.
“The options to marry you or abort the baby and marry Carrera wasn’t Da’s decision, it was mine. When we found out she was pregnant, he lost it, like completely lost it. He trashed his office and the kitchen, said she was ruining everything, that her getting pregnant was selfish and she should know better. He called her a whore––”
“And a waste of space like Ma.” I look at Cara as she cuts him off, realising she was there when he lost his shit. “Seamus gave me the option, but Da kept saying that it wasn’t my choice. I would get rid of the baby and marry José. He said if I knew what was good for me, I would do as I was told.”
“Princess…”
“Carrera found out she was pregnant, said that he would still marry her once the baby had been terminated, but it changed the deal. He said that the new deal meant he would be in charge of the clan, and Da would be taking orders from him. He tried to argue, but Carrera said it was that or he would marry Cara and end us all. The thing you should know is that José is the leader of Mexican Cartel.”
