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He was at home now, and he’d decided that he had to dosomethingto find out what was going on. So he called someone who he didn’t want to talk to.
‘This is Haze.’
Shay was calling from a blocked number, in a desperate effort to get someoneto take one of his calls.
‘Don’t hang up,’ Shay said. It was a cheesy, desperate thing to try, but thankfully it worked.
‘Shay. I’m surprised I haven’t heard from you sooner.’ Not what he was expecting to hear from Haze, but then Haze wasn’t exactly predictable.
‘Well, I’m calling now,’ he said.
‘So talk.’
Shay sighed. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘For giving away Liberty’s location to Vincent?’
‘Inadvertently.’
‘You didn’t do it on purpose?’
‘Of course not. You really think I’d give away the location of Liberty? The one place I actually felt at home since leaving Coonagh? Feck no.’ Shay had wanted to explain this at the time, but he’d been too angry and frustrated. He’d been kicked out so quickly and unceremoniously, and he’d decided it would be better for everyone if he just… vanished.
‘So what happened?’ asked Haze. He sounded dubious.
‘I’ve always had a… complicated relationship with Vincent. He was my doctor when I was growing up. It’s how we all met Tammy. Even though the guy’s a prick, I know how much he loves his daughter. But that’s not why I went to meet him.’
‘Then why did you?’
He sighed. ‘Hubris, I guess. I wanted to be the one to reconcile them. You know, the way Tammy feels about her dad, it’s like… like an open wound for her. Makes her feel so ashamed of who she is. That shame that she feels, I’m sure that it’s standing in the way of her truly being free to be herself.’ He ran his fingers through his hair. ‘Not just that. She needed closure. My brothers told me about how her dad disowned her. It broke my heart. I needed to try to get him to see things from her perspective. That’s why I went. I realize now that it was none of my feckin’ business. I have this stupidly protective streak, see. Because of things to do with my Ma and Pa.’ Shay closed his eyes. He could hear his heart thumping in his ears. ‘ It was stupid to think I could manage it, but like I say, I’ve always had a complicated relationship with him. Used to think he liked me, or at least that I was his favorite Healy. Anyway, I expected him to ignore me. What I didn’t expect him to do was to feckin’ follow me back to Liberty.’
There was a pause.
‘You still there, Haze?’
‘I’m still here. Just trying to work out if I believe you or not. I really could have done without all this nonsense. I’ve got enough on my plate. Do you know how hard it is to do what I’m trying to do? I’m already at breaking point, and now I’ve got to deal with some asshole doctor threatening to sue us.’
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t realize he was following me. I should have been more careful.’
‘Well, that’s something you and I can definitely agree on. Look, give me some time. I need to think about this. Are you asking if you can come back?’
Shay’s stomach lurched. ‘If you’ll have me.’
‘I’ll think about it.’
‘Um, Haze? Could you do me a favor?’
‘You’re pushing your luck.’
‘Ever heard of the luck of the Irish? I need to speak to my brothers. They won’t take my calls.’
‘I’ll see what I can do.’
To his surprise, Haze’s number called back within five minutes. Except it wasn’t Haze on the phone.
‘Give me one feckin’ reason why I shouldn’t hang up on this call and never speak to you again.’ To almost anyone else, it would have been impossible to know which twin was calling him. But Shay could tell Conor’s voice in a second.
‘I love Tammy. I love you. And I love Finn. Everything else can be sorted. Please, brother, let me explain.’
