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Although my heart is breaking in two, the scathing anger coursing through me takes a front seat when I hear Sean’s voice.
“Hello, love. It’s been a long time.”
“Yes, it has,” I reply sharply. “And I don’t understand why you decided to resurface after so long. You had ample time to do your business. Ten years, to be precise.”
“Ach, well my son knows how to send a message,” he states. “I didn’t want it to come to this.”
“Oh, bullshit,” I snap, not interested in playing his games. “You’re responsible for all of this. You’ve lied, and you’ve used everyone, especially Punky. How could you do that to him? He’s your son.”
“And I’m his father,” he counters calmly like this is somehow Punky’s doing. “And that doesn’t seem to make a difference to him as he continuously tries to destroy me. He isn’t innocent in all of this. None of ye are.”
“You’re wrong. The difference between you and Punky is that he’s fighting for honor, while you’re only interested in greed. Ethan, Eva, and Hannah are just kids! They want no part in your war, yet you’ve dragged them into your mess. You and Punky arenothingalike.”
“Yer quick to defend him, but do ya really know him?”
I have no idea what he means, but I pass it off as Sean trying to mess with my head. “I know enough,” I reply, wanting this conversation to be done with. “I’m presuming you’re calling for a reason. What do you want?”
His arrogant chuckle has me hating him all the more. “I wanted ya to see that I haven’t hurt yer wee sister or Ethan.”
“And?” I coax because there is more.
“And for it to remain that way, I want ye to pass a message on to Punky—tell him to surrender. He won’t win. I’m givin’ him one chance and one chance only.”
This is a sure sign that Sean is scared. He knows he can’t win against Punky and the army behind him.
“I’ll pass the message on, but we both know that won’t happen.” I want to say so much more, but I don’t want to speak out of turn.
“That’s one thing we have in common…our stubbornness. Oh, and our taste in women.”
His sleazy comment catches me off guard because, what the fuck is that supposed to mean? I don’t let it show, though, because men like Sean thrive on power.
“I’ll be sure to let Punky know you called.”
I know Ethan and Eva are safe for now. Sean needs them, and he won’t hurt them as long as they serve a purpose to him.
“Thank you. I’ll be seein’ ya really soon, doll. You and yer sister”—he smacks his lips together—“are so much alike. No wonder my son fought so hard for ya.”
His comment is a low blow as he’s trying to rile me on up purpose. It works. “Fuck you.”
“I can see why he loves ya.” He laughs, and I kick myself for falling for his ploy.
I hang up as I’ll lose my cool if forced to speak to him any longer.
Eva and Ethan are all right, I remind myself. But I can’t stop my hands from shaking as I pocket my phone and go in search of Punky.
The reality of what just happened hits me, and adrenaline courses through me. My brisk walk soon becomes a frantic run as I sprint to Punky’s house. With my heart in my throat, I burst through his front door, and when I see him in front of a canvas, sketching deep in thought, I say to him what I should have hours ago.
“Okay, I’ll stay,” I pant, begging he forgives me for my stubbornness as he turns over his shoulder to look at me. “I’m sorry for…being difficult.”
He places the charcoal pencil on the ledge of the easel. “Don’t ever apologize for being you. What happened?”
He can read me like a book.
“Sean called. He wanted me to pass a message on—surrender or else.”
Punky tongues his cheek, processing what I just shared. “I hope ya told him to go fuck himself.”
“In a roundabout way. I have another message. It’s from Eva.”
