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“I’ll be civil when it fucks off.”
My mouth opens slightly in shock, I can’t help it.
“Father! What the hell?” Aiden yells.
“Yes. The only reason I don’t fire her is because you’ll leave. Am I right?”
“Yes. You’re one hundred percent right! But you’re dead wrong when you say she’s useless. Jeni’s doing a fantastic job, and you know damn well she is. You’re annoyed she’s doing so well, and you’re taking that out on her.”
I sink into my chair. I hate being the butt of another one of their arguments, and to be honest, it feels like they are discussing me like I’m not even here.
“Brielle’s the only one working her ass off out there. It doesn’t even know how to hand out coffee. That’s how useless it is?”
“It? Why the hell are you calling Jeni it?” Aiden yells. “She’s my partner, Father, and her name is Jeni. You would do well to remember it.”
“What’s the point of learning her name, Aiden? She’ll be gone soon enough, anyway. You know she only wants you for your money. Once she’s had enough, she’ll be gone. She would’ve used that baby to trap you.”
My eyes bulge out of their sockets. I can’t believe Niall’s said that about me. My leg starts to agitate under the table as my teeth grind together. My muscles quiver with the adrenaline of the moment as heat flushes over my entire body. I’m seething.
“For God’s sake, Father, Jeni’s right here. Don’t talk about her like she’s not.”
“Niall! Stop it! Don’t say things like that,” Callie blasts loudly.
“Oh, shut up, woman! What would you know! You would be on her side, wouldn’t you?”
I bite my bottom lip so hard I can taste the metallic tang of blood.
Fuck! Now Callie’s getting involved.
“How dare you talk to me like that, Niall O’Connell? You’ve walked all over me for the past thirty-seven years, and I won’t stand for it any longer. Do. You. Hear. Me?”
“Thirty-seven years of my life I’ll never get back, Callie.”
Mike flares his nostrils. His face turns a bright shade of red as the vein in his neck pulsates with every beat of his heart. He’s angry as hell as Callie scoffs.
Nana stands. “Niall Patrick O’Connell, I didn’t raise you to be a first-class asshole. Now apologize to Jeni and Callie.”
Niall’s jaw ticks. “Mom, I respect you, but I won’t apologize to either of them. Especially that.” He points directly at me. “She will ruin your grandson’s life. That woman is a tramp, a waste of space, and is completely and utterly useless. No one in their right mind would fall in love with her. So that, my son, must make you a moron. Get it through your head… if she was twice as smart as she is now, she’d still be stupid.” Niall looks directly at me. “You’re a worthless dog. Go and lay by your bowl.”
Tears well in my eyes, but there’s no fucking way I am going to allow them to fall.
Aiden stands abruptly, his fists clenched ready to fight, but I pull hard on his arm. He looks down at me, his face bright red with rage. I shake my head, even though I would love nothing more than for Niall’s face to be a bloodied-up mess right now. But if I’m being brutally honest with myself, I’d like to be the one who throat punches the asshole into the middle of next week.
“No! Jeni, he can’t talk to you like that.”
“Aiden… please. Sit down. It’s fine.”
“No! It’s not fine. Jeni, he—”
“Aiden, please!” I interject raising my voice.
With a loud huff, he exhales forcefully and sits. The room is completely silent. Everyone’s shocked at Niall’s harsh words, including me. The tension in the air is thick. The atmosphere is rife with anxiety as everyone waits for someone, anyone, to make the next move.
“I’ll eat in my study.” Niall picks up his plate and storms out of the room.
“Good. I’d rather not eat with someone who’s as callus and downright vile as you, Father,” Aiden grunts, obviously he can’t hold in his anger.
As Niall leaves, the emotion hits me like a tidal wave. I exhale loudly, I can’t stop the anger building inside of me while my body shakes with the adrenaline overload it’s receiving.
