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“Yes, um…” Finbar nods, but the words seem to be forced out of him. “Your designs were… good.”
“I told you.” I grin at Caitlin, whose mouth hangs open. “You’re that good.”
“I-I…”
“That’s unfair!” Fin shouts. “Caitlin’s not even looking for a house! And if it wasn’t for me, she wouldn’t even be doing the project or the competition. I should get that money!”
“Now, now, Fin.” Finbar clears his throat. Twice. “I have to say though, it’s more than expected. I would suggest that such a large amount of money cannot go directly to Caitlin but needs to go back to the company. She can get a payout of the same amount that Fin gets.”
If things were reversed, if Junior had secured that largeamount, then Finbar would never have suggested that the money were to be returned to the company.
“That’s not what we agreed,” I reply calmly.
He slaps his hand on his desk. “Well things have changed!”
I lean further back in my chair and leisurely cross my legs. “Why don’t we vote on it.”
“What?”
“Let’s vote on whether Caitlin gets to keep her money – as we agreed – or against her keeping her money.”
“I vote against,” Fin snaps.
“Junior votes against,” I confirm with a nod.
“It’s Fin,” he hisses, and I can barely hold back a laugh.
“This shouldn’t be voted on, this should be agreed between me and you, Aidan.” There’s a dark crease between Finbar’s brows and his nerve is twitching.
“I vote against!” Junior shouts, his face twisted, but no one bar Irene gives him the time of the day.
“You made them owners of the company, Finbar. It’s their right to have a say.” I enjoy the anger flicking across Finbar’s face a bit too much.
Through gritted teeth, my old business partner growls, “I vote against.”
“I vote for.” I grin and shrug my shoulders.
All eyes land on Caitlin. Her cheeks have turned pale. Her eyes flick between us all.
Finbar plasters a smile on his face and says in a strained tone dipped in sugar and honey. “Caitlin, sweetheart. You know what is best, what would be best for the company, for thisfamily.”
“You know greed is a sin,” Irene snaps from under the window. “What would Father Murray say if he saw youstealingthis money?”
A booming voice sounds from the doorway.
“I would say, she’s a whore.”
36
Caitlin
“I would say, she’s a whore.”
A chill runs down my back. Slowly, I get up from my chair. An imposing figure in dark fills the doorway.
“Father Murray, what are you doing here,” Mum asks, and walks over to greet him. “Uh, Miss Duffy?”
I suck in a breath as the beady-eyed woman appears behind him. In some sick way, I’ve always believed Miss Duffy to be a church vampire, someone who’d turn into dust if they stepped out from the stone walls and into the sun. I do a Hail Mary against my thigh for my spiteful thoughts.
