Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Her face has gone white and her eyes wide.
“Your mother never worked a day after your father died,” I continue, my voice hard. “Never had to. The McCarthys made sure of it. Made sure you never went without. Guilt money, maybe. Blood money, definitely. But it kept a roof over your head and food in your belly for ten fucking years while she was busy teaching you to hate us.”
“My god,” she whispers. “She told me for years that we were poor because of the McCarthys, that it was your family’s fault…” She shakes her head.
“Aye. She used you, love. I’m sorry.”
“I know.” She exhales. “I suspected that when she suddenly started buying me dresses and shoes to go out with Marcus to have fancy dinners. I just—my father's gone, and my mother lied to me.” She shakes her head. “But good riddance to Marcus.”
I squeeze her knee.
She squares her shoulders and sits up straighter. “But I'm with you now, and I want to know what I'm going into. Who else will be there?”
“I don't know exactly, but I'll give you the quick rundown,” I say. “My cousin Seamus is the head of the McCarthy clan.”
“The Undertaker,” she whispers. “Everybody from here to the northernmost tip of Ireland knows who Seamus McCarthy is.”
I nod and squeeze her hand. “Aye, but he's—he's on our side. Mostly.” I don't give her the details. “Lorcan will be there.”
She swallows and nods. “Okay.”
“He looks like me but with more hair.” She smiles, and something in my chest heaves. I draw in a ragged breath. “Dependable and loyal, but lacks real-world experience still.”
“Got it.”
“Cavin—he's second in command to Seamus. Married to Erin Kavanagh.”
“Heard about that,” she says. “Saw it online. They were enemies but got married anyway, didn’t they? Will your parents be there?”
“Likely not, but I'll arrange for you to meet them too.”
“What if they don't like me?” she whispers.
“Impossible,” I whisper back. “Anyone who knows the real you can't help but fall madly in love. Even if they did, it doesn't matter to me. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” she says. “I do. Who else?”
“My Aunt Caitlin. Sweetest woman you’ll ever meet, but with a spine of steel. My Uncle Keenan, likely. But Seamus is the one in charge now. He runs these meetings. His brother, my cousin Cavin, is there. My cousin Declan. Have you heard of him?”
“Definitely,” she says with a laugh. “Who hasn't heard of Declan McCarthy? He's a bit of a legend too, isn't he?”
I grumble under my breath.
“How's Tiernan?” she asks quietly.
“He's grand.”
“So… are there any other women, or is this just a male-dominated society?” She gives me a sidelong glance.
I snicker. “Seamus and Cavin's sisters, Kyla and Bronwyn, are part of our contingent. And no, they're not side characters. They're the main action. Bronwyn is the youngest. She's sweet and fairly innocent. And Kyla is a force to be reckoned with.”
She nods, taking it all in. “I—okay, I can see that.”
“They're fierce but loyal. You'll see. You'll like them,” I say.
“Okay.”
The McCarthy estate looms ahead, all stone and iron gates that have stood for three generations. It's grand and majestic and intimidating. All I can think about is how secure it is. Behind those walls, Crowning and his men cannot touch her. It's a veritable fortress.
Her hand tightens in mine as I pull through the entrance.
“It's big,” she whispers.
I laugh. “Aye, the family bought it decades ago. Wanted something that felt like home.” I glance at her. “It's safe here. No one gets past these gates. If I didn’t think Seamus might murder me, I’d have brought you here much sooner.”
“You sure he still won’t murder you?”
“Nope.”
She nods, but I can see the tension in her shoulders, the way she's worrying her bottom lip. Part of me wants to turn this car around and take her back to the cabin, where it's just us. But Crowning's made his move, and there's no running from this now.
I park near the main house and come around to open her door. She takes my hand, steps out, and I pull her close for just a moment. My arm wraps around her back, her front pressed into mine. I press a kiss to her forehead.
“Stay with me,” I whisper against her hair. “No matter what happens in there, I want you to trust me, alright? Can you trust me, lass? I love you, Bianca.”
“I will,” she says.
The front door opens before we reach it, and my cousin Declan's grinning face appears. “Well, fuck me, he's actually alive.” He looks as if he's ready for the runway, as usual. “About to send out a fucking search party, lad. Seamus has been losing his goddamn mind.”
“Declan,” I warn.
But he's already looking past me at Bianca, and his grin softens into something genuine. “Ah, I see the reason our boy's gone completely off the grid.” He extends his hand. “Declan McCarthy. I'm the charming one in this fucking lot.”