Cormack

by C. M. Steele

She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes; it never does anymore. “Yes, soon we’ll be having this little one and then I will take you up on that offer.”

  “Please do. Although I believe you shouldn’t wait.” I’d wish she’d take it now. It’s not like my brother would care if she actually left him. I promised to shelter her and help her escape Peter.

  “He won’t hurt his heir, Cormack.” I pray that’s the case, but you can never trust a man who resents the mother of his child, and he most certainly resents her.

  I hope not, but he’s a bit unstable. I answer with a half-smile. “Very well. I can’t wait to meet my nephew,” I reply, hearing steady footsteps behind me and knowing exactly who they belong to.

  “So brother, when were you going to share the news that you have a woman of your own?” Peter asks, putting his arm around my shoulder.

  I shrug it off and scowl. “It’s not the right time to discuss it.”

  “Why not?” He raises his voice, pissing me off because we’re in the church and he thinks he can be tough with me. Seeing my reaction, he lowers his tone. “Every person in Dublin saw you with her, including your arrival at her hotel… and your departure.” He finishes by wagging his brows as if Gloria’s just a fuck.

  It pisses me off. Not only because that’s not who I am, but because who she is to me. “She’s special and don’t make it sound filthy. She’ll be my wife soon, so watch your mouth before I bust it.”

  He throws his hands up, taking a step back and nearly bumping into his wife. He doesn’t apologize to her, but he gives me one. “I meant nothing by it. I just wonder why you didn’t bring her if she’s important. Shouldn’t she meet the man you admired so much?” He says with such animosity that I want to clock him. Still, Peter has a point no matter how annoying he is, but I have my reasons that aren’t his concern.

  “In life, maybe, but I don’t want my grief to mar our relationship,” I inform him. It’s not the only reason. With the chance that enemies are searching for opportunities to take us down, I want Gloria away from a potential bloodbath.

  “Sound response, but I’m sure she will see it in the news or papers. Have you told her?” Now that’s where I fucked up. I didn’t know how to address the fact that I should be grieving instead of worshipping her. Although Gloria took away all the hurt for a bit. My father would have truly loved her and welcomed her with open arms.

  “No, I haven’t. Please drop it. Focus on your own marriage. Soon I’ll be giving her my name.”

  “Congratulations, Cormack,” Siobhan says, smiling sweetly.

  “Yes, Mackie, congrats. I heard she’s a knockout. Does she have a sister?” Does he do this to intentionally upset Siobhan?

  “Do you have to be a perverted prick with your wife right there?”

  He scoffs and then takes a swig from his flask. “She knows her place.” God, I would love to wring his neck. He’s so fucking selfish. Siobhan is a good woman. She wasn’t his choice for a wife, but deals were struck, and he resents her for it as if she’s the one who got the better part of the deal.

  “Enough. If you keep it up you can’t be my best man,” I tell him, snatching the flask from his hand and closing it because the man has no respect for anyone.

  “For real?” He grins proudly, and I feel like a dick that we never had a close relationship. It’s not my fault that he’s the fuck up in the family, especially because he owns that shit with pride.

  “For real,” I repeat. My hope in offering that to him is he will be on his best behavior until I get Gloria tied to me.

  Frankly, I don’t need anyone to stand up with me, but I’m sure I’ll need someone, and he is my brother and now the head of the Delaney family. I can only see our ship sinking with him at the helm, but luckily I put my businesses out of reach for the family, so I had something left after he destroys what our family has built.

  “Well then let’s get the services over so I can meet the unlucky woman.” Yes. This is how he treats my father’s memorial. What a prick.

  I check my phone for any messages before I power it off. I love them so much- Gloria and there’s a picture attached.

  Gloria’s upper body with the roses covering her breasts just barely. Fuck me. I reply, A masterpiece. I can’t wait to watch each petal fall. Be good. I will call tonight.

  I power off my phone, knowing I’ll only be tempted to look again. Worry fills me as I do it, but I enlisted my men to be ready should Shamus call with any problems.

  I make it through the service, holding back my tears because there’s too many sharks in the water. They understand that I’m hurting, and everyone pays their respects as they pass Peter and me.

  By the end of the night, I return to our family home in Kilkenny and to my private suite. I don’t want to do anything but talk to Gloria, so I finally power up my phone and give her a call.

  “Hey, I didn’t think I’d hear from you,” she answers with bubbling hope in her voice.

  “I’m sorry, love. How was your day?”

  “Actually, I stayed in, but that’s not going to last because I won’t be in Dublin much longer. I’ll wait for you to return, but I have to head home soon, so I’m not missing out on what the city has to offer.”

  A fire burns in my gut at the prospect of her leaving. I can’t and won’t let that happen. “What have we discussed?”

  “Cormack, please. I’m not saying it’s over between us.” She huffs, pausing and then continues. “Let’s not do this now. I know where you are even though you didn’t tell me. I’m sincerely sorry about your father. I can’t imagine losing my papa.”

  I breathe a sigh of relief at her lack of anger. “He was a good father to me and would have loved you.”

  “Absolutely. Everyone loves me,” she says with an air of playful arrogance. “Well, except that girl at the bar. She was so filled with jealousy, I thought she was going to poison my wine,” she finishes.

  “Is that why you didn’t drink it?” Anger builds in the pit of my stomach.

  “Yes.” I seethe because I hadn’t even considered someone would do that to my future bride in my own place of business.

  “I’ll deal with it.”

  “Deal with it? She could have done nothing wrong, and it was my buzzed imagination. You’re a handsome man, it’s only natural for chicks to want you to pick them.”

  “Fine, but she will be watched from now on.”

  “Okay. I don’t want anyone fired for me.” Fired is the least I’d do to someone for something so egregious, especially to Gloria.

  “So are you dressed?”

  “Yes, in a pretty nightgown I brought from home. Although someone forgot those panties for me, but luckily, I just decided to forgo any tonight.

  I groan, balls heavy with need for her wet pussy. “Sorry, I didn’t want to send Shamus to get you panties. I’d have to cut his hands off and I was in a hurry.” My phone beeps. “Hold on beautiful, I have to take this call.”

  “Just call me back.”

  She hangs up and I answer the other line. “What’s going on Shamus?”

  “Sir, I wanted you to know that I saw some men scoping out Ms. Grasso today. She ran out to get some dinner an hour ago and two men spoke to her, but she wasn’t afraid of them. I looked into it, and they work for her father. They’re her personal guards who were supposed to keep an eye on her in London.”

  “Okay. Have they harassed her?”

  “No, they haven’t bothered doing more than stand outside the building, keeping a distance but not too far.”

  “That’s not great service.” I have Shamus outside her door and two others sitting in the lobby and rotating for breaks.

  “It’s not just that. We dug a little deeper, and her father is the Don of the Grasso Family. She’s the daughter of a mob boss.” It strikes me what he’s trying to put gently, but my ears hear it loud and fucking clear.

  “Are you saying you think she’s playing me?” I bite out, taking out my anger for my stupidity
on him. I’d been so infatuated I hadn’t dug past her ID and the way she looks at me.

  “I don’t know, sir. It’s just what I learned. I thought you should know.”

  “You’re right. I needed that information. Goodnight. Don’t change anything. Keep everything as is.” There’s a pain in my chest, sending my temper to an uncontrollable state to speak at the moment.

  I shoot her a text. Goodnight Gloria. I have to handle some things. I lie.

  Okay. Goodnight, Cormack.

  Can a heart fucking crack? Am I being foolish? I have to look into this, but I can’t right now. Searching up her father, I’m saddened to see Gloria standing there in a beautiful gown at a gala with a handsome prick at her side. She’s smiling up at him and I want to gut the fucker. What’s in it for her? She gave me the gift she can only give once, so maybe I’m making something out of nothing. Either way, I need to clear my head. Getting out of bed, I head down to the gym and run ten miles on the treadmill. Finally in the wee hours of the morning, fatigue hits me, so I shower and then sleep until it’s time to get ready for the funeral.

  After the service, I speak to Father Flanagan and head back to deal with Gloria who refuses to answer her phone this morning.

  Chapter Four

  Gloria

  I don’t know what happened last night to change Cormack’s mood, but I’m guessing it was important. I fell asleep with my heart aching as if something’s not right. I didn’t care for that goodbye in the least. His level of indifference was clear as day and it’s best I walk away from this relationship, so he doesn’t destroy my heart. Maybe it’s already too late for it.

  With a shitty night of sleep, I get ready to head out in a pretty dress. Since the weather’s warm, I think it will be the perfect day to wear my cute green polka dot fifties’ style with white pumps. I need to clear my mind and decide if I’m going back to London tonight. When I leave the room, the one guard that was there last night isn’t there and no one else has taken his place, adding to the unsettling feeling that he was done with me. Felipe and Maximus stand guard outside of the building. “So you can’t stay away can you?”

  “Yes, but we’ve been keeping our distance. Although your father doesn’t care for the goons that were at your room door last night.”

  “How did he know about that?” I challenge, glaring at them

  “We did our recon.”

  “Leave me alone. Don’t follow me. In fact, go fuck off and never approach me again or so help me God, I’ll castrate you.” I storm past them and onto the main street, feeling unease fill me up. I head over to a large open park area where there are a lot of people gathered for what looks to be a festival. Needing to shake off the sadness, I head into the thick of the crowds, keeping my knife in the right pocket with my wallet inside my light sweater. I’d been almost mugged before; it won’t happen again.

  I keep my phone off and roam around the place, looking for something special for my sister. She’s a few years younger and most definitely not allowed to leave the country without my parents. It’s nearly three in the afternoon when I check my phone. I have several messages from Cormack. Where are you? We need to talk, is the reason I power my phone right back off. It’s not the conversation I want to have. That’s the always it’s not you, it’s me conversation that breaks hearts. Did he use me? I don’t know if it’s the case, either way, I can’t deal with him right now.

  I move around, buying a bunch of souvenirs and then finally when my legs and stomach have had enough I look for a stand to eat at. I just place an order and pay when I see Cormack with a cute woman that has a rounded belly. Is she pregnant? She kisses his cheek and then goes to a stand nearby. I see nothing but red as I watch that brief exchange. Cormack and our eyes meet, and I shake my head. Oh my God, he’s a fucking liar and I’m a fool.

  “No,” I mutter. We’re far apart, but I’m sure he can read my lips. I spin on my heel and flee as fast as humanly possible, forgetting my order not that I can eat anyway. My stomach rolls and it has nothing to do with starving. I see my father’s men not too far away, so I head back to the hotel, losing Cormack. My guards give me space, knowing damn well, I hate them too.

  Planting my hands on the desk, I look back and forth like a crazed woman. “I’m being followed. Can you get me out of here?” I ask the receptionist.

  “Sure. Go in there.” She opens the door to the back room, following me in. “You’ve had the Delaney men as well as the other men watching over you all night. Damn. Do you want your room cleaned out?”

  “Yes please. Is there a way I can get a cab to the airport without being seen?”

  “I’m leaving in two minutes. I can hide you in my boot and drop you off,” she offers.

  “Perfect.” The young woman helps me sneak out the back of the building and to her car. I pop in the trunk, and we drive for a few blocks before she stops and lets me in the passenger seat. It’s another twenty minutes when I can finally breathe a sigh of relief as I arrive at the airport drop-off.

  In an hour my flight leaves and I’ll say goodbye to Cormack, the cheating, lying asshole for good. My heart can’t stand the ache from the fact that I’d been played like a fiddle.

  Sitting outside my airport terminal, I twiddle my fingers, hoping that I can get on the flight before he finds me. Maybe he gave up looking for me. I powered off my phone because I don’t want anyone to track me and I wouldn’t put it past them to follow me here.

  “Lass, are you well?” I lift my head to see an older gentleman in an airport service vest.

  “Yes, sir,” I reply, not wanting to draw attention to myself and my own foolish actions.

  “You don’t look well. Come, let’s go to the nurses’ office.” Am I in high school? My heart’s crumbling and I do my best to remain under control as my soul withers away. Is it possible to fall in love with someone so soon? Could this be what pure heartache is?

  I was wrong, Papa. I wasn’t safe at all.

  “I could use something for a headache,” I mention offhandedly.

  “Certainly, we have something for that.” I get out of my seat and follow the man into a small room. It’s empty except for a table and chair, and I’m instantly aware that this is a trap. I turn back to find Cormack standing there and the other man gone. The asshole slams the door shut, staring at me with a mix of anger and fatigue like he has the right to be mad about anything.

  My fists clench and I snap. “You lousy son of a bitch. Get out of my way. I’m going home.”

  “The hell you are,” he snarls, blocking the door with his strong build, crossing his arms over his broad chest. I hate how handsome he looks. It’s how he lures women into his wicked, filthy web.

  “What do you care? Did your wife come home too early for you and you had to take her places to play it off?”

  “What? Is that why you think I didn’t call you back?” He has the nerve to seem upset like I did something.

  “Why else? You had time to text me. Then I see you at a fair with her. What else is there to say? I thought you were at your father’s funeral, and here you were running around trying to juggle two women. Get away from me. Leave me alone. I don’t want to ever see you again. I wish I’d never met you. Please leave me alone.”

  “Never.” He moves closer to me, and I shake my head.

  “Stay back,” I warn, pointing my finger in his direction while taking a step back.

  “Never.” I put the chair between us, and he laughs hard. “If you think that’s going to stop me, love, you are seriously mistaken.”

  “I’m not yours.” It breaks me to say it, but I need to let him go.

  “Yes, you are. You swore you were mine and you are. I will not accept anything else, Gloria.”

  “How about I’m leaving here, and you’re not going to follow me or ever speak to me again?”

  “Not going to happen.” He shakes his head and crosses his arms again, adding to his size as if I’m intimidated. Honestly, I focus on the door behind him
because looking at him makes my soul burn and tears fill my eyes.

  “I’m not your play toy.”

  “You’re not. You’re supposed to be my wife.”

  I scoff. “Wife? So is she your mistress? You lied to get me in your bed—a virgin my ass.”

  He rolls his eyes. “She’s my sister-in-law. The funeral ended three hours ago, and we drove back together so she could get some baby things at the festival.”

  “What?” He nods, but I continue to argue because that doesn’t justify the sudden bullshit dismissal last night. “It doesn’t explain last night or your late message an hour ago.”

  “Well, you had your phone off so you wouldn’t know that I called twenty times and didn’t get a single call back.”

  “And yet no voicemails?”

  “Maybe you need a better service provider. I’ll make sure that happens.”

  “What happened last night? You went from interested in me and happy to talk to me to shooting a short text.”

  He pauses, tilting his head to the side with a heavy sigh. Dread sets in my bones as he finally looks at me with a frown. “Did you know who I was before I stopped that guy from taking your wallet?” I stare at him, mouth dropping.

  “Um…um…”

  He grasps my chin just hard enough that I’m looking him in the eyes. “I learned who your father was last night. What did you get out of seducing me?”

  I yank my head back and shove him. “Seducing you? I was the fucking virgin and I sure as fuck regret wasting that on you. Especially when my father has potential husbands waiting for me when I get home.” I slam past him as he stands there in shock, grabbing the handle for the door. My feet are off the ground, and he locks the door.

  “Let me go, you big idiot.”

  “No.” I don’t get to move because he has me pinned to the wall while his body presses firmly against my back.

  “The fuck do you think you’re doing threatening to fuck someone else. I’ll kill every other son of a bitch out there. Do you want me to do it? I’ll gut motherfuckers for even thinking they can make a move on you. You’re mine, Gloria. There’s nothing going to change that shit. Maybe I should have brought you with me then you’d have nothing to doubt.”