by Vi Carter
He holds out the small cup of tea. I take it and try not to spill any. I spin away from him again and try to settle the conflict that tears through me by walking around the room.
“You did this for me?” I ask, stopping at the station that holds all the different colored paints. Every shade of every color fills the space. Hundreds of colors, all new, all sealed, all ready to be brought to life on a canvas.
“Yes.” Movement outside has me looking at the wall of glass. Connor races around the garden; so fast it’s hard to track him. I want to add, is he for me too? Is that why he kept Connor?
It’s too much.
Hands caress my arms, and the blouse is no barrier for how his touch feels on me. “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to paint, Claire.” His voice holds a hint of disappointment.
I tighten my fingers around the mug. They are itching to start painting. “I like it,” I whisper.
Lowering the cup to the sideboard, I turn in his arms. “I’ve spent most of my life afraid.” I can’t hold his gaze as I speak. “Afraid of Leonard,” I admit. “Afraid of my own shadow.” I’m thinking about how I turned off every appliance before going to bed, afraid of fire. Or making sure I thought before I spoke, as I was afraid of offending someone. Afraid, afraid, afraid.
Be brave.
A laugh jolts my pain. “You took me from a cage.” I look back up at Richard and blink. Tears spill. “I’m not afraid anymore.” I don’t think my words will mean much to him, but to me, not being afraid anymore frees my soul.
Richard’s large hands encase my face, and I close my eyes against the warmth and security they provide. “Nothing will ever hurt you again.”
I turn my face and press a kiss into his palm. “I don’t want to leave,” I admit.
Opening my eyes, I look into his face. He dips his head and presses a kiss to my lips that heals me a little bit more.
His kiss isn’t enough. My hands fumble with the buttons of his shirt; I want to touch his flesh. His hands dig into my wet hair before he helps me with his shirt. He lifts me up, and I’m sitting on the edge of the sideboard. I have a second thought of telling him not to mess up all the paints that are perfectly lined. All words fail me as he pushes his rock-hard cock against me. My fingers skim tanned skin. His pecs move under my touch. I drag a nail across his nipple, and he hisses in pain. The kiss is broken, and his eyes drink me up with darkness.
“You want to play dirty?” he asks.
My core throbs. “With you? Yes.”
His lips move to my neck, his tongue flicks out and wets the skin before his teeth drag across the sensitive flesh. I drag my nails heavier along his nipples as he presses down on my neck. Red marks are left along his chest. He stands back and unbuckles his trousers, and pushes them down along with his boxers to the ground. His cock springs free and the excitement of having him inside me has me opening the buttons of my shirt. I pause and take a peek at the large open window. Anyone could be watching us.
Richard steps closer and opens the button of my shirt. “Are you worried about someone watching?” He asks.
“No.” The answer surprises me. The thoughts of someone watching us turns me on. My red blouse flutters to the ground, and I push Richard back so I can follow the blouse down to the floor. My knees press into the shaggy blue rug, and I look back up at Richard as I take his large cock in my hand. I’m still watching him as I run my tongue along the side of his shaft before taking his cock into my mouth. I gag as the head hits the back of my throat. Dragging my lips back up, I stroke his shaft before running my tongue along the head; his cock twitches in my mouth, and his hands land heavily on my head, pushing me deeper towards his cock. His balls are heavy as I take them in my fingers and squeeze them before dipping under and taking them one at a time in my mouth. The growl from his lips satisfies me, and I lick and suck his balls while stroking his cock. I lean out and look up at Richard. I’m off my feet in a second as he drags me up and pulls the string on my linen trousers open. His fingers flutter along my core, and he doesn’t dip them in. I want him to, so badly. He lifts me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist, ready to accept his cock that he plunges inside me. He carries me to the nearest wall, and my back impacts with a frame that sways and crashes to the floor.
The frame shatters, the glass cracks, but we don’t stop. Richard continues to plow himself into me. My nails drag across his shoulders, and when he hisses and uses his pain as a driving force behind his thrusts, I dig my nails deeper. He plows into me deeper. His mouth is hot on my neck, and I’m preparing myself for the pain. His tongue licks the sensitive skin, and the pain comes hard and fast. There is a moment where I want to end this as the agony is too much. My body temperature soars, and Richard’s thrusts grow more frantic. Each thrust takes me back to the pleasure I had felt only seconds ago. I cling to him as his teeth break the skin on my neck. The warmth of my blood trickles, and he growls before his tongue darts back out. His mouth moves to mine, and I look into his black eyes before I suck his tongue that’s coated in my blood.
“Fuck.” His growl has him burying his head in my neck again, his tongue moving in fast circles around the cut. I dig my nails into his shoulders. My back slams repeatedly against the wall, and my cries grow louder as the pleasure and pain continue to build. His teeth graze the cut, and the burn takes me over the edge as my body spasms. He fills me with his seed and the room with his ecstasy, and we both come down together.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
RICHARD
I leave Claire to do some painting. She’s happy and carefree as I take one final look at her from the door. She said she’d stay here. If she had said no, I wouldn’t have let her go, but I’m glad she made the choice herself.
My phone vibrates again, and I pull the door nearly closed as I open the message from Dana. She wants to meet me in Dun Na Ri park. Her messages today are worrying, and I can’t ignore them any longer.
I’m on my way.
It’s been some time since I spoke properly to my sister. Since I have been home, I haven’t seen her, and now over the last few days, she keeps texting, saying she needs to talk. On top of that, Jack is quiet after our meeting with Shay. I’m not sure what he made of everything Shay and I had to say. My father wasn’t on my doorstep, so that told me that Jack was at least listening to what we had to say. We had discussed other bodies that might be buried along with Bernard’s. We have no idea whose, but Connor has given Shay another location where they dumped bodies; we could only hope most of them were in the other location and not at the foot of the mountain. More bodies turning up is a risk we were willing to take.
I pull up at Dun Na Ri park, where Dana wants to meet. I hate leaving Claire in the house, but I remind myself that she is content painting. Her neck looks a bit battered, but I like to think I left my mark on her.
I lock my car and make my way into the park. Not many vehicles are around. I walk to the picnic area; I don’t see Dana, so I continue until I reach the open lawns. My childhood wants my attention. This place holds too many memories. I see Dana, she’s speed walking across the lawn toward me.
My stomach tightens as she drags large sunglasses off her face. She looks so much like mother; it’s frightening. Her eyes are red and puffy, and she keeps looking around us. She’s making me jumpy.
“What’s wrong?” I ask the moment she reaches me.
She shakes her head. “Nothing. Why?”
Looking for the threat that Dana is making me believe is out here, I glance around, but it's just trees and wildlife. I relax. “Why are you acting all shifty?”
I take her arm, and she jumps slightly before forcing a smile. “I’m not. You are. Why are you looking around?”
Clearly, there is something wrong. I lower my head, so my sister is looking at me. “What’s wrong?” I keep my voice low but force a warning into my tone.
Her lip wobbles, and she bites it. “I don’t know what to do.” Her tears are unexpected, and she’s getting loud, l
ike a hysterical woman.
I don’t want anyone to hear her. This place is a spot for joggers. I pull her into my arms. “Okay. Calm down.”
When she gathers herself a bit more, she leaves my arms and wraps her hands around her waist.
“When was the last time you slept?” I ask. Dark circles are painted under her eyes. The longer I’m standing here, the more worry worms its way through my system.
“I don’t know.” She answers honestly and starts scratching her arm.
I’ve never seen my sister like this. She is always so happy, and emotions aren’t something she displays much, especially not to me.
I have no idea why she has called me here. Jack is the brother who fixes problems, not me. That alone is scaring the shit out of me.
“Did someone hurt you?” I ask.
She shakes her head. Her blue eyes fill with a look of pure devastation, and her shoulders drop forward as if the weight of the world is on her shoulders. “A friend of mine killed someone.” Her words give me relief, and I’m about to smile, but Dana bursts into tears.
I have to console her again and pull her into my arms. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not.” Warmth spreads across my shirt from her tears.
“It wasn’t just her.” Dana’s tears stop, and something enters her voice.
I have to lean out so I can see my sister. “Just tell me what happened. I swear we will fix it.”
She’s shaking her head, and I can only imagine how this must seem to her. She must think it’s the end of the world. It’s at moments like these that I wish my sister knew what we did. So she wouldn’t worry or panic. “It will be okay,” I repeat.
She’s nodding, but I can see in her eyes that she doesn’t believe me. “My friend Maeve….” Dana swallows.
“Jack’s Maeve?” I question. Trepidation triples as Dana continues to stare up into my eyes.
“She killed Cian.”
Fuck.
“Let’s talk in my car.” I try to steer Dana in the direction of my car, but she yanks her arm out of mine.
“Jack knows.” Her voice grows louder.
I’m glancing around the area. “We can talk about it in my car,” I repeat and try not to growl at her.
“Shay shot him in the head.” Her words are getting hysterical.
I grip her arm and shake her. “Calm down.”
She blinks rapidly as tears pour from her eyes. “They killed a person. They killed our cousin.” She hiccups on a sob, and this time when I lead her to my car, she doesn’t resist.
I help her into the passenger side and walk around to the driver's side. I quickly fire a text to Shay and Jack to get here ASAP. I climb in, but the sounds of her sobs make me want to get back out.
“You’re okay.” I pat her leg.
“They killed someone. Maeve said that Cian was trying to hurt her. It was an accident; she pushed him over the railing at Jack’s house.”
“Did you tell anyone?”
My question has her tears stopping. “What?”
“Did you tell anyone?” I repeat and turn in my seat, so I’m facing her.
“You’re not shocked? You already knew.” She recoils away from me.
“Dana, focus. Did you tell anyone?”
She shakes her head, but I know she’s still looking at me like she doesn’t know me. She doesn’t.
“What about a friend or Mother or Father?”
“No.” Fear shakes her words.
“Anyone. A fucking dog?” I need to know that this went no further.
“I don’t have a fucking dog!” She screams. “What is this? They killed someone, Richard.” Her hysteria tears through her short-lived composure. She covers her face with her hands and sobs. “I can’t do anything. Poor Una and Shane.” She looks at me through splayed fingers. “Poor Cian. His neck…” Dana touches her neck. “The fall broke his neck.”
Jack had a lot of fucking explaining to do, letting his woman mouth off like this, especially to Dana.
I nod. “It’s terrible.”
My words cut off her sobs again, and she looks at me like I’m a stranger. “Did you know?”
There is no point in lying. “Yes.”
She quickly looks away and covers her mouth before looking back at me. Any color that had been in her cheeks moments ago is gone. “We have to go to the Gardaí.” She’s staring out the window shield.
“If you were going to go to the Gardaí, you’d have already gone,” I state the obvious.
Dana starts to cry. “You remember coming here when we were kids?”
I nod and keep an eye out for Jack and Shay. We had to contain this. I just wasn’t sure how.
“Jack was always so cruel. Hurting younger kids, taking their stuff.”
Father had made Jack do that to them. It was part of his training. I don’t share that knowledge with Dana, but it seems like that is really the only way forward. She needs to know who we are.
“You always seemed so vacant. Just watching us.”
“It’s going to be okay.” I reassure her.
“No, it’s not.” She sobs for a while. She continues to reminisce about how cruel Jack always was. Like he is some kind of monster. When she finds out what we all do, she will see each of us for what we really are.
“Maeve, she was always so kind.” Dana shakes her head in bewilderment.
Jack’s Range Rover pulls into the car park. Shay sits in the front.
Dana’s words fall silent. “Why are they here?” Her eyes widen as she stares at me. “You told them?”
I reach across, but Dana swipes my hand away. She’s frozen in the front seat, and the look of betrayal on her face turns to anger. Her hand connects with my face, and she goes into a frenzy, hitting me. I cover my face as she lashes out. The car door opens.
“Dana.” Jack grips her, and I’m about to warn him not to when she drags her nails down his face. She must spot Shay as she kicks out at the door and tries to slip from the car.
“Calm down.” I grab her and restrain her arms, dragging her back towards me.
“Fuck sake.” Jack’s holding his face as he turns away from my car.
Shay lights up a cigarette and bends over to look into the car. “You okay, love?” he asks Dana.
Dana grows still in my arms. Jack turns, still holding his cheek that bleeds. “What the fuck, Dana?”
To save us all the aggro, I explain what’s happening. “Dana knows that Maeve killed Cian, and you both played your part.”
It’s funny to watch everyone’s features transform. For Shay, it was amusement, and now I see the glint in his eyes, the want to silence the threat. Jack has gone from angry to a look of oh-shit.
“Yeah. You need to put a muzzle on your woman.”
Jack flashes me a warning. “Don’t you fucking dare.” He tightens his hands into fists.
Shay squats down and takes a drag of his cigarette. “What did she tell you?”
I loosen my hold on Dana, and when she doesn’t try to hurt me, I release her. She sits back up in her seat. “What you did. You shot him.” Tears trickle down Dana’s face.
“Where is Maeve?” I ask Jack.
He clenches his jaw. “Don’t go fucking near her.”
“Who else has she told?” I ask.
“Only me,” Dana whispers.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not exactly believing that.”
I don't like how Shay is staring at Dana like she’s a complication that we can just get rid of.
“Jack, why?” Dana sounds devastated.
Jack really looks at Dana now. “I’m sorry. He was going to hurt her. It was an accident.”
As sweet as this is, explaining what happened didn’t solve our problem. “Dana needs to know.”
Jack straightens. “What, you think this isn’t enough for her?”
“Know what?” Dana sounds terrified.
“She’s a risk now, Jack. Are you going to spend the rest of your life looking o
ver your shoulder?”
“I won’t tell anyone,” Dana mumbles quickly.
We all ignore her.
“Telling her will gain nothing,” Jack says.
I shake my head. “Keeping her in the dark has gained us nothing. If we want to move forward, we need to tell her.”
“Tell me what?” Dana asks again.
“We are Kings of the Irish Mafia.” Shay grins as he tells her.
Jack looks from me to Shay. “You have both lost your minds.”
I grip the steering wheel as I stare at Jack. “No. It’s only a matter of time before she tells someone. What will Shane do? He will rip your fucking heart out. What do you think he’ll do to Maeve?”
“Mafia?” Dana mumbles.
“Yeah, love.” Shay confirms.
“We need time.” I’m glaring at Jack. He has to know that if we stick to our plan of digging up Bernard’s body, Shane will no longer be in the picture. So it won’t matter. In the meantime, we need to keep Dana quiet.
“You’re Mafia?” Dana asks me, facing me, demanding my attention.
“Father is the head of the Irish Mafia.” I confirm.
Dana scratches her arm and glances from Jack to Shay and back to me. “Mafia. Like the Godfather?” Her brows drag down, and I see it; she’s ready to have another breakdown.
“She needs to be kept safe while we deal with all our other problems.” I address Jack.
“Safe or quiet?” Jack fires back like I’m being unfucking reasonable.
“If your woman had fucking sense.” I start.
Jack’s marching to my door, and I don’t give a fuck.
“Boys, this won’t help.” Shay stands up.
Jack opens my door. “One more word about Maeve.” He threatens.
I can’t help myself. “She’s a fucking liability. “
His punch has some serious force behind it. My head whips back, and blood pools in my mouth.
Dana’s screams tear through my anger, and I turn to her.
“Get away from him.” She’s screaming at Jack, who stumbles back. “Don’t you hurt him!” She’s half-covering me like she could possibly protect me.