I knew he would.
If there was God, he hated me. I had been through so much darkness that broke me down in my life, and I never even considered having someone who I could feel so deeply for. It was some cruel twist of fate. The unthinkable happened. I fell in love with someone so beautiful, so pure of heart, and now she was going to be taken away from me because someone else said so.
“Ye’ know what I’m gonna say, don’t ye?”
I lifted my chin. “I have a decent idea, yeah.”
“This is nothin’ personal towards ye’, kid,” Brandy said, leaning back in his chair. “Ye’ understand how important family is, which is why me niece isn’t remainin’ involved with the likes of you and your brothers.”
The likes of me and my brothers? We did a warlord’s bidding because we were trapped by him. Brandy did the things he did out of his own freewill. He was exactly like Marco, maybe even worse, and he thought we were someone Keela shouldn’t have in her life? The fucking hypocrite.
“She loves me,” I said, my chest warming. “And I love her, too.”
“I thought maybe she did.” Brandy sighed. “I’ve been watchin’ ‘er, and how she looks at ye’.”
“Can we not just come to some sort of arrangement—”
“I’ve already decided what’s goin’ to happen, Alec.”
My hearted dropped to my stomach.
“You simply leavin’ ‘er won’t cut it. I know two of your brothers are in relationships with the Murphy sisters who live in Old Isle Green. The eldest sister is pals with Aideen Collins, who just happens to be me niece’s best friend. If ye’ cut and run now, your paths will cross again, and I’m not riskin’ an reconciliation.”
Dread flowed through my veins.
“So what do you want me to do?”
“I want you to devastate her.”
Fear shot up my spine. “What?”
“Me soon-to-be son-in-law has an odd relationship with me daughter, but she loves the little prick, so I’ve stepped back and let them lives their lives. However, I do know that Jason was involved with Keela for a time and played ‘er. While he was punished for that and won’t hurt ‘er again, I know she hasn’t recovered from that hurt he instilled within ‘er.”
I felt like I was going to be sick.
“Keela trusts you even though she knows with your background that ye’ could hurt her worse than Jason ever could, and that is what you will be doin’.”
My lips parted, but no words left my mouth.
“She knows ye’ serviced Everly when ye’ were an escort, and she knows ye’ fucked Dante when the thought tickled your fancy. Both of them have already been informed of the playdate the three of ye’ will have.”
I jumped to my feet. “No!”
“Sit back down,” Brandy said, his tone turning dangerous. “Now.”
I wanted to rush to his side and slam my fist into his jaw, but I didn’t. I was rigid as I lowered myself back to my seat. I looked at the two men who had been leaning against the wall on the far side of the room, and when I saw they had guns in their hands, my pulse quickened.
“I can’t do what you’re asking, Brandy.” I said, focusing on him. “I can’t.”
“Sure ye’ can.” He tilted his head to the side.
I gritted my teeth. “And if I just don’t do this?”
“How much d’ye love your brothers, Alec?”
I froze. “My brothers?”
“Your brothers.” Brandy nodded. “How much d’ye love them?”
“More than my life.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” he said with a sinister grin. “I’d hate for somethin’ to ... happen to them if ye’ weren’t to follow a direct order from me.”
The threat was plain as day, and it caused my insides to crumble. If I didn’t hurt Keela, the woman I loved, in a horrid way, then my brothers would pay for it with their lives. I wanted to scream until my throat went raw. This wasn’t a choice; this was as death sentence for me. No matter what decision I made, I would be heartbroken with the result, and Brandy knew that. I thought of Keela and how much she had come to trust me, and hope flared within me.
“She’ll realise that I would never do this willingly,” I assured Brandy. “When she thinks about it hard, she knows I would never ever do this to her.”
“Oh, I know that, Alec,” Brandy acknowledged. “But the damage will be done by then. Whenever she knows ye’ were forced or not, she’ll still have the visual in her head. Always.”
First the first time in a long time, I wanted to cry.
“Please, don’t make me hurt her like this,” I pleaded. “I’ll leave her life, I swear I will.”
“No,” Brandy answered. “This way will ruin your relationship and her trust in ye’.”
My body began to tremble.
“I don’t like havin’ ye’ raped like this, Alec,” Brandy commented. “Marco bragged on how people have used and abused ye’ over the years, so ye’ don’t have to have actual sex. I’ll settle for oral, either giving or receivin’ on Dante, and that will hurt me niece just as bad.”
Bile rose up my throat.
“Why not on Everly?” I asked. “Why Dante?”
“Because she’ll question whether ye’ could be attracted to ‘er when you’re intimate with a man as pretty as Dante. I know me niece, Alec. She is a beautiful girl, but she doesn’t have self-confidence.”
I felt like the walls of the room were closing in around me.
“You’re her blood,” I pressed. “Why do you want to hurt your blood?”
“To save ’er pain and heartache in the future,” Brandy answered, his voice rough. “You ... your family. You’re tainted by Marco, and ye’ always will be. Me niece deserves better, and she’ll get it.”
“Please, sir,” I pleaded. “Don’t make me do this to her. I’m begging you.”
Brandy dismissed me when he stood.
“Time’s wastin’, kid.” He turned and walked towards the exit. “Do what ye’ve been told, or ye’ll return to Ireland from this sunny trip to the Bahamas to bury four people. The choice is yours, Alec. Make the right one.”
I already knew what choice I would be making, and that was why when the doors closed behind Brandy and his men, I lowered my head and cried not only for the pain I would have to bring to Keela, but for the agony I would bring to myself in hurting her and letting her go. I had found my forever in her, and that forever would be ending far too quickly ... and all because another evil man took my choice away from me.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Present day ...
“Dinner is on the tabl—what are ye’ thinkin’ so hard about?”
I looked up at my wife as she entered our bedroom and crawled up onto our bed next to me.
“A lot of things,” I answered. “The good, the bad, and ugly.”
Keela sat on her behind, cross-legged, and took my hand in hers. There was a hint of worry in her eyes but understanding and compassion shone within them too.
“Anythin’ ye’ want to talk about?”
I shook my head. “No, because we already got through everything that we once needed to talk about.”
Keela frowned. “Is this because of the nightmare I mentioned earlier?”
“Maybe.” I shrugged. “I was just thinking of the shit I dealt with when I was younger, then when I met you and all that ... poison happened.”
“Hey.” My wife squeezed my hand. “Ye’ can’t change the past, and if we could, we probably wouldn’t have the present. We probably wouldn’t have our sons or our life together. Hell, ye’ probably would have never come to Ireland.”
I reached forward and pulled her on top of me so her body was lying on mine. Her cheek rested against my chest, and I closed my eyes, basking in her scent and presence.