Page 24 of The Irish Arrangement

“I’m looking into it,” Ian said. “It seems like it was just a rumor that Dad is relying on here.”

“But,” Dad argued, “if she is in any way related to the Boyles, and they find out that you have married into their line, they will see it as a grave transgression.”

The Sullivans and Boyles have always fought. Sometimes literally. We always avoided a full-out war, but nothing was ever peaceful between us.

If they learned that I’d married into their family in any way, taking even a distant relative in marriage, this might cause a brutal battle.

“Do you think that’s why Peter showed up with his guy last night?” I asked Ian. It had peeved me, seeing them among my guests at the reception, but I hadn’t considered why they'd happened to stop by.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged, but didn’t seem too worried. “I got the impression they were being nosy and happened to be around.”

That was what I’d thought too. Until this news about Nora being an illegitimate daughter within their protection. Sons ruled. The patriarchy was strong within our families, but every child mattered. No one could cross loyalties, even by taking a wife associated with an enemy.

“This is bullshit.” I fumed, looking from Dad’s worried and tired eyes to Ian’s sharp and alert ones. Fury coursed through me, heating me up and making my heart race faster with the need to fight.

I felt duped, like Murray had pulled the wool over my eyes. And that wouldn’t do.

“Fucking Murray.” I shook my head, gesturing for Ian to stand and come with me.

“I’ll look into this,” I promised my father. It was too late to renege. I’d married Cara. I’d consummated it too. She was mine, but it looked like I had to figure in some damage control now.

Ian wasn’t chatty on the drive to the Murray house, and I was grateful that he’d given me the time to think. To mentally prepare. To consider what I could say to this spineless little fucker who’d handed over Cara to me last night.

I grunted, shaking my head. “Was it really just the day before yesterday?” I glanced at him driving. “When we came here?”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah. It really was.”

“It had better be the last damn time I have to see his face again.”

Like that first “visit” where I demanded the wedding to happen, I pounded on the door.

Ian sighed, lowering his finger from the bell and surrendering to my method of announcing our arrival. “Now it makes sense.”

I shot him a side-eye as we waited for that old butler to come to the door. “What do you mean?”

“How nervous they were and what we overheard them say after we left.”

I nodded. It did make sense. Shane had seemed willing to cooperate, too scared, but Keira had insisted that her daughter wouldn’t be my bride. They must have already planned then on forcing Cara to fulfill that role.

And it was that vapid woman who answered, not the butler.

Keira slit her eyes at us, glancing from me to Ian, and back and forth again. “Yes?”

Fuck you and that tone. I pushed past her, inviting myself inside. She bristled, huffing, like that sound would make me change my mind about my attitude.

“Where’s Murray?”

She shrugged and sniffed, holding her nose in the air. “Out.”

“What do you know about Nora Gallagher?” Ian said, seeming to realize how close I was to strangling this uppity woman.

“Nora?” Keira smirked. “She’s nothing but a worthless whore.”

“Is she a relative of the Boyles?” I demanded.

She rolled her eyes. “You expect me to know about her parentage? It doesn’t matter. I heard her mother abandoned her and her father never wanted her. No one wanted her for anything good.”

“Like your husband?” I goaded.

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