Page 58 of Mob Saint

I won’t share that with anyone but my boyfriend. I don’t need the nickname to be a secret, but I also don’t want anyone else to have something I share only with him. It’s special, and I want to keep it that way.

“Okay.”

“Tiera, I’m taking your dad off speaker for a moment. I need to ask him some things, and because I don’t know what the answers will be, I’d feel better if you didn’t hear them.”

I nod. I’m desperate to know what Seamus is going to ask, and I really want to know my dad’s answers. But if Seamus doesn’t think I should, I’ll live with it.

“Did you know it was going to happen?”

What is he talking about?

“What the fuck, O’Rourke?! How…ask…that’s…fuck you…my daughter…kill you…fuck you.”

My dad’s yelling, but I can only catch parts of what he says. I don’t know what he means, but it obviously involves me. He obviously knew what Seamus meant, despite how vague he was.

“Did he do it?”

“Yes.”

I can hear that. Whatever that means is worse than anything that’s happened so far. Seamus just tensed so hard he could be a marble statue. I’m not sure he’s taken a breath yet. His free hand is curled in a fist, and the rage is pulsating off him. I’m surprised I’m not vibrating from it.

“Did you know then?”

“No…found out…too late…years…can’t do…hate…dead.”

Not being able to hear the complete answers might drive me crazy.

“Does he know?”

“Yes.”

If it’s possible, Seamus is even angrier. His heart rate hasn’t changed, and his breathing is still even. But he’s still stone under me. If I didn’t know beyond a shadow of a doubt he’d never hurt me, I’d be terrified being in such a small, enclosed space on a highway.

“If I tell you to take Tiera and leave, do it.”

“Shay—”

His stare tells me not to ask and not to argue. I snap my mouth shut and nod. I drop my gaze and stare at my hands in my lap. He immediately relaxes. His entire body just melts, basically. He’s extra gentle when he cups my cheek and turns my head to face him. His thumb sweeps over my cheekbone.

“Whatever happens, Brant, the only thing that matters is Tiera’s safety. If I feel like anything said or done could be a threat, I want her out of there. I will deal with it. I don’t want her leaving alone. I need your word you’ll do that. You’ll let me deal with it, and you’ll get her out of there.”

“Of course.” I heard him clearly. This is the first time he sounds fully in agreement with Seamus and not pissed about answering.

“We’re getting off on Highway 29. We’ll wait around the block for you.” Seamus drops the privacy glass an inch. “Todd, pull off two blocks before we get there.”

I don’t know what my dad says when Seamus finishes speaking because I can’t hear it at all.

“One last thing. I get why you can’t stop Gareth. But if I find out you condoned even one damn word said against Tiera, you and I are going to have serious problems. You’ll live for Tiera’s sake, but that’s all I’ll promise.”

Chapter Fourteen

Seamus

I hang up and drop the phone on the seat next to me before Tiera can scramble off my lap.

“I won’t hurt your father, Tiera. But he needs to know I would. Not just that I can, but I would. Not only do I not exempt him from being held responsible for the shitty way you’ve been treated, I hold him more culpable than anyone else if he let it happen. There’s a big difference between being unable to stop his boss and letting his boss hurt his daughter. I can forgive one, but not the other. He needs to understand that, so I never have to do anything. I don’t want to, T. But if your wellbeing is in question, then I’ll do whatever I have to, to protect you.”

“You make it sound like the things Gareth says are worse than they are. They make me feel shitty, but they aren’t life threatening.”

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