Page 44 of Desired

“I can’t believe you, Moira! I can’t believe what you’ve done!”

Moira draws in a deep breath and releases it, and then she tries to level with her fool hearted brother. “Callum, I know that there was a reason why you and the others wouldn’t help da while he was in prison. Please...please don’t lose sight of that.”

His voice is low, guttural. “Moira, you’ve always been a selfish wench. The money that granddad left you turned you into a heartless, gutless, two-faced bitch. Nobody wanted to help da because theycouldn’t, not because they didn’t want to. We’re not cold-hearted like you.”

“If that’s true, then why didn’t you help him when you first got the money, Callum?”

He hesitates for a moment. I sense that he’s been caught. “That’s none of your business. All you should care about is that you’ve been sitting on granddad’s money for years and you did nothing to help your own flesh and blood. You should be ashamed of yourself. Not to mention, that lad that you’re fucking, he’s worth more than the goddamn state of North Carolina, where you’re hanging your hat! Did you know that, Moira?! Huh?! Or is that half the fucking reason.”

That’s when it’s time for me to step in. “Callum, is it?” I ask directly, voice even.

“Who the...oh, it’s Declan Harris there, right?”

“Aye. And I suggest you show a little more respect for your sister, lad. If she were after my money, I wouldn’t be fool enough to go near her, so you can back off.”

He chuckles mirthlessly. “You’re a fool just like her. You know that my sister is the most cold-hearted wench there is, hm? She let her da rot in prison, refusing to provide testimony to free him, or to help get him a decent attorney, on account of her selfishness. And now our da’s days are numbered, and she couldn’t care less. She’s got her money, and that’s all that she cares about. That’s why she ran, the coward. That’s why she’s in hiding.”

I try to ignore the unfair jibes and get straight to the point, not entertaining this asshole any longer. “Look, Callum. I know that you’re upset about your da, but take it from me, he’s lying. He’s as healthy as you and I. I had my top investigator look into it before I let Moira set foot in that prison. He’s a lying sack of shit and you’d be wise to steer clear of him if you know what’s good for you.”

Another snicker. “You don’t know shit. All you rich people think you know everything, but I know my da, and I’ve seen him. He’s as thin and frail as a dying man.”

“That could easily be achieved, Callum. Anyone can lose weight.”

Moira interjects. “He’s right, and Callum, if he had terminal pancreatic cancer, he would be too weak to put up the fight that he did while we were there, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, because you’re a fucking gynecologist, you think you know it all, is that it?” He sneers.

“Callum, I know you’re upset.” She tries for maternal. “I know that things have been rocky since da went to jail, and that’s why I left. You know how da was with me, Callum. I had to get away from that. And granny wanted me to get away, so I had to respect her wishes, as granddad would have wanted.”

“Convenient.” He sniffs. “Aye, I suppose if I was offered all that money, I’d do whatever I was told, too, but there’s one problem. Da suffered. You could have helped him, Moira, and you chose not to. That’s the undeniable fact.”

“Richard would have gone to jail for the rest of his life, for something that da did, Callum. Don’t you get it?”

“So, you would rather have seen da rot in jail over Richard then, huh? A measly assistant over your own flesh and blood. That’s rich. Oh, pun intended.” He adds coldly, and then adds. “And don’t you think that they would have figured it out? Oh, no, Moira wanted to exercise her own take on vigilante justice. Jesus Christ, Moira! Chances are, Richard would have had much better legal support than da could!”

“If you’re so sure of that, my brother, then why didn’t you all pool your money together and hire him a decent lawyer, hm?” She points out aptly.

“We had our reasons.”

“So, you can have your reasons, but I can’t? That’s just like you and the others, with your double standard.” She scoffs. “I don’t even understand the purpose of this call, Callum. If you’ve got the money to hire him a decent lawyer, then why are you calling me? What, do you want my blessing? Go and help him, you fool! What are you bothering me about it for!”

“I want you to know how much I fucking hate you for this.” He says lowly, like he’s a con man addressing an errant pimp. “You could have got him off, Moira. You and your nosy ways knew exactly what went down that led to da’s arrest.”

“Of which crime do you speak, Callum? Da’s in for several. More than a common criminal could achieve in a lifetime. Did you ever stop to think about that? He’s not just in there for murder. He’s in for a battery of other charges, things that he’s been convicted of, things that are still under investigation. Did you know that, Callum, hm? You think you’re so smart, but you don’t even know the facts, you idiot!”

“How dare you!” He growls. “You sitting there, fucking a billionaire, living off granddad’s blood money, while your da, the man that raised you, stands on death row, when all this time, you could have stopped it? You...God, there are no words for you, Moira.” He practically whispers, voice so laced with ire, and then he clicks off. I look at Moira and see her face is as pale as a sheet.

As I kneel in front of her, hands on her knees, looking into her eyes, I say. “Don’t let anything he said to you go to your head, lass. He’s just hurting. In his eyes his da is dying and now that he knows this, and knows that he has money to help him, he’s probably at odds with himself. He doesn’t want to waste whatever money he has to bail his da out of jail, but since the man is dying, he doesn’t see how he has the choice. And he’s blaming you because you didn’t bail your da out first. That’s all that’s going on here, Moira. Don’t give it a second thought.”

Her hand is over her mouth, like she’s trying to prevent herself from saying something regretful. All she does is shake her head in disbelief. As she removes her hand, she says. “I’ve never heard Callum speak to me like that before. He’s usually very level-headed. My other brothers must be pressuring him to help da now that he’s dying. Or that they think he is, anyway.”

“You did what you could, lass. He wasn’t willing to listen to rhyme or reason. You warned him. That’s all you can do. If he chooses to pursue anything with your da, then that’s his business. I’ll make sure that you have protection in case either your da or Callum comes after you.”

She lifts a hand. “That’s not necessary, Declan. My da isn’t capable of doing much more than what he did. Not behind bars, anyway.”

“Aye, but that could change, Moira. If your brother means what he says, then who knows how quickly they can get your da out of jail. I can have Cullen look into Callum’s bank accounts and see how much money we’re talking about, and take it from there, but if I know his kind at all, they’re going to come after you.”

“I think I’d worry more that they’ll come after you, Declan. You heard him.”

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