Page 23 of Desired

Rush is my other cousin. He’s Malcolm’s older brother, and he works mostly at our flagship location in Scotland.

“What, getting taken for his money? Why am I not surprised.”

“Well, she tried, put it that way. But that’s a whole other story. My brother puts a lot of faith in me to help bring his boys up right. Some are more difficult than others.”

“Malcolm is fine.” I frown. “He does well.”

Da waves. “Oh, yeah, Malcolm’s a good lad. So is Rush. But Rush is too soft with the lasses. He needs to come out here to the states and be around you boys more. See what good lasses can do for you.”

He says it like he can learn from osmosis. “Da, it’s not that easy.”

Da looks at me, lifting his brows. “How so? You’ve been around your brothers plenty, and you’re learning the ropes, too.”

After a beat, I shrug. “It doesn’t matter. I haven’t spoken to Moira in a couple of days. She’s probably thinking that I’ve run from her.”

“Have you?” Da asks, matter-of-factly.

“I’m not sure.”

“I think you’re surer after seeing Krystal, son.”

I stare at my hands. “I know.”

He rises, going over to the bar for a refill. “You sure you don’t want some?”

“Na.” I shake my head.

As he fills his highball from the crystal decanter, he asks. “So, tell me, how did she bribe you into meeting up with her? Or was it just sick curiosity?”

“I was foolish. I should have known she’d have an ulterior motive.”

“Quit dancing around the subject, boy.” Da states, irritated.

I exhale, lowering my head. “She told me she had something of mine and she wanted to give it back.”

He’s confused. He furrows his brows. “What could she have possibly had of yours for so long. And what right does she have for keeping it all this time? So, she was full of shit, am I right?”

“Well, I’ll never know, because I left and told her that she could shove it up her ass.”

He chuckles, and then takes a sip of his scotch. “Ah, Declan. Only you would give up a chance to get some action. I give you credit. Any of your other kin wouldn’t think twice.”

“That woman means shit to me, da.”

“Well, she can’t mean nothing to you, Declan, if you were willing to go meet with her.”

I’m getting pissed off. “Oh, for chrissake! She told me she had granddad’s watch, da! The one that I lost right around the time that we broke up! I was just going to get it back! I had no intention of even conversing with the psycho, but she wouldn’t let me get it over with that quickly! What choice did I have!” I take a break from the tirade and rake a hand through my hair. My tone slips a notch, even though I’m still seething. “Why do you think I told her to keep it and shove it up her ass!”

His brows furrow. He tilts his head, tosses back his drink, and walks out of the room. I figure he’s giving me a breather. I’m so pissed off and he knows that it isn’t directed at him, exactly. I don’t care for him alluding to me actually still having feelings for her, but something tells me that he was just playing the devil’s advocate. I hear him walk up the stairs, and I figure he’s changing his clothes, and he’s got something on his mind. Sometimes da is like that. He’ll get an idea in his head, and he acts on it immediately, before he loses the thought.

After I’ve had a moment to cool down, I hear him coming back down the stairs. He’s still in his works clothes. I’m expecting him to shout at me for being such an ass, but he doesn’t. Instead, he reaches into his pocket, and hands me something that I haven’t seen in years. I look at him, and his expression is blank, unreadable. “There’s your answer, Declan. The lass, just like the whole time you were with her, was taking you for a ride.”

I stare down at my granddad’s watch. The one that he left me after he passed away ten years ago. It’s engraved with his name and the year he was given it from is own da, for ten years of successful business. It’s thanks to him that we are where we are. He planted the seed. Harris Investments was just a baby then, but it’s grown, multiplied astronomically, into what it is today. And as I stand here, staring at the piece of jewellery, I realize just how much I was had. My head shakes slowly, back and forth, nostrils flaring, lips pursed together.

“Now, remember son, that everything happens for a reason. Sure, you met up with Krystal—”

I cut him off, lifting my hand in the air, halting him. “Don’t! Don’t ever say that name to me again!”

He pats my shoulder. “That’s a boy, Declan. The meeting served its purpose.”

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