Page 41 of The Irish Redemption

17

CORMAC

“Cormac?” Saoirse’s hand lands gently on my shoulder, drawing me out from my slumber at Evelyn’s bedside.

I lift my head, fighting back a yawn and immediately seek out Evelyn’s unconscious face. She’s been unconscious for the past couple of days ever since surgery to save her life, and the wait for her to open her eyes is long and painful. Many think I should be elsewhere rather than keeping vigil at the bedside of a woman I barely know, but nothing can drag me away. I have enough people that I can give orders from here and not have to worry.

After checking that Evelyn is still asleep and that nothing on the surrounding machines is cause for alarm, I glance up at Saoirse. She gives me a tight smile, then tilts her head indicating we need to talk and this isn’t the best place for it. Easing myself out of the hard plastic chair, I follow Saoirse out of the room but keep the door ajar with my foot so I can maintain an eye line with Evelyn.

“What is it?”

“We lost McCullen’s.”

“The restaurant?”

“Aye. Burned to the ground.”

“Russian?”

Saoirse nods. “Likely retaliation for that nightclub we raided last night.”

Sliding my tongue over my upper teeth, I nod slowly. “Did we lose anyone?”

“Nah. Purely structural.”

“Good.” Evelyn’s stabbing ignited a bloodbath in the streets, though openly, I deny that it has anything to do with her. The fact that she was attacked when we were meeting with that loan shark is the confirmation I need that she had been marked as a way into the hotel. Whether she was an initial target or a backup, it doesn’t really matter. There's too much Russian blood involved in that motel for Brenden’s death to be unrelated and I needed to lash out. War is brewing, and I’ll burn down the entire city for Brenden if I have to.

And Evelyn.

But I can’t say that part out loud.

“Cormac,” Saoirse warns gently. “You know where this path will take us.”

“Hmm?”

“You’re starting a war before we’ve even spoken to the Godmother.”

My eyes narrow. “What do you expect me to do? Sit around on my fucking arse while the Russians run free after what they did? I won’t allow it. Not for a second. She knows where I am if she wants to fucking talk about it.”

“I know,” Saoirse says. “Believe me, I’m with you on this. Even sinceBrenden—” Her voice tightens and she glances away. “I just want you to be sure. The last thing we need is a war with the wrong people.”

“Okay, tell me how you see it.”

Saoirse puffs out her cheeks, then places her hands on her narrow hips. “Alright, I see that the woman you have feelings for got stabbed on your watch and now you’re tearing through the Russians like Cian tears through Scotch eggs at Christmas.”

“It’s not about her.”

“Isn’t it?” Saoirse’s head tilts. “You really think a Russian loan shark is behind Brenden’s death?”

“No.”

Her eyes widen slightly. “What?”

“I don’t think he had anything to do with it directly, but we know how the Russians work. We know that Brenden frequented that hotel in secret for some reason. We know Evelyn worked there and we know that those assholes always get some poor schmuck to either do their dirty work or to get them in where they need to be. Hell, it’s what we would do if we needed eyes in a place we couldn’t show ourselves.”

Saoirse nods along slowly. “So you think they stabbed her to shut her up?”

“Why else?” I cast an eye back to Evelyn. “Either she saw something or she knows something they don’t want her telling anyone.”

---