Page 17 of The Irish Redemption

Who the hell is that guy? Why me? Why did it have to be me who found his brother and not the night shift?

Clutching the cold sink, I stare into my dark reflection. My cheeks flush crimson, a stark contrast to how pale my skin has become, so it looks like I’ve been slapped across the face. My hair is a mess and my lips are pale, hanging open as I pant for air.

Nausea twists through me and an aching cramp follows, shooting through my gut like a punch. I spin around and fall to my knees in front of the toilet as my abdomen cramps. Gagging over the toilet brings nothing but another painful cramp through my gut, and I almost want to throw up if only so I can experience the relief afterward.

But there’s nothing. I’m hollow.

I gag a few more times before the sensation passes and then I slump onto the cold tile floor, breathing heavily with tears building in my eyes.

What the hell is my life turning into?

I briefly close my eyes, but as soon as I do, all I see is the gaping wound across the throat of the body in the bath, so I snap them open again and force myself to my feet.

“You should have told her,” I murmur to myself in the mirror. “Idiot.”

I did it. Now I just have to get outside and hope Cormac will stay true to his word and let me go. Then I’m going home.

Or to see my mom. I’m not sure.

Splashing one more handful of water on my face, I quickly dry my hands and head out of the bathroom, only to run directly into Sarah who stands outside with her brows pulled low.

“Evelyn, are you alright?”

I nod, pushing some damp strands of hair away from my face. “I’m fine. Honest. Think I’m just really stressed, y’know? I think I’m going to go home.”

“Are you sure?” Her look turns quizzical and she looks me over once, then sighs. “I wanted to let you know something. The body that you found? We identified him.”

“Oh?” I say as casually as I can muster while my heart attempts to break free of my ribcage.

“Brenden Gifford. He was a very dangerous man, Evelyn. Neck deep in the Mafia.”

All the blood rushes from my head, and an unsettling cool sensation grips my shoulders. “The Mafia?”

“Mmhmm. He and anyone associated with him are extremely dangerous, do you understand what I’m saying?”

I nod slowly.

“Has anyone contacted you, Evelyn? Anyone you don’t know? If someone threatens you or makes demands of you in any capacity, then you have to let me know. Do you understand?”

I need to get out of here.

Nodding slowly, I lightly grip her arm as I move past her. “I understand. If that happens, I will definitely be in touch. Goodbye.”

The Mafia.

Cormac is in the Mafia? No wonder he and his siblings were unfazed about asking me to bug the police station. It hadn’t even crossed my mind until now how relaxed they had been.

Each step feels sluggish. It’s like my knees aren’t quite listening to the rest of my body so I have to use the wall for support as my mind races. First a dead body, then threats on my life that had me offering up myvery limited life savings, and now I find out that this is all because of some Mafia net I’ve landed in.

It’s the last overwhelming straw and as I step outside, warm air washes over my face and floods my lungs. I try to move forward but for some reason, the ground isn’t there to meet me.

There’s nothing but a dark abyss that I immediately fall into.

7

CORMAC

Evelyn drops like a rock right into my arms, and I sweep her up against my chest.

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