Page 52 of The Devil We Know

I give him a dirty look and retort, “Not exactly. We could call this, like, plan M.”

Jessica rises from the chair she was seated in, stepping between us, and says, “He didn’t have a choice. They’d all lost their fucking minds.”

He turns his gaze to her, cocking his head as he says, “What do you mean?”

Marieka speaks up from behind him, “They showed up at her room like animals. There was no reasoning with any of them, especially Matteo.”

“What was his intention?”

Jessica crosses her arms over her chest in a defensive manner and then answers, “My understanding is that he wanted to marry me, so then he could make me do whatever he wanted.”

Marieka nods, and then she says, “The things he said were disgusting. The things he was going to make her do.”

Seamus frowns. “He admitted that he was going to abuse my daughter?”

Marieka nods emphatically, and Jessica responds, “Yes. Let’s just say I was going to have a lot of company on my wedding night.”

My hands tighten into fists at the thought. Suddenly, I wish I could kill him again, but this time, I’d take my time with it.

Seamus sighs, shaking his head as he mutters, “Well, this is a problem.”

Jessica glares at him. “So, you think we should have just let him do it?”

He turns his frown on her and spits out, “I didn’t fucking say that.”

Jessica walks toward him, stopping a foot in front of him where she says quietly, “Sometimes, it’s what you don’t say that matters.”

He looks at her impatiently, his jaw tense as he contemplates his answer. Then, after a beat, he responds, “You think I would willfully allow something horrible to happen to you?”

“Yes, if the alternative would interfere with your fucking job.”

He narrows his eyes. One of his hands comes up, and I instinctively lunge for him, gripping his wrists tightly as I say, “I wouldn’t fucking do that if I were you.”

He raises his brows at me, his look sheepish as he says, “I would never hit her, Mathias.”

I yank his hand down and then release his wrist. “Don’t even touch her.”

He’s quiet for a moment, then inclines his head at me, stepping back a few inches before looking back to Jessica. “Regardless of how you think I feel about you; your mother would roll over in her grave, and you know I couldn’t have that.”

Sadness shadows her features. “How could I forget your undying love for a dead woman.”

He flinches at her words, his gaze moving to a spot just behind her, and then Kaian speaks up. “We don’t have time for your fucking family feud right now. Someone could show up here at any moment, and we’re all going to be fucked.”

Seamus sighs and then nods. “I’ll go break the news of the change in plans. I’ll explain what happened and why and make sure that I’m threatening in regard to what almost happened to Jessica.” He pauses, glancing at her before looking at me as he continues, “You better prepare her for what’s next. I don’t know my daughter very well, but I know her well enough to know she’s not going to fucking like it.”

She turns to me and asks, “What’s next?”

“I’ll explain in a minute,” I reply firmly. I turn to Kaian and Marieka and say, “You two get cleaned up and be prepared to make a statement. Marieka, your statement needs to be something that does not include you being in her room.”

She nods, and Kaian slaps me on the back as he says, “I’m on it.”

They both exit the room, Seamus right behind them, leaving me and Jessica alone for the first time in an age.

I extend my hand to her, and she takes it without hesitation. I lead her from the room and down the hallway, keeping her close as we head toward my room. “Those old men will not be happy that the plans changed without their permission. There’s not much they can do about it at this point, and since they’re going to need to save face with Seamus, they’re probably going to begrudgingly allow it. But that doesn’t mean we’re off the hook.”

“What do you mean off the hook?”

I say nothing as we continue down the hallway, and I feel her gaze burning a hole in the back of my skull.

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