Page 40 of Twisted Contract

“It takes one to know one, doesn’t it?” I questioned, allowing a bit of strength to come out. It’s a strength that I could have only gathered from being with Connor. He’s allowed me to be strong.

“I swear it wasn’t like that,” he stammers as if he’s actually bothered by what happened. It’s the first time I’ve heard his voice falter.

I chuckled at his denial. “Please, spare me your bullshit. You hate me, and I know it. I don’t know if it’s because Mom leftand you resent me, or if it’s something else. Either way, I don’t care.”

“Claudia, you were named after my mother who I loved and loved you, but…. I resent you because you’re the daughter of my former limo driver.”

My breath rips from my chest and it takes me a moment to respond. That can’t be true because that would make my life a lie. “What? No, that can’t be right,” I insist.

“It is. Your mother had an affair with him. He’s no longer employed in the state and refused to acknowledge you. I would have taken the bastard to court or divorced her when I learned about it, but would have ruined my career. I was in the middle of a damn re-election run.”

My sweet nana wasn’t related to me, but shared everything she loved about baking with me. My mind races, spinning with the possibilities. Then it struck me that the DNA test could have been wrong. “But that means that you still could be John’s dad.”

“You did a DNA test between the two of you?” he questions.

“Yes.”

“And no one else in their family?” he asks.

“And Connor. It came back that they share the same mother, but John and I are not related.”

“That’s because she and I had an affair.”

“Is that why Mom left?” I ask.

A sigh falls from the other end of the phone. “No. She left because I couldn’t handle losing her,” he chokes out. “Her death broke me, and I will take down that family at all costs because they stole my love from me.” The anger in his voice is vivid.

“Even kill me?” I can’t believe what he’s saying. My entire life I’d been his good daughter, trying to win his love. It would have never happened because his heart had been broken. I was a child he didn’t want by a woman he didn’t want. Then, I wasn’t even his child.

“I swear you were never meant to be hurt.”

“Yes, because shooting up my shop wasn’t liable to get me shot.”

“I thought the hired gun was an expert marksman. That’s what Mirren told me when he picked him out.” This whole time, I thought he found out after the fact, not that he was a part of the attack. The sleaze was the orchestrator. I can’t wait to tell Connor. He’s going to want Nick’s head even more than he already does.

He takes a beat and continues. “If I knew he was some scrub off the street, I would have never used him. I just wanted my revenge on the family that let her die.” I don’t even care that he risked my life. I’m more upset that he wanted Connor dead. My Connor. They loved their mother, and she loved her sons. She would never have wanted that.

“You’re the one who let her die. You could have helped her at any time.”

“She was afraid of him and what he could do. With all her sons, she didn’t know how far his loyalty would go.”

“No, you’re just a coward. I know her sons, and they would have done anything for her, and they would know that she wanted that baby. They said she would have done anything to have that baby. Your baby. A real man would do anything for his family, not destroy it. If you really loved her, you would have done anything for her.”

“You have no idea how fucked up the elder Jack MacNamara really is and the depths he’d go to have his way. He never took insults kindly, and he truly hated us.”

“Don’t make excuses now. Don’t call me again.” I end the call and walk back into the other room just as Nora’s eyes fill the tears and Jack is running out the door. “What’s going on?” I ask.

“Something’s happening to Ian,” she sobs. I throw my arms around her and hug her tight. I can’t believe this is happening.

“Where’s Connor at?”

“He went in the ambulance with Ian. Jack’s getting a bag for John, and we’re heading to the hospital now. Come on, let’s go.”

“You want me to come?”

“Of course—you’re part of the family. There’s no way in hell you’re staying here by yourself,” Jack says, coming into the room in a rush with a large bag.

“I’m not alone. There are guards everywhere.”

---