Page 2 of Sanctuary

I put it up to my ear and whispered, “Yes.”

“Thank goodness, are you alright?” The relief upon hearing my voice was evident in the dispatcher’s tone. “Stay where you are, I was able to ping the call, and the police are on their way. Stay on the line with me, okay miss?”

I wanted to trust them, to believe that they could protect me. But I couldn’t take any chances. “I’m sorry,” I choked out before hanging up and immediately dialed the only person I knew I could trust.

“Mia?” Wren’s bright voice answered after a few rings.

“I need your help,” I said urgently. “Can I come stay with you guys?”

“What? Of course!” she exclaimed in her usual bubbly tone.

My eyes stung with tears as the reality of my situation hit me harder than ever. “I don’t know if it’s safe. I’ll take the next bus to Toronto. Can you pick me up in roughly fourteen hours. That’s how long it will take me to get there, at least.”

“What do you mean you don’t know if it’s safe? Mia, what the hell is going on?”

“Like I said, I don’t know. But I will explain everything to you once I get there. I’m hoping the family can help me.”

“Of course!” She said, “Just let me know when you get in.”

“Thank you so much, Wren,” I said gratefully before ending the call.

Fearing for my safety, I reached into my backpack and retrieved a burner phone that I had prepared for this exact situation. Praying that it still had some charge left, I powered it on and was relieved to see that the battery was at sixty percent. With shaky fingers, I used a prepaid Visa card under a false name to purchase a bus ticket to Toronto. As I passed by a garbage dumpster, I tossed my own phone inside it before making my way to the bus terminal.

Chapter 2

Connor O’Brien

I glanced around the room, taking in the dark wood paneling and shelves lined with leather-bound law books. Rory and Kat sat to my left, her eyes red-rimmed and distant. Declan, with bags under his eyes, paced near the window, his usual commanding presence diminished by sorrow, while Wren sat to my right. The past week had been a blur of grief and preparations since the old man had taken a sudden turn for the worse and passed away in his sleep. I still couldn’t quite believe he was gone.

It all felt so suffocating, and I had no clue as to why I was there, other than the fact that I was told by the lawyer that it was what Tomas had wanted.

The click of the door opening drew our attention as Mr. Fitzgerald, the lawyer appointed to read the will, seeing how Tomas’ original lawyer had long passed, walked in carrying a thick manila folder and sat behind the desk.

Declan took his seat beside me as Mr. Fitzgerald donned a pair of reading glasses then thanked us all for coming. He took a sip of water, cleared his throat and began reading it.

“I, Tomas Patrick MacGallan, being of sound mind and body, do hereby bequeath my worldly possessions as follows...”

I found my mind wandering as he droned on about various assets and accounts. None of it concerned me. Even though I’d lived at the estate since I was a toddler, when my mother had been hired as housekeeper. After her passing five years ago, I took on the role, and for the past two years, I’d taken care of Tomas. Through it all, I always considered him a mentor and father figure, but I wasn’t foolish enough to think I would be included in his will. Afterall, he was a prick. I was here purely as moral support for Kat and Declan.

“To my daughter, Katrina Anna George,” the lawyer’s voice cut through my reverie, “I hope you have come to this reading. I’m sorry I wasn’t a part of your life; I assure you it was for the best. If you have come, I leave you the sum of five million dollars, to do with as you see fit. If you didn’t come, well then, you can fuck off.”

Kat’s body jerked back in her seat, her sudden movement catching everyone’s attention as her sharp intake of breath echoed in the quiet room. Rory squeezed her hand, offering her comfort. Mr. Fitzgerald looked at her over his glasses. “I’m sorry, I’m just reading what he said.”

Declan looked over at her. “I told you he was a prick.”

“To my son, Declan Gerard MacGallan, I leave the family estate and all associated properties, as well as control of the family business interests.”

No surprises there. Declan was already captain, having replaced Tomas awhile ago.

The lawyer continued. “Declan, if in the event you don’t want the job as captain of the clan because you always were a pussy…” Mr. Fitzgerald, once again looked over his glasses but this time at Declan. “I’m so sorry, I’ve never had a will reading with such vulgarity…”

Declan raised a staying hand. “It’s fine. I knew my father well.”

“Yes… Well, I’ll continue then.” He cleared his throat, “Everything belonging to the estate will be left to my son Connor Michael O’Brien…”

The room fell silent as the implications of those words sank in. Son? My stomach lurched, as if the floor had dropped out from under me. I looked to Declan and Kat, searching their faces for some sign that this was a mistake, a cruel joke. But they looked as shocked as I felt as the lawyer continued. “… On one condition. You must marry within six months after the date of my passing.”

I snapped my head around to look at the lawyer when the word ‘marry’ slipped out of his mouth. My heart started to pound in my chest, and my palms felt slick with sweat. What the hell? Six months? Marry?!

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