Page 37 of Innocent Union
So, I got in the car and let my aunt take my home, even though the longer I was away from Finn, the less I believed he’d be all right.
I speedaway from Mia’s house and head to the nearest bar. I need a drink after getting into a fight with her.
Why can’t she understand I want to have the wedding so my mom can attend? My brother won’t be there, and my mom is the last of my family.
Mia has her entire family. Five older siblings and two younger siblings. She has her mom. Yes, she lost her father, but that happened when she was eight. She has so much love in her life. I don’t understand why she’s being so selfish.
I walk into the bar, which is a lot more upscale than I imagined from the outside, and order a beer.
The longer I nurse it, stewing in my thoughts, the more I notice how busy it is. It’s the middle of the day. Not exactly drinking time. So, why are so many people coming and going? Sure, I’m here drinking in the middle of the day, but I have a good reason for it.
“Hey,” I say to the bartender. “What’s going on?” I nod toward the back of the bar where I see the men entering and leaving.
“You don’t know whose bar this is?”
I pause. “No.”
“It’s Patrick O’Connell’s.”
Shit, shit, shit. Patrick is the man I need to take down so I can take over. This is the last place I should be. In my distracted state, I didn’t even realize where I’d gone.
“Here.” I toss a couple of bucks on the counter to pay for the beer. I need to get out of here now.
I’m almost at the door when I hear someone say my name. “Killian, is that you?”
I tense. The door is just a few feet away. I could make a run for it. But I’m caught.
I slowly turn around and come face-to-face with Patrick. He’s middle aged with a ruddy face and a large stomach.
“Patrick,” I say, trying to sound jovial. “How are you?”
He eyes me over. “How come you’re in my bar?”
“It was a mistake. Honestly. I didn’t realize.”
“Huh.” Patrick looks over at the man behind him. “He didn’t know. Can you believe that?” He turns back to me. “I find that hard to believe, Killian, when I know you’ve been trying to take me down.”
“Just rumors,” I say. And it’s true. I’ve been slowly growing my team of people to take Patrick down, but nothing concrete has come of it yet. “Not true, of course.”
“Of course.” There’s a dangerous glint to Patrick’s eyes. “Well, if you want to join us for a drink, you can.”
I know if I go into that back room, I probably won’t come out of it. “I’m good, Patrick. But thank you. I have a wedding to plan.”
“Oh, is that right? To whom?”
I let out a sigh. This won’t go over well. “To Mia Moretti.”
Murmurs fill the room, and Patrick approaches me. “To Mia Moretti? I knew you were working with Antonio, but now you’re telling me you’re making a marriage alliance with his family? That’s huge. If you took me down, you’d be looking at a lot of power.”
“Then good thing I’m not looking to take you down,” I respond. My hands are clammy, and my neck is sweaty.
Patrick looks into my eyes for a long time. It feels like minutes pass, even though it’s probably only seconds. “Mmm. Good thing. You run along now, Killian. You don’t want to play with the big boys. I don’t think you have the stomach for it.” He dismisses me by walking away.
I hurry outside while trying to keep my composure. Taking down Patrick won’t be easy, but if I’m ever going to be worthy of someone like Mia, I need to become a boss one day. I need to provide more to Antonio, who’s helped me out so much. And I want to create a lasting legacy for my mom and brother.
And then I’ll be on my own.
If Mia and I can’t come to some conclusion about our wedding, then what hope do we have for our marriage? I need to talk to her and get to the bottom of everything.
