Page 21 of Haunted Nights & Savage Sins
There aren’t enough fireplaces in that house to get the chill out of my bones.
Finally, after driving in silence the rest of the way, the truck pulls up to an unfinished worksite. There is a medium-sized trailer off to the side I’m assuming where the foreman stays. Outside I see three black SUVs and a few men dressed in all black standing around.
That must be the security my father has with him.
I’m eager to get out of the truck but Cormac stops me before I can grab for the handle.
He looks out the window at the scurrying workers around.
I don’t see anything that looks like a threat but Cormac’s eyes widen as if he sees something I don’t. Maybe I’m missing something.
I wait patiently until I hear him take a deep breath. Something is wrong.
“Everything okay?” I question.
“Yeah, come on.” He opens the door and takes a step out first, I follow behind. The two people who must have been riding up front stand by the hood of the truck and watch as Cormac makes his way to the trailer. It’s surprising to me that they don’t follow him, as if they know to keep their distance.
It’s not like he’s going to need them inside here anyway.
Cormac knocks once on the door to the trailer and my heartbeat triples when I hear my father’s voice calling for us to come in.
Cormac lets me walk in first and follows behind before closing the door. The space is packed with security and someone in a hard hat. I guess one of the workers.
My father is dressed in a suit. His cufflinks shining in the light streaming through the window.
He looks up at me but there is no relief on his face, instead maybe a little annoyance.
I feel foolish for thinking this would be some kind of happy reunification. He doesn’t want me here.
“Cormac, good to see you, son.” My father stands and puts his hand out for Cormac to shake.
“Likewise.” Cormac looks around the room uneasily. “Do we need this much of an audience?”
“No, of course not. I was just looking over some of the plans.” He gestures to the desk and sure enough there are several blueprints spread out there.
My father raises his hand and with a flick of his fingers dismisses everyone else who is in the trailer with us. Seconds later it’s just the three of us here.
“I’m glad you made the trip. You didn’t have to take time out of your day for me,” my father continues.
“It’s only right that I make sure my father-in-law is being taken care of properly.”
I look between the two of them. It’s like I’m living in some sort of alternate dimension.
“Oy! Hello, Father! Nice to see you!” I step in front of Cormac so my father has no choice but to look at me. Were they really going to stand there and pretend like I wasn’t standing in the room with them?
“Brenna.” My father heaves out a sigh.
“Do you have nothing more to say to your only daughter?” I fold my arms over my chest and hitch out my hip. There’s no mistaking the attitude oozing from my person.
“I see that mouth hasn’t changed. And here I’d hoped being a married woman would’ve rectified that problem.” My father shakes his head and leans against the edge of the desk.
“Shipping me off to marry a stranger isn’t going to change who I am. You raised me this way,” I shoot back.
“I know, not a day goes by that I don’t regret that fact.”
I don’t want his words to hurt but they do. I’ve never been the type of girl my father was proud of. There was a time in life when I thought he would come to appreciate my tenacity and sass, unfortunately that day has yet to come.
“Regret or not, this is me. Are you not even the least bit concerned about me? I mean, I’m your blood. You sent me off to a foreign land with someone who used to be our enemy.” It’s not lost on me that Cormac is standing right behind me but what can he do to me that he hasn’t already done.
