Page 27 of Haunted Nights & Savage Sins
“Are you just about finished?”
I’m trying to help him, but he’s looking at me as if I’m another enemy. All I can do is hope that he doesn’t go into that war trusting what those people are saying to him.
They are wrong.
It’ll be the death of him, and I know it.
What I can’t seem to come to grips with as I walk away is the fact that it’s bothering me so much.
CORMAC
I watch as Brenna turns and storms out of the room. She was all bluster when she walked in, but now as she walks away, I can see how defeated her posture is.
I think over what she just told me. It never even occurred to me that there could be something sinister afoot. I’ve always taken what my father ordered me to do as just that, an order.
Why would he send me into a situation that could possibly end my life? Unless he doesn’t have as tight a grip on his businesses over here as he thinks he does.
It is strange that even after forcing me to get married and outfitting me with all these security personnel, he would also send one of his underbosses my way to make sure I had everything I need.
I have what I have. My father’s never been concerned about making sure I had an easy time with anything.
Something stinks, and I wouldn’t have even noticed it had it not been for Brenna.
Instead of going to find her to let her know that, I decide to get to the bottom of at least one part of what’s going on. I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial my father.
It takes him a few rings to pick up. It didn’t occur to me that it’s the middle of the night over there and he would be sleeping. I need to know the truth of the matter now.
“What, boy?” my father grumbles on the phone.
“I apologize for the late-night call, but I needed to run something by you.”
“You’re a grown man, Cormac. Have I really raised you to be such a whining disappointment that you can’t wait until a decent hour to call? Whatever the problem is, you shouldn’t need my input.”
I grind my teeth as I wait for him to finish his tirade.
When he takes a breath, I take that as my chance to get a word in.
“I just need to know if you sent Dean over here to talk to me about an expansion opportunity?”
“What the hell are you talking about, boy? I haven’t sent Dean over there for anything. My people shouldn’t need to check in on you.” The disdain in his voice is evident, as well as the confusion.
Brenna was right. This wasn’t coming from my father. Someone else was trying to get me to overstep my bounds. Someone is trying to take me out, and they are using the fact that my father is so far away to hide it.
“That’s all,” I say, and my father hangs up the phone. There are no follow-up questions, no concern.
He may not care about what’s going on this side of the ocean, but I do. My life depends on it.
9
CORMAC
I fucked up.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had to say that to myself, but as I listen to the silence in the house I know it’s the truth. Before Brenna and I had that altercation about what Dean had come to tell me, she was opening up.
What I thought was an annoyance has proven to be a new part of life I didn’t know I was yearning for. She brings a joy and freshness to this old mansion that has already changed the darkest parts of me.
It’s been two days since Dean was here, and in that time I haven’t seen Brenna again.
