Prologue
I lift my eyes at the clicking sound and look through the barrel of a revolver. As the gun cocks, I watch the chamber rotate, and the next bullet moves up in line. Fear prickles along my skin as I worry my bottom lip. My heart clenches at the thought of never seeing the ones I love again. I’m not sure how I’m going to survive this, but maybe I can keep him distracted until help arrives. Because I know they will come for me.
“Please. You don’t have to do this.” I look up past the gun and into his eyes. Eyes I’ve known for a while now. To a man I was supposed to marry. All I see is anger and hate.
“If I kill you now and take off, he won’t ever find me. I can leave Ireland. He only has power here.”
“He’ll never stop. He’ll find you, and he will end you after he tortures you. You’ll beg for death, and he’ll continue to hurt you.”
“Not if he can’t find me, he can’t.” His smile is too big. His confidence is faltering.
“He has a man you can never hide from. He’ll find you no matter where you go. You can’t hide from cameras; they are everywhere nowadays. Besides, you can’t live without money.”
“I can. I will.” He straightens his back and paces the room. He sounds like he’s trying to convince me along with himself.
“But why? Why do you have to kill me?” The tears start again.
“To get even with him.”
“What?” My voice rises.
“You are his only weakness.”
He raises the gun and fires.
Chapter One
Fiona
Almost Ten Months Earlier
* * *
I sway my hips as I roll out the dough and laminate it for the croissants I’m making. It’s a technique I learned from my French instructor when I went to culinary school in London. The thin layers are tedious, but when they are done correctly, they make for a perfectly flakey croissant. “Higher” by the Saturdays blares through the single earbud in my ear. I step back and dance around as I mouth the words. In my mind, I’m a good dancer and singer when in reality I suck at both, but I like to dream. It’s all I got. I work, work out, and sleep. Sometimes I go out with my flatmates, but mostly I’m a quiet girl. Some might think my life is boring, but not to me. This is exactly what I’ve always wanted to do. I’m working at a bakery. I have my culinary arts degree, and I’m no longer under the thumb of my family.
My parents didn’t want me to go to culinary arts school. They wanted me to marry for a title or money. It might be the twenty-first century, but in their minds it’s still ancient times and women only exist for status and birthing babies. Don’t get me wrong, I want children. I want to marry and have love, but that isn’t going to happen for me for a while or ever if my life keeps up the way it is.
I let go of the rolling pin and hold up my hands, then I twirl around and catch my boss in my eyeline.
“Oops, sorry.” I pull the earbud out of my ear and let it hang from its cord down the jacket of my black uniform. I still think it’s weird I’m required to wear a black uniform with all the flour I work around, but it keeps the stains from the dyes I use in the frostings from showing.
“You have an emergency call.” Mrs. O’Sullivan points at the phone on the wall. I click the line and pick it up. I never get calls at work.
“Hello?”
“Fiona, this is Jean George. Kayla has been in an accident. They took her to Royal Victoria Hospital. We are on our way to the airport now.”
“Oh my goodness! Okay, I’ll get there and send you an update.” I hang up with my blood pounding through my veins.
My cousin Kayla is one of the few family members who associates with me still. She is the reason I went to Le Cordon Bleu. She supported and helped me and gave me a place to stay. My parents disowned me when I was seventeen because I wanted to be a baker. Since Kayla has been here in Belfast, she’s spent a lot of time with me and my flatmates.
“I need to go. Mikayla was in an accident.” I turn back to Mrs. O’Sullivan, and she nods.
“I’ll finish the croissants.” She moves over to the workbench I was at.
“They only need to be shaped. They are all laminated. These are unfilled ones.”
“Okay. Call me when you know what your plans are going to be and when you have an update. If you need tomorrow off, let me know so I can call in someone to cover for you.”