Page 105 of Dirty Dylan: Dirty Dusters

“When it comes to Jessie, never doubt me or my intentions, Paddy.”

He nods. He gets it.

We’re almost nose to nose. I look deep into my brother’s eyes. I see my da. I see our Eoin. I see our Cill. All four of them are wired up wrongly. I’m sure of it.

I wonder what Paddy sees as he stares into mine. Does he see the same?

One thing I do now know. Why he does what he does. Yes, of course, he wants to make all these fuckers pay by ending their lives, and rightly so. But as they’re dead men walking anyway, he gets to torture them beforehand. Why?

Because he wants them to feel pain. Because he feels pain. All day. Every day.

For them, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. A way out. For him, there is no end. He and his pain are bed partners. It’s a lifetime thing.

“She didn’t say anything.”

“Who?”

“Jaine”

“Why?”

“I didn’t pick up.”

“Why?”

“Eoin messaged me just as the call came in. Told me if I did, he’d tell Da everything.”

Tears fill his eyes. My poor brother likely just wanted to hear her voice. The rest of us hear it all the time. Or at least we did. All this time we’ve taken for granted something he wants more than anything in the world.

More than anything, he just wants Jaine to say her name for him. Something no one else calls him.

Irish.

CHAPTERFORTY-FIVE

JESSIE

The Ghost Whisperers’ Clubhouse, Colton, Nevada

“Why can’tI sit in the council meeting, Ty?” This is the sixth, maybe seventh time I’ve asked. I sound like a child sitting in the back of a car asking repeatedly, ‘are we there yet?’ I’m grating on his last nerve. That’s my intention. But the determined asshole’s still refusing to budge.

“I saidit’s not for women.”

“If it were an Angels’ council meeting, Jaine would be allowed to sit in. Wouldn’t she, Ace?”

He nods.

“Well, Jaine wouldn’t be welcome in any Whisperers’ council meeting either, Jay. So, as you can see, it’s nothing personal, sweet thing.”

“Are you bikers ever going to drop this chauvinistic approach? I mean, maybe I can add something to the mix. Suggestions? Ideas? Women do have brains as well as pussies, you know? Who knows, maybe a mere woman can help you Neanderthalic men find a way out of this stalemate situation you keep finding yourselves in. You all must be dizzy by now going round in circles as often as you do.”

“I doubt you’ll be able to offer any help, Jay. Even if you could, you’re still not invited.”

I roll my eyes exaggeratedly, but I refuse to give up.

“So, call it a pre-council meeting. Just me, you, Tadgh, and Ace. I’ll do all the talking. I’ll also ask all the questions, and you can choose to answer only the ones you want to and deflect any others.”

“Do you ever…”

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