Page 188 of Dirty Padraig: Dirty Dusters

Because you never expected your own flesh and blood to fuck you over.

“WHY DIDN’T YOU?” I slam my hand down on the leather surface of the desk.

“Because, by then, I wanted her for myself.”

And there it is. The truth. The reason he’s been trying to push her away. The reason behind my having to deceive her for two years.

The reason my life fucking ended.

“So, having conveniently navigated me into an arranged marriage, you then pursued the love of my life.”

I curse the tears that fall. I curse being so fucking emotional at times.

“Every single day, I had to force myself to open my eyes because the only thing I had to look forward to was closing them again. She was my first thought. My last thought. She was my every fucking thing. You took away my reason for living.”

“Paddy…”

I stand. “Tomorrow. Eight a.m. The Docks. Bring a Glock.”

“Paddy, what are you doing?”

I turn to look at Dylan. “He knew how I felt about Jaine, but that didn’t stop him from removing her from my life so he could pursue her for himself. Tell me I’m wrong.”

“Paddy, it wasn’t like that.”

“TELL ME I’M FUCKING WRONG!”

Silence.

I look at Eoin once more. “Tomorrow. Be there. If you’re not, I’ll come looking for you.”

CHAPTERSIXTY-TWO

JAINE

The O’Connell Home, Darling, New York

“What doyou mean he’s challenged him to a duel? Which century are we goddamn living in?”

I’ve only just put my babies to bed. Somehow, Fin got hold of some gum which he then managed to get all tangled up in JJ’s black curls. I had no option but to cut some of them off. JJ cried his little heart out when he saw them all stuck together in a little pile. His pitiful tears saw me reduced to tears too. I rest my head back against the sofa.

“Just what I said, Jaine. Eoin told him what happened. About the family effectively running you out of town. About him pursuing you with no thought of him.”

“I’m not sure what Eoin expected. Irish and I lost each other for three years as a result, and he also missed out on the first two years of his son’s life.”

“I know, Jaine, but we can’t go back and change things. I’m sure the family and Eoin would if they could. I’m sure there are things all of us would do differently had we the opportunity of a do-over.”

He’s right. I have ten years’ worth of regrets with Ace. Twelve years with Irish. And with Eoin, it’s a daily event.

“Then I think it’s time for the next reveal, Dylan.”

“What do you mean?”

“The only bullet that will be fired tomorrow is an engraved one.”

The Docks, Hudson Yards

I don’t arrive on the hog this time. Being discreet is key, and a Harley is not in any way discreet. I also needed to bring a rifle. It’s a new one, and it fires with the most precision.

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