Page 26 of Merciless Sinner

“Jesus.”

The bank Cillian now owns is one of the private banks used by the criminal underworld. It’s worth even more than the diamond company. The brewery is a bonus and a fortune on its own.

The diamond company was what started the feud. My father helped set the business up, but Callahan O’Ridian, Olivia’s father, put all the money in. When my father insisted on a fifty-percent share—the bastard he is—it created havoc. The whole thing went to court, and it was decided that the company solely belonged to the O’Ridians because of the collateral they put into it. After that, my father essentially sought to destroy them.

“If I marry Olivia, I get that share of the diamond company. To my father, that company is like the girl who got away.”

Dante frowns. “Virgo, you know that’s not going to go down well with the O’Ridians.”

“We’ll see what happens when Seamus gets here and we talk about it. He’s Olivia’s executor. Now that she’s alive, he has to release his responsibilities to her and fulfil the rest of the terms of her father’s will.”

“You really thought this through, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” On the surface I know my plans look like I’m trying to screw with the O’Ridians, but I’m not. “But I’m doing what I have to do to protect what’s mine.” By that, he knows I’m talking about the girl.

“Virgo…” His voice trails off, and a pensive look enters his eyes. “I think you might have to accept this might not work out the way you want. I mean, sure, marry her. But she can’t remember you.”

“That doesn’t mean that she won’t.” Or that she can’t be mine again.

A knock sounds at the door. I guess that to be Seamus.

“Come in,” I call out.

The door opens, and Seamus walks in looking stronger than I’ve seen him in years. It’s because of the news of finding Olivia.

He’s tall and lean with a bald head and pale gray eyes that should seem cold but have the warm glow of a loving father.

He’s in his late sixties. Olivia’s father was younger than him by twelve years and the kind of man who lusted for power like everyone else in the Creed. Seamus is the opposite of him. He’s the least power-hungry man I know.

Callahan held the third seat of control in the Creed. When he went missing and Cillian decided he wanted to go back to Ireland, Seamus had to be begged to take the position, or their entire family would have been excommunicado.

“Hullo,” Seamus greets us in a rich Irish accent, bowing his head to both of us. I stand and shake his outstretched hand; so does Dante.

“I’m glad you could come on such short notice.” I take in the eagerness in his

eyes.

“Of course. Where is she, Virgo?”

“She’s just being shown around my house. I wanted to talk to you before you met her.”

“Okay.” He sits, and we do, too. “As you can imagine, I’m eager to see her and take her home.”

I sit straighter and level him a stare. “Actually, she’s going to be staying here with me.”

“What? Why? She’s my niece. In her condition, she needs to be with family.”

“I agree, but that’s the part we need to discuss.”

I’m the only person in my family he speaks to. I’ve spoken to Cillian a few times in the past when he knew I was searching for Olivia, but we were never like we used to be. My father did some despicable things to their family, and Cillian thought I was the same as him.

He also didn’t like the fact that I was seeing his sister behind his back and warned me away from her on several occasions.

My marriage proposal is literally about to start a mafia war between families, and they can challenge me if they want to, but they won’t win.

I start by telling Seamus about what happened in Monte Carlo and verge onto my plans of marriage to Olivia. I last approximately one minute before he’s shaking his head vigorously like one of those dashboard dollies.

“You can’t do this, Virgo. It is wrong. How can you think marrying Olivia is okay when she can’t remember you?” He looks from me to Dante. “And you support this as the leader of the Creed?”

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