Page 15 of Of Grief And Gratitude

Her face reddened further. I enjoyed poking fun at her. It made for an amusing meeting. “That’s only a year’s difference.”

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch, boomer.” I held my hands up in surrender. “It’s hard to tell a woman’s age.”

“Then don’t say anything!” She punctuated the words by stabbing her finger at the table, causing the liquid in our cups to ripple with the force.

“But you asked.”

Riona threw her hands in the air, and I wondered how long it would take until she broke. “That’s beside the point!”

“If your communication skills are this rough, I’m not sure how you’re going to help me.” I wouldn’t quit this thing, but nothing stopped me from making her run away.

Unfortunately for me, she snapped out of her offended state. I watched as her facial features smoothed into a cool, aloof expression, and her eyes narrowed slightly. “We’ve gotten sidetracked. Let’s redirect back to the original topic. Why don’t you tell me why you think I’m here.”

What was she, a therapist? I drummed my fingers against my thigh under the table, remembering the details I’d rather forget. “A girl who was desperate for cash leaked a video from my private website. National news picked it up, and obviously, my father disapproved.”

“It made your family, and by association, the O’Connors, look bad.”

I leaned forward, unable to keep the disdain from my voice. “You and I both know that a single video of me looking like a fool didn’t damage my father’s precious reputation. He’s the fucking silent force leading Chicago. Nothing is going to pull him from his throne.”

“While that may be, I’m here to mitigate the fallout.” Riona sighed. “Your father indicated the security risk had been dealt with. Does that mean you’ve shut the website down?”

I scoffed, sneering at her as anger made my chest tight. My voice dropped low so patrons at the surrounding tables wouldn’t overhear our exchange. “No, Miss O’Neill. My website is as active as ever. My father meant he sent his men to murder an innocent woman. I gave her money, tried to get her out of town, but they got to her before she could leave the city.”

“I see,” Riona said quietly, her eyes shifting to her tablet.

“Do you?” I taunted, tapping her foot under the table until those blue eyes met mine again. “Do you understand what you’re involved with now? You might know the Irish family, but I doubt you understand what my family is like. My father is… unpredictable. If I were you, I’d be very careful how you handle this entire situation. O’Connor won’t be able to stop him from acting if he decides you’re expendable.”

The faint color on her face drained, but she squared her shoulders. “Your threats are empty. You won’t scare me away. The way I see it, you’re just as likely to draw your father’s ire. After all, he was desperate enough to make you comply that he resorted to this.”

Riona dragged her finger across the table, drawing a line between us. “So here’s what I propose since it’s clear neither of us is happy about this situation. I will tell you how to act in public, but I will try to leave your private life alone when possible.”

I mulled over her words for a moment, letting the silence between us grow before giving my answer. “Fine. I can be a choirboy in public for a while.”

“Yeah, sure,” she huffed in disbelief. “Let’s try for something that might be a little more realistic. You act like a successful, responsible adult. No more taking out escorts or publicizing your alternate lifestyle.”

So she had done some reading up on me. There were only a few pictures of me with escorts, and it wasn’t as if other men didn’t use their services rather than risk women getting feelings and ideas about the future if you took them out. “No escorts. But my socials necessarily funnel into my website.”

“Do you need the money?” Riona asked bluntly.

“No,” I admitted, leaving out that while I didn’t need the money, I liked the attention.

“Then your business will stagnate a bit, and you’ll have to rely on word of mouth for growth.” She swiped across her tablet, biting her plump lower lip. I found myself appreciating the shade that bloomed to the surface. “Your family supports several charities. You will attend events and represent them, but it’s not just social hour for you. It’s a chance to show you’ve matured. Two-drink limit. Family-friendly conversation—try to keep it to business and charitable ventures. Plenty of people will be there to attest to the changes they witness.”

“Hang out with stuffy old white men who want to kiss my father’s ass?” I drew in the air with my finger. “Check. Is that it? It’s a bit close in here.”

I looked around, noting the crowd. Those on the way to the night shift collided with those just getting off work, both sets of people taking advantage of the last minutes the café was open to fuel up for the evening. It would be more difficult to keep others from hearing as the tables around us filled. I shifted uncomfortably, mulling over ways to get away from the mass of customers.

“I have more things to discuss,” Riona said, pointing to the tablet.

“Why don’t we take a walk, then?” I suggested, rising from my chair, so she knew it wasn’t up for debate. When she followed, it made my dick twitch.

We placed our cups in the dirty dish bin and passed the customers waiting for their nightly coffee before venturing back outside, where the daylight waned. I started down the block, keeping my pace slow so Riona’s shorter legs could keep up with my wider strides.

“Let’s talk more about your daily routine,” she suggested, pulling her phone out to take notes.

“My life isn’t as interesting as the news stations made it seem,” I admitted. “I spend most of my days at the gym and film when I have spare time.”

Riona nodded and tapped away at her screen. “Do you ever film in public places? That’s obviously a no-go from here on out.”

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