Page 49 of Careless

Carmen makes a surprised face before throwing her head back, cackling like a damn maniac. “Sorry. I tend to forget I know things others don’t. Turns out Michael was…unable to impregnate his wife. Bethany and Michael went to see a fertility specialist where they learned Michael was the one with issues. They had to have a child and Nolan, Michael’s father, was adamant the child had to have Gray blood. Nolan offered Martin one hundred grand for his sperm and he accepted. Nine months later, Francine was born. Eighteen years after that, she kills him. How poetic?”

“I’m related to Francine?” Sorcha asks, bewilderment scorching her eyes.

“She’s your half-sister. You may be my only child, but Martin had a couple. Francine and Connor. He’s way older than you, though.”

“Why did you let Nigel think he was Sorcha’s father?” I ask, unable to wrap my head around it all.

“We all know what Martin did to poor Francine… I had a vision of it. It was before I realized I was pregnant. I couldn’t be with a man who would do that to a child, especially his own daughter. I planned on warning Bethany, but my life was in danger here in Grove Hill, so I left. After a while I got sidetracked.” She shrugs like she couldn’t have saved Francine from years of mental anguish.

I don’t know much about what this predator did to Francine, only that it was on level yellow. However the fact that she gotside trackedand couldn’t be bothered to let Francine’s mother know really shows what a cunt she is.

“Martin saw me pregnant with Sorcha so I lied to him when he asked if the baby was his. I never saw his face again. Well, except in my visions. My visions have shown me many things, but I try to target my daughter. I don’t just see her, but those around her, including you.” Carmen catches my gaze and I know she’s about to say something cunty. I really want to kill her right now, but her monologue has been pretty informative so I curb my bloodlust. “I wonder how Finn would feel if he knew you’ve been screwing my daughter behind his back. Aren’t you breaking some type of Bastard code? That’s pretty dangerous, Walsh.”

Yep. Super cunty.

Well, fuck. I don’t look at Finn for his reaction, but I sense Sorcha’s anxiety at Carmen’s revelation.

I’m not worried about pissing Finn off. I’m worried about sending Sorcha into a panic with everything else that’s going on.

“Make her stop talking,” Sorcha begs, and I look over my shoulder, watching my broken angel turn her back the scene, shoulders slumping.

I never expected her to watch what happens, but with one look at her back, I know torturing Carmen isn’t worth it. This whole thing is draining for her, and the best thing to do is to make this quick.

“Finn, help me finish this waste of life.” He knows what I want to do and doesn’t waste a moment. Finn stomps over to Carmen, grabs a fistful of her hair and yanks hard. Her neck snaps back so hard it even makes me wince.

A pained yelp leaves her lips as she tries to squirm out of his grasp.

“What? You can’t kill an old woman by yourself?” she spits at me. She’s trying to get under my skin so I take care of her quickly. Jokes on her, this isn’t my first time with reverse psychology. I meet her eyes as I perform an exaggerated yawn. Fuck that. She’ll go on my time table, not hers. And it won’t be painless. I grab the forceps off of the table of random tools as I make my way to Carmen. The angle Finn has her neck at, it’s impossible for her to close her mouth, making it easy to use the forceps to find her tongue. I clamp down on it and pull it out as far as possible without tearing any tissue.

Snatching my knife again, Carmen screams as she catches sight of it. That’s it, bit. Did you forget why you’re here? With fear in her eyes, wide black orbs flashing between me and Finn, she fights her constraints.

I can’t help myself and hit her in the nose with the handle of my knife. I smile as the blood trickles down her mouth, and there’s so much more to come.

While she’s still wrapped up in the pain from her nose, I cut through her tongue. I wanted to shave her taste buds off first, but I’m not going to drag this out for too long. The blood splatters my shirt as it squirts from the wound. More gargled screams fill the air as Carmen thrashes so I shove the detached appendage down her throat. I hope it gets lodged, and she chokes on it.

Blood continues to erupt from her mouth, so I slam my hand over her lips clamping them shut, making sure to cover her nostrils. Fear and adrenaline fill her eyes as the teardrops leak down her beige flesh.

She tries to thrash, but after only a few moments, the movement steadily decreases and I clamp down even harder, wanting to kick myself in the ass.

Carmen’s head thrashes as she chokes on her tongue and blood. The minimal amount of red that squeezed through my grasp is making it difficult to hold on, but I do. Nothing could loosen my hold on this bitch.

Her thrashing has diminished to twitching, all the oxygen having left her body. My hand covers most of her face so all I see are her eyes, her desperation, her pain. With only moments to spare, I whisper the words that I want her to carry to hell with her.

“You can go suck on Satan's dick knowing Sorcha never needed you. I was the one to protect her all those years and I’ll keep protecting her.” This part I lean in to whisper so Finn can’t hear and her eyes follow me down. “And, we’re going to have lots of kids, hopefully all girls. I already have their names picked out, Aine and Aoife.” I pull back enough to give her a smile. And that’s the last thing she sees.

Ding dong. The Wicked Witch is dead.

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

HER

My tear ducts have completely dried up after hours of yelling and screaming at my dad. Finn stood by silently as I did it.

Myfatherknew this whole time and never told me. I had no reason to question it. I was born with the trademark black hair and blue eyes that comes with being an O’Reilly. Granted, Finn and I look nothing alike, but that’s not a dead giveaway.

I’m not an O’Reilly. I’m just the orphan child Carmen tricked him into thinking was his.

This doesn’t change that he’s still my dad, Finn is still my brother, and I love them both, but now I’m lost.

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