“What?” I ask dumbly. There’s no way I could’ve heard her correctly.
Keeva nods, opens her mouth, but I shake my head viciously. “I’m not quitting. I’m not throwing away all that effort and all of my accomplishments. Especially not over this shit. I’m gonna figure out how to make things right!”
Keeva’s eyes sparkle at my fearless determination and strength. Blinking hard, I can’t help but smile gratefully. I see what she’s done, given me a taste of my own medicine. Punching her arm lightly, I chuff a giggle. “You dummy. Thank you.”
“Tell me about it. You work really hard, Delilah. I don’t blame you for wanting to save what you’ve accomplished. If your dad is doing something shady, someone, somehow, is going to let it slip eventually. And you’re the COO, like you said.” Seriousness thickens her tone. Leaning close to me, she arches a brow. “You can’t just say you didn’t know what was going on. There’s no way that would fly. If your dad gets in trouble, you get in trouble. It’s a catch twenty-two.”
“Exactly. That’s exactly my stance. I can’t risk it, Keeva. Not with the sheer amount of money at stake. I’ll be the first person in a long time to get sent to a penal colony.” Keeva throws back her head and laughs. My lips twitch, half in amusement, half in dismay. “I’m the one at risk here, not him. I don’t get why my dad thinks that’s acceptable, or why he’d put me in jeopardy.”
“Because your father’s a haughty arsehole who thinks he’ll never get caught. It’s probably been going on a long time to get to this point,” Keeva rationalizes the scenario I’m in, and my brows rise sharply. “You don’t just embezzle millions of euros overnight. And if you do, you’re already somewhere they can’t catch you.”
“That’s true,” I murmur disturbingly. “I didn’t think of it like that. During the meeting with the accountant this morning, I wasn’t even paying attention to how much time had passed, just how much it amounted to.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, Delilah, I have no idea about anything about it, so feel free to talk nonstop,” Keeva jokes, but I can tell she’s simply trying to be a friend right now. Better yet, she’s trying to be a sister. I’m an only child, so I don’t know what siblings are supposed to do, but I think she’s offering me the type of advice and compassion she’d show Delaney if she needed.
She’s right, though. She doesn’t know anything about the specific situation which caused all this, but she’s smart enough to put it all together. “If you don’t need advice, I won’t offer any. It seems like you’ve got an idea of what you’re going to do.”
“Thanks, Keeva. I think I just needed to bitch at someone about it, get all my woes and worries on the table,” I reply wryly, and she picks up our coffees to hand me mine. If it weren’t so dead in here tonight, I doubt I would’ve spoken so freely, but I’m glad. I needed to get this off my chest somehow.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
KEENAN
How long am I going to stare at this fucking ceiling? It feels like hours, but I tilt my head to look at the clock, and it’s only been one. Hell, it’s barely been one at that. My lips curl as I roll onto my side.
But the wall is just as boring to stare at. I sit up to rub my eyes with my fists in an aggravated manner. Tiredness beats against my forehead. My mind’s running a mile a minute, but not even the sound of rushing feet drums in my ears. Everything is quiet; in fact, it’s too quiet, and I look around my room in a bleary manner.
My room. This house is so foreign even now. Maybe that’s why I’m having trouble sleeping. I still haven’t accepted we aren’t living paycheck to paycheck anymore. Sometimes I even think this will all be a massive dream. I groan and throw myself back onto my bed.
A soft knock on the door is the only noise that seems to stick. I sit up again, curiosity drying my mouth as I grimace. Climbing out of bed, surprise grips my heart as Keeva wiggles her fingers in a wave. Standing in her pajamas in the doorway, she nervously smiles. “Did I wake you?”
“No, I’ve been up. Can’t sleep for shite. Is something wrong? It’s pretty late, Keeva,” I say, gesturing her into my room with a wave of my arm. I turn on the light, and she steps through the threshold lightly to sit on the foot of my bed. Suspicion tightens my throat. It isn’t like her to be nervous. If anything, she’s the one most likely to clock a closed fist at someone’s face. Uncertainty plays on my sister’s expression. She wrings her hands in her lap as I move to sit next to her.
“I don’t know how to say it,” she starts, and I scowl darkly. My mind jumps to all those places it couldn’t just a moment ago.
“You’re not pregnant, are you? You were really quiet during dinner. It must be bad if you’re coming to me in the middle of the night,” I say, and alarmed eyes fly to mine. Keeva cackles lightly and shakes her head, covering her mouth with the back of her hand and hiding her frown. My suspicion thickens, coating my ribs. “Keeva . . .”
“No, no, it’s not that,” she comments hastily, waving her hands at me in denial. “That’s impossible.”
“It’s always possible, Keeva. Even if you think it’s slim, there’s always a possibility. Our family is a pro at defying odds, don’t you think?” Oh fuck, I’m not having ‘the talk’ with my sister. Shite, I feel like I’m her father right now. Then again, it’s been this way for longer than I can remember. When it came to the birds and the bees talks, I asked for their female teachers to help, considering our mum was already buried and gone. Clearing my throat as her face turns bright red, she gnaws on her bottom lip, and I frown at her.
“Even if I’m not into guys?” I freeze in utter shock at her words. My ears ring, and whatever words I’d prepared tumble back down my throat. She giggles a little hysterically, pointing at my face. “Haha! I’m just kidding. But that’s what you get for making assumptions. I’m not pregnant, you oaf.”
“Jesus Christ,” My shoulders slump in relief, and I shove her lightly as irritation tightens my smile. “You know it doesn’t look good when you show up so late wanting to talk. Give me a break. Nothing’s easy anymore.”
“It was never easy, now it’s just a different kind of hard,” Keeva says before sighing heavily. She’s certainly not wrong, though. She reaches to rub her face with her palms. My curiosity surges again, and I hold my breath. “Relax, brother. I met with Delilah earlier, that’s all I want to talk to you about.”
“Oh, she didn’t tell me.” My grumble earns me a sympathetic glance. “Well, I can’t say I’m upset. I wanted to be there for her when she got off work this evening, but Liam ambushed me. Apparently, he had other plans.”
“She didn’t want to talk to you anyway.” I wince as Keeva’s eyes widen. “Not like that. I think she just wanted a girlfriend to talk to. Someone who’s not you. I mean, I did tell her we’re practically sisters, and she can come to me anytime, though.”
I smile as Keeva hits the end of what she’s saying. I’m so happy they’re accepting of Delilah. The fact both of my sisters like her is bound to make everything easier. “Okay. I get it,” I cut her stammering off, and my sister purses her lips. “What did you two talk about? Did Delilah give you permission to talk about it with me? I’m not willing to cross that line just because you’re a blabbermouth, Keeva. She’ll wring my neck.”
“W-well, she didn’t tell me not to tell you, and,” uncertainty knits Keeva’s brows, “I think she’s too proud to tell you . . . she’s in over her head. Bad.”
“If she kills me, I’m haunting you forever,” I say cautiously, and my sister smiles slightly. Shuffling back against the headboard, I fold my legs under me. Holding my bum shoulder gingerly, I stare at Keeva in interest. “So?”
“So,” she echoes. “Delilah thinks her father is embezzling millions of euros through Knitted Hearts, and she found proof.”
