“Is . . . is that supposed to mean something to me?” I question shortly.
“Not at this moment, no. I thought we could kill a few birds here with one stone. Delilah needed a little push, you and I needed to talk, and I didn’t want to do it in Belfast where things could get messy.” Liam is talking circles around me. He doesn’t want to give away too much. I get it. I’d look at me and worry too. “I’ve seen a lot of you and how you operate, Keenan. The last few months, how you handled Asim’s resurgence and Delilah’s father. I might not have looked like it, but I was impressed. Your physical recovery is going well. You handled Cormac well. And Delilah didn’t stab you to death in your sleep yet.”
“What’re you getting at, Liam? Spit it out before I walk away,” I snap nastily.
“I want a recommendation. Someone I can send to America that’s not affiliated with me, per se. Even though we’ve recently established this link between you and me, your sisters and brothers were mostly out of the loop until only a couple weeks ago.” Liam clears his throat, and I hold my breath in anticipation. “I can’t send you, not with Asim here, and your shoulder is still limiting you. America isn’t the same. It’s not the same kind of violence. It’s not the same kind of structure. What I want from you now is a recommendation. I’m thinking of either Eamon or Brannan, myself. What do you think?”
“It depends,” I start. “What do you expect them to do in America?”
“No. I’m not giving you more than that. Instinctively, who’s the better choice if I require a leader? Someone who has no problem following orders, no matter the cost,” he replies sternly, and I rub my chin thoughtfully.
“Eamon. He’d be the better choice, I think. He’s older, more experienced, and without knowing more . . . I can’t really say, but if it was me, and I was walking into an uncertain situation five thousand kilometers away . . .” I trail off when I see Delilah standing up from the bench. Pointing to her, I shake my head before leaving Liam to cross the short strip of grass. She’s pale, her lips trembling noticeably, and I open my arms for her to hold her close. “Hey, hey. Are you okay?”
“I’m h-horrified,” she sputters, and I press my lips to the top of her head. She shakes. Fuck, but she hasn’t stopped shaking from the moment I told her the truth. “I d-don’t . . . I don’t know if I’m . . . how am I supposed to b-be okay w-when he . . .” She suddenly stops speaking, which is understandable.
“It’s okay to feel that way.” I rub her back and murmur quietly, “I’m sorry you have to go through this. Did she answer your questions?”
“I . . . couldn’t ask,” she mutters while shaking her head. Leaning back to huff hard, she runs her hand through her hair. Distress paints her expression, and my heart aches not just for Delilah, but for the girl too. They’re both in impossible positions. “I sat down, and . . . and nothing came out. I just stared. And she did the same. She stared at me. Keenan . . . her name is Lila. Lila. She’s from Ukraine. She barely speaks English.”
“Oh, no.” The blood drains from my face as she nods viciously. Tears stream down her face, unable to be held back. And I understand. That girl has her name. Part of it, at least. “Let’s sit down. Come on.”
“I couldn’t . . . say . . . couldn’t say my name.” She covers her mouth in horror. “I can never, never again. Not that way.”
“She’s getting help, Delilah. That’s the important part. She’ll get help, then she’ll go home. She’ll be okay after a while. You need to remember that. Women are resilient, and if you share more than part of a name, she’ll be just fine.” I try to smile in reassurance at her, and she bites back a sob, a white line circling around her lips. “It’s easy to wallow, Delilah . . . but you have to remember that life goes on. There’ll always be bad people, always dubious people willing to do bad things, even if they’re not bad themselves. But then, there are evil people. As long as you acknowledge that, you can bounce back too.”
“T-that doesn’t make me feel good at all.” She shakes her head, dismay lilting her voice. Helping her to the nearest bench, I sit first and pull her into my lap. I cup her face, rocking back and forth as she cries against my chest. The pain is almost unbearable, but I know she’ll get through this. There are some things I can’t help with, but I’m trying to help her right now. Sometimes all you can do is just be there for the people you love.
“I owe her. I need to make things right, Keenan.” Delilah looks up at me with determined eyes, somehow finding her strength.
“What do you mean by that?” I question her, not understanding where she’s going with this. She pulls her face away from my chest and stares at me.
“I know she’s here, getting help and all . . . but after she’s done with her treatment program, I’d like for us to take her in. I know it’s a lot, but my . . . my father did this to her. I want to make sure that, fuck. It sounds so odd when I say it out loud, but I want to try and make her life better. It’s already been ruined by so much. Keenan, I have to do this. I have to make this right. If I don’t, it’ll eat at me and I’ll always wonder what if.”
I inhale sharply through my nose and deadpan ask her what she wants me to do. With the most serious voice, she barely manages to choke back her sobs. “I want us to adopt her. I know it sounds crazy, but my blood did this to her, so in my mind, I need to make it right. I have to show her not all people are as horrible as my father.”
I nod in understanding and pull her closer against me, making sure she understands I’ll support her no matter what. I’ll get through the holidays with Delilah, and this girl Lila, but after that, I will get revenge for every child he’s ever harmed. Within a month, Cormac Quigley will no longer draw breath.
EPILOGUE
DELILAH
Christmas Day . . .
It’s hard to believe it’s Christmas Day, but the sounds of children running around with laughter bounce through the halls of the Mackenzie estate. Keenan and I, as well as his siblings and Lila, traveled out to Dublin to spend the holidays with his cousins. Luca and Keenan are seated across the table from one another, both sipping on whiskey, while the ladies chatter in the living room off to the side. Yet I sit here talking with Delaney and Lila, the girl who went through hell at the hands of my father, and the same girl I will make sure never feels an ounce of pain ever again. It feels as if it’s my duty to right his wrongs. I’m in an incredible position to be able to give this girl a good life, and I told Keenan after I met her it’s what I want to do. Er, rather, I felt motivated to do so.
The poor girl is fourteen, and I keep seeing Caprice stare at her. Keenan made me aware Caprice was raped a long time ago and gave birth to a daughter, but that child was ripped out of her arms. I don’t know the circumstances because Keenan didn’t want to go around spreading other people’s business, but I understand why he felt the need to tell me, in case her eyes were on Lila. I can imagine seeing a girl Lila’s age makes her think of her own daughter, whether she be a teenager or an adult.
Caprice is Liam’s wife and is Liam’s iron rock. She keeps him grounded and it’s obvious. Liam is the head of the Irish mafia, but Keenan is one of his hands, overlooking Northern Ireland and his business there. Keenan told me last week that he could go about things two ways. The first option was that he could keep me in the dark and I wouldn’t know anything, or he could make me aware of every scenario. I opted for him to be honest with me because he’s my partner. He’s the man I will vow to love for the rest of my days, and I take that commitment very seriously. Whether it’s the greatest times, or the worst, we’ll stand by them together. That’s what marriage is. All of Keenan’s cousins are married, and their happiness is evident, it oozes off them in intense waves as I glance around.
Caprice comes over to me, and I look up at her. “Are you having a good time?” she asks in a thick Italian accent. It’s muted slightly, but I’m certain it’s only because she’s lived in Ireland for quite a few years now.
“Yes, of course. Thank you so much for having us. It’s lovely to be here and finally meet all of you.”
Caprice smirks and bows her head slightly. “I’d love it if the two of us could have a chat, privately. My sisters will make sure your daughter is taken care of.”
Lila’s head whips around to look at me, nervousness spreading across her features. She inhales deeply and holds it, showing me the idea of me leaving frightens her. I grab her hand and look into her bright green eyes, then lightly drag my fingertips across her face. “It’s okay. You’re safe here. Keeva and Delaney are around, and so are the other women.” I whisper my words out to her, but she doesn’t say anything. She nods lightly, and Delaney stands up and comes around the table.
“Lila, why don’t we head out to the stables and see the horses? I’m sure it would be amazing, and the twins have been going on and on about their horses. I think they’d love to show them off,” Delaney suggests, and for the first time since coming here, Lila smiles. It’s wide and innocent, and I pray it’s the first of many we’ll see from her.
