My father howls in response, then I hear a loudsmack.
A fist connecting with a face. My father likely just punched a man who’s tied to a chair or a rafter. A man who can’t defend himself.
That’s the third punch Kellin’s weathered in half an hour.
I unlock the door and fling it open.
Dad shoots me a quick glare and just as quickly disregards me.
I was wrong. Kellin’s not tied to anything. The two guards who zip-tied him are holding him up, restraining him.
Brody hovers a little beyond my father like an obedient shadow. What else is new?
Two more goons hover behind him. They must’ve come with Dad.
I stare at Kellin.
He meets my gaze before coughing up some blood and wiping his mouth on his shoulder. “Maeve deserves better than you, Declan. If you loved her, you’d give her the hotel free and clear and take your business elsewhere.”
My chest tightens. Stupid, stupid man.
Kellin, while I appreciate the shout-out, I’m pretty sure you have bigger problems to deal with at the moment.
My father hauls off and sucker punches him in the gut.
I race up and grab the man’s wrist. “Dad, enough!”
My father whirls to shove me off, then stops. “What the hell happened to you?”
Brody skirts Dad and lunges forward. “Brennan did that.”
“No, he didn’t.” I must have dried blood and tears all over my face. When I swipe with my sleeves, the material comes away red. “I’m fine. See? There’s nothing wrong with me. This isn’t my blood.”
At a total loss, I bite my lip. Why am I even here?
I wish I could demand my dad and brother just let Kellin go. Leave him for me to deal with.
However, our family doesn’t work that way.
And I doubt anything I say will change my father’s mind.
Kellin tilts his massacred face toward me again. “Maeve, I’m so sorry. It wasn’t all a lie. It may have started that way, but things changed. You know they did.”
My father sneers. “Does she know you offed my guy?”
My lungs seize. What? Kellin…killed someone?
“Guess that’s one more thing you didn’t share.”
Brody touches my arm. “Cops found Shout’s body under the pier. I didn’t get to tell you everything on the phone.”
Shaking his head, he shoots Kellin an angry stare.
My father picks up the story from where Brody left off. “You tried to be sneaky, Brennan. But one of our cameras caught you leaving the hotel grounds around the same time as Shout and then returning alone. Conveniently, you were gone during the same window when our guy thinks he died.”
Brody folds his arms over his chest. “It’s not a coincidence, Maeve. They found the guy unarmed and buried in the sand. Beaten. Neck snapped.”
I shudder. So, I didn’t imagine that murderous gleam in Kellin’s eyes that night.
