Watching Maisie wander back down the path to her house, I saw that beautiful man - he called the Chieftain “Da,” so he must be her brother - pacing a room with floor to ceiling windows. He was talking on the phone and making sharp hand gestures like he was mad at someone. Even angry, he was still gorgeous.
You’re an infant,Jordan reminded me.He’s a grown-up.
Jordan was my brother. My dead brother.
He died with my dad in a car accident. He still talked to me, sometimes. I told my mom about it once and she sent me to a therapist, a nice lady who explained in her pretty Italian accent that my brother wasn’t really talking to me. That my subconscious had come up with this as a, “coping mechanism to come to terms with his loss.” I lost my dad too, though, and he never talked to me.
Shaking my head, I hurried through the door. It didn’t matter if I thought Maisie’s brother was beautiful. I didn’t think I’d be seeing much of him when I’m cleaning the kitchen with Mom.
I’m the help.
***
Haud your wheesht - Scottish slang for “calm down.”
Chapter One
Michael…
Four years ago…
It’s good to get your hands dirty every now and then.
“I swear, I…din… know anyth…” McKinney slurs.
“Now, I’m thinking ye said ye dinnae know anything,” I say, punching him in the face and flattening his nose. “But since most of your teeth are missing, it came out a wee bit mushy. We also know that canna be correct, aye, Duncan?”
My brother blows another smoke ring up at the dirty concrete ceiling. “I canna imagine this feeble feck knowing a lot, but I’m thinking he knows who set that car bomb that took out the warehouse. It’s got an Irish stink all over it.”
“Aye, the Kellys have always preferred the cowardly way out, killing from a distance instead of face to face,” I agree, shaking out my hand before punching our guest again. “If ye want to see the sunrise, ye best start talking, because so far, nothing useful is coming out of your mouth and my brother wants to try out his new scalpel. Did ye know he minored in Human Anatomy in college? He failed the course, actually.”
“Hey!” Duncan scowls at me.
“But the lad,” I continue, “does have an art when it comes to inflicting maximum pain without letting the victim die.”
Duncan smiles modestly, “Oh, ye old flatterer. Dinnae worry. I’m happy to wait until you’ve gotten your workout done. No better cardio than beating the shite out of a traitor.”
“I swear… I din…” Blood pours out of McKinney’s mouth, along with a couple of teeth.
Picking up a steel rod, I slam it against his knee, hearing it snap. His chair falls backward onto the gore-soaked floor as he lets out a scream. “Ye were a valued associate before ye got greedy,” I say, flipping the rod absently. “For years. Why would ye betray us now? It’s hard to imagine you’re getting a better deal, so this is a one-time payoff that ye just couldn’t resist, aye?”
There’s a garbled moan, and then nothing.
“Ach, he’s passed out, the poor wee thing,” Duncan drawls. “I’m getting the hose. What do ye have from Kai and Logan?”
I’d sent our cousins out to pick up two more of McKinney’s associates. They caught the eejits just as they tried to disappear. Betraying the MacTavish Mafia means there is no place on earth we canna follow.
“Same story as before,” I say, trying to force down my frustration. “Inside information on shipments. Too much money to turn down the deal.”
This isn’t the first fire I’ve had to put out over the last two months. Nothing earth-shattering, but missed shipments here, deals gone bad there, long-time associates suddenly backing off and selecting new investors.
“It’s like being nibbled to death by ducks,” Duncan says gloomily. “Not enough to really hurt, just enough to bug the shite out of ye.”
I’m about to agree when my mobile rings, the special ringtone reserved for family. Picking it up with a clean cloth, I wedge it between my ear and shoulder as I wipe my bloody hands. “MacTavish.”
“Mr. MacTavish?” I frown, checking the number. It’s Maisie’s, but the voice isn’t. Then I recognize the apologetic tone.
“Sophie? What’s wrong?” I ask, heading over to the corroded sink to wash my hands.
