“You’re really going to go through with this? I don’t know why I’m surprised. You’re disgusting.”
Her father barks, “You little bitch,” before she’s even finished speaking.
“Do I need to put a muzzle on you?” Rory flinches at my lethal drawl. The fact that I’m going to be related to him, even if it’s only on paper, disgusts me. “Leave us.”
Rory moves to drag Catriona out of the room, and I stand, causing Elizabeth to startle and leap to her feet as well. Jumpy little thing.
“No, Rory, take Elizabeth to the study for more wine and dessert. Frances will show you the way while I have a conversation with Catriona. Then we’ll talk about the finer details.”
The silence stretches between us like a rubber band ready to snap. I signal discreetly, with a slight nod toward the door.
Frances appears, seemingly out of nowhere, and says, “This way.”
This breaks Rory out of his stupor. “What are you playing at, O’Connor? You can’t renegotiate now. I swear to God, I’ll?—”
“Calm yourself, Gallagher. Nothing’s changed—one of your daughters for your debts. Do not mistake my manners for kindness. Now do what you’re told.”
Hatred twists his features, but he releases his bruising grip on Catriona’s arm and reluctantly herds Elizabeth out of the dining room after Frances. If it weren’t my mother on the line, I’d never willingly tie myself to a man like him. In fact, if I ever get the chance, I’d love to put a bullet in his brain. I imagine it,him on his knees again, begging, the way he’d jerk from the force of impact. How he’d topple over, a pile of meat, eyes blank.
As soon as they’re gone, Catriona rounds on me. “What is it?”
“What is what?”
“What do you have on him? What could he have done that was so bad that you had to take my sister? Tell me. I deserve to know.”
“What happened is between your father and my boss. It’s not personal, and it’s out of your hands. It’s best for everyone involved if you accept that now, because the people involved in this are more dangerous than you can imagine. You want to keep your sister safe? Leave it alone.”
Her stony expression tells me she does not believe a word I say, not that I’m surprised. “You expect me to leave it alone when you’re forcing my sister to marry you? Who are you? What are you involved in?” When I don’t answer, she prods, “Does it have to do with that man I saw you kill on Halloween? Dufresne?”
I go still. Before she can continue, I say, “Stop. Just stop. The way you want to be the savior is sweet, really, but?—”
“Oh, cut the patronizing bullshit, O’Connor. If you aren’t going to tell me what I want to know, I’m going to find out for myself. I won’t rest until I ruin you. I promise you right now, that’s what will happen if you marry her.”
“And you think you can stop me? You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
To my surprise, she laughs. “You’re such a fucking cliché. You’re not the first asshole I’ve dealt with, and you won’t be the last. But you want to know the truth about men like you? They’re weak. Every. Single. One. So what’ll it take to get you not to go through with this? My silence? My body? What if I were to pay my father’s debt myself? How much is it?”
My throat is dry, but there’s no more wine. I’ve drunk it all. “Neither your silence nor your body is worth anything to me, Catriona. Don’t flatter yourself. And as for the debt? You couldn’t afford it.” She doesn’t back down when I draw steadily closer. “There’s nothing you can do to stop this. It’s not a crusade. There won’t be any justice. Don’t get in my way, or I’ll make you regret it.”
Brave girl, with her emotion-choked eyes and knotted hands. She’s trying so hard to be strong. Doesn’t she know it’s useless? She’s going to give in. She has to see there’s no way out of this. I let the relief fill me until my muscles turn liquid. I spin to the doorway before her voice stops me.
“Do you want me to beg, like I did that night? Because I’ll beg if that’s what you want. I’ll give you anything. What you had that night and more. Everything… if you’ll do this for me. Please.”
The smart thing to do would be to brush her off, will the memories of her away, and leave her. I have too much going on to be distracted by her mouth and her pretty pleading. Too much at stake. Too much to lose. Entertaining her would be a mistake.
Yet.
Yet…
“What would you do for me, Catriona? Would you get on your knees while you beg? You’d have to. To make me believe it. I remember you were so pretty that way.”
She sucks in a breath, and the indecision of it wars across her face before her expression hardens. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you? If-if that’s what it will take for you to leave us alone, the-then I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Is that really something you want to say to a man like me? I realize you don’t know me very well—well, most of me—but it would be in your best interest to be very careful what you’re willing to do for me.”
She lifts a brow, regal and perhaps so pissed off at me now that she’s forgetting to be afraid.
“You’re mistaken, O’Connor. It isn’t what I’m willing to do for you. It’s what I’m willing to do to stop you from marrying her.”
