Luca dismissed me, Finch and Hudson soon after, and Finch followed me sullenly out the door, then dismissed Hudson to bed outside in the hallway. Then Finch and I went into what was called the Kelly Room, according to the small brass plaque on the door. It was decked out in kelly green—thus the name, I supposed—from the carpet to the walls to the curtains to the furniture, yet somehow managed to be simultaneously tasteful. On one wall was a cluster of paintings, each showcasing the landscape or architecture of Ireland, including several cathedrals.
Looking at them only make me think again about my own upcoming vows, and how stressful everything had seemed evenbeforeI’d been in a car chase. Taking my vows was supposed to be like graduation. Something to look forward to. But the only feelings that came up when I thought about the day now were dread, anxiety and fear. That was only natural in one sense. People were trying tokillme, after all.
But it wasn’tonlythat. There was something else making me uneasy when I thought about actually taking my vows. Dedicating myself to poverty. Obedience.
Chastity.
Teo had really taken control back there, and watching him stand up to Finch like that had been…almost exciting.
I sat on the green love seat near the fireplace, trying to calm my racing mind. Róisín was in the Kelly Room as well, settled in the wingback armchair, her feet tucked under herself and a Bible in her lap. She looked well-rested and completely peaceful, as though nothing could touch her, even though it was the middle of the night. She barely glanced up as we filed in, and when she did, she said, “What was all that racket outside? It woke me.”
Peace and tranquility were what I’d been used to for years. Right up until…right up until I’d met Finch and the Morelli Family.
Wasthat the problem? Was Father Raphael right, that hanging around with mobsters had tainted my soul? I didn’t like the idea, but perhaps that was only proof of my own disobedience. How, as Father Raphael had asked me more than once, was I going to show my obedience to God if I couldn’t even show obedience in giving up a friendship with criminals?
I should never have accepted their help. I put my hands over my face, hiding my eyes and trying to pray. But the only thing I could think about was—
“Teo, that little asshole!” Finch snarled, and from the sound of it had thrown himself down on the sofa opposite. “Who does he think he is?”
I looked up. “He’s not an asshole,” I said quietly.
Finch, who was sitting askew with one leg hooked over the arm of the sofa, glared at me. “Et tu, Brute?Why is everyone suddenly not on my side anymore?”
“It’s not about sides, Finch, and you know that. Teo is only doing what he thinks is best for all of you.”
Finch’s eyes locked onto mine. He looked thoughtful. That was the thing about Finch: he could go off like a rocket, but he was very rarelynotacting in a calculated manner, even then. “You think so?” he asked.
“I do.”
His eyes traveled down my neck, and I pulled at my shirt uncomfortably, wondering if I had any marks there that might suggest my relationship with Teo went beyond the professional. “You’re okay with all this?” Finch asked.
I gave him a startled look. “I suppose so.”
“Yousupposeso, Priest Boy?”
At that moment, Tara entered the room as well, and went straight to the bar in the corner to pour herself a drink.
“Tara,” Finch said, though he was still looking at me. “Tara,” he said again, and now he turned his face to her, although she was still busy fixing her drink. “Did they kick you out, too?”
“No. I told them to make up their minds and then tell me their decision.”
“Huh.” Finch studied her, but still she would not turn to face him. Instead, she went over to the collection of landscape paintings and stared at them. “So tell me something—what do you think of Teo?”
Tara, her back to us all, did not reply.
“Tara.” Finch sat up, clenching his fists. “Hey.”
She turned, rubbing her cheek absently. “Sorry. I was miles away.”
“Oh, yeah? Because you seem to have been miles away since I got here,” Finch said coldly.
She looked at him, and something seemed to pass between them. Finch took a breath, and Tara made a sharp gesture. “Not now, Howie.”
“Then when? You skip out of the room every time I try to talk to you.”
“Perhaps we’d all better go to bed,” I suggested, standing up. “It’s late.”
Róisín rolled her eyes. “If these two want to go at it, you’ll hear them all over the house. You might as well stay right here and have a front-row seat.”
