“Ye? Every family in Ireland and Scotland who’s ever wanted to be at the top will become volatile. That’s a war many aren’t in a position to fight right now, but will find irresistible to deny.
“It’s not worth the blood of our people. We chop off his head, all the bullshit that follows rolls downhill. That becomes our problem.
“That affects more than our clan or his. Some things have a bigger answer and solution. Our solution has been discussed. We’re doing our part for now.”
“You’re talking in circles. I see a problem, I handle it. My da is the only reason I haven’t handled my granda. He owes me,” I snare.
Ewan throws his hands up. “Ye don’t understand a thing. Why am I wasting my time? Ye need to go.”
“Not before ya tell me where I can find yer nephew’s daughter.”
Ken narrows his eyes at me. “Aye, ye don’t understand what ye have stepped into. Stop asking questions and leave.
“We shouldn’t have said this much. We don’t know if we can trust ye. Weren’t ye the grandson Oland wanted to leave things to?”
I snarl and get to my feet. “You know nothing about me. I would kill that bastard sooner than I would join him. I will not return here if that means Deja remains safe, but I’m not leaving Scotland until she and I have an understanding.”
“Then ye be making a mistake. Don’t say we didn’t warn ye and when ye get her hurt, we’ll be the ones ye have to answer to,” Ewan snarls.
“So be it.”
I storm out, pissed off. I now have more questions than answers. The one thing I do know is that I won’t put Deja in danger.
However, it’s not an option for me to leave her alone. I need to think through my options and how to move forward with all of this.
The one thing that’s been loud and clear is that Deja has been here for her own safety. What that has to do with my brother, I have no idea. It’s not like I can get answers with him lost in a prison where we can’t contact him.
It’s time to do things the Brooklyn way.
Deja
I’m somad fire could come out of my ears. This is the first time my mother’s words about not trusting my uncles have rung true for me. I’m both confused and lost about what I should do next.
I had to come home to clear my head. I begin to play what was said today over in my head and then my mind begins to replay what happened all those years ago to bring me here.
It’s been eleven years, but I still have no clear idea of what happened. I’m angry with Cole for showing up and opening all those wounds. I take a breath and begin to play over the things Cole said when he first came here.
Missing?
Why the hell did he think I was missing? Finlay had always known where to find me. As I push into the house where I stay with my great-grandmother, my head hurts from trying to put it all together.
“Deja.”Cough, cough. “Come here, love. I’ve missed ye today,” my great-gran says between a coughing fit.
I move into the sitting room where she is sitting on the sofa under her favorite blanket. I smile as she looks a bit better today. There is color to her cheeks.
I guess it’s best that I now know I can’t trust Cole. It doesn’t look like I’ll be taking off anytime soon. At least not with him.
I enter the room and take a seat on the sofa with her. Gran lifts the blanket and covers me with it as I settle in beside her. I smile and move into her side.
“How are ya, Gran?”
“I’ve been better. How are ye, Deja?” She cups the side of my face and turns her head to kiss my forehead.
“I’m grand. No need to worry about me.”
“Och, but I do. I worry about ye a lot. Especially when yer name comes up from auld friends,” she says as she looks at me.
I lift my head and sit up a little. She’s looking back at me searchingly. I have no idea who she’s talking about.
