“Mitch, I look in the mirror and see a murderess,” Jess admitted.
“I don’t,” Mitch replied and held her tightly.
Mitch kissed Jess and murmured all the good things he loved about her in her ear. Jess began to fall asleep with a smile on her lips. Maybe the fifth time was the charm!
Mitch
He scowled at his phone as Alexander’s number flashed up. Mitch set his shoulders and checked that his office door was shut, and then answered.
“Where are you?” Alexander demanded.
“Hi, Mitch, how are you? Just wonderful, Dad, thanks for asking,” Mitch replied sarcastically.
“Screw that. You had Clifton arrested.”
“What’s the problem? I warned you and Alfred. Nobody believed me; Alfred paid the price. You still didn’t heed my warning, and Clifton came and shot up a restaurant. Now he’ll not see the light of day again, even if Clifton survives the trial. He was a very busy man. No fewer than thirty disappearances and murders have been cleared up by his arrest. Of course, I’ve no doubt the media are scrutinising everything the family has done because Alfred’s crimes have also come to light,” Mitch said calmly.
“You’re starting a war you can’t win!” Alexander yelled.
“No, I’m ending it, Dad. You started this by murdering Mum. You should have let me walk, and nothing would have happened. Instead, you came after me, even when warned. That was your mistake, not mine. Don’t start shit you can’t finish, isn’t that what you told me repeatedly? Well, I’m ready to stop this, are you?” Mitchel replied with a snap.
Although Mitch was trying to stay calm, Alexander was pushing his buttons.
“You need to behave, Mitchum; you can’t take on the entire Sealgair Uilebheist.”
“Is that coming from you or the Ceann-Feadhna? Because right now, it’s you assholes challenging me and sending Murtairs. Leave me alone, and I’ll return the favour,” Mitch replied.
“And Jess Mayhew wants to be involved in this?” Alexander said smoothly.
Mitch began laughing, which wasn’t the response Alexander had expected.
“What’s so amusing?” he demanded.
“Unlike Mum, who you wilfully kept in ignorance until you tortured and murdered her for what might have been achildhood nightmare, Jess knows. She’s aware of everything, and if anything happens to her, I won’t hesitate but will put every file I have online. You’ll be hounded for being murdering bastards, and Sealgair Uilebheist across the country will be hunted. Of course, I’ll remove any mention of the Uile-bheist and make it look like you’re all in a fucked-up cult,” Mitch warned.
Alexander growled, and Mitch laughed. “You might believe you’ve got the upper hand, Alexander. You don’t.”
“Mitch, you will obey,” Alexander declared emphatically.
“You’ve marked Frederick as next in line to be your heir. I wonder what the police would think of his file?” Mitch mused.
“Don’t you dare,” Alexander seethed.
Mitch pictured Alexander sitting in Alfred’s old office, with the heavy wooden furniture and velvet curtains. There’d be the drinks cabinet and the small occasional tables, and in one corner a tall rubber plant, and in the other… Mitch stiffened.
“I’ll risk anything. However, in the name of peace, I’ll come to the house, and we can talk face-to-face,” Mitch suggested in a complete turnabout.
“That’s a reasonable suggestion; we can lay our cards on the table,” Alexander said.
“Let me assure you, if I don’t come out alive, the files will go viral.”
“I’ve no intention of harming you,” Alexander said.
Mitch immediately saw the loophole. “Ensure nobody else gets that idea too.”
Alexander chuckled dryly. “I trained you well; such a waste.”
“Indeed.”
