Chapter 26: Liam
As I follow behind her, I can't help but feel a sense of pain and sadness. She practically runs back to the house, and I can tell that what she just shared with me was not easy for her. I now have a greater understanding of how she may be feeling and thinking in this moment. It's clear that she has no love for him, and I can't help but fill in the blanks that lead to the fact that he has no love for her either. How he managed to hurt such a gentle creature, I'll never know. But I do know that spending time with her has given me insight into her story, which has undoubtedly broken my heart. She has been robbed of so much, and now I fear she will retreat into herself again and try to put distance between us. But I won't let that happen. I know her truth and I can see something beginning to bloom in her heart. For tonight, I'll let her rest and give her space to settle. But tomorrow, I will fight for her and do whatever it takes to help her heal and move forward from this pain.
We make it back to the house much more quickly than we did on the way there. She runs ahead of me and disappears into the house, eager to be away from me I assume. I turn to one of my men and tell him.
“Keep an eye on her let her rest but make sure she rests in a comfortable bed or couch instead of the hard floor.” He nods and follows after her. As I watch her disappear down the hallway, I realize she was wrong about me having things to do today. I had made arrangements to spend the entire day with her, but now I have to find something else to keep me occupied. Without wasting any time, I head to my office to call my brother and catch him up. I hadn’t told him the choice I made. It hasn’t even really spoken too much since he dropped the proverbial bomb on me. I can't help but feel grateful for that bomb though. Its only been a few days and I'm already happier than I’ve ever been. If not for his blunt words I don’t think I would have come to the conclusion that quickly and would miss this valuable time with her.
It only takes Declan about an hour to arrive at my house. He walks in like he owns the place which doesn’t bother me, it wasn’t until recently that he moved out. He and Cara lived here for almost a year after they got together, in truth I miss being able to find him just down the hall. He swaggers in smile on his face, which I assume he has good news for me like I do for him. He been out there trying to find a way to protect the people of hell kitchen and surrounding Irish neighborhood.
“Brother!” He greets me, hand open wide. “We have secured the neighborhood, given some those means to protect themselves and added men to help watch the streets.” I walk up to him and embrace him with a pat on the back.
“That is great news.” I smile wide, today could not get any better. “You have done well, and have bought us some time to come up with a plan that will work.” I walk to the liquor cart to pour us some drinks.
“I also have some news.”
“Yea? What would that be.”
“I thought about what you said.” I turn to hand him his glass and can see he is holding his breath. I let him stew for the fun of it, keeping my face neutral.
“And!?” I look down, preparing him for bad news. He deflates a little. Then with all the control I can muster I raise my head and meet his eyes.
“This morning when I went to her, one thing led to another a few words were shared, and she made the choice…” I pause for effect, he looks like someone kicked his puppy, this was too good. “She chose to kiss me.” I smile as I watch him take in what I actually said verse what my body was saying. It takes him a second to actually register what I said but when it does, he all but jumps on me.
“You are fucking a bastard! Pulling my leg like that!” he laughs. “Well, where is she, I want to officially meet my new sister!” He is looking around like I’m hiding her in this very room. I shake my head at him.
“She is resting after that I took her to the lake, and she shared somethings with me that caused her to need to rest.”
I continue to tell him some of what she told me, an abbreviation of the story she told me if you will. He didn’t need all the details just enough to understand the next thing I needed to tell him. With each word I watch my carefree, cavalier brother vanish. In his place the Declan that only comes out when there has been an unforgivable injustice, it’s normally reserved for when someone hurts someone he cares deeply about. I see somehow, she has won him to her side.
“She ran after that. As I said I thought about what you asked me. And have decided that she is in fact priceless, and worth everything. I am going to give her tonight to reset, it wasn’t easy for her to share, but tomorrow I plan on showing her the truth about herself.”
“Good.” He grunts, showing he is truly in a rage. He never used so few words.
“Tonight, we drink, to celebrate the good, morn those who have been lost and maybe plot a little bit.” I raise my glass and he follows, clinking them together and then drinking the remaining whiskey.
“Tomorrow the real work begins. We will meet for dinner, bring your wife. We will eat and then you and I will figure out how to get Isabelle away from that monster and how to make her my wife.”
“Yes, tomorrow we plot the downfall of the scum, and bring my sister home.”
I can't deny I like the sound of this being her home. I want to give her everything she doesn’t think she deserves; I will work tirelessly to show her the truth.