Page 11

"Are you a policeman?" he asks.

I look at Maeve, not sure what she's told him about me.

"No," I say. "I'm... an old friend of your mom's."

"Why did those men break our windows? Are they going to get in trouble? I broke a window at school once and dad a detention."

"Conor," Maeve interrupts, "why don't you go upstairs and pick a bedroom?"

"But Mom?—"

"Now, please."

He trudges up the stairs, looking back at us. The kid is smart. He knows we're hiding something. I always knew when the adults in my life were bullshitting me, we think kids are dumb. They are not.

When he's out of earshot, Maeve turns on me, fury in her eyes.

"This is what I was afraid of. The shitshow that is your family dragging death to my front door. I do not want any part of this shit, Declan. What the ever-loving fuck is going on?"

"Our door," I correct. "Our son."

"He doesn't even know who you are. Fuck off with the ‘our’."

Her words are like a kick upside the head when you’re waiting for a punch in the gut, they knock me sideways.

"You need to tell him."

"I don’t need to do anything, and you will keep your yap shut. When he’s ready to know what a monumental fuck up his father is I will tell him."

I move to the window, checking the street. "You might not have time to wait for being ready. Those men came for him. They probably knew I had a kid before I did."

"How could they? You've been gone for seven years. They followed you."

"I don't know how they knew. But I am going to find out."

She rubs her arms, fear replacing anger. "What do they want?"

"God knows? My family has beef with everyone, I am back, it's a way to rattle Cormac."

Her eyes fill with tears. "I hate this. I hate that you're back and bringing this chaos with you. I was doing fine without you."

"Were you?"

She looks away. "Just go back, go back wherever the fuck you were and stay there, please."

I step closer, breathing in her scent. Vanilla and flowers. Seven years and she still smells the same.

"You're not safe anymore. Now it's my job to keep you safe."

"How? By hiding us in this prison? By bringing Russian thugs to my front door?"

I shake my head. "By eliminating the threat."

Her eyes widen. "What does that mean?"

"It means I'm going to find out who targeted you and make sure they never get a chance to try again."

"Of course, Declan will solve the problem with violence. It's in your fucking blood isn't it."