Page 44 of Sins of Arrogance (Syndicate Sins #1)

KARA

The sound of a knock on the apartment door drags me out of the code I'm writing for my Advanced Python Programming class.

Standing, pain zings into my lower back. Sitting so long in one position never goes well, but I keep doing it.

It's too easy to get lost in my programming.

Stretching my neck from side to side, I hurry to answer the door.

Hope's probably looking for someone to keep her company. She seems pretty lost now that both Esther and Enoch are in school.

I don't mind taking a break.

There's a smile of welcome on my face when I open the door. "My boy definitely thanks you for the inter…"

My voice cuts off and my smile slides right into a scowl when I see who is on the other side.

Dierdre.

"Mick isn't here." Manners dictate I step back and invite her inside.

I don't.

Her baring of the teeth can't be termed a smile. "Are you going to let me in?"

"No."

"Come now, cailín , we need to talk and it's not a conversation you want anyone else overhearing."

I'm neither a girl, or a particularly young woman. Especially in relation to Dierdre's age.

" Moma might get away with calling me cailín . You will not." I make no effort to step back from the door.

Dierdre rolls her eyes. "You're too young for Micky, no matter what you'd like to believe."

"Funny, that's not how he acts when he's buried deep inside me and begging me to come with him." I can't believe those words just came out of my mouth.

Maybe super bitch is right.

This is a conversation better handled in private. I move back to allow her inside.

She gives me a pitying look as she passes me. "Ordering more like. Micky isn't one to beg."

She's right, darn it. But I'm not about to tell her so.

I shut the door and turn to face her. "I'm not going to offer you a seat, refreshments or to use my bathroom. Say what you need to and leave."

"You're holding Micky back."

"Again, that's not how he sees it."

"Of course it is. He's got too much honor to break his marriage vows, but he's completely out of your league and deserves a woman of equal strength to stand beside him."

"Agree to disagree."

Dierdre's eyes narrow. "Don't be a child. He's too much man for you and we both know it."

"Not true." He's just the right amount of man for me.

Even if he doesn't return my love, my husband craves my body like a drug.

"You need to give Micky a divorce."

It's like the woman cannot hear a word coming out of my mouth. Or she's not listening to them.

"You need to get a first-class ticket out of Delulu Land. I'm not divorcing my husband so you can make a play for him." Not that she probably hasn't made a play already.

Only Mick's pesky morality has gotten in the way. At least, that's how I'm sure she sees it.

"If you love him, you will let him go."

"Letting him go implies I'm somehow holding onto him, and let's be clear, Mick is the one that wants me tied to his side." Or at least to his bed.

"He's making the best of a bad situation, but it's been long enough. Everyone says you're so compassionate and sweet, shouldn't you turn some of that on your own husband?"

Even though I know she's talking out of her behind, her words hurt. I won't let her see that though.

"I can't imagine anything crueler than making it possible for Mick to play house with a woman like you. He deserves so much better." I turn Dierdre's words back on her.

And it hits home. Dierdre's look skewers me.

"If that's all…" I let my voice trail off and wave toward the door.

A vicious light enters Dierdre's eyes. "Divorce isn't the only way to end a marriage. It's not even the most expedient."

"Are you serious right now?" I laugh and it's genuine. "The minute I tell my father that you are threatening me, your best-case scenario is to be put on the first plane back to Dublin."

"Why would he believe you?" Dierdre asks snidely. "Your past irrational jealousies make your take on any situation between Micky and another woman unreliable."

Something cold shudders through me, but I don't let my dread at her words show. "Whatever gossip you've heard is old news. My father has no reason to doubt my word."

"If it's such old news, why was he bemoaning only last fall to Mick's da and mine about all the drama your jealousy caused?"

"I don't believe you." Only, I kind of do.

My father would sacrifice me in a hot minute to further his alliances. He already did. Sacrificing my reputation so long as it doesn't reflect badly on him is nothing.

"Why would I lie?" She taunts.

That forces another laugh from me, this one not quite as amused. "I could write a book – no make that a series – on the lies you tell."

The question with a much shorter answer would be why and when would the original vintage clingwrap tell the truth?

She shrugs, like my insult doesn't faze her. A manipulator like her is probably proud of her ability to sell a lie.

Which begs the question: would my father believe me, or her about this conversation?

A tiny fissure happens in my soul when I realize that I don't know the answer.

Why was he complaining about me last year? Did he tell Brian Fitzgerald and Oisín Kelly about my stay in The Marlowe Center?

No. If he had, Dierdre would have brought it up as an argument for me leaving Mick.

Not to mention it would make Brogan look bad.

"If that is all." I wave toward the door. "I'm busy."

"Do yourself a favor and ask Mick for a divorce." Menace imbues her voice and casts her face in wicked lines.

I refuse to be intimidated. "Not going to happen. Even if I wanted to divorce my husband, and I don't, my father would have to approve the dissolution of my marriage."

That's not about to happen. It would compromise his alliance with Mick and Dierdre's families.

"Once Fitz was born, you were no longer necessary for the alliance between the Shaughnessy Mob and the Northies," Dierdre says, like she knows exactly what I'm thinking. "If you die, the alliance still stands. You are now surplus to requirements."

That saying isn't nearly as charming coming from her than when my former roommate use to say it. The fact I've thought the same thing only makes the wound of those words more potent.

But you don't show weakness to a predator like Dierdre.

Forcing my feelings deep beneath my mob princess facade, I go on the offensive.

"If you have me killed my father will find out. But more importantly, so will Mick. What do you think he would do to the person responsible for the death of his beloved son's mom?"

A flicker of uncertainty passes through her gaze, but then it turns calculating. "More to the point, what would it do to your husband if his son became the casualty of your mob's current conflict with the bratva?"

We are having a conflict with the bratva? I shake my head. That is not what is important right now.

This bitch just threatened my son's life.

"Have you forgotten, but if Fitz doesn't survive, neither does my father's deal with Mick?" And Brogan proved with my cousin that a promise doesn't count in his eyes when the person who guaranteed it is dead.

"Does it? You used IVF to get pregnant the first time. A surrogate can carry one of the embryos. She could in fact give both the heir and the spare that your father wants." The unlike you hangs between us.

"You being the surrogate, I suppose."

She shudders with distaste. "No, but an appropriate one can be found. You're that easy to replace."

"You're a very stupid woman." I point to the door. "Leave."

"What are you going to do? Tell on me to Micky? He didn't believe you about you asking me to leave. He won't believe you now. He trusts me. And he thinks you're pathologically jealous."

I don't bother to reply.

Her stupidity isn't in her certainty Mick would believe her over me. Even I'm not sure on that one. Nor is it in believing that she can get away with murder undetected, because anyone can if it's planned right.

No, her idiocy comes from believing I will let her survive to harm me and my son.

That I won't take immediate steps to protect myself and Fitz.

Impatient for her to leave, I walk toward the door.

Her hand lands on my shoulder, jerking me to a halt. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?"

I grab her wrist and turn, executing one of the moves Fabiana taught us, I flip the bitch onto her back.

Without giving her a chance to get over her shock at my move, I press the heel of my shoe right over her jugular. "How much pressure do you think it would take for my heel to break your trachea and leave you gasping for your last breaths right now?"

The temptation to apply that pressure is nearly overwhelming.

She glares up at me, but keeps her mouth shut for once.

Maybe how close I am to following through shows on my face.

The desire to kill her and end the threat to my son's life roars like an angry beast inside me.

But I need a plan to prevent war between our mobs. If I'm not sure how Mick would respond to me killing his ex-girlfriend either, that's my lookout.

I press down just enough that she has trouble getting air in. "You might be as venomous as a rattlesnake, but a mama bear will rip a snake to shreds to protect her cub."

I might be a born and bred city girl, but even I know that law of nature.

She chokes out a sound as her lips tinge blue from lack of oxygen.

The door to the apartment swings open.

"Stay away from me and my son." I lift my foot from Dierdre's neck and quickly step back before she can grab my ankle like she's tensing to do.

"What the hell is going on here?" Mick rushes past me and offers Dierdre a hand to help her up.

Like she needs it.

But that action tells me everything I need to know about how to handle her threats. And it's not by going to him, or my father for help.

"I'm so glad you're here, Micky." Dierdre's voice trembles and a convenient tear trickles down her cheek. "I told you Kara's irrationally possessive of you. I thought she was going to kill me."

"Kara's not a killer." Mick steps back from Dierdre.

What is he doing here? Is he expecting another morning break with me?

I'm so not in the mood after the confrontation I just had with his ex and the way he helped her off the floor.

"She had her foot on my throat." Dierdre coughs and breathes deeply for effect. "She attacked me for no reason. I was just warning her about how dangerous it is to let Fitzy play in the boathouse when he's so fascinated by the idea of swimming in the water beyond it."

Oh, she's such a good liar. She sounds so sincere, but she miscalculated with this whopper.

"Our son is too afraid to try to swim beyond the boathouse," I say scathingly. "And don't call him Fitzy."

Her calling my husband Micky is grating enough.

With an appealing look at Mick, she rubs at her throat. "I didn't know that. I was just trying help."

"If you have concerns about my son, bring them to me. You know Kara doesn't take well to what she considers criticism from you."

Seriously? "You did not just say that." I make no attempt to hide my fury at his words.

Mick jerks his head to look at me, like he's thinks I'm the unreasonable one right now.

"I'm sorry." Dierdre's voice hiccups on the word sorry like she's holding back a sob and effectively brings his attention back to her. "I just thought we were starting to be friends."

"In what world?" I scoff.

Mick looks between me and Dierdre and sighs. "I don't think you and my wife being friends is in the cards."

He freakin' sighed.

Again, like I'm part of the problem.

I guess, his ex-girlfriend wasn't mistaken about one thing. Neither my husband, nor my father, are going to believe a word I say about Dierdre Kelly.

That knowledge burns like bitter gall in my throat. But the jealousy they're all so worried about? Nowhere in evidence.

The only thing that matters is protecting my son and right now, Mick is in the way of that because of Dierdre's fixation on him.

Is it fair to blame him for that? Maybe not, but I can and do blame him for not sending her packing.

"Get her out of here before I have to take you up on the offer to help me hide the body," I say from between clenched teeth.

Mick winces.

He didn't like me saying that and revealing to the woman so intent on becoming his second wife that he made the offer. Not that she believes it.

The look of superiority on her face does not waver, until she turns toward Mick. "Don't worry. I'm leaving." Then she gives me an insincere look of sadness. "I'm sorry if what I said offended you."

"Fuck you, Dierdre."

Her eyes widen comically.

She didn't expect that.

The stiffening of my husband's spine says my words surprised him too.

He frowns at me. "What has gotten into you, Kara?"

"Fuck you, too, Fitzgerald. Or better yet, why don't you both fuck right off together?" I spin on my heel and rapidly walk away.

They both think I'll fight to keep a marriage that is nothing but lust and contracts? That I'm jealous of him?

Not anymore.

I'm done.

Done trying to handle Dierdre.

Done with my marriage. Just done.

And if it means killing someone to protect my son, I'm enough of a mama bear to do it.