Page 96 of Lord of Ruin
She narrowed her eyes for a second time, now glaring at me. “What the fuck does my mother have to do with anything?”
“She’s Irish, right? Both your parents are.”
“Yes, they are, although they don’t even have Irish accents. Tell me what the fuck you’re getting at or so help me God.”
I closed the distance, but she pushed me away to gain additional space between us. This was worse than I’d expected. “There is a group of men my brother has been associated with called the Brotherhood. They consist of some of the most powerful mafia leaders in the country. They formed an alliance to keep the peace, pushing out greedy and very dangerous organizations.”
“Go on.”
“They are helping in determining who is behind the attacks. At first it was believed the people I’d gone to New York to threaten, the Albanians, were behind it. But we no longer believe that since their leader was murdered. There is another powerful organization called the Death Squad who are comprised of various political, financial, mafia, and corporate leaders who are intent on taking control of everything from oil refineries to financial institutions, which would give them control over the entire world. Unfortunately, no one knows their identities.”
“I’m not following you. What does that have to do with my fucking parents?”
“I’m getting to that. The Death Squad use various organizations, no doubt promising them wealth and power if they will do their dirty work for them. They groom assassins like the Russian who tried to kill you. He wore a tattoo that is similar to one identified by the Brotherhood as belonging to the hired guns for the Death Squad. It is the Brotherhood’s belief that the Death Squad wants the Brotherhood’s business operations put out of business or worse. They’ve tried before and failed. But not with my family.”
“The Death Squad. Catchy name.”
“Yes.”
She dragged her tongue across her lower lip. “Continue.”
“That led the Brotherhood into doing some checking since it appeared I was lured to the area where your clinic is. Another name popped us, an Irish family from Ireland, a very dangerous mafia family with full intentions of coming into the United States. Now, there are a lot of moving parts with this, but it appears the organization, through the help of the Death Squad, was able to provide a clear path of doing so, by using people to get what they wanted.”
Her anger was increasing.
“Does the name Madden Byrne mean anything to you?”
The slight recognition was enough that I reacted immediately, gripping her arm.
“You’re hurting me,” she said with shock in her voice.
“Tell me the truth. Were you hired to get to me, to lure me to my death but couldn’t do it, which is why you were almost killed?”
She opened and closed her mouth before hauling off and slapping me. Tears sprang from her eyes as she jerked away. “I can’t believe you think that. I know the name of that man, some distant and horrible family member, but my mother was brought to America by my grandparents, who left their brutal regime on purpose. His name was not to be mentioned in my mother’s house. I found a picture with names and asked her one day and she made me promise to forget I’d ever heard it. I’ve never met him. I’ve never been to Ireland, and I’m no fool, Stavros, nor did I lie about my feelings or intentions with you like Amara did. I’m sorry about what happened but I’m not her. How dare you act like I’ve been lying to you. How dare you tell me one minute I’m the love of your life then flip sides and accuse me of being a femme fatale. I hate you. I hate everything about what you did to my life.”
With that, she raced out of the kitchen and if I had to guess, out of my life. It didn’t matter that she was in a different country or staying in the same house. She’d just shut down her emotions.
And I’d never felt like such a shit in my life.
I raked my arm across everything on the counter, shattering the bowls and plates just like I’d done with the joy and passion we’d found in each other.
There would be no third time, no recovery from my betrayal to the woman I loved.
CHAPTER 26
Stavros
It is said time heals all wounds.
Bull. Fucking. Shit.
I’d left my two trusted men with the woman I couldn’t help but love, even though she’d locked herself in the bedroom after my display of distrust. I couldn’t blame her. I’d spent the night walking the floors, sitting on the patio, and staring at nothing. It had been an odd yet cathartic moment where I’d forced myself to answer a single question.
Did I love her?
The answer had come quickly and without reservation.
Fucking hell, yes.