Page 135 of Shattered Veil
He stares at me, lips curled in a feral snarl. “Do it. Say his name. The man who knocked you up. That fucking nerd.”
“Then you know it’s Balor O’Rourke and what his family can do to you.”
Shaking his head, he says, “Oh, I know the O’Rourkes pretty well.”
“I would expect you to know criminals operating under your nose.”
“I never met Balor, but I know Riordan O’Rourke.”
Lips trembling, I stay silent.
“Do you know how I know them?” he asks.
I just give a slight head shake.
“I’ve been on the take from them for years. They trustme. I’ve kept their asses clean. That murderer brother of theirs should be in Rikers. In the psych ward.” Wes paces around the table, face going red. “I make sure all the dirty, bloody trails he leaves behind gets cleaned up. They have a warehousewhere they kill people. Like the roach motel. Sleazeballs go in and never come out. Not in one piece anyway. Who do you think patrols that location and keeps other cops away?” Wesley goes on. “Me. I’m more fucking important to them than you and your bastard child.”
“That’s not true,” I scream.
Balor is in the shower waiting for me...
“You can lie to me all you want. One thing I do know about Balor is he only fucks whores. He doesn’t want a family. He has no use for you or this kid. I’m doing him a favor. Riordan O’Rourke tells me everything. And pays me well for my silence.”
“And killing his brother’s baby is going to keep you in his good graces?”
“You don’t fucking listen. Balor O’Rourke doesn’t want you. He wants his whores back. He doesn’t want kids.”
Is any of Wesley’s rant true? If he’s known the O’Rourkes for years, can he make these assumptions about how Balor feels about kids? But what about his Irish-Catholic brothers shrugging off losing one?
I’d only met them a couple of times. I was so fucking wrong about Wesley. Clearly, I can’t rely on my own judgment.
“You’re next, I promise,”Balor’s sweet sister had whispered into my ear, the sincerity rattling through me.
But she’s their innocent treasure who doesn’t work for them. Shea has nothing to do with their business.
All while my life is over.
Wesley’s phone buzzes and he smiles. “Oh good, the doctor is here.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
Balor
Three days not hearing from Ella.
I’m raw with pain and wired with enough rage to level this entire city with a dirty bomb.
I’ve been unable to leave my house, craving her scent that I smell on every damn piece of upholstery. I told my housekeeper to not touch my bed or even go near my bedroom. I can’t work, my hands are cramped from fisting them so tight. I can’t eat, except for the food that Jillian and Shea force on me.
If I thought my sleep sucked before, this is much worse. At times spots form in front of my eyes and my breathing shallows out. Darragh is stopping by tonight to give me a B12 shot.
“We tracked her down!” Shane bursts into my home office with Eoghan on his six.
Several of my most trusted tech experts are working around the clock to find her. All while I’m a useless, melted-down mess.
Eoghan has practically moved in to make sure I don’t drown myself in the toilet bowl.
“Where?” I go to stand but feel dizzy and sit back down.