Page 148 of Shattered Veil
Eoghan glances at the view screen. “Put a filter on it, and you’re Scorsese.”
“Shut the fuck up, you two.” Balor shakes his head.
“What... What am I to do with this gun?” Dad asks.
“Kill the man who hurt your daughter.” Balor points to Wes on the floor, still writhing.
Dad fumbles with the piece, making me wonder if he ever held a gun.
“No, Mr. O’Rourke.” He tries to hand it back. “I willnot deny you the pleasure of proving to my daughter—”
“Ihave nothing to prove to her. She knows I love her. You will kill Wesley and we will have it on video, so if you ever,everbetray me, her, or my family again, that video goes to the FBI.” Balor balls his hands into fists, wincing through the pain of beating Wes’ face. “This is my insurance if you think you can outsmart me. Kill that man. And keep in line. I’ll spare your life and keep your dirty secrets. All of them.”
My heart shatters for my dad, but he’s made so many mistakes. He’s lucky to live. He’s lucky he’ll see my children born and get to hold them.
“Dad, please. Do what they say. Nothing should be more important to you than me!”
His lips tremble. “But my sweet Ella? You want a murderer for a father?”
I swallow and look around. “I’m marrying into a family of murderers. Proudly.”
Balor blinks at me, and a smile ghosts his lips.
This is what it took, brat?
“For the record, I’ve not murdered anyone,” Balor says to me instead. “Trust me, how I ache to finish off this scumbag. I brought him to the brink. Your father needs to know we own him.” He turns to Dad. “Now kill this motherfucker so I can get the mother of my childrenthe proper fucking medical care she needs!”
“Dad, please. Do it for me. Do what you should have done six months ago. You had the power when I told you. Don’t let Wesley ever hurt another woman like he hurt me.” I hate putting this shame on him, but I’m breaking the chains of feeling guilty over the abuse and holding others accountable. For once!
Nodding, my father lifts the gun. More skilled now. He was faking it. With eerie precision, his fingers stretch in the trigger well.
“Get close enough so his blood soaks into your clothes,” Eoghan, the lawyer, says. “DNA evidence.”
I assume they would figure out a way around the obvious duress my father is under. Sadly, he would never make it to trial.
“Dad?” I call out to him.
To my surprise, he turns to me, to all of us, holding the gun.
“Hey,” Lachlan yells and tosses his other gun to Balor.
The men in the room advance on Dad. Riordan, Eoghan, Darragh, and the Quinlans, who look more bloodthirsty than anyone.
“I got it,” Balor says, pointing a gun right back at my father. “What are you doing, Snow?”
“Estella. I am so sorry.”
“Dad... For what?”
I rise from the chair, the blanket falling to my feet. “Dad?”
I worry he’ll shoot Balor just to make his brothers kill him.
Death by O’Rourke.
“Goodbye, my Estella,” he whispers.
Then...