Page 1 of Fix You
Prologue: Maeve
Belfast, One Year Ago
At the rumble of thunder in the distance, I couldn’t fight the shiver that ran through me. I’d never been a fan of storms. As a child, the first crack of lightning or boom of thunder had me sprinting from my bed. After streaking down the long, carpeted hallway, I’d pick one of my older brothers’ rooms to invade.
Although they’d grunt and grumble at my intrusion, they’d always roll over and make room for me. If it was a particularly bad storm, we’d usually be joined by one or both of my youngerbrothers. Somehow Kellan and Eamon always had a sixth sense for where I was.
An ache ricocheted through my chest at the thought of the deep abiding love for my brothers. After tonight, they would no longer be the unsung heroes in my life to comfort and protect me at a moment’s notice. As much as I hated the idea of vanishing from their lives, fate hadn’t left me with much of a choice.
I could allow myself to be sold like a broodmare into a marriage with a man who was known to leave the women he dated with welts and bruises.
Or I could choose freedom and disappear into a new life.
Although it appeared to be an easy choice, it had been a heart-wrenching one. Other young women in my predicament could’ve just packed up and left.
But I wasn’t like other girls.
I was the daughter of an Irish clan leader whose members took a blood oath upon initiation.
No one quit the clan, and anyone who dared to go against my father’s word was killed.
Two weeks ago when he’d unexpectedly arrived from Boston with my older brothers in tow, I should’ve been suspicious. A decade ago he had taken my oldest brothers, Callum, Quinn, and Darragh, or Dare as he was called, with him to expand the clan business in America. As my father settled in Boston, my mother was ordered to stay in Belfast with me, Kellan, and Eamon.
Considering what an unimaginable bastard my father was, my mother didn’t mind being deprived of his presence. The only reason we made monthly visits to Boston on our private jet was that Mam hated her family being fractured into two continents. Although Callum was twenty, Quinn eighteen, and Dare sixteen, Mam mourned their loss daily. While they tried putting on the brave face of strong clan men, all three of them adored our mamand missed her desperately. In turn, Kellan, Eamon, and I were desolate without our older brothers.
While Da’s visits back to Belfast were never unannounced or without notice, I imagined he’d come on unexpected business. When I’d come downstairs to find the staff scurrying around in party preparation, my worst nightmare came to fruition when I learned the pretense of the celebration.
At the sight of a banner bearingComhghairdeas Oisin and Maeve,my stomach had lurched into my throat. This couldn’t be happening. Over the last year, I’d heard whispers that Oisin O’Toole wanted me for his bride. Besides the fact he was physically unappealing, he ruled his clan with cruelty and depravity. Although I knew an arranged marriage was in my future, he was the last man on earth I wanted to be married to.
When I’d gone in search of my father to demand answers, I had found him in his office. He glared up at me from his paperwork when I threw open the door.
Since I knew my pleading would fall on deaf ears, I jerked my chin up. “I will never marry Oisin O’Toole!”
“Is that right?” he’d snarled.
I nodded emphatically. ”I’ll run away before I’ll ever let him touch me!”
Without a word, Da rose out of his chair. He slowly stalked over to me like a predator closing in on its prey. After grabbing me by the arm, he dragged me out of his office. I screamed from the pain of his fingers tearing into my bicep.
When he found my older brothers in the den watching a boxing match, he shoved me to the floor at their feet. “You are to beat the insolence out of her!”
A cry tore from my lips at the burning of my knees from banging onto the floor. The next thing I knew, Quinn was at my side, helping me to my feet.
Callum shot off the couch to stand before my father. “Youcraiceáiltebastard! How dare you lay a hand on her, least of all demand as much of us.”
“The ungrateful cunt says she won’t have Oisin for a husband. She needs to learn obedience.”
“We sure as hell won’t have any part in your sadistic games,” Quinn shot back as he held me in his arms.
“Over my dead body is Maeve marrying that psychopath!” Callum had bellowed.
Father glared at us. “As long as I draw breath, I’m the head of this clan, and what I say goes.”
“Continue down this path with Maeve and you won’t be drawing any breath.” Callum had then stepped toe to toe with Da. “You’ll be rotting out in the Kavanaugh crypt.”
Father’s blue eyes turned black. “You threaten me again, and it’ll be you who are festering out in the crypt.”
“Find another alliance, or you’ll be on your own. Dare, Quinn, and I will break away from this clan. You think you need the O’Toole’s here in Belfast, but let’s see how well you run a splintered clan.”